You Beauty Discovery Advent Calendar

Yep here is another one! I love You Beauty Discovery Boxes and had been waiting to see if there would be an advent calendar which would equal the amazing boxes, this is it!

The YOU Beauty Discovery Advent Calendar is said to contain products worth £240, including the likes of Laura Mercier, Liz Earle, Sisley, Rodial, Benefit, Caudalie and Molton Brown - to name just a few!  Priced at £49.95 it is available to members and non-members, it is available now.

I also did a post on other calendars which are to be launched or are currently available as well as a chance to win a calendar that I am going to put together myself and you can see all of that right HERE

So, hands up who will be getting their hands on this little beauty?

EcoHydra Hand Sanitiser

Did you know The average ‘clean looking’ pair of hands can hold up to a shocking 10 million germs, leaving many of us guilty of passing on the stubborn bacteria that can cause illnesses such as colds, influenza, skin infections, and food poisoning, without even realising it? - Ewwww!

With the job that I do, I tend to spend quite a lot of my time dealing with members of the public, people I don't know and have never met until they ring the office doorbell, so the constant shaking of hands, germs and bacteria is something I always worry about. I could spend half of my day constantly washing my hands in a bid to ensure they are kept clean, but overtime that plays havoc with your skin, so I started to use hand santisers as an alternative.  When I was sent a product called EcoHydra, an alcohol free hand sanitiser which claims to kill up to 99.9999% of bacteria, I was delighted to be trying it out.

For me, alcohol based hand sanitisers are a no-no, they dry my skin out and are too harsh on my skin. EcoHydra comes out of its container, which features a pump, in a foam consistancy and once rubbed into my hands, it disappears almost immediately, leaving behind no stick trace or greasy feel afterwards. There is chemical scent, infact no scent at all and my hands are left feeling nice and clean, the added inclusion of Aloe Vera is something I really like, because it is soothing on the skin and it has a lasting protection of up to 4 hours, which I find to be quite impressive.

EcoHydra state that their Free Hand Sanitiser 100 times more effective at killing bugs and germs to the high street equivalents and It has proven efficacy against E coli, Sars, Bird Flu, MRSA and NoroVirus not to mention that it has been chosen for use by NASA and is now approved by the NHS.  It is suitable for use on all skin types as well as being gentle enough for use on children.

Since using it, my hands have not become sore or irritated from over-washing and in 4 weeks of using 5 times a week, approximately 4-5 times a day, I have probably more than half of my bottle left to use. EcoHydra Hand Sanitiser comes in 50ml bottles and will retail for £2.49 at boots.

Do you use a hand sanitiser? 

My Real Techniques Brushes Collection

I am a huge fan of the Real Techniques brushes, I have quite a few and am always looking to add to my collection. My fascination began with the powder brush which I was given for my birthday a few years ago, but then consequently lost on holiday and was truly gutted because it was one of my staple items. Anyway, for the purpose of this post, I have washed all of my brushed (except the Kabuki one oops) and put them back in their original packaging - note to self, I need somewhere or something to store my brushes in.

Today my collection has grown quite a bit and it includes the following:

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - This is the best Kabuki brush that I have ever owned and I absolutely love the fact that it is retractable because it means it is easy to fit into your handbag, make-up bag, overnight bag or whatever and the bristles remain protected because the lid, which is very secure. protects them.

The Real Techniques Core Collection - I bought this after realising I had lost my powder brush because there was a discount offer online which was too good to miss. The collection includes 4 brushes which are detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush and out of the 4, the buffing brush is the one I use the most.

Sam's Picks - This is a set I got for Christmas from a good friend of mine and again it is a fantastic kit which includes:

- Multi-Task Brush: for effortless application of powder, blush and bronzer
- Buffing Brush: ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation
- Essential Crease Brush: soft, tapered design for effortless contouring
- Setting Brush: complete any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter
- Pointed Foundation brush: use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage
- Fine Liner Brush: ultimate tool for precision application of liquid or cream eyeliner

The final kit that I own is one I bought for my holiday because I didn't want to carry more than I needed (famous last words) and it is this Little Mini Trio of brushes set, which I also have in my work make-up bag. Inside this handy little carrying pouch there is:

- Mini Foundation Brush: use with liquid foundation or concealer to touch up throughout the day.
- Mini Shading Brush: transform your eye shadow on-the-go from day natural to night glam.
- Mini Face Brush: effortlessly apply powder, blush and bronzer as needed during the day.

As you might have noticed, I never did replace my beloved Powder Brush, it is always something I had planned on doing but never did and I actually don't know why that is. This mini foundation brush is actually really good, not as good as the properly sized version, but it does a good job and is especially useful for carrying around, taking on holiday and so on. From this kit, it is possibly the most used brush.  

I now have my eyes on Nic's picks because I love the look of the Duo Fibre Powder brush and the Cheek Brush.

Do you have any Real Techniques Brushes? Do you have a favourite?

Lush Christmas Advent Calendar

You might have seen my Beauty Advent Calendar post HERE where I have detailed and updated the number of advent calendars that seem to be appearing this year and although I have one or two to add to that list, this little number got me all excited because it is from Lush!

The 12 days of Christmas, this eye-catching gift shaped as the ultimate story telling book. With 12 beautiful products inside, one to use everyday in the run up to Christmas leaving you feeling clean and smelling of the festive season

Now I know you will all be wondering what is inside this lovely calendar and here are the contents and what it looks like inside...

• Karma soap (120g); 
• The Olive Branch shower gel (100g); 
• Cinders bath bomb; 
• Golden Wonder bath bomb; 
• Snow Angel bath melt; 
• Hot Toddy shower gel (100g); 
• Dashing Santa bath bomb; 
• Honey I Washed The Kids (120g); 
• Celebrate body lotion (45g); 
• Holly Go Lightly bubble bar; 
• Lord of Misrule bath bomb; 
• Star Light Star Bright bath melt

I think this is an absolute beauty of an advent calendar and it costs just £49.95 which again I think is an amazing price.

What do you think to this advent calendar from Lush? Is it one you would buy?