Best of Beauty Advent Calenders

Hello lovelies,

I've heard much talk flying around this year about Beauty Advent Calenders and I decided that I'll cover the very best of the bunch. I know you're all thinking Christmas is ages away, right? Wrong, only 2 paydays left until the big day! Whether you're looking to treat yourself or a pre-Christmas present for a special somebody, these would fit the bill...

Ciaté Mini Mani Advent Calender - £42.00 (Exclusively available at Selfridges)

""Every girl's diary can now be filled with a daily dose of delectable mini nail treats, as behind each door lies a very colourful surprise. Gorgeously packaged with seventeen of Ciaté's bestselling mini Paint Pots, four mini Caviar blends, and three extremely special exclusive Paint Pot glitter shades you'll not find anywhere else, ever."

The Mini Mani Advent Calender for 2013 includes a generous 17 of Ciaté's best selling mini Paint Pots, 4 mini Caviar blends and three exclusive Paint Pot glitter shades that you'll never ever find anywhere else! At £42, it certainly isn't cheap but would make the perfect gift for nail art fans. Going on the reaction last year, I would purchase sooner rather than later as these sold out super quick.

Boots Beauty Advent Calender - 24 Days of Beauty Treats - £30.00 (available exclusively to Boots instore and online)

"Wake up every morning to a new beauty treat and fill the month of December with gorgeous gifts to pamper yourself from head to toe. Featuring brands such as; Soap & Glory, Nails Inc, Paco Rabanne, Juicy Couture, Rimmel, Mavala, Umberto Giannini and many more...."

Out of all the Beauty Calenders, this one excites me the most, it's a budget friendly option, yet still contains some great little surprises! You get 24 treats ranging from mini's to full sized from some top beauty brands worth over £65.00. There are plenty of spoiler posts online if you want to find out the exact contents but I think that ruins half the fun!

Selfridges Beauty Advent Calender - £84.00 (exclusive to Selfridges)

"Selfridges' exclusive bijoux Christmas advent calendar brings you the best in beauty. From Viktor & Rolf, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl's and Giorgio Armani to Lancôme and Maison Martin Margiela, you can discover a precious treat behind every door to make you dazzle, sparkle and shine this festive season."

This little beauty is a little pricey and unfortunately way out of my budget, however it does contain some really high-end beautiful products including fragrance, makeup and skincare from the likes of Lancome, YSL and Kiehl's . I definitely wouldn't be disappointed if I received this, it's a great way of trying out some luxurious products!

(Image of 2012 calender)

Word on the grapevine  You Beauty is set to release a calender for this year, but as of now, there has been no news of when or what the contents will be. If last years is anything to go by, I'm pretty sure it'll be fabulous. Last years cost £59.95 and was worth a whopping £210! If I hear anything, I will be sure to let you know, but keep your eyes peeled ladies!

Have any of these tickled your pickle? Do you still get Advent Calenders?

Beauty Discount Codes October 2013

Hello lovelies,

Sorry for disappearing off the face of the Earth. I haven't had internet for the last week, thanks to a lovely French internet company who had the worst customer service that I've ever come across but enough about them and on to the beauty!

Feel Unique

Save 10% off hair when you buy 3 or more products

Code: TECNOTHAIR

Boots

£10 off orders over £100

Code: VC30SEPT

Valid until 13 October

Debenhams

10% off orders

Code: VM34

Valid until 13th October

Latest In Beauty

Free 75ml L'Occitane Shampoo and a free 75ml Conditioner when you spend £10. 

Code: FREEGIFT10

If you have any other codes, please feel free to add them below and I'll add them to the list.

Happy Shopping!

Review: Boots No7 Skin Illuminator Radiance Boosting Beauty Fluid

Hello lovelies,

This little beauty product is something completely new on my radar. I've used powder and balm highlighters before but never something like this. I'm always a  bit wary of using highlighters as I'm never going to be someone who mixes it in with a foundation as my skin is already glowy enough.

The No7 Skin Illuminator Radiance Boosting Beauty Fluid promises a fantastic radiance boosting finish. It contains particles of iridescent shimmer which reflect the light leaving you with a perfect healthy glow. I pop this on the bridge of my nose and cheekbones and it looks beautiful, so natural. I find this to be a good alternative to a powder highlighter as they can wear off throughout the day and this just draws attention to the places the sun hits on the face. I picked up the colour pink as I found peach a bit too dark for my skin tone.

One negative that I have to mention is the packaging. Now I like the transparent squeezy bottle, perfect to see how much product you have left...when you need to repurchase. But the brush applicator is terrible. It's not only unhygienic as the instructions on the box state you can't wash it but you can't control how much product comes out making it difficult to apply. I tend to squeeze a bit out on the back of my hand and either apply it with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush or with mu fingers. I just don't see the point of the brush applicator and if you've read other reviews, this seems to be the one sticking negative.

Apart from the packaging issue, which I really hope No7 reconsider, this product is lovely. If you're looking for something natural that brightens your skin without looking cakey then you should seriously consider this.

Boots No7 Skin Illuminator Radiance Boosting Beauty Fluid 30ml is available for £11.00 

Do you have any affordable highlighter recommendations? 

Review: Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Shine Control Day Moisturiser

Hello lovelies,

I'm always on the lookout for products that claim to treat excess oil and shine. After spotting this in Boots, I thought I'd give it a go, I've tried the face mask from the same range and found it really soothed my skin.

I have combination skin which is oily, pretty much smack bang down the centre of my face. This moisturiser jumped out at me claiming to blot up excess oil and excess shine.  I wanted something that would clear up my skin and banish excess oil, so this looked to be a good bet.

I apply a squidge of this to my face after toning, and just rub it in gently, I find quite a lot of moisturisers can be too thick and heavy for my face, so I tend to choose something that has a lighter consistency such as a gel or a lotion. Instead of sitting on top of the skin, this sinks in almost immediately and you're good to go.

Although this does leave you're skin looking matte, I do still like to apply a primer over the top as it helps to make my makeup last just a little bit longer. I'm pretty sure if your skin wasn't as oily as mine, you could easily get away with not applying a primer as this has a mattifying effect.

My only bug bear is the scent, I find it a bit too overwhelming first thing in the morning. As you may have guessed, the fragrance is tea tree and witch hazel, I find the witch hazel comes through stronger and is slightly unpleasant. Again that's my personal preference, some might like it!

I wouldn't say it has helped to clear up my skin to a great extent, yet I do think it's a good buy if you're on a budget.

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Shine Control Day Moisturiser 75ml is available from Boots for £3.59 and can often be found on 3 for 2 offers.