The Vintage Cosmetics Advent Calendar - What was inside!

If cute and kitsch is your thing, then the Vintage Cosmetic Company Twelve Days Advent Calendar is perfect for you because it is not only cute and kitsch it is also very very pink!  If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that I opened each of the 12 days on Instagram Stories so that you could see the contents. 

So behind the doors of this calendar I got the following:

Day 1 - Pink Blending Sponge - This one is latex free and is Infused with Vitamin E

Day 2 - Floral Mini Rectangular Paddle Brush - With a soft touch handle for easy grip and comfort and nylon pins to glide through your hair

Day 3 - Dolly Bow Make-Up Headband - Made from super soft toweling in a pale pink polka dot print it also features a cute pink bow.

Day 4 - Pink Hair Rollers - With 3 larger rollers for body and bounce and 3 slightly smaller ones for a more defined curl

Day 5 - 2 Sectioning Clips - pretty little sectioning clips featuring a comfortable soft touch, easy grip hinged clamp.

Day 6 - Silver Eyelash Curler - Made from high quality carbon steel they come with two replacement silicone pads

Day 7 - Floral Nail Scissors - Made from high quality stainless steel these Nail Scissors are sharp, sleek and perfect for precise cutting of fingernails and toenails, lashes and more.

Day 8 - Powder Brush - With a wooden handle and synthetic bristles this bursh is quite versatile and can be used for many products

Day 9 - Pink Duo Pencil Sharpener - This has 2 different size sharpeners for small and large pencils.

Day 10 - Floral Slanted Tweezers - Made from quality Stainless Steel, the slanted tips mean these high precision tweezers also give you precise plucking and also great for all your tweezing needs. Brow shaping, removing splinters and more …

Day 11 - Nancy False Strip Lashes - These Eyelashes are perfect for both day and night as they add a delicate amount of volume and length

Day 12 - Smokey Eye Brush Set - This set contains a Shadow Brush, an Angled Shadow Brush and a precision Shadow Brush.

Again, I think this is such a brilliantly cute advent calendar and one which is slightly different to the rest that I have ever had or seen opened.  The Vintage Cosmetics Company is a British Company who wanted to bring a product that offers something unique in the market and a product that would pay tribute to old-Hollywood and harks back to the glamour and charm of the 1950s, but one that serves the everyday beauty needs of women everywhere. The ultimate goal being that The Vintage Cosmetic Company would offer a range of high quality beauty accessories with a unique, feminine personality. A range that combines affordability, efficacy and elegance and now it does with over 60 of them available today.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Glo & Ray Cosmetics

Until recently Glo&Ray Cosmetics has alluded me, ive seen it on social media channels but have never tried it. Sold in BeautyMart, which you can also find in Topshop if you live in London, Gloy&Ray is a British company which draws inspiration from the natural wonder of light. The name Glo & Ray is derived from ‘Glo’, a gentle luminance; and ‘Ray’, a vibrant beam of light. Making their debut back in September 2012, the range is quite impressive with everything you need for your eyes, lips and face as well as one or two extra products for makeup removal and cleansing.

I was very kindly given an introduction to Gloy&Ray with three products which I absolutely love and ones that I have now used for the last 2 months constantly. 

The Nuage Solo Blush in shade Dawn Seed which is a really lovely soft peach tinted shade with slight golden hues and it is ideal for being used as a contour bronzer or cheekbone highlighter as well as a blush. 

Encased in what can only be described as a luxurious compact, it comes with an accompanying brush, which is just fabulous and perfect for using on the go. The compact lid holds a mirror which is a nice addition. At £11 it isn't going to break the bank, but it does make you think twice about some of those high end brands which charge almost double!

I do love my eyeshadows and have mentioned frequently that I am a nude/neutral kind of girl and it is rare I leave my comfort zone. The Mirage eyeshadow pots have a mousse consistancy and they work like a cream, so ideal for dipping your finger in the pot if you don't have a brush to hand. 

I have the shade Olive Garden which I can best describe as being a forest green but with blue/green shimmer and it is just stunning. This one I have worn quite a few times now and it is quite striking, more so because I have bright blue eyes. Again at £11 a pot it is money well spent, it doesn't crease or smudge whether it is worn with or without a primer, however using a primer ensures it does last all night without the need to touch up.

Lipsticks, you can never ever have too many in my opinion and this La Amo Creamy Shimmer Lip Colour in shade Seduce is just absolutely stunning. Seduce is a deep red lipstick which is super pigmented and the colour payoff is amazing, one swipe across the lips gives a full burst of colour. All of the La Amo creamy shimmer collection features a Light Colour Fitness Complex alongside Micro-Shine Particles to provide a dazzling effect for irresistibly fuller looking lips. 

Enriched with pigment and with a shimmer finish, lips are left soft, moisturised and with a flash of colour and if you do look close enough at the lipstick bullet you can see some slight shimmer within the colour but this doesn't transfer to the lips so that they sparkle, it just adds to the finished look. Impressively once applied, this lipstick lasted around 6 hours because it had faded to the point a touch up was required. Priced at £12 this is more than reasonable a price and it definitely does give some high end brands a run for their money.

Swatched below with each products this is just one swipe of the finger for the blush and eyeshadow and one swipe of the lipstick bullet, so you can see the amazing colour payoff.

As an introduction to Glo&Ray these are three amazing products and ones that I just absolutely adore and ones that I have used, infact one needs replacing already I have loved it that much. I am now keen to try more products from the range and to definitely work my way through the lipsticks!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

REN Evercalm™ Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask

The festive season is over, the alarm is back on and the dread of getting out of bed before lunchtime has become a reality once again as we trudge off back to become desk warriors. I have enjoyed having ten days off work, not doing a lot, barely leaving the house and living in PJ's, so going back to work has come as a slap back into reality.

Meet REN Evercalm Ultra Comfort Rescue Mask it is the new kid on the block and available right now (here). Specifically developed with a REN exclusive complex of original ingredients to combat over-sensitivity.

As a rescue mask, it is designed to calm, soothe and moisturise whilst helping to alleviate the key signs of sensitive skin. REN state it will also increase the skin's ability to cope with stress, aid recovery and strengthen the protective moisture barrier, leading to long term well-being of your skin.

Using four main ingredients, the treatment works to treat the key symptoms of sensitivity which can include redness, irritation, itchiness and dryness. 

• White Mushroom Extract: Calms and comforts.
• Yeast Compound: Accelerates recovery after stress with potent antibacterial and antihistamine effects.
• Arnica: Reduces redness. 
• Roman Chamomile Scent: Offers a warm, sweet, relaxing, and calming feeling for both body and mind.

This mask should be used up to three times a week or at anytime when you feel your skin is in need of urgent rescue.  Having cleansed your face to remove surface grime and dirt, apple a generous amount, avoiding the eye area and leave on for 10 minutes.  After those 10 minutes, using a damp but warm cloth gently remove any excess and then follow up with your usual skin care routine.  So this mask is a great quick go to rather than something which is laborious. You can use it in a morning or an evening depending upon your preference.

What I love about this mask is how it feels on the skin, it sinks in when you apply it. The cream is thick and luxurious and  the Chamomile scent is there very notably. Given the bottle is pump action you only need two possibly three pumps to have more than enough to cover your entire face 'generously' as advised. Once the excess has been removed there is no greasy residue or tackiness to the skin, what I did find was my skin felt smooth, it felt cooled and it felt moisturised.  Was the redness on my cheeks reduced, yes it was and possibly only I would notice the difference, but to me that is all that counts.

Available now this rescue mask is priced at £28 for 50ml and it is a great product, though I expect nothing less from REN.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Save some money with My Favourite Voucher Codes

So Christmas has been and gone and the sales are still going on, queues are forming and still you spend many hours searching every known site for that one final bargain. I am sure you will have realised by now that I love a bargain, who doesn't, but I also love finding that code to give me that extra 5,10 or 20% off too.

One of my favourite places to shop is Debenhams, it has everything I need all under one roof and whenever I can't find the right gift, I need an evening dress, something for a wedding or a new lipstick, you will find me in that store on Oxford Street or I am online researching my purchase. Sites such as  https://www.myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uk/debenhams-voucher-codes has over 10,000 live codes and coupons to use to help you to find that bargain and save you money. Whether you are looking for makeup, shoes, flowers, food, drink or toys to name a few categories, there is always something for everyone and always a bargain to be had.

Broken down into categories or even via your chosen store to shorten the amount of time you need to search, you can some amazing codes.  So as mentioned, my favourite store is Debenhams and right now there are some great offers to be found. By going through My Favourite Voucher Codes, you will be given a list of current offers and you simply click on which code you need and you are taken to the site. No more hours of searching, typing in codes that have expired and your shopping is done in half the time.

My Favourite Voucher Codes is a promo code website that gives 20% of its net profits to charity. There is an extensive range of money saving coupons, discount vouchers and promo codes that are designed to save you money on your online shopping. With a team who hunt high and low for the best savings on the net to bring you the freshest, up to date and relevant voucher, coupons and promo codes that are currently available anywhere on the internet.

Do you use sites such as these when shopping online or hunting for a bargain?

*This is a collaboration post