Haul: What I had for Christmas...

Hey everyone,

Well, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to point out that this is a waaayyyy overdue blog post. Nevertheless, the recent snowy weather has made me feel a little festive, and as I had some really lovely gifts for Christmas I thought that I would share them with you...

This is obviously the You beauty advent calendar in collaboration with She Said Beauty, and I am quite aware that it is a strange item to receive as a gift for Christmas in view of that fact that it is supposed to be opened in the run up to the big day. However, the full price of this product was around £60 which (even though it is said to contain over £200 worth of products) I felt was a little pricey for an advent calendar. Mid-way through December I received an email notifying me that this had now been reduced to half the price, and the addict in me snapped it up (on behalf of my mother, who then wrapped it up to be opened on Christmas Day). Anyhow, now that you know the story behind it, I will just say that I am really pleased to have got my sticky mitts on this item, and am even more pleased that I got it for half the price as there are a few items that don't really tickle my pickle - like the fousty AS London candle! I would definately suggest holding out next year (if you can) and buy this product at half the price. Having said that, I am gutted that I missed out on the Ciate advent calendar, and would pre-order one now for this coming Christmas if I could!

One item that has been on my wish list for the longest time is the Ginger Burst Body Wash from Origins. I am in love with the Origins brand, and am yet to find an Origins product that I dislike. This little set is another gift from my lovely mother, and is the 'Ginger to go & stay' set, which includes a full and travel size product of the Incredible Spreadable Ginger Body Scrub,Ginger Burst Savoury Body Wash and the Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream. The clear toiletry bag was also include in the set, and as with all online Origins purchases, I received a bag of generously sized samples. All products in the gift set smell divine, and I cant wait to give them a whirl!

Another brand that has never yet let me down is Laura Mercier, and this gift set containing four mini hand creams is another gift from my mother. I have said a million times that, as part of my job, hand washing is essential. As a result, a good hand cream is also essential and these little beauties are the ideal size to keep in my pocket whilst I am busy at work. They all smell amazing, and I am sure that they will live up to my expectations.

Back in November, I went on an overnight trip to London with my family. I visited Liberty for the first time and my mother (again) bought me one of the much-raved-about Diptique candles. It was a tough choice, but I opted for the Patchouli scent, which smells quite musky with floral undertones. The Diptique products are a little on the pricey side, which is why I purchased one of the 'minis' - these still cost £20 for a 70g candle. My theory behind this is that I could see if they really are as amazing as everyone says without wanting to kick myself for spending an extortionate amount on a candle if they're not. I haven't tried it out yet though!

This lovely Burt's Bees gift set is from my sister. Hand creams/treatments, lip products and foot creams are always welcomed by me, so this was a lovely set to receive. I have only tried two Burt's bees products before, and was really impressed. I will definately keep you posted on my thoughts of these little beauties.

More hand cream! It appears that my family know how much I love the stuff!! I love any product that is Almond fragranced, and every item in this set floats my boat. I haven't tried any of these particular Body Shop products before though, so I am excited to try them out :-)

My auntie bought me this Small Wonders Soap & Glory gift set. All products are smaller versions of their full size, and would come in handy for travelling. I am really looking forward to trying out the body scrub and body butter, as I have heard great things about them.

And finally.... No Christmas would be complete for me if I didn't receive a large bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel from Lush. It is by far my most favourite of all the Lush shower products (I would go so far as to say my most favourite ever shower product), and lasts me ages. I also received the Christmas party gift set which contains a 100g Northern Lights Soap and a Party Popper Bath Ballistic. Both of these products aren't ones that I would have chosen myself, but that's not to say that I don't like them. Sometimes it is good to receive items like this, as you are introduced to new products that can rapidly become a favourite. They both smell amazing, and I will definately be putting them to use!

So that's it for my Christmas Beauty Gift haul - I hope that you like everything and wont hold it against me too much that most of these sets probably wont be available to purchase again for another 10 months :-(

Claire

xXx

Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Honey Bath & Creme Brulee Souffle Body Creme Review

A few months ago, my sister treated me to four lovely Laura Mercier Bath & Body products for my birthday. Since then, I have been waiting for the cold, dark, winter nights to arrive so that I could run myself a hot bath, light some candles, and soak away peacefully in the delight that is the Creme Brulee Honey Bath.

The packaging is so luxurious, and I love the little wooden honey dipper that comes with the product to allow for easier use. As soon as the lid comes off, the delicious smell hits you. It is as amazing as you would expect, and certainly good enough to eat! On first use, I used sparingly, plunging the honey dipper in and allowing the excess to drip away before holding the dipper under the hot, running tap. There were bubbles, but not that many, although I am not a fan of a having a bath full of bubbles anyway.

After a long soak, and a normal dry off with a bath towel, my skin felt soooo soft and silky. It also smelled lovely - adequately scented, but not too overpowering. This is the type of bath product needed on a cold winter night, candles lit around the bathroom, for a relaxing soak before jumping into a freshly changed bed in clean pj's. Bliss.

As for cost, 300 grams is a whopping £31.00. Normally, this would be such an off-putting factor for me, however I would willingly treat myself to this product again and again without a doubt. It is that good!

I followed the Creme Brulee Honey Bath with the Creme Brulee Souffle Body Creme. The only downside to the Body Souffle for me is that, after one use, I am completely addicted. You may well wonder why this is a bad thing - it is purely down to the cost, as 300 grams of this little baby is an even more whopping £43.50 - eek!!!

This product has a much richer, creamier scent than the Honey Bath. It is quite lightweight in consistency, applies really easily, and absorbs super quick. A little product goes a long way, and the nut oil is evident on application as the skin glistens for a few seconds before it is then fully absorbed. There is no sticky, greasy residue with this product. All it leaves is skin that feels extra silky soft. It dries with a slightly muskier scent - definately not a sickly sweet scent anyway.

I would guess that 300 grams would, if used for full-body daily moisturising, last around one month, which can work out to be very expensive! Having slated the price, they've got me over a barrel with this product, and I know that, despite the price label, I would definately re-purchase. I would even go so far as to say that it is the best body moisturiser I have EVER used!! I would highly recommend this as an extra special treat for yourself, or as a really nice gift for others. It's Amazing!!


So that's it for my review, hope you all liked it :-)

Please feel free to leave your comments!

Claire

xXx

Recent Purchases: River Island, Primark, Nars, Laura Mercier & L'Occitane

Lately, I have been shopping on several occasions where I have picked up a few bits and pieces here and there. I have combined these into this little haul for you all to see :-)

I absolutely LOVE my new boots from River Island!! Usually, I would opt for good old brown or black in a boot, but when I saw these I just had to have them!! They are faux fur-lined, making them the most snuggly boots ever. They come in a few different colours, and I have my eye on the grey ones too. I love their versatile style, and at £30.00 they were an absolute bargain. I can't wait to wear them this Autumn :-)

I also treated myself to a new pair of pyjamas from Primark. They are made from a stretchy jersey-type fabric, and as soon as I saw the pretty vintage-style bird print fabric I snapped them up! They are so soft and comfy, and I am sat here in them whilst writing! Ideal for those cold winter nights!! For £8.00 you just can't go wrong - Oh, how I love Primark!!

A little while ago, L'Occitane kindly sent me some free samples. I was so impressed with the products I tried, that I decided to take a trip to their recently-opened store in Queens Arcade, Cardiff. I am always on the hunt for a good hand cream, and with the assistance of the two lovely girls that work there, I decided to splash out on the One Minute Hand Scrub and the Dry Skin Hand Cream (available here as a duo). I got to try both products out in-store and was really impressed. The hand cream is multi-award winning, and the scrub has received excellent reviews online. I am looking forward to putting both products to the test during the upcoming winter months.

The Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Gift Box was a rare find, and an absolute bargain. It contains a full 200ml size Body Wash (RRP £29), a full size 50g Hand Cream (RRP £13) and a 100g Souffle Body Cream (worth £14.50). However, I paid a 'measley' £35.00 for all three products - a saving of over £20!! For those of you who haven't yet sampled the delights of Laura Mercier's bath & body care range, I urge you all to take a look (and a sniff) the next chance you get. I promise you, you will be hooked!! Unfortunately, this gift box was the last in-store of a discontinued line, but I purchased it in House of Fraser, Bristol. I know they are out of stock of these on the website, as the newly packaged gift sets are on their way in time for Christmas, but keep your eyes peeled for the possibility of finding one in your local store!!

And my final purchase, the 'All About Eve' Eyeshadow duo by NARS. I am becoming somewhat addicted to NARS products lately, and it seems that every time I pass a counter I can't leave empty-handed. I have wanted this particular eyeshadow duo for a while now, but I was lucky to also receive three 2ml trial samples of the new NARS Skincare line, namely the gentle cream cleanser, luminous moisture cream, and the optimal brightening concentrate. The full-size versions of these range between £20.00 and £50.00, so I will let you all know what I think as soon as I have tried them out :-)

So thats it peeps, I hope you all like my new purchases as much as I do :-)

Claire

xXx

Birthday Treats!!!

I have recently celebrated my 30th Birthday - Happy Birthday me!! - and to be honest, turning thirty wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. This bout of good feeling and positive thinking about actually getting 'old' was surely aided by the fantastic gifts that I received.

My husband whisked me away for the week to this little log cabin in Dorset, and we were joined there by our little girl, my parents, my sister and her boyfriend. Our scruffy Jack Russell's also came along, and they are pictured in the giant dog cage to the left of the house in the top photo :-). It was a week of rest and relaxation - waking up every morning by the side of a lake that is home to ducks and rabbits, and the view from the cabin is lush green fields for miles around. Amazing - I highly recommend a stay here!!

I have always thought that once I hit 30 I would finally be classed as 'old', and to reflect this I asked for some gifts that had a little bit of age and history about them. The first gift that I received was from my parents. It is a beautiful re-worked vintage perfume bottle with embroidered floral detail and faux pearls on a gold snake chain. It is fully functioning, so you can fill the little bottle with any perfume of your choice, and even comes with a little dabber stick attached to the screw-top lid. Sooo cute.

I also had a pretty little brooch pin from my parents. I chose this more as a keepsake than something I would use, but I just love the print on the cameo and the girly bow. Items like these always make me wonder what sort of a life they had before: Who owned them? And how old are they?

Both the brooch and vintage perfume bottle were purchased at the Happy Days Artisan Market in Cowbridge, South Wales - if you're ever in the area you really need to head there as they are based in a little warehouse just off the main high street and house the most amazing collection of vintage furniture, clothing, and jewellery, as well as re-worked items and vintage-style modern pieces. It is a haven for those with a love of the good old days!!

My sister bought me a genuine 1930s dressing table set, also from the Artisan Market. It is a really beautiful 5-piece set in the most subtle shade of pale blue glass. It has pretty scalloped edging, and is in pristine condition considering how old it is. I just need a new dressing table to display it on now...

One gift that was not so much of a surprise was the Urban Decay Naked 2 eyeshadow palette as I was with my sister when she purchased this. The winning eyeshadow shade in this palette for me is verve. I also love that there are not as many dark shades in this palette as the Naked one, as I have quite deep set eyes and shy away from any dark eyeshadow's that can tend to make me look too goth-like.

And the piece de resistance.....

Four Laura Mercier Creme Brulee bath and body products - I actually squealed on opening these. Don't I just have the bestest little sister EVER!!!! I had been eyeing up this range back in January when we went on a late night spree to John  Lewis. One product would have been amazing, but to have all four is more than any girl could ask. And they smell DEVINE, literally good enough to eat. They are pure indulgence, and I absolutely cant wait to use them.... I'm just waiting for a special occasion!!