Cetaphil Cleanser Winners!

Sorry for the latest-ness of this - I actually forgot slightly! Oops!

The 5 winners of the Cetaphil Gentle Cleansers are...

Phoebe - @phibster

Bex Smith - www.ialwaysbelieveinfutures.blogspot.com
Sugar and Smile - @Bluey_berries
@ElizabethKatie
Lauren - @lauren_alice

If you could all e-mail me your postal addresses' to makeupsavvy@live.co.uk that would be great - If I haven't contacted you already that is!

Also thank you to everyone that entered - I will be holding quite a few nice giveaways in December so watch out for that! 

Fee xo.

Hello Christmas!

Ahhh, Christmas?!

It really is my favourite time of year.

But I am going to be honest I haven't felt that Christmassy as of yet! I am not getting worried just yet though as I haven't done that much shopping or watched a good Christmas film or done anything really that Christmassy! 

So this weekend is going to be my official 'getting excited for Christmas' weekend. I am going to put up some decorations, MAKE some decorations... I'm thinking giant 3D snowflakes and a bauble wreath, bake something from the Nigella Lawson Christmas book and organise all my Christmas posts! 

Talking of Christmas posts I have a lot planned! Quite a few giveaways, some lovely festive interviews, even a few DIY posts and lots & lots of gift set reviews and talk of lovely festive products.

Happy December everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful month!

Fee xo.

Xmas Gifts - Boots Gorgeous Feet Intensely Pampering Trio

Last year I bought a gift from the Gorgeous Feet range at Boots and really wanted to keep it for myself (you can see the review here - it is still in stock). So this year I bought myself something from the range. But I thought I would review it as this would make a lovely extra gift as it's under £5!

On a side note I do seem to be treating myself a lot lately instead of buying Christmas presents - I need to stop this?! 

You can find the lovely set here for only £4.50 (normally £6.00 - currently 25% off) which contains - Soothing Foot Soak, Sensationally Smooth Foot Scrub and Deeply Intensive Moisturiser all 50ml in size and they come in lovely glass jars so they don't feel cheap at all. 

Now for a long time I really didn't believe in foot scrubs or foot creams... I mean surely a normal body scrub and moisturiser would do the exact same job. But then I read in some over 50's magazine (I'm thinking it was 'Yours' magazine) that the ingredients in feet and hand products are quite different to body products and actually a lot more affective. So I bought a Scholl foot cream and was actually amazed to find it is true - moisturiser really doesn't cut the mustard with me anymore! 

 Which is why I actually like giving foot care products as gifts... it is slightly odd I know. But if you think about it, in winter we definitely all neglect our feet more and also we do a lot more shopping than usual due to Christmas!

Here are mini reviews of the 3 products...

Deeply Intensive Moisturizer - This is the product I have been using the most as this really works, isn't greasy and smells amazing! The consistency of this is slightly thinner than a body butter and really does hydrate the feet instantly. As for the smell it smells exactly like the other two products in the set and it definitely reminds me of the smell of rice pudding! A lovely vanilla scent and quite soft smelling - really nice!

Soothing Foot Soak - Sadly I haven't used this as it contains Sodium laureth sulfate which I don't use (though I'm sure I would be fine to just use this on my feet). But again this smells really good and yummy! This is actually for placing in warm water and soaking the feet in for 10 minutes or you could even place this in a foot spa!

Sensationally Smooth Foot Scrub - I have used this a few times now and again nothing to fault here just a nice foot scrub that isn't at all harsh but does the job. Again the smell of this is really nice. 

Also there is a bigger gift set available here  for only £7.50 which includes the three products above and seven other products including some cosy socks and a Natural Collection nail polish! Really great value for money I would say.

Plus of course you can do the whole collect free from store at Boots which is very handy when products are on offer! 

Fee xo.

 

Lifting the Lid... October Boudoir Prive

For me Boudoir Prive seem more chic and niche... a box to try if you want to discover something that bit different. Also I feel this could be for someone in their 20's but also for someone that is in their 40's/50's - it just seems a good all rounder in the quality of the products.

 

The Price 
With the Boudoir Prive box you receive 5-6 deluxe sample size products for £12.95 including delivery, which I am guessing is just worked into the price as it's a very similar to all the other beauty boxes. Also in the month of October if you signed up you received two extra products from the previous box. Website - here.
 

The Packaging 

The box and packaging is very much like Glossy Box however this box has a magnetic close lid which I think I actually prefer and I also really like the cute little mirror sticker! 

 

The Products
The October box contained - Korres Guava Body Butter, Cetuem Illumination Mask, Cetuem Creme de Lite, Rose & Co Rose Petal Salve, Leanor Greyl Hulie de Palme, Studio Makeup Liner Styler Pen, Memo Shams fragrance sample.  Also my extra samples were a mini Zoya nail polish in Gem and Tropics Body Scrub.

 Leanor Greyl Pre-shampoo conditioner - I had never even heard of this brand before or even such a thing as a pre-shampoo conditioner. But I really did like this.. quite an interesting product that looked like a solid product but on contact with heat (the hands) it became an oil that you rubbed into the ends of your hair. I did notice a difference after each use and it was certainly a nice product to try. But not sure how much my hair needs it as it's in quite okay condition.

Cetuem products - I wasn't bowled over by these two products as I think they are more suited to drier or more mature skin. Though I did try them and could see the appeal especially with the brightening mask. In fact I can see why this has won awards actually! Though sadly my skin doesn't need brightening.

Memo Shams fragrance sample - Another dodgy perfume sample in another beauty box! Just way too strong, as in headache inducing strong. Not my cup of tea at all, though I'm sure some people will adore it.
 
Studio Makeup Liner Styler Pen - I can never have enough eyeliner so was thrilled to receive this full size liner pen. It took some getting use to as I do normally use gel liners which I apply with a little brush. However after a bit of practice this looked great - so pigmented and it definitely lasts. Really very nice.

Rose & Co Rose Petal Salve - This was a lovely addition to the box and one that actually made me go out and buy another Rose & Co balm and some other products from the brand! This is just a handy multi-purpose salve for lips, cuticles, dry skin, taming eyebrows etc etc. So handy for the handbag and will last you ages. I really do love Rose & Co products now from being introduce to them though Boudoir Prive... which is what it's all about isn't it?!
 

Korres Guava Body Butter - I have always wanted to try Korres but never could decide what I wanted to go for as it only seems to be online and I think the smell of products are so important, so I was glad to receive this. Now as for Guava I literally didn't have a clue what that smelt of and I still can't even describe it but it's a soft type of smell that is quite yummy. This is nothing ground breaking but it's a nice size and I have been using it on my arms before bed and have been quite pleased with it as a product. Now tempted to purchase a Korres gift set for someone at Christmas with the Guave scent in it.

Extras - Not overly impressed by the Tropics Body Scrub... yes nice enough but for a body sample this was the worlds smallest sample. But I did love the Zoya polish which you can view here as I did a NOTD post on it.

 

Positives 
 I really liked four products out of this box so for me this was totally worth £12.75 without a doubt. I also appreciate the interesting samples included like the pre-shampoo conditioner. I find when I receive this box I actually sit down and have to read about the products instead of looking at the products for a few seconds. Also this months box really did feel like I receive a lot of products - which is because I did!

Negatives  
Rubbish fragrance sample and I would really like if they included a list of ingredients in each product. 
 
Overall this felt like a huge treat... though it will be interesting to see what is in the November box as it of course won't include as many samples. I really felt spoilt with this box! 

Fee xo.

Lifting the Lid... October Carmine Box

The Carmine box is the newest of all the beauty boxes (this is actually the first box) and seems to contain slightly more makeup products than the rest along with a few skincare samples. 

Also this is definitely aesthetically different to most of the other monthly boxes.. which makes a change.

The Price
Each month the Carmine box includes 5 high end samples for £10.00 plus £2.75 for p&p totalling £12.75 per month. Also there is an option to purchase a box as a gift with a choice of two boxes so that you can select the contents you prefer. Website - here.

The Packaging
Firstly I love that the box is different from all the rest especially that it's black and the motif on the front is quite swish. However the box seems slightly too large for the products inside though this may be to accommodate future larger full size products. The only one negative is that the lid of the box is SO hard to get off... the first time I opened it or should I say, didn't open it, it took me at least 5 minutes to get into it. It's one of those annoying boxes that creates a type of suction and just won't come off unless you borrow a 3rd hand to help you hold the box whilst you pull off the lid. However I do love the deep red paper sizzle and the red ribbon - which I will be saving for a Christmas present!

The Products 

The October box contained - Balance Me Hand Cream, Trind Nail Repair, Daniel Sandler Eye Delight in Peach, the Balm Frat Boy Shadow/Blush, Caudalie Quenching Sorbet Creme.

Trind Nail Repair - If I had nails that needed some TLC then this would of been an amazing product as it is full size. However not all was lost as I gave this to my mum who seemed quite pleased with it. I did however try it out first and have to say it did apply on the nails really nicely and made them look quite nice for bare nails.

Balance Me Super Moisturising hand cream - I always seem to enjoy Balance Me products so this was nice to see even though I have so many hand creams now. Handy for keeping in a handbag!

Danial Sandler eyeshadow in Peach - When I opened this I thought it was definitely a 'meh' product... just peach, bland and shimmery/glittery. BUT I thought it was worth trying out to see if I was right or not... and I was actually proven totally wrong about it. I applied it over a gold shimmer e/s from the Urban Decay Naked Palette and it literally just looked lovely. Not too peachy looking at all but just light and shimmery and very pretty. This also can be used as a highlighter I have found.

 Caudalie Sorbet Creme - Another product I know I just won't use so again I gave this away. However Caudalie products are nice so it is a nice sample if you do use facial moisturiser.

 The Balm Frat Boy Blusher - This has to be my favourite product from the box as I love the Balm products, so I was delighted to see this. The packaging is just perfect and the shade is so wearable and is so finely milled which to me shows a really good quality powder.

Positives 
I love how this box contains a really good mix of products and also not ones that are really expensive to purchase at full size. It also seems like it's been thought out quite well in terms of products as I'm sure this box would suit quite a lot of people. 

Negatives 
My only negative would have to be the box as like I mentioned I just couldn't remove the lid, which also means I can't re-use to box because again I won't be able to remove the lid. They must of known about this issue with the box design but didn't correct it!
 

 Overall this beauty box is spot on for me! Yes, two products aren't that suitable for me personally but they are actually good products that I don't mind passing on. Really do feel this is worth the £13 price tag.


Fee xo.

Lifting the Lid... October Glossy Box

Today is officially Beauty Box Day on Makeup Savvy as I will be reviewing quite a few of last months boxes as I have tried out all the products really well. So hopefully it will be reviews of the boxes and also mini product reviews as you do receive quite a few full-sized products in them! 

SO even if you aren't interested in signing up for such a service the posts may still be interesting to read. Or so I hope! 

The Price 
With the GlossyBox you receive 5 high-end samples for £10.00 per month plus £2.95 p&p bring it to £12.95 per box per month. Also like all the other boxes you can cancel at any time. Website - here.

The Packaging

The samples come in a light pink box that is quite sturdy and has a lid with black tissue paper and black paper squiggly things (it's actually called paper sizzle - who knew!). The box is an ideal size for the samples and would be perfect to store other items in such as nail polishes, foundations, samples etc. Also the box comes with a card to explain the products plus it also gives you discount codes for different products which is nice!

The Products

The October box contained - Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Thermafoliant, Multivitamin Power Recover Masque, Renewal Lip Complex plus a free makeup bag, Stila Smudge Stick in Moray,  Leighton Denny Expert Nail polish in Baby Doll and three Robert Piguet fragrances. 

Dermalogica products - Loved both the Thermafoliant and Lip Complex. The micro exfoliator for the face I have been using in the shower and it has lasted me around 5 applications... not sure about the warming effect but this definitely removes dead skin and leaves the skin really soft. As for the lip product it just really works and if it wasn't for the hefty price tag I would be purchasing this. The mask really wasn't my thing so I gave it away and the make up bag... well it is just a bit boring isn't it. Also I am not sure how I feel about multiple products from the one brand in the same box, hmmm.

Leighton Denny Nail Polish in Babydoll - This was a full sized product and I thought it was quite nice. You can see more pics and a full review of it here. 

Stila Waterproof Eye Liner in Moray - I have never tried any eye products from Stila before so this was a nice product to receive (again full size) and I have to say I love it. The shade is really lovely and very wearable but what I love most is that this stays put ALL day and then you actually have a job removing it. I am now tempted to buy another one in a really pretty shade!

Robert Piguet fragrances - Firstly as you can see I managed to get one of the fragrances everywhere which is because it's a vial sample and not one with a handy spray top - quite annoying! But accident aside I hated all three scents... really too strong, heady and mature. I have found most beauty boxes like to send quite obscure very high end perfumes which I don't really love.

Positives 
I think this box was quite a varied box though it could of done with one less Dermalogica products and another sample instead. Also really loved the Stila and Leighton Denny products.
 

Negatives
I really would say the little makeup bag was a waste of time and not something that is needed in a beauty box that is about trying out products! Also the perfumes were just not good and from reading a lot of other reviews it seems no-one else liked them either. 


Overall I do feel this particular box is worth the money, however it would be nice to see better perfume samples included.

Fee xo. 

Do Nail Rocks, Rock?

I seem to have developed a collection of nail wraps recently but as my last experience with them didn't go so well (back in the day when you needed to heat up the wraps with a hairdryer) I have kind of left them alone.

But as the festive period is upon us (which means pretty nails!) I thought it was time I pull out my stash to really decided if I liked them and if they had improved at all. 

Firstly I feel I need to explain why I was put off nail wraps in the first place! It's was for three reasons actually. 1. Most nail wraps are too large so need to be cut down and cutting them but keeping an even curve is no easy task. 2. They didn't seem to stick down well and peeled at the edges. 3. You are supposed to file off the excess... which I did and also filed down all my nails in the process?! Arghhh.

So this time I thought I would do things slightly different to correct the issues I had last time...

 

Out of the 5 sets of nail wraps I own I picked my newest ones 'Black Lace on Red' from this month's Glossy Box as the design of them is the nicest and one I definitely couldn't achieve with nail art. So firstly to cut out the having to cut them all to size and messing it up I decided to just do an accent nails on my ring fingers. Plus it is so much quicker and it of course means you get so many uses out of one set of nail wraps - it's win/win really!

As for application I was pretty impressed to see that no heat is required now (something I thought wasn't needed in the first place) you just simply press them onto the nails. Now I must say they do stick down well as I have been wearing these on my ring fingers for 3 days now and they haven't peeled at the edges or come away at all and I have been having showers, washing up etc. However with both nails they do crease slightly in at least one place which is because of the shape of them and it really cannot be avoided I have found. 

As for filing off the end of the nail wrap this is were I really went wrong last time and actually ended up filing down my nails until they were pretty short. So this time I decided to ignore the instructions and cut off as much off the excess as I could, which is quite easy as you can feel where your nail is behind the nail wraps with your scissors. Then I just filed off the rest which only took a few strokes so I didn't file any of my nails down this time!

However the only problem I incurred with both nails was that they slightly ripped when filing them down, which you can see in the above picture. Though without looking up close it is hardly noticeable. 

Overall I am definitely more impressed this time round and actually feel a full application of all my nails wouldn't be too much hassle. I am now thinking of getting some for my toes to wear on holiday as I know they will definitely stay on now! 

The only downside still is that nail wraps do tend to wear down on the tips of the nails within a few days so you do get a white line which doesn't look so great. But other than that I do see the appeal now and would use them again 100%! 

Fee xo. 

A Day of Mourning...

As some of you may know I upgraded to a beautiful Nikon DSLR a few months back... well 3 months yesterday to be precise. It wasn't love at first sight but after a week I had got my head around all the buttons and functions and was so impressed by the image quality and what it could do. You see I took Photography for a year at college (I wasn't very good) and since then I have loved taking images even of products that are sharp and crisp and true to life. 

Though sadly a few days ago my camera went a bit funny, it stopped auto focusing and just wouldn't take any photographs... then a day or so later the screen started to go dark and I knew it's days were over. Well actually I was hoping that wasn't the case and I was being a total thicky and it was just a setting that needed to be changed! So I took it back to the retailer I had purchased it from to be greeted by the biggest technophobe who didn't even know how to turn the camera on (this was the person who was supposed to be telling me if it was in fact broken or not). To cut a long story, short, it basically is totally broke and it's only 3 months old!

Looking on the brighter side it is under warranty however I need to now send it off to Nikon (I'm waiting on them sending me some special packaging) so that they can repair it or replace it. I really am going to push for it to be replaced as I don't want a refurbished camera after just 3 months! But what I am mourning over is that I will be without my shiny big camera for over a month... so no taking it to the Manchester Christmas Markets or taking beautiful photos of my nieces on Christmas day... or even pretty images for my blog. 

So today is definitely feeling a bit sad as I now have to revert back to a £40 Samsung camera that really cannot compare... so here are some of my favourite images that I took with my now dead Nikon D3100. 

Fee xo.

Latest In Beauty Fragrance Box

So I said I would do a quick review on the Latest In Beauty Fragrance box as soon as my order was delivered as I really don't know how many there are, so I wanted to show you the box quickly before the box became out of stock.

Basically because I think it's a really nice idea and also handy for spliting up and giving as little extras at Christmas or even putting in Christmas crackers or just treating yourself to! 

I won't repeat myself... so if you want to know all the details you can view this post that I wrote about the box last week when I ordered it.  But basically if you cannot be bothered reading it, the box is £4.95 including delivery and you receive 6 samples... well I actually received 5 samples but one of them is a full sized product worth £20!

All the fragrance boxes contain the same products - Elie Saab Le Parfum 1ml spray, Yardley Royal English Daisy 1ml vial, Liz Earle Botanical Essence No1 2ml spray, Space NK Laughter 15ml miniature spray, L'Occitane Peony 5ml mini bottle. 

On the Latest in Beauty site it does state that the contents may vary... but it did also show a Miller Harris sample which I didn't receive and also from viewing other reviews on the box no one else did either. Postage took around 4 days and it comes in a handy box that fits through the letterbox so no chance of missing it! 

From least liked to favourite it has to be... Liz Earle (didn't like at all), Elie Saab (nice but not amazing), Yardley (so impressed, will actually be getting this!), L'Occitane (perfect summer fragrance, so I'm glad it's quite a big sample), Space NK (not tried this as I want to give it as a gift.. but it does retail for £20 in Space NK!).

The Yardley Daisy perfume is the sample I am most impressed with as it is a fragrance I know of but haven't seen it in Boots so I haven't had the chance to try it. But it seriously is lovely... really soft and so perfect for Spring. Plus for a 50ml bottle I am sure it's around £8! What a bargain?! This is such a good scent to give to mums or grandma's this Christmas - trust me and have a smell!

All in all I am very pleased with the box... there is nothing I dislike and all are ones I have been wanting to try but haven't as they aren't all available to try in say Boots or The Perfume Shop etc. 100% worth £4.95!

You can purchase the box - here.

Fee xo.

Dreaming of a Spa Weekend...

Today I want to talk about a slightly different type of gift that you could give at Christmas and one that I have enjoyed in the past from my boyfriend - well actually quite a few times now. 

I'm talking Spa days and just general being pampered! Rewind three years and I had never been to a spa or even dreamed of enjoying a relaxing weekend away... back then I actually thought relaxing equalled boring. Fast forward three years, I now embrace having a weekend of bliss doing nothing other than swimming, having a massage and lounging about in beautiful surroundings. I put this down to having an older boyfriend and also a busier lifestyle!

My last spa weekend away was at the beginning of February to The Langdale Hotel & Spa (here) in Ambleside, Cumbria (basically the Lake District) all the images above are where we went... just so beautiful and scenic. On a side note - how much does the photo above look like it should be somewhere in America?!

My boyfriend, Tim actually treated me to the weekend away on a bit of a whim because I had never been to the Lake District before and truthfully even the drive there impressed me. All the scenery is just beautiful, driving along side the lakes with the sun beaming through the trees - just perfect and all the little villages are so quint and pretty.

I won't bore you with all the details by my highlights were swimming in the heated pool and sitting in the amazingly hot and very steamy steam room as soon as we got there. Also on the first night we had an amazing three course meal in the restaurant, followed by an equally amazing cooked breakfast the following morning. But most of all I just enjoyed the overall relaxation of it all - the hotel, how quite it was, the settings... and just not having anything to do and no schedule to follow. I definitely feel I am due another break like this soon as I thoroughly enjoy these types of weekends away and feel so refreshed afterwards.

Which is why I feel a Wahanda Spa gift voucher would make for a really nice gift... especially for someone that you know deserves a rest or is one of those people that never stop!

The vouchers range from £25-£200 and can be used in over 900 venues all over the UK which means you are giving the receiver of the voucher the choice to chose where they want to go, when and what exactly they want to spend it on. I know quite a few people this would be good for this Christmas as so many people never have a break or time to themselves these days!

As I have been to a few spas now, one in Manchester, the lake district, a Champney spa and a health spa I am thinking of doing mini reviews on them all - let me know what you think! 

Fee xo.

 

All Used Up... But Would I Buy Again?

Being a Beauty blogger means I own a lot of products, which is obviously nice thing! But it does mean I am forever switching products and never just sticking to one product and using it religiously... which also means I hardly ever seem to get to the end of products! Which can be a good or bad thing sometimes. 

However finally I have some empties and thought I would share what I thought of the products and if I will be re-purchasing.

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub Body Exfoliator 

(Boots £9.45 - here)

I took this image around a week ago so now it is finally all gone. This is a huge 300ml pot and it had taken me a good 6-7 months to get through it! This definitely is my favourite product from Soap & Glory and I have tried quite a lot of their products... it's just so yummy and a really great scrub. 

I find using this on the backs of my arms most effective as it removes them tiny little bumps and it spreads really easily over the skin and washes off without leaving a greasy layer which I do like. 

Pros - The size of the product and how amazing it smells

Cons - The price... it is a bit too steep  

Would I re-purchase? Yes

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 

(John Lewis £13.75 - here)
I have been rotating this for the past year with all my other cleansers but mainly been using it when my skin felt a bit dull/oily and it has been great! For a cream cleanser this is super-duper stuff - the ingredient in it all seem high quality and you can really feel the cleanser looking after your skin. Also this really does remove all make up so well. One of the best cleansers I have tried along with my pricey Snowberry one.

Pros - Really good quality and good for all skin types

Cons - You cannot see how much product you have left and could be slightly cheaper

Would I re-purchase? Maybe in the future as a treat

No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara 

(Boots £12.50 - here)
This has to be my favourite day time mascara and it's now totally used up - which rarely happens to my mascaras as I always have around seven on the go all at once! I find the brush on this really great, the shorter comb is great for getting right to the base of the lashes to create volume and then the other side is great for combing through any clumps and fanning out the lashes so they look perfect. Also the end of the wand it great for getting the teeny tiny inner corner lashes without blinding yourself in the process. Just a really well thought out mascara that does give exceptional definition!

Pros - Really does what it says and gives lovely lashes!

Cons - The price without using a No7 £5 voucher is quite steep

Would I re-purchase? Yes

Tigi Love, Peace & The Planet Eco Awesome Shampoo 

(Cheap Smells - £6.50 here)

With most products it's always a shame when I notice I am coming to the end of it, but with this is was actually a joy to see! I normally love Tigi shampoos, they are thick and creamy, smell lovely and foam up really well. But this... well it isn't creamy or that thick, but I can live with that - the problem is the smell! It is just so vile. I didn't think about how Cranberry, Orange and Mint would smell all together but let me tell you the mint so isn't needed and just makes it smell like some vile type of cough medicine and to top it off it really is a strong scent that you can really smell whilst washing your hair and even after using conditioner. I have literally been using this and trying not to breath in! But I had to use it all up as it wasn't cheap... so I am so glad it's all gone now.

Pros - That it is SLS-free and foams up well still

Cons - The smell... just ergh

Would I re-purchase? Never!

Next Diamonds

(Next - £10 for 100ml here)

If you have read any reviews on this perfume you will know this smells exactly like Miss Dior Cherie and of course comes at a fraction of the price! If you aren't convinced find this in Next have a spray and then head to Boots and have a spray of the Dior one and see if you can smell any difference! It of course doesn't last as long on the skin but that is a minor issue when it's only £10 for a huge 100ml. 

Pros - The price and that it smells like a much more expensive scent

Cons - The bottle is slightly tacky looking

Would I re-purchase? Yes

Thierry Mugler Eau de Star 

(Cheap Smells - £26.75 for 50ml here)

I am so sad to have run out of this! This perfume was actually a bit of a guilty pleasure as I know a lot of people find this too sickly and deep but I personally love it for that reason. It's rich and sickly but not in a overly sweet way. But it's also quite sexy if it's worn as a day fragrance as it's definitely more of an evening fragrance so it does take people by surprise... okay what am I rambling about - it's just good! Will definitely be getting this again as I love Thierry Mugler scents, so if I don't get this at Christmas I will just have to re-purchase it myself!

Pros - Smells lovely and isn't as expensive as other Thierry Mugler fragrances

Cons - None really

Would I re-purchase? I am tempted, but will be putting this on my Christmas list 

Now I just need to start working though the 20 body lotions, 10 candles and 9 mascaras I own! 


Fee xo.

Pretty Beauty Products at Zalando!

So today I thought I would tell you about a recent website discovery as it combines three of my favourite things... beauty products, hard to find beauty products and free delivery. A perfect combination for Christmas shopping I would say!

Zalando (here) is a website with a mish-mash of products ranging from women's and men's clothing to more premium, higher end products and also beauty products! The shoes are particularly nice, but right now my main focus is on Christmas presents, thinking what I personally want this year and also being naughty and treating myself! 

So here are a range of products that I would buy as Christmas presents and also for myself! 

Love & Toast Lip Balm in Cherry Lemonade 
(£9.95 - here)
The last time I spotted this was in Space NK at the Trafford Centre and I was umming and ahhing whether to buy it as it smelt so lovely. I decided not to treat myself and then the Space NK store goes and closes down! For me there is just something about pricey lip balms like I love... they feel special and almost unique compared to Vaseline tins and Blistex tubes. I am nearly running out of my lovely Tokyo Milk Lets Eat Cake lip balm so would love to find this under the Christmas tree or as an extra special treat in my stocking this year. *hint hint*

Tokyo Milk Skeleton Head Flat Pocket Mirror 
(£10.95 - here)
Speaking of Tokyo Milk I really do like these... they are quirky and I think they warrant the price with the added little black pouch to keep it in. I do have so, so, sooo many compacts and mirrors so I definitely don't need another but this would make a lovely gift for any lover of Tokyo Milk or for someone that likes things that are a little bit different.

Cowshed Moody Cow Soap

(£7.00 - here)
Okay, maybe this isn't the best named product to give as a gift but oh well! I am rapidly becoming a bit of a weirdo soap collector at the moment and have Korres, The Sanctuary, Pacifica and Sebamed soaps all on the go... but I do cut them all in half so I don't end up with a mass of slimy soap! But the next soap on my list to try is Cowshed as like all of the above, their soaps are totally free from SLS's and in turn full of nice ingredients... so if anyone decides to get me this for Christmas I won't be in the least offended!  

 Compagnie de Provence Soap stack 
(£6.95 - here)
More soap! Enough said really...

Yes to Tomatoes Daily Volumizing Shampoo 500ml

(£8.95 - here)

You really can't give shampoo as a Christmas gift so this will just have to be for me! I have been wanting to get this for a while now after using a few mini sample bottles of it already and this is the cheapest I have found it especially with the free p&p! Expect a review on this shortly as I really do love this stuff! 

Tokyo Milk Glitter Soap

(£11.95 - here)

Slightly ignoring the price.... how pretty is this?! I recently spotted this is a small boutique shop in Manchester and instantly fell in love with the glittery packaging... just so different and perfect for Christmas - it's just a shame you need to remove the paper to use the soap! But I am intrigued to know what the soap looks and smells like underneath that pretty exterior. 

Compagnie de Provence Extra Box in Rose

(£8.95 - here)

Compagnie de Provence has always been a brand that I have wanted to try but frankly the hand washes and lotions in the large bottles are just too pricey for my liking. But this little set is a perfect size to try a few thinfs and to make my mind up about the brand... also from seeing other images of this product I'm sure it comes in a box so nice to give as a gift as well!

There are of course many other nice products on the site but these are just products that I would love to receive and also feel would make lovely Christmas gifts. Just really cute and slightly different!

PS. What brand(s) do you turn to when you want to buy someone a unique/different gift? 

Fee xo.

Soft Hands, Warm Heart...

Winter really is the time of year when your hands can suffer, especially the backs of the hands, the cuticles and the nails. However softening and hydrating the skin is all that is needed to keep your hands soft and free from any painful dry skin or cracked cuticles.

Personally I am a little obsessed with hand creams and cuticle oils but I only see that as a good thing as my nails rarely, if ever break and my cuticle are just 'there' because I have never had any problems with them. So this is a round-up of the products I current use a lot and just really like!

Favourite Cuticle Products...
I have never had any problems with my cuticles... they are always neat and never tear or bleed, so the only thing I can put it down to is using oils on them in either the hard form or as an actual oil. I also find it is quite therapeutic to apply cuticle oil before bed or when I'm bored on the bus or in the car. So I always have one in my bag and one next to my bed.
 
Ciate Love Me Cranberry Oil 
(eBay - £5.99)
I bought this in a set last year and even though I use it all the time I still have so much left. I'm tempted to say this is my favourite out of the three products but actually it's the smell that makes me feel like it's my favourite! The smell of Cranberries is just so nice but the oil itself it probably best for cuticles that aren't in bad condition but just need maintaining. I would also say this is the nicest to apply as there is just someone about applying the oil with a brush that is nice and then rubbing it in. I love everything about this little product and IF it ever runs out I will 100% be re-purchasing it. 
 
Neom Multi Balm
(Look Fantastic - £12.00 part of set)
I have talked about this a lot so I won't bore you again with how much I love this! This basically is constantly in and out of my bag as I use it during the day on my lips and cuticles and then I put in next to my bed when I'm blogging or going to bed - so I really need two of these now! This basically looks like a lip balm but slightly harder than a lip balm and more greasy. The one thing I will say is that I feel this is really effective in soothing both really dry lips and cuticles especially when it's super cold out and both can feel very dry and in need of some TLC and this being totally organic really does work. A super product for so many things!
 
Rose & Co Rose Petal Salve
(Amazon - £5.00)
I have only been using this in the past month but so far I have been quite pleased with it. It is fairly similar to the Ciate oil in how effective it is... so not one for sorting out sore or very dry cuticles but for day-to-day maintenance of the cuticles this will do the job fine. Again like the Neom Multi balm this is for all sorts which is handy especially for the price.
 

Favourite Hand Creams...

Neom Morrocian Rose Hand Lotion
(Look Fantastic - £12.00 part of set)
This is the hand cream that residues next to my bed and is the one I quickly rub into my hands every night. I don't overly love the smell, I don't mind rose in products but this is slightly too heady with the added herbal scent but I put up with it as it works wonders without being greasy or too thick - I put this down to it being organic really. I am fast running out of this so I will be buying the lovely Neom set (which contains the hand lotion and multi-balm) but in a different scent this time!
    
Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream
(Amazon - £2.80)
This is another hand cream that is next to my bed... well actually more in a storage box next to my bed because I don't use it all that often. Now I'm still not sure if I truly believe Norwegian fishermen use this on their painfully dry hands, but this really is some highly effective hand cream for crapped/sore hands. But because I use so many other hand products my hands rarely ever need this type of hand cream, except for if I have been cleaning and using lots of harsh chemicals or I have been washing my hands a lot... okay, now I'm rambling! Basically this is great if your hands are in bad condition and you want to sort them out fast.
 
L'Occitane Cocoa Flower Hand Cream
(L'Occitane - £7.50)
Onto handbag hand creams now and this one is the lovely L'Occitane freebie from last months Marie Claire. I really do love L'Occitane products in general and have always found them really good quality so this is no different at all. The cocoa flower scent really is just so lovely and the formula is in between being a lotion and a thick cream, so just perfect. Really like this a lot. 
 
Rose & Co Sugared Violet Hand Cream
(House of Fraser - £5.00)
Now I'm going to be honest here and admit this isn't the most amazing or effective hand cream - it's pretty thin and un-hand cream like. But I got sucked into the scent of this so much to the point I don't actually care if it isn't that great at being a hand cream. This truly does smell so strongly of violets which if you love the smell of Guerlian Innocence or parma violet sweets then you will love it... but if you don't you may think this is actually pretty nasty! A definitely marmite product but one that I truly love. 

So that is it! If you have ever wondered how I keep my nails/cuticles so neat these products are all how! I am always on the look out for more cuticle oils/hand scrubs/hand creams so if you have any favourites let me know please. 

Fee xo.