Top 5 Christmas Advent Calendars

Hello everybody, so today I have something a little bit different. I was thinking about doing a few Christmas related posts as we're approaching the festive month and I thought it would be very helpful for some of you who would want to know my top 5 advent calendar picks. These are all beauty related to you, yes you, makeup lovers.

1.  Naughty & Nice advent calendar by Charlotte Tilbury

This calendar is every makeup lovers dream, so if you're looking for a luxury advent calendar, this is for you! It does come with a hefty price tag retailing for £150.00 (i know!) It is a 12-day calendar so this is something to consider, however, the calendar includes both full size and travel size products of Charlotte Tilbury's best sellers.

Packaging: I think this is gorgeous! It's a clever little idea to have little drawers and it look beautiful on your makeup vanity area.
Contents: The quality of these products are amazing (I expect nothing less from Charlotte Tilbury)
Value for money: It is a bit on the pricey side considering the fact that you receive a few travel size products, but I can't complain, they always become handy during travels.
Overall Score: 7/10

Includes:

• Colour Chameleon in Mesmerising Mink, a full-size purple-toned brown glitter eyeshadow pencil. Fill: 1.6g.
• Eyes to Mesmerise in Jean, a full-size champagne pink eyeshadow cream. Fill: 7ml.
• Lip Lustre Lip Gloss in Unleash Me is a full-size deep plum shade with a high gloss lacquer finish. Fill: 3.5ml.
• Matte Revolution Lipstick in Walk of Shame, a gorgeous full-sized berry rose shade with a matte finish. Fill: 3.5g.
• Mini Full Fat Lashes Mascara in Glossy Black, your 5-in-1 smudge-proof mascara. Fill: 3.04g.
• Mini Goddess Skin Clay Mask is a nourishing clay mask for dewy skin. Fill: 15ml.
• Mini Magic Cream Moisturiser is the ICONIC moisturiser with SPF15 & anti-ageing ingredients. Fill: 15ml.
• Mini Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser, Balm & Mask to deep cleanse your skin, leaving it baby-soft. Fill: 15ml.
• Mini Rock ‘n’ Kohl Eyeliner in Amber Moon is a limited edition amber bronze kohl eyeliner. Fill: 0.8g.
• Mini Supermodel Body is a soothing, slimming hydrating body shimmer to firm & sculpt. Fill: 15ml.
• Mini Take It All Off Eye Makeup Remover is an oil-based two-toned eye makeup remover. Fill: 30ml.
• Mini Wonderglow Face Primer is a light-reflecting face primer with soft focus ceramic microspheres. Fill: 15ml.

2. Makeup Revolution Advent Calendar 2017

This bad boy is now on sale in Superdrug, was £50, now £25 (bargain!) It comes with 25 days, all full sized so its definitely worth every penny! I have tried and tested many makeup revolution products and they never fail to impress me. If you're looking for a good beauty advent calendar on a budget, then this one is for you! You will not be disappointed.

Packaging: I think this is a very sleek looking calendar! I feel as if they could have made the inside of the calendar a bit more endearing.  
Contents: The fact that you get 25 full sized products in this calendar just draws me in!
Value for money: This is a bargain! The products are amazing.
Overall Score: 6/10

Includes:

• 3 beautiful baked highlighters
• 1 bronzer
• 6 amazing lipsticks in various shades
• 4 makeup brushes
• 1 eyeshadow primer
• 1 liquid highlighter
• 1 Revoholic Travel Mirror ( we all need one in our handbags)
• 2 pressed highlighters
• 2 strobe balms 
• 1 full-size exclusive Revoholic Eyeshadow palette - how insane!

3. 25 Days Ultimate Advent Calendar by The Body Shop

This box retails at £99.00 but is worth up to £214 (can't go wrong with that). Everyone loves the body shop, no matter what age you are and they are known for their insane quality of products. It includes both body care and skincare. It has a mix of makeup and skincare, therefore, you get the best of both worlds.

Packaging: This is beautiful packaging, so festive, yet chic and stylish! 
Contents: The Body shop are known for their amazing products, do I really need to say anything more?
Value for money: It is a good value considering the normal retail value for each of the products. I think this is a good investment.
Overall Score: 9/10

Includes:

• Shower Gel British Rose 60ml

• Bunny Headband

• Moisture Cream Vitamin E 50ml

• Hand Cream Almond 100ml

• Lip & Cheek Stain Vineyard Peach 010 7.2ml

• Gentle Eye Make Up Remover Camomile 60ml

• Night Cream Vitamin E 50ml

• Gloves Bath White

• Glitter Dust Pink 1g

• Liner Star Stamp 1ml

• Matte Lip Liquid Nairobi Camellia 034 8ml

• Brush Foundation Buffing

• Body Scrub British Rose 50ml

• Hand Cream Coconut 30ml

• Hand/Nail Treatment Almond 1.8ml

• Shower Cream Shea 60ml

• Strawberry Body Polish 75ml

• Eye Definer Black 1.1g

• Glitter Dust Gold 1g

• Drops Of Youth - Youth Concentrate 30ml

• Spa Of The World - Body Cream Hawaiian Kukui 50ml

• Camomile Cleansing Butter 90ml

• Body Butter Almond Milk & Honey 200ml

• Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask 75ml

• Wooden Die

• Instruction Leaflet

4. Beauty Advent Calendar by Liberty London

This advent calendar for those splurgers out here. It has 25 doors with 15 full sized products worth over £500.  You will receive a mix of skincare, haircare and makeup treats so if you're looking for something that contains all these elements, then this is perfect for you! Even though this is an expensive calendar (£175), you will not be disappointed with the variation of quality products.

Packaging: I think this is stunning! There has definitely been a lot of thought and work gone into the packaging. It is vintage looking which looks absolutely stunning on display. Again, similar to the Charlotte Tilbury packaging with the drawers, I think it adds a nice touch.
Contents: The quality of these and range of products are amazing. There is a nice mix and match of brands, so you get to try things that you may have not thought to pick up before! 
Value for money: It is a bit on the pricey side, however, we must consider the normal retail price for each of the products. This is a good investment nonetheless.
Overall Score: 8/10

Includes:
Byredo Hand Cream Bal D'Afrique 30ml, Diptyque 70g (Pomander or Roses) Candle, Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanser 30ml, Le Labo The Noir Eau de Parfum 15ml, Votary Cleansing Oil 50ml , Hourglass Lip Stylo Influencer, Trish McEvoy Liquid Lip Gloss in Power Red or Mauve 3ml, Skin Laundry Purifying Cream Cleanser 65ml, Liberty London Small Washbag in Strawberry Thief, Margaret Dabbs Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum 15ml, Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Amethyst 1g, Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant 13g, Espa Pink Hair & Scalp Mud 30ml, Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil 30ml, NARS Orgasm Blush 3.5g, QMS Activator Mini Travel Mask 10ml, Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturiser 10ml, Dr Sebagh Serum Repair 20ml, Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Rollerball 10ml, Davines Oi Shampoo 90ml, Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream 75ml, Eve Lom Cleanser 30ml, Surratt, Smokey Eye Baton in Enticelle , Blink Brow Oil 11ml, Aveda Volumising Tonic 40ml 

5. NYX Professional Makeup Kiss & Tell Advent Calendar

This calendar retails at £50 but is now on discount at FeelUnique for £45. It contains 24 doors with a mix of four matte lipsticks, three cream lipsticks, two chubby lip creams, four liquid lipsticks, three matte lip creams, three traditional lipsticks and five creamy lip glosses. You will have gained a full lip wardrobe before its Christmas, so this is ideal for any lippy lover.

Packaging: I think this is super chic and fun little package.
Contents: The quality of these products are amazing, NYX are known for their amazing lip colours and formulas, therefore the fact that this calendar is packed full of them makes me very excited! 
Value for money: It is good value for the number of lippies you get!
Overall Score: 10/10

 That's it for today's post! I hope this helped some of you find your 2017 beauty advent calender. I will be doing some Christmas inspired outfit posts so keep an eye out for that! Take care x

Hair Full of Secrets

Hello guys and girls! Welcome back to my blog. Today I have a new post for you guys and its all about my hair. I get questioned about my hair all the time, whether its to do with how I grew my hair so long, how I keep it looking shiny and what type of shampoo I use. As it was so highly requested, I thought I would spill the beans. If you haven't already seen my post on my balayage process, check that out first!

Before I wash my hair...

To be fair, I don't really do much before I wash my hair but I do make sure I apply coconut oil in my scalp and ends of my hair the night before I plan to wash my hair. It stimulates hair growth and reduces dandruff as well as adding shine and softness to the hair. It is also great for the prevention of hair breakage and split ends, contributing to hair length. Make sure to use organic, cold-pressed, raw coconut oil (this is basically the purest form of coconut oil which contains all the goodness you want). Check out my post on coconut oil if you want any good brand recommendations!

Products I use to wash my hair...

1. L'Oreal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo

Repeated washing can damage coloured hair, so it's best to invest in a good colour protectant shampoo. This one smells gorgeous and it does the job. It contains 'cationic polymers' which claims to care and protect the hair so that it retains the colour vibrancy and intensity. It leaves my hair feeling nourished and smooth which is important as coloured hair can get dry! I work this only on the ends of my hair as this is where most my hair is dyed.

2. L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Coconut Shampoo 

I use this shampoo on the scalp of my head and really work up a lather to remove all the coconut oil. This is a perfect shampoo for those with normal to dry hair. This gives you that L'oreal 'you're worth it' hair. The formula contains fine coconut oil (yea I can't get enough of this stuff) which again nourishes the hair follicles and smells absolutely divine!

3. Aussie Repair Miracle Conditioner 

We use shampoo to clean our hair, which means we sometimes wash out the good oils, but we need to restore the hairs natural oils and give it back some moisture! This is why conditioner is important, we don't want to overdry the hair. I love this one from Aussie, it smells great and it is packed full of hair magic such as Australian Macadamia Nut Oil, Jojoba-seed Oil and Avocado Oil! I take a generous amount and start working it into my ends and work myself up and whatever is left on my hands I work onto the scalp as well. If you're someone like me who styles their hair often or you generally just suffer from dry hair then try this, I promise you it will change your hair game! It leaves your hair insanely silky smooth and ensures damage control. Also, conditioner works a dream at removing coconut oil from your hair more than shampoo!

After shower care...

So some of you might skip this step, but my ends get insanely dry, so I always use a hair serum as well as a hair conditioner.

First thing I do after I towel dry my hair is to apply a serum, and you guessed it it's by Aussie (fav)!

4. Aussie Dual Shine & Coloured Hair Serum Treatment

This treatment can be used either on wet or dry hair, you only need 1-2 pumps for your whole hair. It contains Australian Jojoba Seed oil, which protects coloured oil and adds that beautiful shine that everyone wants.

Next, I go in with a hair conditioner.

5. Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-in Conditioner 

This is a lightweight, leave-in conditioner so there is no need to wash this stuff out. It helps to detangle your hair which I suffer quite badly with! Again, it is infused with that miracle product Australian Jojoba Seed oil. 

What I use to style the hair...

When I do style my hair, I always make sure to use a good hair protectant. The one that I have always used and have been loving is by Tresemme.

6. TRESemme Protect Heat Defence Styling Spray

This hair protectant is the bomb, it does exactly what it tells you and is such good value for money. It contains heat activated complexes which help protect hair when you're styling your hair with heat, it protects up to 230°C. It prevents hair becoming brittle and dull as well as a UV filter. It is the ultimate shield of protection for your hair all in one bottle. 

No-one likes limp, flat hair, so when I do suffer from this, I go in with a volumizing powder.

7. VO5 Instant Volume Powder

This powder is absolute magic. It gives the hair that instant root boost, however, it does make your hair feel stiff so if you don't like that, then this product isn't for you. It gives your roots a matte finish and gives that just came out of the hair salon effect.

So that's all folks, that's all my hair secrets for you! 

Please take into consideration that these products work well for me and may not work for you as everyone's hair type are different! You just have to play around and see which ones work for you but I hope that this gives you an idea of some products to try out! I'm always up for trying new products, so if you've tried any and have some recommendations then please leave a comment or tweet me!

Until next time, take care guys x

Hair Story + Update

Hi Guys!!!

 

Hope you all are doing well. First of all, can I just mention that Autumn/Winter is officially here. I'm wrapped up in my blanket with a cup of tea while trying to type this up. Anyway, back to why you're here, if you follow me on snapchat or instagram you would have seen that I got my balayage re-done.

 

But, what is it you ask? Balayage is a French colouring technique that is applied by hand rather than using the traditional foiling or cap highlighting techniques. It has a much softer, less noticeable regrowth lines giving a natural look to the overall hair.

 

It is probably less damaging than conventional colouring techniques which use foils and heat to set the colour However I did notice with the bleach it can leave the ends quite dry, therefore take aftercare very seriously (lots of hair masks and conditioner)! 

 

The story of my hair...

 

About 2 years ago, I decided I wanted something new with my hair and I heard a lot of people talking about the balayage technique. I was a bit weary at first as I have heard a lot of stories about black hair that turned ginger in the process of trying to lighten it. I decided to go to my trustworthy hairdresser and discuss what they could recommend for me. I wanted caramel/brown mixed in with my natural hair and this is exactly how it turned out! It was achieved through bleaching the strands of hair first and then adding toner of the desired colour of choice. The colour remained for a while but as my hair grew longer the colour started to fade as well. This is why last week I went back to the same place and got it re-done, and here is the before and after picture of my hair (we went with similar tones as before).

BEFORE (hair where the colour began to fade):

 

 AFTER:

The hairdresser did mention that in the following weeks, as the colour settles, it will become lighter!

 

For me this was the best decision, as it gave me a boost in confidence!

 

If you want me to do a haircare video or blogpost, comment down below! (If you haven't already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel davina_uk)

 

And I will be back soon with more posts coming your way :) xx

I'm in love with the co-co!

Coconut oil has been a staple beauty product of mine for over 2 years and let me tell you girl, there isn’t one thing that this product can’t do. It’s an all in one holy grail product!

There are a lot of coconut oil brands out in the market at the moment, but make sure to pick raw organic count oil as this is not processed.

Sister & Co. Cold Pressed Raw 100% Organic Coconut Oil - £6.45

Lucy Bee Extra Virgin Coconut Oil  - £12.00

Coconut Merchant Organic Raw Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 1litre  - £21.99

I’m going to be sharing some of my tips on how I use coconut oil which can change your beauty regime (you’ll never go back)!!!

It’s a natural skin moisturiser 

Coconut oil can be used on the skin as a natural moisturiser! just rub the solid coconut oil (it’s usually solid at room temperature) and work it in between the palm of your hands. This will warm up the product which you can then apply as a liquid onto your skin. It absorbs quickly and is non-greasy! if you have super dry skin in the winter, you can wash your face at night, pat it dry and work a pea size amount onto your face. Wear this as a mask for 5- 10 mins and wipe off any excess! your skin will feel as smooth as a baby’s butt! Try this, I promise you that you will never go back to your old moisturiser.

Wrinkle Reducer 

Coconut oil can also be applied around the eye area to reduce wrinkles. Just dab a small amount around your eyes before bed to help fight pre-maturing raging. Then just was up the next day and rinse off and carry on with your normal morning routine!  

Natural Makeup Remover 

Work a small amount in your fingers and apply all over your face to remove any makeup/dirt! this works wonders, it even works on my waterproof mascara! work in circular motions and this is great for sensitive eyes as this will not sting or irritate! Wash off with warm water or use a warm flannel. It’s as easy as 1,2,3!

Homemade Toothpaste 

Mix equal parts of coconut oil with tumeric powder to get an at home whitening paste! Tumeric may seem intimidating but I promise you it won't stain your teeth! make sure to use an old toothbrush and brush your teeth normally with the oil and turmeric mixture! do this once a week!

Lip Balm

I suffer from majorly dry chapped lips in the cold! coconut oil has changed the game, just apply this like you would as a lip balm, it is super moisturising, provides a hint of sun protection and most importantly doesn’t have any chemicals (safe to consume). l love to mix coconut oil with different food flavouring like vanilla, peppermint, strawberry and you can make yourself a little pot at home! just add a 3-4 drops of your flavouring into 2 tablespoons of coconut oil! ta-daaaa! Instant super-moisturing awesome lip balm made by you!

Naturally Tinted Lip Gloss or Lipstick 

You can naturally tint the lip balm recipe above by adding a pink, red or any colour of your choice eyeshadow! just scrape some of your eyeshadow or pigment into the coconut oil, mix and you can make your own customised lipstick! The more parts of coconut oil you use to eyeshadow will dilute the colour! If you want a more intense colour make sure you use less coconut oil! 

Natural Mouthwash 

Swirl some coconut oil in your mouth for around 1 minute as this contains antibiotic properties of coconut oil destroy the bacteria that causes tooth decay, improve the health of your teeth and gums. Swish 1 tablespoon of coconut oil immediately after rising in the morning. Spend 10 minutes swishing and spit the oil out! 

Natural Hair Mask

This mask is one of my favourites! Coconut oil is brilliant to moisturise and strengthen hair. Depending on the length and texture of your hair, you may need anywhere from 2 teaspoon to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil.  I like to use 3 tablespoons and warm it up in the palm of my hands! Work this into the lengths of the hair and also massage it into my scalp to help blood flow and prevent hair loss! I keep the make on for aorund 30 mins-1 hour, then wash out with your favourite shampoo and conditioner like normal (yes, i will upload a haircare post sooon)!! Your hair will look and feel so heathy!

Hope you can take on board some of my tips and hope it helps <3