Xmas 2015 / Kiehl's Holiday Gifts

A beautiful wrapped present certainly makes an impact on the eye of the receiver, it shows that you care and an eye-catching packaging makes the gift even more appreciated!

Proof of that, Kiehl's has teamed up with Pop Art artist Peter Max to redesign their Holiday 2015 Collection, making their iconic products extra special and festive.

The inspiration comes from his masterpiece 'The Cosmic Runner' and the colourful drawings represent vibrant Holiday Flyer characters with an aura of magic. The all concept embodies values important at heart for the artist and the brand: love, joy, solidarity and respect for the environment.

There are several holiday edition bundles of products to choose from and my top pick goes to Kiehl's Essentially Yours Gift Set*.

This set contains a complete selection of skincare best sellers, from cleansing to moisturising.

In the roomy and chicly branded beauty bag, you'll find a full size Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser and a full size Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

The cleanser is very mild and suitable for all skin types; it's ph-balanced so it doesn't dry out the skin and also dissolves make up.

The night serum - well, who doesn't know this product?! - is a true skincare hero! It comes with a dropper and you only need to use a couple of drops, on its own or under moisturiser; it's paraben free and 99.8% natural and it promotes skin recovery during the night for a more radiant appearance in the morning - A miracle worker!!!

Finally, you also receive a sample of the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer that works in unison with the cleanser; this lotion is very light in consistency but still provide 24-hr hydration.

The Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate is an 100% natural and paraben free face oil which is full of antioxidants and provides protection against daily environmental aggressors. I haven to used this one before and it sounds pretty amazing - looking forward to try it out!

Peter Max has also rebranded several single items for the Holiday 2015 Limited Edition Collection. The Kiehl's Creme de Corps Whipped Body Butter* is one of them.

I love the airy consistency of this moisturizer! It melts into the skin and leaves my skin soft for up to 24 hours.

The special soy milk & honey formulation also gives it its particular indulgent scent and I dare you not to smell your arm all day long. ;)

Again, the illustrations are cheery and Christmasy and just put you in a good mood at the end of a hard day.

Have you seen this Collection in store? Head over to http://www.kiehls.co.uk for your Christmas shopping.

Xmas 2015 / Melvita L'Or Bio Gift Set

Today's Christmas recommendation is for a luxurious bodycare set from Melvita.

Melvita is a french company, pioneer in organic cosmetics since the early 80s and it's a leader brand in the natural and organic sector.

I'm really fond of this brand and I just wish it would be more readily available on the high street - I'd love to see flagship stores where you can try the products, like the 'sister' brand L'Occitane; anyway, I get my stuff from feelunique.com or you can also visit uk.melvita.com

They have some really great Christmas ideas with some good savings too, like the Melvita Christmas Treats Bauble - that contains 3 minis inside a pretty ornament.

The Melvita L'Or Bio Gift Set* is a real treat for the body and the senses; the organic brand is kind-to-skin and kind-to-the-enviroment and this duo will leave you feeling pampered and relaxed.

This coffret includes Melvita Extraordinary Oil which is a multitasker for body, face and hair and contains 5 precious oils to nourish and beautify.

This oil is a best seller and leaves the skin silky to the touch, non greasy and sophisticatedly scented, thanks to notes of Italian bergamot, jasmine and tire flower.

It also comes in a beautiful glass bottle that certainly enhance that special experience.

The Melvita Extraordinary Shower is the matching cleanser with the same precious and rare oils and smell.

You get a generous 250ml and a drop of this golden gel transforms into a velvety foam for a pleasant and rewarding experience.

The Melvita L'Or Bio Gift Set retails for £25 which is a fantastic price for such high quality ingredients and performances. 

Have you tried Melvita before?

New In / The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Essence Lotion

The recently launched Oils Of Life from The Body Shop is a collection of luxurious, high end skincare items, containing three precious seed oils aiming at revitalise and repristinate radiance to the skin.

The line includes: Intensively Revitalising Facial Oil, Intensively Revitalising Cream, Intensively Revitalising Gel Cream, Intensively Revitalising Essence Lotion and a Twin-Ball Facial Massager.

The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensively Revitalising Essence Lotion* is a Oil-In-Water Bi-Phase formula where the water is infused with 3 selected oils: Black Cumin Seed Oil from Egypt (rich in antioxidants), Rosehip Seed Oil from Chile (containing Omega 3 and 6) and Camellia Seed Oil from China (naturally rich in nutritive oleic acid).
Seeds give life to a new plant, making their oils the most concentrated sources of essential nutrients on Earth.
The combination of these potent, cold pressed seed oils delivers instant results and they are suitable for every skin type and age.

The lotion is a daily toning step, after cleansing and helps prepare the skin for the next step in your beauty regime: the water feeling is refreshing on the skin and I especially enjoy it in the evenings, after wearing make up all day. At the same time, the oil particles nourish the skin, leaving it soft to the touch and smoother.

I'm a big fan of facial oils. I usually use them in serums/treatments form but some can feel a bit tacky on the face; this bi-phase formula is fantastic in delivering the benefits, without leaving the skin greasy. Definitely thumbs up from me!
Have you tried this new The Body Shop range yet?

New In / My Picks for Spring 2014 with Sanctuary Spa, Good Things and Orla Kiely

Sanctuary Spa 7 Day Moisture Miracle Oil Balm

I'm a big fan of beauty oils - face oils, body oils and even hair oils - and they have now been a staple in my routine for many years; it's no secret tho that they can be a bit messy. They work fine on wet skin, in the privacy of your bathroom, but they are not great for travelling or for your handbag.

Sanctuary Spa 7 Day Moisture Miracle Oil Balm* comes in a handy little tube that is purse-friendly and comes in a balm form. You will find that it's solid and you can squeeze the desired amount on the go, without any spillage disaster.

It contains 7 essential oils - Gold of Pleasure Oil, Corn Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Rice Germ Oil and Camelia Seed Oil - that provide on the spot relief for problematic areas, like elbows, cuticles, heels; the skin is instantly softened and it also doubles up as an hand cream, leaving my skin gorgeous scented. 

It locks moisture into the skin for up to 7 days! It's not super greasy (for an oil) and absorbs easily – It’s the perfect compromise! 

Love the luxurious gold packaging and it would make a lovely and useful gift too!

Sanctuary Spa Relax Nourishing Shower Creme

Transitioning into Spring/Summer, I always struggle to fall asleep at night:  first the clock changes then there is too much light outside. Up here in Scotland, it could be light until  11ish pm and, at the same time, temperatures could be (fairly) hot and I usually not in the mood for warm baths.

If like me you also have trouble sleeping, Sanctuary Spa Relax Nourishing Shower Creme* is the perfect alternative to easy you into a restful night; I have been using it for a few months now and the comforting and delicate scent certainly helps me relax and unwind before bed time. 

 Essential oils of vetiver, cedarwood and labdanum help calm the mind and melt the tension of a busy life; the pampering cream is nourishing and hydrating for the skin, thanks to shea butter and lotus extract. 

The Relax line also includes Cocooning Body Butter, Warming Sugar Scrub, Unwind Candle so if you fall in love with the Shower Creme, there's no reason why you can't count on its benefits all year round and add them to your bedtime routine.

For Spring 2014, Orla Kiely came out with  a Bergamot Collection - the line includes hand wash, hand lotion, shower gel, body lotion and hand cream. 

The description of the scent sounds just amazing: "...warm cedarwood, patchouli and refreshing notes of grapefruit and bergamot... hint of fresh floral with petigrain, neroli and orange flower extract; spicy nuances of cardamon and coriander are combined with herbal hints of aniseed and peppermint to create a zesty twist..."

There’s also a useful new addition to the popular Geranium bath and body range that launched last year - Orla Kiely Geranium Hand Sanitiser*.

I’m not a fan of geranium, to be honest but this blend - with eucalyptus, lavender and clary sage - is refreshing and  I found it soothing on the mind too, thanks to these essential oils; some hand sanitisers can be overpowering alcoholic and sterile, instead this is very delicate and still kills 99.9% of germs. This product is also formulated with aloe vera to keep hands soft and moisturised and avoid dryness.

The recognizable Orla Kiely pattern on the bottle makes it stylish enough for your handbag and I like to keep a tube of this in my gym bag at all time, as well.

Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub

Good Things is another affordable and reliable brand that I have come to appreciate in recent years; they do fantastic body care and you can pick their products from the drugstore. The skincare line includes a Manuka Honey range, which is appropriate for the approaching National Honey Bee Day on the 16^th August.

Key ingredient in the Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub* is the Superfood Manuka Honey, of course; together with other bee derivatives - like royal jelly and propolis - sustains the growth of new cells and collagen to prevent the signs of ageing; it's also fantastic to restore Ph balance and promote healthy skin.

It has a creamy consistency with oatmeal flakes that provide a gentle exfoliation and they are soothing for irritated skin; white kaolin helps draw out excess oil and purify the complexion, whilst sweet almond oil hydrates dry skin and it's rich in vitamins E and fatty acids.

The skin is left clean and nourished at the same time and - how you can guess - it has a delicious scent.

You get a very generous amount for a bargain £4.99 so I've been using it on delicate parts like decollete, shoulders and arms as well.

All Good Things products are free from parabens, mineral oils, sulphates and are suitable for vegetarians.

Have you tried any of these products yet??!

This week I'm in love with...

Since receiving the Caudalie Divine Oil as my birthday treat few weeks back, I've been rediscovering the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR.

I was first introduced to this oil when I received a sample in a GlossyBox - I went quickly through the small bottle because I fell in love with it and I couldn't get enough of it.

The scent is absolutely divine and, because I'm very smell-sensitive, this product doubles as a perfume for me. I picked up the golden shimmer version, last Spring.

The smell is also very similar to the Caudalie' one, although the blend of oils is different; Nuxe's includes borage, st johnswort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut and macadamia.

Between the two, I prefer the Nuxe oil because it feels drier and not sticky at all, whilst the Caudalie leaves a greasy residue on my skin.

The glitter does separate from the oil so you just need to give it a good shake before application and - although it looks pretty glittery in concentration - it just leaves a subtle glow, once blended.

The only thing I'm not too happy about is the packaging: I would prefer a spray bottle (mine is not but I understand there's a spray version available on the market) and the writing on the bottle rubbed off straight away (I literally kept finding wee white letters on my hands!).

This product is great in the summer - perfect to enhance a tan - but it will also looks beautiful in the upcoming festive season - as an extra glamorous touch for your Christmas parties.

Have you tried this oil before?

xxx

Selfridges Beauty Box

I would say the much anticipated box is here... but actually, Selfridges only announced it last week - released yesterday and I received it today!

First of all, very impressed with the delivery service - I know some people haven't received it yet - but as far as I know there was only an option of £4.95 p&p.

 Also, I know it was a limited edition but they should have really made more - may people were left disappointed and annoyed... not a good strategy, in my opinion.

 I got to say, I don't have any other beauty box subscription going at the moment (and haven't regretted so far) but as soon as I saw a preview of this, I WANTED it!

It's such a shame that people are already selling half of the items they received or flogging it entirely and personally, I really don't understand: I spent a few good hours, trying to buying it yesterday and I most definitely wouldn't have bothered just to resell it! It's really disappointing when other people really wanted one but didn't manage to get one.

Anyway, onto the box - Really amazing selection of brands and products and for that price!

I think it's a one-off box and marks Selfridges Beauty Workshop - "a revolutionary space designed to create a unique playground of exclusive services and products with over 100 new niche brands and cult classics."

 There's a booklet in the box, explaining more about The Beauty Workshop and with information about the products; there're, also, special offers and counter invitations but I'm pretty far from a Selfridges so unfortunately, I won't be able to take advantage of these.

Clearly, I can't review the products as I haven't tried them yet (they'll come in due course) but here is what you get:

Philip B Katira Hair Masque

Personally, I don't know this brand but I'm not a haircare expert; whilst, I don't use styling products massively, I do enjoy an hair mask weekly.

Star ingredient is the pure Katira extract which should help filling damage in the cuticles to add smoothness and strengh.

It can be used both as an instant 2 minutes treatment or overnight.

Antipodes Organic Avocado and Rosehip Divine Face Oil

Excited about this product - I've been looking forward to try this brand, for a while!

It boosts Type 1 collagen in skin cells, easing the effects of aging and leaving skin fresh and plumped.

I believe this is a full size bottle and comes with a dropper applicator.

Stila One Step Correct

Apart that it looks beautiful (!!!) -I think it's weird that it's described as a serum when in actual facts it's a primer.

So you would apply it as a primer, before foundation, and the three colours combined, target different concerns: green - redness, lavender - sallow undertones, peach - illuminates.

Again, full size product and looking forward to try this multi-helix technology.

Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask

This mask is packed with mineral-rich moor mud from the lake Heviz - effectively purifies and at the same time soothes the skin. It looks like a mud/clay mask which is a staple in my routine but we'll see how I get on with this as I was rather disappointed by the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm.

Sample size, clearly - still around 6quid in value.

Estelle & Thild Lip Balm

This is the other brand I've never heard about; apparently, they're a swedish company, certified organic and their products are saturated with high-quality ingredients and vitamins.

Absolutely love the packaging and smells of raspberry - delicious! I got the natural, clear version but they do tinted ones, too.

If I don't absolutely hate this balm, I'm looking forward to explore this brand more in the future.

Full size.

Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum

Another brand that I wanted to try for a while.

Glad we got a serum in the box because I'm a total serum junkie and it's the type of facial skincare that I'm always excited to try out. This serum is good to use on all skin types and should leave a matte finish so I suppose, it can be used both in the evenings and mornings.

Good sample size but I just wish the bottle came with a dropper - it's gonna be unpractical to dispense.

BioEffect EGF Serum

Finally, the item that all alone was making this box exciting for me!

I adore BioEffect: I've been using it regularly since I first discovered in a GlossyBox, last year; I love it that much that I've used it (nearly exclusively) in the months previous to my wedding.

I can, honestly, say that I would be happy to use it exclusively but I like trying different products too much. :)

This little sucker is £49 (and worth it).

Did you get this box?

Have you tried any of these products before?

xxx

 

GlossyBox September Edition

Hello lovelies!

Apologies for this late post but I swapped 1 of the items and I wanted to wait to have the complete box, before posting my review.

So, theme of the box was 5 Future Classics - basically, the newest formulas that are bound to become big.

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette in Foxy: this is the item I swapped. Initially, I was sent the Bombshell version but I'm clearly not blonde (you see, this is what I'm not too happy about Glossybox: I think they should customise the boxes better or send everybody the same stuff). Anyway, I read around that many people were excited about this one - me personally, not so much.

Mainly because I have a fringe and I never do my brows: yes, it's a nice kit, I will probably use it as eye shadows and It may come in handy in the future but I could have lived without it.
 I gave it a go - It came out a bit thick but I have never done this before; it seems pretty easy to master with a bit of practise and once it's on you need make up remover to take it off.

Full size, retail price £19.95

I reckon it's an ok match for my hair colour

L'Oreal Professionnel Mysthic Oil: this is the star item for me! I'm usually very fussy with hair products but I love this and I can't stop using it. 

It's a blend of avocado and grape seed oil that nourishes the hair and smells d-i-v-i-n-e. You can use it both on wet and dry hair but I usually only put on 2 pumps after my shampoo; on top of that, it doesn't leave my hair feel heavy. This bottle will last for a long time but I will repurchase when I run out. 

Full size, retail price £ 14.95 (but you can get it cheaper here).

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: another product I love! I wanted to try this for some time and I'm glad I got it in this box. It feels good on the skin and I love the smell - in fact when I wear this I don't feel the need to wear a perfume too. I will definitely take advantage of the discount code and get the or version here.
This is a generous sample; full bottles come in 50ml and 100ml and cost between £16.50 - £37.00

Plum by Mary Greenwell Eau de Parfum: I don't really care of this one, to be honest; it's ok but not my cup of tea. Plus, as many other bloggers pointed out... ENOUGH WITH PERFUME SAMPLES!!
Full bottle costs £60

StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate: I'm a bit of a sucker for eye creams; especially after turning 30 so I tried this straight away. At first, I was surprised by the smell: it's quite subtly fruity and unexpectedly so because of the high-tech packaging I was expecting a more chemical smell, if it makes sense. It was a nice surprise anyway.
During the first few applications I felt a tingling and warming sensation - nothing too uncomfortable but definitely noticeable. Also, I could see that after just 2 days my dark circles were positively lighter.
Now,  about reducing fine lines I haven't seen any improvement but the sample is for 2 weeks only and the product promises smoother wrinkles after 8 weeks.
All in all, I'm very pleased with this product and would totally recommend.
Price - well that's the sore note: £49 for 30ml.

What were your impressions on this box?