As I get older I always say to family & friends “let’s not do gifts this year lets just get together and enjoy a meal and a few drinks”. I especially love Christmas for giving us so many excuses to spend time together and it makes me so grateful for all the amazing people I have in my life. That being said it is nice to have something under the tree to open on Christmas morning even if it just one lovely gift, and my husband always gets the most thoughtful presents for me. I like to ask for something special, something I don’t often buy myself and for me that is perfume.
A fragrance for me is such a treat and that’s what makes it the perfect gift to both give and receive. There are so many incredible scents and this year I wanted to add back to my collection a scent that I used to wear a lot a few years ago. We all have that one perfume which never gets old and that for me is Marc Jacobs Daisy. It is such an iconic scent and the bottle is instantly recognisable with the cap adorned with pretty daisies, I haven’t owned it for so long but I’m thrilled to have it for 2018.
It is beautiful, timeless fragrance and one that can be worn by all ages. It is such a mix of fruity, floral and fresh notes that it never smells overpowering of too intense. It reminds me of so many happy moments, birthdays, holidays and getting my job at RBS. It has been a favourite of mine for so long and it was my Mum that first introduced me to it and she still wears it too, so we have the same great taste in perfume.
Top notes of wild berries and soft white violets
Heart notes of velvety jasmine
Base notes of sandalwood
What perfume would you love to receive this Christmas? do you have your heart set on a new release or a classic, iconic scent?
As many of you know I’m a big fan of Jurlique skincare. So I was thrilled when they asked me to be a part of their #12DaysofGlow campaign, which also Involves some of my favourite bloggers including Pixiwoo and Tales of a Pale Face to name a few. I’m day 9, if you want to see the other reviews click this link #12DaysofGlow (after you have read mine of course).
Being in my late 30’s the lovely skincare experts at Jurlique matched me up to their limited edition Purely Age Defying Gift Set* whichis one of theirskincare ranges aimed at people 35+, it targets the first visible signs of ageing. Its skincare that helps promote the regeneration of Elastin, Collagen and New Skin Cells, to keep your skin glowing and looking wonderful.
Before I talk about the products themselves I have to acknowledge the packaging for the Jurlique Gift Sets, they look luxurious and utterly beautiful. The gift set has a lovely festive red sleeve that slips off to reveal a beautiful gift box. The box is wood effect & is of great quality, its a box that you will be able to reuse and keep your treasures in. I know I will be keeping mine, its too pretty not too.
Inside you get 3 full size products from the Purely Age-Defying Range. So it is a great introduction to the range.
This is a luxurious feeling face cream, it comes in a beautiful white frosted glass jar with a contrasting black lid. The cream feels quite thick but it doesn’t sit heavy on the skin, when you first apply it to your face and neck it feels a little greasy but give it a minute and your skin will have absorbed it to leave you with a velvety soft finish. Its so nourishing and instantly smoothing. It contains powerful natural ingredients such as,
Yeast Extract helps to promote collagen synthesis and acts as a tissue restructuring and repair agent. Amino Acid Lipid Complex promotes skin remodeling and contraction of collagen fibers. Rock Samphire Extract supports skin density while reducing the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles. Beech Tree Bud Extract accelerates the production of fresh new cells.
So your skin will feel the benefit of all those wonderful powerful ingredients working to increase skin firmness, skin tone and hydration levels. After using this for almost 5 weeks I have noticed my skin is plumper, smoother and brighter. The thing you will notice almost straight away is that your skin looks smoother, thats why I think it makes the perfect base for foundation. It helps give you that flawless base.
This eye cream is a little thicker than the face cream but is just as easy to massage in, I do like to use this at night as when I do I wake up with almost no puffiness around my eyes, the skin looks less dehydrated and that means my fine lines are on the decrease! That makes me very happy. I do suffer from fine lines when my under eyes are dehydrated and having an eye cream that helps combat that means my concealer sinks into my lines less & my eyes show less signs of fatigue.
This eye cream is formulated with Blue Algae Extract and Baobab Fruit Pulp Extract which increases skin firmness to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Jurlique’s renowned Eyebright Extract is blended with Arnica to reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles whilst Vitamin C protects the delicate skin from environmental aggressors.
I would say if you have very sensitive eyes this may irritate them, as it has quite a noticeable herbal scent, its been fine for me and I’ve experienced no stinging or irritation, just something to note if you’re normally sensitive to fragranced skincare around your eyes.
Now this is the jewel in the crown for me, I love the other two products in this set & think they work well together but I’m just in love this the Face Oil. I love how little product you need and how soft it leaves my skin feeling. In the evening I can’t wait to cleanse my makeup off just so I can put this on and let it work its magic (although its not magic its science). In the morning my skin is looking its best (thats how best I can describe it). This oil is the key to a great skin day.
Like the other products in this range it contains powerful natural ingredients,
Jurlique’s Age Repair Biodynamic+ Blend helps to deeply replenish the skin and improve the skin tone whilst diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Purely Age Defying Firming Face Oil is also infused with a trio of potent anti-ageing ingredients; Blackcurrant Seed Oil helps to improve elasticity and firmness, Buriti Oil reduces fine lines and wrinkles and Rock Samphire Extract helps to support collagen synthesis and promotes a firmer complexion.
I love using face oils but this has worked its way to the top of the tree & I have been singing its praises for the past month. Although the visible results speak for themselves, I have had quite a few people say my skin is looking good & I have been putting it down to this range & in particular this oil. Its love.
This set would be an ideal gift for anyone 35+ who’s concerned about the first signs of ageing, or anyone that is looking for products that will keep their skin hydrated and improve both skin tone and hydration. This Purely Age-Defying Favourites Gift Set is £90 and available online here.
Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.
I am feeling extra festive this year, which is quite unlike me (normally a Bah Humbug). These Bath & Body Works Christmas Hand Sanitisers are fuelling my festive feelings. They all smell incredible. My brother kindly braved B&BW in New York & I think he did well picking me out some Christmas scents.
They have such a huge selection & I have always wanted to try the festive ones. The five I have are,
Ginger Snap – This smells like warm ginger tea both spicy and festive. I love it & it smells good enough to eat. It’s a spicy scent and this has become a firm favourite already. I think this was a Halloween release but it smells quite festive to me.
Winter Citrus Wreath – This smells a little more grown up & less sweet than many of the others. Its warm citrus scent is uplifting and very festive.
Pink Prancer Sugared Strawberries – This is a blend of sugary sweet strawberries and apricot. The only downside is this has glitter & that does come off on your hands. So this might be better suited to teens. I’m going to pass this one on to my niece, she will love it. It smells quite strongly of strawberry, it’s a sweet scent and would be perfect if there wasn’t any glitter. Also, it’s not a very festive scent.
Merry Cookie -A warm scent of buttery sugar cookies with a touch of vanilla bourbon-flavoured frosting. Sweet & festive this smells like baking cookies. I can’t get enough of this, it smells SO sweet & delicious.
Vanilla Bean Noel–Vanilla, warm caramel and rich comforting cream. To me, this smells almost identical to Merry Cookie & that, not a bad thing. Its sweet & the scent of vanilla is strong. It reminds me of icing on cakes.
There are so many more scents I want to try & really hope one day soon the UK gets its very own Bath & Body Works. Let me know what your favourite scents are.
This Festive Season Origins are proud to be stepping up their commitment to the environment and during this period of high waste they have decreased their use of paper and cartons in all of their Christmas packaging and have created more sustainable Christmas packaging. Its nice to see a global brand reaffirming their commitment to the environment & making it a priority. As always their beautiful gift boxes can be reused & repurposed, so if you’re crafty I’m sure you can think of many uses for them.
Origins are a brand I really like and have used their products for many years, I thought I would do a round up of my favourite Origins Christmas Stocking Fillers & Gift Sets. These eight gifts are the ones that caught my eye.
1.Go Ginger £22. – This is the perfect Winter Scented Gift Set, you get 3 ginger treats including, Ginger Souffle Whipped body cream 50m, Incredible Spreadable Smoothing Ginger body scrub 50m, Ginger Burst Savory body wash 50ml. This is a great affordable set & would be ideal for an indulgent treat for any loved one.
2. Let Us Glow £30 – This set comes in a pretty makeup bag & contains everything you’d need to keep your skin glowing and energised this Christmas. You get 4 products including, – GinZing Brightening mascara 14ml, GinZing Energy-boosting moisturizer 30ml, GinZing Refreshing eye cream 5ml, Drink Up Hydrating lip balm and Berry Splash 7ml.
3. Masks To Go £8 – This set of four travel sized Clear Improvements Charcoal Masks. What a fab stocking filler or if you’re travelling this Christmas perfect for taking with you & keeping your skin looking clear & party ready.
4. Souffle Trio £30 – This set of three pampering body souflees will keep your skin super soft during the colder Winter months. This set contains Ginger Souffle Whipped body cream 125m, Gloomaway Grapefruit body souffle 125m and Calm To Your Senses Lavender and Vanilla body souffle 125ml. This set is an online exclusive.
5. Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Set £60 – This is my favourite range from Origins, its calming and hydrating and its an absolute skin saviour. This is an excellent value set and it contains 4 products & a lovely makeup bag. Full size Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Advanced Face Serum 50ml, Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Face Cleanser 50ml, Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Treatment Lotion 50ml, Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream 30ml.
6. Christmas Bauble £12 – Every year Origins bring out their popular Festive Bauble & it sells out so quickly This is a Selfridges Exclusive & it contains 5 mini best selling products.
7. Super Star Minis £35 – A great mini indulgent set that contains 7 of Origins best selling skincare products. Including GinZing Energy-boosting moisturizer 30ml, Make A Difference Rejuvenating hand treatment 15ml and Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores 15ml.
8. Moisture and Be Merry £40.00 – This Make a Difference Set is such great value & its a very popular range at Origins. This set comes with a makeup bag and 4 Make a Difference products including, Make A Difference Plus+ Skin Rejuvenating treatment 50ml, Make A Difference Plus+ Skin Rejuvenating serum 15ml, Make A Difference Rejuvenating cleansing milk 50ml and Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating treatment lotion 50ml.
These are just eight of my picks from the Origins Christmas selection, they have many more available and they’re all great value. Quite a few are limited edition so if you want to buy them as gifts, or even as a gift for yourself make sure you’re quick.
