Gatineau Discovery Collection

Gatineau is a skincare brand that I know very little about, other than it is French of course and to date I have never used it, until the chance to try it came my way. The Discovery Collection is currently on offer at Marks and Spencers for just £20 and for that money you get a 6 piece collection, worth £107. Not only is this the perfect way for someone new to Gatineau to experience the benefits of premium Parisian skincare but if you happen to be a Gatineau fan, then this is one to snap up.

The products in the box are perfect travel size items, perfectly designed for long weekends away, a holiday or just because you want to try them. I am going off to Paris next months to Disneyland and what better a brand to take with me and try. 

Within this collection you will find a handpicked selection of Gatineau's best-loved products wit everything you need to restore a smooth, radiant and youthful complexion and they come packaged so beautifully within this box that it would make an amazing Christmas gift too, so grab it quick - HERE.

Within the box you will find the following:

• Gentle eye make-up remover 50ml: Using extracts of cucumber, green tea & aloe vera, this eye makeup remover is not only lightweight, it is described as being wonderfully cooling and refreshing as it gently removes the remnants of the day and all traces of water-proof eye make-up. 
• Melatogenine cleanser 50ml: This is a triple-action formula refreshing cleansing cream which is an anti-ageing cleanser, toner and micro-exfoliator in one. This soap-free solution removes all traces of make-up. The youth activating molecule, Mélatogénine, encourages cellular renewal. With a rich and velvety texture, this cleanser nourishes the skin with added anti-oxidants and sweet almond oil to leave your skin feeling clean and refreshed and with fine lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced.
• Radiance enhancing gommage 15ml: Said to be perfect for sensitive skin, this mild enzymatic exfoliant is packed with fruit enzymes which remove dead cells for a radiant and energised complexion. Free from grains and beads, this gel formula is so gentle it can even be used around the eyes. It is enriched with vitamin C and helps to boost skin's natural defence. Radiance and luminosity are immediately increased and the complexion is brightened and toned.
• Melatogenine futur plus anti-wrinkle radiance mask 15ml:  Described as being a powerful anti-ageing mask designed to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, reduce the signs of fatigue and leave skin youthfully radiant. It is luxuriously rich and creamy packed with Marine Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid to instantly transform the skin.
• Melatogenine AOX Advanced Rejuvenating Cream 15ml: Gatineau state that this is their most powerful anti-wrinkle formula within a luxurious rich cream and it is designed to smooth fine lines and wrinkles brighten the complexion and eliminate signs of fatigue.
• Age Benefit Integral Regenerating Cream 30ml: this cream fights all signs of advanced ageing whilst providing skin with essential moisture. Using Artichoke leaf and hibiscus extracts smooth lines and wrinkles whilst calcium extracts strengthen thinning skin. Restorative and nourishing, this rich and creamy moisturiser tackles fine lines and wrinkles, skin slackening, pigmentation and brown spots. Complete anti-ageing, in one simple step.

This is one amazing kit with great sized products and again it is just £20 for £107 worth of products and basically you just need one!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Sainsbury's Boutique Make Up Collection

I love discovering new make up brands and I love that you can walk in Boots, Superdrug and even your local supermarket and leave with a basketful of makeup products you might not have ever used before.

Sainsbury’s Boutique collection has everything you could ever want. Sainsbury's themselves state that "Boutique is set to transform the way women shop for their make-up bag essentials" and within the range you will find everything you need from nail polishes, lipsticks, lip gloss, eyeshadows to accessories, all of which Boutique has been created, trialled and had rigorously tested by a collective of professional make-up artists.

Each products comes packaged in sleek black matte packaging, finished with the Sainsbury’s Boutique wording which is also the logo. I have very kindly been sent a few products from the range to try out and I have been left feeling really impressed with what I have.

The way to my heart right now is lipsticks (and cake, do not forget the cake) I am obsessed with them and have an ever growing collection.  The Boutique range is a delight to use and In The Buff is a beautiful nude shade which gives amazing colour pay off and wouldn't usually be a shade I would go for, but I actually really like it and it works well alongside the lip pencil Chinese Whispers which is a creamy nude and perfect for outlining the lips. The second lipstick is called Lip In the Bud and it a pink which is really pretty and not too pink that I find it hard to wear.  Both lipsticks are priced at £7 and the lop pencil is £2

One item I tend to wear much less than anything else is lipgloss, I really don't anything that is sticky or tacky but I was surprised to find that the two offerings from Boutique are neither of those.  Lip Lip Hooray is a soft peach shade which give exceptional coverage, good enough to be worn alone or on top of Lip In The Bud. Dusk Till Dawn is my favourite of the two and the one I have worn a lot of recently. Again it is perfect to be worn on its own and is creamy and not at all drying and as a shade it is a deep plum rose and I adore it.  Both lipglosses are priced at £6.

The final item is a cream blush in shade C'est La Vie (£6) which is a beautiful shade of pink, possibly too pink for my complexion but it is stunning and very pigmented.  As it is a cream blush it blends really easily and is perfect to give a pop of colour on the apples of your cheeks.

I am really impressed with Boutique and it is definitely a brand to be on the look out for in your local store, the pricing is pretty impressive and the colour pay off on each item is superb.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

L’Occitane Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar for 2016

If you hadn't guessed by now, Beauty Advent Calendars excite me, I am obsessed with them so much I dedicated an entire post (here) to them ALL. So imagine my excitement when the L’Occitane Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar for 2016 arrived at the door! Now this calendar is usually an instant sell out, so if you want it get it, if you are debating buying it - Get It, if you haven't see it yet, well I am sharing it with you now.

Priced at £42 with contents worth over £80 it is amazing value for money and if like me, you are a huge L'Occitane fan, then it gives you a chance to further explore the brand, reacquaint yourself with some favourites and stock up on some essentials. Alternatively, if L'Occitane are a brand you have always wondered about, know little about, have been meaning to try, then this is a great introduction to the brand.

This is one huge Calendar with 24 doors to open it gives you everything you need as a fan or as someone looking to get to know L'Occitane. 

This 2016 advent calendar has been illustrated by Kanako, a renowned French illustrator from My Little Paris, who has managed to captured the festive atmosphere of a L’Occitane Gift Workshop. Untying the red bow which fastens the Calendar together, it opens up to reveal a further insight into L'Occitane from the gathering of flower petals, to the making and mixing of products before getting to the bottom tier which details a shop floor and then carrying on the Christmas theme of someone laden with gifts.  

I absolutely loved last years Calendar which you can see here, but this one looks to be even bigger and better.  Unlike other reviews, I have chosen not to open all the doors so you can see what is inside, instead opting for one which shows you a travel sized handcream which is perfect for your handbag.  

If you do want to see what is in this Calendar, then the contents are all revealed HERE at the L'Occitane website.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise