Xmas 2015 / The Best of the Rest

Wow! I can't believe that another year is gone by and it's Christmas again. 

For me is especially bittersweet: my daughter was born in January and it is scary that this first year went so fast [plus, I'm back to work from maternity leave in January too :( - booooo]

Today in my last Christmas instalment, I'm sharing some gift ideas that are also perfect as a token of appreciation from self-to-self and for stocking up on some essential and talking advantage of great savings too.

First of all, from the website http://abeautifulworld.co.uk that stocks some exclusive international brands, not easily available in the UK otherwise.

Everytime I visit their page, my wishlist gets bigger and bigger - for example, I love their bundles with different brands like the one below; Indie Lee is a fantastic brand and the bath salts from Marble & Milkweed sound A-ok too.

For a quick stocking filler, these bottles from Plant definitely make an original and fun gift.

REN also have fabulous gifts with some great savings! These are perfect to stock up on your favourite products and come with an handy beauty bag too; Stop Being So Sensitive!  contains the Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk which I find great to use in the mornings and I think it would work for any skin type too.

Get Your Glow On! has everything you need for radiant complexion and especially the Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial which is a miracle worker and one of my Holy Grails!

Finally, Arbonne Christmas selection is nearly all sold out actually - well, no wonder with such good deals! I have an in-dept post about this brand, so you can read more here.

The Magical Minis Holiday Stocking is filled to the brim with minis and the perfect way to get an introduction to the brand.

... and the Pineapple Papaya Lip Balm sounds like something I can easily get addicted to!

So that's all for now... I hope you all have a Joyous Christmas and plenty of quality time with your families!

xxx

Review / 001 Intensive Elixir

A Beautiful World is your perfect destination to discover new luxurious beauty brands, otherwise not easily accessible in the Uk.
001 - doublezeroone - is one of these exclusive brands, inspired by Asian philosophy and that combines natural botanical ingredients and science.
A well travelled team of experts sourced precious ingredients from all around the world and blended them to create a whole skincare line, targeting the inevitable negative effects of free radicals and environmental and temperature attacks.
And nothing is left to chance: the bottles, for example, are made of top class apothecary Miron violet glass that provides protection for the delicate active ingredients, against harmful light.

I was very excited to received the 001 Intensive Elixir to test - Serums are my favourite products to try.
I love how fast acting they are, you can see results in a matter of weeks and I tend to rotate them quite regularly, based on my skin concerns.
Intensive Elixir is an hand-blended treatment that contains 3 precious essential oils, 4 refined bio-dynamic oils, 4 pure plants extracts and Vitamin E.
You'll find sandalwood, rose extract, frankincense and  evening primrose oil that in synergy hydrate, protect from city life stress and rebalance the skin.

It has a herbal/natural scent with clear patchouli notes, not too overpowering and relaxing on the mind as well.
Recently, I have stopped layering serum first and then night cream but I've actually taken up the habit to mix 2 drops of the elixir with my moisturizer.
This way, I find that I have the opportunity to perform a mini facial, massaging them deep into the skin and stimulating circulation and collagen production too.

This oil targets so many skin concerns that I have been using it for over a month now, and I don't feel the need to switch to a different product; my skin looks considerably brighter, clearer and plumped up... and still improving!
It's a true ally for all skin type, fighting the first signs of ageing and aiming at prolonging your youthful glow!

Have you used the 001 range yet?

Review / Naisture Collagen Mask Pack

I was recently sent this mask to try from the lovely people at A Beautiful World which is an online beauty boutique and sells interesting and hard to find brands; basically, they did all the hard work of researching and scouring the globe and bring those brands to the UK market.
They offer Uk Free Delivery on orders over £20 and run a loyalty scheme where you can use your points for money off your next purchase.
They are also releasing a beauty box twice a year - the first one already sold out - to give us the chance to try some amazing and promising products.

The Naisture Collagen Mask* comes directly from Korea in the form of a sheet mask and it's mono-dose. I really enjoy using paper masks but I'm always paranoid to break them: the Naisture one is made of 100% pure cotton and very resistant. It's also soaking wet in all the ingredients and they get perfectly absorbed into the skin on application.
It contains vegetable collagen derived from carrots that helps improve skin elasticity and firmness; you'll also find hyaluronic acid, panthenol, shea butter to help achieve smoother and radiant skin.

First of all, it's recommended to prepare the skin with some toner and then leave the mask on pose for 10-15 minutes. As mentioned above, the mask is saturated in the product which also helps to keep it into place; it feels soothing and it's a pure pleasure to put your feet up and rest your eyes, whilst doing this treatment. It smells really fresh too and I feel all my senses are engaged in this relaxing and luxurious (deserved) me-time!

When you remove the mask, you just need to spend a couple of minutes and massage the solution into the skin and the active ingredients will have the time to work overnight as well.

This morning, I woke up with baby soft skin and my cheeks look plumped and my skin rejuvenated. 

Have you tried this mask before? You can get it on A Beautiful World, a pack of 5 for £10