Valentines Day Gift Challenge with John Lewis

Valentines Day is creeping up quickly from the back and having been challenged by John Lewis to join in with their Valentines Day Campaign, the mister and I went off in search of something we thought each other would like.

I absolutely love shopping in John Lewis and always manage to spend any vouchers given to me as a gift in the beauty haul with no problem at all, but this time, I was there to buy something for Stephen and whilst I could go straight for a bottle of Creed and be totally predictable, I decided to go for something he doesn't own.  So I started in the grooming section and quickly decided that something beard related would be a good idea because he has decided to see how long he can continue to grow his beard before he gets bored and shaves it off.  With the choice between a Kent Beard Brush and a Men Rock Awakening Beard Care Gift Set, I settled on the latter which comes presented in a really nice box with four products to keep that beard in check. Inside there is a Sicilian Lime & Caffeine Beard Soap, (100ml), a Sicilian Lime & Caffeine Beard Balm (100ml), a Sicilian Lime & Caffeine Moustache Wax (25g) and the all important Men Rock Beard Comb and as an added extra, a packet of Love Heart Sweets and it is priced at just £29.95.

The second gift is something I had been toying with for some time.  For anyone who reads his blog (here), there is one thing which will stand out - aftershave, he is obsessed with it and has quite the collection, but the one thing he doesn't have is any Jo Malone. So I went over to the counter and explained I was looking for a Valentine's gift for my husband and that I didn't really know where to begin looking, so I was shown to a comfy chair, handed some amazing chocolate and told to relax whilst some scents would be picked for me to try. 

The whole there was no pressure from the amazing sales lady, she picked 6 fragrances in total and it soon became apparent where my decision was heading, Oud and Bergamot Cologne Intense, the one I was first introduced to and the one which clearly made the biggest impression and it has the most amazing description "Precious oud, reframed. The mysterious, smoky character of this revered wood, central to Middle Eastern fragrance traditions, radiates with the clarity of crisp bergamot and an orange granite accord". I purchased a 50ml bottle which is priced at £74 here.

With my purchases in hand, Stephen was somewhere in the store doing his shopping and he clearly reads my blog because he also managed to purchase two items, one I had coveted for quite some time and the other a complete and total, but very welcome, surprise. My first ever Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick and he went for a Matte Revolution Lipstick in the shade Bond Girl which is described as being a medium-dark rosy plum which has warm undertones and a satin finish and I just absolutely love it.

The second gift comes from Jo Malone too, so we obviously had the same idea in mind when we went shopping and he clearly has been reading my tweets. The scent that he chose was Oud and Velvet Rose which is just absolutely incredible. Again arriving beautifully packaged and in a 50ml which is black and so very classy looking, as a scent is described as being "Darkest Damask rose is rich and textural, wrapped with smoky oud wood. Spiked with clove, decadent with praline". I love rose scent products, there is something about that fresh scent of roses which is incredibly relaxing but is a scent which works so well with my skin that it smells amazing. As an added extra, I have also been booked in to go and experience a hand and arm massage to get the full Jo Malone experience which I am really looking forward too.

I really enjoyed this challenge and I loved seeing what John Lewis had to offer. At no point did I feel hassled into buying anything.

What do you think to the gifts we bought one another? Have you got plans to purchase things for your better half this Valentines?

*this post contains PR samples/AF Links unless indicated otherwise.

Bee Good Honey, Borage & Echium Intensive Hand Repair 50ml

Keeping your hands soft and moisturised in this bitterly cold weather we seem to be having right now is a bit of a challenge. I have been using Bee Good Honey, Borage & Echium Intensive Hand Repair which I absolutely love, as a cream it is thick, luxurious and smells just incredible.

Described as being 'A powerful multi-use intensive hand repair to rescue and soothe even the most dehydrated skin' this hand repair cream when applied quickly absorbs itself into the skin and leaves no greasy residue behind. If your hand are really dehydrated, sore, cracked then this is a hand cream which will soothe, moisturise and rehydrate. 

As the name might suggest this cream is packed with super moisturising ingredients such as British Wild Flower Honey and Shea and Cocoa Butter, replenishing and calming echium oil, antioxidant Vitamin E, strengthening borage oil, antibacterial propolis and then beeswax which helps to combat dryness.  This cream is thick, it is intensely luxurious and you only need to use just one pump to ensure both hands are covered.  I also love that this cream can also be used on your elbows and on your feet too.

If you have never come across them before, Bee Good is an independent British skincare company based in rural Hampshire, who have harnessed the centuries-old healing powers of British honey, propolis and beeswax in an innovative skincare range, designed to make a real difference without the use of parabens, synthetic colour, mineral oil, silicone or SLS/SLES. Each and every one of their products is described as being packed with hard-working intensively soothing ingredients, there is nothing better to care for your lips than this nourishing and protective treatment delivered from the flower to the bee, to you.

At just £12 for 50ml, this is a cream to grab and try, your hands will not only thank you for it, your feet and elbows will too not forgetting those bees!

*this post contains PR samples/AF links unless indicated otherwise

Label J Clothing with Jacamo

Regular readers of my blog will no doubt be aware that Beautykinguk and I are married (yes really) and every so often he features on my blog. This time he features because I was asked to choose some clothes for him from Jacamo.  Jacamo is a men's clothing website and shop, they have one here in London on Oxford Street and you will see celebrities such as Freddie Flintoff appearing in TV adverts and he has his own line of clothing with Jacamo. Brands such as Firetrap, Lambretta and French Connection also all appear and they have sizes going from a Small right up to 5XL and with everything from mens jeans, t-shirts and jumpers so there is always something for everyone.

I decided that the one thing the mister needed was a coat to keep him warm in this horrid cold spell we have just had. He has numerous coats but none have a hood, they don't look warm and whilst they are long and cashmere, something a little different was what I chose and it is this, the Label J Parka. 

This parka from Label J is described as being 'this season's must-have piece'. It features a pretty good sized hood with a faux-fur trim, plenty of pockets with on the outside and one inside, making room for an iPhone, iPod, wallet, Oyster cards and whatever else is needed. It also features a full zip from bottom to top along with press-stud front fasteners, so he is warmly wrapped and the press-studs don't pop open at any point.

I opted for a large size in the event a jumper would be worn underneath the coat, there is nothing worse than buying a coat which fits snugly but add an item of clothing underneath and all of a sudden it is unbearable to move. In this case, the large fits perfectly well and as a regular length, it comes just below the buttocks.  Made from cotton, there is a quilted inside and this coat is machine washable and is priced at just £65 here, so an absolute bargain.

Sticking with Label J, I also opted for a pair of jeans. The Balham worker jeans from Label J are said to be this season's take on the classic straight-leg jean and I like that they can be worn with absolutely anything being the classic denim blue and because Stephen wears jeans for work in a smart casual kind of way.

As he is quite tall, approaching 6ft, with long legs, finding a fit that works is often an issue and he is an in-between size of a 33-inch leg, so we do usually opt for a 34 and find they are just that bit too long.  These fit perfectly, even whilst wearing the big biker boots, his favourite ones.  With a zip fly and pockets to the front and back these jeans are a perfect fit and at just £35 here, they are an absolute bargain.

Was Stephen happy with my choices? Certainly was, the jeans are stupidly comfy and a great fit around my biker boots. The denim is really soft. The coat has been an absolute dream over the last few weeks. With sideways rain and subzero temperatures having a coat that blocks out the howling wind and a snug fur lined hood has meant that I've stayed toasty and warm. It's a fab coat, although whenever I wear the parka I feel the urge to walk with my knees bent and shouting 'r kid' in a thick Manc accent.

Have you ever shopped at Jacamo?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Elegant Touch Premium Implement Kit

When it comes to my nails I’m pretty obsessed and love nothing more than having a pampering manicure and hand massage, it is incredibly relaxing and stress relieving, particularly as my hands are on the go all of the time. So a few hours in a salon is absolute bliss, but when I haven't found the time to ensure my talons are in tip top condition, I do like to take care of them at home.  The Elegant Touch Premium Implement Kit is the newest addition to my nail care collection and it is perfectly sized for being on the go, on holidays and at home.

Retailing at £25, the Elegant Touch Premium Implement Kit is housed inside a stunning watercolour floral print case which opens by simply pressing the silver metal button on the side. Opening up there are four nail tools inside the kit which are: 

Elegant Touch Nail Clippers - Crafted from high-quality stainless steel with perfectly aligned, sharp blades for precision cutting of the nails.

Elegant Touch Cuticle Pusher and Cleaner - This is a dual-ended tool to preen and perfect cuticles and for cleaning under the nails. Allows secure, comfortable grip for controlled tidying.

Elegant Touch Glass Nail File - This helps to gently shape natural and artificial nails, whilst protecting from splitting and peeling.

Elegant Touch Nail Buffer - This is a super-fine grit buffer which smoothes ridges and imperfections for a neater polish application.

This really is a cute kit which would be perfect for any beauty lover, and who doesn't want to have Pink coloured tools to keep their nails in tip-top condition? This kit also comes with it even includes a 5-year guarantee and it can here found here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise