My Favourite Blog Posts of 2015

september 2015

My blog is fast approaching its 4th birthday & I always like to take a moment to have a look back over all my posts from the previous year & pick out my favourites. I did this last year & you seemed to like it. It’s been an exciting and busy year for me, both in the blogging world and in my real life.

If you click on the photos, it will take you through to that specific post.

Dr Paw Paw Balm

Blogger Influenced Beauty Purchases

Five From Mac

Five From NYX Cosmetics

Five Under £5

 L’Oréal La Palette Nude

Mavala Jelly Effect Collection

Cabin Retreat in Cornwall

Max Factor Lipfinity Lipsticks

Autumnal Makeup Favourites

Beauty Stocking Fillers

Jurlique Balancing Essentials Gift Set

My new kitchen is gorgeous, and I have been getting a little more adventurous, so I thought I would share with you more baking and cooking posts.

Let me know which of my posts has been your favourite this year!

Origins Ornament Christmas Bauble

Origins Ornament Christmas Bauble

Whilst in Debenhams buying Christmas gifts I just couldn’t resist treating myself to one of these super festive Origin Ornament Baubles. For the past couple of years I have wanted one but they always sell out so quickly and if I am not mistaken used to just be exclusive to Selfridges so this year I snapped one up early on so I wasn’t disappointed.

Origins Give and Give Back

When you purchase this limited edition bauble you also support Origins and Global ReLeaf 25th Anniversary with the “Give & Give Back” campaign & they will plant a tree on your behalf.

Origns Ornimental Festive bauble

For £12 you get 5 deluxe samples, a great selection of Origins skincare & a makeup item too. The bauble is cute too and you could easily reuse it each year and pop something inside.

  • Modern Friction™ Nature’s gentle dermabrasion
  • Original Skin™ Retexturing Mask with Rose Clay
  • Clear Improvement® Active charcoal mask to clear pores
  • Drink Up™ Hydrating lip balm in Plum Punch
  • Peace of Mind® On-the-spot relief

I have tried two out of the three products and I love them. Modern Friction, Peace of Mind & Drink Up Lip Balm are new to me and I’m excited to try them out. The lipbalm is in a gorgeous berry shade and smells minty. There is something fun about mini sized products & I am away in January for a couple of days so will be taking all of these away with me.

Origins Festive Bauble

All the Origins Christmas gift options this year are so nice and I bought a few as gifts but thought this was a good treat to myself without spending too much money. If you still have gifts to buy or want to treat yourself to a festive Origins set then you can find them in Debenhams, John Lewis and Boots so there is still time before Xmas to snap one up.

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Jurlique gift set

Christmas Gift Guide - beauty sets

Sharing a few last minute Christmas gift ideas from some of my favourite brands. If you have any gift guides then leave me a link to them in the comments.

Decleor Skincare Gift Set

Decléor Anti-Ageing Starter Kit

This is great little introduction to Decléor and perfect for anyone in your life that loves skincare. You get 5 deluxe sample sized skincare treats. It would be a great set to take away for a weekend break. You get to try some of Decléor’s best selling products. I really love the Aromessence Mandarine made with 100% pure essential oils, its so luxurious on the skin and very hydrating.

  • DECLÉOR Aroma Cleanse 3-in-1 Hydra-Radiance Smoothing & Cleansing Mousse 50ml
  • DECLÉOR Aromessence Iris 5ml
  • DECLÉOR Prolagene Lift Rich Cream 15ml
  • DECLÉOR Phytopeel Exfoliating Cream 15ml
  • DECLÉOR Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk 50ml

bare Minerals Glow All The Way Set

bare Minerals Glow All The Way Set £25.00 (currently on sale for 18.75)

bare Minerals have some super lovely Christmas gifts this year & a lot of shops are selling this range now, so it’s even easier to get hold of. This Glow All The Way set is a 4-piece collection and is just perfect for the holiday season. You get 4 products that will help give you that gorgeous natural glow.

The collection includes

  • Mineral Veil Finishing Powder 3g
  • Mini Well-Rested Face & Eye Brightener 0.6ml
  • All-Over Face Colour in Rose Radiance 0.85g
  • Marvelous Moxie Lip gloss in Rebel 4.5ml

I adore the Mineral Veil Finishing Powder, I use it daily to set my makeup and give my skin that flawless, fresh finish. The Lip gloss in this set is also beautiful, and I have to say the Marvelous Moxie formula feels and looks so nice on the lips. This has been in my handbag these past few weeks and I have loved wearing it. This has a value of over £40!

Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream Gift Set

Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream Set £48

This is a great gift set for anyone who has normal to dry skin. The smoothing cream is extremely hydrating and rich, but not too heavy or greasy. It’s ideal for these colder months & you also get a cleansing gel and a mitt. So it’s a lovely trio.

  • Skin Smoothing Cream 100ml
  • Special Cleansing Gel 30ml
  • Cleansing Mitt

Pai Skincare Gift Set

Pai Perfect Balance Discovery Set £20

This is such a lovely skincare set, and it comes beautifully packaged, ready to give as a gift. Anyone that is into their skincare would be thrilled to receive any Pai skincare as a gift. Alternatively, it’s a lovely brand to introduce someone too. Their products are luxurious, pampering but effective. In this set, you get 3 deluxe samples and a muslin cloth,

  • Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser 30ml
  • Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Tonic 12ml
  • Pai Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream 10ml
  • Pai Organic Muslin Cloth.

I found this set to be soothing and so very gentle, it soothed, hydrated and balanced my skin. This set is suited to people with more oily prone skin, and Pai also have a lovely selection of gifts and products to suit all skin types and concerns. At £20 this set is a bargain, too good to miss.

Jurlique Balancing Essentials Gift Set

Jurlique Balancing Essentials Gift Set £58

Jurlique have the most beautiful, luxurious and pampering gift sets this year. Jurlique always pull out all the stops and add something a little special to their limited edition offerings. They have a great selection at a range of prices, so there is a gift to suit all budgets.

This Balancing Essentials Set is just lovely, you get 3 full sized products which combat the early signs of ageing, soothe & hydrate and protect your skin from environmental aggressors. I have written a whole post about this beautiful gift set if you’d like to know more about the products.

• Balancing Day Care Cream 40mL
• Balancing Foaming Cleanser 200mL
• Rosewater Balancing Mist 50m

Make sure you have a look at the Jurlique Christmas shop, it’s full of festive treats & there is still plenty of time to order for Christmas.

This post contains PR samples

Jurlique Balancing Essentials Gift Set

Jurlique Christmas Gift Sets

Jurlique Gift Set #UnwrapJurlique

This year Jurlique have released some lovely Limited Edition Gift Sets for Christmas, they look luxurious and utterly beautiful. I think if you’re buying a gift for someone that loves skincare, Jurlique is a wonderful brand to either introduce them too or add to their collection.

I have been enjoying their Balancing Essentials Gift Set – the gift set comes beautifully packaged in a lovely festive red sleeve that slips off to reveal a beautiful gift box. The box is wood effect & is of great quality, it’s a box that you will be able to reuse and keep your treasures in. I know I will be keeping mine, It’s too pretty not too.

This set comes with 3 full sized products that will help keep your skin smooth, soft and hydrated. This set isn’t targeted at a specific age range which I like, so it’s the perfect set to buy for anyone. The products are gentle and would be suited to almost all skin types.

#UnwrapJurlique

Jurlique Balancing Day Care Cream 40ml

I have used quite a few Jurlique products, but this one was new to me, and there hasn’t been a day this past month that I haven’t reached for it. This is a really nice lightweight cream, it feels comfortable on the skin and not at all greasy. This for me has been a perfect moisturiser for these colder months because it’s lightweight but leaves my skin incredibly hydrated even around my nose which tends to get really dry and flaky. It also helps smooth skin, improve elasticity. It contains some lovely ingredients,

  • Calendula and chamomile to soothe and combat dryness
  • Marshmallow, avocado, safflower, jojoba, shea butter, macadamia and evening primrose oil all work to hydrate and prevent the loss of moisture
  • Green tea, grape seed, turmeric, vitamin A & E all provide antioxidant properties to the skin

So it’s bursting with skin benefits and it’s also formulated to protect your skin from environmental aggressors which is becoming more and more important, especially if you live in more of a built-up area. Oh, and scent is always important to me and this cream has a slight floral scent which I find relaxing.

Jurlique balancing essentials gift set

Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser 200ml

I used this a couple of years ago when I was getting some redness in my cheeks and I remember it being very gentle, so it’s nice to have this back in my skincare routine. I tend to use it in the evening because it is so good at breaking down makeup and dirt, leaving skin clean, radiant and feeling soft. It has a gel like texture and is easy to massage into the skin. It leaves behind the greasy residue and your skin isn’t left with that tight, stripped feeling. Not only that, but it cleans without removing all your moisture.

  • Rosehip Oil helps restore skin radiance
  • Ginseng Root helps firm the skin
  • Vitamins C & E and Ginkgo Biloba help to protect and restore skin
  • Marshmallow intensely hydrates, softens and soothes

It smells lovely and makes me feel like I am in a Spa. A little product goes a long way too, so don’t use too much.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist 50ml

I was so happy to see this face must in this set, I have spoken about this so many times on my blog and would name it in my top 5 skincare products. I just love it. It’s such a refreshing face mist, I love how it stops my skin from drying out and the rose scent is very uplifting and calming. A few spritzes of this leaves my skin feeling soft, soothed and hydrated. You can use it on top of your makeup without unsettling it, and it just keeps your skin nourished and feeling fresh. It’s easy to see why it’s one of Jurlique’s bestsellers!

  • Marshmallow and glycerin help prevent moisture loss and intensely hydrate and soften the skin.
  • Rose and Aloe Vera soften, soothe and calm the skin.
  • Grapefruit Seed provides antioxidant protection.

You can use it when you travel to keep skin fresh and hydrated, at your desk to refresh your skin, on top of your makeup and I also spray it before I use a face mask. There are so many uses for this face mist, and I always have a bottle open and on my desk!

Jurlique Balancing Essentials

The Balancing Essentials Gift Set £59 is the perfect Christmas gift and as I said it comes beautifully packaged with 3 lovely Jurlique skincare essentials. What a treat it would be to get this under the tree this year!

If you want more gift inspiration, make sure you have a look at Jurlique’s   Shop, they have so many limited edition sets for sale & there is a gift to suit everyone. Let me know if anything catches your eye.