Small Wonders

If you are struggling for a last minute gift or have forgotten that office Secret Santa present why not try your luck in Boots? They always have fun gift sets around Christmas and this Soap & Glory Small Wonders mini hat box is no exception.

With 5 mini products for just £10 it makes a great stocking filler too. Plus it contains some of my all time favourites from the Soap & Glory range:-

• Clean On Me
• Hand Food (great size for your bag)
• The Righteous Butter
• Scrub of Your Life
• Shower Puff

Or if, like me, you are far too greedy to give it away the minis are super useful for travel too. I have safely hidden mine away for my holiday in January! Yay! xxx

Glowing Summer Skin Tips

Even though the weather has been trying to hide it from us it is in fact Summer. With bikinis and short shorts in mind I have put together a list of my favourite products to get your skin Summer ready - healthy, beautiful, smooth and glowing!

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! It's time to slather on the creams and make sure your skin is well hydrated, plump and smooth. Recently I have been indulging in Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Whipped Body Butter* (£36 here).

With shea butter, beta carotene and jojoba oil this wonderfully luxurious moisturiser works wonders for sprucing up pasty legs that have been hidden under opaque tights for months. It is rich enough to hydrate deep down, yet light enough to sink in quickly, not leaving behind any greasy residue. Creme de Corps is a cult product and I think this whipped version is a fabulous addition to the range.

Exfoliate! Other than a good old fashioned pair of exfoliating gloves (I have these babies in pink £2.66) my all time favourite scrub is Soap and Glory's Breakfast Scrub (£9.50 here). This oat, shea butter and sugar body smoother has a rough texture that works hard to remove dead skin cells and reveal the fresh, glowing skin underneath. It also smells absolutely delicious!!

Hair Removal. Now this is the part I am definitely not a fan of. Other than trying out the TRIA permanent hair removal laser system (video review coming soon) I have recently been relying on shaving. Since I have extremely sensitive skin I have had plenty of bad experiences with shaving in the past. Luckily, I was recently set the new Venus ProSkin* to trial and it has worked perfectly - no lumps, bumps or razor burn. The Venus ProSkin is designed to help protect delicate skin with its MoistureRich shave gel bars, which contain  a triple blend of body butters for a comfortable shave. The ProSkin sensitive has 5 blades for a close shave that puts less pressure on the skin, hence less irritation

Cleanse. As well as traditional shaving creams, such as the Satin Care pictured above I have also found that my favourite shower oil can be used during shaving. I was hesitant to try it at first, but it really does make your razor glide like a dream. So for a gentle and moisturising shower I highly recommend the amazing L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil (£16.50 here).

Glow - Just because the weather isn't co-operating doesn't mean we don't want our skin to have some colour. I have recently been trying out the Sienna X professional tanning range and I absolutely love it. My favourite product is the Gradual Glowing Self Tan* (£15.95 here). This tan infused moisturiser smells absolutely delicious and is super easy to apply - no tanning mitt needed. On day one it gives you just a little hint of colour, day two adds a little more glow and day three will leave you with a gorgeous, natural looking deep tan. I usually apply it before bed on two consecutive evenings and reapply every other day to maintain the colour.

The Sienna X range also features a polishing body scrub and body wash to prepare the skin, a darker glowing self tan, instant bronzing gel and express tanning mist to add colour and even a post tan radiance body balm and shimmer spray to make your skin glow! All the products smell amazing and give great results at an affordable price.

Cool. If you are feeling the heat and the last thing you want to do is slather yourself in oily moisturiser why not try a lighter option? The new Body Purees* (from £4.50 here) from The Body Shop are the perfect choice if you want to hydrate and refresh your skin. The lightweight texture cools and soothes parched skin while leaving behind a clean, invigorating scent. TBS also currently have 25% off online purchases with the code NEW25.

Travel. If you are off to seek some foreign Sun or prefer a 'staycation' to take advantage of all the excitement that is going on in England this Summer don't forget to pack some treats for your skin. I love the idea of this Montagne Jeunesse Travel Pamper Pack. This set contains 6 individually packaged treatments for skin, hair, body, feet and face for just £5 (here).

I hope that's all bases covered! Do tell me if I left anything out!

What products do you trust to prep your skin and make sure it stays beautiful and glowing throughout the Summer months? xxx

*PR Sample

Mother's Day Soap & Gory Beauty Bundle

Whenever I see a Soap & Glory Bundle I have to have it! They are always packed with amazing treats! The one I purchased at Christmas did not disapoint, and has introduced me to a number of products I absolutely love and now repurchase - namely their yummy shower gel and breakfast scrub, that both smell good enough to eat. I adore the retro packaging and catchy names, but instead of being gimmicky their products really do deliver.

This season's offering is just as tempting and includes:

• Wash Almighty Body Cleansing Gel 500 ml 

• Clean Mary Cleansing Milk 180 ml 

• Return to Slender Body Contouring Gel 200 ml (The Firminator) 

• Slimwear Peptide Balm 190 ml

• No Clogs Allowed 50 ml

• The Fab Pore Facial Peel 50ml

• Mighty Mouth Gorgeous Lips Kit 2 x 4g, 9 ml

• Marvelips Colour, Shine & Shaping Crayon 4.5g

• Wizard of Flaws Line Filling Luminizer & Concealer 7 ml

• Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss in Plum 7 ml

With products worth over £70 this bundle will set you back £40 in a Boots store. However, you can save £5 with the code BUNDLE5, and bag yourself this amazing bundle for just £35!!!

This set would make a perfect Mother's Day gift, or an indulgent treat to get your skin prepped for the new season!

Are you a fan of S&G? Have you ever purchased any of their special offer bundles? What are your favourite products from the range?

Gifts for You

In the third and final installment of my gift guide we come to Gifts for You! You have worked hard, you deserve a treat too ;). Plus you can't be sure that your mother/ friend/ other half has read my 'gifts for her' post so they may not get you what you really need... ;).

Xen-Tan Dark Tanning Lotion Trio (Special offer trio - £28.94) - Preparation is key, so when it comes to looking good for that Christmas party you may need a night to yourself. Having recently tried Xen Tan for the first time I am still very much excited about it. I really enjoyed the scent of the lotion, which reminded me of marzipan. Even though the notorious 'fake tan smell' was still noticeable in the morning (I always slather it on before bed), at least the application in my tiny bathroom was pleasant. The body scrub in this trio also works well for a gentle all over exfoliation, but as my winter skin is currently a little dry I used a harsher scrub on some areas, such as the knees and elbows, to achieve a smoother application. The tan itself developed beautifully over night to a natural, albeit deep tan and the mitt provided ensured it was even and streak free.

ELF Party Eyeshadow Palette (£3.50) - With 6 gorgeous colours this palette is perfect for creating a beautiful wintry eye look. As I was kindly sent this for review a few weeks ago I can assure you that the shadows are pigmented and blendable. I especially like the sparkly black to add a little bit of definition and glitter!

Soap & Glory Pink Tote Bag (Originally £60, currently £25!) - When I spotted this bag full of goodies on the Boots website I knew it had to be mine! The re-usable pink bag contains:

• Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel (500ml)
• The Righteous Butter Body Butter (300ml)
• Flake Away Body Scrub (300ml)
• Girligo Scented Body Moisturising Mist (100ml)
• Glad Hair Day Ultra-Shine Super-Shampoo (250ml)
• The Breakfast Scrub Body Smoother (300ml)
• Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream (125ml)
• Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub And Mask (125ml)
• Super Colour Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss in ‘Pink Apricot,’ (7ml)
• Off Your Face Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes)
• Giant Super Sudsy Shower Puff

This is probably the best offer of 2010 ladies, so hurry as I'm sure supplies won't last long ;).

Rapid Lash Serum (£39.99) - Want longer lashes come March without breaking the bank? I have already reviewed Rapidlash (read the review here) and this stuff works! The results are not as dramatic as other lash growth serums such as Lilash, but neither is the price. One tube lasts 3-4 months of daily use along the lashline and you will usually start to see results after 4 weeks.

Eyelure Lashes (£4.35) - In the meantime why not stick to false lashes? No party makeup is complete without them and if taken care of they will last you the whole season! My favourites are the Nicola lashes as they are full and wispy, without being too long and spidery, and have a sexy flick on the side, which will elongate and lift any eye shape!

Karen Millen Statement Spotted Dress (On Sale £89.95, down from £180) Why not skip the LBD this year and treat yourself to a statement dress with style? Luckily many stores are having pre-Christmas sales, so you can easily pick up a stunning new dress for that special party at half the price!

Karen Millen Frayed Silk Dress (On Sale for £175, down from £250).

 Miss Selfridge Nude Beaded Shift Dress (£150).

Aqua Victory Mini Dress (£100)

ASOS Black One Shoulder Organza Tape Dress (On Sale for £60, down from £85).

French Connection Pretty Penelope Dress (On Sale £110, down from £140).

Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Matte Foundation (£20.40) - Now that you have your dress and tan sorted, all you need is the perfect base to last the night. I have been testing out the latest foundation from Bare Escentuals and have to say that it is fantastic. The new click and lock sifter makes application on the go neat and simple, taking the worry out of mineral makeup. The foundation itself blends into the skin beautifully when used with a little kabuki. It has great coverage, yet looks natural and works hard to absorb excess oil and keep you looking matte and polished. A little goes a long way, so be careful not to apply this too liberally, especially as the SPF15 can create a white cast in some photos.

I hope this three part series has given you some ideas and that you have enough time to treat yourselves this Christmas my lovelies! What will you be purchasing in the last few days in the run up to Christmas? xxx