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.

Luxury Giftsets from 4 of My Fav Brands

Four of my favourite high end brands are Lancome, Armani, YSL and Kiehls. It's not often I buy something from them but when I do, I do a little happy dance. There is something about the packaging that makes me very happy. I couldn't let Christmas go by without sharing my picks from these brands.

Lancome

Lancome Hypnose Drama Set €25.91

Lancome La Vie Est Belle 30ml Set €47.00

 

 

Lancome Genifique 50ml Set €115.00

 
Armani

Armani Diamond 30ml Giftset €59.47

Armani Code Femme 50ml Giftset €67.60

 

YSL

YSL Mascara Set €66.00

YSL Forever Youth Liberator Set €77.00

Kiehls

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Kit:€47.00

Kiehls Crème de Crop: €94.00

xxx Anything from these lovelies speaking to you? xxx



Xmas Makeup: Lancome Happy Holidays

It's no secret that Lancome is one of my favourite brands.I always get a thrill from stopping by one of their counters.So when I had the chance to try some of the lovelies from their Happy Holidays collection,I jumped up and down like a child.

 

Happy Holidays features precious gold whch completely sets the tone for festive makeup.

 

 Ombre Hypnose Mono (shade: Fild'Argent S207) €25 is packaged in a gorgeous gold glitter case and features an eyeshadow that has a fine texture and blends easuily when applied. The shade is a gorgeous brown with pure golden pigments. You can use this lovely either wet or dry.

 

 

 

Vernis In Love (shade: Ginger Swing no.532) € 18 is a gorgeous sparkly gold shade,that I am in completely in love with. My inner magpie is quite happy with this baby and its defintiely going to be part of my Christmas nails this year.

 

Le Crayon Kohl (shade: Jazzy Taupe no.015) €17.28 is a gorgeous metallic brown that is a really creamy texture.

 

 

There are also a gorgeous lose shimmering eyshadow available called Ombre Les Pailettes aux Yeaux (shade: A La Belle Etoile no.10) €24.50 and a very festive L'Absolu Rouge (shade: Rubis Exquis no.182) €25.41

 

 

 

This beautiful collection is available at Lancome counters now, be sure to pop along and pick up a few bits because a collection like this won't be here for long.

 

xxx What do you like the look of from Lancome Happy Holidays? xxx

 

Winter Skin Care Tips

Winter is well and truly on the way. As the days get colder it's really inmportant to look after your skin. I always suffer from dry skin coming into the winter. It can be really frustrating! Last week I turned to skin care guru Mariga Sheedy from Skin Essentials By Mariga for tips on looking after your skin during the winter months.

Heres what advice she has for you:

One of the biggest problems for skin in the winter is the loss of water through the epidermis due to cold air and heated rooms. This breaks down the defence layer of your skin, allowing water to evaporate too quickly, leading to dryness, flaking and irritation. Underlying problems such as acne and rosacea will become worse.

Tips to combat moisture loss:

-Use a night cream or oil even if you have oily skin to keep moisture sealed in.

-Leave-on moisturising masks are great to use once or twice a week at night if you have dry skin.

-You still need an SPF during the day but add a couple of drops of Rosehip Seed Oil underneath if you have normal skin, Nourishing Oil if you have dry skin.

-If suitable for you take a supplement of Omega 3,6,9 to strengthen skin from the inside.

-Reduce exfoliation to decrease stress on the skin's defence layer.

-Don't scrub, ever! Use an enzyme based exfoliant.

-If you find it hard to drink water in the winter try green or white tea to hydrate without making you cold!

-The ingredients to look for in your skincare are essential fatty acids, hyaluronic acid and natural (non-fragrant) oils such as rose hip, jojoba, avocado seed.

-If you work/live in a very dry environment consider investing in a humidifier or place a bowl of water near the radiator.

-For dry skin on your body add a few drops of rosehip seed oil to your bath water, but be careful not to slip :)

Mariga's skincare range is fantastic, I'm a huge fan of the nourishing oil but here are some other lovelies from her range ideal for Winter:

 

L-R Rosehip Oil €20/30ml,Nourishing Oil €15/15ml,

Lipid Repair Concentrate (for dry, damaged skin) €55/30ml

You should also use the

SPF30 day cream €30/30ml and

Skin Comfort Cleanser €22/30ml

There is loads of choice on the market for Winter Skincare, my personal favourites are the Vichy Aqualia
Thermal Serum, Mask & Mineral Balm. These lovelies are like a drink of water for your skin. I especially love applying the Mineral Balm as a super hydrating mask, pop a good layer on and lie back for 5-10 minutes. You will love it.

 

I'm always on the lookout for a decent day cream and had heard of Lancomes Genefique Nutric Nourishing Youth Activating Cream.So the other day I tried a bit. This is a rich luxurious cream that claims to change the behaviour patterns of dry skin, maybe even banishing dry skin to your past. Sounds like a miracle to me so come pay day, I'll be buying the 30ml (€35)to try out.