Christmas Gift Guide: The Luxury Edit 2018

Looking for a luxury beauty gift? Take your pick from these beautiful advent calendars, makeup palettes, skincare sets and more in this luxe Christmas edit.

 Glossybox All I Want Beauty Advent Calendar* (£99, link)

Glossybox, one of the world's most popular beauty subscription boxes, have released their first ever beauty advent calendar this year and it's massive! Unwrap the ribbon to open the doors which will reveal 25 individual boxes to truly spoil you this Christmas as you count down the days through the festive season. What's more, of the 25 products included in this calendar, 17 of these are full-size! Contents are worth a combined total of over £300 and feature brands such as NARS, Zelens, Real Techniques, Huda Beauty, bareMinerals, Eyeko, Mitchell & Peach, Philip Kingsley, Pixi by Petra, Nip + Fab and Yankee Candle, to name but a few. 

There's a great mix of makeup, skincare and haircare, so if you like a bit of everything, this is the beauty advent calendar for you! It retails at £99, however, if you're a Glossybox subscriber, you can purchase it for just £75 as a special member price.

 Tropic 12 Days Of Tropic Gift Collection* (£100, link)

Designed to be gifted on Christmas Day itself, Tropic's 12 Days Of Tropic Gift Collection is a lovely present for anyone who is a fan of the popular luxury green beauty brand, or it serves equally as well as an excellent introduction for someone who is brand new to Tropic. Each product included in this gift set is certified cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and has been made by Tropic's Beauty Chefs in their Surrey Beauty Kitchen.

Packed full of natural skincare, body care, hair care and even featuring an exclusive full-size makeup product, the gift collection includes some of Tropic's bestsellers such as their Super Greens Nutrient Boost Oil, Nourishing Hair Cleanser, Fruit Peel Resurfacing Serum, Vitamin Toner Pore Refining Mist and Whipped Body Velvet, so you can pamper yourself all the way into 2019!

 Weleda Nature's Collection 12 Days Of Christmas* (£34.95, link)

Weleda has commissioned the local Derbyshire based artist Emma Britton, to design their Christmas range this year and you'll be able to see her beautiful nature-inspired illustrations in all their glory on the exclusive gift packaging - no need for extra wrapping paper! As always, Weleda has a gift for everyone's green beauty needs and budgets, but my top pick is the Nature's Collection 12 Days of Christmas set which is a sheer delight to open up.

Behind each door, you'll find a range of 12 mini Weleda products which perfectly showcase the best that the brand has to offer with body lotions, moisturisers, shower treats, luxury oils and more, plus there's the iconic Skin Food in a bigger 30ml size on the last day which is one of my personal favourite multi-purpose skincare products.

Aurelia Night Time Indulgence Collection* (£70, link)

Probiotic skincare has been a huge trend in the beauty industry this year and I imagine it's only going to become even more popular in 2019. One of the very first British brands to research the power of probiotics in skincare was Aurelia, and to this day, they are at the forefront of developing some really impressive and effective formulas. I've had the pleasure of trying out many of their products and they are one of only a few luxury clean beauty brands that I often recommend for all skin types to try.

If you're new to Aurelia, their Night Time Indulgence Collection is a must-have and I'd be thrilled to find this gift set under my tree! The collection contains six of the brand's award-winning products such as the Refine & Polish Miracle Balm, Revitalise & Glow Serum, Cell Repair Night Oil and Miracle Cleanser, all presented in a chic black bag. 

 Gatineau Perfection Ultime Smoothing Collection* (£77, link)

My mum and many of the older female relatives in my family are big fans of French skincare, so Parisian brands such as Gatineau are always popular choices at Christmas in my house. Gatineau's range of gifts this year is exceptional as always and there are some amazing deals to be had, such as this Perfection Ultime Smoothing Collection which is worth £199 but can be purchased for £77 - that's 61% off!

Presented in a stylish white bag with a festive gold pattern, it contains three customer favourites; Perfection Ultime Retexturizing Beauty Cream (50ml), Collagene Expert Ultimate Smoothing Serum (30ml) and Mélatogénine Futur PLUS Anti-Wrinkle Radiance Mask (75ml), and is sure to delight any mum, gran or auntie who loves luxury French skincare.

 Gatineau Little Luxuries* (£29, link) 

If you're sticking to a smaller budget, but still want to treat your mum to some Gatineau, take a look at their Little Luxuries gift set which is more affordable at £29 and is worth £92.42. Featuring seven of the brand's iconic products in handy travel sizes, it has everything that they'll need to compile an effective at-home, anti-ageing skincare routine and comes in a high-quality zip-up toiletries bag.

 Miller Harris Digne de Toi Candle* (185g, £45, link)

Candles always make superb Christmas gifts and the more luxurious the better! This particular one from the famed London based perfumers Miller Harris, is named Digne de Toi and has a delicately soft and unashamedly feminine scent. Notes of Pink and White Roses are blended with Fresh Mandarin, Lychee and Blackcurrant for a summery warmth to help you beat those winter blues.

 Charlotte Tilbury Glowing Pretty Skin Palette* (£49, link)

You can't have a luxury Christmas Gift Guide without some Charlotte Tilbury can you?! Honestly, everything from Charlotte Tilbury would be incredible to unwrap as a gift this Christmas, but if I could only pick one item, it would likely be the Glowing Pretty Skin Palette because you basically get six products in one, and who doesn't love a luxury makeup palette?

This palette has the classic Charlotte Tilbury branding/design that's become so covetable and inside, you'll discover six different powders to get your skin glowing this Christmas. There's Airbrush Flawless Finish in 2 Medium: a warm powder with golden undertones to help set your makeup, Blush in Pretty: a youthful rosy flush to illuminate any skin type, Illuminating Glow: a soft champagne highlighter. Bronze and Contour: a neutral cocoa to tone and sculpt, Blush in Summer: a bright coral with a soft sheen and Highlighting Glow: an opalescent with golden/pink undertone for a dazzling glow to your complexion. Stunning!

Ciate London Glitter Storm Eyeshadow Palette* (£36, link)

Know someone who lives for NYE? Get them the new Ciate London Glitter Storm Eyeshadow Palette to dazzle everyone at this year's party! From the addictive cascading glitter packaging to the nine wearable shades of eyeshadow inside, these formulas are all high quality, with fallout-free glitter being the main feature. This enviable array of pressed glitter, soft mattes and molten metallics is a dream come true for party girls everywhere! 

What's on your luxury Christmas wishlist this year?

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Glossybox - December

I totally caved and got the Christmas Glossybox. I know, I know, I was annoyed with them last month, sent the box back for a refund and cancelled my sub, but I decided to get this one anyway after seeing the products. I have to say that Glossybox's customer service has been excellent. I had no problems with getting a refund for November, no problems with signing back up again and no problems when Royal Mail somehow managed to lose this month's box! Glossybox sent me another straight away via Express/Nextday delivery and here it is.




The contents: (1) BLINK + Go Long Lasting Mascara - I was really pleased to get this because I wasn't all that keen on the Blink & Go palettes that others were sent (they looked nice enough, don't get me wrong, but I'm the kind of person who will always want mascara instead if it's an option!). This thing is huge and I'm looking forward to trying it out. (2) Cargo Cosmetics Classic Lip Gloss in Tokyo - I was a little dubious when I saw this because I'd tried a Cargo eyeliner from a Boudoir Prive box a few months back which was quite frankly rubbish, so I was pleasantly surprised by this. Tokyo is a gorgeous everyday pink with a subtle hint of gold shimmer. Formula wise it's glossy without any stickiness and it reminds me of Clinique's Superbalm Moisturizing Glosses which I always have in my handbag. (3) Deborah Lippmann Mini Nail Varnish in Razzle Dazzle & Stripped To Go Sachet - Yes, you've guessed it, this was the main deciding factor for getting the box. How GORGEOUS is that nail polish?! I can't wait to wear this. I'm also interested in the little nail remover mitt too and seeing how effective it is for glitter polishes. (4) Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream - I knew that this was the sample where there was a lot of variation as to what people got and although I was initially disappointed because I wanted something else like the MeMeMe sample instead, Jurlique is a brand that my mum uses so she'll probably like this. (5) Rituals Foaming Shower Gel in Zensation Organic Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom - It seemed really odd to me that as more brands deliberately choose to remove foaming agents from their products due to consumer demand, that then a brand should come out like this which has foaming as its USP! Weird! Not keen on the scent of this but I'll probably use it up as a shaving foam.

Summary: Glossybox obviously made a big effort for their December box, as many customers had anticipated something extra special and I think most will be pleased with this month's selection of products. However, I have cancelled my sub again and will only be purchasing boxes after I've seen what's in them, and it's likely to be boxes where most people get the same things. I do think Glossybox have definitely improved their customer service and I'll be interested to see if they start tailoring boxes to customers beauty profiles in the New Year.

Did you get the December Glossybox? Which products did you receive?

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Goodbye Glossybox?

So this month's Glossybox was once again surrounded by a bit of drama, judging from Twitter et al. Here's what was in my November box, named the Christmas Gift-Guide Part 1...



(1) Arbonne FC5 Cooling Foot Creme, 15ml sample (full size 118ml - £19) - "moisturising, non greasy foot creme hydrates rough, dry skin and soothes, cools and comforts tired feet". Erm yeah. A 'cooling' foot cream is probably one of the worst beauty care items one could receive during the winter months. Not sure about anyone else, but my tootsies are currently wrapped under two pairs of woolly socks and they're still sometimes cold!



(2) Dead Sea Spa Magik Dead Sea Bath Salts, 250g bag (full size 1kg - £5.50) - "fantastic for alleviating dry skin conditions as well as a natural exfoliant, also remarkably improves skin texture." Now this makes more sense for a November box. Personally, I don't really use bath salts, I'm definitely much more of an aromatherapy/ bath oil or Lush bubble bar/melt kinda girl. Happy that it's 100% natural though and it's a good size to try out with.



(3) Monu Skin Perfector, full size 50ml (£16.25) - "a weightless cream that instantly smoothes imperfections and enhances natural radiance." This is for smoothing fine lines so more suited for mature skin. I asked my mum if she wanted it and she's already tried this before and wasn't a fan.



(4) Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps, full size (£6.65) - "requires no drying time and delivers on trend style in just 15 minutes." I have tried nail wraps before and they are a pain-in-the-ass to apply gimmick. You also have to use an acetone based nail polish remover with these and nothing destroys natural nails faster than acetone does, surely most people know that by now? Plus the design I've been sent is just not my style.



(5) Serge Lutens Eau De Parfums in L'Eau Serge Lutens and Vitriol d'Oeillet, 1ml each (full size 50ml - £78) - these perfume samples are scents for both men and women (I'm guessing these were included because Glossybox are launching their Mens box soon). They smell awful!

Summary: Well...I know that beauty boxes are often a mixed bag (or rather box) of products and it's unlikely that you'll receive boxes every time where you love absolutely everything. But this box is just not for me at all - a cooling foot cream for November, anti-aging/fine lines cream, ugly nail wraps and unisex perfumes, that's 4 out of 5 that I wouldn't even bother trying out. I'm sending it all back for a refund and cancelling my sub. I may or may not sub again to receive the Christmas box and will likely be basing this decision on whether their returns service is hassle free etc. But for the time being, my thoughts are that I probably won't be a customer of Glossybox in 2012.

Did you receive a Glossybox this month?

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Glossybox - October 2011

A belated Glossybox post, but better late than never right? Here's what was in mine:-



(1) Dermalogica Age Smart MultiVitamin Power Recover Masque, 15ml sample (full size 70ml - RRP £33) - "a powerful masque of concentrated antioxidant vitamins to help skin recover and regenerate." I am obssessed with face masks at the moment so I'll certainly be trying this out asap. Sample size looks like enough for two uses which is good.

(2) Dermalogica Age Smart MultiVitamin Thermafoliant, 15ml sample (full size 75ml - RRP £40.50) - "a powerful thermal skin polisher that combines physical and chemical exfoliants." This seems to be like a fancy face scrub basically. Not really liking the sound of 'chemical exfoliants' all that much, but I'll read up on it and give it a go.

(3) Dermalogica Age Smart Renewal Lip Complex, 1ml sample (full size 1.75ml - RRP £22.50) - "a daily treatment that restores the delicate lip tissue."
To celebrate their 6-month milestone, Glossybox decided to put in an extra sixth product in this month's box which is this lip treatment and a beauty bag. I've tried the lip complex and it's OK, feels nice on.



(4) Robert Piguet Eau De Parfums in Fracas, Visa and Calypso, 0.8ml samples (full size 50ml - RRP £65 each) - "three signature scents from the most Parisian of fashion designers". Yeah, I'm getting a bit fed up of these perfume samples in nearly every box. These will be passed on, again.




(5) Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Moray, full size (RRP £13) - "highly pigmented, waterproof eye liner glides on delivering intense, vibrant colour with staying power." This looks amazing, the colour looks gorgeous but mine is BROKEN. I know some people had a lot of trouble with the twisting up mechanism, but mine has a fault running through it in the plastic and won't budge at all. Contacted GB and they are sending me a replacement, so I'll put up a separate review of that when it arrives.



(6) Leighton Denny nail polish in Sex Kitten, full size (RRP £11) - Excited to try this because I've seen a few bloggers talk about how great Leighton Denny polishes are. The packaging looks quite cool, not sure about the colour yet but I'll post a NOTD soon no doubt. Cringeworthy name though that doesn't really go with the shade at all but I'm glad I got this one instead of the other pinks and oranges as I have far too many of those already.

Summary: I'm impressed with the full size Stila (even though it's broken... I'm sure it will be fabulous when its replacement arrives!) and Leighton Denny products. I'm not sure about having THREE Dermalogica products in the same box. I know its an expensive skincare brand, but it just seems rather lazy to me to do that or it's like the brand are really wanting to force themselves onto people. I would have preferred perhaps the extra sixth product to be from a different brand that I could try out, afterall, isn't that what Glossybox is meant to be all about? Saying that, I will use all of the products except the perfumes, and it is excellent value for money again.

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