Now I have absolutely no idea where I got this little gem from… what I do know is that I have used it 3 times and I just felt compelled to shout about it because it’s one of those products you can feel working on your face immediately. I can almost feel it dialling back the years (if only it could actually do that!). It has a pleasant enough smell with a hint of that vitamin C whiff, and when you apply it to dry clean skin, it feels almost like an exfoliator, but here’s the best bit – it doesn’t leave bits on your face – it absorbs well and you can feel it plumping your skin up instantly. I can still feel it on my face in the mornings, yet it doesn’t feel too heavy. I’ve read that it is a collagen boosting, good-acid-containing complexion booster that promises to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I feel like I believe it. Beware if you have sensitive skin though, this stuff can tingle. The price tag is hefty, an eye-watering £108 for 30ml… I better look like I’m back in my 30’s next week! I’d still give it a solid 5/5.

Firstly, sorry I have been awol for almost a year – incredible how fast time passes – I have been snapping pics of products to tell you about, planning to do it but never getting around to it!

I have been spurred into action this morning though because I can’t believe I haven’t actually reviewed Lancôme’s Cils Booster XL yet!

I use this every single day and really notice the difference if I don’t use it. It’s a mascara primer which you pop on your lashes under any mascara, supposedly to help protect lashes but also to boost the lash- building effect of any mascara you use. A bold claim indeed, but I find it really works at the boosting lashes part – it makes my lashes look longer and fuller, but beware that it can cause clumping if you put too much on. I find a few strokes is enough to coat all the lashes in the white primer, and as long as the primer isn’t clumping, your mascara shouldn’t either. I don’t bother using it on my bottom lashes at all as it does cause clumping which can then lead to the dreaded ‘panda eye in the middle of the day’ effect, not a great look!

At around £24, it’s not cheap, but it does last for quite a long time – a little goes a long way, so I highly recommend it and would give it a 5/5.

I really like this stuff! It’s an exfoliating cleanser that feels a little grainy, which helps to give your face a deep cleanse. It’s not too harsh so you can use it daily, which appeals to me. Although it is slightly on the pricey side – a full bottle would set you back £21 (the one pictured is a sample size) but Clarins often do deals with freebies so you tend to get quite a lot for your money if you buy from them during promotions. (Don’t forget to check not only the Clarins website but also department stores as they offer different promotions at different times!)

I used this one up pretty quickly, and as I’m a multi tasker, I tended to use it in the shower to save precious time! It leaves my skin smooth and clean and I followed it up with a layer of moisturiser each time.

Although it says ‘with orange extract’ I don’t think you would know that from the smell. I find it smells a bit like detergent or something similar! But don’t let that put you off, lots of people think it smells great. More importantly, it does its main job very well so I would recommend it and give it a 4/5.

You may remember I got this small Diptique candle in my Liberty advent calendar and couldn’t wait to use it as I’ve never had one of these before (couldn’t justify spending £24 on a tiny candle!) I got round to using it this weekend and it was a big disappointment to be honest!! The scent could only be detected when you were literally standing above it, and unlike some other candles I’ve had, it burned out within 2-3 evenings of usage… needless to say I wouldn’t recommend this particular one. I will be trying the Baies and Oud ones soon so let’s see if they are any better – but in the meantime I’d recommend sticking with Molton Brown or Jo Malone candles. In fact, anything but this one…

Hope it’s not too late to wish my fellow beauty enthusiasts a very Happy New Year! During the Xmas break it also happened to be my birthday, so I was treated to a range of exciting beauty products including a gel nails set, a subscription to the Look Fantastic beauty box and a subscription to the Birchbox. And I even got my first Birchbox in advance… Looking forward to trying out these products!

The gifts from my advent calendar kept on getting better and better. Here’s what I got on days 16-25. Yes, there was a gift on Xmas day too!

Day 16 – QMS Medicosmetics face mask

Never heard of this brand, so I can’t comment but looking forward to trying it out since I rarely use face masks but I should!

Day 17 – Surratt Smokey Eye Baton

Again this is one I haven’t come across before but I love the smokey eye look, so anything that helps to get that right is a welcome addition to my beauty collection.

Day 18 – Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil

Another one that is new to me, but it looks and smells great so I can’t wait to give this a whirl!

Day 19 – Davines Oi Shampoo

Haven’t seen this before either and not feeling too excited about using it – something about the packaging puts me off, but I will let you know what it’s like…

Day 20 – Dr Sebagh Serum

Now this one has had some rave reviews, so I’m super excited to give it a go and report back.

Day 21 – Byredo Hand Cream

I’ve heard all about their perfumes so I expect this to smell wonderful. Love the simple yet elegant packaging in the old-school medicinal metallic tube too!

Day 22 – Trish McEvoy Liquid Lip Colour

This is amazing! I slicked some on in the pre-Christmas rush around and it lasted all day long. My lips were still stained with the pigment after dinner and drinks that evening, so I can definitely vouch for the long-lasting, rich colour. Keen to see the other colours as this is great for Christmas and parties, not so great for office days in my opinion.

Day 23 – Votary Cleansing Oil & Cloth

As I currently use a Shu Uemura cleansing oil that’s starting to run out, I can’t wait to give this one a try! Haven’t smelled it yet but the description sounds amazing.

Day 24 – Diptique Candle

I’m obsessed with candles and strangely enough haven’t tried this brand yet since I’ve been too hooked on Jo Malone. Let’s see if this can sway me.

Day 25 – Le Labo The Noir perfume

I recently went to the Edition Hotel in London and the smell in the lobby was so lovely that I had to ask the staff what it was. I was expecting it to be some sort of candle or diffuser, but the guy said “We infuse the air conditioning system with Le Labo’s The Noir Madame” – it smells amazing in a room, let’s see how it smells on me…

So happy with my Liberty calendar – it really is the gift that keeps on giving!! Particularly excited to try Eve Lom’s cleanser and the surprising Brazilian Bum Bum cream… I am of course delighted with the Nars blusher too since it’s my favourite one, but honestly not too sure about brow oil! I mean, I’m all for trying new products out but an oil to put on my eyebrows might be pushing it a tad too far… I’ll try and give it a go and keep you updated!

I realise this is a highly delayed advent calendar post but I’m hoping to catch up over the next few days, in a booze-fuelled haze no doubt!

I am so excited to try these products out – especially the Laura Mercier eye colour stick. And the make up pouch from Liberty is gorgeous! I’ll keep you posted…

The best thing about these beauty advent calendars is that you don’t know exactly what you’re going to get each day! There was actually a card with mine that tells you what’s inside but I chose not to look at that and ruin the surprise… Let me tell you, that was a challenge for me given delayed gratification is not my thing!

A couple of days ago I opened my advent day 7 gift and was slightly disappointed to find a Malin & Goetz product inside the little box… don’t get me wrong, I’m not ungrateful, but I was cajoled by an over-zealous beautician into buying a Malin & Goetz body lotion to cure my dry legs and not only was it expensive, it didn’t smell very nice and it didn’t even work! My legs were actually flaky dry and that lotion was totally useless, I may as well have been applying water to them! So when I found this lip moisturiser, I was beyond cynical and nearly popped it in my ‘to re-gift’ box….

Instead, I thought I’d try it out because my lips were so dry that day. Turns out I was wrong!

It has a silky texture and glides onto your lips beautifully, giving them a lovely shine, AND it delivers on its ‘moisturising’ claim – kept my lips hydrated for a good couple of hours (including drinking tea & repeatedly rubbing my lips together). I reapplied it over lip liner today too and that works well. I would actually buy this, and I take back my Malin & GOATS comments for good!!