Author: Vicki

DIY Beauty Hamper With Boots

- Vicki 7 Comments

Beauty Hamper With Boots

DIY Boots Beauty Hamper

OK so I got a little over excited when Boots asked if I wanted to be part of their DIY Beauty Hamper Campaign*. I think making someone a personal hamper is such a great idea. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a thoughtful gift like that on Christmas morning?

Boots is a great place to get all the supplies you need for your hamper, from festive wrapping paper and tissue, to perfume, skincare, makeup and everything in between. There are so many products to pick from in store or online so you can really create a fantastic hamper full of treats at a price point to suit you. I was kindly gifted the products that I put in my hamper and there are some of my favourite brands in there.

Boots Festive Beauty Hamper

Getting Crafty This Christmas

 

Supplies you will need

  • Tissue Paper
  • Gift Tags
  • Box
  • Wrapping Paper
  • Bows
  • Ribbon
  • Double Sided Sticky Tape
  • Scissors
  • Stuffing
  • Cellophane

Boots Festive Beauty Hamper

Boots Homemade Beauty Hamper

Now time to get creative, I liked the brown box as it was but you might like to cover the box in festive paper. I put a layer of red paper stuffing in the bottom of the box for the products to sit on. I tried to make it look as festive as possible by adding little touches here and there, like a ribbon and a few bows to a couple of the gifts. I wrapped one or two up in tissue paper so they are more of a surprise.

If you have included anything in your hamper that is special or has significance to you then its a nice idea to include a little note and let them know why its important to you or if there is a story / funny story about it. Just something a little more personal.

Boots Beauty Hamper DIY

DIY Homemade Beauty Hamper

Then start to pack your hamper, I had a play about with the layout before I was happy and to stop the products moving about I used the double sided tape. A DIY hamper Is a great way to be creative and put a little bit of personality into a gift, I think this type of gift is more thoughtful.

Ready for under the tree

Finished DIY Beauty Hamper

Once everything is in place & wrapped it in the cellophane, I added some cute red and white ribbon and a big gold bow. Now its ready for under the tree and I am going to gift it to my mum, she is going to LOVE it! Let me know if you have made a hamper as a gift and what products / items you included in yours. Or if you’re going to make one for the first time this year.

Thank you to Boots for including me in such a fun campaign. If you’d like to see a much better hamper than mine you can check out this step by step guide.

•this isn’t a sponsored post but Boots were kind enough to gift all the products and supplies I needed to put together this festive hamper.

Katherine Daniels Skincare

- Vicki 1 Comment
Katherine Daniels Skincare Products

Katherine Daniels Skincare Products

British Skincare brand Katherine Daniels

I love discovering new British brands and when this Katherine Daniels parcel arrived on my doorstep I was excited to try everything out.

Their skincare comes in easy to follow steps which makes everything so simple.

Step 1 – Essential Cleansing Milk

Step 1 – Essential Toning Lotion

Step 2 – Concentrate For Dry Skin

Step 3 – Sensitive Skin Cream

So caring for your skin has never been easier, we would all love to have the time & the money to have facials every week but that’s just not reality for most of us. So it’s nice to use skincare to create an almost Spa at Home type of feel & Katherine Daniels products are luxurious and have been created to treat the most common skin issues and conditions so you can really care for your skin at home!

Concentrate For Dry Skin*

This is a very lightweight but nourishing serum packed full of incredible skin benefits such as

  • Concentrated seaweed peptides – to protect & defend against ageing
  • Phytosqualane & Tryglicerides – to hydrate and nourish
  • Extract of Myrtle – Increases cell tissue life
  • Vitamin E – which helps protect from free radicals

This is a lovely serum if you are noticing fine lines and wrinkles, it plumps the skin and over time helps reduce them. It’s very rich and nourishing, it leaves the skin feeling smooth and is the perfect serum for the colder months. If you have dry sensitive skin then this will be a great addition to your routine.

Essential Cleansing Milk* 

This cleanser is so light in texture, I haven’t tried that many cleansing milks so I wasn’t sure how I would get on with this one. It is a very gentle and you use it on damp skin and massage it in, to break down makeup and dirt then use a damp warm cloth to remove. It has a soothing scent and it the cleanser left my skin feeling clean but not tight and it was very effective in removing my makeup. It contains these key ingredients

  • Red Seaweed and Blue Micro-Algae Extract – Which boost Collagen and Elastin within the skin
  • Glycerine – This helps to hydrate the skin and prevent moisture loss

So its also a good hydrating cleanser and will help your skin look radiant and plump. If you like to use a cleansing milk then you should check this one out.

Essential Toning Lotion*

I was excited to see this toner was alcohol-free so it’s not going to strip your skin or be too harsh. Toning is one of my favourite steps in my skincare routine. This one calms and soothes the skin, so its great for cold weather when my skin tends to be more sensitive and prone to redness. This contains some lovely ingredients too

  • Blue and White Lotus Flower Extract and Mastocarpus Extract – Both are excellent for relaxing and soothing the skin

This leaves your skin feeling comfortable and smooth, ready for the next step in your routine.

Sensitive Skin Cream*

This is a gel moisturiser which leaves my skin feeling velvety smooth and incredibly nourished. This feels like it sinks into the skin immediately, it’s not greasy or heavy and is a lovely smooth base for makeup. This also contains Phytosqualane which is a key ingredient in nourishing the skin and keeping it looking supple and radiant.

Katherine Daniels is a brand to keep your eye on, their products have a nice simple feel to them. They’re all really good quality and I have enjoyed them in my skincare routine. All four of the products in this post are Paraben and Mineral Oil Free.

To see their product range or find a Katherine Daniels salon near you visit www.katherinedanielscosmetics.com

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Cornwall Week #5

- Vicki 2 Comments

White Wash Cornish Cottages

Sunrise in Cornwall Lighthouse at Mevagissey

Aquarium in Mevagissey

Mevagissey Harbour

Newquay Coastline

The Red Lion Pub

Charlies Coffee Shop Charlestown

This week has been quiet and I think we have found our rhythm into rural life. Daily coffee shop visits & buying our fruit & veg from little stalls at the road side & paying into an honesty box – I Iove that! It has been so warm & feels nothing like October / November its so bright and feels more like Spring. I’m sure the colder weather is on its way.

We are driving up to Manchester & then on to Scotland at the end of the month so we are trying to get all our work up to date so we can enjoy spending time with family & friends. We are spending Christmas back here in Cornwall which will be our first Christmas just the two of us in 15 years. We are usually the ones driving up the motorway on Christmas Eve / Boxing Day on a 600 mile round trip to visit family and this year we want a quiet low key Christmas just the two of us in our own home. Bliss.

Arran Aromatics

- Vicki 1 Comment

Arran Aromatics Products

I have recently been introduced to a lovely Scottish brand called Arran Aromatics, which started back in 1989 on the beautiful Isle of Arran by a husband & wife (there is something quite romantic about that). Over the past 20 years the brand has gone from strength to strength and is dedicated to producing affordable quality products. I have been trying out two products from their incredible range and I’ve been blown away with how effective and luxurious they’ve been.

After The Rain Bath Salts*

These bath salts come beautifully packaged and look lovely out in your bathroom. I wasn’t prepared for just how incredible they would smell. I emptied a good amount into my running bath, closed the door & pottered about for a couple of minutes whilst they dissolved in the water and by the time I went back into the bathroom the whole room smelt of the most soothing and calming scent. Even my husband commented on how good they smelt.

So these bath salts are part of the After The Rain collection and the scent is an Arran Aromatics best seller, its easy to see why. After the Rain fragrance blends citrus top notes of lemon, and essential oils of lime and mandarin with rose, musk and precious woods to form the heart and base notes of the fragrance. I like that its a combination of floral, citrus and more masculine musk and woods, its such a wonderful blend. I love the scent that much that I will be purchasing the candle and the body lotion. The scent was so soothing and I felt relaxed after my bath.

The After The Rain Collection has something for everyone from bath salts to perfume so make sure you take a look.

Sea Mud Cleansing Mask*

This mask is from Arran Aromatics Feel Good Formulas which is an everyday body care range with natural-inspired traditional ingredients, extracts and essential oils, which are centuries old – yet bang up-to-date, allowing you to enjoy positive benefits from head to toe! This Mud Mask is a great way to pamper the skin and draw out impurities and balance oils leaving your skin looking radiant and feeling clean. Its like your traditional Mud Mask and you apply a generous amount to clean skin & leave it on for about 10 minutes, I never let my mud mask dry completely I like to wash it off just as it starts to set, that way my skin never feels dry and tight when I wash it off. I remove it using a warm damp cloth & I love how smooth and soothed my skin feels after using this.

This Sea Mud Mask contains natural Kaolin to draw out impurities and replaces lost minerals, whilst essential oils of Bergamot and Mint act to tone and revitalise, protecting against oiliness and spots, leaving your skin clean and conditioned. So your skin is in good hands!

What products have you tried from Arran Aromatics? I’d love to hear your suggestions. Oh and they have a lovely selection of Christmas gifts including an advent calendar filled with 24 luxurious treats from candles to shower gels and much more. I am very very tempted by this!

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.