YouBeauty advent calendar 2013

Some times chocolate just isn't enough to count down Christmas with so I got the YouBeauty advent calendar again. I got mine in November but it's still available with £10 off - here. On the website they also have a virtual calendar which has competitions and discount codes for each brand in the calendar.

Onto the contents -

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask - £83.50 here
A mask to smooth, plump and brighten the skin. Instead of a wash off one this says to leave for 15 minutes and then wipe away the excess. I could imagine the skin will be thoroughly moisturised using this. Quite small so probably only good for a few uses.
Trilogy Rosapene Night Cream - £28.50 here
I have tried the rosehip oil I think it is from Trilogy so I will be interested to see if this goes hand and hand with it. This is a recovery cream which helps with skin regeneration meaning a better complexion come morning. Not a bad sized sample either.
Bioeffect EGF Serum - £125.00 here
This is my 3rd sample of this and 2nd from this advent calendar. Yet to use any of them so I couldn't say if it is worth the insane price. This super serum, according to the little booklet that came with the calendar is supposed to 'improve complexion, reduce wrinkles, pores and pigmentation by stimulating and accelerating natural skin renewal.' I think I will trial this for a while as I'll be interested to see if this sorts out my pores.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - £4.50 (30ml) here
Vitamin E and hydrating olive oil, one of those ingredients makes me dubious about putting this cleanser on my oily T-zone.....we shall see. I'd say this is a reasonable sample size, good for travel.
Dr.Organic Dead Sea Mineral Eye Rescue Rollerball - £8.99 (15ml) here
This is supposed to help with puffy eyes and dark circles, they're the 2 main things I'm hoping to get from this product. The rollerball will at least feel soothing first thing in the morning if nothing else. Apart from sleep is there actually anything else that gets rid of dark circles? This is a full size product.
ESPA Optimal Skin Proserum (£48.00) & Refining Skin Polish (13.99) here
There was another ESPA set in last years calendar that smelt awful, herbal I think it was. Fingers crossed these do not smell the same. The serum helps brighten and even skin tone while the skin polish is an exfoliator to help remove dead cells and brighten skin (I'm yet to use a product and notice my skin is brighter....) Also in the little box was a £15 gift card which was very generous of them.

Steamcream Moisturiser - £12.95 here
Full size which is good but this was in last years calendar, the exact same tin so bit of a let down there. This cream can be used anywhere on the body and is lightweight due to the steam used to fuse all ingredients together.
Aromatherapy Associates Bath & Shower Oil - £39.00 here
Another item we got last year but this one is the inner strength oil with notes of frankincense, cardamom and clary sage. This is a very strong smell and not one I would pick but I will try it and it's supposed to help with calm thoughts so anything to help relax!
Balance Me super Toning Body Wash - £9.00 (100ml) here
Another good sized product. Due to some of the ingredients in this it helps encourage good circulation as well as improving skin tone. Balance Me always has a herbally smell so I'm not sure I will like this but it will get used.

Therapie Roques Oneil Himalayan Detox Salts - £10.00 (100g) here
I've never used bath salts before so I'm very interested in these as they claim to help with insomnia which recently I've been struggling with. Once bathed it says 'to wrap in a towel and rest for 30 minutes where you might feel a skin tingle with the release of heat'. I'm intrigued.
Q Awe The Fine Fragrance Body Spray - £2.99 here
A blend of jasmine and rose this will either be fresh or floral. Not something I'd wear but will probably make a nice room or sheet spray.

Dermalogica UltraCalming Set - £ various here
Received Dermalogica products last year and really liked the rice exfoliator. This year all the products are aimed at sensitive skin. There's a eye serum, relief masque, cleanser, serum concentrate and a mist. I don't have sensitive skin but still think these will be quite nice to try out.

Caudalie Hand Cream  - £4.80 here
I received the blackcurrant leaf flavour which smells lovely. You can never have enough hand creams especially at this time of year.
Dr Lipp Balm - £11.50 here
I already have one of these but think it's always good to have things like this. A balm that's multipurpose to heal dry skin, burns, cuts and quite a few more uses. I thought this was a sample but nope, apparently this is a full size.
Neom Hand Cream - £20.00 here
I received one of these in the BBB box and love it. It smells nice, Moroccan Blush Rose, sinks in quickly and most importantly it moisturises my hands. Happy to have this as my tube is pretty much empty.

Alterna Bamboo Dry Oil Mist - £20.50 here 
I believe this oil can be used as a heat protectant or as a treatment. I will most likely be using this on the ends of my hair to help with split ends.
Weleda Skin Food - £4.95 here
I already have a sample of this but as I don't suffer from dry skin I've yet to find reason to try it out. Always handy to keep though as with the winters getting colder it may come in very useful.

Stila Lip Glaze - £15.00 here
This is in the shade kaleidoscope, a pretty pink shimmer. I've not used anything from Stila before so I'm hoping this is not one of those super sticky glosses. From swatches I think this will be a good party colour with all the glitter. I like the twist up brush glosses.
INIKA Mineral Eye Shadow - £14.50 here
This is in gun metal, a pretty silver. I don't think I own a silver eye shadow so will be trying this to see if it suits me. I don't mind mineral powders as I used to use the Barry M pigments a lot. This could be nice used wet as an eye liner if all over shadow doesn't look good. This is a full size product.

Green People Anti - Age Eyeliner - £10.95 here
This is a grey shade and is very soft so it should glide on smoothly. The anti-ageing bit is because it contains vitamins C & E but still not sure how an eyeliner can fight wrinkles...
The Vintage Cosmetic Company Tweezers - £8.00 here
Last year we got eye lash curlers which I'm still using so was happy to see another useful tool from them. I like that the tweezers are slanted as I find these better than the pointed type. Also a pretty colour, these are limited edition for Christmas.

Model Co Mascara - £10.00 here
This mascara should give length and thickness, it is a water proof formula so possibly a pain to get off! I'll give this a try as it does sound good.
Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation - £47.00 here
Second sample of this from the calendar. Yet to use my first one but in theory this is supposed to provide translucent coverage while still making the skin look flawless. My skins playing up the moment so I may use this to see if it works.
Leighton Denny Nail Varnish - £11.00 here
This is in the shade vamp, a nice deep fall colour. I much prefer colours like this instead of the typical 'Christmas' reds. As I'm pretty lazy when it comes to painting my nails little sample bottles suit me perfectly as I will never finished a normal size.


Apart from a couple of duplicate products I think this years calendar beats last years. One because there was no disgusting smelling candle and 2 it has more products I can see myself using. I think this is a really good idea if you want to try out different products. Next year I will wait until the price has gone down instead of being so eager!

Now onto finding somewhere to put all of these bits!

Happy New Year in advance!

Blogmas day 21 - Soap & Glory The daily soothe bath float review

I love Soap & Glory products, I own quite a few (that's a lie, it's a lot) and when I saw this hmmm back in November I got it as it's something I'd not seen before. Basically it's a bubble bath but one you scoop out rather than pour.

This is scented wit the classic Mist You Madly so smells very nice.

I don't have the biggest hands so I do sometimes add 2 scoops as I like my baths super bubbly. Hold under running water while it turns into bubbles, I did find it took a little while to get it all off my hand as it left a little film.

This is a nice bubble bath, it's relaxing and something different to the usual ones. I really like this although as I use a lot and have a bath most days I don't think I can really justify paying £8 for this.

Available here - £8.00 Soap & Glory is usually on 3 for 2

Blogmas day 20 - Hot Topic Haul #2

I shall carry on with Blogmas and pretend like I have been good and actually done more than 3 posts for it...

Anywho, I have another Hot Topic haul because I am still addicted to the website. This is a couple of orders worth with a few items missing as they were gifts which were quickly wrapped and put under the tree.

Adventure time pillow case - $10.88 (£6.65)
I got 2 of these as they came as singles which I thought was weird but there we go. Shame they didn't do a whole bedding set as I would love a full Adventure time bed ha I also ordered The Nightmare before Christmas pillow cases but they sold out, sad times.

Alice In Wonderland Cheshire Cat Dress - $25.88 (£15.81)
Another pretty dress this time with the Cheshire cat on it, I can't wait to wear this. It's the same style as my other one so I'm going to assume this will fit the same.

The Nightmare before Christmas hill jumper - no longer available
Quite a thin jumper, more of just a top but it fits lovely. Also a very pretty scene to match my skirt.

The Nightmare before Christmas Jack jumper - no longer available
Another jumper/top and one I would even class as a twist on the classic Christmas jumper. I love the picture on this one.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Micro Raschel Throw  - $18.38 (£11.23)
This is so soft! and massive at 50"x60" this covers pretty much the whole of my bed! I have a thing for blankets so this will be joining the 5 or so I already have piled on my bed. Cosy!

BMO blanket - no longer available
I believe this is roughly the same size as it also covers my whole bed. Both of these blankets I've had to put into the wash as not only did I hear the static crackling but got a couple of little shocks as well. Ouch!

Alice in Wonderland jumper - no longer available
This is a little thicker than the other 2 in this haul but again just a perfect design for me. Also nice to have something on the back as well.

The Nightmare before Christmas true love top - no longer available
This has very large gaps at the side, it would be perfect for summer (can anyone remember that season?!) as it's nice and breezy. I've worn this with a bandeau underneath and it's good to go.

Adventure time reversible jumper - no longer available
This is so cute, BMO on one side and Finn & Jake on the other. This is probably the thickest out of all the jumpers I've got from Hot Topic. The colour also goes nicely with my pink hair, always a bonus ha

Well I believe that is it for now, I already have my eye on a couple of other items but need a few more to make it worth the shipping cost. Damn you clothing I love from another country!

Blogmas day 19 - fail!

Ah well, as always I start with good intentions and that's about as far as it gets. Blogmas consisted of 2 days, very poor. I can't even say I have been super busy as that's not the case, apart from sorting out Christmas gifts and stuff it's been the usual. I say the usual but recently I've been unbelievably tired, struggling to wake up for work in the morning and then having pretty much no energy for the rest of the day. I'm not sure why I'm tired all the time but I'm hoping the break over Christmas will give me a rest enough to feel a bit better.

(Source)

That is one lucky cat!

Does anyone else suffer from being tired all the time for no apparent reason? As much as I love to sleep and laze about I would also like to have a little bit of energy!

Moaning over, I am very excited about Christmas :D

Blogmas day 2 - VitaBella anti ageing face mask review

This is the first sheet mask I have ever tried so wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it or not. Having seen others use them it always puts me in mind of Michael Myers so not sure if this is a bonus or not.

 



The little white button is the mask that once is covered in the liquid soaks it up and is ready to be put on. The liquid is made up of natural aloe vera gel, argan oil, hyaluronic acid, hibiscus seed proteins and wheat germ oil. As this is an anti ageing mask the benefits are rehydrating skin and reducing the signs of ageing. 

So into a little pot I put the mask and then poured the liquid over it and all over the counter as apparently this is a difficult task. In less than a minute the mask had soaked up all of the liquid and was good to go. I put it on for 5 or 10 minutes (I can't remember), removed and rubbed in the residue that was left on my face. I had really soft skin after and I would say it gave a nice dose of moisture.

 

And there we have the mask, very creepy.

 

 

This is very expensive at £59 for 4 bottles - here 

 

On a side note, when I put this on it was so uncomfortable I really didn't understand how people could use it....I then took it off to realise I had put my nose through an eye and my mouth through the nose bit. I understood then, people are smart and I am a tit.    

 

 

 

 

 



Blogmas day 1 - it's on!

(source)

December 1st and the countdown begins! I am so excited this year for Christmas, the food, the time off work, the presents and just the general cosy feeling that comes with Christmas time. I already have the majority of my presents ready to wrap, this is unheard of as I'm usually still buying the week before so I'm pretty proud of myself this year.

I'm counting down the days with the You Beauty advent calendar as I really enjoyed last years and I'll be also getting a Cadbury one as.....well, it just wouldn't be the same if I didn't. I thought this year I would join in with blogmas so hopefully this is something I can stick with!

My family is of the 12 day before and after decoration tradition so as soon as the 12th is upon on us I will be covering everything in tinsel and I mean everything so watch out kitties!

I'm sure it's not just me who is overly excited this year so let the Christmas cheer explode yay!

Sanctuary Spa active reverse facial 30 day thermal tranformation mask review

Wow that's a long ass name for a product....I had 2 samples of this so as they were sachets I emptied them into a couple of empty pots I had.

 

 

 

2 sachets, step 1 which is a peptide transformation serum and step 2 is a thermal rose clay mask. To use you obviously do step 1 and then 2, this is supposed to give a warm feeling. The initial mix of the clay onto the serum does give a warm feeling but I found this went after like a second. You then leave on for 15 minutes while the 'heating effect' cools, sadly as the heating bit didn't last it was just another cool mask. Rinse off and done. This is supposed to make the skin look more radiant but I didn't really see this, it did make my skin feel smooth but nothing super special.   

Step 1





Step 2

 

I was looking forward to using this mask for the warming effect as I haven't really used a mask like that before but I was quite disappointed with this. It got to the point where I just wanted to get it used up, I used this 1 - 2 times a week, sometimes 3 if I remembered. Not that impressed but at least I made some space in my boxes by using this up.

 

Full size is available from Boots here for £27.50

 



 

 

Ciao

 

 

 



Black Milk haul

For someone who isn't that big a fan of clothes shopping I think I've done pretty well with my recent purchases. Black Milk do some amazing leggings and they fit like a glove which is an actual miracle as I struggle to find good fitting leggings/jeans.

 Cheshire cat $75

Haunted house 2.0 $75

 Sistine chapel - limited $75

 Corpse bride $85

 King Tut $75

My favourite so far are the King Tut ones, because the waist band has the stripes I can wear these with a shorter top. All of the leggings are so nice to wear and even though expensive I would say definitely worth it. I have my peepers on the new Adventure Time collection, one of my favourite cartoons on some amazing legging, I can see another order being placed in the very near future!



                                                                    Ciao

Hot Topic Haul

Over a month ago I found a website that I have been obsessed with. Hot Topic is an American site which has clothing, accessories and collectibles from a lot of awesome TV shows, movies and bands. Being a lover of Alice in Wonderland and The Nightmare before Christmas I have partaken in a little purchasing as I have never come across clothing like this in the UK.

The prices once converted are actually quite reasonable and I think cheaper than places like Topshop or Miss Selfridge. One of the downsides though is the shipping which is high, my last order for 3 items was $48.40 (£30.44) so if you do order bear in mind the shipping adds a lot on. The biggest downside is the import, VAT and handling fee (of whichever courier is delivering it) once the package has arrived in the UK. I won't even start on this as I have already spent many an hour voicing my thoughts on the thieving shits who put on these charges, extortionate to say the least. Plus, how can a courier put on a handling fee when their job is handling mail?! I will say it can be anywhere from £11 - £30ish so again, something to think about before ordering.

This is over about 3/4 orders (with another on the way!)

 

Alice in Wonderland skirt $18.38

I love this skirt, it fits nicely around the waist and is a good length, not too long! It has a white slip inside and the print is perfect for the style I like.

 



 

The Nightmare before Christmas skirt $16.88

Another of my favourite movies so how could I say no? This is a little loose around the waist but that's obviously my fault and nothing to do with the skirt. This looks really nice on with one of the long tank tops.

 Alice in Wonderland tea party tank top  & Alice in Wonderland spoon tank top both $15.38
These are so comfortable but the gaps at the sides are quite big so I've been wearing a bandeau underneath. These are quite long so a good top to wear with leggings.

 Alice in Wonderland dress $34.50 & Alice in Wonderland croquet jumper $24.38
This dress is lovely to wear, it fits so well around the top and then just sits nicely everywhere else. I've not worn a dress in this kind of style for quite a while so was pleasantly surprised when I found I really liked it on me. The jumper is quite thin so not really one for when it's cold but it fits nicely, not too baggy. Love love love.

The Walking Dead Daryl tank top $18.38 & The Nightmare Before Christmas Lock Shock And Barrel tank top $15.38
What can I say, I just had to buy this. My favourite walker killer, I got this to wear when lounging in bed. This fits nicely, not as big as the other tank tops and it's the closest I will ever get to going to bed with him ha! Another of the Nightmare Before Christmas collection I seem to have started accumulating, a nice one to wear with some leggings.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Leggings $18.55 (sold out) & Adventure Time Gunter leggings $19.88
I was really looking forward to these arriving but so disappointed when they did. The Jack ones are baggy around the thighs and bum and the Gunter ones are just massive! I can't believe they are an XS. I've put these in my draws as I'm not sure what to do with them, maybe one day I will fit into them *I say with no chance of this happening ever*

I have asked about sizes and it's a case of once a size or item is sold out they rarely get it back in. This is my justification for placing a lot of orders....why don't you come to the UK Hot Topic, why??!?!?!



                                                              Ciao

Empties #2

A few more items that I've gone through, not really that much considering the amount of products I have. I really do need to work on using more products before I run out of storage space!

Freederm Gel
Technically this isn't empty but it's out of date so it needed throwing out. This is my second tube of this, it was what I used before I found the Origins spot treatment. This gel works in basically the same way as the Origins one, put it over the spot and redness is reduced while it dries the spot out. I would say the Origins gel is a bit stronger in formula and I saw results a lot quicker with it so while the Freederm one is good it's not the best out there, for me at least. I won't be repurchasing this.
JASON Lips Bee Healthier
This is a lip balm with aloe and beeswax which I really enjoyed using. This is the second tube I've gone through and if I didn't already have a massive stock of lip balm I would repurchase. Very minty smell with a nice texture, some balms can be too slippery? Not sure that's the right word but I'm sure you know what I mean.
Eucerin Even Brighter
I have a lot of freckles on my face, I've had to accept that I can't really get rid of them but thought I would give this a go and I have been pleasantly surprised. I have noticed that a couple of the freckles I've been putting this on have faded quite a lot. I will do a separate review as I also have the moisturisers which I'm not sure on. This has already been repurchased to continue the fight against the freckles.

L'Oreal Micellar Solution
I got this to remove make up and to use after face masks just to make sure all of the mask is removed. Both cases it works really well, I don't wear waterproof mascara so not sure how well it works on that but in general this gets everything off. No more wipes for me!
Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant
An exciting empty I know. I got unperfumed as I don't see the point in scented when I'll be wearing a perfume anyway. I don't really sweat that much so I can't really put a deodorant to the test but this one suits me well enough.

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo
I've been growing my hair for about 5 years (on purpose that is, obviously it grows anyway) and have managed to get from just below shoulder to under boob and I still haven't reached my desired length. It seems to me my hair doesn't grow super quick so anything that can give it a kick would be very welcome. This shampoo did a good job of cleaning my hair and since using it I have noticed a bit more length but then who can tell if that's natural or the actual shampoo. I think in reality nothing can help with hair growth but there we go, I have another bottle to go through but I'm not sure if I'd repurchase.
Batiste Dry Shampoo
This smells very good but that is where my likings stop. This can leave white residue in the hair even if rubbed in properly. I have used other dry shampoos that have worked better, left no residue and just generally worked better in sorting out the hair. I'm currently using another Batiste as it was on offer, the volume one but once that's done I will be looking for a different brand.

Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Shower Gel
This smelt lovely and I really enjoyed using it but at £18 for full size I don't think I will be looking into buying it.
Balance Rescue Face Tonique
This I used after a face mask and sometimes in the evening after removing make up and I was feeling lazy...It felt really nice on the skin and lasted quite a while considering it was a small bottle.

I Love...Raspberry & Blackberry Shower Gel
All of the I Love...range smells lush although the scent doesn't stay on the skin for long. I found this quite a runny gel so a lot would slip straight out of my hand leaving me with not much to lather. For the price it is a good size but not one of the better washes I've used.


Now for the good bit, I finally get to throw all of these into the recycling and start again on filling up my empties box.

Ciao

Mail Samples





As the saying goes, it's the small things in life and it definitely is. I received this card from Philosophy through the mail a week or so ago and sadly it did make me happy that I had got 2 small samples from them. Now I don't know why more companies don't do this as samples as a major decider for a lot of people on if they will go on to buy a product or not.

 

 

There were 2 samples, hope in a jar day and hope in a jar night moisturiser. Everyone likes something for free right?

 

 

There was also a discount for £15 off and free P&P on your next order although you did have to spend £60 for this to apply. It does annoy me a bit when companies give you a discount but you still have to spend quite a high amount to use it. I use the past tense did as the date for this code was October 21st to November 10th so...yeah had this laying around for a while!

 

I know in the beauty boxes I get I've received samples like this and I've paid £10 plus P&P to receive them! If more companies did this it would then be redundant for beauty boxes to include the sachet samples and in place maybe a reasonable sized sample.

Come on companies, get the mail samples coming, everyone likes a free treat.

 

Ciao