Another Idea for Christmas - Roger & Gallet Jean Marie Farina Soap Coffrets

I'm back today with another beauy review from Roger & Gallet a brand that I've been liking quite a bit lately. The Jean Marie Farina soap coffret comes in lovely Christmas packaging just in time for Christmas.

I've tried a couple of scents from the range but the new Jean Marie Farina scent is new to me. It's a  fresh lemon and orangey scent inspired by the fragrances and irresistible freshness of and Italian garden and the clear waters of the Mediterranean. I wouldn't be the biggest fan of this scent, Fleur D'Osmanthus still wins hands down for me. The scent is really fresh and the base notes of cedarwood, sandlewood and myrtly definitely shine through. I know perfumes are a really personal thing and everyone has different tastes, so I definitely recommend going into store to check out these sets as they are available in all the scents.

Again for €16 I think these would make a great stocking filler and secret santa gift. There are also alot more Roger & Gallet gift sets to choose from so you wouldn't be stuck for choice.

Laura<3

Roger & Gallet Christmas Cracker Gift

With Christmas just around the corner I thought this was a gorgeous little stocking filler from Roger & Gallet. At  €6.50, you can't really go wrong with this little cracker. In the little gift you get a lovely handbag friendly hand and nail cream and mini vial of perfume aswell.

At  €6.50 considering a hand cream on its own is that price, I think this is such a great purchase as it's wrapped beautifullly and would be perfect for a friend or a secret Santa gift.

I'm a bit biased towards the Fleur d'Osmanthus scent as I've been using it alot lately but if your near a pharmacy that sells Roger & Gallet I'd definitely recommend trying it out. It's such a lovely light scent perfect for everyday. I know I'd be happy to find this in my Christmas stocking this year, that's for sure! The Christmas cracker is also available in two other scents Creme Sublime and Fleur de Figuier. Out of the three fragrances my favourite still has to be Fleur d'Osmanthus. It's such a nice calming scent.

Until my next post,

Laura<3

What I got for Christmas 2013!

I can't believe Christmas 2013 has come and gone. What with training and working non stop it went by in a blink of an eye. I feel like I haven't blogged in ages but that will definitely change in 2014. I thought I'd start off showing you some of the lovely gift I received this Christmas.

2013 was definitely the year of the Yankee Candles everyone knows how much I love burning a nice candle in my room. My favourite scent at the moment is Fireside Treats, it smells amazing! If you haven't smelt it yet in store I suggest you do. From my parents and brother, I got two gorgeous sets that each contain 12 votive size candles, one has all the traditional winter scents while the other has yummy sweet scents. I'm really looking forward to burning the latter.

My Aunty Val picked me up two books that I really wanted. I've read all the Pretty Little Liars series so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. The book series has been going on for a while but I haven't got bored of it yet as its a really good quick read. Gayle Forman is a new author for me I already have the first book in this series, I haven't read it yet but I'm delighted that I have the sequel to look forward to aswell.

Paddy completely spoiled me, I was a really lucky girl this Christmas. He also had to carry all my presents over on the bus on Christmas Eve so I'm sure he got some strange looks here and there. I'm really happy with everything, I get a Soap & Glory box every year and I especially love the one that was released this year. The bag that everything comes in is beautiful, I'm definitely going to use it to store all my makeup products in. Staying with beauty products, Paddy surprised me with two Molton Brown hand creams. I used to work for the company two years ago and my favourite scents are Heavenly Gingerlily and Pink Pepperpod, I don't think that will ever change. So far I've been loving these handcreams alot and there the perfect size for my handbag. Loads of people are surprised to hear that I've never watched Downton Abbey before, I usually just forget when a new episode is on and just fall behind. Paddy bought me season 1-4 so hopefully I can catch up as I hear it is a really good show. Bastille and Kodaline are two bands that I've been loving lately, I've already put both of these cds on my Ipod. I love Bastille's songs, Poet & Laughter Line and Kodaline's High Hopes & Brand New Day. Both albums are amazing in my opinion and definitely worth a listen. Of course I was also given two Yankee Candles Christmas Cookie and Christmas Cupcake, there's no fear that I'll run low on candles anytime soon. A present that was really special to me was the Disney Mickey & Minnie 2013 Christmas snowglobe, I love Disney movies so this was such a perfect gift. I've already made space on my new desk for it. He also bought me another couple of bits and bobs that you can see above, I clearly have a boyfriend that knows me very well as I'm super happy with everything!

My Aunty and Uncle gave me this beautiful Pied a Terre purse which I adore. It fits all my basic cards, a good thing as I always carry too many around with me and this will definitely help fix that problem. I know I only ever use my Boots, Brown Thomas, Tesco and Debenhams reward card so there's really no need for me to have a bulging purse.

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without pyjamas and festive slipper boots (I'm rocking a pair as I type this). My Mom and Dad also got me a gorgeous new jumper and boots, I've been wearing the latter to death. I'm sure you'll see them both in an upcoming post. Keeping with fashion my sister bought me a gorgeous scarf, snuggly headband and other bits and bobs. My Nanna gave me a giftcard for Dundrum Town Centre, of course I've used it in the Sales already so expect a post really soon on my purchases.

At the end of the day I really love chilling out with my family and friends over Christmas. On Christmas morning we called over to my sister, Lisa's apartment to see her and the family. Throughout the whole month of December my nephew Ryan was so excited to see what Santa would bring, of course he wasn't left disappointed. Above is a picture of Ryan and I playing with some of his lovely Christmas gifts. He is the cutest child ever, it's so nice to have a baby again in the family as it brings all the fun back into Christmas again. He didn't want me to leave and I have a feeling he would of been perfectly happy for me to stay all day playing with his new toys.

What did you get surprised with this Christmas?

Laura<3

What I Got For Christmas - The 2012 Edition!

Christmas time has come and gone already, now we have New Years to look forward to. Before I get too ahead of myself I thought I'd show you guys some of the gifts I got over Christmas. I wasn't expecting so much this year, I'm so delighted with everything I got. This year was definitely the year of haircare bits and candles! As you probably all know the weather has been horrible lately, gloomy and wet comes to mind, so I had to use the flash in some of the pictures below hope you don't mind too much.

My parents bought me the Remington Pro Volume Heated Brush, this was my surprise gift and I hadn't been expecting it at all. I've used it twice since I got it and so far so good, I love it! It give my hair a extra boost and a salon like finish. I feel it also leaves my hair less frizzy and alot more sleek. My sister and brother both picked me up some Yankee Candles so I'm stocked up on my all time favourites, Christmas Cookie and Christmas Cupcake for a while to come. If you haven't tried either of these scents I recommend them both, even though they are in fact Christmas candles I'd happily burn them all year round. I know most of the festive Yankee Candle stock goes on stock around this time so it's definitely worth popping into your local store to see if you can pick them up for a relatively cheaper price. From experience I know these candles can be ridiculously expensive. so all these will definitely last me well in 2013. Before I finishing ranting about Yankee Candles I better mention the one my Mom gave me, it would be rude to leave it out. It's their Chocolate Layer Cake candle which is from the new Eat Deserts First range (crazy name I know) . It smells amazing, if chocolatey scents aren't your thing then this definitely isn't going to be one for you. Another thing that I love about this candle is the gorgeous packaging, the nicely trimmed lid makes it look like something you'd find in a Bakery. Besides beauty products, I also got alot of new books to read. I love nothing more than sitting down with a good book over the Winter months, what else would I be doing in this horrible weather! I got a good assortment of books which you'll see below that I'm really happy with. I love the Pretty Little Liars series so I was delighted that I received the prequel, can't wait to start reading this soon. I've wanted to start doing book reviews for ages so let me know if it's something you'd be interested in.

My boyfriend bought me some gorgeous beauty bits which I can't wait to start using sometime soon. For ages I had my eye on the Chanel Holiday Collection eyeshadow quad and I was talking about it none stop, when we were out shopping last month he definitely picked up on the hints! The cranberry shade is so pretty and I can see myself using this alot. I don't have too many Chanel products (maybe one or two at the most) so I'm happy to add this to my collection. He also got me the One Direction concert dvd!! I'm a big fan of their music so I'm looking forward to watching this! My favourite member of the band is Niall, I just don't see all the fuss surrounding Harry at all to be honest. I didn't really get clothes as such for Christmas but I did get a lovely bag (from Mom and Dad) and Wintery boots (from Nan). I haven't taken the latter off since I got them, there just so comfy and they make me that extra bit taller which I need.

I got a few nice bits for my room from my Aunt and Uncle. I'm in love with the perfume bottle, it has a really old fashioned feel about it. I can tell already that this is going to be one of those items which will take pride of place on my dresser, I'm already making room for it. They also bought me these gorgeous storage boxes. I love the black and white design, I don't have a theme in my room at all so these fit in really nicely. I've put some makeup products in them already that I want to review soon. Lastly I exchanged gifts with my International Youtube friend Chie, she sent me over some gorgeous products from the States. I love how both sets she sent me are collaborations with two of my favourite Disney movies, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. I've used EOS lip balms before and I love them so I can't wait to try out these three. She also sent me over three Bath & Body Works Festive minis which all smell amazing. We need to get one of these stores over in Ireland soon!

This is a way bigger post than I expected it to be so I'm going to do a individual post showing you all what I bought in the Post Christmas Sales. I didn't buy too much so I assure you it won't be as long as this one.

Was Santa good to you this year? What did you get for Christmas?

Laura<3

My Pre-Christmas Haul!

With Christmas just around the corner and all my gifts finally wrapped under the tree, I thought I'd show you guys my Pre-Christmas Haul. I've been quite reserved this time around in comparison to past years, I haven't gone too wild (leaving that for the SALES!). I have a sneaky suspicion that I'll be buying alot more clothes in JanuaryThere was a couple of things I've had my eye on for a while so over past month or so I purchased them. I by no means picked them up all at once as I definitely don't have that kinda money at all.

I wasn't completely blown away with any of the Boots Star Buys this month. I bought the Fearne Cotton Hat Box at the beginning but other then that nothing really called out to me at all. That is until I spotted Soap & Glory's The Best of All gift set. This gorgeous pink bag contains 9 full sized products, it's all about presentation for me so when I seen this I had to buy it! In the bag you also get some S&G coupons which you can use on products next year, some of them seem really good too so I look forward to using them. There's some bits in here that I haven't used before like the Smoothie Star Body Milk which smells amazing by the way! The only product I probably won't be using in this gift box is the mascara. I've tried it before and I wasn't overly impressed by it, the brush is ridiculously big. Besides that small issue I can't wait to use all these S&G goodies, they'll definitely take me far into next year.

Last week in Kiehl's I did splurge a little and I bought three of their lip balms which came in this gorgeous tin. I fell in love with the design isn't it so pretty? I thought this would be great for storing some makeup bits in, it's one of those things that would look beautiful on your bedside table on display. In the past I've tried their lip balm and I was really impressed by it. I've never bought a product from Kiehl's yet that I didn't like, that just shows how much I highly rate this brand. This set contains a original lip balm, a mango scented balm and their tinted lip balm which has SPF 15. The box I bought was ready made but I do believe you can choose what three balms you want to include or if lip glosses are more your thing you can fill it up with them. I do recall the latter being a little bit more pricier though. I doubt I'll need to be buying lip balm for a long time, I should be stocked up til mid 2013!

After seeing this set on one of my favourite blogs, (Essie Button if you're wondering!) I had to pick it up. This set was by no means cheap but the products you get in it are amazing. I tried their Almond Shower Oil a couple of months ago and fell head over heels for it. I've always wanted to try some more bits from this particular range but they always came across as that little bit too pricey for my liking. After seeing the review post over on Essie Button I went into my local L'Occitane and saw the amazing saving (even in euro!) for myself so I scooped this up right away. Off the bat everything in here smells amazing, if you've tried their shower oil already your bound to like all the other products in this box. The only product that doesn't have a distinctive almond scent for me is the hand cream for some reason, I have no idea why! Last but not least I adore the packaging, it's such a enchanting design. I'm definitely one of those people that keeps pretty boxes for storing makeup and the like so you bet I'll be holding on this it's too nice to toss out.

Lastly I bought some goodies from Catrice and Essence. If you haven't heard of either, there both European brands, that are super affordable. I know their products are available in the States now but I don't think there available yet in the UK which is such a shame. I got a couple of products from their new limited edition collection, Fabulous 40ties (see what they did there!). At present I've used the eyeshadow palette and eyebrow lifter, I can safely say I love them both. The pale pink shimmer shadow in the palette could be a bit more pigmented but I couldn't really expect more from something that cost €5 really. I was lucky to get my hands on the Catrice Berlin Collection Eye and Cheek palette in Penneys (Primark) they only had the testers left on display but when I was going up to pay for the Essence Winter hand creams I spotted one at the till. What are the odd of that happening, I was really happy to get my hands on this as it's such good value for what you get inside. I may do a post featuring just this with swatches and a review in the New Year hopefully. Back to the Essence Winter Collection Hand Creams, they all smell amazing. I went a bit mad and bought all three but I guess you can never have too many. Well I can't anyway, I always carry them around in my bag. There €1.49 which just shows you how great this brand is as the products themselves are huge and there sure to last a while. All the hand creams smell like festive drinks, the three scents are Gingerbread Chai Latte, Caramel Hot Chocolate and Apple Cinnamon Punch. At first I was loving the Caramel Hot Chocolate option but since then I've done a complete 360 and changed my mind in favour of the latter, Apple Cinnamon Punch. It smells so good, I may have to purchase a back up before they all sell out before Christmas.

Have you bought yourself any goodies before Christmas or are you patiently waiting for the SALES to begin?

Laura<3

Christmas Gift Ideas #3 - Winter Makeup Collections & Some Lovely Bits

One of things I love about this time of year is the release of the gorgeous Winter makeup collections. There are so many pretty products that catch my eye for one reason or another and I'm always drawn towards them like a magpie. There's definitely been a good few stand out products for me which I'll tell you all about in due course throughout this post. Alot of budget beauty brands, MUA in particular, have stepped up their game as of late and have come out with gorgeous affordable palettes aswell. I thought I'd show you a few that I think would make amazing Christmas gifts, if I seen any of these under my tree this year I'd be seriously delighted.

As you can see from the picture above I've gone back to my all background for a while. The lighting is terrible at the moment considering it's so ridiculously dull and miserable in Dublin at the moment. Three luxury brands that have really hit the nail on the head this year are Clarins, Lancome and Giorgio Armani. The latter came out with the new Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow Quad. I have the gorgeous Terra Sienna to show you all, this contains four beautiful neutral shades. All the shadows are highly pigmented and really soft so they apply like a dream. There's two shimmer and two matte shades which is a good balance there. I'm in love with the packaging, it's super sleek and shiny. As it's on the expensive side it wouldn't be something I'd bring on a night out with me. I think this would be a perfect gift for a close friend or family member. If a neutral eye isn't their thing there's another eight different shade selections to choose from so you'll definitely find something to suit your tastes. The Eyes to Kill Quads are in the brands permanent line so they'll still be there even if you have to wait til after Christmas. I'm going to do a full review post on this eyeshadow quad as I've been using it a tonne lately. One collection that alot of bloggers are talking about this year is the Odyssey collection from Clarins. Two complete stand out products are the Face palette and Eye palette, just look at that packaging alone. It's definitely one of those palettes that when you finish up you want to hold on to the case, how could you get rid of it it's way too pretty. I'm in love with this collection it's beyond amazing. The eyeshadow palette contains the usual three neutral shades but alongside it is this gorgeous gold leaf shade which I immediately fell in love with. It makes this different to other palettes I own, I could see someone use this all year round as the colours are so wearable. The look could be instantly glammed up using the gold leaf shade on the lid. Again this would make such a lovely gift, both products look so elegant and luxurious, it's different to all the other makeup brand offerings this year. Lastly is some bits from Lancome's Winter Collection. As these are all individual pieces I think these would make gorgeous extras e.g stocking fillers, if you wanted to spend that little bit more on someone. With lovely eyeshadows, nail polish and pigments that come in different shades your sure to find something that catches your eye. If I had to choose one product from this collection I'd go for the Ombre Hypnose Mono eyeshadow . The sparkly gold glitter packaging is super Christmassy just what you need for this time of year me thinks. The shade I got to try is Fil D'Argent which is a shimmery taupe shade that is super wearable. All three shadows from the collection from what I've seen in store are neutral so whatever one you get for that special someone they'll certainly love.

Being a student myself, I sometimes find it hard to fork out on extravagant gifts for everyone.When I'm picking up small presents for a Kris Kindle or a friend, I look no further than Catrice, Essence and MUA. The latter is pretty hard to come by in Ireland unless you live beside a Superdrug which I don't. If you do manage to find yourself near a Superdrug I'd definitely recommend picking up a couple of MUA palettes. These are brilliant and for £4 they'd make amazing stocking fillers indeed. My favourites of the bunch are the Heaven & Earth and Undressed palette. Both contain neutral shades that would take you straight from day to night. I love wearing a natural eye look on a regular so of course these would be straight down my street. If your looking for a palette for someone who would like a variety of different shades, you should try to get your hands on the Artiste Collection palette which is the latest addition to the range. Not only does this include eyeshadows, it also comes with two blushes, bronzer and highlighter. As all these palettes are super affordable, I wouldn't be too worried about losing one of them on a night out either as they are easily replaced. I bought the Heaven & Earth palette in Manchester during the Summer and I literally used it everyday along with the Undressed palette. Essence have also brought out some really nice Winter Hand Creams this month, unfortunately I didn't picture them above.. They all come in yummy hot drinks scent, my favourite being Caramel Hot Chocolate. At the recent Dublin blogger meetup I let everyone try this and it got thumbs up all around. I bought all three scents in Penneys, I think the guy at the till thought I was a complete nut job buying three hand creams. They were only €1.49 each which is an amazing bargain. I've heard that Essence isn't available in the UK which is such a shame as it's a great brand with some great products at a affordable price. I may stick up a post on these soon as I love the packaging and there such lovely hand creams too.

What products have caught your eye from the 2012 Winter collections?

Laura<3

Christmas Gift Ideas #2 - Custom Gift Boxes

When picking a Christmas gift for somebody, the list of possible gifts you could get them is endless. I always find that I'm torn between two or three gifts that I know the person in question would love. Instead of forking out a tonnes of money I've found myself in recent years building up little gift bags for people. I always think they work really well, last year I put together a small custom gift bag for my sister, Lisa that she loved. She still always carries around the makeup bag with her essentials in it, I'm glad to know that the gift is something that she loved and is well used. I've decided to do the same this year for a couple of people. I usually start by buying a makeup bag from Penneys/Marks & Spencers. This year I've decided to do something a little different and use a gift box instead. These are so easy to come across, I know they do really nice ones in Next and Paperchase which are worth having a look at.

Here is a little gift box I made up to show you guys, you can add more or less depending on how much you want to spend. I'm buying small gifts for people this year as opposed to spending alot as I feel you always put more thought into things and it's a personal. One of the gifts (can you guess which one?) above are actually for one of my family members I hope she's not reading this now. I'm in love with the Soap & Glory eyeshadow palette, they haven't brought out something like this before and the shade range is gorgeous. With a price under the €25 mark, I'm half tempted to go out and buy one myself soon as they are not too expensive either. I think this would be a lovely gift even by itself all wrapped up! Another gift I think anyone would be happy with in a gift box would be The Body Shop body butters. If you can get your hands on the miniature body butters, they would fit in really nicely to any gift box. My favourites at the moment are Chocomania, Vanilla Bliss and their Mango scents. I find these are super moisturising which is much needed for this time of the year. Lastly I decided to feature two haircare products as I think they can be looked at this time of the year. I like nothing more than getting new haircare goodies as my gruaig can look a complete and utter mess at the best of times. Both products are from John Frieda which is brand that I've really grown to like over the past while. They have some lovely gems in their range, in particular their Full Repair Perfect Ends Sheer Mist, Straight Fixation Smoothing Creme and the Anything Volume Refresher. The latter is brilliant for giving your hair that extra boost and it works really well as a dry shampoo. I've been using the Frizz Ease Straight Fixation Smoothing Creme, before I blow-dry my hair as it contains a heat protectant. This stuff leaves my hair looking lovely and smooth with not a bit of frizz in sight so it does exactly what it says on the tin. One gift that I haven't pictured above but I think would be a lovely addition to just about any gift box is a Yankee Candle. They have such a wonderful range of Christmas scents which I love. My favourite at the moment being Christmas Cookie, it smells heavenly. I always stock up on plenty before they sell out. Again this is just an example of what I'd put into a gift box for someone. There is no right or wrong way to do it people. Once all the goodies are wrapped up I think this would make an amazing gift. I love opening presents like this at Christmas as you get such a big surprise.

What do you think of this idea? Will you be doing it for anyone special this year?

Laura<3

Lush Christmas Gift Sets

Be it Christmas or any time of the year for that matter, I love Lush gift sets. I've done a couple of reviews on them in the past which you can see here. Not only do they make gorgeous gifts, there also great if your new to the brand and want to try an assortment of products. They have a great selection to choose from in store at all different price points, if your looking for a small token or a extravagant pressie there's something for you. If you prefer showers to baths like me, you can get sets that contain only shower products or vice versa.

 Lush bring out limited edition gift boxes during the Holidays which contain lots of lovely festive goodies. I was given the opportunity to show you guys two of them recently. Both gifts are under €20, I think these would make great Secret Santa/Kris Kindle gifts or even as a stocking filler.

The lovely pink box is the Snow Fairy gift set (€16.50)* which is definitely my favourite out of the two. From the name of the gift box you probably guessed already that it contains my favourite Lush shower gel, Snow Fairy. They changed up the packaging of this product this year and I like it. It stands out from the other shower gels as a limited edition and something special. I still have a big bottle left from last year as I always picked up a couple to keep me going throughout the year. My Mom has actually only discovered this shower gel and she's been using it in her hair like it says on the bottle. She loves it and it leaves her hair smelling gorgeous and looking lovely. Personally I wouldn't wash my hair in this myself just because my scalp can get quite sensitive. If you haven't tried Snow Fairy yet I definitely recommend going into Lush and checking it out.  It looks super pretty and the smallest bottle would make a lovely stocking filler too. Besides this lovely shower gel you also get two other products in this set, Angel Delight Soap and Shimmy Shimmy Glitter Bar. I've never tried the latter before so I was kind of disappointed when I opened the box to see that it had melted in the box (see picture above). This has never happened with any other gift boxes that I've bought previously from Lush, I'm guessing this just happened in the post or something. I wouldn't be too worried that this might happen to other gift boxes as it's never been a problem for me before. For obvious reasons I didn't get to try the Shimmy Shimmy Glitter Bar, but the tiny piece that was left in the set smelled actually quite nice. I may pop into Lush and buy one soon for a pre-Christmas treat. Another one of my favourite Christmas products from Lush is Angel Delight soap so I was delighted to see this included in this box. This smells amazing and it comes shaped like a star which is a nice touch. My boyfriend already bought me a nice big chunk of this soap when the Christmas products first hit the shelves, hopefully it lasts me through this month.

The other gift box is Winter Wishes (€19.95)* which contains four products from Lush. This set is a step up in price at €18.95 but again it contains some lovely goodies. One of the stores new launches this year is a new shower gel called Ponche. Wow this smells amazing, I'm very attempted to buy a big bottle next time I take a trip to Lush. It has a gorgeous fruity scent, the label says it contains tequila but I only smell oranges. This is completely fine by me as I love this scent. I can see this shower gel being very popular over Christmas but I doubt it will knock Snow Fairy off its perch. This set contains a massage bar Each Peach and Two's a Pear, I've tried this particular one before and I really like it. It has a citrusy scent which always wakes me up in the morning. This is definitely one of those scents I could sit around and smell all day. After I use this product my skin is left feeling super soft and nourished. When you use these give a little time for the product to sink into your skin as it doesn't happen right way. I don't like many of the massage bar scents but this and Soft Coeur would be my favourites. The only product I'm not the biggest fan of from this set is Snowcake soap. Like Angel Delight this looks lovely and is a nice creamy soap but I can't stand the scent. If you like marzipan then this could be the perfect soap for you. On the other hand I adore Snow Globe, it has a gorgeous citrusy scent, alot like Sexy Peel but way nicer in my opinion. This soap is also my Dad's favourite and we always buy him a couple of chunks over Christmas.

Out of the two my favourite has to be the Snow Fairy gift box, it contains three gorgeous girly products which I'm sure alot of people will love. It's also gift wrapped beautifully so you won't be frantically rushing around on Christmas Eve trying to make it look decent. I love how you can also recycle the swing tag and use it as a Christmas decoration, it's such a nice touch. Lastly I think this is super affordable, for €16.50 your getting three products that are perfect for the Christmas season.

What do you think of gift sets from Lush? Will you be picking one up for a special someone?

Laura<3

Christmas Gift Ideas #1 - Skincare & Body

I'm a bit late starting my Christmas series this year but better late than never I guess. I really enjoyed doing these kind of posts last year which I thought you guys enjoyed so I wanted to do the same for this Christmas. My first part in this series is going to show some skincare and body products. I feel alot of brands bring out gorgeous sets this time of the year so it would be a shame if I didn't mention them I think. I know skincare can be a bit of a messy gift to get someone as everyone has different skin types so you may not necessarily know what to get them. I've made two skincare suggestions that I think would make a nice gift this Christmas so I had to give them a mention.

First off is Lush's Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser which is a new addition to their Limited Edition festive collection. This was always going to be a winner for me as it smells like cinnamon which I adore! For €7.95, this exfoliating cleanser would make a super stocking filler to go with other small gifts. With such a small tub some of you may think that you don't get much product but seriously a little goes a long way. This cleanser may not look too appeal in the tube, it reminds me of cake mix but it works amazingly well. I know I'll be picking up another one before Christmas comes and goes.

My other skincare selection is from Liz Earle and it's their 24 Days of Liz Earle Advent Calendar. Alot of the brands products make up my daily skincare routine. I love their Cleanse & Polish and Skin Repair Light Moisturiser, I always make sure that I'm stocked up on both these products. Their new beauty range has been much talked about this year and the range definitely contains some must try products like their Signature Foundation and Natural Glow Bronzer. This gorgeous gift set is on the pricier side of things at €120.50/£100 but saying that I think this would make a truly lovely gift. First of the advent calendar itself is enormous, I love how it opens up like a big book. On the run up to Christmas under each door is a gorgeous mini treat. This would be perfect for someone who is maybe new to Liz Earle or hasn't tried too many products. With this set they'll definitely get a feel for the brand, how could you not with twenty four miniatures. These little treats would also be great for post Christmas holidays as they are the perfect size for travelling. There's a great selection in this advent calendar from haircare to bodycare to skincare etc. Liz Earle always run brilliant offers in the weeks coming up to Christmas, there always worth having a look at too. I've opened up door #1 just to show you how big the products are, I decided not to open up all the doors as I didn't want to ruin the surprise just in case one of you get this for Christmas.

Next is a favourite among alot of bloggers, The Body Shop. They've gone all out their seasonal  range this year, I was lucky to go along to their Christmas launch back in October where I got a sneak peak of their festive collection. There are three seasonal scents to choose from Cranberry Joy, Ginger Sparkle and Vanilla Bliss. My favourite scent out of the bunch is the latter, it's not artifical smelling in the slightest and has a gorgeous sweet scent. Vanilla Bliss doesn't only come in a body butter, you can get it in a shower gel, lip balm, body polish etc. Stay clear of the shimmer body lotion though as it leaves you totally sparkly, unless you like the Edward Cullen then you go right ahead and pick it up! If you're looking for something for a friend or a kris kindle gift look no further than this gorgeous gift set, shaped as lollipop how can you go wrong. It contains five of their  popular body butters that are sure to be a hit with just about anyone. The packaging definitely did it for me with this one and for €25.50 you can't really go wrong. To celebrate Black Friday tomorrow, The Body Shop is offering 30% off all their products in store for tomorrow only. It's the perfect time to get some Christmas presents sorted and to also treat yourself. My Nanna loves the Ginger Sparkle hand cream in particular so I may pick her up some more bits in the same scent for Christmas.

Another brand I have alot of time for is Korres, I am a huge fan of their amazing lip butters. Every Christmas they bring out really nice gift sets which contain lovely products and this year is no different. I have two to show you, one for the guys and one for the girls. For the latter, there's the Fig Collection gift set which contains a full sized shower gel and body butter. At first I wasn't too gone of the scent but I actually rather like it now. I find both products to be super moisturising so they'd be perfect for people with dry skin. The body butter sinks into the skin quickly so there's so messing around. Korres products contain alot of natural ingredients which it always states on their packaging. They don't contain any nasties like silicones, parabens etc. I love the body butter packaging as it reminds me of toothpaste so it's definitely more hygienic than sticking your hand in a tub. This personally doesn't bother me but I know it's a issue for some people. Now one for the man in your life the Korres Men's Vetiver Collection contain a full sized Aftershave Balm and Shower Gel in the same scent. This time last year my brother reviewed the Vetiver Root Green Tea Cedarwood Eau de Toilette here on my blog and he loved it. Being the exact same scent as the two products in this gift set, of course it was inevitable that he'd like this too. He described this as a great one for everyday and for the men who like musky scents.

For great gift sets for any ages look no further than Lush. A brand that I always come back to, I love getting their products as Christmas gifts myself. All their festive sets cater for different price points, so there'll be certainly something to suit your budget. All the products are packaged in lovely Christmas wrapping paper so they make the perfect gift. Alot of their sets use to contain a mixture of bath and shower products. A shame for people like me who don't have the latter in their house. This year is different though and I've found that alot more sets contain just shower products. Two sets that caught my eye are Winter Wishes and Snow Fairy, isn't the packaging beautiful? I'm going to do a full review post on both of these to show you what's inside.

I hope you enjoyed the first post in my Christmas series, I would love to know what you think. I'm going to put my next post up next week so keep an eye out. It won't be as long I just had alot to show you guys in this one.

Would you guys like to seen any of these products under your Christmas tree??

Laura
<3

China Glaze All That Glitters Festive Set

I'm sure this will be the first of many festive posts, I know it's a bit early but I don't care cause I love Christmas. Winter is definitely my favourite season even though I have to admit I hate the cold. In the coming weeks I'm going to start a Christmas series like I did last year but until then I thought I'd start of by showing you one of my recent purchases. Like alot of people I pull out the glitter polishes the minute Winter is on our doorsteps. I have plenty as it is but that didn't stop me from picking up China Glaze's All That Glitters Nail Polish set on a recent shopping with my blogger friend Sian. I seriously love this girl's fashion blog, Forever Fabulous in Bows, I want her wardrobe!! We did do alot of shopping when we met up in town and I'm sure I'll have lots of reviews up on the goodies I bought soon.

Back to the product at hand the China Glaze set, I remember buying their minis set last year and I really liking it so I decided to snap one up this time around too. It wasn't quite a big splurge at around the €10 mark for four decent sized polishes it certainly wasn't breaking the bank at all. There is great choice in this set, with a red/gold glitter polish (Pure Joy), a multi coloured affair (Glitter All The Way) plus a gold (Angel Wings) and rose gold (Champagne Kisses)offerings. This wasn't the only mini set you could go for, I do believe there was another combination of colours too. As I only bought this set last week I've only tried one of the four polishes, the gold glitter offering Angel Wings. I'm not going to lie I wasn't too impressed with this one. Firstly the shade isn't all that, it's quite dull looking as you will see in the swatches below. I also find when the polish dries it leaves a very gritty finish on the nails. Saying that though I didn't use a Top Coat so this many fix the problem and it is a glitter polish so what did I really expect. I do really like this set though as all the shades are very festive so I'll definitely be on the hunt for a good topcoat to use with them. I wouldn't wear these without one as they do peel off the nails rather quick too, I got at least 2 days chip-free so it wasn't the worst I guess. I will do a few more posts featuring the other remaining polishes from the set letting you know how I got on with them. Sally's have a 3 for 2 on the majority of their Christmas sets at the moment so I may sneak in and by some more bits soon for Christmas presents and the like.

What do you think of this set? Is there any nail polishes you currently have your eye on?

Laura <3

The Body Shop Christmas Launch

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I've been unbelieveably busy. Firstly I started college which is certainly a new experience for me, I've been enjoying it so far and I can't wait to get into it now. I also went down to see some family family friends in Kilkenny this weekend, I love it down there as it's totally different to Dublin and so relaxed which is a nice change of scene. Last week my friend Sinead and I attended the Body Shop Christmas event. Even though it was September, we immediately got into the festive spirit when we seen the lovely Christmas tree as we walked through the door. All the new products were laid out across the room, our first stop was the makeup corner. The Body Shop always come out with beautiful products for the festive season, think sparkly and pretty and they always seem to go down a treat. I'm in love with the two new eyeshadow palettes coming out, they are both gorgeous and contain shades that could take you from day to night.. I can't decided which one I like more so when they get launched instore I may need to go back and treat myself. One of the lovely Body Shop staff touched  up my makeup for me and used one of the palettes too. Sinead and I were in love with the look she came up with, quite a dark smokey eye which I wouldn't really wear myself but it works. None of the lipsticks really caught my eye but after the makeup artist used one to finish the look off it looked perfect on, I'll definitely be picking one up for sure. While I was getting my makeup done, Sinead took up the duty of photographer, having not looked at some of her snaps til now, I think she did a really good job. I also got my eyebrows threaded for the first time, it was seriously not as sore as I expected to be, it's just a weird sensation like gritty sand or something. From there, Sinead and I had a look at all the gift sets, there's so many this year which is great as it keeps your options open. Two in particular caught my eye, the Scents of the World set and the body butters lollipop. The latter contains five mini butters in a lollipop shaped box, I think this would be lovely gift for someone in work or even for yourself. I love the Madagascan Vanilla Flower fragrance from the Scents of the World collection, the Christmas sets for this range are beautiful. The products come in little boxes shaped like books, for me personally presentation is key so this definitely ticked all the boxes for me. Let's not forget the limited edition festive scents, Vanilla Bliss, Cranberry Joy and Ginger Sparkle. Vanilla Bliss is my outright favourite out of the three, saying that though they all smell lovely so there'll be something for everyone. Before we left we got to fill up little gift bags for Barnados which is a children's charity over here in Ireland. It was such a nice gesture from The Body Shop and it's nice to know this Christmas some child will wake up with a lovely gift from them this year.

As always The Body Shop has done it again and pulled out all the stops for this Christmas season, I'd definitely recommend going instore and checking out some bits yourself.

Laura<3