24 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS WITH LIZ EARLE (2012 ADVENT CALENDAR): actual products

This is the second part of my Liz Earle Advent Calendar posts and I know I said I was going to post it on Monday, but I've been too busy relaxing and enjoying my freedom to sit down and whip up a post! I hope you don't mind! I am here now though and am going to tell you about all the amazing things (and trust me there's a lot - 24 to be precise! ;)) I received in the calendar. I'm not going to do them in the order I opened them in because I've completely forgotten, but instead I'll go through the order they are in in on the back of the box. I haven't actually used all of these products but when, and as, I do I'll give you my full thoughts. For now, these are just my initial thoughts.

Just a pre warning, this is going to be a preeeeety long post... I hope you get to the end!

Now I don't want to talk too much about these three products as I got another set of miniatures with my extra goodies (which you can read about here) and so I've already told you what I think about them. One thing I was quite happy with though was that this moisturiser was 'normal/combination' which is what I actually use so that was great. And I did mention in my previous post that I wasn't sure whether I would get along with the moisturiser for 'dry/sensitive' skin and I did try it this morning, and I don't think I'll be using it again. I already find the 'normal/combination' one quite heavy but the 'dry/sensitive' one made my face seem so oily and greasy which wasn't good at all. So I'll probably just give this to a friend or my mum.

Now the normal moisturisers are 'skin repair' moisturisers whereas this is a 'superskin moisturiser' which makes it sound so much more inferior to the former. Upon first glance I thought it looked really special both because of the name and the packaging (which is plain white unlike most of the other products from Liz Earle). However, upon reading the description on the back, I've come to realise that it is more aimed towards very dry and mature skin so probably isn't the best product for me. My mum, however, may benefit from this more. Now she doesn't exactly have what I would consider significant signs of aging on her skin but  hers is mature skin so I may give this to her to give a go! 

Now I've never used any oils or concentrates on my face as I don't want my face to look any more shiny than it is naturally! But reading the details for this it does say it is a night-time product and so I am intrigued to see what effects this could have. It claims to "visably plump, smooth and rebalance the look and feel of your skin" which sounds lovely as my skin does have its blemishes and is rather 'dull' so I'm excited to give this a go!

I don't actually use an eye cream and I'm sure my eyes hate me for it. Sometimes my eyes do feel very dry though and that they could just do with a boost. I also notice on some days that I have some dark circles under my eyes although they aren't actually that bad. So perhaps on those days where my eyes are look particularly dull I could use this. It also has SPF10 in it so I could definitely take it on holiday for those periods when I want to tan my face without sunglasses on. 

Again, I don't consider to have mature skin but I do have a few lines on my forehead that I am conscious of. They appear to look like wrinkles and I think it's because when I was younger I used to frown a lot (i think my eyes are really sensitive to the sun/light so even when it wasn't that sunny, i'd be frowning) and so they've formed some permanent lines on my forehead. Therefore, I'm intrigued to see what this will do to try and combat those pesky lines!

I think this is supposed to be used in conjunction with the the eye cream above (Daily Eye Repair) to help generally improve the appearance of tired eyes. It says that it will "soothe and refresh tired, puffy eyes" so on those mornings where my eyes are looking especially tired I can use this. And I will admit that my eyes can become very puffy sometimes and I tend to use hold a cold wet flannel to them but I'm sure this will work much better at soothing them!

Exfoliators are my favourite skin care products as I just love being able to feel them work, removing dead skin cells, lifting dirt and generally just refreshing my skin so I'm super excited to give this a go! I prefer to use exfoliators in the morning and then before I use a mask so I'll let you know how they go either way.

Masks are another of my skin care favourites. I could just buy so many different types but I think they can get a bit much for your skin. I have actually used the 'Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask' before (below) and I really enjoyed using it so I'm excited to give this one a go! I also like that it's a brightening one as my skin isn't anything special and I would say it was dull so I really hope this adds a bit of 'something' to my skin after using it! 

I have used a full size tube of this mask and I really liked it. I actually prefer the thick and creamy face masks that you have to slather on but I did enjoy this. Unfortunately you only really have enough for a thin layer so you wonder whether you've used enough but the smallest amount goes a long way! I use a small layer all over my face when I have a bath and then wash it off with a muslin cloth. I really like being able to feel and see a noticeable difference after using a mask and I definitely could with this. My skin felt smoother and looked nourished (which is what you'd hope when it's in the title!). I definitely recommend those that often have difficulties with their skin to give this a go!

Now, without sounding like I don't wash (i do!), I don't use a body wash. I know I should but I never feel like I need it and half the time I can't be bothered because I prefer to be in and out of the shower as quick as possible. But on the rare occasion that I do like to pamper myself I like something luxurious and because I will always think of Liz Earle as a luxury brand, I am looking forward to using this. It smells really fresh as well so could be good to use in the morning when you need a little waking up. 

This is the counter part body cream to the wash (above) and the fact it's 'nourishing' intrigues me. Like not using a body wash, I rarely use a body cream which I'm sure isn't too great for my skin. The only real moisture it gets is when I rub some Johnson's Baby Lotion on my legs after shaving (definitely recommend - it's cheap and works!). So I think using this will be a real treat for the dry parts of my skin (as i assume that's what the 'nourishing' side is targeted towards).

This was another item I got in with my extra goodies so you can check out my thoughts over on that post! But I did in fact just give this a go on my lips and it was exciting! At first I thought it was just a normal, smooth lip balm, but as you swirl your hand over the product, it melts under the heat from your finger and in it is small 'gritty' particles that will exfoliate your lips. However, unlike LUSH lip scrubs, you don't have to lick the sugar off your lips along with all the dead skin particles, instead the little bits seem to just melt away as you rub them over your lips! Very very cool indeed!

I thought I'd write about these two items together as I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be used together. Now I've mentioned before that my hands don't get that dry and so hand products for me aren't that useful. But there's nothing wrong with a little pampering I say! The hand wash seems very luxurious and when I took the little foil off the end a little bubble spurted out and even if it it's not very mature, it did make me giggle. The hand repair I'm not sure I'll get that much use out of but I reckon that like once a week I can slather this all over my hands before bed and let it work it's magic over night so I can wake up with super soft hands!

My feet, on the other hand, are super dry. Especially the heels and the balls of my feet and considering my job requires me to stand on my feet for hours on end, they can become very rough by the end of the week. Therefore, I am very excited to have some products that can treat my sore little tootsies! I particularly like this pair of products requires a good buffing and exfoliating of the feet to get rid of any dead skin and to make the feet a bit smoother and then to further soften my rough feet, there's a moisturiser! I can't wait to give these a try at the weekend after my shift at work!

I reckon this scrub is to be used with the two products below and I think they'd five a really revitalising and fresh experience! I think using a scrub would mean that you were getting an exfoliation, then the wash would mean you have a really good clean and the lotion would result in a soothing once you'd finished! I definitely think I'll be using these three together when I next have a shower to see how well they work!

The body wash and cream I've already written about were from the Orange Flower range whereas these offer a more 'energising' experience. I really think these are perfect for when you're feeling down and need a good 'pick me up' - for example, I'd use these if I was particularly tired in the morning or felt quite groggy (like when you feel grungy, if you get what i mean, and are really in the mood for a good scrub in the shower!). This even smells fresher than the 'Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash' which can only be a good thing! I'm sure the lotion will be just as wonderful too (although i now feel spoiled for choice on body lotions and creams!).

Now when I think of a skin care company, I don't automatically think, 'oh yeah, maybe they do shampoo and conditioner too!' so I was really intrigued to see what these two items would promise. I personally would hope that they would give my hair a really good deep clean. If all the other products can clean my face, hands, feet and body wonderfully, then why not my hair? Since cutting my hair, I haven't felt that it was particularly dirty, but the current dry shampoo I am using is leaving this powdery residue type thing all over my scalp which makes it feel like I have a ridiculous amount of product in it, even though I haven't actually used any? So I shall be interesting to see if this shampoo and conditioner can make my hair feel super clean again!

Fruity scents are my favourite. So I'm not entirely sure if I'll like these two offerings from Liz Earle. Also, the fact they're called 'Botanical Essence's' makes me just think of floral smells and so I'm not entirely sure I'm interested in them. But I'll definitely give them a whiff: No1 I actually like! Despite my preconceptions! It's a slight twist on the typical Liz Earle scent but is slightly spicy (i'm useless at describing scents!). I can't put my finger on the scent exactly but it's something I've smelt before! It reminds me of a sweet for some reason? It's ultra sophisticated so I'm definitely going to be wearing this in the future! So this just goes to prove that you should never judge a book buy it's cover (or description...). No15, actually contains 15 products which is very interesting. I won't share them all with you (i'll save that for a full review!) but it definitely means there is a lot for the nose to have a whiff at! This is much fresher than No1 and reminds me of a perfume my mum has... When you first spritz it, it's a little much but after just letting it to settle, I'm enjoying the scent! It smells a little like cleaning products at times but I do still like it! 

Well done for getting this far! If I could, I'd give you all a medal! Trust me, I'd quite like one because this was a tough post to write! I felt like I was just repeating myself the whole way through! But I really hope this post and my last one has introduced you to some Liz Earle products that you may never have heard of/thought of before!

I'm hopefully going to be trying out most of the products in the near future as a lot of them excite me and then I can give some more detailed thoughts on each of them!

For now though, that's all I have to offer. I do have another post coming up on my new feature for the blog which I hope you enjoy reading so keep your eye out for that!

Thank you for bearing with me whilst I've been finishing my exams and well done to all of us that have finished! Here's to a long and enjoyable summer! :)

24 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS WITH LIZ EARLE (2012 ADVENT CALENDAR): extra goodies

Now this has been a long post coming and I've sort of been putting it off for a while but I don't know why. I think it's because I'm not sure how to go about presenting to you all the things I got with my Liz Earle Advent Calendar (i know, it's a strange post to do in june but i really wanted to share it all with you!). I've decided to split it into 2 parts - 1 which will show you the unexpected extra items that I got and then the 2nd post will be all the products that I found behind the doors of the calendar. I think it'll be easier this way because there really is a lot to share with you! So here we go - the first post!

This is the Christmas catalogue which I know is completely out of season but the products inside are available all year round. Plus inside are some wonderful gift ideas. I personally love looking at gift sets that companies put together because it gives me ideas of which products I can use together and which ones would benefit each other. 

Now when I saw this I was a bit confused as to what on earth it was. Upon closer inspection it basically contains a colour spectrum of all the make up available from Liz Earle. It's split into different sections - Face, Cheeks, Eyes and Lips - and then within each section it shows all the shades available for each of the products. It's a really lovely tool I think because then you can compare the colours you do have with those you don't and which ones will work well together. I, personally, don't own any make up from Liz Earle but this little item has made me tempted to check out some products!

I've just had another little flick through and noticed that there are some empty boxes to the side of each shade in which you can smudge your current foundation, favourite lipstick so that you can compare make up from other brands with Liz Earle. I thought I'd just share this with you because I find it such a wonderful idea!

Now Liz Earle really are all about the extra touches. I don't think my mum did anything when she ordered me the Advent Calendar that involved foundation. But they went that extra little step to include  a sample of their Signature Foundation. I'm yet to try it out but I think the shade will be right for my skin tone as I am quite pale on my face anyway. I am actually very eager to give it ago as well, just to see what it looks like. The description on the little 'promo' card makes it sound wonderful and I do hope I like it!

Now this is what intrigued me the most. I came upon this before the actual Advent Calendar so I looked to me mum to see if she had bought me an extra present when she was placing the order. She shook her head and I came to the realisation that Liz Earle had put in a whole gift set for me, for free! I'm pretty sure they do this with most purchases (i.e. placing an extra little goodie in to your package) but I certainly wasn't expecting all these products!

The first item was this miniature Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser with another Muslin Cloth. This was a very welcome present because I have unfortunately run out of my full bottle and haven't yet gotten round to purchasing another one. I don't know if I should do a full review on this as there are so many already out there (i'm pretty sure this is Liz Earle's most famed product!) but I really can't rave about it enough! If you're not sure whether to order a full bottle, I know you can order miniatures of everything so it's definitely worth giving it a go! It works absolute wonders for the skin!

This is also something that I'm slowly running out of. I don't really consider this to be a major necessity to my skincare routine but when I do use it I realise how wonderful it is at evening out my skin tone.

This is a moisturiser I'm undecided on. Don't get me wrong I love it, but I already have a pot of this and I have the Normal/Combination type due to my oily skin and I actually find it quite heavy on my skin so I'm not sure if the Dry/Sensitive one would feel even heavier/greasier on my skin? I am actually running out of my usual one (after goodness knows how long - one tub can last a lifetime!) so I will be giving this a go when I've finished but I will apply with caution. I do think it's worth the purchase though! My skin feel so smooth and plump and moisturised after use! Just make sure you get the right one for your skin type!

Now this is a new product for me and one I'm not sure I'll use. I rarely ever use hand cream because, luckily, I don't have dry hands. But when I do they go insanely dry and start cracking (nice!) so this sounds great for when that does happen. Although they only get dry during winter so it may be a little while before I can try this out... My mum religiously uses hand cream so I'm sure I can ask her for her opinions!

I'm not entirely sure what this is for but I think it could be a multi use balm? I'm personally think I'm going to use it as a lip balm as my lips are constantly dry. I'm not too keen on the scent but to be honest, if it works towards giving me smoother and less chapped lips, I'll use it regardless!

So they're all the extra little items I got with my Liz Earle Advent Calendar. I know you can buy these individually so I know this an ultra late post but at least you can still buy everything! I definitely recommend the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, the Instant Boost Skin Tonic and the Skin Repair Moisturiser but I'll keep you updated on my thoughts on the other things! I also hope that this has given you an idea for this Christmas! I know this is an annual thing for Liz Earle so keep your eyes open for this years Advent Calendar!

Now it's time to apologise for a lack of posts recently! It's been a week since my last post which may not seem a long time but it's annoying because the whole time I'm revising, I'm coming up with ideas about what to post and I'm constantly eager to post! As I said though, I do have so many ideas for posts to come up and when I finish on Monday (last two exams - i cannot wait!), these posts will be coming regularly!

This weekend is set to be full of working and revision but on Monday I'll be bringing you the second part of my Liz Earle Advent Calendar posts!

I hope you've all had a wonderful week and this weekend is lovely - such a shame about the weather though! To all those still revising like me, we can do this! And to those that have finished, well, I'm extremely jealous!

january 2013 glossybox

So I have another beauty box post for you today but this is on a Glossybox, January's to be specific! I've finally got a bit 'back on track' with glossybox's and I am at least now in the right year! We all know I struggle to post about the products I get in my glossybox's on time/when I get them but I really do enjoy sharing my thoughts with you guys (even if they are a bit late)!

I was planning on posting this on Tuesday but it's taken me a few days to get back into the routine of revising so that's taken priority and then today I had another exam (just general, not all that important...) and I did an extra shift at work. Safe to say I am absolutely shattered but I'm now enjoying Channel 4's Comedy Gala - great background TV for writing a blogpost!

Now I know these products were aimed for a detox in terms of 'new year, new me' but I'm the type of person who likes to detox throughout the year - whenever I'm feeling stressed, whenever I want to perk myself up or I'm feeling like a new start. And I'm sure these products will be great to use all year round!

Exfoliators are probably one of my favourite skin care products. I love the feeling they give after you've used them - smooth, clean and fresh skin! And so that's why I like getting new exfoliators - to see how they fare against all the others that I've tried. I'm also on the look out for my 'holy grail' exfoliator. So this was a great addition to the box. I've heard wonderful things about 'Elemis' but it's sort of drifted off my radar and I haven't actually read any reviews on any of their products so never really known whether it was worth investigating. This, therefore, is a great chance to check out the brand. I particularly like that this is called a 'skin glow' face wash as I'd never really thought about the brightness of my skin before blogging but have now realised the importance! I do actually have quite dull and plain skin so I'm hoping that this will bring a bit of life and a bit of a 'glow' to my face!

At first, when I saw this in the box I was a bit gutted. I just don't need any more body lotions, especially considering I don't really use them. But upon further inspection I became more intrigued. The shape of the lid is particularly interesting and I've not seen anything like it before. I also like the name of the brand 'Duck Island' - very unique and one I've definitely not heard of before (but i think the 'inner animal lover' inside is what attracted me to the name...). And the final positive point for me is the smell - THE most important bit! Mandarin & Bergamont are very 'fancy' smells and not ones that I usually gravitate towards but I did just open the bottle and fell in love with it! It's super fruity and luxurious - I'm definitely up for lathering myself in it!

As soon as I saw this I instantly thought that it could act as a Burt's Bees dupe. This made me a little wary as I really don't get along with Burt's Bees. I hate the minty feel it has on the lips and it stings a little. I'll just never understand brands feel the need to make honey scented minty flavoured - it's very annoying! But I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and see whether this brand had decided to get rid of the mint and just stick to the 'beeswax' which I would have loved. However this was not the case and the minty scent was very prevalent which I'm super disappointed with! I'll definitely give it a swipe over my lips to see how it goes and whether this one is less 'stingy' but I don't have the highest of hopes.

Now I couldn't get the lighting right to show the name of this product but it is a MONU 'Warming Aromatic Mask' and the thing I'm most excited about using (if you've read any of my other glossybox posts you'll know i most always have a favourite from each box...). Now above exfoliators in my favourite skincare rankings is face masks. Any type will do me fine. Most of the ones I've used in the past really feel like the make my skin ultra clean and remove any dirt that may be lingering on my face. but many don't actually reap any long term effects. My main skin problems is blackheads and huge pores which is why warming masks are the best for me. They open my pores and bring up all the lingering dirt. On top of this, MONU is a top skincare range (so i've heard) so I have my fingers crossed for some great consequences!

I usually just buy shampoo and conditioner based on the ones that look the nicest or the products I like. I don't actually know which types I should be looking at or what each do. Many say that they will make your hair stronger and shinier but I consider my hair to be pretty strong anyway so I don't know what more these strengthening products could do for me. However, I have noticed that stronger hair tends to be silkier and before I cut my hair, it definitely wasn't silky! Since I've cut away all the dead and dry hair, it is looking better but it's still not silky. Therefore I think by using this strength shampoo my hair will become protected and just overall 'better' looker! I'll definitely be looking for some noticeable differences so here's hoping!

Now I always find it a really nice touch when Glossybox include one of their own items, even if it isn't beauty related. It's super sweet and they don't have to do it - they just do because it's nice! And this one was particularly cute I feel. I don't actually use these because they make me feel a little claustrophobic but when I'm relaxing I think they'll be a nice touch!

That's it for me for now. I'm off to get a good nights sleep because I am so so tired! I'm back revising tomorrow before going to my friends for the night for movies and yummy food! I'm hoping to get in a post during the day but I won't promise anything! :)

I hope you've all had a nice week and that you're enjoying the weekend! 

SELFRIDGES THE BEAUTY BOX: summer beauty box

Now I'm pretty sure everyone in the blogging world knows of the popularity of beauty boxes and one of the best things about them is the surprise you get upon opening them. You don't know what you're going to get and it's all just a bit exciting! However, sometimes, the stuff inside can be a bit of a let down and you wonder whether this box was worth spending money on. That's why I was drawn to this box. It had a wonderful range of products from high end brands and I knew exactly what I was getting myself into! At £25 it wasn't exactly cheap but was a far better deal than what it all would have cost at retail price (£70!). So it's safe to say I was a very happy bunny when placing this purchase...

So these are the wonderful items I received. The box includes an Aqua Splash Tangle Teezer; Models Own Neon Nail Varnish in Bubblegum; Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray; Molton Brown Blissful Templetree Shower Gel; Caudalie Beauty Elixir; St Tropez Instant Glow Face Lotion; Jane Tran Hair Clips; Erborian BB Cream and Lancaster After Sun. There's also a St Tropex in store offer card but that's not really one of the products. Honestly, I was so excited to get this and I was actually pleasantly surprised with how quickly it did arrive. The link for this is here but unfortunately it seems to be sold out online. It may come back in stock but even if it does, you can get these products on their own and so I'll still be doing an individual review of each!

Back before I decided to cut all my hair off (eeek!) my hair was a struggle. I would only brush it after I'd washed it and it was always, without fail, knotty. Sometimes it was just unbearable and I definitely think was down to the fact it was dry and quite dead at the ends. However, now it's much healthier, it's not too bad and I've not actually felt any knots when brushing my hair. Therefore this may seem like a pretty pointless product but I'm definitely glad I have it! I've always wanted a Tangle Teezer and it seems like such a good idea for something to take to the beach/pool with you! My usual brush just wouldn't seem practical to carry around with me and I do find that my hair could do with a brush after being in chlorine/sea salt so this is great! I also love the colour as it's so bright and summery! Another thing is that this particular one is water focused and so the best one to put in a summer beauty box! I'm not sure what the function of the hole through the middle is, though, but I have to say it's overall shape is easy to hold and grip! Another, final positive, is that I can take this in the shower with ease - personally I like to brush through my hair with my fingers after putting in conditioner just to make it feel smooth but this would make life so much easier!

Now even though I'm a lover of Models Own nail varnishes, I don't actually own that many... I do have 3 glitter polishes that I love and the wonderful Beth's Blue (i just had to) but I rarely ever use them. Therefore this was one of the products that I was most excited about. I hope my pictures do it justice on how bright it is! It's from their Ice Neon collection and it's just made me want the rest of the colours! I think they're great for the summer weather - who doesn't love a bright nail varnish to get you in the mood for sun?! I don't actually own a polish this colour so it is a very welcome addition to my collection! Definitely can't wait to show you some pictures of what it's like on!

I've heard all about Bumble and Bumble as a brand and all their products sound really appealing to me. This was actually the first thing I'd heard by them and then their BB hair (un)dressing creme (which i also have my eyes on purchasing). In my younger teenage years I always wanted to create that flawless beach waves look. When I went on holiday and went in the sea, my hair automatically created the 'beachy, windswept' look without any effort or products. But since dying my hair it didn't do this and I need something to give it that 'oomph'. And, again, whilst my hair is significantly shorter and so wouldn't create the ideal long waves but I feel this spray would certainly give some texture! So I shall definitely be taking this, along with my Tangle Teezer, to create some effortless looking hair styles by the poolside!

I, honestly, have enough Molton Brown products to last me a lifetime yet I still don't use them... I don't know what it is but I think it's to do with the fact that their scents don't really appeal to me. They seem too 'fancy' and elegant for a simple gal like me to use! I prefer plain old fruity scents that I know will make me smelling lovely after I've used them However, this one has the most wonderful colour and I can't get over how much it looks like the sea, thus making me super duper excited for my holidays this summer! Plus I like that it has the word 'blissful' in its name and I'll be certain to used this when I need to relax after a stressful day! I also think this will give me a push towards using my Molton Brown products and really testing the brand out!

I remember when this product was released and was doing its rounds on the blogging world but I can't really remember whether it received positive or negative feedback or whether it actually works. I know it's supposed to work towards an improved complexion and generally improving the look of your skin so it seems lovely but I'm doubtful as to whether it will work. I like things I can slather on my face and really rub into my pores whether this is just a simple spritz and spray over my face. However, I am very willing to give this the benefit of the doubt! I do particularly like that you can use it over make up in order to create a gorgeous 'dewy' look. I'll definitely be giving this a go under my make up and over the top to see the different effects!

Fake tan isn't really my thing. I don't particularly like the look most of the time and I'm petrified it will turn out wrong (streaky, orange, too dark?!). However it does intrigue me and there is a part of me that would really love to just take the plunge and give it a go. I have in fact booked myself in for a spray tan for my prom later this month and I'm a little nervous about it but excited at the same time. But this Instant Glow Face Lotion included in my box means I can have a little experimenting on a smaller scale. I'm currently on study leave so I don't technically leave the house which seems the perfect chance for me to give it a go - if it doesn't go right, i won't have to see anyone! It's also wash off which is brilliant! On the other hand, when I opened this to see the colour, it sort of exploded a bit everywhere and the colour is very very dark! As always though, I'll definitely be giving it a go!
Little addition: I did in fact just squirt a bit onto the back of my hand and there doesn't seem to be a change in skin tone at all really. It does look smoother though and a bit more glowy which is a positive! I've also noticed that it has slightly stained my fingertips so definitely need to wash your hands straight away after using it!

I thought this was a cute little addition and would be great, again, for on holiday when you want to pin your hair back off your face. I like the colours as well and think they are very summer orientated. I haven't shown this in the picture but they're more of a 'grip style' clip rather than a 'clippy style' clip if that makes any sense at all which is nice.

I personally have never heard of this brand before. I believe it's an Asian brand and considering that is where the BB Cream hype originally began, I do have some high hopes for it). But, one issue I do have is that it claims to be 'total sheer' and this isn't the type of coverage I usually go for. I prefer heavier coverage as I don't have the clearest skin but on holiday, I definitely don't want heavy make up because I feel like it melts off my face in the heat. Therefore, I'm keen to give this a go on holiday to wear in the sun - the fact it contains SPF 25 is another brill reason to use it on holiday! I'm also interested to see whether it has any skincare benefits along with creating a 'baby skin' effect. I'll definitely be letting you guys know my views on it as it's my first BB Cream and so would love to add my own thoughts on the BB Cream hype!

Finally, this is a necessity for this summer rather than something I particularly wanted. Since I can remember my family have used either Garnier or Ambre Solaire after sun and it's done what I've needed it to so I've never really felt the need to look elsewhere for after sun skincare. However, this one looks exciting because it promises 'tan prolonging' as well as acting as a 'tan maximizer'. Personally I tan very easily but this tan also goes away pretty quickly which is very annoying because who doesn't love showing off their hard earned tans?! I think this was probably another of the most exciting products out of them all as I really want to see whether it does what it says which really would be wonderful!

So there's my little run through and overview of what is in the Selfridges Summer Beauty Box. I definitely think it's worth getting if you can get your hands on one or if one particular product takes your fancy - go for it! I can't wait to properly give each of these products a go either in summer or when I'm on holiday!

Sorry this post is a little later than expected but my weekend turned out a bit busier than little. I had a ridiculous amount of revision and then I was working yesterday but I'm back now! I had my first two exams today including my worst one so I'm feeling a bit more relaxed now. Unfortunately they didn't go as well as I'd hoped but I've just got to forget about them now and work towards my others! Well done to all those that have got through the revision period and good luck to all those, like me, who are still struggling through the revision. My way of getting through it is knowing that in 2 weeks I'll be free for summer! I also went on a little Boots splurge after my exams today so I'll be sharing my goodies with you soon!