Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 19 December 2016

Last Minute Beauty Lovers Christmas Gift Guide

christmas gift guide 2016 ft smashbox charlotte tilbury pixi ouai emma hardie bee good

It’s nearly Christmas, woohoo! I for one am counting down the days to getting off work and relaxing for a couple of weeks! I thought I’d put together a quick gift guide today for anyone who still has some last minute shopping or ordering to do! Heads up though – I’m a little last minute too so some of these sets are out of stock but there are a lot similar available!

Smashbox Light it Up LA Lights Blush Mega palette lipstick and mattifier set review

Makeup

Smashbox Light it Up: Lipstick and Mattifier Set £25 and Smashbox Light it Up: LA Lights Blush Mega Palette £39

I've got a whole review on these two limited edition sets here but in short, I absolutely love them and they are perfect for anyone looking to start or expand their makeup collection! Both sets are beautiful quality and contain enough shades for everyone to do their makeup for the next year! I have to say I particularly love the blush palette and have been neglecting my other blushes since I got it and while I love the lipstick set too there are other longer lasting lipsticks on the market but for such a wide range of shades (doubled with the mattifier!) it’s a great price!

Smashbox Light it Up LA Lights Blush Mega palette lipstick and mattifier set review christmas 2016

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Liv it Up £23

I think a luxe lipstick is a perfect Christmas gift – it’s not something you buy yourself every day and it’s that bit more special when you use it! This is my second CT lipstick and I absolutely love the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. formula! There are so many shades to choose from and I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be happy to see one of these under the tree! Unlike the Smashbox lipsticks, these are super long lasting!

emma hardie amazing face starter kit moringa cleansing balm

Skincare

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Starter Kit £25

I picked this up for my mum for Christmas from Cult Beauty but Emma Hardie is available in loads of stores now! My mum loves this cleanser but uses it sparingly as it’s expensive so I thought I’d get her this set so she can try the face cream too! I've also noticed they have changed the lid to a sturdier one now – I always used to split the old plastic one so I’m glad to see this!

pixi gift of glow tonic mud cleanser rose oil blend

Pixi Gift of Glow £30

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this set on Marks & Spencer a few weeks ago and still can’t believe it was only £30! It is ridiculously good value for some cult Pixi favourites! I absolutely love the Glow Tonic and Glow Mud Cleanser already so I am glad to have backups. I have also been meaning to try the Rose Oil Blend for ages and so far so good, it’s a lot lighter than something like the Trilogy Rosehip oil but is lovely all the same! I haven’t tried the wipes yet and I don’t use wipes that often anyway but do like to have some to hand so they will come in useful!

This would make an amazing starter set for someone looking to get into skincare but because I am so unorganised it’s out of stock L Pixi have a few other sets on Cult Beauty and Marks and Spencer but I also think any of their single items would be a gorgeous present as the products are such high quality and so effective!

Haircare

OUAI Volume Kit £40

I fell in love with the OUAI haircare range earlier this year when I was sent the repair range as well as some styling products and as I’m nearly out of the shampoo I though I would treat myself to one of these holiday kits. Never did I think I would be so “into” a haircare range but I am completely in love with OUAI and its scent! They do these sets in a few different styles so as well as Volume there is Repair and Curl but be quick as most are out of stock (sorry)! OUAI is available from Cult Beauty, Space NK, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges as well as others!

bee good hand and lip treat christmas 2016

Stocking Fillers

Bee Good Hand and Lip Treats £10

I've never tried this brand myself before but I've read good reviews and picked up a couple of these sets in the Black Friday sales from Look Fantastic for a few of my aunts. It contains a good size hand cream and lip balm and I think it’s a lovely little treat for someone and I know I always like to have both of these types of products in my handbag so think they make a nice little gift or stocking filler!

So there we have the world’s worst gift guide where almost everything is out of stock! None the less, if you do still have some gifts to get I hope you got some inspiration! I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and I'll be back with another post on Boxing Day!

What have you got on your Christmas list this year?

Danielle xx

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Managing Winter Skin with Eucerin

eucerin urea range review dry skin lotion foot cream body wash face cream aquaphor balm

Although it may not be the most luxurious of skin and bodycare products, Eucerin has a special place in my routine for when my skin is feeling dry and sensitive or I've taken a reaction to another product! It’s a brand I trust completely and I’m excited to share the dry skin range today!

Generally, I wouldn’t describe my skin as dry but in winter that all changes and my usually normal skin can become irritated and dehydrated as well as itchy and uncomfortable. That’s where Eucerin’s Urea Range comes in. Put simply, Urea is a waste product (see what I mean when I say it’s not luxurious!) that is produced naturally and it works very well to rehydrate the skin including skin that’s prone to eczema, psoriasis and other dry skin conditions. See more about the range here!

Eucerin UreaRepair Plus 5% Urea Replenishing Body Wash*

I usually go for more scented body wash products in the shower but this has been lovely to use on days my skin is feeling dry or itchy. I thought it was going to be a thick cream but it’s a clear gel like consistency that doesn’t lather up too much but leaves my skin feeling soft and calm. Fragrance and soap free, its mild enough for daily use

Eucerin Dry Skin Complete Repair Intensive Lotion 10% Urea and Aquaporin Technology RRP £13.50*

This is one of my favourite body care products ever and I’ve featured the older version here!

This is a product I always have a backup of because it’s so effective so I was excited to try the newest version which is just as good! A couple of times a year (usually extreme Winter and Summer) I randomly get itchy legs – I have no idea what causes it and it will last for a few weeks and then go away for months again. When it happens though it is the most annoying feeling and I have scratched myself raw in the past because nothing will work on it. That was until I started using the Eucerin lotion! It works straight away to calm my legs down as well as moisturising them and it is such a feeling of relief not to want to scratch them constantly! It's long lasting too, so if I apply in the morning I generally won't feel the need to reapply until I go to bed! The new version is just as great; it maybe feels a tiny bit thicker which I don’t mind as the original was very runny. Overall, if you can’t already tell, I love this product and it’s definitely my secret weapon against winter skin!

eucerin dry skin intensive lotion urea review

Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream 5% Urea with Lactate RRP £11.50*

This has been a bit of a revelation to me as though I’ve tried Eucerin moisturisers (the pots) in the past; I generally find them too rich for my skin for use in the morning. This face cream feels a lot more lightweight meaning its perfect for me in the morning and for use under my makeup. It absorbs quickly but leaves a very slight tack to the skin so I don’t feel the need to put primer over the top. This keeps my face feeling hydrated all day long and I can see myself still turning to it even when my skin goes back to its full on oiliness (its more normal at the minute)!

Eucerin UreaRepair Plus 10% Urea Footcream RRP £11.50*

This cream is very easy to rub in and sinks in quickly though I do still like to put it on at night and leave bed socks on to keep moisture in! It’s nicely hydrating and has left my heels feeling lovely and soft. It will probably get more of a test in the summer though as that’s when my feet tend to get a lot drier and cracked but I have no doubts about its ability on very dry feet!

Eucerin Aquaphor Smoothing Skin Balm RRP £9*

This is probably my least favourite of the products I was sent only for the reason it’s one that doesn’t completely sink in! It feels a bit like Vaseline in a tube and comes out as a thick balm. This is recommended for very dry or cracked skin and I have been using it mainly on my elbows where it does a great job of softening them. I don’t like the fact it transfers though and can get on my bed clothes so it’s definitely one I’m a little more careful with! I feel like this tube will last ages as a little goes a long way and if you have particularly dry skin and want something that creates a protective barrier I think you will love this!

So those are my thoughts on the Dry Skin range from Eucerin! It gets a big thumbs up from me and I think the price point is just right – although you will always get Eucerin cheaper because it falls under the French pharmacy offers as well as 3 for 2’s at most of the major retailers it’s sold at like Boots, Superdrug, Feel Unique, Escentual and Look Fantastic as well as independent chemists!

What do you think of Eucerin? Have you tried anything from the brand before?

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

Danielle xx

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Forever Repurchased #3

forever repurchased nivea eye makeup remover vichy aqualia thermal serum estee lauder double wear blistex relief cream niod copper amino isolate serum review

Do you ever start a series on your blog only to completely forget about it and leave a year between post numbers #2 and #3? Yep, well today I’d like to welcome back Forever Repurchased to the blog! Much like my empties (which I’m very good at keeping up with even if I do say so myself) there will probably be a few products here you’ve heard me rave about before and at least one I have mentioned in previous posts in this series (see 1 here and 2 here)!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup in Desert Beige

If I could only keep one item of makeup, this would be it. It is the only foundation I fully trust to last on my skin all day and not only that, this actually looks as good if not better at the end of the day as it does at the start! Usually a steep £31, I managed to get this in the Black Friday sales on Lookfantastic.com for around £24. My favourite way to apply is with a Beauty Blender as I find it easiest to blend like this and be aware that this foundation does set fast. It’s the fullest coverage foundation I own and although I went on somewhat of a foundation finding spree this year, I have no idea why I bothered when I already had the perfect foundation all along. If you have oily skin and want full coverage, get a tester of this, it’s amazing!

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

Another old favourite that I treated myself to a backup of during the Black Friday sales! This is my favourite serum – its lightweight, hydrating, soothing and just a dream to apply. My skin drinks this up and a bottle lasts me a good length of time. It does seem to keep creeping up in price though but thankfully it’s continually on offer through French pharmacy promotions on websites like Escentual.com and Boots! One thing I have noticed with this is they have changed the pump to a white one instead of the nice silver one they used to have which I thought looked a little more luxe! Oh well, as long as the product inside is the same we’ll be OK!

nivea daily essentials eye makeup remover reveiw

Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover

As a waterproof mascara wearer, oil based/two-phase eye makeup removers are my go to. I last featured the Garnier 2 in 1 Express eye makeup remover in a forever repurchased post and while I still love that one, when the Nivea is only £1.75 in Superdrug you pick up a couple to keep you going! This does a great job of removing my eye makeup quickly and gently, it just seems to melt it off and I don’t have to rub too hard or tug on my lashes. If you haven’t tired this before and struggle getting your eye makeup off you need to give this a go!

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1%

I featured this quite recently in my last empties post and I looked out for it during Black Friday but it seemed to be excluded from promotions unfortunately. I gave up getting it until a Deciem email popped into my inbox with some offers on the NIOD and Hylamide bundles, so yours truly saw this as a sign and snapped them up! The product comes with two little bottles and you pour one into the other then shake to make the serum which is a watery blue liquid that sinks in quickly. I haven’t got round to opening this just yet as it only came on Friday but my skin lapped my last bottle up. The serum is meant to work positively on the skins overall health so it’s in a constant state of repair and concentrates on texture, pigmentation, enlarged pores and more. I used this once a day (to make it last for as long as possible – it’s only a 15ml bottle!) and my skin always felt so smooth after use. All the time I was using it my skin was clearer and breakouts were much less frequent! I’m so glad to have it back and get it into my routine again and I would kill to get my hands on the 5% version of this stuff but at £130 it’s a little way off!

Blistex Relief Cream

As a lip balm addict I probably exacerbate my dry lips but last month they were on another level! My lips have never felt like how they did even when I was on Roaccutane. They were chapped, constantly flaking and I felt like I had 5 layers of skin on top of them – not a good look. None of my usual lip balms were doing anything for them so I took to Twitter for some suggestions! Caroline recommended Blistex to me and it was then that I remembered the Relief Cream that I used years ago. The next day I went to Boots and got myself a new tube and like it says on the tin, all I felt was relief. I cannot explain to you how amazing this stuff is if you suffer with dry/cracked lips, it is literally a miracle worker! My lips were back to normal within minutes!

It comes in a little metal tube which you have to be a little careful with as once you squeeze it more will keep coming out! It's a small price to pay for such a hero product though and I won't be without this little tube ever again!

So those are my most recent repurchases! Let me know if any of these are favourites of yours!

Danielle xx

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Smashbox Light it Up Christmas Sets – Lipsticks and Blush

Blush and lipstick are kinda my thing so when spotted these on Instagram I knew they would have to be mine! I love Smashbox eyeshadows and their contour powder but haven’t tried anything from their lipstick range or the blushes so these two sets are perfect to try the formula out or just add to your collection!

They have collaborated with California neon artist Meryl Pataky to bring these limited edition sets out and each is housed in a neon plastic container. I originally thought this was a drawer but it’s a container with a lid that's really hard wearing and bright and perfect for makeup storage! You can see the Neon packaging a little better in this Instagram photo!

Smashbox Light it Up lipstick and mattifier set review christmas 2016

Smashbox Light it Up: Lipstick and Mattifier Set £25

I actually first saw this while I was having my yearly flick though the Boots Christmas book and swiftly added it to my list then got it for my birthday a few weeks ago! I've wanted to try the Be Legendary lipsticks for ages now but a full size is £17.50 and I wasn’t completely sure what shade I wanted so this seemed like the perfect way to try the formula and a few different shades! I also think its great value – a full size lipstick is 3g but there are 6 minis in this set at 2.4g each as well as a Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer. The 6 shades included are all in the cream formulation and the shades are Famous (a nude), Primrose (a perfect pinky nude daily type shade for me), Fig (a plum great for this time of year), Legendary (a bright red), Tabloid (a purple) and Inspiration (a bright pink).

Smashbox Light it Up lipstick and mattifier set be legendary famous fig primrose swatches

Smashbox Be Legendary crema lipsticks in Famous, Fig and Primrose

I’ve only tried half of the shades as the last three I mentioned aren’t shades I go for normally and I might actually just sell them but I’m really enjoying the three I have been wearing, especially Primrose! I have found that these creams aren’t as long lasting as say the Charlotte Tilbury KISSING lipsticks which is a little disappointing as the full size are still quite a high price point but overall I do really like them. They feel very moisturising and give a good amount of pigment. Plus the addition of the Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer to put over the top giving you a velvety matte finish is a nice touch although the matte does still transfer a little!

Smashbox Light it Up: LA Lights Blush Mega Palette £39

I tried and I tried to resist this palette but when a 15% off email fell into my inbox I gave in and boy am I glad I did! First off, I love the matte black plastic packaging with the red edging and the huge mirror inside. The closure is not the most secure – it’s not magnetic and doesn’t snap but I still think it would be safe enough to travel with. Inside are 9 pans of blush, bronzer and highlight – 6 mattes and 3 shimmers. The top row sticks to coral shades and the second row covers berry shades then down the way are the rich shades, true shades and the right hand side of the palette is the highlight side.

Smashbox Light it Up LA Lights Blush Mega palette review

I have been using this nonstop since I got it and I love it! Matte blushes are my favourite so they have been in constant rotation. The palette is classed as a blush, contour and highlight palette and I think Rich Bronze is just a tad warm to straight up contour with but it’s lovely to warm up the face. As usual, I haven’t used the highlighters much but they are very subtle and would do great as a bush topper if you wanted something on top of the matte blush!

All the blushes have the perfect amount of pigmentation and are easy to build up and they last all day on my skin. I think this palette is exclusive to the Smashbox website as it’s not on Boots and like I said they always have great offers on if you did want to treat yourself!

Overall, I think these are two perfect gift sets for anyone looking to expand or add to their lipstick or blush collection and I’m so happy to have them in my own collection! Have you tried anything from Smashbox before? What makeup sets have you got your eye on this Christmas?

Danielle xx

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Danielle's Beauty Blog

Monday, 19 December 2016

Last Minute Beauty Lovers Christmas Gift Guide

Monday, 12 December 2016

Managing Winter Skin with Eucerin

Monday, 5 December 2016

Forever Repurchased #3

Monday, 28 November 2016

Smashbox Light it Up Christmas Sets – Lipsticks and Blush