Christmas Candles Gift Guide

So, today I am sharing with you some of the candles that I have for the Christmas season, by season I mean from now until at least Epiphany. Away go the uplifting and citrusy scents and out come the ones featured within this post.

I am a huge fan of candles, they are items that I am never without, there is always one burning in whichever room I choose to be in and they are part of my relaxation and wind down sessions.  For me, watching that wick flicker once it is a lit is quite mesmerising and I tend to choose the scent of my candle based on my mood.  When it comes to Christmas, with all the festivities, I want something that reminds me of those hours making Gingerbread houses, the spice and fruitiness of making a Christmas Cake and homemade Mince Pies, the scent of Mulled Wine as it wafts through the house and not forgetting a blast of cinnamon.

First we have Ark Skincare, a brand I have shared many times on my blog, because they are just a brilliant brand.  When it comes to Christmas, I am lucky enough to have the Nutmeg, Cinnamon & Clove Luxury Home Candle (£27 here) and it is just divine.

Described as being Christmas in a jar! This luxury home candle is everything I have mentioned above when it comes to scents. It is warm and spicy as it is scented with a beautiful scent of Nutmeg, Cinnamon & Clove.   This candle is hand-poured right here in the UK and it has a burn time of around 50 hours which is amazing value for money.

The second candle I am sharing is from Ambiance London (£44 here) another brand I adore for their unique fragrances and luxe packaging.  Alteeneh is a scent which sits firmly within the Woody/Sweet family and it is a scent which you can detect before anything is unwrapped, removed from packaging or lit.

Alteeneh is the candle that you can snuggle under a blanket with on a rainy day, you can have it alight in an evening during dinner and it is smells divine. The notes of figs brings about that sweetness and woodiness aroma, which, if you have cooked a fig, you will know that exact scent.  This candle hand-poured in the UK using traditional techniques, special slow burning wax blend and lead-free wick. At the base of each candle you’ll find a fragrance heritage story detailing its ancient roots, along with candle burning tips.

From Beatitude, I was kindly sent the Winter Comfort Candle (£30 here) and stunning, that is the first word that springs to mind.  Again, it is a candle you can detect before you open it and because it is an Aromatherapy candle, it has that wow factor too.

Packed with a seasonal blend of essential oils - think of those uplifting citrus scents of mandarin, bergamot and clementine which work beautifully with the herbal aroma of lavender and eucalyptus, both of which I adore, then to really make its mark, come those warming, spicy notes of clove and cinnamon. This is one of those candles that when you need to be shaken out of a foul mood and given a reason to breathe in, relax and forget what irritated you, this is that candle in a nutshell. It creates the most wonderful ambience.

Now Floral Street (£28) have some of the most amazing fragrances that I have within my collection, but did you know they also had some amazing candles too? Fireplace, which is the name of this candle, is one I have purchased time and time again, much like their Electric Rhubarb Fragrance. 

Think of a wood fire crackling away, the scent it emits, a childhood memory for me. With that come notes of  Tuscan Leather, Birch Leaf, and a touch of raspberry. What you get is a candle which just makes you feel warm. It warms the entire room you are in and creates a snug environment and is just absolutely delightful.

From Marks & Spencer, who have an incredible range of candles this year, comes Bah Humbug and as soon as I smelt it in the store, I wasn't leaving it behind and it is only costs £9.50 here*.

Christmas inspired, this candle is described as being a sweet-smelling candle which features warm notes of ginger, clove and biscuit. What this candle does is create an atmosphere which reminds me of freshly baked Gingerbread ready to make a gingerbread house, something I absolutely love to do.  Impressively, it has a burn time of 55 hours and burns evenly without tunnelling.

Finally within my collection is the Bath and Body Works Fresh Balsam candles and I adore BBW candles and only wish I could get to a store to stock up on some of my favourites.

Described as being the definition of 'The Great Outdoors', with the scent think Woods and Cool with a bit of Earthiness thrown in. That scent you get when your Christmas Tree arrives at the door, ready to be put into its base before decoration can begin. Its fragrance notes are Woodland Balsam, Crisp Eucalyptus, Fir Branches and Cedarwood with Essential Oils. Truly delightful and a very fresh Christmas fragrance.

So there you have my Christmas Candle Collection, a complete array of scent descriptions, brands, feelings they evoke and moods they create. For me, candles will always make a great gift and there is plenty to choose from here!

What kind of candle do you use for the festive season?

 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Lookfantastic x Living Proof Hair Hero’s treatment Beauty Box

I am a huge fan of the haircare brand Living Proof, my go to for Dry Shampoo, Blow Dry spray, you name it, they do it! As a brand, it is different from many others, it has been developed by world-class biotech scientists and beauty experts, who have taken it upon themselves to solve the root causes of everyone’s top hair concerns - be it frizz, damage, and fullness to name just a few.

The newest item to catch to my attention comes from LookFantastic with this Living Proof Hair Hero’s Treatment Beauty Box and I have to say, if you have never ever tried the brand before, this is an amazing box! If you are a fan of the brand, it is still an amazing box! Worth £88, get your hands on it here, for £50*.

Contents

• Living Proof Perfect hair Day™ Weightless Mask (200ml) - This treatment was created to replenish hair that’s fine-to-normal, limp or lacklustre and it works on promoting shine without compromising volume.
• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo™ (travel-size) - described as being a nourishing shampoo, it expertly lifts away dirt and excess oil to leave behind a fresh and clean feel, giving you extra time between washes.
• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day™ Conditioner (travel-size) - a weightless formula which envelops strands to help to restore hydration and strength while at the same time smoothing the hair fibre to improve manageability and tame that pesky frizz.
• Living Proof Perfect hair Day™ Dry Shampoo (travel-size) - the beat Dry Shampoo! A silicone-free spray which harnesses the brand’s Triple-Action Cleaning Technology to absorb oil, sweat and odour without leaving behind a powdery residue. 
• Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast™ (238ml) - perfect for party season, this volumising formula works to deliver long-lasting texture and definition to leave you with soft, luscious locks from root to tip.

Without question this is an amazing box which delivers a full hair care routine in just one box! Perfect for anyone wanting to change up their routine and try that much loved Dry Shampoo!

This box is on sale right now for £50 and you can find it right here*!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Roccabox - Party and Pamper Edition December 2020

The theme of this months Roccabox, is the ‘Party and Pamper’ box. This December won't be like any we have experienced before with usual festivities, office parties and get togethers all being off the agenda, but that doesn't mean that we can't celebrate in our own bubbles! So with that, Roccabox decided that launching a Party & Pamper Box goes some way towards helping you prep for just that.

Inside this months box are five products, worth over £52, which are designed to help with your party prep but equally important the essentials for a post-party comedown and all for just £10!

The products included within the December Roccabox are as follows:

The first product comes from Bellapierre Cosmetics with the Heatwave Highlighting Palette RRP £24.99 (full size) - This is the hero product of the box, something every month, the Roccabox team awards to a particular product. 

Featuring five shimmering nudes, these highlight shades are incredibly pretty and because three of the shades are slightly darker than the other two, they can be worn on the eyelids too, something I did, quite by accident for a Zoom meeting when I was running late and didnt have time to do my makeup!

The second product in the box comes from Batiste and it is the Batiste X Skinny Dip Dry Shampoo RRP £3.99 (full size). Im not sure this product really needs an introduction or an explanation as to what it is or what it does! 

I am sure we have all used this on more than several occasions when the need arises. Always handy to have a can around in times of need!

The third product comes from Grace & Stella with their Dead Sea Mud Mask RRP £8 (Travel sized). Like most people, I love a good facemask and this one is designed to draw impurities like dirt and oil out of your clogged pores for a clearer complexion. 

So ingredients such as Pure Dead Sea Mud help to absorb the impurities from our skin whilst at the same time supplying nutrients back in. Kaolin Clay which cleanses and exfoliates dead skin cells and debris from the skin and helps with increasing circulation and finally Shea Butter which has high concentrations of fatty acids and vitamins, for optimal moisture, plus it also has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.

Next we have Balance Me with the Vitamin C Repair Serum RRP £10* (travel size) - This Serum is described as being a powerful, lightweight serum that has been designed to intensely hydrate, plump and brighten your complexion, whilst helping to reduce pigmentation and uneven skin tone. 

Said to be the ultimate morning-after skin remedy because it is full of Hyaluronic acid to quench thirsty dehydrated skin while vitamin C replaces dullness with major glow. 

The final item in this box is the SMUG Silk Luxury Sleep Mask RRP £15 (full size) - I now wear a sleep mask everynight when going to sleep and Smug is an amazing brand. I already have one of their contoured masks, so am delighted to add to my collection. 

To the touch, this mask feels incredibly luxe and it does an amazing job when it comes to blocking out the light. As this mask is made of silk material, it also has moisturising properties, to stop your skin drying out overnight and it helps to reduce friction and therefore the appearance of wrinkles.

I have really enjoyed this months Roccabox, I really like the theme and it is always nice to be try products you have long since forgotten about as well as the opportunity to try something new. 

Roccabox is a subscription service and there are further subscription offers available to choose from with boxes starting at just £10 per month plus P&P.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Primark Daydreamer Collection

Primark Beauty is one place I love to browse in store, there is all kinds of hidden gems, one of my favourites still being the Build Your Own Palette, which I did and featured on my blog!  Today is the turn of the Daydreamer Collection which I was kindly sent and despite being in a Lockdown, I have still managed to spend some time playing with makeup, the best excuse for needing new things for Zoom meetings!

If you love your pinks and lilacs, then this collection is going to catch your attention because it is just so pretty and surprisingly good!  It is made up of an eyeshadow palette, a bronzer, a blush, eyeshadow pots, highlighters, lipgloss, lipsticks, makeup accessories and a whole lot more - think fluffy and sparkly and that pretty much sums everything up - better still, prices start as low as £1!

The Daydreamer Night Thinker Complete Palette (£7) is packaged in a cardboard sleeve and it opens out to reveal 14 shades of which 12 are eyeshadow shades and then there is a blusher and a highlighter too. A perfect all-rounder palette.

On this palette, you will find shades such as Cloudy, Rainbow, Star and Believer, all names I absolutely adore.  Then we have infinity as the blush, which for me is more of a bronzer and Floaty which is your highlight shade. With many of the shades being more on the nude/neutral side, it appeals to me, as there is an option to move outside my comfort zone with shades such as Star which are pink.

The swatches shown above, which are unedited, show the shades I have used the most. On the top photograph we have Cloudy, Solstice and Desire and then on the bottom you can see Rainbow, Romantic and Imagination. Solstice does double up and can be used as a highlighter and it is a really pretty Champagne shade.

With Floaty, which acts as your highlighter, I found it to be a little too chalky, so instead I used it as a base shade as it isn't too sparkly and the blush shade, Infinity, which I've mentioned is more of a bronzer, is also shade I have also used as a shadow.

The Bronze Dreamer brick, I have is the shade Enlighten and it does remind me of Benefit Hoola with how it looks on my skin.  Again, it comes packaged in a cardboard sleeve and it is priced at just £3.

Again, an unedited swatch because I wanted you to see the actual shade of this bronzer, it does have a lot of pigment, so depending on how heavy you like your bronzer, it is one to be careful with, that said, it does blend like an absolute dream, whether you are using a brush or your fingers.

Finally within my little trio I have Heavenly Glow, the Iridescent Face and Body Gel, this retails for just £2.50 and is, as far as I am concerned the star of the show.

As you can see, this pot of glow definitely iridescent and it is again, one I haven't needed to edit because what you see, is what you get. It can be applied with a beauty blender, a brush though my preference for this is my finger because I would end up looking like Edward Cullen in Twilight as he reveals himself to Bella in Sunlight (don't pretend you don't know what I mean).  Even if I am just wearing a tinted moisturiser, I still apply this to my cheekbones for some added glow.

I really like this collection, I think you can tell, it has a really good price point for the products you are getting and I am really impressed with how pigmented the products are, especially the bronzer!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.