The M&S Beauty Advent Calendar - Round 2

Just a quick post today to remind my readers that the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar launches today!

(Photo included is last years calendar - this year's wont be delivered in time for photos sadly)

I did a range of posts on the contents of last year's calendar and I loved it. This years version is a little more expensive (£35, as opposed to last year's £25) and the same catch applies from last year (you need to spend £35 on other products in the clothing/beauty range to be able to purchase the calendar). Even with the slight price increase I still think that this is an absolute steal when you look at what you get.

If you're wanting this calendar I'd move quickly to avoid disappointment, as I'm confident that last year they'd sold out online by lunchtime. here's a link for you:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/the-ultimate-beauty-advent-calendar/p/P22488891?intid=CORP_Beautyadventcalendar_SubCategory_9129262_LP_hero_static_1_txt

People who like surprises may want to stop reading here as this is just a list of what the calendar contains:


1. Leighton Denny Expert Nails Mini Crystal Nail File

2. Look Good Feel Better Mini Powder Brush

3. Alpha-H Liquid Gold 50ml

4. Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner Black 1.2g

5. Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm 30ml

6. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml

7. Shay & Blue Atropa Belladonna Natural Spray Fragrance 10ml
8. Josh Wood Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil 28ml

9. Ultrasun Face 30 SPF 25ml

10. Pür Correcting Primer Prep & Perfect 10ml

11. Filorga Time-Filler 15ml

12. Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E Peppermint 4.25g

13. Pixi Brow Tamer 4.5ml

14. Neal's Yard Remedies Be Lovely Hand Cream 50ml

15. Rodial Super Acid X-treme Acid Rush Peel 20ml

16. Nails Inc Gel One Coat Nail Polish - Piccadilly Court 10ml
17. Rosie for Autograph Lip glossy - Supermodel Smile

18. Rituals - The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream 70ml

19. Autograph All-in-one Nail Colour - Cranberry 11ml

20. Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm 15ml

21. REN Evercalm™ Global Protection Day Cream 15ml

22. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® 30ml

23. Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream 5ml/0.169oz

24. Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream 15ml

25. Studio 10 Miracle Effect Priming Serum 5ml

Scent-sational Spaces

I mentioned the Next White Jasmine Reed Diffuser in a pre-hiatus favourites post and reading back over that post got me thinking about all the other space-scenting products that I love. I'm not the best at describing scents so prep yourself for some out-there wording here but I thought I'd let you in on what's been going on around here.

So Yankee Candle are a brand that I've loved for years, they were the brand that sparked my interest in candles and while I generally go for other things these days, there's still a few scents that tickle my nostrils fancies. I'll get the Christmas limited editions out of the way: Christmas Cookie is a very sweet, sugary vanilla scent that I absolutely love, it's really warming and is generally one I crack out when it's a little colder outside. I also love Candy Cane Lane which is a minty one (again, limited for Christmas) and this is a super easy scent to describe because it smells exactly like TicTac mints.

For Yankee's non-limited stuff I love all the "clean" scents: Fluffy Towels is my favourite (it smells like fabric softener) but Clean Cotton is very similar. My favourite Yankee products right now are the Ultimate Car Jars, I have a Clean Cotton Car Jar waiting for my current air freshener to die and Midsummers Night is the scent I currently have in there which basically smells like a nice men's aftershave.

Speaking of car scents that smell like mens aftershave: Rituals Patchouli Car Perfume is probably my favourite scent - I like to have this on the go at the same time as the Yankee Midsummers Night. For those who like something a little more feminine the Cherry Blossom scent is really nice as well, really subtle. I also have a couple of the Rituals Candles, The Hammam Secret is a very spa-like, subtle scent and the Sweet Sunrise is a very sweet, uplighting option.

Diptique's Tubereuse scent is one of my favourites and while I don't have it in my current line up it's one I'll go back to. The candles burn really nicely or, if you're wanting the scent to spread quickly, the Room Sprays are a great. They're definitely not one for those on a budget but they're really nice. Another scent I can't get enough of is the Laura Mercier Ambré Vanillé scent. I was absolutely gutted when they discontinued the candles and stocked up but once I run out I may have to resort to using the perfume in the range as room spray *insert crying emoji here*.

Thoughts on Schedules and Feeling Uninspired

As some of you may have noticed, I've been more than a little MIA recently, and it's not the first time this year that I've taken a break from blogging. I hate having to step away from the keyboard for any length of time but as any regular readers will also know: blogging is a hobby for me, not a job. I work full time and blogging has been an outlet for creativity for me and, lately, the creativity pool has been drying up.

When I first started getting regular readers on the blog it filled me with excitement and I knew that to keep people reading I had to create content regularly. So I made schedules and spent hours every week perfecting photographs and trying to come up with post ideas, spending small fortunes on product for posts to fill my 3-posts-a-week quota.

The truth is, that method was never going to be sustainable, and my content was suffering.

As I write this post I really want to pick up blogging again, but I know I can't go back to 2-3 posts a week. So this post is essentially my call to my readers: I'm back, I'm blogging again but there's no schedules this time. I will post as and when I have things I'm excited to talk to you about and I'll be tackling blogging from a quality over quantity perspective from now on.

I hope you understand why I'm making this decision and I hope you'll stick with me.

In the mean time, if there's anything you'd like to hear about please let me know :)

June Favourites

First of all apologies for the lack of post on Friday - It was a hectic week and I just couldn't find the time or the brain power to crack out a post but I hope I'm forgiven. We're back today with my favourites from June '16 - so lets hop to it.

Let's kick things off with a lip combination that I've reached for most of the month shall we? I've been layering on some Maybelline ColourSensational Shine Gloss in "130 - Fuchsia Flash" over my Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in "05" for an everyday lip this month. I love it because it's a mid-tone pink so it's understated and wearable but it's still bright and looks put together. I've thrown this on for work and play and it's such a lovely low-maintenance lip combination.

We've been pretty skincare heavy here recently so I'm going to try not to harp on about these too long but there's been a couple of skincare products that have absolutely brought my skin back to life (and unfortunately, both cost a pretty penny). I've re-discovered my MV Organic Skincare Rose Plus Booster and I have no idea how this fell to the back of the class. It's essentially good skin in a bottle, no matter how lack-lustre my skin is looking I find that a couple of drops of this massaged into the skin before bed has me looking like I've been drinking my water and sleeping a lot (which lets face it - usually I haven't been).

My Tata Harper cleanser obsession continues but this month I've been mad for the Purifying one. This is a lovely, thinner than most, gel cleanser that I've just been loving for my morning cleanse. The light texture makes it quick and easy to use and whenever I use this I feel like all of the grit and grime just follows it down the plug hole when I rinse. Also - the lovely sharp citrusy scent is great for helping you wake up in the morning and for me it just adds to that "super clean" feeling.

Finally a slightly less beauty-oriented product: I recently stumbled across Next's home fragrance selection and their "White Jasmine" range smells incredible. I got the Decorative Owl Reed Diffuser and it's so cute and smells amazing but I can't find it on the website (maybe it's in store only?) so here's the standard one. I'm awful at describing scents but the packaging says that the top notes are violet leaves and plum, the mid notes are jasmine and white lily and it has a white musk and amber base. It's just a nice clean, fresh, floral scent that's not overpowering or overly girly smelling (I tend to go for more gender neutral boarding on somewhat masculine home scents and this is more on the feminine side for me).

Let’s Talk About Sheet Masks.

Specifically, a couple that I've tried recently from the brand TonyMoly. So Asian beauty products have been making the rounds lately and TonyMoly is a brand that popped up on Cult Beauty and Sephora not too long ago and I've been itching to try some bits. As much as I could have ordered pretty much everything that the brand has to offer (it all looks so interesting!) I contained myself to just 2 masks. With the promise that if I liked what I saw I'd go back for more. So what do we think?

TonyMoly Rice Mask (Clear Skin)

This is a 20-30 minute sheet mask that is supposed to make "dull skin look radiant and glowing" which I must admit, when I first unboxed this I was disappointed with as it's called "Clear Skin" and I assumed it would be clarifying in some way. Slightly misleading titles aside this is a nice mask.

It's instantly cooling on the skin and hasn't really got a scent to it so it's pleasant to use, I did notice a slight tingling sensation towards the end of the mask but nothing uncomfortable. When you take it out of the packet it's completely saturated and I didn't notice it drying off quickly at all when I wore it (I left it on for the full 30 minutes and the only bit that dried was the space between my upper lip and my nose).

The only thing I would note about this mask is that while it adheres to the skin nicely (mine didn't fall off with light movement) it is a bit awkwardly shaped and didn't fit my face as comfortably as I'd like. This obviously may not be an issue for you dependant on your face shape but the mask was a soft fabric texture and didn't really have any stretch to it at all.

The effects were actually really nice. This left my skin feel plumped and smooth and the cooling effect stuck around for a long while after removing the mask. When I first removed the mask I was a little confused that a "Clear Skin" mask didn't seem to give me any reduction in blackheads or blemishes but after actually looking at the claims it definitely does what it says on the tin.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Mineral Oil (acne skins be careful - also super cheap oil and this mask isn't cheap), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Sodium Hyaluronate (essentially man-made Hyaluronic Acid - hydrating)

TonyMoly Lemon (Brightening)

This sheet mask claims to make "dull and dark skin look radiant" which is pretty much what I'd expect from a mask labeled "Brightening" so the claims on this one look better. Again it's a 20-30 minute sheet mask and I think I left this one on even beyond the recommended 30 minutes. It has a clean citrusy scent that I personally found really pleasant throughout the masking process and again it was instantly cooling on the skin.

This one didn't give my skin any tingling at all (I left it on for longer because I was anticipating a tingle but it never happened). That said I did get some of the mask on my lips and they felt strange (almost like a slightly numbed feeling) for a little while after I'd removed the mask. There's the same issue with the fit (TonyMoly do a whole range of sheet masks and I'd imagine they just switch up the liquid and keep the actual sheet the same for each different one) and this one stayed wet throughout the whole process.

For results I find that this mask left my skin unbelievably soft and smooth. Again there was no reduction in the redness or amount of blemishes on the skin but this mask did reduce the swelling a little and made the surface of the blemish smooth (so much easier to hide under concealer the next day). Of the two I'd say this is my favourite.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Fragrance (sensitive skins be careful)

In The Queue - Inside My Backups and "To Be Tested" Drawer (Part 1 - Skincare)

So I, like many other beauty obsessives in this world, have a drawer in my stash dedicated to products that aren't in my rotation at the moment for one reason or another. Some of these are products that are tried and tested and that I just can't be without and others are items I've acquired that haven't made it into the testing arena yet (While I do have options open I try not to have everything open at once). I'm going to be rotating some new things in soon so I figured it would be a good idea to let you all know what's in there so if you're itching to hear about something I can prioritise that.

The Backups.

In the backups drawer I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear that I'm hoarding a few cleansers. I've got a full sized Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, a gel-to-oil cleanser with a lovely light rose-y scent that I fell in love with from the word go. I've also got a full size of the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser in here, again it's a gel cleanser but I prefer to emulsify with this one - I'm currently working my way through the last drops of a trial size I had. I've stashed away not one but two mini's of the Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel, which is really similar to the Oskia in texture but maybe a bit heavier, I love these for travel. Finally for cleansers, there's a mini of the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, this was the first skincare product I properly got obsessive with and it's a lovely light, citrus-y scented balm cleanser.

The only other skincare products I have in backup are the Balance Me Congested Skin Serum, and a mini Omorovica Queen of Hungary Mist. I panic purchased the Balance Me serum as I had a trial size that I've been using for ages and I was convinced it was going to run out much quicker than it seems to be doing. With the queen of Hungary it's one of those products that I use and enjoy but I'd never pay for. This particular bottle was a gift with purchase and it's lovely, but it's completely unnecessary and very expensive for a refreshing mist.

To Be Tested

I find it difficult to give things a fair test if I have too much on rotation but I still pick up interesting bits so that when I have time to test things I have products ready. At the moment I'm hoarding a Clarins HydraQuench Cream (normal to dry skin), a Skin Blossom Gentle Face Wash and a Barefoot SOS Repair + Renew Light Moisturising Lotion. Again, I have a tonne of minis that are just waiting for me to break into them: Aurelia Miracle Cleanser, Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase, Vasanti BrightenUp Enzyme Face Rejuvenstor Exfoliating Cleanser, Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover, and the Alpha H Essential Hydration Cream. If there's anything anyone's wanting to see on here soon I can pop that on the to do list. :)

Head To Head - Affordable Cleansing Oils

We seem to be in the midst of a minor skincare takeover at the moment here in the Jodie May Beauty head quarters (sorry to the more makeup obsessed readers) and today will be no exception to that. Us bloggers are always harping on about "dupes" for other products but some times I think we forget to compare things in the same price bracket, so I'm here to rectify that. starting with a couple of oil cleansers:

In the left corner, we have my old faithful: The Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil, and on the right we have No7's Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil. Both of these cleansers are around the £10-£11 mark and are available in the UK from Boots. Una Brennan gives you 200ml compared to No7's 150ml so on price-per-ml the UB is slightly more affordable, but how do they perform head to head?

Packaging - for packaging, the winner is definitely No7. My biggest bug-bear with the UB cleansing oil is that it doesn't have a pump, it's a serious design flaw. The lack of a pump can make it a little bit awkward to use as you have to pour the liquid-y cleanser out into your hands and the No7 is much more user friendly.

Formula - This will largely come down to personal preferences, but I can say that the No7 oil feels thinner during use. Both remove makeup with easy and are quick to remove, neither leave the skin feeling dry or stripped at all. One thing I will mention for formula is that the first ingredient on the inci for the No7 is Paffafinnum Liquidum (or as it's usually reffered to: mineral oil). This is a low quality oil that comes from fossil fuels (it's essentially a by-product of petrol) and if you're prone to any kind of acne, it's an ingredient to avoid. The UB oil contains mainly sunflower seed oil and some other more natural oils and so I do feel like you're getting better quality ingredients from the UB.

All in all? For me the Una Brennan remains unbeaten. I will likely just decant it into the bottle for the No7 once I've used that up because the packaging is so much better on the No7. I still use and enjoy the No7 and it's pretty much always on offer so you can generally get a good deal on it but I just feel like the ingredients on the UB are so much better.