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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My beauty advent calendar round up 2015

Review | Lush Valentine's Day Collection 2015

I've been a big fan of Lush for almost a decade, but until recently I never knew that they carried a Valentine's Day collection every year! Where have I been?! Their seasonal collections- Christmas, Easter, Halloween- are ranges I look forward to every year, and I have no idea how Valentine's slipped past me. 

Thankfully, last month I learnt all about it and made it my mission to get my hands on a few pieces when I popped in to town last weekend.

Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar (£3.25 each)

I fell in love with this magical pastel-coloured bubble bar the very first time I saw a photo of it last month, and was determined to get my hands on one. I may be twenty-nine, but I just couldn't resist those shimmering pastel stripes, or the cute little stars dotted through it like freckles. It's the prettiest bath product I've ever seen; so pretty I haven't actually had the heart to use it yet, but I just know the most perfect, relaxing bath awaits me. It's filled with lavender essential oils that, I'm sure you know, will help you relax after a long day. and I'm pleased to say the lovely lavender scent isn't at all over-powering, like some lavender scents can be.

Heart Throb Bubble Bar (£3.65 each)

If there's one thing that just screams "Valentine's Day" it's a classic red love heart, and this bubble bar is as quintessential as they come. Naturally, being a novelty design, I was all over this one and bought it without a second thought. (I never change!) Heart Throb is a "bubbleroon" made up of two red hearts sandwiched together with vibrant gold glitter, that will turn your bath water a festive red, and leave you with the silkiest soft skin. It contains skin-softening shea butter and essential oils, and a fragrance I can't quite put my finger on. It has a faint floral scent, but after that my senses fail me. If you're familiar with African Paradise, it's said to share the same fragrance, although I've not personally tried it yet.

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar (£3.50 each)

Lonely heart? Well, I'm not pining for love or anything, but that does sum-up my love-life, so... I can only conclude that this red glittery bubble bar heart was meant for me! All that gold shimmering glitter drew me in from fifty paces; I picked up this bar, inhaled the fragrance, and with it came a wave of nostalgia. The rich scent of jasmine and ylang ylang, bergamot and lemongrass combined smell just like the B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful (Lush's late sister company that specialised in beautiful make up) stores that I used to enjoy visiting on day trips to London in the late noughties. The fragrance used to linger in the air in their stores, and it would feel like you were browsing a souk somewhere in the middle east. That is how Lonely Heart smells to me; rich, exotic, and familiar. It turned my bathwater a bright shade of red, left me with incredibly nourished skin, and somehow covered me in glitter from head to toe. (Though I can't decide if that's a pro or a con!)

Cupid's Love Soap (From £4.25/100g)

Cupid's Love soap is another product I'd hoped to pick up, mostly because of the fact it was red with white hearts running through the design, and looked so lovely. When I realised how expensive it was (£4.25 for 100g), I only went for a small piece; I wanted to try it, but with soaps from Christmas still to use, I couldn't justify buying a big slab. I'm pleased I bought a piece, though, because it leaves me with the softest, moisturised skin, and also smells divine. It has a fruity fragrance, which reminds me of red berries or those cherry-shaped penny sweets, but that's not really a helpful or accurate description, is it? Haha! It contains bergamot and rosewood, which gives it a rich, uplifting fruity scent, and fresh figs, passion fruit juice, and soya yoghurt, which work to soften and nourish the skin. It sure does what it says on the tin, and I'm loving this one so much I'm left wishing I'd invested in a bigger piece! 

Maybe I'll keep my eye out for the Valentine's sales!

I wanted to buy more products from the Valentine's range, but it wasn't all grouped together and the shop was packed with shoppers, so I picked up what I could, paid, and got out fast. My local Lush is tiny and it's practically impossible to browse around it when there are more than six people on the shop floor- even when you know what you're looking for. I get really stressed and claustrophobic in those situations, so I never hang around.

You can find the rest of the range online or in your local store if you want to see what else it has to offer.

Will you be spoiling your Valentine (or yourself!) with any of these products this Valentine's Day?

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar 2014 Sneak Peek

Earlier in the week, a large cardboard box arrived on my doorstep with my name on it, and oh was I excited to see it! Inside was the Body Shop advent calendar that I ordered for myself as an early Christmas present. Y'know, 'cause I'm good to myself like that. 

I know I blogged about The Body Shop's 24 Days of Joy advent calendar just last week (here), but I thought you guys might like a sneak peek at the real deal instead of relying solely on the stock photos. 

If you didn't see my last post and aren't familiar with the calendar, basically, 24 Days of Joy is a beauty Advent Calendar, which features a different The Body Shop product behind every window. It includes skincare, make up, and bath and body products, and features both old favourites and some of the newest additions to indulge in over Christmas. As a Body Shop fan it really appealed to me, and after missing out on last year's calendar, I actually squirrelled money away all year hoping for better luck this year! I'm so excited I got my hands on one!

It arrived in perfect condition last Monday, and I instantly fell in love with the traditional red, white, and silver packaging. The colours are gorgeous, and I adore that it's been designed to look like a house. The animals and festive characters at the windows add a lovely little touch.

I have to say, I was surprised by the sheer size of the calendar from the start. It's huge! I suppose it would be with all those lotions and potions inside. If you're wondering if you have space for one, it's about 34cm square, and 11.5cm wide (closed)! 

It opens on a hinge, like a book, and inside are twenty-four cardboard windows in traditional red and white, on a silver and white striped background. The numbers are big and easy to find, and the big windows suggest decent sized products inside.

It also has a handle on one end, to make picking up and carrying the calendar a lot easier. I've added my hand to the shot so you can get an idea of just how big the set is.

The back gives you a list of contents, tells you a little about their ingredients, and explains about the gift of education; for each calendar that is bought, a child in a war torn country will be able to attend a class! So not only will you or a loved one get to enjoy twenty-four lovely beauty gifts during Advent, but a child will benefit from it, too! Fantastic excuse to treat yourself, if ever I heard one!!

24 Days of Joy retails for £50, and it's currently still available on the Body Shop's website here. Last year's sold out super quick, so if you want one, snap one up fast!

I won't be revealing its contents today, as I'd like to enjoy the surprise every day during Advent, but here's the stock photo. 

If you'd like me to, I might reveal what's behind each window on Instagram every day from the 1st of December, and perhaps do a round-up post here on the blog every week, fortnight, or at the end of Advent. Thoughts? If you just can't wait that long, you can find the list of products included in the calendar here, and, of course, in the product listing. 

Will you be treating yourself to a Body Shop advent calendar this Christmas?

P.S. Apologies for the quality of the photos; it's not stopped raining all week and my camera is crap at the best of times!