Best Beauty Advent Calendars 2015

First of all I must apologise for talking about Christmas when we are only three days into November. Yes, we all know people who have finished their Christmas shopping already, however (if you are anything like me and want to keep Christmas in December where it belongs) please bear with me...

Beauty advent calendars have been getting bigger and better over the last few years. They are now available to suit every budget and the high street is getting involved in what was once a solely high-end domain. Most are either 12 or 24 days and (as much as I love chocolate) what could be better than getting a beauty-related present each morning in the run up to Christmas?! There's only one problem – many of the most popular brands sell out quickly. So if you fancy treating yourself, or someone else, you will need to get in quick. Hence the unnaturally early festive post from me.

So without further ado, here are 8 of the best beauty advent calendars:

CHARLOTTE TILBURY
The Book of Makeup Magic is a fabulous calendar by the one and only Charlotte Tilbury. It contains 12 of her most popular products: Magic Cream 15ml, Take It All Off 15ml, Wonderglow 15ml, Multi Miracle Glow 15ml, Supermodel Body 15ml, Goddess Skin Clay Mask 15ml, Mini K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick, Matte Revolution lipstick, Lip Magic, Mini Rock n Kohl liner, Nocturnal Cat eyes Eyeshadow, Magic Night cream.
£150, www.charlottetilbury.com

SELFRIDGES
The Selfridges Beauty Workshop Advent Calendar is a lot like their seasonal beauty boxes – exceptional value for money. The 24 little beauty treats are worth £226 in total and include Tweezerman tweezers, Eyeko skinny liquid liner, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum, Caudalie Divine Oil and lots more.
£60 www.selfridges.com

KERASTASE
This limited edition calendar contains 24 iconic Kérastase deluxe travel size products and one full size Elixir product worth £28.50 alone. If you are a Kérastase fan you won't want to miss this one. Visit the link below for details of all the products included.
£79.99 www.kerastase.co.uk

LUSH
Fans of Lush can enjoy 12 days of bath bombs, bubble bars, bath melts and body lotions! All products are vegan making it an ideal gift for anyone who likes to buy cruelty-free brands.
£49.95 www.lush.co.uk

CIATÉ
Fellow nail-polish addicts will love this Mini Mani Month advent calendar by Ciaté. This is another one that is excellent value for money as it contains 23 nail polishes and a nail file worth £124 in total.
£49 www.selfridges.com

THE BODY SHOP
The Body Shop's 24 Happy Days calendar has a really wide variety of treats, from cult classics to new products, including bath and bodycare, skincare, fragrance and more. Check out the full list at the link below
£60 www.thebodyshop.co.uk

LIBERTY LONDON
This calendar is a real luxury treat.. possibly the one I want to get my paws on the most! Who could resist that beautiful packaging with the iconic Liberty building illustration? Yes it is a little pricey at £149, but with over £400 worth of products inside, my beauty maths tells me it is actually a real bargain! It even contains 11 full-sized products alongside the deluxe sample sizes. Gifts include skin care from Eve Lom and Dr Sebagh, candles by Diptyque, cosmetics by Surratt and haircare from Davines.
£149 www.liberty.co.uk

JO MALONE
Jo Malone's advent calendar is always a hot favourite and rightly so. However, as a result it sells out very quickly. It is currently unavailable on their website but it might be worth checking your nearest store. If you can get hold of you one you will have 24 days of beautiful treats to look forward to! This is another one that scores highly on the packaging front too, with the brand's Georgian townhouse illustrated on the front.
£260, www.jomalone.co.uk


Other brands worth checking out include L'Occitane, Benefit (although I believe this has sold out online!), No7 and M&S Beauty. If you know of any others we would love to hear from you!

That autumn feeling...

I am a fan of this time of year. I like snuggly evenings, fleecy pyjamas, leaves falling, candles burning and good tv (Sherlock, Luther and Peaky Blinders are all back soon. Eeek!) So I thought I'd share a few of the things that are giving me that autumn feeling.

First, candles. I know it hasn't been that long since my last candle post but that's because burning candles in the autumn and the in the run up to Christmas is one of my favourite activities. Some may say that I need a hobby!

   £34-44 for a two or three wick candle

£17.49 for the mosaic crackle glass 10oz 

Woodwick's Pumpkin Butter is a yummy autumnal scent. Obviously, pumpkin is an ingredient but there are spicy notes in there too. Because of this, it's the perfect autumn to winter combination. I'm not going to lie, it is expensive but there are good deals on Amazon and despite burning it nightly, it lasted from September to February last year. 

However, Jo Malone's Incense and Embers is a great companion. 

£42 for 200g 

It is one of the Home Candles, which was designed as one of four candles that represents aspects of a Sunday. From the name, this is the Sunday evening, around the fire. The smokey embers scent, mixed with amber makes it seem as if I have installed a fire place in the living room. 

On the subject of Jo Malone, I have been wearing Blue Agava and Cacao Body Creme and Cologne. It's a rich scent that suits colder weather and it always gets good reviews when I wear it! 

£42 for 30ml Cologne 

£50 for 175ml Body Creme 

It reminds me of coco butter but is a far more sophisticated than my description! Sea salt mixed with cacao (raw chocolate) cinnamon, grapefruit and blue agava flower makes this the best smelling type of coco butter ever! 

www.amazon.co.uk

www.jomalone.co.uk 

Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel

TYPE OF PRODUCT

Jo Malone describes this on their website as 'a luxurious gel that moisturises dry, dehydrated or weathered skin'.

INITIAL THOUGHTS

The Jo Malone Vitamin E Gel was a gift from my lovely brother in law who had heard that it can help alleviate skin irritation such as eczema, something I occasionally suffer with on my hands as a result of stress. (My doctor previously advised I avoided washing up and only wore expensive jewellery which I asked for in writing to no avail...)

It's a bit hard to describe the consistency of this product. It is similar to Vaseline but not as solid, a bit like if Vaseline has gone slightly molten on a warm day. It is very rich and the Vitamin E supposedly helps to fortify the skin against the damaging effects of sun, wind and pollution.

THE VERDICT

This is a fantastic multitasking product. Not only has it helped my hands but I have also used it overnight as a lip balm and even a small amount on my face if it is feeling dry. I recommend reading a few product reviews online to find out more about just how versatile it is.

REPURCHASE?

Yes! It's a little pricey but well worth it as it does the job and a little bit goes a long way.

RRP £64 for 30ml

www.jomalone.co.uk

Kay's Make Up Routine

PRIMER

Benefit That Gal, £22.50 for 11ml and Olay 30 Second Wrinkle Filler, £12.45 for 100ml

The Wrinkle Filler is amazing and smooths skin, not only filling in wrinkles but minimising pores. That Gal is the only illuminating primer that I don't react to. It gives skin healthy sheen. 

REPURCHASE?

About to for both as I have just run out. 

EYE PRIMER

Urban Decay Primer Potion Eden, £16

Better than Paint Pots and will hold eyeliner all day, even in hot and sticky weather. I have worn it without eye shadow and it gives the eyelid an even tone. 

REPURCHASE?

Yes. I like it better than the original. 

CONCEALER

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot, £29 for 5.8g

One half is for blemishes and is the best at hiding red spots from acne scarring. The other half is for the under eye area and is a peachy creamy texture. I am so-so about this. Underneath the concealers is their setting powder, which is a good'un. 

REPURCHASE?

I have done and probably will when autumn rolls around and I need slightly more coverage. 

FOUNDATION

Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua B30 B40, £33 for 30ml

A fluid based, light-coverage foundation, which is buildable and does not tend to oxidise (certainly not on my skin). Easily blendable and is scented, which doesn't particularly bother me. Creates a lovely, natural sheen to the skin and is excellent for my dry skin type. 

REPURCHASE?

Yes, although they last a long old time. Currently switching to CC cream and MAC powder for the summer months. 

HIGHLIGHTER

MAC Prep and Prime in Radiant Rose, £18 for 3.6ml and Sleek Face Form, £9.99 for 20g

Made almost un-buy able by the Kim Kardashian contour craze, Prep and Prime Highlighter is a staple. It gives a beautiful natural highlight, which is great for any skin, especially my dry skin and in the summer, I often use it in place of a concealer. Blends beautifully – better than YSL's Touché Eclat. The Sleek highlight is a subtle shimmer that makes all the difference to the shape of the face....or the shape that is trying to be enhanced. 

REPURCHASE?

Yes, yes, yes. 

CONTOUR

Sleek Face Form, £9.99 for 20g

The best contouring set that I have tried. I prefer the bronze colour to Laguna (Sorry, Nars) and although it needs to be blended thoroughly, it is such a good contouring colour. It really defines the cheek bones. Plus, I love the price. 

REPURCHASE?

Yes but will take me a while to get through it. 

BLUSH

Sleek Pink Lemonade, £9.99

Cream and powder pinks. A flush of summer. A little goes a heck of a long way and it is easy to blend. Lasts for the long haul. 

REPURCHASE? I would like to try the range before going back to this. Greedy? Yes. Hey ho! 

BROWS

Beautiful Brows, £38

You can read a full review of my new brow must-have product here

REPURCHASE?

YES. In caps....I mean business. 

EYE SHADOW

Urban Decay Create Your Own Palette, Too Faced Chocolate Palette, Inglot, Dior quads, Sigma, MAC Build Your Own (see various reviews...more to come) 

REPURCHASE?

These are my favourite lines for shadows, with some, like the Sigma Smoke Screen, only just discovered. I am planning to buy more from all of the companies. Lord help my mortgage. 

EYELINER

MAC Fluid Gel Liner in Black Track, £15 for 3g, Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner Black, £7.99 for 10ml

I use MAC for the initial line and then fill in and define with the Maybelline. I find that the Maybelline feathers on its own. The MAC line controls it! 

RE-PURCHASE?

Yes, but I'm always on the look out for a new liner. 

MASCARA

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara, £21 for 6ml; Lancôme Hypnose, £22.50 for 6.ml; Dior Extase, £24.50 for 6ml; YSL Babydoll, £24.50 for 5ml

Estée Lauder does not budge. It's defining, dramatic and does not budge. Sometimes after cleansing three times, I have to do a fourth to get the remaining mascara residue off. Dior is great and doesn't seem to get the recognition that it deserves. I have written a post on it....I need to get on the website asap. YSL Baby Doll is dramatic and defining. The colour can wander but it creates a lovely shape and opens the eyes. It does tend to go off quicker than other mascaras. Lancôme is my every day mascara; easy to apply and easy to get off of an evening. 

REPURCHASE?

Yes to Estée Lauder and YSL. Dior, already have, several times. I also like Armani Eyes to Kill but haven't used it in a while. 

SETTING

Urban Decay Chill Spray, £20 (see separate review here) and the Laura Mercier Setting Powder, £ 29 for 11.3g

Both are good and do what they say. 

REPURCHASE?

I'm going to use MAC powder for a while. I think that my skin has got used to the products and they are not working quite as effectively as they once were. 

PERFUME

Jo Malone Peony and Blush, £40 for 30ml and Tuberose Angelica, £100 for 100ml

REPURCHASE?

Without a shadow of a doubt. Not only do they smell amazing and luxurious but the customer care at Jo Malone is traditional and quite the experience. After visiting the Covent Garden store, I received a hand written note, thanking me for visiting. I was utterly blown away. In this day and age, hand written anything is a shock, but it was such a lovely gesture. Plus, Jo Malone offer a complimentary hand and arm massage. It's advisable to book and be warned, you will want to buy every product that they use. 

 

www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

www.boots.com

www.debenhams.com

www.uk.spacenk.com

www.superdrug.com

www.beautifulbrows.co.uk 

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

www.maybelline.co.uk

www.esteelauder.co.uk

www.lancome.co.uk

www.jomalone.co.uk