Kiko Haul

During Black Friday i was dreading opening my email or go anywhere near any shops or shopping centres because I'm such a shopaholic and the I would've bought everything I laid my eyes on. Thankfully I was very strong and resisted purchase, however on Saturday my family and I went to have dinner at a shopping centre around 8 o'clock in the evening so I assumed most of the shops would be shut, little did I know they were now staying open until 11pm. So I couldn't resist any longer and I went into Kiko and they had a buy 3 products get 3 products free sale on at the time, I just had to do some shopping!!

I've had my eye on the Kiko cream radiance range for a while now and this was the perfect opportunity to buy them, so I bought both the Alluring Sand shade which is a gold type of shade and I bought the Twilight Gold which is a greyish gold type of colour. These products are limited edition so they are now only available online for the time being. They come in a beautiful spherical package that is a mixed shade of purple and black. Although the packaging is gorgeous its not very practical because the sphere is so smooth it can easily fly out of your hands so I have to be very careful when using them. The texture of this product is very soft to touch and doesn't feel like a cream at all but when you apply it, it transfers to powder, its very shimmery but very light just right to have a little bit of shimmer on your cheek bones. For the best results I dabbed it onto my face with my fingers and after a few seconds blended it with a brush. The alluring sand shade reminds me of the Becca champagne highlighter. I love this product it costs £10.90 on the Kiko website.

I also bought some eyeliners as well and they are from their permanent collection so can be purchased online or in store at any time. Intense colour long lasting eyeliner number 14 is a navy blue  double ended pencil and the second one is number 12 which is a gorgeous metallic green. Both products are unbelievably creamy and soft and they apply so well and looks beautiful. I apply them on my waterline and the effect is flawless and stays on for a very long time. It also removes very easily with micellar water. It costs £5.20. 

Most of the products I tried from Kiko are excellent quality products and they are very affordable as well. Kiko can compete on the quality with some high end make up companies and the products packaging is done exquisitely. You can purchase these products at http://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-gb/make-up/face/illuminating-powders/Cream-Radiance-Highlighter/p-KC03401061 and http://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-gb/make-up/eyes/eye-pencils/Intense-Colour-Long-Lasting-Eyeliner/p-KM00303020.

Stocking Fillers Christmas 2015

The holiday collection from the body shop is very good. They have made small sets of their products, which are a great idea for stocking fillers or to get a little bits and pieces, to make up a gift hamper for a friend.  I bought two sets, which contained body butter and shower gel. The sets I bought were the frosted plum set and the frosted cranberry set, and I also bought separately hand cream, a candle and a shimmer body mist. 

These products smell divine, all the body butter and shower gels are very useful products and I know if I receive them for Christmas I’d definitely use them and I think everyone would be happy to receive such useful gifts for Christmas. Body shop candles always fill the room with a beautiful fragrance and they are perfume free!  This little gift would definitely not disappoint, especially for candle lovers.

Jo Malone is a pretty pricey brand just for stocking fillers but they have a small set of 2 products, which costs £24 they are packaged in a small beautiful box, which looks like a Christmas decoration. The one I bought contains English pearl and freesia cologne and a Nectarine blossom and honeycomb body cream. 

This small gift would be a perfect gift for someone who has never tried it and wants to start a Jo Malone collection this is the perfect way to ease them into trying the brand.  

It will also be the perfect set if you need a perfume or body cream for your handbag as the body cream can be used as a hand cream as well. They also have a lot of different gift sets to suit your budget. The Jo Malone 30ml cologne would be a very cool gift idea or stocking filler as well they come individually packaged in a box and you can choose the fragrance you like.

Another great brand for stocking fillers is ritual, I absolutely adore ritual products they have plenty of different sets you can choose from to suit your budget. I bought the Ginkgo secret caring hand balm as a stocking filler, it’s a pretty decent size for £10. The hand cream is a very useful present in this set and the person who receives it will appreciate it very much. It says on the ritual website the luxurious balm was especially formulated to sooth and calm dry hands.

Lancome Vissionnaire Skin Corrector Gift Set

This gorgeous set has 4 products. The main reason I purchased this gift set is because I love  the Lancome Visionnaire advance skin corrector which usually costs £60 for 30ml on its own and the gift set cost £60 when I purchased it, so it was great value for money.  So for the price of one product I received a 5ml Lancome Advanced Genefique Yeux Activating Concentrate and a 7ml Youth Activating Concentrate which is a serum, as well as a 15ml Visionnaire Advance multi-correcting cream which retails at £60 for 50ml. Its not a bad value for money as your purchase the gift set for £60 and receive four products two of which in full size amount to double the price of the set.


The Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector, this is going to be my second bottle. Usually when I finish one product I try to get something else to try but in this case I really wanted to repurchase it as it worked so well with my skin. The recommended usage is both in the morning and in the evening. It has a very nice texture and a beautiful smell ( I know you're not meant to judge a product by its scent but its so much more appealing if the product also has a nice scent). After applying this corrector my face looks very smooth and I found it covers my pores well and my fine lines and wrinkles look less noticeable. I really like this product but I wouldn't recommend to use it daily, I usually use it when I'm going out or on special occasions when I want my skin to look fresh and makes my face glow, this is a very good product.

I use the product more like a primer rather than a skin care product and by using it that way it doesn't run out very quickly and I can enjoy using the product for longer. However it all depends on how your skin reacts to the product, some people may be able to use it daily I choose to use it in a way that works best with my skin. If I compare the ingredients in this product to other primers the ingredients are very similar and I would rather use this product than some other primers available.

I look forward to trying and using the other products that came in this set and see how they work with my skin. You can currently purchase this set at http://www.feelunique.com/p/Lancome-Visionnaire-Advanced-Skin-Corrector-30ml-Gift-Set-60274 for £60.

 

Lookfantastic Beauty Box Christmas Edition No 3

This box has 6 products the same as boxes 1 & 2. The first product is Codage Number 3 Radiance and Energy Serum. It comes in a 7ml bottle which is a good trial size luxury sample. This product in 30ml costs £73, so the trial size is a good value for money especially when you want to try out new products. I'm looking forward to trying out this new product and seeing if it matches my skin. In the booklet that comes with the box it says that the serum is a genuine elixir of cellular replenishment, specially formulated to detoxify and restore brightness in dull skin, which sounds great.

The second product is the Wetbrush Squirt, which costs £8 RRP, according to the booklet the brush brushes out tangles very easily without pulling, tugging or causing pain. Your hair is left healthy, with no split ends and less breakage. The bristles in the brush are very thin and strong yet flexible, which glide through hair effortlessly.

The third product is they Eylure: Double lash, which costs £5.25 RRP on the lookfantastic website. I don't really wear false lashes so I can't say much about this product, but I will give it to my friend who loves false lashes and hopefully shell enjoy wearing them. They look quite pretty in the packaging so I'm guessing they'll look even better once they've been put on. The pack also comes with adhesive and the booklet also gives some instruction on how to put them on correctly.

The fourth product is the Lord & Berry Pailette Glitter Eye Pencil. This pencil has actual glitter inside and looks fantastic, as it says in the booklet the pencil is perfect for the party season, as it brings an elegant twinkle to the eyes with its subtle finish.

The fifth product is the Molton Brown body wash which comes in a 100ml bottle. I received the Coco & Sandalwood scent. I don't think Molton Brown needs much of an introduction as the name speaks for itself, the product is excellent and smells divine. I was thinking of leaving this body wash for travelling but I couldn't stay away it just smelt so good! I am now thinking of buying the 300ml bottle because its such a great product.


The sixth and final product is the Eve Lom morning time cleanser which came in the 50ml tube. When I saw this product in my box I was very happy as this product covers the cost of the entire box, the RRP of a 125ml tube is £40. I use some of the products from this brand and they are all excellent they are very expensive but its worth it, as our face is one of the first things people see so we have to look after it.  This product is the Editors pick as it is a very light weight rinse off cleansing balm. Its really refreshing and wakes my skin up in the morning and you only need a small amount to clean your whole face. You can purchase this box from http://www.lookfantastic.com/offers/beauty-box.list?widget_id=154271

Shiseido: IBUKI Holiday Gift Kit.

IBUKI means “inner strength” in Japanese and this skin care collection helps correct imperfections, dryness and roughness while providing optimal hydration. IBUKI helps strengthen skin resistance for clear and stable skin everyday.

Every year before Christmas most of the skin and make up brands release Christmas gift sets and each year there is a wider variety. I always get some Christmas sets for myself, as it’s a great way to try out new products and the sets are great value for money.

The first holiday kit I bought from feel unique was the IBUKI holiday kit. It comes in a lovely white and red box and it contains 4 products and costs £42. The value of the box is actually £73. It contains the following four products: 

1. IBUKI refining moisturiser 50ml. 

2. IBUKI general cleansing foam 30ml 

3. IBUKI softening concentrate lotion 15ml. 

4. Shiseido ultimate power infusing concentrate 10ml.

As it says on the feel unique description this set is multi-functioning, hydrating skin care range, specifically formulated for women in their 20s to early 30s. I purchased this set for my daughter she really loves these products and has been using them in her morning routine. I am way past my 20s but sometimes I use the moisturiser as well in the morning before applying my make up and I actually really like it. It’s a very light moisturiser and isn’t greasy, it feels very smooth on the skin and absorbs very fast so I can do my foundation promptly and now I’ve been thinking I might purchase this moisturiser for myself as well. I have used this product in combination with my Shiseido ultimune power concentrate and its a very good combo for my skin in the morning. This is a very good holiday gift kit and isn’t too pricey for the 4 products when usually just the moisturiser costs £42. So I'm definitely thinking of purchasing another kit for myself and as a present as well.

You can purchase it at http://www.feelunique.com/p/Shiseido-Ibuki-Holiday-Kit-59419 for £42.

Best Christmas present this year.

 I was searching for a gift for my kid for this year, and its so difficult to find them gifts after a certain age because they have everything they need and they don’t really know what they want either. I knew that my daughter always wanted a Polaroid camera but she wanted the digital one where you can pick the pictures to print, but in my opinion it wasn’t a very good idea because she’s always taking pictures on her phone. 

A few weeks ago I was watching my favourite youtuber for her Christmas gift goodies and she was talking about the Polaroid Zip portable printer and I was so happy I found something I knew my daughter would love and use. 

So we bought the printer and we were so excited we gave it to her early and she absolutely loves it. I honestly think it’s the best gift for anyone because we all take pictures al the time but no one prints them anymore so they just sit on our phones or computers but this way some of the best photos can be printed and will appear in the photo album or in collages or in a diary. 

The best part of this is the Zink paper it prints on can double as a sticker as well you can peel the back off and stick it on anywhere!

After buying the printer you need to download the Polaroid zip app onto your smartphone or tablet. The app has 6 access buttons:

1. Quick Print
2. Edit Print
3. Secret View
4. Collage
5.  Name Card
6.  My Zip

They each have the option of either going to your gallery or to the camera if you want to take and print a picture straight away. You connect the printer and the app via Bluetooth and use the My

Zip area to check the printer’s status.

1.  Quick print is an option if you’ve got a picture ready to print straight away or if you have previously edited it and you’re ready to print now. You will be able to pick the amount of that picture you'd like to print
2.  Edit Print this option allows you to pick a single picture and edit the photo before printing. You can add stickers to it, resize the image, add effects, rotate and draw on it.
3.  Secret View allows you to edit pictures and save them into that section and come back and edit it at a later time. You can also add text in this setting, stickers a voice message, a contact and a URL. 
   
4. Collage: Here you can choose pictures to create a collage, you can add up to 9 images however you’ve got to remember the print size for the printer is about 2”x3” so if you do choose to print 9 images as a collage they will be fairly small.
5. Name Card: You can create a name card with your picture on it, add your details and use it as a label
   
   for maybe laptops, phones, luggage tags and any other uses you need. Could be very useful for friends who are teachers and need to label students books!
6. My Zip: Allows you to check your printer’s status, where to buy more Zink paper and has a device manual.

It’s such an amazing gift; my daughter has started a photo book where she is sticking in memories from the year, it’s so easy to use and lightweight so you can bring it with you anywhere. You can also get it in a variety of colours to suit the person you’re buying for or alternatively if you’re buying it for more than one person in the same household they wont forget whose is whose. This is the perfect gift for anyone from scrap bookers to photo lovers and so many more.

You can buy it at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XM0XWUA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00 for £109.99

Lookfantastic November Beauty Box.

This is box number 2 from the lookfantastic limited edition collection. This collection has only 3 boxes with a Christmassy print on the box. It's the second box I have purchased from this collection; it contains 6 products and a beauty box booklet with product descriptions and details.

The lookfantastic beauty box monthly subscription is £15 with free postage and packaging. You can also get a 3,6 or 12 month subscription as well. From all the beauty box subscription boxes that I have previously purchased; I think the lookfantastic box is the best. It has the most variety of mini products, not just samples but mini actual travel size products, which help to develop an opinion of the product as you can get more use out of them to decide whether it works for you. I order the lookfantastic box in order to discover new brands and products, with this box I can try out 6 products for £15 which is a fantastic deal and opportunity as I won't be wasting hundreds of pounds on products that in the end may not suit me.

In this box I received the following products:

• Bellapierre: Full size Mineral Lipstick
• Korres: Guava Shower Gel
• Ole Henriksen: Empower Foaming Milk Cleanser
• Dr Pawpaw: Tinted Ultimate Red Balm
• Ren: V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream
• Kebelo: Enriching Masque

Bellapierre: Mineral Lipstick

It’s a full size lipstick in a gorgeous shade of red and the price of this product is normally £11.99 in the shops but in the box you get the lipstick along with 5 other products which is such a great deal. It's a beautiful mineral lipstick that has been formulated with natural waxes and rich mineral pigments.  The lipstick is 100% natural and the formula delivers a long lasting, nourishing colour.  I am not a big fan of red lipsticks but my daughter suits reddy types of lipsticks much better than I do so I barely managed to take a picture of it for the blog before she took it from me.

Korres: Guava Shower Gel

Korres is a Greek company founded in 1996 in Athens by a pharmacist. The products are based on natural ingredients. I used some of the Korres products before and I really liked their products and I am looking forward to using this shower gel. As it says in the booklet this product is rich in vitamins C & E, zinc and antioxidant enzymes. It enhances the skins immune system.

Ole Henrikson: Empower Foaming Milk Cleanser

It comes in a 30ml travel size bottle. According to the booklet this foaming milk cleanser transforms into a creamy lather effortlessly dissolving all traces of dirt and make up while helping to preserve the skins moisture. The recommended usage of it is: both in the morning and evening. I love Ole Henrikson products and I hope this one isn’t going to disappoint me.

Dr Pawpaw Tinted Ultimate Red Balm.

The balm is limited edition specifically released for Christmas. It contains natural ingredients including fermented PawPaw, Olive Oil and Aloe Vera. I tried this product as soon as I got it and it feels very good on my lips, the balm applies very nicely and doesn’t feel greasy, as well as giving my lips a touch of colour.

Ren: V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream

It comes in a 15 ml tube. I have heard a lot of great things about this brand and it is my first product, so I'm very much looking forward to using it. In the booklet it says this product is a multi-active daily moisturiser that prevents and minimises the appearance of premature ageing, the skin stays hydrated, protected and glowing.

 

Kebelo: Enriching Masque

The aim of the product is to give soft-textured tresses (locks of hair) and comes in a travel size tube. It’s designed for naturally dry hair to give it rich moisture, nourishment and shine. This is my first time using this product so it will be very interesting to see whether it's compatible with my hair.

You can buy this product at:  http://www.lookfantastic.com/beauty-box/lookfantastic-beauty-box-subscription/11140463.html?widget_id=124656 for one £15 payment for the current/next months box or via subscription.