Secret Santa!

I absolutely love doing Secret Santas, so when the lovely Jess contacted me on Twitter to see if I'd be interested in taking part in a bloggers secret Santa, of course the answer was doing to be yes. I was given Nicola who blogs here. After doing much reading through her blog, here's what I picked out for her:

I read on Nicola'a blog that she liked to wear gold eye shadow all year round, so I choose this gorgeous, shimmery offering from MUA.

I thought this Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch nail polish would be perfect for the festive season.

After reading that Nicola has sensitive skin, I chose this cooling cucumber mask from Superdrug.

 

Who doesn't love a good mascara? I've heard good things about MUA Extreme Curl, so I thought this would be a great choice for Nicola.

 

 

This strawberries and cream body spritz from 'I Love...' smells absolutely heavenly, and is a lighter alternative to perfume for everyday wear.

 

 

I noticed that Nicola seemed to be in to her jewellery, so I picked out these pretty diamante heart earrings from George at Asda.

 

 

Finally, I chose this chocolate Santa as my Christmas themed item.

 

I really hope Nicola liked the things I picked out for her! When my package arrived, I was so excited to see what I'd got, and if my secret Santa was going to reveal themselves. My box of goodies came from the lovely Sophie who blogs here, and I absolutely love everything she sent me! Here's what I got:

 

 

 

 I can't wait to try out this cleanser from Sk:n, as it'll be perfect for my oily skin. Sophie said in her card that she works for the brand, so I'm glad that this gets her recommendation.

 

 

I'm a total nail polish junkie, so I was so happy to receive these two gorgeous colours from Sally Hansen. The Gem Crush one is super sparkly, whereas the Diamond Strength a delicate pearlescent pink.

I love candles, and this Christmas Cookie Yankee smells absolutely divine.

Again, Sophie got it spot on with this beautiful pink lipstick from Rimmel. It's the perfect shade for me.

Finally was this yummy Lindt chocolate Santa!

 

I genuinely love everything that Sophie picked out for me, and I want to say a big thank you to both Sophie for the goodies and to Jess for organising the whole thing. I also hope Nicola liked the treats that I sent her!

 

Have you taken part in a bloggers secret Santa? What did you send and receive?

 

 

 

Budget Christmas Gift Idea

Christmas can be a tough time on the bank balance, so this nail polish set from Primark is the perfect gift idea if you're on a strict budget. At only £2 for four beautiful colours, it's a great present for any beauty-lover.

 

With a glossy red-pink, a metallic silver-gold, a deep grey and a purple glitter, there's something for everyone. If you're really strapped for cash, you could give the polishes individually to four different people, which works out at just 50p per polish. Bargain!

 

 

 

nspa Passion Fruit Shower & Bath Gel

I love a good shower gel, and this passion fruit one from nspa is one of the best ones I've come across recently. Not only does this smell absolutely divine (just like J20 drinks!), it forms a rich lather so a little goes a long way, and it also contains a selection of vitamins for keep skin feeling soft and smooth. Although I only have showers, I imagine it would make an indulgent bath soak too.

 

Asda currently have an offer on selected nspa products, and you can get two 500ml shower & bath gels for £4. The normal price is £3 each, so it's a good bargain.

 

Have you tried any other products from the nspa range? I will definitely be treating myself to some others.

 

The Body Shop Joy Card

Another little freebie inside December's issue of Glamour is this Joy Card, which will give you either £3, £15, or £100 off a purchase in-store. Simply take the card in to find out which amount your card is worth! It's a great way if saving some money on a Christmas present, or even treating yourself to a little something. Your card could also raise £1000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity too!

 

If you haven't got your copy of Glamour yet, make sure you pick one up quick as you also get a Kate Spade by nails inc. nail polish!

 

Have you spent your Joy Card yet? Which amount did you get?

 

 

Magazine Freebies

I know I'm a bit late off the mark with this one, but I don't buy that many magazines anymore as I struggle to find the time to sit down and enjoy them. However I made an exception when I saw the treats available on December's issues of Glamour and Cosmopolitan (UK editions).

 

Glamour is giving away a Kate Spade by nails inc. polish, and I chose the shade 'Soho Silver'. I love metallic shades and I can't wait to give this one a try.

 

Cosmopolitan on the other hand have a selection of four ORLY polishes to choose from - I opted for 'Star Spangled', which is a classic red shimmer that'll be perfect for the festive season.

 

 

Have you bought your copies of Glamour and Cosmopolitan? Which shades did you go for?

 

 

Birchbox November 2013

 

This month's Birchbox definitely made up for my slightly disappointing Glossybox. Here's what I got:

 

1. Lila'lli Line Define Fill in black: Although I'm not sure how this black liner would be suitable for lips, I can't wait tot try it out on my eyes.

 

2. Weleda Oat Replenishing Shampoo: This will be handy when I'm staying overnight somewhere and don't want to take a full sized shampoo with me. It'll be great for my bleached hair too.

 

3. Laura Mercia Ambre Vanille Body Butter: This smells so good and I'm sure it'll be a treat for parched, winter skin.

 

4. Christopher Wick English Laundry Perfume Sample: Boasting a sweet scent, the fragrance is really long-lasting without being too over-powering. But as with Glossybox, I'm getting a bit fed up of perfume samples in beauty boxes.

 

5. Birchbox Sharpener: A little extra, a sharpener is always handy to have in your bag to keep your pencils ready for use at all times.

 

6. Chella Highlighter Pencil: This'll be great for perking up dull skin and enhancing natural radiance. It'll also be a saviour for tired eyes during the upcoming party season!

 

7. Pukka Herbs Teas: I love earl grey but I don't usually go for flavoured teas. I'll give the cinnamon one a go but I think I'll be passing the elderberry and echinacea one to my dad to enjoy!

 

Were you happy with the contents of your Birchbox this month?

 

 

Glossybox November 2013

 

With the theme of this month's Glossybox being 'The Glossy Wishlist', I was expecting some luxury, indulgent products to enjoy in time for Christmas, but sadly I was left a little disappointed with the November offering.

 

Here is what I got:

 

1. Yves Rocher Collection Cacao Cocoa and Raspberry Hand Cream, 75ml (full size), worth £1.95: This smells delicious and doesn't make my hands feel too greasy. I would say that this is my favourite product from the box.

 

2. Connock London Kukui Perfume, 1.5ml sample, worth about 75p: I found this scent a bit overpowering - it's very floral, with notes of gardenia, white jasmine and lily that rest on a woody base. My sample was only half full too, so I guess it's a good job that I'm not that fussed on it! I'm starting to get a bit sick perfume samples now. Switch it up a bit Glossybox!

 

3. Emite Make Up Micronized Eyeshadow in Dams, 1.48g (full size), worth £16.80: Although this is great for sensitive eyes like mine, it's not a colour I'd really wear, so I'll just use this as a base when I do a smokey eye. I could never justify paying that price for a single eyeshadow though, so it definitely bumps up the worth value of the box.

 

4. Elegant Touch Nail Polish Remover Pads, 20 pads (full size), worth £2: I'm a total nail polish junkie and I always remove it using pads, so these will come in super handy.

 

5. Vichy Idealia Life Serum 2 x 3ml, and Vichy Idealia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream 1 x 3ml, worth around £2.90 in total: My skin can often look quite dull, so I'm looking forward to seeing if these can perk up my complexion. I wish they were a more generous size though.

 

This box is a bit hit and miss for me - I'd like to see less perfume samples and if it wasn't for the eyeshadow, this box would have been worth less than the £10 paid for it.

 

What did you get in your Glossybox this month? Were you happy with your selection of products?