InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2015

InStyle Magazines Best Beauty Buys of 2015

InStyle Magazine this year have partnered with John Lewis to announce their Best Beauty Buys of 2015. Judged by a panel of 105 industry experts, which included Liz Earl, Leighton Denny, Charlotte Tilbury and Philip Kinglsey. This extensive panel of experts know the ins & outs of all things beauty and most importantly know what is worth spending your hard earned money on. So these awards are a great way of showcasing the products that really work and it gives us all a beauty bible to the best products on the market today.

The InStyle Best Beauty Buys of 2015 are split into four categories including skin, makeup, body and hair so it covers all bases. There are so many wonderful brands and products amongst this years winners. A few brands I know & love but also one or two that I have never tried anything from, so I have enjoyed reading about all the winning products & have made a mental note of a few that I am eager to try.

Instyle Best Beauty Buys 2015

John Lewis were kind enough to send me a selection this years InStyle Best Beauty Buys so I can put them to the test & see if I think they’re worth their crowns. My hamper included these 13 award winning products,

Origins Super Spot Remover* – BEST SPOT TREATMENT 

Origins No Puffery Cooling Roll on for Puffy Eyes* – BEST EYE DE PUFFER 

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector* – BEST AGE SPOT TREATMENT

Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector* – BEST FOR DARK CIRCLES

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask* – BEST HYDRATING MASK

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant* – BEST FACIAL EXFOLIATOR

Organic Pharmacy Discovery / Travel KitBEST ECO / ORGANIC RANGE 

Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil* – BEST BODY OIL 

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash– BEST SHOWER GEL

Lancome Hypnose Mascara*BEST MASCARA

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder* – BEST BRONZER

bareMinerals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder* – BEST MINERAL BASE

Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation Primer* – BEST PRIMER

InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2015 Winners

I simply can’t wait to try the beautiful Guerlain Bronzer, even the packaging is stunning. The Organic Pharmacy is also a brand I’m looking for trying for the first time. Keep your eyes peeled for reviews of all these products over the next few weeks & please let me know if you’ve used any of the products in this post & if you think they deserve their awards.

So thats a brief look at a fraction of the InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2015 winners that were in my hamper. As I said there were 104 awards handed out, to see the full list pick up the March issue of InStyle magazine or visit www.instyle.co.uk

You can also download the InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2015 for 79p

*Thank you to John Lewis who kindly sent this selection of winning products from the InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2015.

Delving In To My Sample Stash #3

Makeup Samples

ESPA ProSerum – I have been spending quite a few weeks in Scotland since Summer & I always like to have my favourite serum with me, this ESPA one ticks all the boxes. Its hydrating, calming and helps even skin tone. I love the scent too, it smells like a high end spa. This is ideal for this time of year when my skin gets dry & looks a little dull. Its a staple in my travel makeup bag.

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream* This is a popular Asian skincare brand & I’ve read so many great reviews of this BB Cream. I’ve always wanted to try it. I’ve been using this over the past couple of weeks & really like it. I like my base to give a light coverage and provide a touch of colour so my complexion looks bright & even. This BB Cream gives me exactly that, its a lovely creamy consistency which I found very easy to blend, I did lightly powder it but I don’t think thats 100% necessary. This BB Cream covers all bases it provides a SPF30, protects against free radicals, conceals imperfections & contains hyluronic acid for all day hydration. So you’re getting a lovely BB Cream with the added skincare benefits which Asian brands are renowned for.

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray – This is a dual action eye primer so not only will it keep your eyeshadow in place but you can use it under the eye to keep your concealer put all day long and it works a treat! I love it that much I will be purchasing the full size & can’t believe I have never heard of this until now. It gives my eyelids an even colour & is the perfect base on which to apply eyeshadow. Its love.

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve – Not a massive fan of this I have to say, I did initially like it but the more I use it the less I like it & that pains me to write because Burt’s Bees is normally very reliable. I much prefer a hand cream & find the easier to use when I’m on the go. I will use it up & have been using it on my cuticles at night to stop them drying out in the cold weather. Let me know if you like this hand salve & how you make it work for you.

Makeup & Skincare Samples

Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer – I’ve not used this an awful lot & struggle to find a primer which doesn’t make my skin greasy after a couple hours of use. I like the cute spotty packaging, I will use this a few more times & then let you know if it worked well for me. 15 hours is a bold claim & I doubt very much that my makeup would stay looking flawless for 15 hours. Have you tried this? let me know if your makeup looked fresh & flawless for 15 hours.

REN BB Cream – This featured in my last Sample Stash post, I’m still using it & loving it. It gives me a healthy dewy finish and it wears well without oxidising. Its not my favourite BB Cream but I do like the finish and although I wouldn’t purchase the full size I have enjoyed trying it out.

Origins Super Spot Remover – This isn’t a sample size but it fits so well on my dish & its so dinky. I really rate this as a spot treatment, it starts working right away. Its so quick and easy to apply to your blemishes. It’s instantly cooling, and can sting a little but that only lasts a few seconds, this is a targeted treatment so you only need to put it on the area where you feel a blemish coming or if you have a blemish thats already erupted. It stops blemishes from becoming too sore & angry and helps them clear up much faster too. Its a wonder gel in a tiny bottle. If you haven’t already you need to add this to your skincare arsenal.

Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream – OMG this is the BB Cream of my dreams, It gives my skin an even coverage and It gives you Broad Spectrum SPF50 protection which makes me very happy. If you like a light to medium coverage that looks natural and radiant with excellent sun protection then you will love this BB Cream. Its simple but its all I need in a base and I am a massive fan.

Lancome Rouge In Love Lipstick – This is a gorgeous mini lipstick, I haven’t tried many Lancome products but this lipstick feels comfortable and hydrating on the lips & its the softest peachy pink. Not the most Autumnal colour but I have been enjoying wearing it.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser – This is another product that was in a previous Sample Stash post, I’ve used it a couple of times & I’m not 100% in love, I’m not exactly sure what I don’t like about it. It might be that its quite thick compared to other tinted moisturisers & BB Creams. It looks really nice just after I apply it but I don’t think it wears well on my oily skin. I much prefer the Ginvera & the Kiehl’s BB Creams.

Sample Stash

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.

REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser

REN Hot Cloth Cleanser

I think we are all familiar with the Hot Cloth Cleanser by now, massage on to dry skin & wipe away using a damp warm face cloth. They’ve become very popular in the beauty world and I for one really like using a Hot Cloth Cleanser in the evening, I find them to be relaxing and a great way to remove makeup and wipe away all the grime & dirt from the day. So I was excited to use the REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser* which comes with a lovely 100% Cotton face cloth (perfect).

This Hot Cloth Cleanser is a rich two-phase cleanser that purifies, decongests gently exfoliates and removes all make-up. It leaves skin refreshed, radiant, smoothed and replenished without dryness or tightness. The cleanser itself is very creamy and light in texture, I massage it into my skin for a couple of minutes so it can start to break down my makeup and the dead skin cells. I also make sure to take it all across my eyes to loosen my eye makeup. This doesn’t irritate my eyes at all, in fact, this is a very gentle cleanser so don’t be afraid to use it all over your face. It’s gentle enough to be used on all skin types, this has a very mild rose scent but it’s so subtle you hardly know it’s there. 

HC Cleanser

This does a really good job at removing my makeup and leaving my skin feeling clean and smooth, it’s not stripping so you won’t experience that tight drying feeling (that I hate). I had never heard of Vitamin P but this cleanser contains it & a few more nourishing ingredients that help revive, soothe and decongest your skin. Let me know if you’ve heard of Vitamin P. The main bio extracts in this cleanser are

  • Vitamin P from Rosa Centifolia protects the capillary venous system to decongest and soothe
  • Triglycerides from Cocoa Seed Butter improve the skin barrier functions against moisture loss
  • Rosa Damascena from Damask Rose Petals relieves and soothes skin

Since using this my complexion has been looking bright and the redness around my cheeks is reduced, I think because this has such a hydrating and soothing milky texture my skin isn’t getting dried out or irritated, you don’t need to be abrasive when washing it off. Just polish away the product using the cotton face cloth and then splash a little cold water on your face once it’s clean to close your pores.

The packaging of this is really handy too, it comes with a pump which is great for dispensing just the right amount of product (also very hygienic), you can also see how much product you have left as you’re able to see the cleanser through the clear packaging. So no panic when you come to use it & there is none left, you will get plenty of warning. If you like using a Hot Cloth Cleanser then I think you should give this one a go, you will be left with a healthy complexion and skin that’s clean, hydrated and decongested. It gets two thumbs up from me.

This contains no parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, synthetic colours or scents.

REN Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser £16 for 150ml

REN Skincare

I have also been testing out a few samples of the REN V-Cense Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial*, as I only have a couple of sachets to test out I can’t tell you how this performs long term but I had enough for three uses & I’m already excited for this to go on sale so I can get the full size.

The way this works is you apply the light green coloured gel to your face & neck then massage a small amount of warm water to activate the Vitamin C and let it get to work brightening your complexion. You leave the product on your skin for 1 minute then you rinse with warm water and that’s when the tiny exfoliating beads get to work by buffing and removing dead skin and help fight the signs of fatigue, boost skins radiance levels and reduce imperfections.

REN say – ‘Discover a high-performance complexion boost that lasts 72 hours with the V-Cense Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial! A transformative gel-rinse that instantly revitalises and visibly rejuvenates the skin. Formulated with water activated Vitamin C, it neutralises ‘urban grey’ in a flash, removes blackheads and dead skin cells to reveal a firm, toned and smooth complexion.’ 

It’s like a facial and a face mask in one and it only takes you one minute – perfect if you’re pushed for time. This has a lovely quite sweet chocolate orange scent with a hint of peppermint (how yummy does that sound). I have used the sachets I was given to try and I loved how instantly smooth and bright my skin looked & that’s after 1 minute. So I imagine after a more long-term use your complexion will look less dull and start to have that healthy glow we all long for. I liked using this in the morning so my skin looked healthy and fresh for the day ahead.

REN Skincare

I think this is going to be a popular addition to the REN range, I mean who doesn’t want quick, no fuss skincare that gives results in just one minute. This V-Cense 1 minute facial isn’t released until later this year, so this is a heads up, I will be treating myself to a bottle & getting onboard with the 1-minute facial.  I don’t know the exact release date of this but it will be £30 for 75ml.

Let me know what your favourite REN product is & if you like the sound of a 1-minute facial.

Products that are marked with a * 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.

British Beauty Blogger : The Dream Box

So for her third (and best yet) beauty box The British Beauty Blogger teamed up with Latest in Beauty to give us The Dream Box. I was so determined to get my hands on this box as the 2 previous boxes sold so quickly that I missed out and was very disappointed. The Dream Box is packed to the gills (no space for tissue paper) full of beauty must haves & Jane’s personal favourite products. I think thats what I like about these boxes is that they’re tried & tested products & products Jayne can’t live without.

Beauty Box

British Beauty Blogger Dream Box

So I managed to bag myself a box and I’m excited because although I have tried a few of the brands before I have not tried any of these specific products and for a beauty addict thats exactly what you want from a Beauty Box, to discover new products & brands. This has no dud products in fact the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is worth more that I paid for the entire box. So in my box there were no less than 15 products,

British Beauty Bloggers The Dream Box

The Dream Box

Benefit it’s potent! eye cream (3g)
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (Full Size, 8ml)
Elemis Treat Your Feet FOOT CREAM (20ml)
L’Occitane Divine Lotion (50ml)
Essie Spring Shades (Full Size, 13.5ml) – shade Fashion Playground
REN Satin Perfection BB Cream (3ml)
Charlote Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick sachets (1 sachet)
La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water (50ml)
ROGER & GALLET Gingembre Rouge (1.5ml vial)
Janjira Hand Wash (50ml)
LOLA Make Up Kabuki Brush (Full Size)
Makeup Revolution Awesome Eyeshadow & Eyebrow Palette (Full Size) – Disappear till tomorrow
Bourjois Cream Blush (Full size, 2.5g) – 01 Nude Velvet
Kneipp® Herbal Baths (Full Size, 100ml) – May Chang – Lemon
Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water (Full Size, 100ml)

I love my BB creams & I’m excited to try the REN one & also I don’t own any Essie polishes so I can finally see what all the fuss is about – plus I got a very pretty shade. The box was only £19.95 & the contents are worth over £100! What a great deal. If you missed out on this box, I hear on the grape vine that there is another box in the works for later in the year. The best way to hear when, where & how is by following @BritBeautyBlog on Twitter (if you’re not already).

If you did manage to get your hands on this box what products are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments.

Right I am off for a serious pamper session & test all these beauties out.