Japanese Skincare

Christmas Beauty Gift Guide 2016 Part 1

- Vicki 3 Comments
2016 Beauty Product Christmas Gift Guide

Christmas Beauty Gift Ideas 2016

This year the beauty industry seems to have stepped it up a gear in regards to their festive offerings, so many brands have released fantastic gift sets and one-off products for Christmas and I have fallen in love with so many of them.

I have a few gift ideas I wanted to share with you and so this is the first in a series of Festive Gift Guides that I will be posting over the coming weeks. I’d also love to hear what is top of your beauty wish list this year & what gifts you are most excited to give to family and friends.

2016 Beauty Product Christmas Gift Guide

Festive Beauty Gift Ideas

The Girl by Tommy Hilfiger EDT 100ml £35 / 50ml £25

Perfume is always top of my Christmas list because it is one of those luxury items you don’t often get around to purchasing for yourself and at this time of year fragrance gift sets are everywhere. They are often fantastic value for money so make sure you keep an eye out for those! I was recently introduced to a new release,  The Girl by Tommy Hilfiger EDT which I think would be a lovely gift for teens & young adults. It has top notes of green pear, violet leaf and fig leaf. Heart notes of jasmine petals and silky muguet. Base notes of cedar wood and cashmeran. So its quite a crisp fresh scent but it settles down to be more of a rich warm scent. This is a very easy perfume to wear and would make an ideal daytime fragrance.

Bee Good Travel Trio Skincare Gift Set

Bee Good Youth Enhancing Travel Trio Set £20

This year British skincare experts Bee Good have released some super cute Christmas Gift Sets, they come nicely packaged in a hexagonal box with a honeycomb pattern (which is a nod to the bees) and the contents are equally as lovely. I have the Travel Trio Set and this includes 3 must have youth enhancing essentials for anyone that wants to combat the early signs of ageing. In this set you get,

  • Hydrate, Smooth & Prime Serum 10ml
  • Plump & Firm Moisturiser 15ml
  • Lift & Brighten Eye Cream 5ml

These products will help hydrate, revive and brighten the skin which is perfect for this time of year and protecting our skin against the effects of dry, cold weather. These products are formulated with no Parabens, synthetic colour, mineral oil, silicon’s SLS or SLES.

Dr. Bronners Festive Stocking Fillers

Dr Bronner Winter Skincare 

Dr. Bronner is such a cult brand and they always deliver on quality. In terms of gift ideas, they have such a fantastic selection of products and any of them would make lovely Stocking Fillers. I have their Peppermint Lip Balm which smells just like candy canes and feels so hydrating and protecting on the lips. They’re made with organic beeswax, organic jojoba, avocado and hemp oils. You can never have too many lip balms during the Winter, especially ones that smell like Christmas!

I also have one of the Dr Bronner hand & body lotions in the Orange Lavender scent and this feels wonderfully nourishing on the skin and the scent is a nice mix of zesty and floral. It’s quite a relaxing scent and so I have been using this in the evening before bed just to ensure I get a good nights sleep. I also really like that this comes in a handy pump bottle which makes it so fuss-free to use! Again this would make a fab Stocking Filler or Secret Santa gift, especially if that person likes to use cruelty-free, organic brands. This comes in four softening scents including, Organic Lavender & Coconut, Organic Patchouli & Lime and Organic Peppermint. 

DHC Bento Beauty Box

DHC Christmas Bento Beauty Box £11

How cute is this DHC Christmas Bento Beauty Box!? What a great way to introduce people to a Japanese beauty brand they may not have tried before. Inside this limited edition box you get a nice collection of travel size DHC essentials and some of their best selling products – which includes:-

  • Iconic Deep Cleansing Oil 30ml, DHC’s worldwide bestselling makeup removing cleanser
  • Ultra-nourishing Mild Soap 10g, for thorough-yet-gentle cleansing
  • Revitalising Moisture Eye Strips (2 sets of 2 strips), to quickly brighten eyes and reduce puffiness
  • 100% natural Blotting Paper (100 sheets), to reduce shine and absorb oil on-the-go

It would be a great gift for someone that likes a pamper and also discovering new brands.

Festive Beauty Gifts Makeup

Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Basics Palette

If I had to recommend one beauty product from 2016 it would 100% be this beautiful eyeshadow palette from Urban Decay. Not just because the packaging is beyond gorgeous and very, very festive but the quality of the shadows is unbeatable. I do not own many matte eyeshadows so this palette more than makes up for that. You get 12 all matte, easy to wear shades and they are so versatile too. This would be great for makeup fans of any age and it’s a bit of a show stopper in my opinion and a gift that would be very much loved by whoever receives it. I do have a full review of this with swatches if you want to read that —-> Urban Decay Ultimate Basics Review

Stila Lip Glaze

Stila is one of my favourite makeup brands and each year they release some fantastic beauty gifts. This year is no exception. Although I really like their gift selection I simply love their classic Lip Glazes and each year I like to give my close friends/family one each in their stocking. I like the simplicity of the brown card packaging and these come in a whole range of pretty shades too, 24 colours in total (I think). The formula gives a nice long lasting shine to the lips without them feeling sticky or drying out. It’s a fab product to pop into a stocking or as part of a bigger gift, it has become a bit of a tradition for me to gift them & I always get myself a few new shades whilst I am buying them.

What’s at the top of your Christmas wishlist and do you have a tradition of gifting something each year? Let me know in the comments.

* This post contains PR Samples

Products Currently in Use #2

- Vicki 2 Comments
Products Currently in Use

Products Currently in Use

So I’ve used up almost all of the products in my last ‘Currently In Use‘ post & thought it was time to switch things up and add in a few new products. I love switching up my skincare and consciously looking at my stash and rotating products, it means I use up more things and discover some gems that have been languishing at the back of the cupboard. These are just four products I have added to my routine, I do use more than this but these are the latest additions.

DHC Pore Face Wash

I have tried a couple of skincare products from DHC and never been disappointed, this is a Foaming Cleanser but don’t be put off by that, It is sulphate free and won’t strip or dry out your skin. It’s gentle but effective at removing makeup and dirt so your pores are not enlarged by dirt, I wouldn’t say it reduced my pores but its very good at unclogging them and helping remove dirt and excess sebum. This cleanser is also a gentle exfoliator and ‘has been blended with two caring exfoliants: pear juice alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA) which help refine the complexion, and softly abrasive baking soda which dissolves dirt and eliminates impurities’.

This cleanser leaves my skin feeling refreshed, clean and looking radiant, oh and Its has a light grapefruit scent which is nice and uplifting. I use this at night and you need the smallest amount, honestly a pea-sized amount, you will be surprised at how much it lathers up. Another fantastic product from DHC, it’s easy to see why they’re one of Japans best selling brands.

balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

I love using balm cleansers and they’re my favourite way to remove my makeup and this one from balance Me has gone right to the top of my favourites. Not only is it a fantastic balm cleanser but it has tiny oat powder in too which act as a very gentle exfoliator so your skin is not only left extremely clean but it’s also polished and smooth. Love a good two in one! This has a thick balm consistency but it feels so nice to massage over the skin and really break down the makeup remove all the dirt and grime from the day. It’s great for both Normal & Sensitive skin

  • Normal skin: Shea, Mango and Cocoa Butters dissolve make-up and deeply hydrate, creating a radiant, balanced complexion for all skin types.
  • Sensitive skin: Rosehip Oils help to soothe sensitivities and encourage healthy cell renewal.

This has been getting a lot of use since looked it out & my skin has never felt as smooth and soft. This is a great affordable cleanser and if you’re looking for a new balm cleanser then look no further!

Liz Earle Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash*

This smells like a luxurious spa or a summer holiday to Italy, it’s beautiful and when I use it in the morning my whole house smells incredible. With foaming agents derived from soap bark, corn and coconut plus soothing organic oats it leaves my skin smooth and hydrated. This massive bottle will last me until this time next year, I have been using it every morning for over a month and it still feels like its full to the brim. It contains ‘Naturally active ingredients include organic oats, natural source vitamin E, plus orange flower water and ten pure essential oils to lift spirits and delicately scent the skin.’ It’s the perfect uplifting product, its crazy how a scent can affect your mood & these citrus aromas are so nice and refreshing. I’d say this product is indulgent by so very worth it.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

This product comes as a dry powder which you mix with water in your hands and massage over your face. It’s not grainy or abrasive but turns into a paste-like consistency. It smells like porridge which is strangely nice and familiar (I eat porridge every morning). This is meant to be used after you have cleansed, but I have used it in the morning & only used this, it left my face clean and smooth.

  • Rice Bran and Rice extract gently microfoliate skin surface to facilitate penetration of the brightening complex.
  • Papain Enzyme and Salicylic Acid help dissolve excess surface cells.
  • Skin Brightening Complex of Licorice, Aspergillus and Grapefruit helps even skin tone.

I have used this 3 times over the past couple of weeks, I’m not 100% sure if its a product I need in my skincare routine. Especially as the DHC & balance me products also have exfoliating qualities. I think I will do a more in-depth review of it once I have been using it a little longer.

Let me know if you have used any of the products in my current line up or let me know what new skincare you have added to your routine.

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.

DHC Premium Lipsticks

- Vicki 13 Comments
DHC Lipsticks

DHC Lipsticks

Cult Japanese brand DHC is very well known for their skincare and I love their Cleansing Oil and Eye Masks but they also have a makeup line which includes Lipsticks, Eyeliners, Blushers and a few other products. They have recently released a line of Premium Lipsticks and these come in 6 easy to wear shades. I have been testing 3 of the colours.

DHC Makeup

The first thing you notice is the packaging, they have a very high-end look and feel to them, the casing is a stunning mix of gold and silver with etched flower detailing. They look very pretty and feel luxurious. The only downside to the packaging is the fact they don’t have the product names on, the boxes have only the number and the lipstick themselves have neither.

The three shades I have are all quite muted and perfect as everyday options. These lipsticks are almost an extension of DHC’s skincare line and brand ethos in that they have an underline skincare benefit too as These lipsticks ‘fight the signs of ageing in two ways, firstly by using Pure Colour Technology which contains micronized pigment to deflect light, creating a plump and 3D lip effect and secondly by reducing the appearance of vertical lines with ingredients such as macadamia oil, olive oil and rice bran oil to moisturise, collagen and sodium hyaluronic to lock in moisture and vitamin A and geranium to protect and condition’.

All three of the ones I have are rich in colour and the formula is soft, hydrating and it glides on the lips effortlessly. They have a satin finish, no shimmer (which is good) they leave your lips looking fresh, plumo and with a pop of colour. The three colours I have are, 

OE112 Bold Permission* – This is a glossy peach toned nude, this makes my lips look healthy and like I have lipstick on but nothing too bold. Its a nice nude with a hint of peach, its a great colour for warming up your complexion

RS107 Rich Raspberry* – This is the brightest of the three colours I have and it’s a stunning raspberry pink – true to its name. This looks so pretty on the lips and I think its the ideal Summer shade. It’s just such a bright, fresh looking colour.

BE111 Rose Gold* – This is more of a true nude although it leans more to a brown on my lips, this is such an easy colour to wear. Its most definitely a My Lips But Better colours. It makes my lips look plump, smooth and very healthy. I love having this colour in my handbag as I can apply it on the go, no mirror needed.

DHC Premium GE Lipsticks

DHC Premium Lipstick Swatches

If you like your lipstick to be hydrating, easy to apply and fresh looking then these DHC Premium Lipsticks are for you. I find that they last a good amount of time on me, a good couple of hours. If you are eating and drinking they will wear off as they’re a satin finish and quite buttery on the lips but topping them up is so easy too! I have had these on rotation since I got them and have really enjoyed wearing them.

As I said the packaging is beautiful and they look a lot more expensive than they are.

These are really easy to get your hands on because Escentual have started stocking DHC skincare and makeup so that’s great news. You can also find them at DHC Online.

DHC Premium Lipstick – 2.4g for £13.00 – currently in the sale for £10.40

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.