Christmas with Latest In Beauty for £20!

With less than 2 weeks to go until Christmas, I am hoping by now you have all bought your presents, wrapped them and they are sat with Father Christmas ready for the big day. If not, then Latest in Beauty have put together four amazing boxes which would make brilliant presents and they cost just £20 each!

THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

Treat yourself (or someone else!) to a little luxury this holiday season with The Christmas Collection. I absolutely love this box, it is my favourite of the four on offer and it is full of pampering treats from brands such as The White Company, Omorovicza, Oskia, ESPA and This Works.  This box can be found right here.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS EDIT

This Christmas we’ve picked some of our favourite beauty goodies to get you looking gorgeous from top to toe! With brands like MoroccanOil, Miller Harris and Rodial, this box makes a great gift too! You can find this box right here.

PARTY SEASON BOX

Get ready for the party season with this fabulously festive beauty box! This box has been filled it with 11 amazing beauty goodies, from brands such as MUA Luxe, Technic, Simple and Nanshy which are guaranteed to put you in the party mood. You can find this box right here.

GLAM AND GLOW BOX

Get ready for the festive party season with the Glam and Glow Box, which is filled with our favourite makeup and skincare goodies from brands like Leighton Denny, Nanshy, MUA and Rimmel. You can find this box right here.

Do you have your eye on any of these boxes?

*this post contains affiliate links and all photos are credited to Latest in Beauty.

Makeup Tips for an Engagement Photo Shoot

When you’re ready to announce to the world your intentions to marry, an engagement photo shoot can act as the official finishing touch. Snapping a few professionally shot pictures with your future spouse gives wedding guests a taste of things to come while also helping you to grow closer as a couple. Taking pictures as you shop for an engagement rings dc or frolic in the park, as this will make you look forward to your wedding even more. You may already have your outfits picked out and plan on wearing your hair a certain way, but your engagement photo shoot makeup plans need to be tweaked along the way.

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Choose Different Types of Lighting

Even if you have planned an engagement photo shoot that will take place entirely at one location, you should still choose various types of lighting. You will never accurately know how your makeup will look under a certain type of lighting until a photo is taken. Softer lighting can make you look warmer and younger, while strong lighting will capture your best features in a more appealing manner. With different types of lighting at your engagement photo shoot, you will also have more makeup choices. Put on a slightly darker shade of makeup and add shimmer when you want to switch up your look in the middle of an engagement announcement photo shoot. 

Don’t Outshine the Groom

While your husband-to-be may encourage you to go all out for your engagement photo shoot, be certain that you won’t steal all the attention. Find out how your future spouse is planning on dressing and grooming himself for your upcoming shoot, then choose makeup that will be complimentary rather than distracting. A versatile daytime makeup look works great for engagement photo shoots, and you can even add a special touch to your style by using bronzer or false eyelashes. Think about whether you would feel comfortable going out to dinner together, and that should tell you if you and your soon-to-be husband are ready for the camera. 

Be Prepared to Reapply Your Makeup

It may literally take you hours to get your makeup right just ahead of your photo shoot, but it won’t be the last time that you need to pick up your makeup brushes. Engagement photo shoots can take a long time, and in between takes your makeup is probably going to fade. Every time you take a sip of water or answer your phone, your makeup is going to be compromised. Bring all of your makeup with you when you go on your photo shoot, and take time to reapply any area that has smudged or faded. 

Once your engagement photo shoot is complete, the next memorable set of pictures you are going to take will be on your wedding day. Use this opportunity to learn how to pose and style yourself so that you look amazing in all of your future photos. Be natural, show your elegance and use high quality makeup that will last, even on an all-day engagement photo shoot.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise/GP

Stocking Fillers you need to buy!

For me, stocking filler presents are often more exciting than buying main presents and there does seem to be a lot of choice and variety out there right now. If you have someone who is a nightmare to buy for, someone who has everything or someone who never knows what they want (me) then a collection of stocking fillers can fill that gap and help you finish off that shopping list.

Beauty crackers are one of those gifts that I have grown to love. I even wrote a post about them here. To that end, some brands have come up with some brilliant products and these are worthy of purchasing.

FeelUnique have two brilliant crackers this year. The Skin Saviours Christmas Cracker is packed with beauty treats that will see you through the festive season and includes Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 5ml, Ole Henriksen Truth Sugar Glow Polishing Mask 15g, NUXE Reve de Miel Creme Mains et Ongles Hand and Nail Cream 30ml and Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue Restorative Serum 15ml. 

The second cracker which is packed with Beauty Tools and they are U feelunique Silver Glitter Nail File 3.5", U feelunique Perfect Complexion Blending Sponge and a U feelunique Essential Eye Brush Capsule Collection. Both crackeres retail for £12.

L'Occitane Festive crackers come as a set of three nicely packaged in a box. Each cracker contains three products which include a shower oil, bath cube and a hand cream and each one smells just wonderful. 

The three chosen scents for these crackers are Cherry Blossom, Almond and Lavender. You can find these crackers priced at just £20 here

Caudalie have two crackers to choose from and again, it is a tough choice deciding between the two. 

The first one is Hydration Essentials and it contains Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet 10ml, Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum 10ml and Moisturising Mask 15ml. The second cracker is the Body Essentials cracker and inside this one you will find Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml and Caudalie Thé des Vignes Shower Gel 30ml. Priced at £10 each you can find them here and here.

Yardley Lily of the Valley Cracker is exceptionally cute. Having had a bit of a makeover, Yardley is a brand that you can't help but love and like. 

This cracker contains a luxurious Nourishing Hand Cream with refreshing Lily extract, hydrating shea butter, moringa oil and sunflower oil, rich in vitamins A and C, it absorbs quickly into the skin leaving hands feeling soft,smooth and delicately fragranced, whilst conditioning and strengthening the nails. Priced at just £4 here it is an absolute bargain.

The DHC Bento Box is another must have product. If you love Korean Beauty or want to discover it, then DHC is an amazing brand to start with.  This box costs just £13 and inside there are 4 products which I absolutely adore. 

Firstly we have the Iconic Deep Cleansing Oil which is DHC’s worldwide bestselling makeup removing cleanser. Also included is the Ultra-nourishing Mild Soap for thorough-yet-gentle cleansing. Revitalising Moisture Eye Strips, to quickly brighten eyes and reduce puffiness and the final item is the 100% natural Blotting Paper, to reduce shine and absorb oil on-the-go.

Gatineau Discovery Collection - This Box of treats is a delight at just £20 from Marks and Spencers. Featuring  a 6 piece collection, worth £107 it is a great way introduction to Gatineau if you are new to the brand and a great way to experience the benefits of premium Parisian skincare. 

I have reviewed the box fully right here but inside you will find Gentle eye make-up remover 50ml, Melatogenine cleanser 50ml, Radiance enhancing gommage 15ml, Melatogenine futur plus anti-wrinkle radiance mask 15ml, Melatogenine AOX Advanced Rejuvenating Cream 15ml and Age Benefit Integral Regenerating Cream 30ml.

So there you have it. A delightful collection of products which would make the most amazing stocking fillers.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise