The best Beauty Advent Calendars 2014 + A giveaway

I don't know about you but my inbox is fairly quiet on the whole 'Christmas' thing right now, there was a flurry of activity around the beginning of the month and now, well not so much.

One thing I am seeing more and more of however is the launching of Beauty a advent Calendars, remember last there when there was a stampede into Benefit for their calendar, only for them to run out and be found on eBay for almost quadruple the price? Well this year it seems there has been an explosion in Beauty Advent Calendars and having spent a few days reading about them through various means, I thought I would share them with you - one thing to note... Why is there nothing for the men folk?  

Tesco - Costing just £50 instead of the actual retail value of a whopping £125, Tesco have announced they are to launch an advent calendar this year. Contents include Nip + Fab, Korres, Tanya Burr, and Dr Lewinn's plus many more.

The Benefit advent calendar is back and it is packed with mini products from the brand's bestsellers as well as some beauty accessories which look too cute. Priced at £60, it becomes available at benefitcosmetics.co.uk and debenhams.com from 16th October

For £85 you might want to look at the Selfridges Enchanted Spells advent calendar which has a selection of fragrances, makeup and skincare from some amazing beauty brands such as Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl's and Victor & Rolf to name but a few. To get your hands on it, go to the Selfridges website and sign up for notifications of its release.

The advent calendar that I am excited comes from the Liberty. Designed to look just like the actual London department store, inside each of the drawers you will find the most amazing luxury beauty treats such as NARS, Diptyque, Dermalogica, Kiehls, Eve Lom and Laura Mercier to name just a few! This calendar is Available in store and at liberty.co.uk from November and costs £125

No.7 comes next and again, I am liking the look of this purse friendly advent calendar. The items inside are said to be worth a massive £130, this calendar is packed with skincare and makeup must-haves which is said to include the iconic No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Cream. Available at Boots stores and online from 29th October and is priced at £35

Elemis is next. I am a huge Elemis fan and this calendar Priced at £59.50 and is Available now from timetospa.co.uk.  It differs slightly to the other calendars in that it is. 12 days of Christmas calendar which means, you only get 12 doors to open.  That said inside you will find products such as 

• Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm 20g
• Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 15ml
• Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 15ml
• Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 7ml
• Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml
• Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules 14 caps
• Revitalising Babassu Facial Wipes 4 sachets
• Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream 50ml
• Frangipani Monoi Body Oil 35ml
• Skin Nourishing Shower Cream 50ml
• Pro-Radiance Hand & Nail Cream 20ml
• Treat Your Feet Foot Cream 20ml

L'Occtaine is next and again there are not 25 or 24 doors to open but instead there are 13. Why? The holiday tradition in Provence is to have 13 deserts on the festival table, so with that in mind, this calendar has 13 treats waiting for you. From fragrance, body and skincare surprise are behind each door. Available at loccitane.co.uk from 3rd November this calendar is priced at £45

W7 advent Calendar - I have featured this already, but have to include because it is such good value for money costing just £19.99. Behind each of the doors you will find a sample sized treat from the W7 range such as nail polishes, mascara, lipstick and one or two other surprises. Date for release TBC.

At just £49 Ciaté's Mini Mani Manor is exceptionally cute. Behind each door you are likely to find this seasons must haves, some best-selling shades, texture polishes and even festive transfers. Nailed it. Available now at Selfridges, John Lewis, ASOS and www.ciate.co.uk and if you go to your local TK Maxx you can find them for just £19.99!

The latest release to reach my inbox, is the Jo Malone Calendar, just look at how pretty it all is/ Costing an eye-watering £250, it is sure to sell out quickly, so keep your eyes peeled if you want it! This calendar is filled with 24 fragrances and mini body lotions.  

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a candle or five would it? Well this years Yankee Candle advent Calendar is one on my short list of calendars I'd like, I mean how cute. Priced at around £23 (prices differ on a few sites) and available now, this 3D shaped calendar is packed full of Yankee a Candles, some of those scents include Candy Cane Lane, Christmas Memories, Christmas Garland, Spiced Orange and Snowflake Cookie to name just a few and....there is an added surprise behind one of the doors, but you will find no spoiler here telling you what it is!

The Body Shop which will retail for £55, with total contents are valued at £80

I am sure over the next free weeks other beauty calendars will be announced... Over the last few years there has been Liz Earle, Boots and even Lancôme and L'Oreal which I've managed to find mentioned online.

With all of that in mind and in celebration of the fact Beautyqueenuk has just hit 500,000 page views, yes that is Half a Million... Woah! I thought it would be a good idea to create my own Beauty Advent Calendar for someone to open...it will be filled with things that I love and use. All you need to do is complete the Rafflecopter form below to take part - Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So which a Advent Calendar are you hoping to get your hands on this year if any?

Orly Kiely Begamot Handwash

If there is a design or print that makes me to 'oooh' it is an Orly Kiely** one. Everything I have come across to date has made me coo and ahh, they just look so fantastic.

This Geranium hand wash, certainly makes a statement in any bathroom with its retro floral print in oranges and browns, bringing a bit of life to what could be a very dull bathroom.

It uses a blend of essential oils which include geranium, eucalyptus and clary sage. Also added are Begamot, Grapefuit, Neroli, Orange Flower and Petigrain. Along with violet leaf extract known for anti-bacterial properties.  Add to that the spicyness of Cardamom and Coriander along with a hint of aniseed and you won't be surprised at how clean this hand wash leaves your hands.

The scent, as you can imagine is absolutely stunning, quite earthy but with a mixture of floral and fruity undertones, a very luxurious product which lathers quickly as soon as it comes into contact with water. I was also delighted to find that this product is free from parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals and artificial colourings, so if you have sensitive skin, this would be perfect for you!

As I tend to spend a lot of my working day on the computer or shuffling paper (technical term), my hands tend to get quite dry, apparently it is all the ink which is on the paper that dries my hands out, so when I am using a handwash, I want something that is luxurious, lathers well, cleans my hands but at the same time washes and cleanses them and with this, it is exactly what I get.

A 250ml bottle costs just £10 and is available from all leading department stores.  Also within the range you can find a hand cream, a body lotion, Soap Bar, hand Sanitiser, shower gel and hand lotion all in the same stunning fragrance.

Have you ever tried anything from the Orly Kiely range?

Burt's Bees

Did you know that Burt's Bees have just celebrated their 30th birthday? Well on September 17th, Burt's Bees celebrated their 30th birthday and I thought I would share with you some of their amazing products.

Born in 1984, Roxanne Quimby uses leftover Beeswax from Burt Shavitz's honey bees to make candles and the brand was born. by 1991 the Beeswax lipbalm quickly became and still is a best seller. You can read more about the history of Burt's Bees right here, it is a truly fascinating story.

Hand Salve is Burt's Bees' most intensive hand treatment, this formula is packed with botanical oils, herbs and beeswax to moisturise hard-working, rough, dry hands. It's an everyday miracle. The scent of this hand Salve is absolutely stunning, the Lavender, Rosemary and Eucalyptus scents all work together and one your hands, it simply sinks into the skin, leaving behind soft, soothed and very moisturised hands.

Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion - Designed for normal to dry skin, this non-greasy, lightweight natural moisturiser goes to work the minute you apply it, and it’s scientifically proven to moisturise for up to 24 hours. Milk nourishes while honey helps to soften skin; plus, coconut and grape seed oils and vitamin E deliver beneficial nutrients to the skin. Burt's Bees' dermatologist-tested formula absorbs quickly but stays with you all day and night.

Sensitive Eye Cream - Burt's Bees Sensitive Eye Cream is scientifically proven to moisturise the delicate eye area without causing redness or irritation. This lightweight eye cream helps reduce the appearance of under-eye puffiness. Formulated with softening Cotton Extract, it helps skin replenish its outer layer and minimize the effects of potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers while Rice Extract moisturizes and Aloe soothes. Infused with White Genepi Extract, an ingredient known for its anti-inflammatory properties and Eyebright, which contains tannins that are thought to decrease inflammation. Best of all, it's naturally gentle and skin-friendly, so you can use it every day. Giving your sensitive skin the daily care it deserves.

Radiance Serum - Burt's Bees' Radiance Serum is a scientifically tested serum that combines royal jelly, licorice root extract and glycerin to bring out skin’s natural radiance. These ingredients increase moisturisation while nourishing skin with 134 nutrients including vitamins A, C, D and K, minerals and 17 amino acids. In 4 weeks, you’ll notice your skin becoming more evenly toned. The result is more radiant beautiful looking skin, naturally.

Lemon Butter cuticle cream - gives your needy nails a helping hand. Nourish and moisturise nails and cuticles with this intensive, natural treatment. A touch of lemon oil makes your nails smell incredibly clean, healthy and beautiful, naturally.

Alongside skincare, Burt's Bees also have some amazing lip products and again I am going to share some of them with you.

Cherry Cerise Lip Shimmer - These lip shimmers use Shea Butter and antioxidant-rich Fruit Oils moisturise, nourish and soften lips naturally and lovingly. There are 11 different shades to choose from.

Tinted Lip Balm - These tinted balms give you a lovely hint of colour with a soft, sweet flavor and natural ingredients that moisturise and condition your lips. Available in nine different shades

Lip Gloss - Rich, pearlised colour combines with natural oils rich in nutrients to leave your lips soft, shiny and 100% naturally beautiful. Available in 12 shades, I have Rosey Dawn which is a fabulous pink shade.

Lip Shine - Available in 6 shades, these lip shine products give a natural, sheer colour which is enriched with moisturising Apricot Wax glides on lips for a sweet and super shiny finish.

The final lip product is one that Burt's Bees hydrating lip balm with coconut and pear and it is absolutely stunning. Incredibly fragrant, the lip balms use coconut oil, shea butter and pear extract . This one smells exactly as you expect it too.

I am a huge Burt's Bees fan.  Every product that I have tried from the range has been fantastic and they have all had the most amazing scents.

Have you ever tried Burt's Bees? Do you have a favourite product?

The Big Call

Can one phone call change your life forever?

In an effort to inspire small businesses to pick up the phone to an extra £26,000 a year, three of the UK’s top entrepreneurs – fragrance queen Jo Malone MBE, millionaire plumber Charlie Mullins and advertising legend Mark Denton – star in a new film about the single phone calls that changed each of their business lives.

Watch their inspirational stories and see why we’re encouraging startups and small businesses to make sure they are ready for their big call. Below is the video starring Jo Malone MBE.  Jo, who despite being severely dyslexic, built up her brand and its name from a kitchen table business to one of the world’s most famous fragrance empires in the world. At just 16 years old she discovered her gift for scent whilst working in a florist and was later awarded an MBE for her services to the beauty industry.

Jo talks about the call that kick-started her second fragrance business JO LOVES and brought her life full-circle back to the steps of the flower shop she first worked at as a teenager.

I found the video to be a fascinating insight into a small part of the world and life that is Jo Malone.

*This is a sponsored post