Christmas Stocking Fillers with L'Occitane

I absolutely love L'Occitane, it is up there with my favourites and they have created products that neither my bathroom or I can be without - that being the Almond range!  Having shared the incredible Advent Calendars and been lucky enough to also unbox one, today I am sharing some of the gift sets that anyone would be lucky enough to find under their Christmas Tree!

There is over 100 different offerings of gifts from L'Occitane for 2021 and you can helpfully choose them by recipient, by budget, by gift type or you can just spend a merrily few hours making a mental note as to what to buy for yourself!

The first gift set I am sharing is the My Floral Hand Cream Trio (£20). If anything over the past 18 months has taught us, that is to never ever run out of hand cream because using santitiser on your hands can be an absolute nightmare for drying them out!

Thankfully, L'Occitane has the perfect sized hand creams for having on your bedside table, makeup bag, desk, handbag or even in your coat pocket, which is where I usually find a tube.  Inside this trio of hand creams you will find:

• Rose - Described as being a moisturising hand cream with the floral and green notes of the iconic Rose. It is enriched with Shea Butter which helps to moisturise and protect your skin.
• Cherry Blossom - The Cherry scent of this hand cream is delightful and also enriched with Shea Butter, it is non-greasy or tacky but smells so fresh.
• Neroli & Orchidée - I love sweet floral scents, so Neroli which is the blossom off a bitter orange tree, mixed with Orchid creates a beautiful scent and within this hand cream it is just lovely and relaxing.  Again, we have Shea butter for its moisturising and hydrating properties.

These three hand creams are a beautiful trio and anyone who uses as much hand cream as I do, will be delighted to see them under the tree.

The second gift set is the My Comforting Essentials Shea Butter Festive Star Bauble which features an ultra-nourishing skincare trio which helps to keep skin cleansed, moisturised and protected from head to toe.

Shea Butter is one of L'Occitane's hero ingredients and they have a great story to share with their work alongside the women in Burkino Faso which is a must read.

This Gift Set Contains

• L'Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream 20ml: This is a rich, luxurious body moisturiser which is perfect for dry to very dry skin. It contains 25% shea butter which intensely nourishes the skin to protect against dryness and strengthen the hydrolipidic barrier. It offers up to 72 hours of hydration, leaving the skin soft, comfortable and non-greasy.
• L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream 10ml: This is an award-winning hand cream that is enriched with 20% shea butter and alongside it there is a which also features a blend of almond, honey and coconut oil to give that intense nourishment. The cream isn't at all oily but it is just wonderful.
• L'Occitane Shea Butter Milk Soap 25g: This delicate soap is formulated with a 100% vegetable base and shea butter to gently cleanse skin and help preserve its natural moisture balance.  It smells just so wonderfully clean and leaves my hands soft and smooth to the touch.

This is another amazing gift set from L'Occitane and one I cannot wait to hang on my tree as soon as I am allowed to get it out of storage!  It is a great introduction to the L'Occitane Shea range.

The final gift set I am sharing today is one of my favourite scents from L'Occitane and the range that I spend all my love on - The Almond Range.  This gift set, The Almond Voyage Soothing and Firming Collection (£19)

Nestled inside the festively decorated L'Occitane yellow box is a trio of products from the Almond Range, all of which I absolutely adore and have in my bathroom.

This Gift Set contains:

• Almond Shower Oil (75ml) - Not that this product needs an introduction if you read my blog fairly regularly because it is my favourite product ever from L'Occitane and nothing has ever come as close to be as amazing as this. As well as smelling just incredible, when this shower oil comes into contact with water it turns from an oil into a lavish milky foam, leaving my skin feeling silky soft and smooth.
• Almond Delicious Soap (50g) -  This soap uses ground almond shells which very gently but impressively scrub away dead skin cells, leaving your hands clean and those rough areas, such as the elbows, knees and feet feeling smooth. There is also the inclusion of sweet almond oil which gives this soap that amazing scent.
• Almond Delicious Hands (30ml) - This is my favourite hand cream ever and it is one I always have a back up of in my drawer.   Enriched with both Almond milk and Almond oil, which help to nourish and soften the hands, it brings with it that delightful scent I rave about. This cream, luxurious on the skin, is non-greasy or oily and leaves the hands hydrated and moisturised.

For anyone who is a fan of the L'Occitane Almond collection or if you know someone who might become a fan, then this is the gift set you need to have under the tree as an introduction.

So there is just a few of the L'Occitane gift sets that you can find on offer and with so much choice for every possible budget, I would happily purchase as many as I could!

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

Lookfantastic Festive Edit Beauty Box

Lookfantastic has released another Limited Edition Beauty Box and this time it is the Festive Edit and it is just £25 to buy and it is such a cute box

Inside the box there is 7 products which ranges from Bath & Shower oils to exfoliators and lip gloss and it is a great little box of pampering goodness to get you ready for that big event that is sitting in your diary.

The ultimate Festive Edit has landed at Beauty Box… Celebrate the season with seven of this season's must-have products for every beauty shelf. Worth over £83, get ready in style for the party season with our expert collection of beauty goodies.

The full contents of this box has been listed below so you can see just how fabulous it is and it is on sale right now.

Contents

• Ciate Fierce Lip Flip Gloss – worth £17
• The Vintage Cosmetic Company Christmas Pudding Face Pads x5 – worth £9.99
• Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Body Wash 100ml – worth £7
• NCLA So Rich Birthday Cake Vitamin-E Infused Cuticle Oil 13.3ml – worth £13.85
• Aurelia Brightening Anti-Pollution Mask 20ml – worth £15
• Aromatherapy Associates Bath & Shower Oil- Revive 9ml – worth £11
• Dr Botanicals Coffee Superfood Renewing Facial Exfoliator 30ml – worth £9.99

If you are already subscribed to the monthly Lookfantastic Beauty Box, then you should have been sent an email with a code giving you access to grab this Festive Edit for just £20. If you have not yet subscribed, you can still Subscribe today and get £5 off when you use code FESTIVEBB

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

Create your own Gin with Inspirited

When it comes to a drink with friends in a bar or even at home, you’ll often find me with a Gin & Tonic or something Gin based if I’m drinking alcohol. I’ve been through the Vodka years and we don’t really mix well, but Gin is the one drink I do really enjoy and in recent years, the selection has increased exponentially. When Inspirited, a craft gin distillery based in Strathaven, just outside of Glasgow got in contact to see if I wanted to make my own Gin, there was only one answer - Yes!

Inspirited, as I have mentioned is a craft Gin distillery and as well as having the opportunity to purchase one of their creations, as a customer, there is the most amazing gin tool that gives you the visitor a chance to create your own bespoke gin and there is so many combinations it is so much fun - and yes I did of course created the Beautyqueenuk Limited Edition Gin!

Through our gin tool visitors to our site can create their own fully bespoke gin, distilled with their botanicals of choice – we distil each gin individually – we don’t just add botanicals to a base spirit like other offerings might! – and finish it off complete with personalised label and gift box.

Now obviously I am no expert on making Gin, this is the first time and opportunity I have had to do so. There is a really handy step-by-step guide which takes you through the different stages of your gin making journey. It is definitely worth taking the time to read it before you begin the process, though at any time you can just start over. I also spent some time looking through the Tasty Tips page which is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to pairing ingredients and botanical's for your drink. There is a total of 35 botanicals to choose from and you are free to choose as many as you think you need, but the advice is to choose between 6 and 10, but not more than 12 otherwise it could dilute the taste of your product.  

Juniper is pre-selected for you because without it, well it wouldn't be gin and the same with Coriander (no not the leaf the seeds) which helps to tone down the punch that Juniper packs.  As you look through each ingredient and botanical, there is a handy little information button which gives you the low down on each one, so whether you want something fruity, floral, citrus, nutty or even exotic, there is a guide as to what it smells and tastes like, for example:

• Strawberry - Somewhere between sweet and sour this household favourite has rose to gain fame as a mild, sweet and quite delicious flavour
• Cucumber - The widely grown cucumber plant has origins from ancient India. The plants fruit is a popular accompaniment to gin, and has a very distinct slightly bitter but refreshing taste.
• Marigold Flower - Sometimes referred to as poor man's saffron, marigold has a complex flavour that can be described as earthy and spicy with a hint of green apple and orange.
• Angelica - Slightly bitter and slightly herbal this earthy root works much like Orris root in that it is a fantastic fixative.
• Grains of paradise - also known as alligator pepper, have a complex flavour with distinct similarities to black pepper with additional citrus notes.

So as you can see, just because something sounds like you would like it, you might not quite like it in a creation of gin!  Now I am sure you are all dying to know what is in my Gin, so here we go:

• Juniper,
• Orris Root,
• Coriander,
• Rhubarb,
• Seville Orange,
• Kaffir Lime,
• Grapefruit Peel,
• Hibiscus,
• Lemongrass,
• Baobab

All of the flavours that I like in Gin or other products I choose to purchase and now all together in one bottle.  The whole process was so easy to follow, I think I learnt something about the art of making and creating gin and having had a play around with ingredients and botanicals to see what grabbed my attention.

If you are looking for a unique gift for someone this Christmas, then you could create a Gin for someone and send it to them with that personalised label, you can add whatever you like to the label, so it is a nice way of sending a congratulations or thank you message, or you could buy someone a gift card and let them loose on creating their own gin if you think that is something they would enjoy.  

Whatever you choose, I am sure, like me you will have a lot of fun creating your gin and all for just £49.99.

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

Nourish London - The Gift of Radiance

I love a good skincare set, as you might have noticed and from Nourish London, I am sharing with you their The Gift of Radiance set, which would make an amazing gift.

Inside this The Gift of Radiance kit you will find four products which give you every opportunity to have that 'at home' facial experience using some of the brands best-selling products.

Few things make a person feel better and look younger than skin that glows naturally with radiance. This skincare gift does just that.

The first product from this collection of products is my favourite within the set and it will come as no surprised when I state that it is Antioxidant Multi-tasking Super Balm which is every bit as incredible as it sounds.

Described as being an all-in-one cleansing balm it not only works to as a decongesting face polish but also as a nourishing mask and intensive moisturiser and this is exactly why I think it is so brilliant. With those three ways of using it, the advice for each step is as follows:

• To Cleanse and exfoliate - Apply a small amount of beauty balm to fingertips and massage into damp skin paying more attention to congested areas such as the the t-zone (nose, chin and forehead).  When you feel you have completed your cleanse, accompanying the balm is an organic face cloth which can be used to gently exfoliate the skin to remove dead and dry skin cells.
• As a Mask- If your skin is in need of some TLC, then you can apply this balm to freshly cleanse skin and leave it on for around 20 minutes and then remove it following the advice above or you can also leave it on overnight and rinse off in the morning. 
• As an intensive moisturiser - If you feel your needs really needs some attention, then the advice is to apply the balm to any dry patches such as lips, cheeks or even cuticles to let it work its magic.

The ingredients within this balm include Jojoba Seed Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Rosehip Oil and ginger extract, all of which are packed with protective antioxidants, replenishing omega-rich oils and there is also the inclusion of a clinically proven anti-ageing marine algae to tone and firm the skin and smooth fine lines and wrinkles.

The second product is the Radiance Rejuvenating Peptide Serum which is designed to brighten, rejuvenate and hydrate the skin.

This Serum is formulated to incorporate tripeptides, Foxberry, Tonka bean and Rose oil which come together to stimulate the production of collagen which in turn gives a smoother, fresher, more youthful appearance and minimising lines.  Plus to help boost hydration, there is of course the inclusion of Hyaluronic Acid.

On the skin, this serum is on the watery side for a serum, but I like that because less is more with a serum and this bottle is going to last for ages!  There is a scent of the Rose Oil which is delightful and on the skin, it feels like water and absorbs really quickly, so this is a product I am going to enjoy continuing to use.

The next product within this gift set is the Radiance Firming Facial Oil and again, a product that I have so far really enjoyed using.

This oil, which is 98% organic is designed to improve elasticity, firm, hydrate as well as to lift the complexion. It uses a blend of omega-rich oils which includes the likes of Macadamia and Pumpkin, alongside both Rosehip and Borage oil and to gently add a fragrance there is the inclusion of Geranium and Damask Rose. Also added in is French Marine Algae extract and Frankincense which help to boost collagen production.

To finish off this 'at home' facial experience there is the Rose Quartz Gua Sha tool which is also included.

The Rose Quartz Gua Sha, which as you might know, is a tool known in traditional Chinese beauty regimens for its ability to reduce fine lines while firming and contouring the skin. It can be used from the forehead to décolleté. What I love about using a tool such as this is just how cooling it feels on the skin and of course, the  Gua Sha also works to reduce puffiness and tighten pores.

As you can see, The Gift of Radiance set from Nourish London is absolutely lovely and perfect for anyone who loves their beauty products as much as me, or for someone who you think deserves some TLC.  It is on sale now for just £65 and it sits alongside a few other gift sets, which sound equally divine.

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