Danielle's Beauty Blog

Morning all! I thought today I would do a run-down of my favourite Christmas beauty sets and products for this year! Now I’m not going to lie, these are all for moi. With my birthday in November and obviously Christmas in December along with some Black Friday sales, I have taken “treat yo self” to a whole new level (actually probably just the same level as every other year lol). I don’t get beauty presents from my family especially my mum as apparently I already have enough (no idea where she gets that impression…) so I like to pick up a few things for myself as you will see here and I’ve kindly been sent a few too so hopefully if you have any last minute gift giving to do you will get some ideas! 

First up, the Rituals Ritual of Sakura Renewing Ritual set and this is actually one I gifted to my aunt last year! I have only tried the shower foam before but have went through a few bottles of it so thought I would grab this bigger set when it was on offer as I really like the scent, it’s lightweight and non-offensive and the products are so luxurious! Sticking with bodycare, I couldn’t resist the OUAI Melrose Place bodycare set. I am completely in love with this scent and have almost made my way through the full size perfume. It’s the same scent as the scalp and body scrub and it’s all I wear these days so it was a no brainer to get the matching body cream! Another one perfect for someone who enjoys their scents! I was also recently sent the Dermalogica Body Glow To Go* which is a mini roll on of their phyto replenish body oil. It’s a blend of antioxidant rich and nourishing skin oils and has a really lovely subtle citrus scent. The roll on makes it so easy to apply and the oil sinks in so quickly and feels beautiful, I think it’s the perfect gift to encourage some pampering! 

I’ve been loving my Lanolips 101 ointment recently and my mum is a big fan of their Everywhere Multi Cream so I thought I would grab this Lanolips Winter Skin Essentials set to try a bit more from the brand. I haven’t given them a go yet but they are great sizes and whose skin doesn’t need some extra TLC in the winter? For the last few years I have also taken the opportunity to stock up on my beloved Dr Jart Ceramidin cream with the All Thanks to Cera set! This is probably my favourite face moisturiser out of all the ones I have tried and I talked about it a bit more here but again I think if you know anyone struggling with dry winter skin this would be a lifesaver! 

Last year I got the Olaplex Holiday Hair Fix Set (big red bow – you know the one!) and whilst I enjoyed it, No 3 is where it’s at for me. When I saw they were releasing a companion primer in the form of Olaplex No 0 I treated myself to the Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment Kit to make sure my hair gets the attention it needs! I’ve only used it a few times but so far so good and if you know anyone with damaged hair either of these would make the perfect gift! I am obsessed with my silk pillowcases but I’ve only got a couple and whilst I could sleep on  a “normal” pillowcase while they are in the wash I don’t want to! The Kitsch Satin Pillowcase is a lot more affordable than silk so I am excited to see if they feel just as cooling and leave me with frizz free hair and hopefully less wrinkles too! I got a Slip silk scrunchie quite a few months back in a GWP with Cult Beauty and I became obsessed. I don’t ever want to use another bobble ever again so I snagged this cute Slip Scrunchie Bauble to ensure I don’t have to! It comes in and out of stock all the time but is well worth looking out for and if buying as a gift, you could split the four scrunchies up and gift to multiple people! One of my friends also bought a set a few months ago after hearing me talk so much about how much I love mine and she is a big fan too!

Another beauty tool I was excited to receive was the Tweezerman Winter Wonderland Micro Mini Tweezer Set*! As a huge fan of Tweezerman (I’ve had my OG pair for over five years – check out this post from the archives!) I was excited to see their Christmas sets of which they have nine for this year! This Winter Wonderland set is perfect for on the go and I am excited to finally have a pair of the pointed tweezers for stubborn, fine hair! They are just as good as the full size and pull from the root! I am a sucker for a practical present and these are just that but super cute too! They would make the best stocking filler! Around Black Friday, I like to do my yearly stock up of Beautyblenders as the price for one of these could make your eyes water. They are however my favourite foundation application tool and I can’t be without one. I think they are 100% worth the investment especially if you look after them as they can last a long time. I do like to snag them when there is a discount though and I thought I’d go ahead and pick up the three pack Rosie Posie set this year in these cute colours! My mum is a big fan of Beautyblender too and I’ve picked her up a different set for Christmas! 

Lastly, I decided I would finally buy a full size Becca Backlight Priming Filter Value Kit. I always seem to have this in my makeup stash and have been through about 3 or 4 minis over the years as it’s a regular in GWP’s and I really like it! When my skin was oily it never made it look greasy but always gave it a little somthin’ somethin’ as I do love a matte foundation and they can tend to look a little flat and I am hoping it will work its magic now my skin is a lot drier than normal! I love that it’s got a mini in there too so I will see if I can find a new home for that too!

I hope that’s given you some inspiration if you are doing any last minute shopping for a beauty obsessed individual! I could write posts and posts about the gift sets out this year and I just love seeing what brands come up with! Saying that though, I will be glad when the madness of Christmas calms down and I can get back on my try not to buy as I find it so hard at this time of year with so much temptation! Do you have any beauty products or gift sets on your Christmas list? Let me know which ones! 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here. 

Danielle xx

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Morning all! I have a new empties post today that is heavy on the skincare! I’ve been on a mission to finish up both my copious amount of minis but also my more acid based skincare as I started Roaccutane last week so can’t use it anymore as my skin is so dry and sensitive! I’ve split my skincare empties into cleansers and then a bit of everything else and I have also linked where possible to previous reviews! You can click on them if you fancy reading a bit more detail on any of the products as I try to keep my empties reviews as short as possible as there are always so many to get through! 

Haircare

TRESemme Day 2 Volumising Dry Shampoo

This has a fresh, light scent and leaves no white cast but it’s not very volumizing. Basically not the worst dry shampoo I’ve tried but not the best either, so not too bad if you can get it on offer!

Briogeo Be Gentle Be Kind Avocado + Kiwi mega moisture superfood mask 

A nice mask that made my hair super soft. It smells like sweets but I not a repurchase for me as I only got two uses out of it and the full size is £30, would rather spend that on Olaplex! 

Bodycare

Nivea Soft

One of my favourite body moisturisers! Sinks in quickly, hydrating and smells so fresh and clean, always on offer and a tub lasts ages! Forever repurchased! 

Nivea Hand Cream smooth care 

Another favourite! Can’t go wrong with this hand cream! It’s lightweight, hydrating, sinks in quickly and like all Nivea products, smells fresh and clean! Will repurchase when I finish a few other hand creams up! 

Skincare

Cleansers 

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser 

I sound like a broken record now but this is another favourite! I have lost count of how many of these tubes I have gone through but it’s a lovely, gentle exfoliating cleanser with glycolic acid but it’s never stripping due to the addition of oils and hyaluronic acid! Couldn’t recommend more but I won’t be repurchasing until I finish my course of Roaccutane! 

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser 

This contains cherry, lemon and aloe juices as well as retinyl patmitate but I was left a bit underwhelmed (similar to how I felt about their serum). It has a watery gel texture and doesn’t foam up too much, leaves my skin feeling mattifed but maybe a touch dryer than other cleansers. I’m probably being a bit hard on this as it claims to clear blemishes and I didn’t notice much but shortly after finishing I did go on Roaccutane lol but not a repurchase for me! 

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

Really lovely lightweight, balancing, non-drying cleanser. I have used up a few sample sizes of this but never bought the full size however I am contemplating it now as my skin is much more sensitive and dryer than it usually is! 

Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser 

A nourishing, calming and non-stripping cleanser that I can’t seem to on any UK websites now so it may have been discontinued but another one that would have been good for my skin right now! 

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser 

Another mini I didn’t appreciate at the time! This is a gentle, creamy, hydrating cleanser and I confess I sometimes find these scent free products boring but right now it is what my skin is crying out for so another I will be thinking about repurchasing soon! 

Emma Hardie Moringa Light Cleansing Gel

The balm is a constant in my routine and this smells just as beautiful and felt very hydrating – in my full review I said I preferred using this at night due to the leftover oils after rinsing but guess what? I want to try it again too for my morning routine haha so yes will be considering a repurchase! 

Ven Effect Pore Minimising Cleanser 

This was a nice gel cleanser that left my skin feeling balanced, smooth and mattified. Would consider a repurchase in the future as it was better suited to my oily skin! 

Elemis Pro Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm

Can’t say I was a huge fan of this even though I wanted to be as it is so hyped! To me it felt like applying melted toffee to my face and my eyes were pretty sensitive to it too though it did remove makeup well. Wouldn’t repurchase! 

Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser 

I was surprised at how much I did like this one considering everything else I have tried from the brand has fallen short of expectations. This melts into skin easily to remove makeup and my eyes weren’t sensitive to it! I wouldn’t repurchase though as there are other balms I prefer and I don’t love this brands attitude! 

And the rest!

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

A really great budget azelaic acid, it targets the texture of blemishes and has brightening properties. I really want to try the Paula’s Choice version of this but it’s always out of stock so I picked up the Garden of Wisdom version to try but would repurchase this one again in the future! 

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1 

Quite possibly my favourite skincare product of all time and one that has been a constant in my skincare arsenal for over 4 years now! I am so mad at myself for not using this consistently when I first got it, I had so many serums on the go this one got forgotten about but honestly in the last month when I was using it consistently my skin just looked and felt so much better! There is a whole lot of science behind this but basically it’s an amazing product for the overall health of your skin targeting skin aging, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance. I plan to repurchase once I see what Deciem are doing for Black Friday! 

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil 

My favourite facial oil! I have gone through so many bottles of this and it is so good for nourishing skin and keeping it hydrated and smooth! Will repurchase once I finish up my current oils! 

Garden of Wisdom Hyaluronic Acid Serum 

Absolutely loved this hyaluronic acid! I am so picky over formulas and this one ticks all the boxes - lightweight gel, spreads easily, hydrates, affordable! A little goes a long way and I will repurchase this soon! 

Disciple Dreamy Skin

Another beautiful facial oil containing rosehip oil and retinyl palmitate. It's hydrating, reduces fine lines and helps with pigmentation. Highly recommend and will repurchase in the future! 

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 

I’ve had this for longer than I care to remember and finally got round to using it consistently and I really liked it! Skin felt firmer, hydrated and more even! Very pricey though so not a repurchase for me until I win the lottery! 

Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel 

I found this a bit gimmicky and used it on the backs of my arms. It’s a gel that once rubbed in feels like its pilling so it’s a fun formula and feels gentle but I just prefer other exfoliants so wouldn’t repurchase! 

Sukin Original Hydrating Mist Toner 

This is a lovely little mist – it’s cooling and soothing and very affordable! Will repurchase! 

Dr Dennis Gross Stress Repair Face Cream 

I absolutely loved this face cream! It felt calming and hydrating and also contains one of my favourite ingredients – niacinamide! My skin always felt plump and looked brighter after use! Would repurchase even though its pricey! 

Makeup 

Revlon Colourstay for Combination/Oily Skin in shade Buff 

You know the score with this one! Good, affordable, full coverage foundation that lasts well on my oily skin! Have already repurchased in the dry skin version! 

NYX Matte Finish setting spray 

This was a nice spray that didn’t leave any dreaded “white spots” behind. I think it helped mattify in the morning when I sprayed it but it didn’t last throughout the day. Saying that though I would buy again if on offer to give it a better try! 

Collection Primed + Ready Invisible Setting Powder 

Absolutely loved this powder! It’s finely milled, mattifying and didn’t cling to dry patches, It’s also £3.99 and always on offer! Will repurchase! 

Beautyblender

The best founcation applicator there is and the only one that gives me a streak free, even finish! Worth the money and I already have a back up J

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel 

This mini lasted me ages! Keeps my brows in place nicely but I would say it’s a little crispy to the touch but nothing you would notice to look at! Already have a backup of this! 

Have you tried any of these products before Let me know your thoughts on them! 

Danielle xx

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