More Stocking Filler Ideas

I've spent all of today doing Christmassy things. I've been to my four year old's Christmas show, finished writing my Christmas cards and almost completed my gift shopping. All that remains is to put the tree and decorations up this evening. Who knows, I may even put some cheesy Christmas tunes on! As I've got my festive head, I thought I'd share a few stocking filler ideas I'd come across whilst doing my own online shopping.

I spotted the Elemental Herbology Weekend Facial kit when I received their newsletter. The set includes 30 ml tubes of Facial Glow, Facial Detox and Facial Soufflé as well as a Muslin for £25. I've tried samples of the Facial Glow and Facial Detox in the past and liked them very much. A facial using these products would probably be the ideal way to perk up your skin after the excess of the Holidays or maybe even to get it ready for the onslaught!

I recently received one of the OSiS+ Get Volume Set sets for review and whilst I was looking for information on stockists, I spotted that the set is on sale on CheapSmells for £15.95 (RRP £21.30). I haven't had chance to try the products yet but I thought I'd give you the heads up on the deal. Apologies for the terrible pun there!

Although this is a bit more expensive than the other two sets, I couldn't resist sharing. Zuneta have a few nicely put together gift sets in their Christmas shop and of course the Rouge Bunny Rouge gift box (£50) particularly caught my eye. For those who have never tried the brand and always wanted to, this would be an ideal introduction. It contains Abyssinian Catbird eyeshadow, a lipgloss in Inflammable and eyeliner in Salome (I'm not actually sure which formula the liner is as it is pictured as the automatic pencil liner but listed as the eye kohl). Buying as a set represents a saving of £9 or £14 depending on which eyeliner is included.

Current Favourites

I haven't done a favourites post in a long time. I think we're a bit too far into April to call it a March favourites post but these are definitely items I've been favouring over the last month or so.

Trilogy Cream Cleanser
I was keen to try more of the Triology range after trying and liking their Gentle Scrub. I was thrilled to discover that the cleanser has the same lovely scent which I really enjoy as part of my evening skin care routine. I use this in the same way I use all cream cleansers; I massage in to the skin with my hands and use a warm muslin or flannel to remove. This cleans well, leaves no residue and doesn't leave my skin dry which are the three essentials for me with a cleanser.

Elemental Herbology Facial Glow (Radiance Peel)
I can honestly say that I was impressed with every single sample of Elemental Herbology that I tried. This is a lovely skin care range, pricey but as everything works so well and feels so good it will be a worthwhile investment for me. Facial Glow feels like an exfoliant but you use it like a mask, leaving on cleansed skin for 4 minutes. My skin feels soft, smooth and glowing after I have used this. It contains Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid and Vitamins A, C & E amongst other things. This and Cell Food are definitely full size purchases for me, once I have saved up my pennies of course.

Haus of Gloi Something Hopeful Pumpkin Butter
I really like Haus of Gloi pumpkin butters but I'm a bit hit and miss when it comes to choosing scents. I really enjoy Samhain, I'm so, so about Hearth and I couldn't get on at all with Snow Wolf. However, I have loved and devoured my Something Hopeful pumpkin butter. It was released with the Valentine's collection so there's no replacing it but I'm reliably informed by my HoG enabler that Milkmaid could be a good alternative for me.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
I don't think I realised how much I like this until I forgot to put it on a couple of times. I've come to the conclusion that my eyelids are a little oily and this just provides a better surface for eyeshadows. Without this primer it isn't unusual for me to end up with creasing towards the end of the day. I only use a tiny amount but I find that's enough and doesn't leave my eyelids feeling dry.

Lancome Hypnose mascara and GOSH Truly Brown eyeliner
I won't say too much about these as I've mentioned them quite a lot already. They have become staples for me and there were a few occasions last month when this was all I wore for the school run in the morning.

Healthspan Nurture - Illuminating Touch Concealer
My obsession with covering up my dark circles is becoming quite legendary and I was sent this illuminating concealer to try a little while ago. It's made by Healthspan who you may already know of for their vitamins and supplements. I will do a review post soon but this has happily joined my rotation of concealers. At £9.95 it's a cheaper alternative to other illuminating concealers and any faults with the packaging are made up for by the formula.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
Unfortunately you can't see because of the angle but I have used up more than half of this bottle. I wear this pretty much everyday and I really like the finish. The colour is an ok match for me, it's not perfect but I find it really easy to blend in. My only gripe is that is it seems to disappears during the day. I don't powder over it, then again I don't think the finish requires it.

Becca Creme Blush in Turkish Rose
I don't think you can beat cream blusher for giving life to the face when you're feeling less than perky. This is a perfect natural colour for me and the cream finish fakes a subtle glow. I took this on my weekend away as it's so compact and I don't have the same worries about it smashing in transit that I do with powders.

Illamasqua Bacterium Nail Varnish
I fell in love with this colour after the Illamasqua event. I must try and get a good photo of it on my nails as I don't think the photo below shows off it's true beauty. I have a bit of a thing for murky colours with complexity and this is a great example, the varnish formula is excellent too.

Essie Smokin' Hot and Luxedo
Both of these colours came out with Essie's Winter 2010 collection. Luxedo has become my new favourite pedicure colour. It's a really dark plum colour, not black with a hint of colour but very dark and vampy. Smokin' Hot is a grey with a hint of purple, similar in feel to Metro Chic. If you're not in to gruples this won't be for you but I love it and I'm pretty sure it isn't a dupe for any others that I already own. Having found so many gorgeous nail varnishes recently, I only wish my nails were stronger so I could wear them more often.

This week I have been mostly...

..loving these products.

Max Factor Burnt Bark eyeshadow - I bought this to try as part of my budget taupe hunt. It's a gorgeous shade, really pigmented with a creamy texture. I hope do my taupe post soon but I'm still testing a few more eyeshadows. In the meanttime, if you're in the market for a nice, inexpensive taupe shade this is well worth a look.

Lancome Hypnose mascara - Marina from Makeup4all recommended I give this mascara a try after hearing I liked the Hourglass Film Noir. I've been using it for a week or so now and I'm really impressed. It's really dark, gives lashes nice definition and it's another that doesn't smudge on me which I'm very excited about (small things eh?). It has a good brush size if you're not blessed in the lashes department like me.

NARS Laguna bronzer - Lots of people suggested that I should add a little bronzer in to my routine with my newly dark hair. It has certainly helped me look less ghostly and I've been using this one for preference. I have to admit it does feel a bit strange talking about bronzer in January! 

Hourglass Femme Rouge in Fresco and BECCA Enigma palette - I have posted about both Fresco and Enigma very recently and they are fast becoming staples for me.

By Terry Touche Veloutee - There's been quite a buzz about this product in the blogging community and being a fully paid up member of undereye concealer anonymous, I felt I had to give it a try. Thanks to the £10 credit on my N.dulge card I bought it for £23 rather than the usual £33. It's not quite HG but it is very nice.

Nephria Jade soap - It's unusual for me to use a soap these days. They're considered a bit old fashioned I suppose and have a reputation for being drying. I was sent this to try and wasn't really sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised though as it produces a nice, creamy lather and leaves my face feeling clean and soft.

Själ Mineral Källa Enery Tonic - I have been using this as a toner and whenever my skin has felt a little parched. It feels nice and refreshing and feels really pleasant on the skin after cleansing. And to use the wise Beauty Mouth's analogy, it's feels better now I have a little mayonnaise on my sandwich!

Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Hydrator - I got a small sample of this and few other products to try after Replica piqued my interest in the Elemental Herbology range. This moisturiser feels so lush on the skin and has the most divine smell. Not perfumed in the tradition sense but I suspect the smell comes from the ingredients. It feels like a lovely treat for my face in the morning.

Pureology shampoo - I chose the hydrating shampoo from the Pureology colour protecting range in anticipation of loving my new colour....Glossing over that disaster, I have been enjoying using this shampoo. I've had mixed feelings about the SLS free shampoos I have used so far but this is one of the better ones that I have tried. It smells nice, foams well but I still find rinsing it away a little harder than with traditional sulfate formulated shampoos. It does leave my soft though which I like.

Haus of Gloi Samhain Pumpkin Butter - This was by far and away the favourite of my pre-Christmas Haus of Gloi order and I wish I had bought a full size when it was available. I find the smell hard to describe and if you want a more helpful scent description may I recommend London Makeup Girl's post. This doesn't light the Biochemist's fire but I do think it has a very sexy, earthy edge to it. It was released as part of last year's Halloween collection and I really hope it will be available again this year (I'll buy a vat next time). I look forward to more reports of the Haus of Gloi Valentine's collection too.

I have my eye on.....

I'm hoping to do a little shopping this weekend, especially as I know some of the Spring collections have been released. First on my list is the Guerlain Rue de Rivoli palette. My love for Rue de Passy was a bit of a slow burner and I wasn't sure I would consider another as they're an expensive purchase. I do like the look of the colours though and think they could be very 'me'. I'm not sure if I'll manage to use the fuchsia though.

Image from www.guerlain.com

I was also considering the Chanel Ombres de Perlees but I have been reliably informed that it's a bit of a disappointment. I shall save my pennies for NARS Spring instead and may even get one of the new Guerlain mono eyeshadows.

What are you currently loving? Do you have anything on your Spring collection shopping list?