The Vintage Cosmetics Company - Twelve Days Advent Calendar

Thanks to my naughty postman, this little beauty has just arrived. The Vintage Cosmetics Twelve Days Advent Calendar. If you follow me on Instragram you might have noticed that every morning I share the findings of my advent calendars on there with you using Instagram Stories. Now I have obviously missed days one to twelve opening this one, so I am instead going to open it from day twelve (tomorrow) to day twenty-four instead.

I love The Vintage Cosmetic Company and everything it stands for. If you have never come across them before their story can be found right here. If you love florals, pink and anything kitsch then this is a company for you. 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.

The Twelve Days of advent has selected 12 full size beauty tools and accessories and is sure to make you look and feel gorgeous for the big day. The 12 Days Advent Calendar contains 12 full size products and is excellent value for money and worth much more than it'sPriced at just £65.00 the products together are worth just under £95 so it is great value for money and it is still available.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Christmas Presents for Cats

This year so many people have asked me whether or not this post would appear after the one I wrote last year and I thought long and hard about it before deciding yes it would.  I buy presents for my cats just like people buy them for their children and that includes Christmas of course, though I am sure they would just prefer a box and some wrapping paper and maybe a bit of tinsel!

That aside, there are more and more products becoming available for animals at Christmas whether you have a cat, dog, hamster, rabbit or even a goldfish, you will find something suitable for that animal to join in and share the festivities with you.  

The amazing Cat Cottage - Available on Etsy for £70 this Cat Cottage is handmade from sustainable wood it features a carpeted wood roof, has sisal edging and detailing and is painted in buttermilk colour. Inside cushion included, wadding with cream cotton fleece cover, washable. Pure comfort and luxury!

Happypet Cat Scratcher Cat Tree Activity Centre Scratching Post - Available for £34.95 on Amazon this type of product is a must for cats in my opinion. Cats love to climb and scratch and if they have nothing of their own to do that on, then they are more than willing to use your sofa, door frames and anything else they can get their claws into!

Dreamies - My cats will do anything for this stuff, we jokingly call it kitty crack at home because whatever it is they are doing, as soon as they hear a rustle, everything stops and they come bounding into the kitchen to get their treats.  This tin is currently £4.99 from Petplanet and it contains 5 packets of treats.

Purrfect Arch: Cat Self-Grooming & Massaging Toy - We have this for our three boys and they absolutely love it. Priced at £19.99, though it is usually on offer for half price, the arch is infused with catnip to capture your cats attention and the arch helps the cats to remove loose fur which cuts down on shedding and therefore fur balls from grooming and at the same time, it massages your cat.

There are two subscription boxes which are well worthy of gifting to friends who have cats, love cats or both.  The first is My-Purrfect Box which is designed for the cats and is packed full of toys, treats and food. As a monthly box it comes with a host of subscription options to suit your needs and it is one my three love.  The second is MyPurrfectgiftbox which has been designed for both the cat lover and the cat in mind.  Depending on your subscription choice there is 3-5 full sized items, all of a cat theme nature.

FroliCat™ Chatter™ Automatic Cat Teaser - Keep you kitty amused throughout the day with the Chatter teaser! This automatic teaser toy wobbles and chirps, plus it features a 'Play While You Are Away mode' – purrfect for spontaneous playtimes! Priced at £18.99 it is definitely something my three would play with!

Cat weave scratcher - Again, my three love to have something to scratch and at £3.99 this is an absolute bargain and is something I have repurchased a few times now. Made from cardboard it is safe, durable and recyclable. 

Catit Design Senses Play Circuit - An exciting cat toy which can be expanded and varied as you wish. It is a great way to exercise your cat's dexterity and to indulge your pet's natural hunting instincts. This is without question Hectors favourite toy and one he has played with since he was just 8 weeks old and now, a year on, finds it just as entertaining. Priced at just £7.99 it is money well spent.

FroliCat Bolt Laser Cat Toy - Interactive laser pointer for cats, with in-built timer for interactive playing fun with your kitty. This is something Hector would love as he just adores the laser pen I have. He will happily sit and meow at the laser beam as I move it around the room, so this is just a robotic version of said toy. Priced at £18.99 it isn't as cheap as a laser pen which will cost less than £5 but it is fun.

Sound-Mouse Cat Toy - This is a toy I am likely to purchase because it sounds amazing. Inside this cheeky mouse is a sound chip that reacts to the slightest touch, giving out such lifelike squeaks that your cat can't help but give chase. The mouse is attached to an elastic cord; use the rod to play exciting hunting games with your cat and all for just £1.99!

Fleece Blanket - My cats all have their own fleece blankets which I picked up from my local Primark for £3 and they love to sleep on them,  


*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Christmas Gifts with Burt's Bees

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you will know that Burt's Bees is one of those brands I happen to adore.  In case you know nothing about the brand, Burt's Bees have been offering distinctive earth-friendly natural health and beauty care products for over 30 years.  All of this comes from a beekeepers back garden, known as Burt Shavitz whose story you can read on the homepage.

This Christmas Burt's Bees have packaged up some of their favourite products and made them look all festive and if you are looking for some last minute gifts, stocking fillers or secret Santas - look no further.

A Bit of Burts RRP £5.99 brings together two amazing products into one package.

A dynamic duo for hands and lips, featuring Burt's Bees much-loved 100% Natural Vanilla Bean Lip Balm and classic Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream or if you prefer other flavours there is Coconut and Pear, Pomegranate or the original Beeswax. The perfect little something to show that you care.

Burt's Classics RRP £6.99 - This makes a stunning little tree decoration and is available in two editions. 

This festive gift pack contains 2 popular Burt’s Bees products; a Moisturising Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil and a Hand Salve tin, both made with hard-working, 100% natural ingredients.

Naturally Nourishing - Beeswax Gift Set RRP £9.99. 

Discover Burt's Bees moisturising dynamic duo gift set for a naturally nourishing festive season. Featuring Ultimate Care Hand Cream and the classic 100% natural Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E & Peppermint.

Nature's Kiss Christmas Gift Set RRP £9.99. 

Burt's Bees has got your lips covered, naturally, with this duo of 100% natural Lip colour for the perfect pout. Featuring Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands, for full coverage matt colour, plus Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Peony, for vibrant, luminescent colour.

Finally I decided to make my own Burt's Bees gift set for an office colleague re-using my classic Burt's Bees tin which features the face of Burt!  

Inside there are the following products:

• Coconut Footcream - This natural foot cream combines coconut oil, lanolin and vegetable glycerin to revive and rejuvenate even the driest, most neglected feet. There's also a hint of rosemary and peppermint oils to refresh tired feet. RRP £12.99
• Almond & Milk Hand Cream - is super rich cream contains sweet almond oil and vitamin E to help hydrate and shield hard working hands and beeswax to seal and condition the skin. 99.9% natural and contains no parabens or phthalates. RRP £10.99.
• Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - 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. RRP £6.49.
• Hand Salve - 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. RRP £10.99
• Milk & Honey Body Lotion - formulated with botanical moisturisers coconut and grape seed oils and vitamin E. Enriched with skin softening milk and naturally nourishing honey, this creamy, sweet smelling formula is designed to soften your skin and leaving it feeling soft, smooth and healthy, naturally. RRP £5.99
• And finally, no Burt's Bees gift is complete without a lip balm, so I added in the Beeswax Lip Balm which is loaded with coconut and sunflower oils, rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, to nourish, condition and soften lips and the Wild Cherry Lip Balm which is made with rich cherry oil—cold pressed from cherry seed kernels—this balm’s sweet, natural flavour with just a hint of tartness will invigorate your senses and pamper your lips. Both have an RRP £3.99

That is just a little insight as to what Burt's Bees have on offer this Christmas as well as a little 'Do It Yourself' guide to what you can so with Burt's Bees products.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Liz Earle The Botanist's Cabinet

If you are a fan of Liz Earle then this is a deal you need! The Botanist Cabinet has finally gone on offer in Boots for just £30 instead of £60 which is it's recommended price.

What I love about this product is how it is presented. Inspired by the art of a Botanist crafting special blends and storing them in an apothecary cabinet, each compartment is filled with a botanical treat so you can create routines that meet your skin’s every need. So as you can see below, the cabinet is beautifully presented and has a lovely Christmas theme to it, so yes it makes an amazing gift.  

Inside the cabinet there are 8 compartments which each contains a Liz Earle Product and this is the contents:

• Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser 150ml
• 2 Pure Muslin Cloths
• Instant Boost™ Skin Tonic 50ml
• Deep Cleansing Mask 15ml
• 2 Sponges
• Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask 15ml
• Brightening Treatment Mask 15ml
• Superskin™ Concentrate for Night 2ml
• The Botanist’s Recipe Guide

If you are a fan of Cleanse and Polish then inside this cabinet a 150ml bottle which costs around £20 is a gift worth having and for just £10 more you get 7 more products to try. As you can see you get a lot of products in this cabinet and I just love how well it has been designed and put together and if you want to grab it now, then as it is an exclusive to Boots you can either find it instore !

What do you think to the Liz Earle The Botanists Cabinet?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise