A Very Late Trimming My Stash - September And October 2022 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

When life gets in the way dear reader, you just need to accept that some blog posts will go live nearly a year later than they should have done LOL, so let's cut out the waffle and take a little trip down memory lane with my September and October 2022 beauty empties.

L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml
AVON Foot Works Healthy Intensive Callus Cream - 75ml
Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml
Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml
This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash - 250ml

Total - 5 Items

After a pretty decent performance in August 2022 when I finished 7 items, on reflection I think I would have been a little bit disappointed with how the remaining months of 2022 panned out, at least trimming my stash wise, but as I've said before they all count, and in September 2022 I managed to add another 5 items to my yearly total. It certainly isn't planned but again I managed to finish a a good mix of products including shower, and body products, a haircare item and a skincare product.

1. L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 8 Second Wonder Water - 200ml

First up the singular hair product, and it was a new items for me, all be it one in a familiar format! I've spoken at length on the blog in the past about my love for the L'Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths 8 Second Wonder Water, and whilst it's something that I've continued to buy and to use, you know how much I love to try new things, so when I saw a new version of wonder water that was specially designed for colour treated hair, then you've probably already realised that I had to give it a whirl!

With the same 'lamellar water technology', moisturising ingredients and amino acids, this version is designed specifically for coloured or highlighted hair, and claims to combat the damage colour can cause, leaving the hair shinier, and more hydrated.

I've got to say that despite the similarities, my hair didn't seem to like this one quite as much, the smell whilst still pleasant was different and wasn't as fresh or fruity, it made my scalp tingle and sting a little bit more than the original, and my hair just felt a little bit coarser, and it seemed a lot more untamed, and it felt nowhere near as smooth.

Whilst I'm still keen on trying the new Hydra Hyaluronic version, I definitely think I'll be sticking with the original Dream Lengths version in the future. If you fancy trying the Colour Protect version for yourself thought, then you can buy it from most major retailers including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco for around £9.99, or if you shop around a bit you might find online for less - it's currently for sale on both Amazon and Look Fantastic for just £5 and for around £6.50 on eBay UK.

2. AVON Foot Works Healthy Intensive Callus Cream - 75ml

Now even though September usually signals the end of summer with pumpkins and selection boxes already filling the shelves, you should still be looking after those tootsies just in case, like this week hopefully, the sun decided to make an appearance. I've just started a new tube of foot cream and looking back to 2022 I'd just finished this product from AVON.

Despite the fact that I scrub my feet and slather them in cream on a regular basis, possibly thanks to a thyroid condition, my heels remain resolutely scaly! so sometimes only intensive products like this one do the trick.

Especially designed for hard calluses this thick and sticky cream contains a mixture of glycerine, lactic acid, aloe, rice bran oil, menthol and vitamin E. With a minty, menthol scent it wasn't the most pleasant of feeling creams, it took an age to absorb and it seemed to almost coat your feet in a sticky protective layer, but I kept persevering with it and popped a pair of thick socks on, and after a few hours whilst my feet still felt a touch sticky, overall they felt smooth, and my heels looked less dry and white.

I'm not 100% sure whether or not I would purchase this particular cream but if you're in need of some serious hydration it could be something worth trying. Whilst this particular product in the same packaging is still available on reseller sites such as eBay UK, AVON currently have a product called the AVON Foot Works Intensive Callus And Corn Foot Cream, which contains the same ingredients and just appears to be the same product under a different name which retails at around £4 online or from your local representative. 

3. Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel - 100ml

Next up a product that I talked about way back in 2020, and it probably highlights just how crazy my beauty stash really is. Yes, it took me 2 years to finish a bottle of shower gel! Embarrassing, but in fairness I really liked this product, so I may have tried to eek it out for as long as possible!

This lovely Molton Brown shower gel originally came in the August 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my review here x It really was a lovely product with the perfect combination of fruity and floral notes, and a lovely gentle formulation. If I wasn't currently digging my way through a mountain of shower products I would definitely consider making a repurchase.

The full 300ml size retails at around £25 and it available direct from Molton Brown, from Amazon, John Lewis, Cult Beauty, and Sephora. This smaller 100ml size is available in various gift sets, as well as in Molton Brown stores, and online as part of their pick and mix selection, as well as on eBay.

5. Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml

For someone who used to claim to be a beauty junkie and I guess still does, I have quite a scary confession to make - whispers - I haven't been to Boos since before Christmas!!! I know, I know but as I've said on several occasions not only do I get out and about less than I used to, I've also been feeling pretty overwhelmed with the amount of stuff and in particular beauty products that I own, so I haven't really wanted to buy anything new and instead I have been and am continuing to shop my stash, hence the appearance of this old Boots Botanics product.

This product was probably one of my first forays into the world of acids and AHA's, and whilst it's nowhere near the levels of PIXI Glow Tonic or some of the other products that I've moved on to, it brightened my skin, helped to control the oily patches, it tingled just enough to make you feel like it was doing something, and compared to a lot of the other glycolics and the likes on the market it's still fairly reasonably priced.

Although now given the alternatives I probably wouldn't buy this now, it used to be a bit of a skincare staple for me and I would happily use it again. In all new packaging the Boots Botanics All Bright Cleansing Facial Toner With Natural AHA's is available exclusively from Boots and retails at around £5.49.

6. This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash - 250ml

For as long as I can remember I've always loved and been suckered in the by the concept of a free gift - yes I was that child that always wanted the cereal with the free stickers or the pencil topper, I really was a marketers dream and I think that I probably still am. Either last year or the year before I took advantage of free gift offer and placed an order with Simply Be, and this product was part of the free gift that I received alongside a matching hand cream.

From skin, body and sleep specialist, This Works comes a cruelty free, vegan, paraben, phthalate and sulphate free, calming hand and body wash, that contains vitamin B5, ylang ylang, lavender, neroli and patchouli.

I predominantly used it as a hand wash which on reflection was probably a mistake, it was quite thick and a small amount went a long way, it produced a good foam, and it didn't dry out the skin, but the scent from me was just a bit too overpowering especially since it tended to linger on the skin for quite a while afterwards.

If you love aromatherapy based, natural essential oil scents then you might love this but since I can take or leave patchouli oil in particular, so having it linger on my hands was just a little bit too much. I think using it as a shower product would probably have made it a little bit less concentrated and intense but sadly this scent wasn't for me and it therefore goes without saying that I passed the matching hand cream onto my mam.

If you love this type of scent though, or if you're a fan of the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray then this would make a very economical body wash or a pretty intense bathroom hand wash. The This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash comes in a 250ml pump action bottle and retails at around £15 direct from This Works, as well as from Amazon, John Lewis, and NEXT Beauty.

So they were my beauty empties from September 2022, admittedly 2 down on the previous month but probably on reflection not a bad month, it's just a shame that I suffered another drop off in October!

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ml

Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - 10g
AVON Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray - 100ml
Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

Total - 4 Items

Yes, in October 2022 I managed to finish just 4 items, 1 less than in September, not great but not awful either, and again I finished a nice mix of products including some new products and one old favourite.

1. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 - 30ml

When it comes to skincare, I've always been one for a lazier, or should I say simpler routine. Given my so called and self confessed beauty junkie status that probably sounds odd, but I used to, and still do to some extent try to cut corners when I can, and up until last year or maybe the year before I got away with it, bit as I've gotten older my skin has changed and it's needed a little bit of extra help, or should I say a different kind of help, so I've had change my routine up and I've had to add a few new products to my regime.

Despite all of the beauty and product knowledge that I've gained in my years of blogging, as someone with an oilier skin type, I was always pretty scared of adding any more 'moisturising' product to my routine, but you're probably already well aware of the fact the oil doesn't always equal moisture, and oily skin can often be a symptom of skin lacking in hydration, so your skin can look like an oil slick, and still be lacking in moisture - so when my skin started to look a little dull and feel a little tighter, I decided to have a play around and introduce a serum into my routine.

Not wanting to spend a fortune in case it wasn't quite what my skin needed, I picked up a product from budget friendly, yet high tech skincare brand The Ordinary. If your skin is dry, thirsty and just a little bit upset one of the best ways to make it happy again is to give it a drink of water, or a nice little shot of hyaluronic acid, to keep that moisture locked in. With hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, this water based super serum has been specially designed to enhance both short and long term hydration, as well as to smooth and plump the skin, and to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

To be honest if appearances are anything to go by this stuff doesn't look that exciting, just a clear, unscented, watery like serum, packaged in a utilitarian dropper bottle, but as the saying goes looks really can be deceiving! Just apply a few drops to damp cleansed and toned skin, and massage into the skin before applying your usual moisturiser, and you've given your skin an extra boost of moisture with very little effort.

Despite reading some pretty good reviews, I wasn't really expecting very much from this serum, but I could see and feel a difference in just a couple of days. With just this one addition to my regime my skin felt smoother, more supple, less tight, and thankfully it didn't my skin oily or greasy, in fact it actually seemed to control the oil on my t-zone!

I've tried a few different hyaluronic based serums since I first tried this one, but so fair this is one of the best that I've tried, and one of the cheapest. Whilst the results have often been pretty similar, the texture of this one from The Ordinary puts it straight at the top of my list. It's more water like, less oily and way less sticky, it absorbs pretty quickly and it doesn't make your moisturiser pill or roll off! I'm now a total hyaluronic convert, it's so easy to add into even the most basic of routines, a little bit seems to go a long way and it's made a real difference to my skin.

As you would expect from The Ordinary it's also really competitively priced with this 30ml size retails at around £7.90 direct from The Ordinary, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, John Lewis, Boots, and Space NK, and if you really this stuff, and you can't be without it it also comes in both a 60ml bottle and a 120ml supersize! I have a few different hyaluronic based serums, that I've both picked up and that I've got in various beauty boxes and advent calendars to use up but I will definitely be buying this one again.

2. Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - 10g

Next up another skincare products, and this was something that came in the April 2022 edition of Glossybox UK.

When you hear the name Sand & Sky at least beauty wise, the first product that you probably think of is the Australian brand's iconic, and much copied Australian Pink Clay Mask (which I still need to try by the way!), but that isn't the only mask in their extensive skincare range.

April 2022's box contained a tiny, 3 application max, 10g tube of their Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask. From their Glow Berries range, this mask contains the antioxidant glow berries, emu apples, to combat ageing and boost brightness, hyaluronic acid complex, kakadu plum, a source of vitamin C to boost brightness and break down pigmentation, and jojoba oil to hydrate and aid water retention; This mask is also sulphate, paraben, silicone, and phthalate free, and it's also cruelty free and approved by PETA.

Created to hydrate, protect and brighten the skin, this mask is almost an ashy pink in colour, and it had an unusual light and fluffy, almost bouncy yet dense texture, and sadly given all the fruity ingredients, very little scent.

As instructed I applied a thick layer to clean skin, and since it was a cream mask it was really easy to apply. On application it felt ever so slightly tingly and warm on the skin.

Before

The instructions said to leave the mask on for 10 minutes, and whilst in some places the mask had absorbed completely into the skin, in other places there was still product sitting on the skin, and whilst it was drier than it was on application, it hadn't dried our completely or set hard, so it was pretty easy to wash it off with warm water and a muslin cloth.

On Application 

I'm not sure how obvious it is from these pictures, but after rinsing it off my skin looked a touch pink in patches, and my face felt a little bit tingly for a moment or two, but it wasn't uncomfortable, and I think that feeling was worth it for the results that I saw - my skin was definitely brighter and it definitely had a glow to it, I looked more awake and it felt smoother. It's recommended that you use this mask 2-3 times a week for maximum benefit, but I since an improvement after just one use, and further improvement after another 2 weekly applications, it's down to personal choice.

After Rinsing 

I know it tingled a little bit but as long as it isn't too uncomfortable I don't actually mind that

feeling from a product. I like things that feel as though they're doing something, and I definitely think that this mask did that, so I would definitely consider using it, and trying some more products from the Sand & Sky range in the future. 

The full 100g size comes with an application brush and has an RRP of around £34. It's available direct from Sand & Sky, as well as from Beauty Bay, ASOS, and Amazon. The full size as well as this 10g tube are also available from Look Fantastic and eBay UK.

3. AVON Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray - 100ml

From skincare to hair care, and whilst I'm trying to take more care of my hair, and I'm trying to lay off the heat a bit, I'm sorry I have very wavy / curly / wild / uncontrollable hair, and it often needs a set of straighteners or a blow dry to bully it into submission. It therefore goes without saying that I spend a fortune on conditioners, hair treatments, and heat protectors, and I never allow a straightener, a curler or a dryer near my hair without a squirt or two of heat protector spray.

Whilst I'm ever faithful to the Tresemme Heat Defence Care & Protect Spray, I do occasionally stray, usually because of a recommendation or a special offer, and I think I picked up this AVON heat protector up when it was on offer.

Containing moisturisers and protective ingredients, it had a nice fresh almost fruity scent, and it didn't leave the hair sticky or hard. Not badly priced at just £3 I would definitely use it again, but the one drawback is the small, although ideal for travel, 100ml size of the bottle, and that's why I'll be sticking to my beloved Tresemme spray in the future. 

4. Beauty Pie Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub - 475g

The final item on this long awaited September and October 2022 countdown is another product that you've seen before on several occasions and it's something that you're more than likely going to see again in the future.

Yes, it's the fabulous Beauty Pie Re- Energizing Dry Oil Sugar Scrub. You can read a full review of it here, but if you are in any doubt I absolutely love everything about this stuff from the scent, to the texture, and to how it makes my skin feel. Although I'm currently using a good budget alternative that I will definitely repurchase, when I'm feeling a bit flusher I'll definitely be picking up this Beauty Pie scrub again.

As you probably know Beauty Pie works on a subscription model, so if you pay either a monthly or annual subscription fee, you can get discount prices on a whole range of high quality beauty products. This particular product retails at £16 for members and £55 for non members.

If you've made it to the end, congratulations! that was a long one, and it's probably going to set the scene for every up and coming empties post at least until i get myself up to date again, so be prepared for an epic amount fo beauty reviews coming soon, but in the meantime if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned in this post or anything else you fancy then please leave me a message below, and I'll see you soon with a new post x 

*This Post Contains Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links.

Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland 2017 Advent Calendar - Part 1 - Days 1 - 12

I don't know why it is, but at this time of year I always tend to look back at Christmas's past. Christmas has changed so much since I was child, but so many things have stayed constant and one of those is the excitement of opening the doors of an advent calendar and counting down the days until Christmas.

Advent calendars have came a long way since I was a child, my earliest memories of advent calendars were those traditional cardboard calendars, which my mam usually bought from the local newsagent, that were sprinkled with glitter and had a festive image behind each door. I know you can still get them and personally despite their simplicity I loved them, but I just don't think that a lot of today's children would be too happy to get just a little picture in their advent calendar! Things have changed and in a big way!

Being a chocoholic though the introduction of chocolate advent calendars were a big thing for me, - I mean what could honestly be better than eating chocolate for breakfast! erm not much in my opinion, and even at my age both myself and Mummy Lou, always count down to the big day with a chocolate advent calendar or two. Over the last few years or so though I've jumped onto a relatively new bandwagon and I've added a beauty advent calendar to my festive traditions.

Nowadays there seems to be a new breed of advent calendar, the luxury calendar which is almost like an early gift in it's own right. No longer content with just a piece of chocolate, you can now get advent calendars geared towards both children and adults containing everything from beer, to gin, to cheese, to nail polish and LEGO, and this year I've even seen one which contains shall we say, slightly more adult themed toys. What will they think of next? I think it's been well documented that some of these advent and 12 days of Christmas calendars are just plain rip offs but some of them do offer genuine value for money and are well worth picking up,

In the last two years I was lucky enough to get my hands on the M&S Marks & Spencer beauty advent calendar, and whilst this years little house themed version looked amazing and is probably their best one to date I decided to try something different. As I say advent calendars have become more like presents in their own right, and my lovely mummy kindly offered to buy me a calendar as part of my Christmas present I was pretty much spoilt for choice. My initial aim was to get the QVC UK TILI Advent Calendar but it sold it in seconds creating all manner of problems for QVC's poor social media team, so instead I went for the Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland Advent Calendar.

This calendar retailed at £79, and whilst it certainly wasn't the cheapest one on the market, it certainly wasn't the most expensive of this years offerings either. I have to be honest and say that this is one of the prettiest and most useful calendars that I've seen.

Although the calendar contains images of deer and fir trees it isn't obviously Christmas themed, instead it features a beautifully illustrated fairy tale theme.

The fact that it doesn't scream Christmas means that this calendar can definitely serve a dual purpose. Made of a good quality thick card, this calendar is basically a mini chest of drawers, which will be perfect for storing make up or beauty products, or even crafting supplies, knick knacks or jewellery.

Open the midnight blue decorated, magnetic fastening doors and the surprises just keep on coming. The top section which is empty features a flip top lid, with ribbon hinges and a large mirror. Underneath that are 4 good sized sturdy drawers with white grosgrain ribbon pulls.

The drawers contain 25 numbered, removable boxes, to help you countdown the days until Christmas day. Inside the boxes you gift of the day comes beautifully wrapped in tissue paper which is covered in drawings of beauty products and wording in keeping with the Alice In Wonderland theme such as Love Me, Swatch Me, Apply Me, Use Me, Spritz Me, Lather Me and Smell Me. Every aspect of this calendar has been so well thought out, it would have been so easy to just wrap the products in plain tissue but Look Fantastic really have put a lot of thought into this calendar, and every aspect of it just works and adds to the appeal and the excitement, honestly it really is beautiful and my not the best winter light photos just don't fo it justice!

Okay it looks beautiful, and it's reusable but what's the contents like? Well, it been hard to resist opening all of the boxes at once but I've been good and I'm sticking to my days and my calendar and I'm only opening one box a day. I know I've posting pictures of the contents on Instagram but I thought I'd share the contents with you as well - so this is what the Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland Advent Calendar contained on days 1-12

Day 1 - Illamasqua Lava Lipstick - Vixen - 3.6g - Full Size

This first item was a beauty and it was a full 3.6g Lava Lipstick from Illamasqua in the exclusive to this calendar shade, Vixen.

These lipsticks were a limited edition anyways but this colour is an exclusive and it's a beauty I'm not really a red lipstick wearer but at the time of year nothing screams Christmas like a red lippy.

This one isn't a scary red though, there is a bit of white in the marble effect which definitely tones it down a bit, it was creamy and easy to apply and it wore well.

The RRP of the other Lava Lipsticks was around £20 so value wise, this was an excellent start.

Day 2 - Ciate Fierce Flicks Precision Tip Liquid Liner - Black - 1.7ml - Full Size

Day 2 was another make up item, and another full size make up item at that. This felt tip style liquid liner from Ciate retails at around £15. I struggle like hell with liquid liners but I'm going to persevere with this one, it's pretty fine, and it's a proper deep, black.

Day 3 - Grow Gorgeous Scalp Detox Exfoliating Pre-Wash Treatment - 50ml

I know some of you will probably be thinking what is this girl on, but I'm slightly obsessed with hair products, I love trying new things and new brands. Grow Gorgeous is a new brand to me and this slightly grainy treatment is designed to clarify the hair and remove product build up. It contains a combination of white willow, pomegranate fruit enzyme and Castor oil beads. The brand is cruelty free and vegan and the products are paraben and sulphate free. I'll definitely be trying this out soon so look out it in a future empties post. The full size of this product is 190ml which retails at £28 and whilst this is just a travel size it's perfect for holidays and for trying out a new product and a new brand.

Day 4 - First Aid Beauty - FAB - Ultra Repair Cream  - 56.7g

This cream has a bit of cult reputation as a skin saviour. Containing oatmeal, shea butter, ceramides and eucalyptus, this cream is designed specifically for dry, chapped, itchy, and flaky skin. You can use it from head to toe and it's approved for use on skin condition such as eczema and psoriasis. I've been using this on my hands and believe me it is good! Allergy tested with no added parabens, fragrance or colour, this thick white, slightly eucalyptus scented cream absorbs quickly and makes an almost immediate difference. This 56.7g tube retails at around £10 and it's well worth that as a little bit really does go a long way.

Day 5 - Balance Me Flash Cleanse Micellar Water - 30ml 

I've acquired a couple of these little bottles in the past few months, but as yet I haven't managed to try any of them. I'm a bit of a fan of micellar waters though so I definitely need to give this a go. Containing mandarin essential oil, and pea protein, this liquid is suitable for all skin types, and you can even use it around the eyes. This is a little bottle but it's perfect for travel and for trying out a new product without too much of a risk.

Day 6  - This Works In Transit Camera Close Up -15ml

This is something else that I've got a few of now and again it's something that I haven't managed to try yet but I do love multi use products so again I need to get this used. Victoria Beckham is supposedly a fan of this mask, moisturiser and primer in one, which supposedly hydrates, brightens and evens out the skin.

Day 7 - James Read Gradual Tan H2O Illuminating Tan Mist Body - 30ml

Glitter! Where would we be at Christmas with out a bit of glitter or at least a bit of shimmer. This isn't a body glitter though this is actually a gradual tanning mist from tanning guru to the stars James Read. Containing rose water, hyaluronic acid, and caffeine, this is a clear gradual tan spray that contains subtle gold sparkle which is perfect for the party season and for getting rid of that white / blue leg look. I haven't tried any of James' products before  but this is something that I'll definitely be trying out over the next few weeks. I think that this is quite a new product, so it's great to have it in the calendar

Day 8 - Redken No Blow Dry Airy Styling Cream For Fine Hair - 30ml

Another hair care product and this time something from top salon brand REDKEN. I've never heard about this product before but as someone who more often than not, leaves their hair to dry naturally this little tube could be a godsend. Basically the cream / gel inside this tube is designed to make your hair dry more quickly, naturally, and it' supposedly makes your hair easier to style without heat. I've been prepping my hair for a salon visit tomorrow but once I'm done and dusted I'll definitely be giving this a go next time that I wash my hair.

Day 9 Bellapierre Banana Setting Powder - 4g - Full Size

I know some people hate face powder but I'm not one of them - I love it, my oily skin needs all of the help that I can get and nothing gets rid of that shine quicker than a dusting of face powder. This full size loose powder from mineral make up company Bellapierre is a yellow toned powder, so it doesn't just help you keep your make up in place, it can also act as a colour corrector and help get rid of and tone down redness and discolouration. My skin is prone to a bit of redness and I can't wait to see if this makes a difference. This powder is a full size and retails at around £25 / $35

Day 10 - Oskia London Renaissance Mask - 10ml 

I've got to be honest and say that I'd never heard of this brand before but after finding out about the ingredients and what this mask does I can't wait to try it. OSKIA are a British brand, and this gel like mask which is suitable for all skin types contains a mixture of papaya and fruit enzymes which aims to increase radiance, even out the skin tone and minimise the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. The full 50ml size retails at £51 so this is easily a £9 or £10 product.

Day 11 - Molton Brown Gingerlily Body Wash - 100ml  

I've used Molton Brown for a long time now, and I remember using this under it's previous incarnation Heavenly Gingerlily. This is one of their longest standing and most popular products, and it's easy to see why. Exquisitely blended with ingredients from around the world this has a slightly unisex scent to me with just a hint of floral. It contains ginger, tuberose, cedar wood and lily, and whether you use it in the bath or the shower a little goes a long way. Although Molton Brown do a larger size, this generous travel size retails at £10.

Day 12 - Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet - 15ml

Although I've tried a few Caudalie products over the years I can honestly say that I've never gone out and bought one specifically or used any of their products for any real period of time, and to be honest I don't know why that is. They are a French brand that base a lot of their products on grapes and grape extracts hence the name Vinosource. This cream gel based moisturiser is perfect for sensitive skin, and with regular use it can help to soothe, strengthen and hydrate the skin, and it can also help to reduce redness. I tried a little bit on day 12 and I was really impressed, I don't like thick and gloopy moisturisers and thanks to the lightweight texture this one absorbed into my skin really quickly and it left it feeling really smooth. The full 40ml size retails at £23. 

Well what can I say so far so good, you've got a good mix of make up items, skincare, hair care and body products, with a couple of high value products and a couple of decent value and sized products. Couple that with the aesthetically pleasing look of the calendar, and for me it's definitely worth the money so far and I'm certainly looking forward to opening the remaining doors. I'd love to know your thoughts on this calendar, and advent calendars in general, did you get an interesting one this year? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to keep an eye on my Instagram for some sneak peeks of what you can expect to see in part 2, which I'm hoping to post on Christmas Eve - eek! x

A Beauty Sale Haul Featuring Boots,SpaceNK And The Body Shop

As much as I love shopping, for some reason I can never seem to get excited about the post Christmas and January sales. I hate getting up early, and I can't stand all of the pushing, and shoving and hustle and bustle so I tend to avoid the shops until well into the New Year. Online shopping though is another matter and as soon as a lot of shops stop delivering in time for Christmas, you can pretty much guarantee, that their online sales will follow soon after.

I normally start off any sales shop by working out what I actually need, with clothes it's always the basics, but when it comes to beauty, I'm pretty easy, sometimes I'll go for things I know and love and sometimes I'll take advantage of a sale price to try something new.

I'm always a bit loathed to place online orders with SpaceNK, thanks to their over inflated postage but they had a few good offers on so I decided to take advantage and place a little order. A lot of stores seem to have had sale stock issues this year, and some of my order was subsequently cancelled so I didn't save as much as I would have liked but I did manage to get two things.

Lipstick Queen is a new brand to me and one that I'd wanted to try for a long time. This is the Lipstick Queen Chinatown Three To Thrill Set.

The set contains 3, 3g Lipstick Queen Glossy Pencils, in some of the brands most popular shades, Chinatown Chase, Chinatown Pink Bluff, Chinatown Catalina. I love this type of product so I thought that this kit would be a really good introduction to the brand. I think I'll get more use out of the pink based shades, Pink Bluff and Catalina, but despite looking a little bit scary in the tube Chase, is actually a much more wearable, subtle pale, coral, red, shade. Unfortunately due to the lousy weather we've had lately, I haven't managed to photograph any swatches for you but if you watch the video at the end of this post. hopefully you'll be able to get some idea of what they look like.

Although these pencils aren't full size I still think that this kit was well worth the money. It was originally £18 but I got it for just £7.50. Unfortunately this set seems to have sold out online but all of the shades are available in the full 7g size for £22 each.

In an ideal world I would now be showing you some of the beautiful Laura Mercier Creme Brulee products but it wasn't to be, so instead I'm showing you a beautifully boxed nail polish from Rococo.

The box maybe beautiful but the bottle itself it quite plain, thank heavens for the gorgeous colour inside.

It's quite hard to see here, but Rococo Nail Apparel in 8559 Mystic Luxe is a purple, blue shade which is crammed full of silver shimmer. My picture aren't really doing it justice but it a really pretty colour,

I don't think it's anything overly unusual but it looked so pretty, and since it was reduced from £12 to just £3, it gave me the perfect opportunity to try a new nail polish brand. This colour is still available on the SpaceNK website along with several other Rococo colours.

One of the brands that SpaceNK sell is This Works and whilst they did have a few kits in the sale they didn't have the one thing that I did want, so I looked elsewhere and thankfully Boots came up trumps.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a frustrating illness, you can either sleep the clock round or you can't sleep at all. I suffer from terrible insomnia at times, and after watching a few presentations on QVC I really fancied trying the This Works Plus + Pillow Spray.

I can be a bit funny with scent though, so I didn't want to launch straight in and buy the full size, so this seemed to be an ideal solution. The This Works Sleep + Cracker contains a 10ml bottle of the Plus + Pillow Spray which contains a variety of essential oils, and ingredients, which is clinically proven to help provide a better nights sleep. This cracker was originally £12 and I got it for £8, I haven't tried it yet but I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

I can pretty much guarantee now that I'll get at least one Soap & Glory kit for Christmas, and Christmas 2015 was no exception. I was lucky enough to get the big The Whole SheBang set. I love everything in it and I particularly excited to try the tinted body cream, but at the same time I was a bit disappointed that this years set didn't include any of the Sugar Crush products. I love the zesty, yet warm lime fragrance so I couldn't resist buying this kit.

I admit it part of the reason I went for this kit was down to the bag, the Soap & Glory Get A Smooth On kit, came in a gorgeous, holographic silver, barrel bag.

I love anything holographic, and the fact that this bag contains products from the Sugar Crush was just a bonus. The bag contains a 500ml Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. a 300ml Soap&Glory Sugar Body Wash and a 300ml Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream. Ahh limey heaven but my excitement quickly faded when I realised that there was a product missing!

This kit should also have included a 100ml Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Spray. I would normally have sent the whole kit back but it was sold out and I really wanted the bag so I emailed Boots customer service, and thankfully they came up trumps. They apologised and added 500 points to my advantage card - 400 to cover the cost of the product and 100 for the inconvenience. Thanks Boots, customer service at it's best even at their busiest time of year! This kit was originally £35 and I got it for £17.50 which was half price x

Something else that's become a bit of a Christmas tradition is The Body Shop and their festive fragrances. I picked up a few bits before Christmas but as soon as the sale launched online. I ordered a few extra bits.

I didn't go mad, and I only bought exactly what I wanted. I bought another 200ml bottle of the Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel, which I love and I've bought for years, and I bought a couple of the Glazed Apple items. I must admit I wasn't sure about the Glazed Apple range when it launched in 2014 but it's really, really grown on me. I think I wanted it to be a traditional apple fragrance but it's not, it's sharp, yet sweet, sugary and fruity. I can't describe it really but it's my in shower favourite at the moment so I bought a few extra bits to see my through the year as I don't think that it's a Christmas specific scent - I got a 200ml Glazed Apple Body Butter and a 250ml Glazed Apple Shower Gel. There are still a few festive sale bits available online so move quick if you want to stock up.

Although I didn't go totally crazy I'm still really happy with my sale haul. I picked up some definite favourites and a few new things to try so I'm pretty pleased. I've made a little video to accompany this haul, so have a watch even if it's only to see the Lipstick Queen swatches x



I've only bought a couple of other things in the sales, so I probably won't be doing another sale haul post, but if you've bought anything amazing or found a fabulous bargain I'd love to hear about it, so leave me a comment and let me know your favourite sale buys x