Last Minute Holiday Gift Idea For Her: Liz Earle Daily Skincare Duo + Review

Winter is my absolute favorite time of year but the cold weather can sometimes be brutal on my skin. I always like to keep several products in rotation because my skin changes so much. Sometimes I'm extremely oily and other times I have dry skin that peels around my nose (not cute!) Whatever the case I always like to be prepared. Liz Earle has an awesome skincare line that's perfect for all skin types and can remedy many common issues. I actually reviewed a few other products from her collection before and you can check that out here.

With last minute holiday gifts in mind, I thought the Liz Earle Daily Skincare Duo would be the perfect gift for the girl who likes to primp and keep her skin flawless! The duo comes with two essential Liz Earle skincare products which include the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and Instant Boost Skin Tonic -both formulated to work together to promote a well balanced complexion. 

Liz Earle Daily Skincare Duo

Liz Earle Daily Skincare Duo

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and Instant Boost Skin Tonic

Glow: The packaging is so cute! I love that it comes gift-ready which takes the pressure off having to wrap it if you don't want to. I'll start with the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, I've reviewed this before and love it just as much then as I do now. The cleanser comes with 2 white muslin cloths which are used to wipe away the residue after you massage the cleanser onto your face and neck. The formula is like a creamy lotion and once I wiped it away my skin immediately felt smoother and I could even see the dead skin cells left behind on the muslin cloth (ew!) The cool thing is that the cloths are washable so you can continue to use them. The Instant Boost Skin Tonic is a non-drying toner which gently smooths, refreshes and brightens the skin. It also has a soft floral scent to it which I really love.

Glare: Honestly I haven't tried a Liz Earle product yet that I haven't liked. They all work really well and these are no different. The only thing that I wish came with this set is a moisturizer but I guess you can't have it all ;-) 

Would I Recommend It? I would! The duo makes a great gift and also keeps your skin looking youthful and clear, what more could a girl ask for? 

Where To Buy: The Liz Earle Daily Skincare Duo is limited edition and currently retails for $45.50. I'm not sure how long the gift set will be available (more than likely just through the holidays) but the good news is that both products will still be available to purchase individually because they are part of the permanent collection. To learn more or to purchase please visit www.lizearle.com.

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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Last Minute Holiday Gift For Your Guy: 007 James Bond Fragrance + Review

Can you believe it? Christmas is only a few days away! If you're one of those last minute shoppers and you need ideas during the holiday rush then I've got the perfect suggestion on what to gift your guy. There's absolutely nothing better than a man who smells good. Whether it's your significant other or just a guy you want to do something special for - the brand new James Bond fragrance is the perfect gift to put a smile on his face. 

In celebration of the James Bond film franchise's 50th anniversary the world's first fragrance dedicated to the legendary British spy is born. James Bond 007 is a classic and unmistakably masculine scent with a fresh, sophisticated twist.  Blended with vetyver, lavender and crisp apple for a fresh and powerful experience– the ultimate scent for the modern man. 

James Bond 007 Fragrance

Glow: I'll start with the packaging. I love that they kept the design simple, classic and sleek - much like James Bond. The bottle sorta reminds me of a flask and what's unique about it is that the top isn't detachable but has a cool swivel twist cap that reveals the nozzle of the fragrance, I thought this was a nice touch because it's very reminiscent of Bond's many state-of-the-art gadgets in which he's known for. And of course the design wouldn't be complete without the signature 007 emblem embedded on the front. The scent of the fragrance is sensual, spicy and has a subtle edge to it -it's very enticing.

Glare: None! I love the fresh scent and honestly it smells so good I'd probably wear it if it wasn't for a man lol! I actually hope they make a Bond Girl fragrance in the near future ;-) 

Would I Recommend It? Yessss!! This is my first time reviewing a males fragrance so I wasn't really sure how this would go but surprisingly it wasn't really a big deal lol. It's a really nice scent and whether you're a James Bond fan or just in the market of finding a nice cologne then this is definitely a good one to try. I'm actually gifting this to my dad (he loves it) and he's also a huge James Bond fan ^_^ 

Where To Buy: The James Bond 007 fragrance retails for $40 and is currently available for purchase at Kohl's and kohls.com.

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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MAC Glamour Daze Collection for Holiday 2012 Swatches & Review

I've been meaning to get this post out for a few weeks now but life has caught up with me! I just finished school last month and now I have a part-time gig O_O lol! I've been trying not to go too crazy on holiday related products and posts because most seasonal themed items are limited edition and trying to get them published BEFORE they're sold out can be a bit overwhelming.

Anywho, MAC released a couple holiday collections last month and I ordered a few items from Glamour Daze for Holiday 2012. It's a really pretty collection with a nice selection of very wearable and versatile shades. They also have a few gift sets that would make fab stocking stuffer's ^_^ Check out a few pics and swatches of a few of the items I purchased below, along with my review.

MAC Outrageously Fun & Dramatic Encounter Lipstick 

Swatches

Outrageously Fun & Dramatic Encounter

MAC Outrageously Fun Lipstick

MAC Dramatic Encounter Lipstick

MAC Flight of Fancy Lipglass

MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil

Feline

MAC Nail Lacquer

In The Limelight & Everything That Glitters

MAC Glamour Daze In The Limelight Nail Lacquer

MAC Glamour Daze Everything That Glitters Nail Lacquer

Glow: I'll start with the lipsticks and gloss. I'll admit I was a bit overly anxious when buying a couple of these. Normally before I place an order I wait until I see swatches of the colors from other blogs to determine whether or not I really like the shades. Unfortunately I didn't do that this time and was a little disappointed when I saw Outrageously Fun in person. It's way brighter than I had anticipated and I just really didn't think that the shade would work well with my skin-tone. It's sort of a neon/pastel pink, it's really pretty but I'm still skeptical on whether or not I like it on me. Dramatic Encounter lipstick is a maroon with brownish undertones - I like it but I'm not sure that I'd wear it on a regular basis. Flight of Fancy lipglass has a wine colored shade with subtle shimmer and I can definitely see myself wearing this more so than the lipsticks. The Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline is a deep, rich black which in the photos I'm wearing on my waterline. The 2 nail lacquers In The Limelight and Everything That Glitters I am absolutely in love with! I sorta have this thing for holo-glitters and pastel greens now and both are really beautiful. 

Glare: I don't know if it's just me or just the brand but I've noticed that some of the formulas on lighter shades such as Outrageously Fun don't go on as smooth as other shades. It's hard to explain but the texture feels kinda crumbly? and just hard to get a smooth, even, coverage. This is my first time trying an eyeliner from MAC and I must say that I'm not too impressed with Feline. I hope their other liners are better. This one smudges and doesn't really stay in place on me. I've definitely had better experiences with drugstore brands than this. I do love both nail lacquers and the formula is pretty decent; however I don't think they're worth the price. $17.50 is riDAMNdiculous for a brand that caters more so to makeup than polish. MAC's regular priced polishes are $16. I'm not sure what the extra $1.50 was for with these, maybe because they're limited edition? Either way both prices are too high. I'm a polish connoisseur and have seen much better quality in brands that are half that price. Soooo yeah, I surely own't be buying MAC's polishes by the masses. 

Would I Recommend It? You know, the collection is really cute and I am pretty satisfied with most of the items I chose. The entire Glamour Daze collection has a nice selection of soft and earthy shades. If you like sparkle Everything That Glitters is a must-have. Other than that there's really nothing strikingly special to me. 

Where To Buy: Glamour Daze is a limited edition collection for the holidays and because of that, the availability of some of the items is scarce or sold out. To see more items from the collection and what's still available please visit www.maccosmetics.com.

Product(s) in this post were purchased by me.

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New Hair: Senegalese Twists

I'm sort of predictable when it comes to my hair, meaning it's a rarity that I try new things. But everyone needs to change things up every once in awhile so I figured I was long overdue for one. Since being natural I've been wearing my hair curly versus straight and lately between battling frizz and just plain laziness I haven't really felt like doing much to it. I haven't really tried many protective styles other than that weave that didn't go so well, so two weeks ago I made a spontaneous decision to get twists.

The last time I had braids was literally when I was like 12 lol. I knew I didn't really want braids which is why I decided to go with Senegalese Twists which like braids can be done in a variety of sizes and styles. I've only had them for about two weeks now and I like them so far and have gotten tons of compliments. I haven't decided how long I plan to keep them just yet but knowing me it won't be very long, I'll probably have them out before the new year which is why I decided to go ahead and share a few pics! It's definitely a low maintenance type of style and my only venture now is trying to find cute ways to wear them ^_^

Senegalese Twists

What are some of your favorite low maintenance hairstyles? 

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L'Oréal Paris Colour Caresse Lipstick in Violet Chiffon Review

Earlier this year L'Oréal Paris introduced their new line of Colour Caresse Lipsticks that are specifically formulated to be highly pigmented and full of moisture - much like higher-end lipsticks just at a fraction of the cost. The entire line includes 16 revolutionary shades that are weightless on the lips and created with a custom blend of shiny oils which allows for clean, true color to shine through. 

Lately I've been trying to step out of my comfort zones when it comes to lipstick shades. I have the tendency to gravitate toward darker earthy tones such as plums, browns and neutrals. Most recently I've been exploring with brighter shades such as pinks and lighter purples, so when I stumbled across L'Oréal's Violet Chiffon I knew I wanted to give it a spin! Check out a few pics and my full review below.

L'Oréal Paris Colour Caresse Lipstick in Violet Chiffon

Swatches

Glow: What I absolutely love about this lipstick is that it is very moisturizing! It has sort of a buttery feel to it and it has the perfect amount of gloss. It's also very pigmented and literally only took a couple strokes to get opaque. I have dark hued lips so finding a lipstick with enough pigment to get full coverage is always great! The formula is also weightless and very comfortable to wear. I have to be honest I didn't really think that I'd like this shade as much as I do but it's a very subtle purple with pink undertones and goes well with my skin-tone. I think this is a friendly shade for all complexions, it's soft and can definitely be worn as an everyday look or just for fun.

Glare: None! I love this lipstick and I think L'Oréal definitely got it right with these.

Would I Recommend It? I would! I actually plan on trying a few more shades from the collection. I think the quality is very decent for a drugstore brand.   

Where To Buy: The lipsticks retail for $9.99 and are currently available at Ulta and various drugstores nationwide. To purchase or to learn more visit www.lorealparisusa.com .

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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