Christmas Presents - Beauty and Candles

I am SO late putting this post up! Christmas seems so long ago now, I hope you all had a fabulous one.  I was happy to see the back of 2013, it was a stressful year and so far 2014 is shaping up to be a good year. This post was ready to go a couple of weeks ago but a BT engineer was working at my neighbours house and managed to cut off both our phone line and internet.  I was surprised at how often I use the internet, it was so frustrating not being able to just "Google" something!

Anyway, I loved reading posts showing what lovely goodies you all got for Christmas and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Dollish Polish Welcome to Camp Crystal Lake

Polish Addict Unicorn Love

Liquid Sky Lacquer Fuchsia Illusion (Thermal Polish)

My hubby Jon got me these polishes from Rainbow Connection, a UK stockist of international indie brands.

My best friend, Vicki, got me these. 

China Glaze Cosmic Dust and Strap on Your Moonboots.

Jon got me these crystal Leighton Denny nail files, a large one to keep at home and a smaller one with a case to keep in my handbag.

Every year Jon gets me the Soap & Glory set when Boots have their weekly offer on.  Every time I smell Soap & Glory it reminds me of Christmas. So many fab goodies in this years gift set!

Hand Food Hand Cream

Sugar Crush Body Wash (the Sugar Crush Scrub gave me cravings for key lime pie when I was pregnant!)

Righteous Butter Body Butter

Peaches & Clean Deep Purifying Cleanser

Heel Genius Foot Cream

Butter Yourself Body Lotion

The Scrub of Your Life Body Buffer

Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara

Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumper

Limited Edition Jonathan Saunders Bag

My Dad and Stepmum got me these Bayliss & Harding Hand Wash and Hand Lotion duo.  They come in a stand which is quite handy to put next to the sink in the bathroom.  They smell lovely!

I suffer with a lot of joint pain and muscle stiffness so Jon was very thoughtful and bought me this massager and oil (although I think he was just trying to get out of having to give massages!).  I have tried it on my back and it definitely helps get out any knots!

I am a big fan of Caudalie products and Jon got me this soap, it smells lovely and fresh.

Sandra from Beauty Balm got me this soap from Planet Soap, it smells absolutely amazing! When I put her present under the tree I kept getting a lovely scent coming from it everytime I walked past!

I was very spoilt by my hubby this year!

Nars At First Sight Palette

Dior Addict Lip Glow (I love this!)

Nars Guy Bourdin Fling

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque

Lippy in Roman Holiday

Lippy in Damage

The lip case is fab! Its bigger than I thought it would be, I have put it on my bedside table to put my jewellery in at night.

Rosslyn Candle Company sadly announced on Facebook that they were closing down their shop.  I have one of their teacups with the bluebell wood candle in and Jon got me this lovely hamper which contains a selection of their best selling candles.  

Salted Caramel candle! Yes it does smell as delicious as it sounds!  

Sandra got me this handcream too, I have been very spoilt!

We had a Secret Santa swap on one of the beauty pages and Grace from All That Slap got me these gorgeous gifts.

I know its not technically a beauty item but Jon got me this notebook for me to write my blog post ideas etc in.

Leave me a link if you did a post like this, I love seeing what people got and it's inspiration for gifts throughout the year!

June Empties

These are the products I used up in June - not very many this month!

Imperial Leather Foamburst in Oriental Calm with Cherry Blosson & Rice Milk.  This is a full size product, it contains 200ml and retails for £2.55 here.  It is a gel that transforms into a foam, a little bit of gel makes a lot of foam! I would buy this again as it smells lovely and is a fab price as it claims it lasts for 40 showers.  It does contain SLS but I didn't find it drying.

Caudalie Shower Gel in The Des Vignes.  This is a travel size product containing 75ml and was sent to me by Sandra from Beauty Balm.  I am in love with this product! It smells absolutely gorgeous and I will absolutely be purchasing this in the full size version.  It doesn't contain soap, SLS, or parabens and is suitable for sensitive and delicate skin.

Sure Clear Aqua Crystal Deodorant - this is the compressed version which I really like as it is a perfect size to fit in my handbag, especially in this gorgeous weather! Retails for £2.00 here. I would repurchase this again (in fact I have and I am currently using it) I found it kept me dry all day and didn't mark my clothes.

Green People Cleanser and Make Up Remover - you can read my review on this product here.  I would repurchase.

No 7 Beautiful Skin Wipes for All Skin Types.  These retail for £7.00 here and contain 30 wipes.  I really like these wipes, the fabric is soft and doesn't drag the skin.  I buy these when Boots do the £5.00 off No7 range vouchers.  I would repurchase.

Nivea Facial Cleansing Wipes for All Skin Types.  These retail for £2.99 here and contain 25 wipes.  Although these are less than half the price of the No7 wipes I wouldn't repurchase them, I found the material quite rough against my skin and they were a lot drier than the No7 wipes.

Have you done a June Empties post?  Leave your link below!

Glossybox - Eco Box

I got my second Glossybox on the same day as my May She Said Beauty Box, my postman may think I have a beauty box addiction.....

Was really lucky and got a different box than my first box

Caudalie Serum, I think this is in all the versions of the boxes.  I have tried this and its lovely so I'm pleased to get another sample.

Philip B styling gel - not something that I would use, will pass this onto my son.

Again I think this is in all the boxes, I got a different scent this time.  These are ideal for chucking in your handbag and they do make your lips super smooth.

Monu Rosewood Reviving Mist - I prefer this to the collagen cream I got in the first box.  It says you can use it to fix your make-up and I don't have another product like this so I'm looking forward to trying it out. 

Inika lip liner in Nude Delight - a nice soft highly pigmented product but its really not my colour.  I might try it as an eyeliner!

Do you think this box is better than the first one? Did you get anything different?

Glossybox - April

Got home to a lovely surprise today, my April Glossybox. Was a little confused as to what I had been buying (erm this does happen a bit more than it should do!) and didn't realise it was my Glossybox as this month it came in a plain brown box, rather than the usual patterned box.

The actual Glossybox box this month is made from 100% biodegradeable material and is filled with ethical goodies.

I have been really good this month and avoided all spoilers so I was really excited to see what was inside....

Wowzers! Thats a full box!

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum - a newly launched ultra concentrated serum.  This is a 10ml sample and 30ml retails at £29.00, making this sample worth £9.67

Inika Cosmetics Organic Eyeliner in Peacock Blue - wasn't too excited by the shade name as I have quite a few blue eyeliners but this is really different than anything I own and its a really gorgeous shade of blue.  This is a full size product and retails at £11.75

Monu Collagen Cream - I have tried a few products from Monu and not been overly impressed.  This is for dry/very dry/dehydrated skin I have combination skin and I think this might be a bit too heavy for me.  I do have dry shins though so may use it on those! Or pass it on to my Mum ;) Another full size product and this retails at £17.50

Figs and Rouge Lip Balm - I got one of these in another beauty box which I really liked.  This is a different scent/flavour and I love cherries so really pleased with this. Another(!) full size product retailing at £3.29

Burts Bees Milk and Honey body lotion - will add this to my pile of body lotions! Its sealed which is good as I know it won't go off while its waiting to be used up. This is a 70g tube and the full size retails at £9.99, making this sample worth £3.68 

I really like this box, I will use everything in the box - will give the Monu a go, it says on the back of the tube it smooths fine lines and I need all the help I can get!  

Can't believe the contents total £45.89! 

I have a second box on the way, looking forward to seeing whats inside.

Have you had your box yet? Did you get different items that I got?

What I've used in March

I love reading posts showing what people have used up in a month. Its great to see new products or what other people think of items that I like, so since I started my blog in March I've been keeping a box to one side then putting in my empties.

It's great to see items being used up!


I've also been inspired by a few blogs to put money away for each item I use up - i'm putting £1 per full size item and 50p per sample/sachet in a money box and I'm going to save it until Christmas then treat myself to loads of beauty related goodies in the sales, well that's the plan anyway!

Full size products

Rituals foaming shower gel 200ml in yogi flow - Indian rose and sweet almond oil
Rituals foaming shower gel 200ml in t'ai chi - white lotus and green tea

I got the yogi flow in my December Glossybox and really liked it so I purchased a few more from the range, they retail at around £6.50 online but I managed to pick a few up for £3 from my local TK Maxx. I prefer the white lotus and green tea scent, its really fresh and perfect for spring the yogi flow is really nice too but is more heavily scented.  The gel foams up really nicely and a little goes a long way.  They don't dry my skin so if I don't have time to moisturise after my shower these keep my skin nice and soft.  Would definitely repurchase.

Macadamia Deep Repair Mask 30ml

Personally I wouldn't class this as a full size product, but I got it in my February Joliebox and thats how they described it so I'm going with their description! This retails at around £2.50 online and as I have shortish hair I managed to get three uses from this sachet.  It smells gorgeous! Has a really nice thick consistency but spread easily through my hair and was easily rinsed out.  My hair was nice and shiny after using this and my frizz was definitely reduced. Would repurchase, its one of the nicest masks I have used - although I haven't tried my Ojon masks yet!

Perfume Samples

Clinique Happy 7ml - received this in a swap from Beauty Box Swaps 30ml retails at around £20 online.  I like this perfume, I think the name is perfect! The smell reminds me of my teenage years - it must smell like a perfume I used to wear.... I wouldn't repurchase though as there are other perfumes that I prefer.

Benefit Laugh with me Lee Lee - again received this in a swap! It doesn't say how much the vial contains but I'd say about 1ml.  I love this perfume! Its described as fruity-floral and for me its a great everyday scent.  At around £30 for 30ml I would repurchase this.

Memo Paris Les Echappees Jannat - again doesn't say how much is in the vial.  I got this in my December Best of Boudoir Prive box. I can't find this for sale in the UK, but you can find it on their website where 30ml retails for 69 euros (approx £58). I don't really like this scent, it was nice to try but to me it smells too spicy verging on the masculine. So I wouldn't repurchase this. 

Cleansers

Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil 4ml - received this in my Harrods Glossybox. 150ml is £28 on their website. I got two uses out of this sachet and I was really disappointed with it! I didn't like it at all! The oil was very thick, didn't seem to emulsify properly, didn't take all my make up off and no matter how much I rinsed it felt like it left a layer on my skin so I ended up using another cleanser to get it off! Would definitely not repurchase.

RMK Cleansing Oil 3ml - received this in my February Joliebox.  175ml is £23.25 on beautybay. I loved this oil! Was completely the opposite to the Shu Uemura oil, the oil is a much thinner consistency, spread easily, took all my make up off, emulsified nicely and washed off easily.  Really like this and 175ml would last for ages, I got three uses out of the sachet, so this is on my repurchase list.

Green People Gentle Cleanse 10ml -received this in one of my Feel Unique boxes.  Its organic and suitable for all skin types. 200ml retails at £16.95 on their website. This is a nice gentle cleanser, left my skin nice and soft didn't break me out at all but didn't remove all my eye make up.  It says it moisturises but I did need an additional moisturiser.  Its a nice thick consistency and smells really nice, although its quite a strong smell so may be overpowering for some people. I'm undecided on repurchasing this, my skin likes it but I don't like the fact it doesn't remove my mascara very well.

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser 28.3g - I first received this in my December Glossybox.  I had just had a disastrous experience with Clinique three step that ruined my skin and this cleanser was my saviour! Soothed my sore skin, cleared up my spots, removes all my make up.  I love it! I still get the occasional spot but no big breakouts anymore. It is unscented and a little goes a long way. You can buy the essentials kit from Boots for £10.  This is my favourite cleanser and I have stocked up from Beauty Box Swaps (think I have 5 tubes left) and will be repurchasing when they run out!

Body and Face Moisturisers

Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream 30ml - Received in my Harrods Glossybox, the cheapest I could find it online is £31.60 for 200ml on Escentual.  The cream smells really nice to me, like bubble gum! Its easily absorbed and makes my skin nice and soft, not sure about the firming effect! At over £30 I wouldn't repurchase this.

Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml - Received in the same Feel Unique box as the Green People cleanser (oh how I miss Feel Unique beauty boxes) 250ml is £14.40 on lookfantastic, really like this it smells fresh, easily absorbed and doesn't irritate the lovely dry patches on my shins! Undecided on whether I would repurchase £14 to me is a lot to spend on a body cream.

Clarins HydraQuench Cream 15ml - got this in a swap with the Clinique Happy perfume, its £26.40 for 50ml on Escentual. This product is described as ultra-moisturising, it didn't live up to my expectations - still had dry patches that it didn't seem to improve.  Wouldn't repurchase.

Korres Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturiser SPF 6 10ml - got this from the Best of Boudoir Prive box, wasn't sure if I would use it at first but I'm glad I did! The smell of rose is really subtle, the cream sinks in easily and gave my complexion a nice glow! Looked really nice under my foundation. I don't know if it does moisturise for 24 hours as obviously I wash in this time! but I really liked it for the daytime a little goes a very long way and I'm suprised how long this little tube has lasted me.  40ml is £15.20 on Lookfantastic. Would repurchase.

Aveda Smooth Infusion Shampoo and Conditioner, both 10ml.  Got these both in a little set from the first She Said Beauty box, along with a Style-Prep Smoother (not used this yet).  Only got one wash from these samples so its hard to judge the product, my hair was nice and soft but I wouldn't say it was any smoother than usual. The shampoo is £15.50 for 250ml and the conditioner is £17.50 for 200ml from John Lewis. I wouldn't repurchase these products. 



This is my little money box! How cute is it! I got it in a set from Lush at Christmas.

So thats £9.50 saved up so far!

Just realised there is not one make-up item that I've used in full this month! Thats awful when I think of what I have bought....which leads me onto my first April post - Budget Challenge!

Oh and just a quick one - I am in no way paid/affiliated/bribed by any of the companys I have linked to, this is purely so you can see the product in full and get an idea of price.  I have tried to pick the websites with the lowest prices x