Women's Christmas Gift Guide

Todays gift guide features gorgeous gift sets for us girls from some of my favourite brands. I've chosen purse friendly prices and some a little more extravagant. From each of the brands, there is lots of choice but I have chosen my top picks. Any one of them would be a lovely surprise under the tree.

Benefit

Sweet Tintations (contains Benebalm, Lollibalm, Mini Benetint and Mini Lollitint. €29.50), Cheeky Sweet Spot (contains Hoola, Dandelion, CORALista, Bella Bamba, Rockateur and Sugarbomb Blushes €43) and Sugarplum Fairies (contains Full Size They're Real Mascara, The POREfessional, Hoola Bronzer and Benetint Mini €63) There are lots more gift sets available at your nearest Benefit counter. I am really loving their selection this year. 

Clarins

Lip Collection (Rouge Eclat #133,Instant Lip Perfector #6, Instant Lip Perfector #1, Gloss Prodige #4 €26, retail value €32.33) Beauty Flash Balm Collection (Beauty Flash Balm 50ml, Instant Lip Perfector #1 and Instant Perfecting Touch €36, retail value €50.97) and Hydraquench Collection (Hydraquench Cream, Hydraquench Serum and Hydraquench Mask €45, retail value €79.90) There are lots more sets available from Clarins so be sure to check out your nearest counter.

Lancome 

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes (contains Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara, 30ml Bi-Facil and Mini Kohl Eyeliner,€27.50), Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate 30ml Giftset (contains  The Lancôme Genifique youth activating concentrate gift set comes with a genifique eye light pearl 5ml, advanced genifique concentrate 30ml, and genifique day 15ml. €73) and Dream Tone Serum 02 Giftset (contains 40ml Dreamtone Pigmentation Serum Profile 2, 7ml Advanced Genefique serum, Advanced Genefique Eye Light Pearl and 7ml Dream Tone 02, €87)  These and lots more Lancome gifts are available at your nearest counter along with Debenhams, Brown Thomas and Arnotts)

The Body Shop

Argan Gift Cube (contains Argan Shower Gel,Argan Body Milk Lotion and White Mini Crinkle Lily €9.95) Strawberry Luxury Gift Set (contains Strawberry Shower Gel, Strawberry Soap, Strawberry Body Polish, Strawberry Body Butter and Red Mini Crinkle Lily €29.95) and Satusma Gift Bag (contains Satsuma Body Butter, Satsuma Shower Gel, Satsuma Hand Cream and Orange Mini Crinkle Lilly €39.95) These are just a handful of pretty gifts from The Body shop, the full range can be found in your local store.

Yonka

Cleansing Essentials for dry skin( Lait Nettoyant and Lotion PS) or combination skin (Gel Nettoyant and Lotion PNG) €48, Aromatic Body Oils (contains Replenishing Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil with a smooth Jasmine oil, Energising Sweet Orange and Mandarin Essential Oils and Relaxing soothing scents of Verbena and Petitgrain Essential Oils) €49.60 and Home Spa (Phyto Bain and a large Quintessence Candle) €65 There are lots more Yonka Gifts available at your nearest stockist

YSL

Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils ( includes 30ml Eye Makeup remover €31.00) Radiance Set (Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils, Touche Eclat #1 and 15ml Youth Liberator Serum €66) and Forever Light Creator Giftset (contains 30ml Forever Light Creator Serum, 5ml Forever Light Creator Jelly Cream, 5ml Forever Light Creator CC Cream #2 and 5ml Top Secret Gommage €80)

What do you think of my picks and do you think the offerings this year are much good? I have an Irish Beauty Gift Guide too.

#SBBC Day 5 : Faves and Fails Makeup Removers

Todays post is aimed at sharing my faves and fails of makeup removers so thought I would focus on Eye Makeup Removers. I have tried what feels like hundreds of them but I have two firm favs.

  

Essence Eye Makeup Remover

I first purchased this back in January and fell in love with it. Since then I have bought a couple more bottles. This is a dual phase formula that is excellent for removing heavy makeup. It can be picked up for a measly €1.90, the first time I bought it, I managed to bag it for 50c. Raging I didn't buy more at the time but the normal €1.90 is still a bargain

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover is a newbie in my life. I find it great for removing even heavy eye makeup remover aswell as removing stubborn lippie. This lovely is €13.50 and I have found you only need a tiny amount so I think it will last me quiet some time.

With the good, comes the ones that never seemed to agree with me, for me one that comes to mind is Clarins  Instant Eye Makeup remover.

I love my clear based eye makeup removers but I just can't get on with this lovely. It's dual based which I love but I find it almost too oily on my skin. Unfortunately not one for me.

Have you any makeup removers you rate?

Sneak Peek: Clarins Double Serum

On a cold Thursday evening, I headed off to see check out the latest skincare product from the skin care experts Clarins.  What was revealed to us was their new Double Serum. Double Serum has been around for 27 years and originally came in two separate bottles. Over the years it has gone through some changes with the latest in 2007.

All the way through the talk on Double Serum ,I was bursting to get my paws on it and give it a whirl. I wasn't left disappointed.

Double Serum is two treatments in one, one oil based and one water based and includes 20 active plant based ingredients. Double Serum targets 5 key areas that are essential for younger looking skin: hydration, nutrition, oxygenation, protection and regeneration. 

What I really like about Double Serum is that it can be used by any women no matter what their skin type, and off all ages from 25. Clarins recommend you use this in the morning and night for full efficacy and use 3 pumps. I find 2 pumps is enough for me, but try both and see how you go.

This will be available from the 4th of February and will have an RRP of €69.50, which is quite a price tag but if you are thinking of buying serum, you can;t go wrong with Double Serum as it is a true multitasker.

xxx I'll be road testing this lovely over the next month so keep your eyes peeled for a review. I'm expecting big things from this lovely but what I can tell you is in the few days I have used it, my skin feels tighter and my pores look smaller. xxx

Clarins Odyssey Collection

Clarins always have gorgeous makeup collections to make my heart skip a beat and this Christmas is no different with the release of the Odyssey Collection. The collection includes a stunning Face Palette (€55) and gorgeous Eyeshadow Palette (€40). The packaging on both is a stunning heavy gold compact .

Face Palette

The face palette is a light peach/nude shade suitable for all skin types and skin tones. The emblem design on the powder is highlighted by a gold shimmer. Needless to say I fell in love and fought with myself to dip my powder brush into it. I eventually worked up the courage and loved the powder. It is very lightweight and spread evenly giving pretty good coverage. This beauty is well worth the €55 investment,m ine has taken up home in my everyday beauty bag.

Eyeshadow Palette

The eyeshadow palette features two lighter base shades and a darker shade perfect for contouring and eye lining, and a gold highlighter
made out of pure crushed pigments. Guess what my favourite shade was? I’m a sucker for a brown eyeshadow paletter, having loads of everyday ones but with the addition of the gold highlighter,this palette makes it suitable for night wear or party season too. I wore this the night before the wedding and fewll in love. The eyeshadows are easy to blend and give a gorgeous smokey eye.

xxx Both these lovelies are on a Clarins counter near you now xxx