Who remembers last year’s furore about the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar? At a very affordable £35, when you spend £35 on non-food items, the 2015 calendar delivered great value.
Now it’s back and if you think last year’s was good, wait until you see this: the 2016 M&S Beauty Advent Calendar comes with 25 amazing surprises; a mix of well know brands classics and plenty to discover.
And the “Christmas tree of love” (ok, I made it up) shape? How amazing will that look in your home in the run up to Christmas?
Now, the deal is the same. You get over £250 worth of beauty products, covering skincare, makeup, hair, body and nails for £35 when you spend £35 in non-food items.
What my favourites are, you ask? Well… I have to say it is hard to pick… My top three are (drumroll)..
Eyeko Skinny liner – a fabulous pen eyeliner that changed my life and ignited my love of pen eyeliner. It’s super black, precise and durable. Enough said.
Alpha H Liquid Gold – a resurfacing “all-in-one” product dubbed the overnight facial is a quick fix for skin. I love Alpha H, so was very happy to see this in the calendar. The miracle product for the party season (I may have put it back on the calendar on day 1, maybe).
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse – a multi-use oil for face, body and hair, it is a blend of six precious oils. Delicious! And fab for winter skin.
I can’t leave out the M&S Autograph nail polish in Cranberry, which is super festive and fabulous, exclusive for the calendar.
On the other 21 expect a fantastic selection to help you get through the party season!
Here are the brands waiting for you: Alpha H, Autograph, Eyeko, Nuxe, Leighton Denny, Look Good Feel Better, Percy & Reed, Philip Kingsley, Shay & Blue, Josh Wood, Ultrasun, Pür, Filorga, Burts Bees, Pixi, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Rodial, Nails Inc, Rosie for Autograph, Rituals, Emma Hardie, Ren, Skyn Iceland, Formula Absolute and Studio 10.
The fantastic M&S Beauty Advent Calendar goes on sale on the 11th November; hurry, even thought this year the calendar is bigger and better (and many more are available), it is bound to sell out!
Seriously: the Patisserie de Bain products smell so delicious you feel like eating them!
Costing £10, it’s yours free when you buy any two skincare products at Superdrug (subject to availability).
If you don’t know 
Tanning. I love looking bronzed; it makes me feel better. In fact, we all know that looking tanned masks the imperfections, so our bodies look better.
Bronzie Got Your Back is a 3 in 1 back and body mitt that not only solves the back tanning problem but also makes tan application much faster.
You can apply your favourite tanning product whenever is needed, anywhere on the mitt. The middle part is perfect for reaching across the whole back and back of the legs, like a huge tanned hug.
A scented love letter. That’s how the new Michael Bublé fragrance, By Invitation, is described.
The bottle, a lovely glass circle suspended within a golden ring, with the top being a metal version of an atomiser, is just very elegant and looks amazing on the dressing table. However, I think if it was a real atomiser, it would give this perfume the luxury edge.
Bublé, a self confessed hopeless romantic, is through his perfume, inviting his female fans to experience “love in a bottle”, he says.
Of course, Mr. Bublé is no perfumer and renowned French perfumier Karine Dubreil-Sereni is the expert behind it.
Ah, Saturday morning… what a bliss. Well, maybe not when you woke up with a heavy head from the night before, but still, he best time to wash away the week’s stresses and embark on a relaxation ritual.
Using some sugar or a polish, I give my body a good scrub to get rid of dead cells, stimulate circulation and soften the skin. If I’m feeling it, I sometimes dry body brush before.
The shower oil contains Moroccan argan oil and creates a gentle lather when in contact with water, cleansing and nourishing the skin, without stripping the protective barrier.
After my shower, I don’t need to moisturise, but every three days I use the Dove Dermaspa Summer Revived, a tanning moisturiser that keeps the glow going.
My love for oils is no news: hair, body, cuticle, skin… I’m all over it; or better, it’s all over me.
What really makes this a bit different and a welcome addition to my routine is that all of my body oils are post shower, to be used on damp skin.
Little details in our beauty regimes make all the difference, and Jolen is one of this products that give that almost imperceptible touch that really refines the look.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, classic Jolen has revamped its packaging and also made the bleaching kit easier to use, adding a handy and tiny mixing bowl to the box.
To make application in larger areas easier, it also comes with a rectangular larger spatula, which I used to do my forearms.
Jolen Creme Bleach is suitable for the whole body, including the face: brows, sideburns, the dreaded moustache. Jolen has got your back!
As a blogger, I felt as a failure for not being a huge fan of all things rose gold. Let’s just say that in the recent months it grew on me, and I blame my 
I’m a big plucker as I cannot stand hair, so this baby was a welcome addition.
For perfect plucking, always do it in the direction of hair, and if you do after showering, when pores are dilated, it is easier to remove.
They are also great to apply eyelashes (
Girls don’t really talk about our periods a lot. Not that it is the kind of thing that comes up in conversation all the time, but many tend to avoid any mention.
I was very impressed with the amount of pads and tampons, as well as the “for you” treat box: something sweet, but not too much, some relaxing items, like the Badger Sleep Balm and tea plus beauty treats including favourite brands like Simple and lottie London, and some new to discover, like True Brit nail polish.
Oh how I love being tanned. For me, tanned is a natural state as a Brazilian, but since moving to London my skin has turned a colour I still don’t recognise as mine.
My tan-master, the lovely Shelley, explained every step, made me feel super comfortable in my Mii gown and turban, and selected the right shade for me, after consulting.
Getting that tan was very welcome, as I was about to embark to Brasil on holiday, so the prospect of not glowing in the dark was exciting.
In the morning, when I washed it off, the colour left was close to the guide, obviously lighter and more natural, an even sun-kissed golden perfect for my skin tone.
Arriving in Brasil, the sun sadly disappeared within two days for a whole five, but my Mii tan stood in for it, until its return.
So Many Lovely Things 