Nourish London Organic Beauty Gifts

Nourish London are back again this year with a range of vegan, organic beauty sets perfect for Christmas gifting. Presented in organic, handmade toiletry bags by Fairtrade Organisation Freeset in India, the sets are as gorgeous as ever, with something to suit every budget.

Lemon and Black Pepper Handcare Duo £25

This duo features a Lemon and Black Pepper hand wash (proven to kill 99.99% of bacteria) and hand lotion in a beautifully refreshing scent. I've tried the hand wash before and it's particularly good in the kitchen - lemon is very good at ridding hands of garlic and other 'cooking' smells. A lovely gift for just about anyone.

Antioxidant Duo £15

A perfect stocking filler or Secret Santa present, this set features the Antioxidant Multi-Tasking Super Balm and Antioxidant Peptide Mist in travel/ handbag friendly sizes. The balm cleanses and moisturises while the (gorgeously scented) mist preps and refreshes. A good 'to me, from me' option too!

Luxury Argan Collection £70

With full sizes of Argan Anti-Ageing Peptide Serum, Argan Skin Renew Moisturiser and Skin Renew Cleanser, this set is complete with a Jade Stone Facial Roller.  Organic Moroccan Argan Oil is the star ingredient in the collection and is rich in Omega 6, Vitamin E, Antioxidants, Tripeptides and Hyaluronic Acid. This is a generous gift for any skincare lover in your life.

The Gift of Radiance £65

All you need for a luxury facial at home, this gift is ideal for practically anyone who could use a little me-time this festive season. Featuring a Rose Quartz Gua Sha tool, the set contains a 50ml jar of the Antioxidant Multi-Tasking Super Balm, Radiance Firming Facial Oil (a stunning oil) and Radiance Rejuvenating Peptide Serum. The Gift of Radiance is valued at £108 so this is a really good deal too!

Blissful Sleep Gift Set £45

The present I'd most like to see under my tree, the Blissful Sleep Gift Set is a three piece collection consisting of the Sleepy Pillow Mist, Probiotic Multi-Mineral Repair Mask and Sleep Essential Oil Blend. With formulas that include calming essential oils like Lavender, Chamomile, Frankincense and Rose, this trio is perfect for loved ones who could do with a bit of rest this Christmas.

Nourish London really is such a lovely, conscious brand and this year's gift sets are thoughtfully curated, with a great mix of luxury and afforable options. For more information about the products visit Nourish London.

5 Beauty Gifts for Valentine's Day

Whether you're treating yourself (woo!) or someone else (ahh!), here's my pick of 5 perfectly pampering beauty gifts for Valentine's Day this year.

Sanctuary Brimming Full of Love Gift  £12.50

I quite like Sanctuary as a brand because they offer a bit of accessible luxury at a reasonable price point and this gift set is no exception. They've fully tapped into the Valentine's spirit with the Brimming Full of Love Gift which was created in collaboration with Artist Frederick Wimsett, who is known for his stunning interior murals. At a purse friendly £12.50, the set features a Body Scrub, Body Lotion and Body Wash in the White Lily and Damask Rose formula. There's also a limited edition White Lily and Damask Rose Bath Float for £10 which is rather pretty and very obviously Valentines-centric. Sanctuary is available at Boots and is currently on 3 for 2.

Therapie Love Me Life Kit £42

If you're in need of a truly relaxing and luxurious treat, the Therapie Love Me Life Kit is a perfect option. It's not cheap but the higher price point is well justified - if you've ever tried any products from Therapie you'll understand what I mean. The brand is all about self love and nurturing so this kit is perfect for February 14th. It contains 'deluxe discovery sizes' of Awaken Skin Rehab Scrub, Joie Bath Infusion, Cherish Skin Repair Serum (which by the way is stunning) and the Love Candle presented in a beautiful black box complete with a red ribbon. Therapie is available at Cult Beauty.

Black Chicken Remedies Love Your Body Oil £54

Australian brand Black Chicken Remedies first got my attention a few years ago when I had a facial at Beauty Works West (now Lazeo) using their gorgeous products. I'm so happy that Cult Beauty are stocking Black Chicken now because a few years ago it was near impossible to find their products online. The Love Your Body Oil is a beautiful, uplifting blend of nourishing oils and is refreshingly unisex in scent so men and women can both indulge. With key ingredients such as lavender, patchouli and ylang ylang in a hazelnut, rosehip and coconut oils, it's perfect for slathering on after a hot bath or massaging your significant other. I have a bottle on the go at the moment and my skin is practically drinking it up. Available at Cult Beauty.

Oskia Rose de Mai Massage Candle £36

This candle/ massage oil hybrid has been on my lust-list for so long now! As a massive fan of Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm I'm a little ashamed to admit that I haven't tried anything else from the brand - nope, not even the coveted Renaissance Cleansing Gel. The Rose de Mai Massage Candle just sounds so decadent and ritualistic - I love the idea of letting the candle burn and filling the room with a rich rose scent before letting the oil cool slightly and pouring it from the little spout! Warm oil + rose scent? It's a yes from me. You can find the Oskia Rose de Mai Massage Candle at Cult Beauty.

Fresh Barely There Mini Lip Duo £20

Left over from Fresh's Christmas gifting collection, this lip duo makes a neat little Valentine's gift to yourself. The set features a pot of the much loved Sugar Lip Polish and a pot of Sugar Nourishing Lip Balm Advanced Therapy. I haven't tried either of these products but I am a fan of the brand's lip balms and am yet to try a Fresh product I don't like! If you live in London you can pop in to the store otherwise the Barely There Mini Lip Duo is available at Fresh online. 

Secret Santa Gift Idea: Bobbi Brown Mini Mask Trio

I know the Bobbi Brown Mini Mask Trio was released a little while ago but I spied it in John Lewis on the weekend and thought it's exactly the kind of Secret Santa gift/ stocking filler that I would like to receive! Bobbi Brown isn't exactly a cheap and cheerful brand so the fact that this little pack of three face masks is only £10 further sweetens the deal.
The trio includes cute 7ml tubes of Radiance Boost, Instant Detox and Skin Nourish masks so it's a great little kit for multi-masking or sampling Bobbi's masks before committing to the full sizes (the full sized 75ml tubes are £33 each).

The Radiance Boost Mask is an exfoliating mask that contains fine walnut grains for a physical exfoliation action. It also contains Orange Oil and is designed to instantly pep up the complexion and get things glowing.
The Instant Detox Mask is a clay mask that features an Amazonian White Clay base and is formulated with Hawaiian Sea Water. This is a pore-unclogging, clarifying mask which is a bit different to your standard clay mask in that you just leave it on for three minutes rather than wait for it to go all dry and crackly.
Finally, the Nourish Mask is a tissue-off formula that features Coral Grass and Green Algae. Similar in consistency to a face cream, I feel like this soothing mask would be particularly nice in the autumn/ winter months. In other words, perfect for now.

You can find the full size masks and Mini Mask Trio at John Lewis and Bobbi Brown online.

Christmas 2015 with Therapie Roques Oneil

Therapie by Roques Oneil is a brand that I have a lot of time for. From the uplifting and mentally stimulating effects of the Restore Aura Spray to the cult favourite Himalayan Detox Salts, Therapie is one of those suits-all brands with products that boast universal appeal. It's for this reason that Therapie products make fantastic stocking fillers and gorgeous presents that I for one would be more than happy to find under the tree on the 25th. For Christmas this year, Therapie have a beautiful collection of ready made gifts including the Love Me Kit, the Discover Me Kit and the Value Duo.

The Love Me Kit includes Joie Uplifting Bath Infusion, limited edition Love Candle, Cherish Skin Repair Serum and Awaken Skin Rehab Scrub. I have tried both the Cherish serum and Joie bath infusion and can report that both products are soothing, relaxing and undeniably luxurious. The Love Me Kit is £140.

Therapie Love Me Kit

The Discover Me Kit (not pictured) is £38 and features Boost Hair and Body Wash, Himalayan Detox Salts, Cherish Skin Repair Serum, Restore Aura Spray and Equilibrium Bath & Shower Essence. This little kit with 5 favourite products is a brilliant introduction to the brand.

The Value Duo includes a 100ml bottle of Restore Aura Spray and a generous 500g pouch of the coveted Bath Salts. The duo is £48 but worth £63.

Therapie Value Duo

Therapie also have a selection of minis at very reasonable price points that make great stocking fillers or secret Santa gifts (or a little something for yourself, obviously). I've had the chance to try a few of the minis including the Restore Aura Spray and they are such a great way to try out some products before investing in the full sizes. At the moment, Therapie have a special promotion in which they are offering a free 100g sachet of Himalayan Bath Salts with the purchase of 3 minis, so now is the perfect time to discover the brand.
You can find out more about the glorious brand that is Therapie Roques Oneil and shop the brand here.

Post contains samples.

L'Occitane Christmas Gifts - My Picks

L'occitane is one of my favourite brands all year round, but at Christmas they really up their game and release gift sets that are both beautifully presented and exceptionally good value.
There is such a huge range of gifts to choose from this year so instead of listing them all here, I've picked my top five favourites that I'd love to give (or find under the tree) on the 25th.

Delicious Almond Collection £49

L'Occitane 'do' almond so well don't they? Not too sweet or sickly, just nutty and delicious. This set features one of my favourite L'Occitane products of all time - Almond Shower Oil, as well as the Almond Milk Concentrate, Almond Delicious Soap, Almond Delicious Hands and a little bottle of Almond Supple Skin Oil - something I am very, very interested to try (just in case you're reading this, Rich). All these almond goodies come packaged in a L'Occitane gift box, ready to take pride of place under the tree.

Pamplemousse Rhubarbe Tantalising Collection £55
I haven't actually tried anything from the relatively new Pamplemousse Rhubarbe range but I like the name of it and I like rhubarb, so that's a start. Featuring a Pamplemousse Rhubarbe Eau de Toilette, Body Milk, Shower Gel and Scented Soap, this collection would be a great introduction to this grapefruit and rhubarb scented range.

Cade Grooming Collection £52
For the man in your life (or for yourself, if you happen to be a man), this beautifully presented gift contains the brand's best selling male scent. As well as a 100ml bottle of Cade Eau de Toilette, the ready-made present features a Shower Gel for Body and Hair, Shaving Gel and After Shave Balm.

Sweet Honey Bath £9.50
The perfect gift for a Secret Santa and equally as good for stuffing stockings, the Sweet Honey Bath gift features a 100g Honey Bonne Mere Soap (best scent) and a gorgeous porcelain soap holder.

Sweet Candied Fruit Home Duo
The scent of dried fruit, honey, caramel and vanilla make this a very festive little gift set. Containing a tinned candle (which boasts outstanding scent-throw by the way) and a room spray, this duo will make a gourmand scent lover very happy indeed.

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Dermalogica Limited Edition Christmas gift sets

Dermalogica have a selection of limited edition sets for Christmas 2015, meaning we don't have to rely on Santa to bring us healthy, glowing skin this year - we can just go and get it ourselves! 

The limited edition Dermalogica gift sets are clever kits that contain at least three products that complement each other to create the ideal Dermalogica skincare or bodycare experience.

The sets are a perfect introduction to the brand as well as a good way to test any specific products you may have been keen to try because they are pretty decently priced. Of course, they make great gifts as well and there really is something for everyone with gift sets ranging from teenage skin specific through to skins in need of intense hydration.

I have the Skin Smoothing Cream Set (£47.70) which I was very keen to try as I've heard great things about the Skin Smoothing Cream. The set features a 100ml tube of Skin Smoothing Cream Moisturiser, a travel sized bottle of Special Cleansing Gel and a limited edition Facial Cleansing Mitt.
This three piece set has everything you need to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise so is a nice little introduction to the brand for people who haven't used Dermalogica products before.
The Special Cleansing Gel is soap free and slightly foaming and is designed to remove impurities without stripping the skin and upsetting the natural moisture balance.
Using the cleansing gel with the mitt means you get a good cleanse and exfoliation in one go - just squeeze a little bit of the gel onto the damp mitt and massage over the face and neck before rinsing. Job done.

The Skin Smoothing Cream comes in a generous 100ml tube (still safe for carrying in your hand luggage, yay!) and is designed for combination/ dry skin types. The thick cream contains Aloe Gel, Lecithin (which I remember as that stuff my mum used to sprinkle on her cereal), Mallow, Cucumber and Arnica to nourish and encourage suppleness. Antioxidant Grape Seed Extract and Vitamin C and E are added to provide some environmental protection.
The cream is absolutely perfect for this time of year and even though it's quite rich, it absorbs pretty quickly on my face and doesn't leave a shiny sheen.

Here's some info on the rest of the limited edition Dermalogica Christmas Sets:

• Body Therapy Favourites Kit (£17.50) - perfect gift for frequent travellers who need relaxation on-the-go made easy. Contains Conditioning Body Wash, Body Hydrating Cream and Stress Relief Treatment Oil
• Dermalogica Favourites Kit (£30.00) - the gift of skin health, anywhere, anytime. Four top-selling travel friendly Dermalogica products which are suitable for all skin conditions. Contains the multi-award winning Daily Microfoliant™, MultiActive Toner, Skin Hydrating Masque and MultiVitamin Power Firm
• Active Moist Set (£44.60) - contains top-selling 100ml Active Moist moisturiser for normal/oilier skin conditions, specifically paired with a travel size Dermal Clay Cleanser and a limited edition facial cleansing mitt for a supreme level of clean
• Super Rich Repair Set (£62.85) - contains a top-selling 50ml Super Rich Repair moisturiser for mature skin conditions, specifically paired with a travel size Skin Resurfacing Cleanser and a limited edition facial cleansing mitt for a supreme level of clean
• Intensive Moisture Balance Set (£55.50) – contains a top-selling 100ml Intensive Moisture Balance moisturiser for dry/prematurely ageing skin conditions, specifically paired with a travel size Essential Cleansing Solution and a limited edition facial cleansing mitt for a supreme level of clean
• Clear Start Set (£13.70) – the Clear Start Tonight set contains a Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash; Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment and Breakout Clearing Pore Control Scrub to ensure younger, congested skin is clear and healthy for the festive season

The kits are available for Dermalogica stockists and the Dermalogica website.

*Post contains sample