BEJEWELLED CHRISTMAS GLOSSYBOX - DECEMBER 2012

This months Glossybox is of course all about the festive season. It contains products to ensure us Glossies that we all look our most festive in time for the holiday celebrations! As a special holiday bonus they also included a limited edition Glossybox blush in Glossy pink which was a collaboration with Kryolan - which I thought was a nice touch to complete the box. The box also came with a Glossy 'newsletter' which I much preferred over the past cards that are normally in the box, as it seemed much more personal to the consumer and showed a lot more detail on each product inside. 

Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream, full-size 200ml £15.00 - The only other Rituals product I have tried is the Foaming shower gel which was in last December's box which I loved, so I had high expectations for this. I instantly have fallen in love with this body cream, it's such a fresh scented, rich cream of cherry blossom and rice milk. It just melts into your skin and leaves it feeling baby soft. I will be continuing to use this up, and I'm looking forward to maybe trying some other products from the range in the future.

Seche Nail Lacquer, 14ml £9.95 - Seche is a brand I have always wanted to try but have never got around to dipping my toe into. I got the colour Enamored, which is a lovely pink/gold shade. I have since gone and ordered the award-winning Seche Vite Top Coat as I was so impressed with the salon finish of this polish. I would highly recommend these lacquers, they are really pigmented and last so long on the nails.

Milk_Shake Conditioning Whipped Cream, full-size 200ml £11.95 - Milk_Shake is a brand which I hadn't heard of before seeing it in my Glossybox. This leave-in conditioner smells heavenly! You massage this into towel dried hair before styling to help protect and strengthen your hair. It really does make your hair feel incredible soft and shiny. The only downside to this product is the packaging as it produces a lot of product like squirty cream, but I guess that is the fun nature of the product. 
Sleek Makeup i-Divine au naturel palette, £7.99 - I was very excited to see this in my box this month. I have always wanted to try a palette from Sleek but have always left the shop without one, as I have many other palettes to use. I got the au naturel palette which I was very pleased about as it reminds me of some of the shades in the Urban Decay Naked palette - which is great to use everyday. 

Anatomicals Strawberry milkshake lipgloss, £3.49 - This is probably the product I found the least interesting this month. I have received Anatomicals products before inside my Selfridges Lucky bag and found them ok but nothing special. I will however use this up as it's handy to have in my bag for on the go. I would say that it is moisturising and has a nice fruity scent. Nice for the younger Glossy consumer.
I have really been enjoying what I received in my Glossybox this month, saying that I am never really disappointed. It was also a nice treat that I got this box for free as I had collected enough Glossydots to redeem. Added bonus! I wish everyone a Happy New Year and see you in 2013.

COVENT GARDEN LONDON - CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

During my trip to London before Christmas, I visited Covent Garden which had a beautiful Christmas Tree with giant red baubles and a massive red bow! which definitely got me in the Festive spirit. There was also a lovely teflon covered Reindeer in the Piazza which was 16ft tall and had its own giant Lyle and Scott scarf and hat. I also spotted the Chanel pop-up  fragrance and beauty boutique, which was so chic inside. Which are your favourite areas in London to visit during the festive period?

SELFRIDGES CHRISTMAS WINDOWS - VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Before Christmas, I visited London and one of the highlights for me was the Christmas windows on Oxford Street. Selfridges is probably my favourite Department Store, and their  Christmas window displays really won me over this year. My favourite part was the playful Anya Hindmarch wooden workshop window, (last photo) everything was moving either up and down or on a little train track and the floor was covered in Quality Street chocolates - it was all really clever! The theme behind the windows was 'An unusual Christmas' and you can watch the behind the scenes video of how they put it all together here and the making of the Anya Hindmarch window here. I also really enjoyed the Children In Need Pudsey Bear window and the Sefridges building made to look like a giant Gingerbread Store - all so cute! What was your favourite Christmas window display? Hope you all had a great Christmas.

SOAP & GLORY - SHOWER TRIP TRAVEL CHRISTMAS GIFT SET

Soap & Glory is one of my favourite brands to be stocked in Boots and Harvey Nichols in the UK. I am a big fan of all the different scents that they offer and I always have one of their famous shower gels or body butters on the go. At Christmas, Soap & Glory offer a great variety of gift sets at a wide range of price points. Including their big star gift set 'The Best of All', which went better than half price last week and sold out online. I have seen that they are still available in some stores if you want to get your hand on one, as they are such great value!

This set is called 'Shower Trip' and contains six flight-sized products in the Original Pink fragrance. Including Clean on me shower gel, The righteous butter body butter, The scrub of your life body scrub, Hand food hand cream, Calm one, calm all body wash, Girligo body moisturising mist and a shower puff. All of the products included are under 100ml or less so they are great for travel and come in a very handy soft wash bag. This gift set is perfect for jet-setters, students or people who have never tried Soap & Glory products before, as they can try them before buying the full-size products. It's such a nice pamper set to keep in your bathroom!

This set is priced at £18.00* and Boots also offer all their Christmas sets on a 3 for 2 deal, so you can really get a lot of value for your money. My mum even went out and bought one for a relative as she was so impressed! If you are looking for any last minute presents and are stuck for ideas, I would give Soap & Glory a try. I can guarantee the receiver would not be disappointed ;) 

Are you hoping for a Soap & Glory gift set this Christmas?

*PR Sample

TIM WALKER STORY TELLER - SOMERSET HOUSE

On a recent trip down to London, I visited Somerset House to see Tim Walker's Story Teller Exhibition. I have always found his Photography work really inspiring, so it was great to see his most famous pieces first hand and the stories behind them. Most of his work reminds me of childhood and fairy tales. One of my favourite photos of his is of Alexander McQueen and a smoking skull. The exhibition features a selection of 175 images, with giant, surreal props like the one above. The surroundings of the gallery is the ideal setting, with the ice rink and christmas tree ready for the winter season. The exhibition is on until January 27th 2013 and a book is also available supporting his imaginative vision. 

AMARA ONLINE BOUTIQUE - ARCHIE GRAND NOTEBOOK

Amara is an online boutique which showcases the finest luxury lifestyle gifts, from home accessories to the ideal wedding presents. Top luxury brands include; Missoni Home, Pip Studio, Kate Spade and Ralph Lauren. Amara is a UK site, but delivers all over the world. There is even a service where you can create and manage your own wedding list on their website. The website is easy to use, and condenses down your search into simple categories like Home Fragrance, Bed & Bath, Wine & Dine, Home Accessories and even by Brand. UK delivery is really fast and normally takes just one working day. You can even choose to have the company SMS message you so you can track when you item is going to be delivered, to make sure you are in - I really can't fault the service. They also have a lovely blog!

I have had my eye on an Archie Grand notebook for a while now. The classic, simple style really appealed to me, with so many different versions to choose from, from 'Designers I met and liked' to 'Royals I met and liked'. My version 'Fashionistas I met and liked' £10.00* is in the size small and is so handy just to keep in my bag for quick notes on the go. I love the hard back design and the size is 160x115 mm with 110 blank pages. There are 16 different versions on the Amara website and it's a great gift idea for so many occasions. 
I have my eye on a few other things on the website including an Avoca Lambswool Scarf, the Neom Christmas Wish 3 Wick Candle and the Cath Kidston Bath Towels. I have enjoyed looking through the website for Christmas gift ideas, I could spend a small fortune. I would really recommend checking out the website if your stuck for gift ideas, I think they cater for everyones wants and needs.

*PR Sample

REVLON LIP BUTTER SWEET BOUTIQUE - AUTUMN BERRY SWATCHES

I posted last week that the Revlon Sweet Boutique is back! I thought I would remind you all that the last day to try and win a Lip Butter on the Revlon Facebook page is tomorrow (the 4th December). Today's shade that is up for grabs is 'Lollipop' a lovely bright pink colour. I'm a big fan of the Lip Butters in general and think they are one of my favourite product discoveries from 2012. They are great quality, come in gorgeous shades and are so easy to apply!

Berry Smoothie, Macaroon, Raspberry Pie £7.99 each*

These Autumn/Winter berry shades are always in my make-up bag at the moment, my favourite being 'Berry Smoothie', a dusky pink with a hint of shimmer. 'Raspberry Pie' is a great shade for the evening and would look great at a Christmas party! The formula of these are so creamy and the lasting power is really surprising. I have also been wearing vampy, gothic shades on my nails and love Vixen from Revlon (6.49*) the perfect Autumn shade and bang of trend this season. The only downside to these nail enamels is that they do seem to take a while to dry on my nails. 

Berry Smoothie, Macaroon, Raspberry Pie

If you haven't tried these Autumn/Winter shades already I would really recommend giving them a try. If you would like the chance to win a Revlon Lip Butter head over to the Revlon Facebook page now. Good Luck! What is your favourite Lip Butter shade?

*PR Samples 

CIATE MINI MANI MONTH - ADVENT CALENDAR 2012

It's the First of December and we can officially get excited for Christmas! If you were lucky enough to get your hands on one of these (as I know they kept going in and out of stock online), you will be starting your advent today. This Advent Calendar appeals to me a lot more than the average chocolate ones, although deeming more expensive at £38. The calendar includes 17 of their best selling mini pots, 4 caviar blends plus funnel and 3 exclusive new glitter shades. You get all of this for the price tag of just 4 full-size regular paint pots.

The first colour behind door number one was 'Cupcake Queen' a lovely shimmery, bright pink. I really like the look of 'cookies and cream' and 'halo' shades and can't wait to get them on my nails. I love the formula of Ciate polishes as I think they dry so quickly on the nails and have a great colour pay off. I can't wait to open a door to find a bottle of caviar pearls as I haven't tried these yet. I'm also looking forward to finding out what the exclusive shades are too!

It's such a great gift for a friend, any beauty lovers out there or even an early Christmas present for yourself. There are still some available here if you want to get your hands on one! I think it's such a great concept and the design of the packaging is so lovely. I hope other beauty brands take note for next year. 

Have you got a beauty advent calendar this year?

V&A HOLLYWOOD COSTUME EXHIBITION

I recently went to London and visited the V&A to see the current Hollywood Costume exhibition. The exhibit included costume design from some of most well known movies in the Industry. Some of my favourites included Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz's red slippers and Audrey Hepburn's little black dress which was featured in Breakfast at Tiffany's. There are over 100 film costumes displayed in the exhibition and it is definitely worth a visit to see costumes from all genres of film. 

I couldn't take any photography inside the exhibition, but I liked these fun images on the Hollywood Costume gift shop windows displaying the 'Goodies' and 'Baddies' of the film world. The collection fills three galleries and is totally worth the price of a ticket. The exhibition was really busy, so it seems like it's been a hit with people of all ages, film lovers and fashionista's alike. There was something for everyone, from films which have been released this year like Keira Knightley's Anna Karenina to Titanic, Avatar and Die Hard.

The Exhibition is on until the 27th of January 2013 and you can buy the gorgeous coffee table book, which shows the costumes and the work that goes on behind them in further detail here. I would really recommend a trip!

REVLON LIP BUTTER SWEET BOUTIQUE

The Revlon Lip Butter Sweet Boutique is back, for your chance to win head over to the Revlon UK Facebook page here. They are giving away 100x Lip Butters every day before 11pm until the 4th of December. With the chance to win a different shade every day, so you could complete your lip butter collection by entering. Today's shade is Peach Parfait, which is probably my favourite lip butter that I have tried so far. I have been very impressed by these Lip Butters and they are one of my favourite lip products of 2012. So if you haven't tried these already, get yourself over to the Facebook page to enter - just in time for Christmas. Good Luck! 

SELFRIDGES BEAUTY WORKSHOP LUCKY BAG CONTENTS

When I saw the Selfridges Lucky Bag advertised on their blog, I signed straight up to be alerted by email as I knew these wouldn't be around for long. After the success of their Beauty Box, (see my post here) I knew I wanted to get my hands on one of these as I enjoyed discovering and using new brands that I maybe wouldn't of picked up in-store, but I guess the contents of that box was guaranteed. With this lucky bag, you payed £15 for a random pick of 5 or more beauty products. There was a 1000 available on their website and a few of the bags contained a Beauty Workshop service card worth £150.

I have seen a lot of mixed reviews, but the bags are now sold out. The contents of my bag included, a mini Nails Inc nail polish, Anatomicals hand cream, Nail Art nail decorations, A pack of tissues, Beauty Junky strawberry face mask and anatomicals banana lip balm. I was fairly pleased with what I received, and thought it was an average bag from the other reviews I had seen. I was most excited about the Nail Art nail decorations as I had been looking at these in Topshop last week, which I thought was a bit of a coincident. I am also enjoying using the Anatomicals products, but I know you wouldn't think of Selfridges to stock such an affordable brand. 

I really like the concept of this Lucky Bag, I just wish that Selfridges had collaborated with brands that you imagine when you think of their Beauty Workshop. Maybe I have high expectations of Selfridges and was spoilt by their Beauty box, but I guess you get what you payed for. I believe a lot of people would of payed more for guaranteed high-end, quality sample products, as I think you can pick most of these products up from your local Boots. Maybe it would have been nice to find a sample size in your bag and then have the link to their website where you can buy the full-sized item. On their facebook page, Selfridges have stated that if your not happy with your Lucky Bag, you can return it for a full refund. I will be keeping mine as I feel I got my moneys worth, enjoyed the concept and liked taking the risk of what I might of received.

Did you order a Lucky Bag? What did you receive?  

WHAT I THOUGHT OF SEPTEMBER'S GLOSSYBOX 2012

I know this is not the most up to date Glossybox but I thought it would be a good idea to review the products I have used up in the box instead of just showing you what I received in my box that month. I am also doing my dissertation around the beauty box concept so it's helpful for me to view each section of the box and look back on it.

September's box was designed by Maggie Li a London based up-and-coming illustrator. I love the design and have since put it to good use on my desk and filled it with any jewellery that was just sitting around.

Lady Gaga Fame Fragrance - Fullsize 30ml, £25.00 - Ever since this product was released I wanted to test it, as I was so intrigued by the black liquid. I did wonder if the scent was going to be like some other sickly sweet Celebrity fragrances and not to my taste, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really like this fragrance, I don't know if I like it enough to buy the full-size for myself, but the sample went straight into my handbag and is on it's last legs as I write this. I think it's a great little innovation how the liquid comes out clear on your skin. 
Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum - Fullsize 25ml, £127.00 - I'd heard a lot about this wonder product before using it, so I was expecting great things from it. Obviously, at the age of 21 I'm not the best person to test this product for results with fine lines and wrinkles. But I did see a visible difference in my skin's appearance and it has got me interested in discovering more affordable serums that I can use in my night time skincare routine.
Rodial 5 Minute Facial - Fullsize 50ml, £35.00 - This is my ideal product to receive in a Glossybox. I love any kind of pamper products and I found that with this mask. Again this product helps with ageing skin, but I loved the clay texture of this and felt this gave me similar results. I have seen a cheaper alternative which I'm tempted to try by Botanicals which is under £5 at the moment in Boots. 
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream - 15ml £20.00 - I'm so glad I received this product as I had just run out of a tube I received in a past magazine. I've really enjoyed using this product , I feel it does brighten up your eye area and it is very soothing on the skin. I would definitely repurchase the full-size after my second tube runs out as the 7ml lasts me a fair few months, so I feel it's very good value for money.

Vichy Idealia Day Care Cream, Fullsize 50ml, £22.00 - This is another skincare item which I have fallen in love with and featured in one of my favourites posts. This moisturiser is for normal to combination skin and smells just like raspberries! I have enjoyed applying this every morning and I feel it helps to illuminate my skin and sooth any dry patches I may have. I would repurchase this as it is the first Vichy product I have tried and I am very impressed by the quality of this day cream.
Maghrabian Hair Oil, Fullsize 50ml, £13.00 - I love trying any kind of oil treatments on my hair, it is definitely a nice treat and leaves my hair feeling so soft and in the best state it could be in. It removes any frizz and protects the ends of your hair. I'm not so keen on the scent, I find it quite 'manly'. But it is a lovely intensive treatment for your hair. 
As you can see I pretty much loved every single product inside September's Glossybox. Which product did you enjoy the most? I was lucky enough to recently win the Glossybox Pinterest Competition in collaboration with DrJart! and received one of three lovely DrJart Boxes with four product from their new skincare range. I will be sure to update you on how I got on with those, but to view my winning Pinterest Board click here.

SELFRIDGES BEAUTY LUCKY BAG

Today, Selfridges have launched a limited edition 'Lucky Bag' just in time for Christmas. This goody bag includes a lucky dip of a minimum of 5 beauty must-have samples. It is a great gift for any beauty lover or Selfridges innovators. A few of the bags also contain a Beauty Workshop service card worth £150. So it is a real bargain at just £15. With only 1,000 available, they won't be around for long. Like the Selfridges beauty box that was sold out so fast! See my post here. 
I love this concept, I really hope Selfridges keep bringing out new beauty innovations as they have been so popular and are a great way to promote the Beauty Workshop - which is a beauty heaven! I've just got my hands on one, get yours here. Will you be ordering one?