L'Occitane En Provence Beauty Advent Calendar Review 2016

I know it's still four weeks until Advent begins, but a couple of weeks ago, I picked out my beauty Advent calendar for 2016. It was a difficult decision as there were at least eighty beauty calendars to choose from this year, but for the second year in a row, the L'Occitane En Provence calendar won me over, and I snapped one up before it could get away.

The delivery was super fast and I already have the calendar here with me, so I thought I'd give you guys a sneak peek, the low-down, and my first impressions of it.

So, L'Occitane have returned with their second ever twenty-four day Advent calendar for Christmas 2016, featuring a different L'Occitane beauty treat behind each window, allowing you to pamper yourself, and enjoy some Christmas morning excitement every day in the lead up to the big day.

The calendar is beautifully and tastefully illustrated, featuring colourful designs of the festively-decorated L'Occitane Gifts' Workshops, with content-looking characters inside busy making, packaging, and gift wrapping L'Occitane products ready for Christmas. Untie the festive red ribbon, and the calendar opens up like a book, where you'll find the twenty-four numbered windows cut in to the illustration, just waiting to be opened to reveal the wonderful goodies behind them. What will you find inside? Who knows? Well, I do, actually.

Unlike last year, when the calendar contained a mixture of L'Occitane beauty products and random Christmas gifts like table confetti, gift tags, and a cookie cutter, every single treat inside this year's calendar is a mini L'Occitane skin care, hair care, fragrance, or bath & body product! Being a big L'Occitane fan, I personally found that to be a temptation I just couldn't resist- especially when I learnt that it was only £3 more expensive than last year, and that it was packed full of my favourite L'Occitane products. (Basically, anything Verbena or Cherry Blossom scented, FYI).

The calendar is filled with favourites and best sellers like Verbena Shower Gel, Shea Butter Foot Cream, Ultra Rich Body Lotion, Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette, and many more, showcasing some of the best of what L'Occitane has to offer in one wonderful festive package.

If you want the contents to be a surprise, scroll down past the following photo and list quickly now.

Here's the full list of the products included in the calendar.   

Relaxing Shower Gel 35ml

Shea Butter Hand Cream 10ml

Pivoine Flora Hand Cream 10ml

Cherry Blossom Shimmering Lotion 35ml

Delightful Rose Hand Cream 10ml

The Vert & Bigrade Shower Gel 30ml

Almond Milk Concentrate 20ml

Ultra Rich Face Cream 10ml

Almond Delicious Hands 10ml

Ultra Rich Body Lotion 30ml

Repairing Shampoo 35ml

Jasmin & Bergamote Shower Gel 30ml

Cherry Blossom Shower Gel 35ml

Verbena Soap With Leaves 25g

Verbena Refreshing Cloth 25g

Ultra Rich Shower Cream 30ml

Almond shower oil 35ml

Verbena Shower Gel 30ml

Shea Butter Foot Cream 10ml

Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette 7.5ml

Verbena Cooling Hand Cream 10ml

Immortelle Essential Water 30ml.

Shea Butter Gentle Toner 30ml

Almond Delicious Soap 50g

It's the perfect treat for any L'Occitane or beauty fan, and an ideal way to explore more of what the brand has to offer without spending a fortune on full-sized bottles of products you don't know are going to work for you or not. Having tried many of the products included in this calendar in the past myself, I promise you it's full of amazing products worth trying! And I can't wait to try out all of the ones I haven't.

I'm not going to give you a peek at which products are behind which doors today, as I want to be able to enjoy the surprise myself every morning in December, so you'll have to make do with the taster on the back of the calendar for now.

I will be sharing what I find behind each window daily on Instagram from the 1st of December (app allowing), so be sure to give me a follow if you want to tag along for the ride. I'm hoping to blog about my finds every week or fortnight, too, with mini reviews, but that will depend on whether I have any time, energy, and pain tolerance left after I've seen to essential Christmas stuff that always take up more spoons than I have. I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises.

The calendar is available to buy from L'Occitane, online and in store now, priced at just £42. With £80 worth of products inside, it's excellent value for money, and also one of this year's most affordable high-end beauty calendars. I'm so pleased I went with this Advent calendar, and I can't wait for December to arrive so I can start enjoying it, and the beauty treats inside. All I can say is, get your hands on one before they sell out! You won't regret it!

Will you be buying the L'Occitane En Provence Advent calendar, or any other beauty Advent calendar this Christmas? How will you be counting down to Christmas this year?

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L'Occitane Beauty Advent Calendar Review 2015

L'Occitane En Provence Advent Calendar Review 2015

Last month, I counted down the days 'til Christmas with the L'Occitane En Provence Advent calendar and I loved every second of it.

I'd planned to share what was behind each window daily on Instagram, but that kinda went out the window because my phone stopped working, and I couldn't access the app. I thought I'd share what I found behind all twenty-four windows today instead, and do a little review of the calendar as well.

So, this was L'Occitane's first twenty-four day Advent calendar, and it was one of those things I just had to get my hands on because L'Occitane is one of my favourite beauty brands. The thought of waking up to a different L'Occitane treat every day for almost a month was too tempting to resist, especially when it turned out to be one of the most affordable beauty calendars of 2015 at just £39! (With contents worth £52)!

Behind every beautifully illustrated cardboard window was a different festive treat, including 17 mini L'Occitane beauty products, and 7 festive-themed gifts like gift tags, place cards, and a cookie cutter.

I'm sure some people will have been disappointed that there wasn't a beauty product behind every window, but I wasn't. I knew what the contents were before I bought it, and was happy to chance it since I'm a sucker for stationery, gift wrapping supplies, and all things Christmas. Thankfully, I loved almost all of the goodies inside, including most of the non-beauty gifts, so I wasn't at all disappointed.

Here's a list of everything that was in the advent calendar, in order by date.

1. Ultra rich face cream with shea butter for dry skin 10ml.

2. Essential oils shampoo 35ml.

3. Set of 5 gift tags.

4. Milk extra-gentle soap with shea butter 50g.

5. Delightful Rose Hand Cream 10ml.

6. Almond oil shower gel 35ml.

7. Red bow Christmas decoration.

8. Pivoine flora (peony) hand cream 10ml.

9. Essential oils conditioner 35ml.

10. Cherry blossom hand cream 30ml.

11. Mini emery board nail file.

12. Jasmin & Bergamote perfumed soap 50g.

13. Ultra rich body lotion with shea butter 30ml.

14. Shea foot cream for dry skin 10ml.

15. Verbena body lotion 30ml.

16. Set of 10 Christmas place cards.

17. Delicious hands almond milk hand cream 10ml.

18. Star-shaped cookie cutter.

19. Moisturising shea butter lip balm 3ml.

20. Verbena shower gel 30ml.

21. Strip of 10 festive stickers.

22. Shea Hand Cream for dry skin 10ml.

23. Sachet of gold star table confetti.

24. Pivoine Flora (peony) eau de toilette.

There were five hand creams in different scents- rose, peony, almond, shea, and cherry blossom (my personal fave), which I was really pleased to get as I adore L'Occitane hand creams and will actually use them. I get through hand creams like there's no tomorrow, and these babies always leave me with the softest skin. I also got a tube of shea butter foot cream- an old favourite that works wonders on transforming dry feet back to their former silky-soft, sandal-season glory, and an ultra rich shea butter face cream, which I can't wait to try. 

There were two body lotions (shea and verbena), two shower gels (almond and verbena), and a shampoo and conditioner (with essential oils). The only two products I've used before are the verbena body lotion and shower gel, both of which I was excited to find inside because they're two of my favourite beauty products. The fragrance is to die for, and the products are both amazing! I can't say much about the others because I haven't tried them yet, but I'm particularly loving the scent of the almond shower gel, and can't wait to try them all. 

The calendar also included two decent-sized soaps in milk and jasmin & bergamote, a lip balm, and a small bottle of the Pivoine Flora eau de toilette, as an extra-special gift on Christmas Eve. I don't usually like floral fragrances, but this one is quite sweet-scented and not at all over powering, It's lovely. I'm going to keep it in my bag to use on the go.

I haven't had a chance to sample the other goodies yet, but I'll review all of the other beauty products as and when I use them.

And these are the other festive gifts I found inside. There were ten place cards, ten stickers, five gift tags, and a mini emery board which were all beautifully illustrated with festive designs like candy canes, bows, sprigs of holly, and Santa Claus; designs which matched those on the inner windows of the calendar. Along with the sachet of tiny gold star table confetti, and a star-shaped cookie cutter, I thought all of these extras were lovely, tasteful, and great quality little gifts. The only one I really didn't like was the red felt bow decoration, which looked like it had been fished out of a bargain bin at a pound shop. It looked and felt cheap and nasty. It doesn't match L'Occitane's usual level of quality, and I still think it was a bad choice for an otherwise high-quality calendar. Still, one dud out of twenty-four ain't bad, right?

As a whole, I really loved these little gifts. I was itching to use them all straight away, but in true blogger form, I needed to photograph them all first, so I made myself put them aside to use for next Christmas instead. I will definitely be using them all later in the year when Christmas rolls around again.

I can honestly say I loved L'Occitane's first Advent calendar! I looked forward to opening the windows every day, and it gave me a little Christmas morning excitement every morning during Advent. It was so much fun having a different gift to enjoy every day, especially on the days when I found a beauty product waiting for me behind the cardboard windows. I thought there was a great selection of products and fragrances, with plenty of old favourites and new ones for me to try. The other gifts rarely left me feeling disappointed, and all in all, the calendar just made my Christmas all the more magical. For just £39, it was so reasonably priced, great value, and well worth the price tag.
I would definitely consider buying a L'Occitane Advent calendar again in the future, and I think it's highly likely that I will!

Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me! Well done, L'Occitane!

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L'Occitane beauty Advent calendar sneak peek 2015

L'Occitane En Provence Beauty Advent Calendar Christmas 2015

Last week I treated myself to the L'Occitane En Provence beauty advent calendar and now that it's here, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek, and my first impressions of it.

L'Occitane is one of my favourite beauty brands, so I was ridiculously excited when I heard they were releasing their first 24 day advent calendar this year. The thought of counting down the days 'til Christmas with a different L'Occitane product every day was so tempting that I stalked their website until it became available, and quickly snapped one up when it did. 

A few days later it arrived on my doorstep, so carefully wrapped in yellow tissue paper. It was so beautifully wrapped that just opening the box was a treat itself. I'm still really impressed with the care and effort that went in to shipping it.

As soon as I unboxed the advent calendar, it was love at first sight. The design is gorgeous- but I didn't expect anything less because L'Occitane products always have the prettiest packaging.

The illustration on the front of the box is of a French street decorated for Christmas, with a lady heading towards a cheerful yellow L'Occitane shop.

The calendar comes tied with a festive red ribbon, and the sides are illustrated with Christmas garlands.

Once you untie the ribbon, the calendar opens up like a book, and reveals twenty-four cardboard windows and a beautifully illustrated Christmas scene. The colourful illustration has clearly been designed to look like a French street, with shutters over the windows, and a stylish lady coming out of a L'Occitane boutique with arms full of bags. The building is adorned with Christmas decorations, and if you look in the windows, you'll see people celebrating Christmas, and other little festive scenes. It's so pretty, and it will look lovely when it's on display with the rest of the Christmas decorations in December. (Apologies for the crap quality of these photos; I can't get the colours to look good, no matter what settings I try).

On the back of the packaging is a full list of everything included in the advent calendar. Inside you'll find 24 irresistible surprises, including 17 of L'Occitane's lovely beauty products, and a further 7 Provencal festive treats to help you pamper your way through 'til Christmas.

I'm sure some beauty fans will be disappointed that this calendar doesn't feature 24 beauty products, but I'm keeping an open mind because the other 7 treats, including gift tags, stickers, and place cards, could be just as lovely. I have a weakness for pretty stationery and gift wrapping supplies, so it's a possibility. We'll just have to wait and see.

For now, here's a full list of the products included in the calendar.

♥ Almond shower oil 35ml.

♥ Almond delicious hands 10ml.

♥ Pivoine Flora eau de toilette 5ml.

♥ Delightful rose hand cream 10ml.

♥ Nail file.

♥ Set of 5 gift tags.

♥ Jasmin & Bergamote soap 50g.

♥ Shea butter hand cream 10ml.

♥ Star shaped pastry cutter.

♥ Milk extra-gentle soap 50g.

♥ Pivoine flora hand cream 10ml.

♥ Set of 10 stickers.

♥ Ultra rich face cream 10ml.

♥ Ultra rich body lotion 30ml.

♥ Set of place cards.

♥ Repairing shampoo 35ml.

♥ Repairing conditioner 35ml.

♥ Bow tree hanging decoration.

♥ Verbena shower gel 30ml.

♥ Verbena body lotion 30ml.

♥ Cherry blossom hand cream 10ml.

♥ Moisturising lip balm 3ml.

♥ Shea butter foot cream 10ml.

♥ Sachet of stars.

I think there's a great variety of products included in the calendar, and a good selection of fragrances, too. It includes a few of my old favourites, and also quite a few items I've never tried before, which I can't wait to sample next month. I'm particularly excited for the cherry blossom and verbena goodies, because they're my two favourite L'Occitane fragrances, and it's been ages since I last treated myself to some. Both fragrances are to die for! If you've never tried anything from L'Occitane before, I'd recommend giving products from either collection a try.

I'm not going to open the windows to show you each item today because I want to enjoy the surprise every day in the run up to Christmas. You'll just have to wait until next month to see them! I'm planning to share what I find behind each window every day on Instagram in December, and I'll also blog about each product here, too. (Although, I haven't decided how often I'll do that yet).

If you really want to spoil yourself or a loved one in the run up to Christmas, I can't recommend this calendar enough. It will either make you feel like a pampered princess, or put you in the good books with the lucky lady you give it to. Just imagine how lovely it would be to wake up to a different beauty product or little gift every day for three and a half weeks! Counting down to Christmas this way is so much fun, and far more exciting than counting down with boring novelty chocolates or illustrations. It's also a great way to sample lots of different L'Occitane goodies if you want to give their products a try, but don't know where to start.

The advent calendar is priced at just £39, which I think is really reasonable, particularly because its contents are worth £52! It's one of the lowest priced beauty advent calendars around this year, which is amazing from a high quality, high-end brand.

It's available to buy online on their website here, and you might still be able to find it in store, too.

December can't come quickly enough!

How will you be counting down to Christmas this year?

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L'Occitane Petals Eye Quartet Eyeshadow Make Up Review

A few weeks back, I popped over to outlet village Bicester Village with my older sister and brother-in-law, and couldn't resist having a peek in L'Occitane while we were there. I only allowed myself one tiny little purchase, and came away with a beautiful eyeshadow palette for just £6.60 which was originally £22.00! I do love a bargain!

I bought the L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Petals Eye Quartet.

The outer packaging has a water colour design, which if you turn it on it's side, you will see is made up of the bodies of four dress-wearing ladies. It's a little grubby above the logo, but in general it looks very pretty and high-end.

Isn't this the most beautiful, feminine design for a make up product you've ever seen? Four ladies in dresses  in the shades of the eyeshadows! I like to think they're ballerinas.

The packaging is, as best as I can tell, made from thick card and covered with some type of paper or tape. (I'm useless at working these things out). It has a corrugated, masking-tape like texture, but it's also very sturdy, like a hardback book.

The palette is easy to open as it's simply magnetised. And voila! Inside it holds four really lovely eyeshadows, a mirror, and a double ended applicator brush.

These four eyeshadow shades are much more subtle, soft, and feminine then I generally wear, but sometimes a sweet, girlie look is necessary or even craved. These are the sort of colours I might wear to a wedding, or christening, or just when I want a sweet romantic look. The set includes a pale pink, a beige, a hot pink, and a dark purple, which could be worn alone, together, or in various combinations for day and night.

As the back of the packaging's blurb reveals, the eyeshadows have been enriched with a softening peony extract in shades which gracefully highlight the eyes. I have to agree; these powder eyeshadows are so delicate and soft on my skin. They glide on like silk, and create such lovely graceful looks. The make up is also dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested, and made in Italy.

 I've tried each of the colours out, and found they stay well in place for at least seven hours (longest I've worn them so far) without dulling / disappearing away. I'm very impressed!

These are the swatches on the back of my arm in natural daylight. I've not altered these two photos in any way, so you can see the real colours. I've very pale white skin, but I think these colours would work on most skin tones and colours. The pale pink is definitely best as a highlighter than a lone colour on very pale skin, though!

The palette's little mirror can be removed from the palette if required by pulling on the handy ribbon.

The back of the mirror is printed with the item's design.

It's quite a decent size mirror for a small eyeshadow palette, which makes it much easier to work with when applying the make up, or checking your face later on.

The eyeshadow brush provided is double ended with a different applicator at each end. It actually surprised me when I tried it out and realised how great the quality was. The sponge applicator is very soft and well attached, whilst the brush side is silky soft with no loose or sharp bristles. The make up glides on like a dream with both brushes, so I don't feel the need to use a different make up brush.

And finally, the back of the palette provides a few tips on how to use the different colours, which is helpful if you're unsure of how to wear these colours.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this truly beautiful eyeshadow palette, and I'm so glad I stumbled up on such a great bargain. I think it just goes to show, you don't necessarily have to spend a fortune to buy up- market make up. I haven't bought a full price make up product in ages!

 I'd definitely recommend checking out outlet villages, and can tell you both Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, and Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth have great L'Occitane shops. I recently bought make up from both, so it's worth popping in to see if they still have some if you're nearby. The make up is gorgeous, and so worth the money because the quality is fantastic!

I should note, this WASN'T a sponsored post, I just genuinely wanted to talk about a product I'm impressed with, and thought you might like, too.

Have you used L'Occitane make up before?

L'Occitane Make Up Haul and Reviews

A couple of weeks ago, I tagged along to Bicester Village with my sister to escape the asylum for an hour or two, she's made it her mission to get me out of the house whenever I feel up to being out of bed for a little while.

Bicester Village is a well known outlet village situated in north Oxfordshire, and one of the best in the country with around 130 high-end and designer boutiques. Most of the brands are a little too expensive for my budget, but I always enjoy browsing, and taking in the atmosphere as it's so relaxed and pleasant. We're lucky to have it so close to home.

My Sister went to stock up on a few craft items from Cath Kidston, and I unexpectedly found myself coming home with some L'Occitane goodies.

I went in to L'Occitane, thinking perhaps I could treat myself to a hand lotion, or a shower gel, but the moment I stepped in the store my eyes were drawn to some beautiful make up. I didn't even know L'Occitane made make up- and I worked in a company who sold their products!

The make up was heavily discounted, and I caved and treated myself to the five make up items above; a mixture of eyeshadows, face powders, blushers, and/or highlighters. I spent less than £20 in total, for more than £65 worth of make up!

I'm going to quickly talk about each one, so my apologies for the very long post.

L'Occitane En Provence Pivoine Flora Duo Eyeshadow in Envolee Lilas- Teinte 4

First up is an Eyeshadow Duo in Envolee Lilas, which is just beautiful.

It comes packaged in a pretty box made from card obtained from sustainable forests. 

The product itself is displayed in a sturdy cardboard compact, which I personally think feels well made, and looks attractive and expensive. The design itself is very pretty.

I was pleased to find the duo came with a mirror, and a double-ended applicator brush, as it's convenient for applying it on the go.

This eyeshadow duo is just beautiful! One side is a rich purple, and the other a warm taupe; both are shimmery shadows that can be worn alone, together, or mixed to create a third shade. The taupe can be used to highlight, and the purple to define.

Both colours are lovely, and felt silky smooth on my skin, which the packaging says is because the eyeshadows have been enriched with softening peony extract. I haven't yet used these shadows on my face, so I can't say how good the staying power is, but I'm impressed with them so far and can't wait to use them properly.

This was £4.20, RRP £14.00. It can be bought online full price here.

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora Face Colour Cream Duo in Arabesque Apricot- Teinte 2

As with the eye shadow duo, the face colour duo comes in pretty card packaging, with guidelines about how to use the make up on the back.

The compact has also been made from sturdy cardboard, and has an elegant ballerina style design to the front.

This set has a decent sized mirror on the inside, but unfortunately it doesn't come with applicator brushes or sponges, which would have been helpful for using it out and about.

But don't let that discourage you from buying one of these for yourself!

The duo features two cream face colours, one a lovely warm apricot, and the other in a golden beige. They can be used as you desire to illuminate and warm the face. I bought this to use specifically on my cheeks, and I'm so very glad I did!

I use the apricot as blusher, which is perfect for my very fair skin tone. It really warms my complexion. And I find the golden beige compliments the apricot nicely as a highlighter. I'm impressed with how easily they glide on to the skin, and after using these a few times I can happily report that they last well all day. And if that wasn't enough, the make up carries a delicate peach (apricot?) scent. I can't fault this duo! I hope to go back and pick up a couple for presents.

This one cost £4.20, RRP £14.00. It can be bought for full price online here.

The following three products I'm going to show you all come in small rectangular card boxes obtained from sustainable forests. The outer packaging is white and silver, which give the products a clean, expensive, chic appearance; the kind of packaging you'd expect to see from an upmarket brand in a boutique. The make up themselves are packaged in small circular cardboard pots. They look attractive, but I can't say how they'd hold up in a make up bag over time.

L'Occitane En Provence Fleur Cherie Face Colour Powder in Rose Falbala

This is a face colour powder duo, and the first product I was drawn to on entering L'Occitane's shop. One side is a dark, dusky purple, and the other a light rose pink, and they can be used wet or dry to create different intensities. The purple can be used to add definition, and the pink to brighten and highlight. They're enriched with softening orange blossom extract and this duo really is as soft as it's marketed to be.

I've used this duo a couple of times so far, and loved the results it gave. The pink was hard to photograph, but it's a shimmery pale pink, and really does illuminate the eyes when used on the lids and inner socket. The purple is a stunning two-tone, and looked striking paired with the pink. It's a great alternative to black for creating a smoky eye, too. They're both long-lasting, and remain in place for many hours without fading. I've fallen in love with this duo, and have to say I'm very impressed with it so far.

I paid £3.75 for it, RRP £12.50. It can be bought online full price here.

L'Occitane En Provence Face Colour Powder in Rose Dentelle

Rose Dentelle is a face powder containing softening orange blossom extracts which can be used  as a blusher or eyeshadow wet or dry. L'Occitane suggest using your fingers to dab it on to cheekbones and eyelids to brighten the face. The texture is very delicate, and it glides on easily. It's a pretty rose pink, and I think it makes a lovely blusher, but I'm not sure if I'd wear this shade on my eyelids. I've only worn it for testing purposes, so I'm unable to say how well it wears over the course of the day/night. We shall see!

It cost £3.75, RRP £12.50. It can be bought online full price here.

L'Occitane En Provence Fleur Cherie Face Colour Powder in Mousseline d'Argent

Mousseline d'Argent is another face colour powder containing softening orange blossom extracts for a silky touch. This one is a beautiful shimmery white powder with silver sparkles, which is perfect to high light various areas of the face such as eyes, cheekbones, and brow bones. It can also be worn wet or dry to create different looks and intensities. I've used this powder a couple of times, and it glides on beautifully, and really makes the eyes pop. It also does a great job at making me look a little more 'alive' and fresh-faced. Every girl should have one of these powders in her make up bag!

It was £3.75, RRP £12.50. It can be bought online full price here.

The kind sales assistant also popped a few freebies in to my bag; five samples and a cosmetics bag!

I've not tried any of these things yet, but I was excited to receive a few free samples. Who doesn't love free cosmetics to try?

So, I'm so pleased I discovered this make up range, and I'm very impressed with all of them so far. Make sure you check the range out if you get the opportunity. They're available full price on their website, so get on down to Bicester Village to pick some bargains up if you can! I know I certainly intend to go back for more!

If you made it this far from start to end, thanks for sticking with me until the end! I promise my next post won't be so long!