It's that time of year again where there is a huge influx of posts like these and I love writing and reading them, they are my favourite types of posts. It's nice for people to get excited about things they got and how they celebrated this magical time of the year with their loved ones. This will be the third time I will be writing this post for the blog, you can find the previous ones here and here. I am so very grateful and happy with the presents I received last year! Excuse me if I switch between using 'last year' and this year' as I do mean 2019 and scroll to the bottom for links!
Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pore & Shine Daily Wash I Instax Photo Fridge Magnets I Instax Mini Film I Bath Soap Flowers I Guylian Belgian chocolates I Creative Cook Indonesian Curry Kit I Marks & Spencer Swiss Chocolate Neapolitans I John Lewis Christmas Stocking I Kusmi Tea AquaFizz I Yankee Candle Sweet Nothings I Harry Potter Heat Changing Mug I Fairy Tales for Millennials I Debenhams Facial Set I Ghost Perfum and Scented Candle I Neutrogena Eye Cream I Neutrogena Hydro Facial Moisturiser I Clean and Clear Action Facial Wipes I Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser
SKINCARE
Info: For Dull Eyes*. You must be
18 yrs old to purchase this product. With a specially designed formula
enriched with natural plant extracts and a special whitening agent, Optrex Eye
Brightening Drops gently restore the natural brightness of your eyes so they can
look and feel their best
My POV: Wholly crap, using these drops hurt like hell. I had a
burning sensation for a couple seconds before it passed.
Recommend: No - RRP £4.29 10ml
Info: Alpha Arbutin
reduces the looks of spots and hyper-pigmentation. It's used at a high 2%
concentration versus a standard concentration of 1% and supported with a
next-generation form of Hyaluronic Acid for enhanced delivery.
My POV: From suffering from acne and
acne scarring for so long, I decided to hop on the trend train and buy some
products from The Ordinary and it had tremendously lightened up the redness on
my face to the point where I got compliments on my skin from my friends! I used
it as part of my daily routine, morning and night and used sun protection in
the AM as you need to when using The Ordinary products. For products that can
be life-changing comes in a budget-friendly small mighty bottle.
Recommend: Yes, for all the acne sufferers
out there. £7 for 30ml
Info: The formulation uses 100% pure Rosehip Seed Oil that is both cold-pressed and
organic. While cold-pressed extraction is complex, it preserves all of the
quality of this important oil which has been shown to reduce signs of photo-ageing
and many other skin conditions.
My POV: Probably one of the best
products I've tried recently. For someone who has dehydrated acne-prone skin,
this product is a life-saver. Rosehip oil is recommended for those who have a similar type of skin to mine, I found out about rosehip oil when I went to
Nirvana Spa a couple years ago, having done a skin consultation, they
recommended me a pricer version but I wanted to do my own product research and
found out The Ordinary sells one for a fraction of the price and I was sold.
The bottle does get sticky and stained if you're not careful.
Recommend: Yes, 100% recommend and
will definitely be buying again. £9 for 30ml
Info: The high-strength formulation is clinically proven to provide
lasting protection against severe sweating problems.
My POV: I'm not gonna lie, I'm a
sweaty person. I sweat when I'm anxious or stressed and when I work out, so
normal deodorants don't really do anything for me, therefore, I sought out a
more potent deodorant and Perspirex did the job. It may seem expensive for what
it is but I can wear this and not worry about sweating throughout the day and
they even state "one application provides dryness for 5 days"! The
only downside is that once you have shaved your underarms and applying this
deodorant on after has a stinging effect on the skin, so I would recommend to Apply at night to completely dry, unbroken skin and there is
no need to re-apply in the morning.
Recommend: Yes and I am looking to
repurchasing this again. £8 for 20ml
Info: Instantly Soothes - With our
post-shave balm men will find that their skin is instantly soothed and any
post-shaving skin irritation is calmed.
My POV: Now, you're probably
wondering why I bought a men's beauty product, well let me tell you. I was lied
to...well not really but being in the blogging world you hear about all these
types of dupes and ways of doing certain things and one of them was to use the
Nivea men's balm as a primer and in conclusion, it didn't work for me. Apart
from the nice smell, it didn't do much as a makeup staying power.
Recommend: No, I regret buying this
often.
HAIRCARE
Info: VO5
Instant Volume Powder is a quick and easy to use a product designed to give
instant volume to flat or fine hair! This versatile product creates instant
volume by gripping at the roots, adding texture and creating lift.
My POV: I was recommended this product
from an old friend but once I started using it, I hated it. I didn't like the
texture of my hair and it felt unnatural. I think this product is great for
someone who likes to backcomb their hair a lot but for me, I wanted volume near
my roots as I have quite thick heavy hair which weighs down my roots making
them appear flat.
Recommend: No, I ended up giving this
product away. £4.40 for 7g
Info: Natural
frizz-free curls with hold. Hydrates and gives hold. Creates bouncy, frizz-free
curls. Helps protect against damage caused by heat-styling tools.
My POV: My relationship with mousse
stems way back to the early 2000s where my sister and I would use it to tame
out the thick curly mess of a mane and for a while, that relationship faded but
when I went back to university I started to use it again and oh boy did I miss
using this stuff. The VO5 mousse tamed my curly hair for the first couple of
days when I used it correctly with a salt spray and braiding my hair to create
a curling hair pattern and made it look lush overall.
Recommend: Yes, I'll be purchasing
this product again or I'll try something new. £4.40 for 200ml
Info: The UK's #1 Dry
Shampoo, Batiste,
revitalizes hair, leaving it feeling clean and smelling fresh, so your style
lasts longer in between washes. Batiste provides
an instant fix by removing excess oil and grease while adding body and texture.
It can also be used as a styling product to add root lift, volume and texture.
My POV: I used the Batiste Coconut and
Exotic Tropical dry shampoo and I love it, this product is especially great for
post-gym hair when you like me who has dry hair and doesn't want to constantly
wash their hair, dry shampoo is great to soak up that excess sweat and moisture
in the hair.
Recommend: Yes
BEAUTY
Info: Gradual Tanning Drops Face
and Body. Create a beautifully sun-kissed complexion with the
Balance Me 98.8% natural Gradual Tanning Drops. Created to achieve a healthy,
natural-looking tan. With a dry oil consistency and a 100% natural derived DHA,
you will achieve a streak-free, even spread
My POV: This product works a charm,
however, maybe a little too much when you see the tanning stains on the pads of
your hands! I am a big fan of gradual tanning especially during the winter
months, I have a lot of hyperpigmentation and my body isn't all the same
colour, so I pay special attention to my face and feet. I got this product in
the Look Fantastic 2018 advent calendar.
Recommend: I would recommend this product;
however, I don't know if there are better products out there like the Balance
Me that is more budget-friendly or does a better job yet. £25.50 for 30ml
Info: I got this mascara as part
of a beauty set many moons ago from Boots when they used to do great sets for
Christmas 3 for 2.
My POV: I have a sort of love-hate
relationship with this mascara and near the end, it became overall hate. The
mascara wand is very weak; I had issues every time using it trying to put it
back into the tube and would bend awkwardly and the finish wasn't as great as
it used to be during the first few applications after opening it as new. I do
have another one of these I will be using so hopefully this is just a fluke but
we'll see.
Recommend: No and I'm sure you can't
buy this again unless you find it on reseller websites. However, I heard on the
grapevine that Ted Baker is released a whole new beauty line so good luck to
them and hope their new products do well as it certainly looks pretty.
OTHER
Info: Drift off and
enjoy a restful night’s sleep with a spritz of This Works Deep Sleep Pillow
Spray, a natural sleeping aid created by a brand with skin health and wellbeing
at its heart.
My POV: If you suffer from
insomnia, or any other sleep issues this sleep spray is a great stepping stone
to trying to find a solution to your problems. Personally, this helped me drift
to sleep much quicker and stay asleep throughout the night which is my biggest
issue now. A couple of pumps is enough for the spray to take effect. The only
downside is that does contain lavender oil which a lot of sleep products do
contain, however, I am not a big fan of but this spray isn't powerfully
scented.
Recommend: 100% recommend this product
but not sure if I would repurchase again myself. £19.50 for 75ml.
Info: Stress relief eucalyptus spearmint Pocketbac hand
sanitizer. Our skin-softening hand sanitizer kills 99.9% of most common germs,
while the pocket-friendly design makes it easy to keep hands clean &
conditioned when you're on-the-go.
My POV: Back when I went to the
states in 2016, I went a little shop happy in Bath and Bodyworks for the hand
sanitizers I ended up probably buying 30+ bottles, which now when I look back
was a little overboard and I still have so many even though I gifted a lot of
them to my friends. However, they are the best hand sanitizers I've used -
they're cute looking, smell great and do the job.
Recommend: Yes, and I will be
repurchasing their new line in the future!
Yankee Candle
November Rain
Info: A rainy fall day stirs up many emotions, as does this
intoxicating, masculine, and moody fragrance with deep watery notes. In it,
you'll discover the quiet interlude of the season reflected in an airy,
refreshing mix of watery leaf notes, warm amber and crisp, brisk air. All
perfectly suited for cosying up inside and watching the rain from your window.
My POV: As
always Yankee Candles are top-notch quality and last a very long
time. This candle is long-lasting, has a wonderful masculine fresh
scent, has a great colour, and receives many compliments! Unfortunately,
they are very pricey, but I got it as a gift from a friend who didn't want it
anymore.
Recommend: I would recommend this as a
great gift for any male in your life.
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