Affordable Beauty Advent Calendars & Giveaway!

OK so I have to admit that one thing that makes chilly December mornings that little bit more bearable is having a cheeky square of advent calendar chocolate with my morning cuppa, but one thing which actually beats chocolate is opening up a little beauty present each and every morning. 

Beauty advent calendars have been getting more and more popular over the past few years, with countless brands and stores bringing out their own version this year, and for me, 2015 is the year that 'affordable' beauty advent calendars really stole the show. As much as I aspire to one day own a Jo Malone, Charlotte Tilbury or Selfridges calendar, there's plenty on the highstreet end of the Beauty Advent Calendar spectrum to keep me happy! Ranging from miniature hand creams, false lashes and full sized nail polishes, there's one for everyone - the only tricky thing is deciding which one to go for! Feast your eyes...

Tanya Burr Cosmetics - �25 from Superdrug

For the first 12 days of the month you'll find cute surprises ranging from nail files and varnishes to a handbag mirror and false lashes in this incredibly affordable calendar. Snap it up while it's on offer (it won't last long!)

L'Occitane - �39

The French beauty brand will spoil you rotten with 24 mini versions of their luxurious skincare, hair and body products inside this chunky advent calendar! This would make a lovely gift to a mum or auntie - you're never too old to get excited by an advent calendar!

Benefit - �34.50 from Debenhams

If you've got your heart set on this calendar from Benefit then you'd better hop to it, as every time it drops in store or online it sells out in a flash! Behind the 12 doors you'll find many of Benefit's cult classics, and it even opens to a festive song!

M&S - �25 when you spend �25

Jammed full of festive treats worth over �200, the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar is a steal at just �25 when you spend �25 on M&S Beauty (I highly recommend the Stila eyeshadow palette if you're wondering what to splurge on!). Inside you'll find treats from top brands including REN, Cowshed, Rituals and Neal's Yard.

Eylure - Win it!

Here's one that you won't have spotted in any stores, because it's super exclusive and can't be bought! Featuring twelve set of Eylure's most popular lashes, this set can be yours just by entering my giveaway! Of course I want to make sure you receive the calendar before the beginning of December, so my giveaway is live for one week only, closing at midnight on November 24th (my birthday!). Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Which is your favourite Beauty Advent Calendar?

xoxo

Bigger, Brighter Eyes

Because our eyes are often the first feature that people notice about us, perfecting that 'big and bright' makeup look is a seriously handy skill! Using the right makeup and skincare products, you can make it look as though you've had 8 hours of sleep, even when you only got a fraction of that! Gone are the days where we like to plaster our lids in dark kohl liner, now it's all about going bigger and brighter.

Of course, long term it's crucial to get a good night's sleep (8 hours) and stay hydrated. Especially during winter when our skin gets dry, we need to make sure we are drinking enough water to keep our eyes looking dazzling white. Eye drops can help, but hydration and plenty of rest and sleep are by far the most effective way of having naturally bright eyes.

Choosing a brilliant eye cream will brighten, hydrate, and work to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and fatigue - the best way to start your bigger and brighter eye routine. I may only be 23 but my eye area is already an area of concern and I've recently become addicted to the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye cream. It's a rich gel-like texture which you apply the smallest amount of to the eye area, with short term and long term benefits it fights signs of fatigue, puffiness and dark circles, as well as fine lines and pollution. The difference is noticeable within just a few days of using this cream, I'm already noticing a brighter and more vibrant eye area!

A bright creamy shadow can make your eyes look bigger and brighter, one of my favourites is the Benefit Creaseless cream eyeshadow in the shade Bikini Tini. Bringing the cream into the inner corner of your eyes will make the whites look brighter, and open up your eyes giving you an instant doe eyed appearance. To create more definition, using a slightly darker (but not dark!) eye crayon such as the Elizabeth Arden Eyeshadow Stylo in Sunkissed Pearl over the crease to extend the illusion of bigger eyes.

If you want to give the illusion of larger eyes, apply mascara to upper lashes only. Application on the lower lashes can close the eye area, but using a volumising mascara such as the Pixi Lengthy Fibre mascara (which has silk filaments which add to the volume of your lashes) and curled lashes can make your eyes look bigger in seconds!

Under eye concealer can hide any discolouration as well as illuminating the under eye area. My favourite is the By Terry Terrybly Densilis concealer - it's a fair shade but without being too light, it brightens and conceals, is lightweight and doesn't crease (never a good look!). Unlike other concealers that I've tried, the By Terry concealer not only covers darkness in the short term, but also contains ingredients which work to age-correct and firm your under eye area!

While white eyeliner in the waterline used to be the trend, it always looks a little stark and obvious! Only recently have I discovered flesh coloured pencils, and the Charlotte Tilbury Nude Eye Cheat is universal nude tone which instantly gives the illusion of wider, fuller eyes. It's the smoothest liner I've ever applied with a soft waxy texture, and unlike budget alternatives it stays put for hours and hours and contains ingredients which stimulate collagen production! Oh, and it's waterproof too!

How do you make your eyes look bigger and brighter?

xoxo

My First Vlog! Inside the Barry M Factory, Yoga at The Shard & Benefit Beauty Launch!

With a very exciting few days planned, I decided the time was right to film my first ever Vlog! Join me for lunch hanging from a crane with Benefit to launch their new Air Patrol primer, Yoga at the top of The Shard with Touch of Silver, a tour of the Barry M Factory, as well as a lovely Afternoon Tea with a twist! I hope you enjoy it!

As always it would mean a lot to me if you would subscribe to my channel!

xoxo

June Beauty & Fashion Favourites!

Despite the dodgy wifi in our villa in Corfu, my June Favourites video still managed to go up (although 17 hours earlier than I anticipated... doh!)! With only a few beauty favourites this month, it's more about particular brands that I've been loving, as well as how my skin has been reacting to using only ONE brand this month!

What have been your favourite things this month?

Benefit's They're Real - Now in Colour!

Exciting news, They're Real lovers!

Following an incredible launch event last week (more on that below!) Benefit Cosmetics have launched their cult They're Real Mascara and Push Up Liner in new colours - and they're all absolutely beautiful.

If, like me, you recoil a bit at the thought of blue or purple eyeliner, with memories of 1990's first attempt at doing your makeup visions in your head, then just stop. Stop right there because Benefit's new killer shades are a bold way to switch up your beauty look, but all the colours are remarkably easy to wear. 

They're Real mascara now comes in 'Beyond Brown' - a personal favourite - a very soft and natural look, perfect for pairing with bold lips, or for on a 'no makeup' day. There's also 'beyond blue', for bright dazzling eyes. The liners come in brown, blue, purple and green, and the Benebabes on the counters will be on hand to help you choose which one works best for your eye colour.

The launch event was my first ever Benefit blogger event, and wow those Benebabes sure know how to get a bunch of Bloggers and YouTubers excited about a product! We walked into a very plain white room, with not much being given away as to what was soon to take place. After revealing the new range of colourful products, Benebabe Lauren pulled out an all white body suit, googles, and shoe protectors... things were about to get messy!

So we covered up head to toe, and were led into the next room, filled with plastic sheets, buckets of paint, water guns and more, and the paint fight began! I'll be tweeting some of my snaps from the event today!

Which colour will you be trying?

Four to Try // Benefit

It all started with the Roller Lash Mascara. 

Ok so I'd always known about Benefit, and I'd always loved anything that I'd tried from them, but only recently have I seriously sat up and taken notice of the brand as a serious player in my makeup drawer. If you follow me on Snapchat ( and if you don't you should! I'm JosieLDN) you will have seen what great fun I had at the Benefit Brow March, and the little freebies that we received as a Thank You for participating, well that was just the start of my recent love affair with Benefit.

Yes, I fell in love with Roller Lash the very first time I tried it. No other mascara curls and separates my lashes quite like it, and never before have I received more lash-related compliments! I raved about it in both my April Favourites, and May Favourites videos so take a peek if you want to hear all my thoughts.

The Big Easy BB cream was a product that completely took me by surprise. With it's liquid to powder formula it somehow works its magic by creating a flawless matte finish, even though it applies like a cream. If your skin feels normal or even a tad dry when you apply your makeup in the morning, but it's looking shiny or melting away by lunch time, then the Big Easy could be exactly what you need - it actually works to control oil and balance out the skin, it's a one trick wonder for all my skincare needs. Love.

After finishing my base, I like to apply a pop of colour to my lips just to get rid of the nude tint created by my foundation, and I've recently been reaching for the Posie Balm or Cha Cha balm to give a subtle tint to lips, as well as moisturising them ready for any lipstick that I apply later in the day. Also featured in my May Favourites  these little balms are just so handy for popping in your handbag, I'd say I reach for them on an hourly basis while at my desk!

My most recent discovery is the Benefit Gimme Brow. I popped into the Benefit boutique on Carnaby street for a brow wax and shape in the hope that the Benebabes would be able to give me some lust-worthy arches, and not only did I leave with absolute brow perfection (thanks to the fabulous Amy!) but also armed with a Gimme Brow to try, and plenty of tips on how to get the most out of it. My brows are a little sparse but Amy showed me that I can back-comb my brows using the small brush from Gimme Brow, which plumps up the brows, adds more volume, and builds up each brow hair to create a much more full looking brow. My brows have never looked better! And for that, Benefit, I'll forever be grateful.

Have you tried Benefit? Which products are your favourites?

May Favourites

Even though this is only my second ever favourites video, I can already tell you that they're my favourite to film! Looking through all the beauty and other things that I've been using that month and picking out the best of the best is such a positive experience, whether it is sharing a life-changing skincare product *cough* Liz Earle *cough*, talking about a great afternoon tea or discovering a bronzer which gives you the greatest faux holiday glow you've ever experienced!

This month I was loving lots of new (to the blog) brands, and also revealing a rather dorky obsession that I have! I've also found some incredible budget nail varnishes which you must try!

Enjoy!

As always it would mean a lot to me if you would give my videos a thumbs up, subscribe the my channel here, and if you're feeling super generous, you could leave me some comments!

What have your favourites been this month?