12 Days of Beauty | Feel Unique Advent Calendar Review

Today as promised, I'm going to be sharing with you what I received in the Feel Unique Beauty Advent Calendar. The calendar was actually 12 days, however I was impatient as this is the first time I've had a beauty advent calendar so I opened it on the 1st of December then every other day up until the 23rd. I was so excited to see what gifts lay beneath each door as I'd not seen any reviews on this calendar, so I couldn't wait to get it open. I'm going to get straight into what I received and let you know my thoughts as well!

Monu Illuminating Primer SPF 15

I'd not heard of this brand before I received it in this calendar, though I was pretty chuffed to receive a new primer as my Porefessional Deluxe Sample was on its way out. I've used this a good few times and on first impression I loved how this primer felt, silky, creamy and easy to apply onto the skin. I must admit it did create a perfect canvas to apply foundation and I did like the way my foundation looked as a result of using this primer, however I didn't notice a difference in the longevity of my makeup. A nice primer all in all but I won't be purchasing the full size!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 

This is a treatment you can use on wet hair before shampooing. I had heard lots of great things about this so was excited to give it a go. It's supposed to add more bounce to your hair and prevent it from snapping. I've only used this a couple of times but so far I've noticed my hair has looked and felt a lot healthier, so soft too! I've been really liking this so far so I may have to repurchase this!

Grown Alchemist Hydra Repair Day Cream

On Day 3 I received this moisturiser from a brand again, I've not heard much about so I was looking forward to try this as it contains natural and organic ingredients. The main ingredients are Camellia and Geranium so this has a botanical scent which I really liked as it felt spa-like and relaxing. It was a really lovely moisturiser, I actually finished the whole tube though I did find I still had dry patches whilst using it so it couldn't have been that hydrating. I did like this, though for the price I wouldn't repurchase.

Roger & Gallet Fleur De Figuier Shower Gel

At first, I wasn't too thrilled to be receiving a shower gel if I'm honest. Though I was pleasantly surprised when I first smelt it, it has a subtle fruity kinda scent so I gave it a whirl that evening. It lathered nicely and left a lovely scent on me which I was pleased with. It's the perfect size for travelling, neither too big nor small so I've saved it for when I next travel. This is around £10 for the full size so for that reason I won't be repurchasing.

Fleur De Force Eye Shadow Palette in Cosmic Bronze 

I was most excited to receive this as I very nearly purchased this palette before I decided I had enough eye shadow. I had heard amazing things about these palettes, they're super pigmented and apparently this is similar to another high end palette. It has a light cream with a little shimmer which is perfect for highlighting, the next is a medium matte brown which I've had the most wear out of as its perfect for a natural everyday look. The other two are a super shimmery mink colour and a dark matte brown. All perfect to create a day to night look, so this would be ideal for travel as its compact and versatile. I love this palette so I will be looking to purchase the pink toned palette!

Phyto Subtil Elixir Hair Oil

Another hair treatment which I was happy about as I'm hoping to take better care of my hair. This is to be used before shampooing for about 10 minutes which can then be rinsed with shampoo as normal. This oil contains egg white which is great for treating hair and adding shine. Again my hair felt soft and healthy once using this and the product didn't have a horrible egg scent which was a bonus. This isn't a product I would rush out to repurchase as there is another I would like to.

Redken Extreme Length Primer

I was really pleased to receive such a large sample of this beneath door 7 as I had heard good things about Redken. The first thing I noticed was the scent, I can't quite work it out however it makes my hair smell amazing and I miss it! Despite having the word primer in its name, this is actually a conditioning treatment that you should leave on for about five minutes- quick, fuss-free so was perfect for when I was having quick showers as I was busy over the Christmas period. I've now run out of this and it made my hair feel soft, silky, healthy and made it smell gorgeous. I have a feeling I'm going to be picking this up again!

This Works Sleep Plus Pillow Spray

I was slightly annoyed but pleased to receive this. Annoyed because I had already purchased a sample gift set as my mum wanted to try this out so I could've saved myself and gave her this instead. Pleased as I also wanted to give this a go myself. You're supposed to just spritz this calming lavender scented spray over your pillow before sleeping and it's proven to give you a better nights sleep. In all honesty, I did sleep better but I think it's just a placebo affect. I don't have trouble sleeping so I won't repurchase this but my mum may!

Gatineau Collagene Expert Ultimate Smoothing Serum

This was a brand I had never come across so I was intrigued to give it a go. I've now used this sample up and it felt lovely on the skin. In terms of hydration, I still found I had dry patches so I wasn't overly impressed with this serum. I did use it up to fully test it out but I won't be buying this again.

POPBAND London Hair Band

Another one I wasn't overly pleased to receive. Hair bands aren't that interesting are they? This one is supposed to leave no kinks and be kind to your hair by preventing any breakage. I actually received a couple of these in a beauty box and I've used them a lot. I don't know about it not leaving any kinks in my hair but it's definitely kinder and doesn't pull resulting in a headache which is great.

Salcura Winter Skin Hand Therapy

As I made my way to the end of the calendar, the products seemed to get bigger. I believe this is a full-size product at 80ml which is worth £12.99! Hand creams are not something I buy for myself, I don't love the Soap and Glory Hand Food so I was pleased to receive this to try. The scent is very spa-like so it feels like a real treat when applying, I pop this on before bed and my hands are left looking less dry and feeling super soft. It'll take me ages to use this up so I'm not sure whether I'll be buying this again in the future.

Nuxe Rêve De Miel Lip Balm

I was so happy to receive this, lots of beauty bloggers love this! This is an amazing hydrating lip balm with honey and precious oils to nourish dry and damaged lips, so this is ideal for the winter. My lips get so dry which is not cute when I want to wear lipstick so I pop this on morning and night to ensure my lips are prepped for lipstick. I've been loving this so far and I think it will last me a while so at £8 this is a good deal!

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I received in this calendar and what I thought of each of the products. Hopefully this will give you an insight to what's worth giving a go if you're unsure whether to splurge on some of these products. Overall, I'm really happy with what I received. Most products were something I'd never give a second look when browsing online for new beauty products so I think the idea of this calendar is great. I'll definitely be looking into purchasing another next December, but for now that is a long while away!




I hope you're having a lovely week so far, apologies this post is a little late than I would've liked it to be. 




Let me know whether you've tried any of these products and what you thought of them!




♥   ♥   ♥

High-End Beauty Wishlist | Five Most Wanted Products!

First of all i'd like to apologise for my lack of blogging recently, things have got pretty hectic while coming to the end of my course at college. I'm still not finished but my work load should calm down as I've just got one more portfolio to hand in as a first submission. I've also been applying for full-time jobs for when I qualify and although it's time consuming and pretty frightening, i'm excited to start working full-time to hopefully be able to buy some of these products to come..

1. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

I was so excited to try this mascara as I had read lots of reviews saying it was amazing for lengthening and giving your lashes a lift that will stay all day long, which was just what I needed. I picked up the Elle magazine as it was exclusive, free with the magazine before it was available to buy full-sized. You can my thoughts on it here, (hint: I love it, which is why is why it's on my wish list to buy). I'm still not out of the sample so I can tell the full-size will last ages so £19.50 will be well spent.

2. Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Moisturiser
I received this in an Origins Sample Set that I bought in the January Sales, you can see my thoughts on some of Origins best-selling products here.
 I didn't have a night specific moisturiser before this and I can honestly see the difference this has made to my skin. Through the winter and during the change in seasons I get some dry patches on my skin which I can't seem to shift with my usual moisturiser and exfoliator so this has become an essential in my night-time routine and I couldn't be without it now as it disperses across the face easily, sinks in quickly and gives your skin the hydration it needs. I've got the smallest amount left in my sample and again it has lasted me ages so this will be a good investment at £34.50 for 50ml.

3. Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish
I feel as though everyone and their dog has tried this, except me. I've had my eye on this for ages and i'm still not too sure why I haven't picked it up already. I love using hot cloth cleansers as I really like how they feel on my face and I find it relaxing. This is supposed to work for most skin types so will be perfect for my moody skin, it's supposed to be gentle yet remove all traces of makeup which is great as nobody likes to be too harsh on their skin. Once I've finished my current cream cleanser i'll definitely look at picking this up, priced at £15.50 for a starter kit. I'm sure you'll see a review if I love it. 

4. MAC Lipstick in Fast Play
Yes, i'm still yet to try a MAC lipstick. I just haven't got the budget to spend £15.50 on a lipstick but i'm hoping i'll be able to part with my money soon. There are so many lipsticks from MAC i'd like to try but after plenty of narrowing down I've decided Fast Play should be my first purchase as it's not quite your typical brown/nude and looks very wearable which is what you'd like if you were spending £15.50 on a lipstick. 

5. The Balm NUDE'tude Eyeshadow Palette
I love a good nude/neutrals palette and I know everyone loves the Urban Decay Naked palettes, though I feel I could live without them as I've discovered and tried the affordable alternatives which I love (click here if you'd like to find out more). This palette features a range of browns, bronzes, pinks and a few others, but what I particularly like about these is how highly pigmented they are when swatched and the diverse range of looks you could create. I've also never tried anything from The Balm so I may have to very soon, this is priced at around £30 depending on where you shop.

And that's it for my five most wanted high-end products.
What high-end products would you like? 
I'm sure there's lots you're all lusting for just like me, so let me know in the comments below!

♥   ♥   ♥

My Most Used | Face, Eyes and Lip Products

Myself and a few lovely bloggers have been planning this post for a short while and here is the result of it. Today myself and the others will be showing you our favourite Face, Eye and Lip product- the majority of mine will be drugstore so at more affordable prices, though if you're in the market for some higher end pieces be sure to check out the other girls blogs to see what they love!

Chloe from Chloe Paigee 

Megan from Secretly Megan

Jess from Hey It Is Jess

and Nicole from Thrifty Vintage Fashion

Without further-ado i'll just get straight into it..

L'Oreal True Match foundation in N1 Ivory-

I'm sure you will have heard lots about this foundation before, I've actually done a review here. This is the only foundation I've been using since so it'd obviously have to be my favourite! I look for something medium-high coverage when buying foundation and this definitely fits into that category as it's medium coverage with one application but is very buildable to a higher coverage. I find this lasts on my skin all day which is a bonus as my face apparently eats my foundation, not cool! This retails at £9.99 in Boots and Superdrug so not the cheapest nor most expensive so is really reasonable as it lasts me a long while!

MUA eye shadow palette in Heaven and Earth-

I really love experimenting with eye shadows even though i'm not the best at applying them. Unfortunately that was put on hold as I had extremely dry eyelids that I could not shift, thankfully that's been sorted now so I can finally wear a subtle smokey eye or pretty shimmer!
I bought this palette a long while ago now and it's been quite well loved yet I still haven't hit pan on any of the colours. I find they are well pigmented and last a long length of time on the lid which is amazing as this palette only cost £4.
If I've not got the effort to apply eye shadow I usually go for a quick flick of the Benefit Roller Lash mascara, you can see what I thought of it here.

No. 7 lipstick in the shade Vanity-

This is my go-to if i'm wanting a pink lip, I love it! This is a really old No. 7 and I probably shouldn't still have it but i'm on the hunt to find the perfect match for it. I haven't found an exact match but I also really like the Natural Collection lipstick in Rose Bud.
Both are perfect for everyday wear, although I find the No. 7 lipstick lasts longer on the lips but I can't fault Natural Collection as they're so affordable.

And that's a round up of my favourite Face, Eyes and Lips products, don't forget to check out the other girls blog posts linked at the beginning of this post.

What are yours? 

Leave them in the comments below!

♥   ♥   ♥

Amazing Lengths | Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

 I'm sure everyone, their mother, their brother, their fish has heard about Benefits new mascara that was designed on the classic velcro hair roller which has only recently been released to buy in stores but previously was exclusive to Elle magazine which included a sample of the Roller Lash mascara. The majority raved about their other mascara 'They're Real' but I actually didn't try that one as I heard people with longer lashes disliking it, I fall into the longer lash category. I was drawn to the Roller Lash as it claimed to give a long-lasting curl which was one of the only downfalls with drugstore mascaras that I've tried. Now I've been using the mascara for about 3 weeks so I thought I'd quickly get my review of pros and cons up on it seeing as it has recently been released to buy in store.

Pros-

• Roller Lash is definitely lengthening which can be noticed with just one coat, so would be great for those of you with short or straight eye lashes.
• As I said the mascara works very well with just one coat, I'm not sure myself how it fairs when applying additional coats but I simply think you don't need more than one. Therefore it's very quick and easy!
• The mascara claims that eyes will appear more wide open which I can vouch for as it fans out my lashes making them look natural and fluttery.
• As I've previously mentioned the mascara claims to hold the curl of your lashes which I 100% agree with as my lashes pretty much look the same as they did once Roller Lash was applied after a long day at college or battling London crowds.

Can we just ignore the bags under my eyes and the fact my bottom lashes clump together even without mascara.
Also ignore the stray hairs, i'm growing my eyebrows so that I can go get them threaded/waxed.

Cons-

• Like They're Real, Roller Lash is not waterproof which is my only downfall of this mascara. I find it does tend to transfer under my bottom lashes although that could be as I have watery eyes, but I haven't heard this in many other reviews so it simply could just be me.
  However it's not a huge problem as you could just skip this on the bottom lashes and go for another waterproof mascara.

Again can we ignore the bags under my eyes and how bad my skin looks(most was able to be cropped out)

Ability to lengthen- 9/10

Ease of use- 8/10

Lasting power- 8/10

Price- 7/10

Overall rating- 32/40

Not bad at all!

Personally I've really enjoyed using Benefits Roller Lash mascara so I'm tempted to splurge on this mascara and some other high-end treats with my birthday money. Roller Lash comes in at £19.50 which isn't ridiculous for a mascara that actually works in comparison to the drugstore options.

What did you think of Benefit Roller Lash mascara?

If you haven't tried it yet, will you be?

♥   ♥   ♥

Super Sample Set Review | ORIGINS Skincare

Origins is a brand I've heard a lot of great things about so its no surprise that a few products were on my list to try. Though Origins isn't the most affordable brand for myself and many others so it wouldn't be the best idea to go straight out to buy the full-size products straight away. When browsing the Boxing Day sales I came across this sample set reduced from £35 to around £22, it contained a few products I've wanted to try so I snapped this up straight away. 

I've been using this set for about 3 weeks now so I thought I'd give my thoughts on the products. Rather than attempting to explain what each of the products are I'm going to include the description from the Origins website and say whether I agree with its claims and whether I'd repurchase.

Checks and Balances Frothy face wash

"When it comes to faces with dry and oily places, it takes a clever cleanser to balance the two. This Origins gentle, frothy face wash carefully does both jobs without cancelling each other out. It helps to seek out oil, soaks it up then keeps it well in-check, while it balances and protects dry prone zones. And Broadleaf Kelp breaks down dirt, disperses excess oil and sends dullness down the drain. Skin feels comfortably refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched."

The verdict: This definitely breaks down any left over makeup on my face and leaves my skin feeling smooth. Though this facial wash does smell quite strongly of soap which I'm not keen on and I feel it leaves my skin feeling quite tight. Apart from that I think it's great although I wouldn't repurchase at £18.50.

High Potency Night-A-Mins Minerals Mineral-enriched renewal cream

"Put dullness to rest. Wake up radiant & refreshed. Now nature's famed night cream is newly fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers plus Vitamins C, E & H, minerals & moisture-rich replenishers. While relaxing aromas lull you to sleep, skin sloughs away dry, dead layers. Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins™ helps the appearance of dullness."

The verdict: I love this, my skin feels amazingly hydrated after using it and my skin definitely looks better when I've woken in the morning. I also really like the scent of this and it does relax me ready for sleep. I've noticed the difference when not using this so I'll of course be putting this on my to-buy list, although it is £34.50 I think its reasonable for a hefty 50ml.

GinZing Energy-boosting moisturiser

"Origins GinZing™ instantly hydrates and revs up radiance.
This lightweight, oil-free, skin energy drink, fortified with legendary skin-boosters like Panax Ginseng and Coffee Bean, jumpstarts hydration levels. Lacklustre-looking skin is rapidly refreshed and revitalised to create a healthy, vibrant glow."

The verdict: This is the product I've heard most about, I have been enjoying using this in the morning to wake me up and give my skin more life. My skin feels smooth and prepped for makeup, though I'm not completely blown away by this yet. I'll give this a little longer to decide whether I'd actually repurchase this product so watch this space.

GinZing Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff

"Nature's clinically-proven morning-after GinZing™ eye cream helps to reduce the look of dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness seem less visible. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes."

The verdict: I'm not sure this reduces the look of dark circles but maybe that's just because mine are so bad. However I would agree that  this wakes up the eyes, making you appear more radiant and alert. I've been enjoying using this though at it's price for the full-sized product, it wouldn't be within in my budget to repurchase.

Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores

"When environmental pollutants, dirt and debris get under your skin, its waste-filtering system gets jammed, pores get clogged, skin looks cloudy. Nature's complexion clean-up crew in Origins Clear Improvement® gets to the bottom of skins overcast condition and clears the way for it to act its best."

The verdict: This is such a quick face mask as it dries hard within just a few minutes of putting it on. Once washing away my skin feels so refreshed and although this mask is fast drying my skin didn't feel tight afterwards. I've definitely noticed a difference in the appearance of blemishes and the size of my pores are reduced. If i'm in need of a deep cleansing face mask, i'll definitely look at repurchasing this at £23 for 100ml. 

Modern Friction Nature's gentle dermabrasion

"Skin-refining Rice Starch cushioned in cream, rapidly removes sluggish cells, uneven patches and signs of skin damage and discolourations. Lemon Oil kick starts the process of illumination. Vitamin C mops up skin-menacing free radicals.There's no ouch, extra steps or other complications. No redness or flaking follows. With Origins Modern Friction™, skin looks perfectly polished, smooth and luminous."

The verdict: I've got combination skin so I do have patches of dryness. The grains in this scrub are so slight that they really get to work on dry patches by removing the flaking skin. I love how bright and replenished my face looks after using this and the Lemon Oil is very present, expect tingling nostrils after using this- haha! I would repurchase this as its £12.50 for 50ml. 

Make A Difference Rejuvenating hand treatment

"The resurrection plant Rose of Jericho, plus skin-reviving Trehalose and Sea Harictos work hand-in-hand to help hardworking skin rebound and recover from dramatic dehydration in Origins Make A Difference™ rejuvenating hand treatment."

The verdict: I've not got much to say about this product as I dont really dabble in hand care- oops! This product again is scented with Lemon which I'm a big fan of! The cream is very light and sinks quickly into the hands without leaving a greasy layer which is a bonus, as nobody likes oil slicked hands when attempting to open something sealed tightly. I won't be re-buying this as i'm not all that into hand creams so i'd rather use a more affordable brand but this is very popular as it's currently out of stock on the Origins website. 

I'm intrigued by the high quality products that Origins has to offer, though not all of these products were for me, I have no doubt that another few products will crop up on my 'to-try' list. Watch this space to see if and what I repurchase in due course *prepares to be skint*.

Have you tried anything from Origins? What did you think of it?

Let me know below!