Xmas 2015 / Buon Natale from Kiko Milano

Kiko Milano does Christmas BIG style! The Cosmic Starlets Holiday Collection includes holiday gifts, holiday single make up items and also skincare & fragrances.

All the products come packaged in a festive red & silver design with bows and bespoken cases. 

Part of the Cosmic Starlets make-up range - Kiko Milano Cosmic Glam Kajal-Eyeliner Duo is a double ended pen with a bright kajal on one side and bold liquid eyeliner on the other.

03 Denim Blue* has a bright shimmer light blue teamed with an intense royal blue. The kajal is super smooth and easy to blend as an eyeshadow on the whole eyelid; the eyeliner applicator is easy to use, steady and doesn't drag on the skin. You can also use the kajal just to rim the eye and create a smokey look.

Kiko Milano Dazzling Highlighter is a cream, illuminating stick; it comes in 03 Pure Gold* and 04 Bright Rose* and they are both beautiful - I couldn't pick a favourite. They are subtly different but they are different!

The added radiance to the cheeks is guaranteed with a effortless swipe of the product, directly on the skin. 

They have high-reflecting pearls and the formula contains natural waxes, jojoba oil and rice oil giving it a silky soft feel. 

top - bottom: bright rose, pure gold

The gift sets are even more amazing!
The Kiko Milano Angel Kiss Set contains a jar of exfoliating scrub for the lips and a lip balm in matching colours.
Cranberry Crumble is in a purple hue - both name & colour ideal for autumn/winter season.
The scrub contains sugar crystals to soften and smooth the lips whilst the lip balm moisturises and soothes the skin; it leaves just an hint of colour with a glossy finish.

Kiko Milano Twin Stars Nail Lacquer & Lipstick is another well thought present; the elegant gift package is in the cute shape of a tree ornament and contains a matte lipstick with matching nail polish.

You can choose between 4 shades but you certainly can't go wrong with 04 Uniquely Red*!

Although matte, the lipstick is creamy and nourishing and with a great colour pay-off; the nail polish has a glossy finish and opaque with one application.

... and of course, I saved the best for last!

Even if you're not a nail polish super-fan, I dare you not to drool in front of this mini-vault.

The Kiko Milano Dream Wish Nail Lacquer Set* comes with 7 beautiful colours and a glittery top coat.

The shades are all beautiful and suitable for every skintone: from a milky pinky nude, to a bright coral, to a (rediscovered) warm brown.

The finish is super shiny and the formula contains resins that give the polish a gel effect and longevity, without the need of a UV lamp.

This is truly a winner collection - affordable and of impact!
What are you wishing for to find under the tree?

Xmas 2015 / Frosted Plum Collection from The Body Shop

Like every year, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to The Body Shop Christmas selection; established lines include the Frosted Cranberry and the Glazed Apple (you can read more here btw) that come beautifully packaged in fruit shaped tins, or the fragrances gift sets - like White Musk or Italian Summer Fig.

The new scent for 2015 is the Frosted Plum which smells delicious and features a tantalising, purple packaging.

The trademark scent is sweet but not too sweet - with plum extracts from orchards in Turkey, mixed with elegant notes of peony and magnolia.

The range has an healthy selection of items to envelope the body with this inviting fragrance from tip to toe, from morning to night.

One of my favourite products is The Body Shop Frosted Plum Shimmer Mist* which is a perfume with silver shimmery particles in it; it's a real decadent addition to any collection and it comes in a glass bottle, making it a very special gift for anyone.

If you're a glitter lover, The Body Shop Frosted Plum Shimmer Lotion* is the one for you; whilst the mist is subtler and you can use it on focused points, the lotion covers the body with a veil of sparkle. The Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana leaves the skin velvety to the touch and  Perfect for the party season!

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Lip Balm* comes in a classic tin and it contains Community Fair Trade beeswax; it's the prettiest shade of purple in the tin, but it applies clear and glossy on the lips.

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Body Butter* has been keeping me company every evening after a shower, in the last couple of weeks; I love a good The Body Shop body butter and this new fragrance is putting me in the right festive mood.  It also contains Community Fair Trade organic Babassu oil from Brazil which leaves the skin moisturised and conditioned.

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Bath Fizzers* are any bath-lover dream; they will fill the bathroom with this juicy scent and the bathtub with an indulgent milky water. A real treat!

There is also a festive selection of cute bath sponges like the cute fellow bear below to complete any gift bundle.

The Body Shop Frosted Plum Collection also includes: Shower Gel, Hand Cream, Soap, Sugar Scrub, Candle and Home Fragrance Oil.
Have you tried this range from The Body Shop yet? What is on your wishlist?

Xmas 2015 / Beauty Kitchen Create Your Own Lip Balms

Beauty Kitchen is a Glasgow-based store of 100% natural, effective and affordable beauty products - but if you're not in Scotland, you can easily place an order on their website here ->  http://www.beautykitchen.co.uk/

They have a wide range of skin & body care, from bath bombs to an excellent hand exfoliant to the most fab natural soaps.

Stuck with the same old 3x2 Boots gift sets? (Believe me, there's just as much Soap & Glory that a girl can take), I have the perfect original stocking filler for your loved one: Beauty Kitchen Create Your Own Lip Balms*

First of all, it is beautifully packaged in a quirky can and it contains all you need to make 4 homemade lip balms!  

Wrapped in some festive, red paper you'll find some beeswax, cocoa butter, four tins with labels, a spatula... and some natural glitter!!! How cool!

There are instruction too, of course - they seem pretty easy and you only need to add some sunflower oil. They have also included a bag of wildflower seeds that are not needed for the recipe but you can plant them to help the bees. :)

I haven't tried to make them yet but keep an eye on my Instagram account that I will certainly post the finished product.

After all the fun, you can decide to keep them all for yourself or share them with your friends... What will you be then? Santa or Scrouge?! ;)
Do you like DIY beauty kits? Have you heard of Beauty Kitchen before?

Christmas 2014 / Living Nature Pure Radiance Gift Box

Yes, it is indeed already time to talk about Christmas presents; personally, every year I aim to finish my Xmas shopping by the beginning of December (and I’m currently in full shopping mode right now), so I feel this is actually good timing.

The Living Nature’s Pure Radiance Gift Box includes the Radiance Night Oil and the Lip Hydrator. Living Nature is a certified natural brand from New Zealand which harness the unique properties of this land botanicals; this gift is the perfect luxurious, healthy token to pamper your loved ones.

I’ve been using the Living Nature Lip Hydrator* in the last couple of weeks and I’m well impressed.

It doesn’t have any fancy strong flavour – which is a bonus in my opinion – or fancy packaging, but it’s simply a good performing product that provided instant relief.

I’ve really been suffering from chapped lips lately and tried any lip balm in my stash, without any long lasting effect; this balm alone  dramatically improved my lips condition thanks to nourishing butters, oils and Manuka honey.

It’s actually an advanced treatment that also doubles up as a lip primer and contains mica that provides sun protection during the day.

The other item in the set is the Living Nature Radiance Night Oil which is a night youthful elixir! It contains calendula, jojoba, rosehip, rose petals, frankincense, vitamin A and E to balance, rejuvenate and improve the radiance of the skin.

You can buy your gift from www.botanicalbrands.com for £38

Brasil 2014 / L'Occitane Au Bresil

Brasil 2014 has been a popular inspiration for LE Collections this season.

Inspiration from south American culture with the energy and artistic predisposition, as well as rich natural resources and ingredients, indigenous of these lands.

The two new plants at the heart of L'Occitane Au Bresil Collection are: Vitoria Regia and Jenipapo. 

Vitoria Regia is a water lily found in the Amazon river that sleeps during the day, to protect from the sun rays and blooms at night, revealing pink petals and a delicate scent.

Its dual life has been perfectly captured in L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Day Flower - fresh and light with citrusy notes and the acidity of the green apple. A proper summer scent!

And L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Night Flower - with more powdery under-notes, dominated by musk and sandalwood and a hint of peony.

If you’re a L’Occitane aficionado, the consistency of L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Day Flower Handcream* is thinner than the shea butter counterpart and perfect for warmer months. It absorbs instantly and leaves the hands velvety soft and hydrated.

L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Night Flower Soap* echoes the decadent scent with the gorgeous engraving on its surface; it's fantastic and nearly too beautiful to use. The formula doesn't strip the oil on the skin and leaves the hands nourished and clean. 

Both scents come also as 300ml and 100ml Eau de Cologne bottles too.

Jenipapo is a citrus tree from the Cerrado region that basks in the sun its entire life and rapidly grows above the rest of the savannah to absorb the sun's energy.

The protective and moisturising properties of the fruit are well known to the native populations and they have now been used by L'Occitane to create this suncare line for the face & body.

L'Occitane Jenipapo Lip Balm Spf25* comes out as a clear gloss and it has a green and fruity mouthwatering flavour: you'll find exotic notes of watermelon, pina colada and vanilla.

The line also includes Body Jelly Milk Spf20, Shower Oil and Perfumed Oil Roll-On.

Local artists helped create the pretty illustrations of the flowers on the packaging and they are worth of turn-of-the-century Impressionist paintings. 

L'Occitane Au Bresil is out now in store and on Loccitane.com

L'Occitane Shea Butter Limited Edition 2013

It's that time of the year again... Every autumn, L'Occitane releases their Shea Butter Collection with limited edition fragrances. This year, you can chose from Subtle Violet, Passionate Jasmine and Rose Tenderness.
Shea butter is now an emblematic ingredient of this brand and for over 30 years has been sourced fairly in Burkina Faso. In fact, they are the biggest importer of shea butter from this country and L'Occitane is recognized by the U.N. as an exemplary company for its fair trade work.

Every year I need to get few pieces - to show my support for their commitment and then the scents are always gorgeous!

For example, the Hibiscus Hand Cream - from 2 years ago - is something that it's still deep in my thoughts and the Cocoa Flower Lip Balm was just plain lush.

The 2013 collection is no exception and the packaging stunning too - with the cute flower cup. :)

L'Occitane Passionate Jasmine Hand Cream*

In any case, the Shea Butter products are an all year round staples in my beauty cabinet and the hand cream is my all time favourite hand cream. The consistency is thick enough to give a good source of hydration - perfect for winter months especially - but  it absorbs quickly, leaving the skin nourished and soft. I can honesty say  that I have a tube in every room and on my desk at work too.

L'Occitane Rose Tenderness Lip Balm*
I'm gonna predict this product will sold out pretty quickly - rose lip balms are always verrry popular!
It contains a good 10% of shea butter, making it soft to squeeze and adding a beautiful glossiness to the lips.
Differently from petroleum products, Shea butter is truly hydrating, soothing and leaving the lips super soft.
 This generous tube will last me well into spring.

L'Occitane Subtle Violet Ultra Rich Body Cream*
The body cream is a new discovery for me and I was impressed to see that it contains a whopping 25% of shea butter. The scent is floral but not overpowering and surprising refreshing; the consistency also feels fresh on the skin and melts into the skin. It's a proper multi-tasking body treatment that works all over the body and also on extra dry areas too.  The hydration lasts all day an the skin is left supple and smooth.

Launch Date: 10th October nationwide and on www.L'Occitane.co.uk - Mark your calendar!!!

What are you gonna pick up from this collection?