holiday set | vogueandmacarons

LAURA MERCIER SWEET TEMPTATIONS AMBRE VANILLE SET REVIEW

Hello everyone! I hope 2016 is treating you all good so far! Although I am really excited for the new year, I am also sad that the holidays are over. All the gifts and the cheerful , festive spirit are gone. This year, there were so many amazing holiday sets from so many beauty and skin care brands, that it was really hard to choose from. Either for a present or for myself, picking just one set was a hard task. However, one of the sets that really stood out to me and I got my hands on, is Laura Mercier’s Sweet Temptations Ambre Vanille Luxe Body Collection set. This is a bath and body set from Laura Mercier and it includes 4 amazing products. A shower gel, a honey bath with its wooden honey dipper, a body cream (souffle) and a perfume, all with the Ambre Vanille scent. I had heard so many amazing words about Laura Mercier’s bath products and especially its honey bath, that I knew I had to have this set; and I was happy to realise that everything I had heard was true; the set is simply amazing.

My favorite thing from the entire set, would be the body cream, or body souffle as it is called. It is a thick, rich body lotion, that moisturizes and softens the skin. I apply it after showering and my skin instantly feels silky smooth, plus it smells amazing. The Ambre Vanille scent is wonderful. It is quite sweet but not in a sickly way; more like a vanilla cookie way. It is currently my favorite body moisturizer; so rehydrating and soft.

The shower gel is quite lovely. You only need a small quantity and you get a lot of foam. It smells amazing as well and it’s a perfect way to layer the scent. Showering with the gel and then layering with the body cream, is a perfect way to make the scent last longer and be more intense. Although the gel is not a big size, it is going to last for a while, as I prefer using it on special occasions and not on a daily basis.

The perfume is a tiny 15 ml bottle that you can easily put in your bag and carry with you. It has the exact same scent, perhaps a bit stronger due to the alcohol. It’s the last step on the layering process, behind the shower gel and body cream. It’s not a big bottle obviously but it is a nice touch in the entire set. It may not be the centre piece of the set but it is handy part of the Ambre Vanille line. Since I don’t wear perfume often due to my allergy, this will definitely last me for a while.

Last but not least, the star of the set and a best seller, is the honey bath that comes along with its own wooden honey dipper. You fill in your bathtub with water and then add a swirl of the honey bath for a relaxing bath. It smells amazing and creates a lot of bubbles. Its scent is not overwhelming, on the contrary it is very relaxing and stress-relieving. This product is definitely going to last me a while, as I don’t take a bath every day and I don’t need more than a swirl or two for a nice foam.

The Laura Mercier Sweet Temptations set with the Ambre Vanille scent, is absolutely amazing. All the products are lovely. From the simple shower gel and perfume to the moisturizing body cream and relaxing honey bath, this set will steal your heart. It will make you feel you are in your own luscious home spa. With Almond, Brown Sugar, Coconut, the Ambre Vanille holiday set is perfect for anyone who wants to have a lovely, soft skin that smells irresistibly delicious. I absolutely recommend the set to everyone. As for myself, I intend to repurchase the products individually once they are finished. And the best part is that the set is still available on the Laura Mercier site! So you guys can still get your hands on it if you hurry! Have any of you guys have tried any Laura Mercier bath and body products and if so do you like them? Comment down below and share your own experience. Also don’t forget to pop over my Instagram (@blueberrylover) and Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) and say hi!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

THE GIFT OF GODDESS – HOLIDAY SET REVIEW

Hello guys! Being sick for a few days now has really brought down my mood, however, this weekend I received something I have been dying to try out since the end of November; Charlotte Tilbury’s “The Gift of Goddess” skin holiday set. You all may know by now that I am quite a skin care hoarder. I love skin care products probably more than makeup ones. The reason for that is that with skin care products you don’t just enhance your characteristics and your natural beauty, but you can actually improve your imperfections or any problems your skin may have. Skin care products are a huge addiction for me, especially moisturizers and face cleansers. I just love trying different brands and see what they have to offer.

Charlotte Tilbury is a very renowned makeup artist who works with many celebrities. I have heard so many amazing things about her makeup and skin care products so I have been longing to try some for quite a while. When I am not sure about a brand, I prefer to try a sample first before I invest in a full size product. Holiday sets are the perfect way to get to know a brand and try many different products. Therefore, when her holiday sets came out I really wanted to get one. I picked “The Gift of Goddess” skin set, because the products included are the ones I really wanted to get. The set has 3 products and is 15 ml each. It has Charlotte’s Magic Cream, which is a moisturizer, the Wonderglow, which is an illuminating cream like a highlighter, and the Goddess Skin Clay Mask, which obviously is a mask.

Charlotte’s Magic Cream is absolutely lovely. It is a moisturizing cream with SPF 15 so you can wear it in the daytime. I have been wearing it in the nighttime as part of my before-sleep routine. My skin is quite dry recently because of the cold weather and I need a good moisturizer. This cream is simple lovely. It smells amazing, like roses and gardenia, is thick enough but it is absorbed easily by the skin and it is spreadable, which means you only need a small quantity to cover the entire face. So although it is 15 ml, it will last for a while. I really enjoy using this cream and I do feel my skin moisturized. However, the best part is how soft my skin feels next morning. It is smooth like a baby’s butt. I absolutely recommend it.

The Goddess Skin Clay mask is a mask that lifts, smooths, brightens your skin and tightens your pores. I have used the mask twice so far and I am not very sure how I feel about it. It has the same lovely scent as the cream and it is very easy to apply on your skin. Because you need a thick layer in order to have some results, the 15 ml may not last for as long as the cream. It has a nice feel to it and it is easy to remove with a warm cloth. I love how my skin is soft and smooth afterwards and it does look a little brighter however, I can’t really tell if it lifts the skin and tightens the pores. I believe if it is used for a longer period, you might get all the mentioned results, but just after a couple of times I didn’t get everything promised. Hence I am unsure how I feel about it. I am not dissatisfied, but it is more like one of these products that don’t really wow you. It is a nice mask, smells good and is quite rehydrating. It feels lovely and it brightens the skin a bit. I am glad I got a 15 ml sized tube to check it out before I splurge on the big one.

Lastly, the Wonderglow is a very promising product but I don’t believe I fully understood what it is when I first put it on. I was under the impression it is a sort of metallic highlighting primer, like Benefit’s High Beam but as a primer. You can use the product under your foundation, over your foundation or just on its own on a makeup free face. Once I applied it though, I realized it is a shimmery product. It has a beige color which dissolves once you apply it, and it is very shimmery. I don’t like shimmer on my skin a lot especially on an everyday basis. I made the mistake to apply it to my entire face which stressed me out because I didn’t want to have shimmer on my forehead and chin. The shimmer however, is quite discrete, so I am confused as to what the product really does; if the shimmer is barely seen then I don’t understand what’s the point of it. Plus I can only apply shimmer on my cheeks, otherwise it’s going to look tacky a bit. So this product is very confusing to me and I didn’t really enjoy it.

“The Gift of Goddess” skin set by Charlotte Tilbury, is a lovely holiday set for anyone who has never used the brand before. The products are a great introduction to the brand’s skincare line. The size is quite small for the money you pay ( 50 euro ) but compared to the price for the full-sized ones it’s a good deal. Overall the products are quite nice, with the Magic Cream the set’s hit. I recommend this set for anyone who wants to try the brand out plus it would make a lovely Christmas present. Have you guys tried any of these products and if so what do you think about them? Don’t forget to pop over Instagram (@blueberrylover) and Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) to say hi.

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky