Beauty Gift Ideas for Christmas | Part Two | Sephora!

Oh it's all about Christmas at Sephora today loves!

In October this year, I was kindly invited to attend the Sephora Holiday Showcase for 2015. Needless to say, it was such a lovely morning, and I had the opportunity to view some of the holiday gifts sets that would be available for Christmas 2015, and to chat to some of the brands founders and representatives. A wonderful opportunity for which I am very grateful.

I'd love to share with you a couple of beauty gift ideas that tickle my fancy from Sephora, so grab yourself a cuppa/wine/eggnog and read on!

Aromatherapy Associates London - The Star
Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil RRP $22.00 AUD.

So far I have had three baths with this gorgeous Aromatherapy Associates oil, and I'm now trying to save it for special occasions! Every wonderful thing you hear about these beautiful oils is absolutely true. Packaged ready to gift in a beautiful star ornament, I think this would make such a lovely gift!

You can see in the photographs below a couple of the other Aromatherapy Associates Christmas gifts sets that are available... these might just be on my wish list! Imagine opening these on Christmas morning...

Tarte Deluxe Amazonian Butter Lipstick set   RRP $27.00 AUD

This set of four mini lipsticks from Tarte is just beautiful. The Tarte Deluxe Amazonian Butter Lipstick set features a range of shades from neutral to rosey tones, and one deeper berry shade, perfect for the holiday season. The texture of the Butter lipsticks is as you would imagine by the title, smooth and moisturising and they feel just lovely on the lips. A gorgeous affordable gift! 

Stunning Tarte Holiday Gifts Sets!!
Back Left - Tarte Lips for Days Lipsurgence 5 colour set  $46.00 AUD.
Middle - Tarte Light of the Party gift set  $79.00 AUD.

Tarte Bling it On Blush Palette $59.00 AUD 

I have been dreaming about this palette since the Sephora Holiday Showcase event! 

Have you picked up this palette yet? Feel free to enable me! Don't the words "limited edition" strike fear into the beauty lover's heart?!!

Formula X is looking after your nails this Christmas with some gorgeous gift sets!

Formula X The Look CLIX two piece gift sets retail for $13.00 AUD.

Formula X The Happy Hour CLIX four piece sets retail for $22.00 AUD.

Both sets are great value, and are perfect for travel!

However, I have my eye on that stunning rose gold packaging at the back... that my friends is Formula X "Alchemy" and she will most definitely need to find a home at The Beauty Vine HQ! I believe she might be a limited edition for Christmas, and she will set you back $17.00 AUD.

Skincare can be tricky to gift to someone, but these next two brands are absolutely worth considering in my opinion. 

Edible Beauty is fairly new to me, and I had the pleasure of meeting naturopath and nutritionist Anna Mitsios, the founder of Edible Beauty at the Sephora Holiday Showcase. 

"The Edible Beauty Australia product range includes luxurious "edible" toxin-free skin care and therapeutic Beauty Teas made with organic and wildcrafted ingredients...if it's not good enough to eat you will not find it in our products"

Anna smoothed, spritzed and massaged almost every product onto my hands and face that morning, and kindly gifted me a deluxe sample size of the Belle Frais Cleansing Milk to try. I fell in love with it immediately, and have since purchased the full size, a hefty 200ml which retails for $45.00 AUD. The cleanser is lightweight, whisks away makeup with ease, smells beautifully citrusy, and is the most refreshing cream cleanser I have ever tried. Highly recommend.

This set above is the Edible Beauty on the Fly - Core 4 Travel Kit and retails for $73.00 AUD. Now, I have not tried all of the products in this gift set, however judging by my love of the cleanser I have no doubt that they too are just as beautiful. I will certainly be exploring this brand more in the new year, and will keep you updated!

I had the absolute pleasure of bumping into the man himself, Ole Henrikson, during my very first visit to Sephora in February of this year. I took a big deep brave breathe, introduced myself, and had the opportunity to ask him for some recommendations. I was already a huge fan of the Pure Truth Melting Gel Cleanser ( holy grail ) so I decided to purchase, on Ole's recommendation, the Three Little Wonders kit. This is the same kit pictured above, which also contains a complimentary African Red Tea foaming cleanser. 

The Three Little Wonders set retails for $95.00 AUD.

This kit will give you everything you need for both your morning and evening skincare routine. The Truth Serum Collagen Booster is used in the morning after cleansing, and provides the skin with hefty dose of Vitamin C to brighten and protect, along with soothing green tea extract to calm and soothe. Follow this with the Sheer Transformation moisturiser, which is just beautiful. Perfectly lightweight and refreshing, it absorbs immediately and provides a lovely base for your makeup. Those with combo/oily skin will appreciate it's lovely light texture, whilst still providing excellent hydration for the skin. The Invigorating Night Treatment is your evening serum, promoting cell turnover, and assisting in improving skin tone and the minimisation of pores thanks to it's cocktail of glycolic, lactic and citric acids. Even though it is quite active, it is also very gentle, I have not experienced any irritation whatsoever, just a healthy glow. Love Ole... such a lovely man!

On the same day that I purchased the Ole Henrikson skin care, I also purchased this gorgeous IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi lip duo. It was in the Isle of Doom... you know that part just before the checkout where you are tempted with little minis and little kits of all these very cute and lovely things that maybe need to come home with you??

I'm happy to report that I have enjoyed them both very much, and was pleased to see that they were included as one of the IT Cosmetics Christmas Gift Sets.

Like the entire IT Cosmetics range, these two lip products are full of fabulous ingredients that provide skin care benefits, plumping and nourishing the lips every time you wear them!

The Je Ne Sais Quoi lipstick and lipgloss are self adjusting, and give a mid-toned pink flush to my lips. Undoubtedly, one of the most comfortable lip products I have used to date. They just feel so good!!!!

The IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi gift set will set you back $42.00 AUD.

IT Cosmetics also have another gift set that is one my wish list this Christmas, The Naturally Pretty palette with the Hello Lashes Mascara ( one of my faves ), which also retails for $42.00. It contains 7 beautiful eyeshadow shades, and a mini Hello Lashes Mascara. It looks beautiful, and I am yet to try any of IT Cosmetics eye shadows!

It Cosmetics IT GIRL Christmas Gift Sets RRP $42.00 AUD.

Elizabeth And James Nirvana Black Body Oil... utterly lush.

The Elizabeth And James Nirvana fragrances are loved by many, and for good reason. They are just beautiful!

I like the White, but I LOVE the Black. 

Sephora have some beautiful Elizabeth And James Nirvana gifts for Christmas. 

The cute little ornament gifts below contain a 7ml rollerball, and would make the perfect affordable little gift at only $12.00 each. So gorgeous!!

If you have a little more to spend, go for the Elizabeth And James Nirvana Gift Set. It contains a 30ml Eau de Parfum, Perfume oil, and a mini rollerball, and retails for $75.00 AUD.

Did I mention that I love the Black?... 

Elizabeth And James Nirvana White...

Elizabeth And James Nirvana Black... it's my jam.

An epic display at the Holiday Showcase of all the gorgeous Sephora Christmas Gift sets!!

Spear Brilliant Beauty Box  RRP $64.00 AUD.

Sephora Let it Snow Velvety Body Moituriser  RRP $22.00 AUD.
Sephora Impeccable Bun set  RRP $18.00 AUD.

Two lovely gift options from the Sephora brand, the Let it Snow body moisturiser is beautiful, and smells gorgeous too! It has a slightly sweet, clean and powdery scent and is nourishing without feeling heavy or greasy on the skin... gorgeous.

The Impeccable Bun set is a brilliant idea, and gives you everything you need for a rockin' top knot or killer side bun. The perfect stocking filler!

Sephora Color Around the World Face and Eye Palette Collection  RRP $22.00 AUD.

The Sephora Color Around the World gift set would make a gorgeous gift for either the makeup lover or the makeup newby.

The four gorgeous palettes contain shades for the face and eyes, and take you on a journey around some of the world's major cities and their colour inspirations... Paris, New York, Rome and Rio.

Each palette has sturdy cardboard packing, and contains a mirror, and some instructions for placement of the shades. The packaging is gorgeous, with each palette featuring art work particular to each city and its unmistakable landmarks.

The overall quality of these palettes is excellent. There are a couple of shades that don't have particularly good colour pay-off, but that is in no way a deal breaker in my opinion.

For $22.00 AUD, I think you absolutely need to pick this up!!

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Paris.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Paris.
 Swatches from the bottom - Blush, Pink Macaron, Rooftop, Jazz Club, Perfecto, Pearl.

Paris is your smokey eye palette, I love the shade Jazz Club, a beautiful cool toned taupe, and the blush Pink Macaron is a really pretty peachy pink.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - New York.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - New York
Swatches from the bottom - Blush Romantic Date, City Trench, Hot Mocha, Peanut Butter, Trick or Treat.

Love this one. Love. The only slightly disappointing shade in this palette is the blush... it's not terrible, but it is a little dry and powdery, and does not adhere well to the skin ( apologies for that part of the photograph being out of focus! ).

The eyeshadows are gorgeous, my favourites are Hot Mocha and Peanut Butter. 

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Rome

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Rome
Swatches from the bottom - Blush Gelato, Panettone, Caffe, Romantico, Tiramisu.

The Rome palette is pretty consistent in terms of pigmentation and colour pay-off. A great warm neutral palette with a very pretty blush. Love.

Sephora Color Around the World Collection - Rio

Sephora Color Around the World collection - Rio

Rio's blush is more of a light glowy bronzer, though it is very smooth and blends nicely. The two light matte eyeshadow shades are good. Aqua, the beautiful blue needs to be built up, and would benefit from a primer underneath it. The gold in this palette Tropical Bird is disappointing. I found it very hard to do a decent swatch because it just kept falling off my skin. It would still look pretty, but you will likely get more glitter than gold on your eyes.

Overall, I think this is an absolutely brilliant, affordable gift set! Apart from a couple of misses, I absolutely love it, and the little palettes are perfect to pop into your makeup bag, or to take on holidays.



So that wraps up Part Two of my Christmas beauty gift ideas loves! I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got some ideas for your family and friends ( and maybe you *wink* ).



Do tell me what is on your Christmas Wish List?




Thanks so much for stopping by!




Blessings,




Lou xx

Read More »

Current Quick and easy Morning Skincare Routine

Good Morning loves!

I'm on to my second coffee, because some mornings are just like that aren't they?

Following a recent, unfortunate reaction to a product, I have been trying to pare down my skincare routine a little. Over the last 3-4 weeks, I have introduced some new products into my routine, both morning and evening, which I have been thrilled with. Today, I'll focus on my morning routine. It is quick and fuss free, and is just ticking all the boxes for my oily/combo/acne prone/ageing skin at the moment.

You may have seen my recent post about my travel skincare choices, I still love and would recommend all of those products. Being the beauty nerd that I am, I do love trying new products, and when I find good ones, I have to share them with you!

Now...I am not a morning person. At all. 

There are many mornings, whilst trying to get myself and four children ready for school/preschool, that I am pressed for time. I can honestly say, that if I neglect my morning skincare, then it will certainly show over the next few days. My skin will look dull, dehydrated and congested. Keeping the products to a minimum, and using products that are gentle, hydrating and protective is key for me. This routine takes me no more than 4-5 minutes, sometimes less...and is always accompanied by a fresh coffee.

The Morning Line Up....and coffee of course!

RosehipPLUS Organic Daily Cream Cleanser 150ml  RRP $16.95 AUD.

The RosehipPLUS Organic Daily Cream Cleanser landed on my beauty desk towards the end of September, and is a new addition to the RosehipPLUS range, which includes their Hydrating Day Cream, Nourishing Night Cream and their beautiful organic, cold pressed Rosehip Oil, which I adore. Sometimes I have a feeling that I know I am going to love a product, and that is how I felt about this cleanser. 

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I prefer a non-foaming gel, or cream cleanser for my morning cleanse. If I wake up looking parched and dehydrated, I will often reach for a lightweight oil. I have no problem using oils or cream cleansers of a morning, they don't need to be restricted to evening/makeup removal at all.

The RosehipPLUS Organic Daily Cream Cleanser has a base of Aloe Vera Leaf juice, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil and Rosehip Oil, along with soothing and anti-inflammatory herbal extracts. Its texture is thick and luscious. I apply it to my damp face, and massage it in for around 30 seconds, emulsify with a little water, and then rinse it off with lots of lovely warm water. Due to its high oil content, I also follow up with a warm flannel. I can't help myself... love a warm flannel on ma face!

My skin feels clean and comfortable, soft and glowing. This cleanser also makes light work of removing makeup, and I have double cleansed with this in the evening to test it out, and it does a stellar job. Put this one on your list. It is gentle, effective and affordable. Love.

Skin Doctors beetox - RRP $59.99 AUD.

I am currently on a mission to boost my skin's collagen production. There are a couple of products that I have employed to aide in my mission to plump up my skin, and help to make me appear a little less haggard and a little more fresh! Skin Doctors beetox is one of them. 

An issue I face as an oily/combo skin girl, is finding a product that will hydrate my skin during the day,without feeling to heavy, or causing my makeup to slide off my face 2 hours later. I also look for products that will provide anti-ageing benefits, and some formulas designed for more mature skins often assume that your skin is also dry skin, and are just way to emollient for me. One of the first things I noticed about beetox, apart from the fact that it smells lovely, was how lightweight it was. It feels more like a lotion than a cream on the skin, and feels just beautiful. It is hydrating and  refreshing, absorbs quickly, and provides a beautiful base for makeup application.

The anti-ageing aspect of beetox, is the inclusion of the compound melittin from Bee Venom. Skin Doctors state that when used cosmetically, bee venom "fools the skin into thinking it has been lightly stung, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin".

So, in a similar way to the Homedics Newa device that I have just reviewed, and topical exfoliating acids, and skin needling treatments.... the idea behind it is to create a mild wound healing response in the skin, giving the old collagen and elastin production a kick up the backside so to speak, and aide in cell renewal.

Skin Doctors beetox is designed as a skin treatment, that you then follow with a moisturiser and/or sun protection of a morning. I find it perfectly hydrating for me, and don't feel I need to add any further moisture to my skin. I do apply a CC cream with a high SPF in my next skincare step.
If you have drier skin, then you might like to layer a moisturiser over the top.  I also love that it contains manuka honey, an ingredient that I love in my skincare, which has natural antibacterial properties, and is also nourishing and healing for the skin.

It sits in what I would call a medium price bracket, at $59.99 for 50mls of product. I will continue to use it, and keep you updated, but I am certainly finding it to be contributing to my skin looking brighter and feeling plumped and fresh. It is worth the money in my humble opinion.

Dr LeWinn's Eternal Youth Day & Night Eye Cream

Dr LeWinn's Eternal Youth Day & Night Eye Cream featured in my recent Travel Beauty Skincare post here. I continue to reach for it because it is quick and easy in the mornings, and does such a great job at smoothing fine lines, offering light hydration, and de-puffing. My eyes tend to have puffiness on both the upper and lower lids, and this eye cream makes a visible difference every time I use it. The cooling metal applicator also adds a lovely sensory experience to my mornings whilst I am calmly asking my children to brush their teeth, brush their hair, and to put their socks on a gazillion times...

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ SPF 50+  Shade Light RRP $58.00 AUD.

Whilst I have featured the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream on my Instagram on many occasions, I have not yet chatted about her here on my blog. Rather remiss of me, as this is the second tube I have purchased, and it has been a favourite of mine for almost 18 months now.

Following my Skin Doctors beetox treatment, I go straight in with this CC cream. There are several reason why I love it. It has beautiful coverage, I would say somewhere between medium and full coverage on me, as I have a lot of pigmentation. It blends beautifully, smooths over my large pores and fine lines, and has a lovely satin/glowy finish on the skin. It just makes my skin look better! 

It has a broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 50+ physical sunscreen, which is brilliant. There isn't much point in using good skincare, boosting cell renewal, and promoting new collagen if you are not going to protect all that lovely fresh skin. This CC cream also contains a plethora of anti-ageing ingredients, giving you added skincare benefits, along with it's great coverage and SPF protection. 

On a day to day basis, and for incidental sun exposure this is perfect. If I know I am going to be outside for long periods, I will apply a designated sunscreen, my current favourite is Alpha-H Protection Plus, and top it with the IT Cosmetics CC Airbrush Powder Foundation SPF 50+, another huge favourite of mine.

In the winter months, this CC cream lasts beautifully on my skin, though in the warmer months the longevity is somewhat less, as my skin naturally produces more oil, and the level of humidity rises. I have found that using the Skin Doctors beetox underneath it really helps it to wear well, an incidental, but highly pleasing discovery!
In terms of price for us Aussies, it is in line with a lot of higher end foundations, and can be purchased from our lovely Sephora Australia. As I have mentioned, I have purchased and re-purchased this CC cream, and would not hesitate to spend my money on it again. Highly recommend!! Love!!

Do tell me what products you love to use in the morning? I would encourage you to add in a simple morning skincare routine if you haven't already,  you will absolutely notice a difference in your skin...and don't forget your SPF!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Lou xo

Disclaimer: RosehipPLUS cleanser and Skin Doctors beetox are PR samples. It Cosmetics CC cream purchased by me. All opinions, thoughts and experience shared are my own, and may be different to yours. Cheers xo.

Read More »