CHRISTMAS BEAUTY: GIFTS FOR HER

This year will be the first year that I'm dedicating Christmas features purely for online, and its causing me issues. Why? Well in the press you have to narrow it down for a word count and so I tend to pick just my favourite products for inclusion. For a blog, well there is no word limit and this year its proving difficult. Why? Well this year Father Christmas's Elves aka my wonderful PRs have sent in so many goodies that I'm going to be needing some of Rudolphs magic dust just to deliver them all to you.

I'm breaking down the gifts into sections this year 'For Him and For Her' and 'Novelty', but in typical style as I go through everything, will possibly break the guide down further - I'll follow my nose!  I had thought about doing Tweens, but when I saw the gifts being sent in, I realised that mum may nick daughters and son may take fathers.  However, Christmas is all about giving and sharing and so without further ado, let me share with you some great products!

Firstly I must thank the wonderful people at Christmas Tree World who've supplied the beautiful Christmas Tree complete with decorations, for my props. Christmas Tree World stock a huge variety of faux trees that look so realistic you wouldn't be able to tell, unless you note the clean carpet.  I also love the traditional decorations they supplied as I like red and gold and it's the epitome of a Christmas bauble.  A special mention must go to the lights as again, the 'Warm White' is my favourite colour and I spent last year in many discount store and supermarket searching for any Warm White! Take a look here at the great range starting from just £19.99 for artificial trees. www.christmastreeworld.co.uk

Barry M Christmas Gift Sets prices from £8.99 exclusively for www.argos.co.uk

Barry M have a whole selection of gifts this year, treating us to thoughtfully put together 'best of everything' from their brand.  I know that makeup addicts will love the Sculpting Kit and Glam to Go Kit both £14.99.  The Sculpting kit contains every product to achieve those 'Instagram' cheekbones with their best selling Illuminating Strobe Cream, Highlighting Stick, Contour Stick and Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit.  The Glam to Go contains everything for a party ready look and includes their Shape & Define Brow Kit, Natural Glow Palette, Black Kohl Pencil and the fabulous, lengthening That's How I Roll Mascara'.

Nail lovers will rejoice upon receiving the beautiful Liquid Metals Collection £8.99  with molten gold, pewter and bronze. Whilst the Ultimate Shine Collection £24 contains a whopping 8 lust-worthy shades from punchy brights to classy muted greys, in the fabulous 'Gelly' range.

Spotlight Essentials Bold metals Collection £40 www.boots.com

For flawless make-up it always starts with the correct tools, and for a professional finish quality is essential.  This beautiful gift set includes a 300 Tapered Blush brush essential for achieving cheekbones; 102 Triangle Concealer Brush for intricate contouring around the eyes, nose and on imperfections; 203 Tapered Shadow for perfect eye colour and finally a beautiful brush roll so you can keep it all together!

Ghost Deep Night Christmas Bauble £8 www.boots.com

Leave this hidden amongst the other baubles for a wonderful Christmas gift surprise. There's a variety to choose from and this particular one contains the Ghost Deep Night scent alongside a glamourous cranberry lipgloss, all enclosed in a beautiful clear bauble with a signature silver tag.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was only £8 as it looks so much more!

Sienna X Winter Hit Christmas Cracker £6.95 www.sienna-x.co.uk

Another great gift idea for the Christmas table or the Christmas tree are these wonderful crackers from Sienna X the tanning gurus! This one contains a 75ml High Intensity Express Tan so within an hour you can rock a Dubai worthy glow.   

MAD BEAUTY Christmas Gift Sets  www.madbeauty.com

This year MAD BEAUTY have a whole array of Christmas goodies for everyone, and as I couldn't decide which ones to share, I'm just going to encourage you to go to their website and spend an afternoon browsing. In the meantime here are some of my favourites..

Disney Lip Gloss Trio £5.99

Disney Lip Balm Duo £5.99

Christmas False Nails by Elegant Touch prices from £7.95 www.eleganttouch.com

If you're going to buy falsies then there really is no other better brand on the market than Elegant Touch. They consistently year after year bring out the best designs and what's more stay on the nails.  This year they've brought out a range with House of Holland alongside the usual Elegant Touch designs.  I really couldn't choose between them so here's a few to share. 

Eylure Luxe Eyelashes £9.95 www.eylure.com

'Flitter flutter on the wall who'll be the featheriest of them all?' Well you'll definitely be the belle of the ball with these beautiful natural looking lashes. Whilst they imitate real fur rest assured they're synthetic and completely cruelty-free! A choice of 4 designs my favourite being the full but fine Solitaire. A great stocking filler!

Smiths Rosebud Salve Trio £22 www.amazon.co.uk/luxurybeauty

Encased in a delightful vintage tin are 3 multi-purpose balms, which can be used on cuticles, dry skin, minor burns and of course lips.  Each one is filled with healing and moisturising properties such as vitamin E & A and based around nourishing shea butter.  The balms come in 3 flavours, strawberry, rose and minted rose leaving lips soft and kissable.  Ideal for a teachers present or someone who has everything. The handy tin can be reused for a number of purposes whilst the gift can be split and the balms given separately - why not pop one into a cracker!

CHRISTMAS GIFTS: NOVELTY

A huge part of Christmas is all about novelty gifts, evident from the supermarkets and stores filled to the brim of 'Rudolph and Frozen' toot. Now before you write me off (pardon the pun) as a 'Bah Humbug' I'm not. I love a novelty gift as much as the next person, but it has to be something that can be used, rather than a waste of a fiver. Bearing this in mind I've been scouring the best of novelty gifts that will not only result in a beaming smile, but gifts that aren't going to end up in the basket for the 'school fete bags'! Here's my choice!

MAD BEAUTY Ho Ho Ho Bath Fizzers £4.99 www.madbeauty.com

Fragranced in Spiced Apple makes this a scent suitable for men, women and tweens (note not suitable for under 6).  The Santa getting stuck down the chimney design, alongside the white bath salts make these a unisex gift that is a novelty but one that can be used by all and it's under a fiver!

MAD BEAUTY Moisturising Hand Sanitizer £2.99 www.madbeauty.com

For just under £3 keep colds and germs at bay with these fabulous festive hand sanitisers.  Each one has a different fragrance, my favourite being Super Spiced Apple like mentioned above, as again it's suitable for everyone.  Keep one in the car, handbag, toilet and as for presents they make a wonderful table gift alongside a Christmas cracker - a slight nudge to politely ask your guests to spray their hands before they eat!

SockShop Heat Holders prices from £8.99 www.sockshop.co.uk

There's no other place like Sock Shop who care that our tootsies are kept nice and toasty in the cold.  This year they have a range of Heat Holders designed with a special yarn to give perfect insulation against icy weather.  Patented with a special loop cushioned pile to ensure warm air is contained whilst allowing the feet to 'breathe'.  Available in men, women and kids at 1.6 tog or a cosier 2.3 tog these are like puffy clouds of heaven for the feet.

Sock\Shop Christmas Multipacks prices from £7.99 www.sockshop.co.uk

Beautifully woven and brightly coloured these will make your feet want to dance with festive spirit. Each multipack contains 3 pairs of socks in the softest of cotton featuring the cutest Christmas designs.  My favourite is definitely the mens with the glittering Father Christmas coming down the chimney.  The quality of these socks puts them above your usual novelty sock! They make a perfect Secret Santa, especially if you split the pack and keep a pair for yourself! 

Gin & Tonic Bath Salts & Lip Balm £10.99 www.thepresentfinder.co.uk

Know someone who loves their Saturday night G&T? Well now they can be smelling of it too thanks to these cute present packs filled with bath salts and a handy lip balm.  A great little gift to give as a stocking filler and the best bit - there are enough bath salts for 5 baths!

Alternatively the Gin & Tonic Lip Balm £4.99 can be purchased on it's own.  Suitable for men and women it really does smell like the real deal except this alcohol won't dehydrate your lips! Instead with added shea and cocoa butter it leaves them feeling incredibly soft and protected from the cold blasts of weather.

Burt's Bees 2016 Christmas Collection from £3.99 www.burtsbees.co.uk

This year Burt's Bees are giving everyone the gift of softly nourished lips and skin with their 100% natural and cruelty-free comforting and pampering products.  Used by men, women and children all over the world, Burt's Bees are famous for their lip care and this year they're spoiling us with a huge variety of Lip Balms to choose from.  Try the Beeswax Bounty £12.99 containing 4 varieties of lip flavours such as Peppermint and Mango. Alternatively the Nature Wrapped Up is a reusable tin filled to the brim with discovery products such as the enriching Milk & Honey Body Lotion, Coconut Foot Cream, Lip Balm and Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream. 

LUSH Winter Gift Collection prices from £3.75 www.lush.co.uk

You can't help but be surprised every time Lush brings out their Christmas and Winter gift collections. Each box is delightfully gift wrapped and is filled with little treasures waiting to fill the bathroom with a rainbow of colours and wondrous essential oils.  For £10.95 the Ice Ice Baby has a pot of Snowman Jelly a delightful tub of citrus goo that nourishes and cleanses the body and an icy Igloo soap guaranteeing a tingling shower.  Whilst the Sweet Christmas gift set contains the best selling Snow Fairy shower gel, Snow Fairy body conditioner and a Rock Star Soap, leaving you smelling like a waft of a candy shop.  Whilst I wasn't sent to feature, I couldn't' help but notice the Ruby Red Slipper that sounds like it makes for a sparkling tub adventure. There is something for everyone and lets not forget that all the products are natural and cruelty-free.

STAR WARS LIMITED EDITION LIGHT EAU DE PARFUM £27.50 www.boots.com

If he or she is a budding Star Wars fan then they are going to love these latest limited edition eau de parfum from Disney. With a choice of 6 unisex fragrances Galaxy, Droid, Rey, Revenge, Dark and Light there's something for everyone.  I tested the Light as I'm not so keen on really heavy scents and it was perfect, not sweet but very citrus and spicy with notes of lemon, rosemary, cardamom and woody base notes of  sandalwood and patchouli. A refreshing and uplifting scent that rivals some of the top branded perfumes on the market!

The Best Beauty Advent Calendar this year

So I'm writing up my Xmas Gift Guide and the next product I pulled off the desk was this advent calendar from MAD BEAUTY.  Now everyone knows advent calendars are not to be given as a Christmas present but to buy for 1st December and this is why I wanted to share it now! I've looked at a few advents this year and by far this is my favourite as not is it so reasonably priced at £19.99, but it has products that I will actually use!

I don't want to give the surprises away, even if they state on the website what's included and so I've just shown a snippet of a few. The biggest surprise though is the quality of the products! I was going to save this for myself but I know my 13 year old daughter Phoebe will just love this! Expect Instagram shout-outs every day from her! 

The advent calendar is available at www.madbeauty.com for £19.99

My Top 3 Body Exfoliators

Just wanted to write a quick post on my favourite body exfoliators. I have in the past tested around no less than 50 and I've narrowed them down to 3.

Firstly exfoliating is probably one of my priorities in a beauty regime.  Having baby soft skin that feels as much as it looks smooth, makes me feel sexier and also makes me feel more nurturing.

It's important to remember that when applying your body scrub to always follow the instructions. Some will say use on dry skin, but most say damp skin and hardly any will say wet skin.  If the skin is too wet i.e. you're in the shower then the particles will just dissolve before you've had a chance to massage in.  I always apply in the bath (one leg sticking out the bath), and then rinse off after in the shower.

It's also important to focus on the dry areas such as knees, ankles, arms etc and be careful to avoid the face area.  Check out the essential oils, especially with menthol and peppermint as you probably won't want them going anywhere near your private parts - if this is the case don't use in the bath!  Also never use body scrubs on any broken, irritated or sensitive skin and if it does cause irritation stop immediately!

Anyway here are my top 3 body exfoliators:-

Janjira Art of Siam Argan Oil Sugar Milky Body Scrub £26 www.janjira.co.uk

This beautifully fragranced body scrub is based around refined sugar particles that really give a deep exfoliation.  I love the grittiness of the scrub as it's packed full of sugar but doesn't scratch the skin and so is ideal for all skin types.  It contains a huge abundance of oils, which help hydrate and tone the skin such as relaxing Lavender, enriching Sweet Almond, nourishing Argan as well as fruit extracts to help further improve exfoliation.

St Tropez Prep & Maintain Tan Enhancing Polish £12.50 www.boots.com

The ideal preparation before applying fake tan, simply use 24 hours beforehand to create a blank canvas for your chosen tan.  Again I like the fact it gives a really good polish however, it spreads easily so a little goes a long way. The pearlescent polish is ideal to use in tanning as rather than breaking down the tan, it's actually formulated to work with tan!  A must for a night out or before you go on holiday!

Bean Body Coffee Bean Scrub Coconut £14.95 www.hollandandbarrett.com

The smell is like walking into a sweetie shop selling Starbucks.  It's incredibly messy to use and so you want to make sure you're standing in the bath, but it's made my top 3 as not only does it smells just yummy, but it can also be used on the face (avoiding eyes and mouth).  The Coconut Oil is incredibly nourishing and coffee is well known for it's anti-cellulite properties. The products are all organic and vegan friendly!

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH - THE MASKOREA MASK

Once in a while a product comes along that deserves a special mention, and so I will usually give more wording and gush a bit more on the wonders of said product. I usually include no less than 5 items per feature, and only very rarely and usually if this is an advertorial (so paid for), will I give a product it's own blog feature.  For a year or so I was also writing a monthly feature for the press on 'Products of the Month' however, again this included about 5 products.

Well today I've decided to write up on just one Product of the Month, a little award that deserves a blog on it's own without any payment (although we will come to that later), as I've been so impressed.  Today that product is the Maskorea Mask.

Maskorea Masks are single use sheet masks that are soaked in various active ingredients depending on your skin condition and complaint.  Manufactured in South Korea, these masks are cruelty-free, do not contain mineral oils, parabens and other synthetic ingredients known to irritate skin. They do however, contain a great deal of Hyaluronic Acid (this holds 8 times its own weight in water) so a must for hydrating the skin.  Other ingredients include Hydrolyzed Collagen (helps bind water), skin replenishing Glycerin, skin softening Rice Extract, anti-inflammatory and skin calming SasaQuelpaertensis Extract to name but a few.

The reason why this product got my attention though is not because of the wonderful ingredients it contains but because of it's ease of use.  One packet contains a single use mask, drenched in the active ingredients, a separate facial wash and a night cream - so it's a complete facial in a packet.  An excellent choice to take a few on holiday or as I did to close your bathroom door and just have some pamper time.  The masks are available for ageing, dehydrated, hungover and dull skin types and cost just £4.99 (great Christmas stocking fillers for everyone)!

After washing my face with the facial wash provided, I applied the incredibly cooling mask to my face. It went on smoothly and didn't budge despite a 15 minute soak in the bath and a little jump around after to test (yes really).  After 30 minutes (minimum down time), I massaged in the residue and applied the night cream. My skin looked incredible and felt more hydrated and plumped up than it had in a long time.

So impressed that I contacted the PR and told her I was going to write about this first thing despite having the kids off on school hols and having 1001 other things to do!  Whilst, I don't get paid for my time on writing I am going to send a huge hint to her now and ask if any more samples could be posted my way - especially as I would like to give away a freebie with this post!!

You can buy the Maskorea Masks here