12 Days of Giftmas - REN Skincare ¦ Giveaway

On the fourth day of Giftmas my true love gave to me, great skin, naturally...

REN is one of my go-to skincare brands. Invariably, I love anything they do. New REN launches are among the most exciting beauty launches for me each season and they have produced many of my Holy Grail skincare products. Not only do they sell all your mundane (but great) skincare basics, they also do really innovative, cool and exciting products which would make the perfect gift for the skincare and beauty nerds in your life (i.e. me). In addition, they also have a wide array of gift sets each year to suit every budget whether you're buying for your mother, father, sibling, friend, Secret Santa, co-worker or significant other. Basically, REN's got your back.

Which is why they are the brand that I'm focusing on for today's 12 Days of Giftmas post.

"But what, pray tell, might this 12 Days of Giftmas be?" you're probably asking.

If you didn't read yesterday's post about Viviscal, let me explain it again!

The 12 Days of Giftmas is a project that occurred to me last week. An idea that I ambitiously decided to go through with very last minute - I must be a lunatic. It's a sort of advent calendar for me and my readers, a way of saying thank you for reading and rewarding you in a small way. For the first 12 days of December, I will be writing a post every day on a shop, brand or item that would make good gifts. This is instead of the long gift ideas posts I've done in the past and offers a more in-depth look at some amazing companies and things. To complement each post, I've also teamed up with these fantastic brands and will be giving something away each day! So, the 12 Days of Giftmas will give you some gift ideas and the potential to win something for a loved one (or yourself!).

Some personal favourites from the range include the V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream (RRP £32.00) and V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream (£28.00). Both are ludicrously creamy and intensely moisturising, come in handy pump bottles and have a mild, comforting smell but the night cream, in particular, is a serious love of mine. Plus, they just feel pleasant on the cream. I'm currently testing out different moisturisers I got to review but I could definitely see myself going back to these. I also love the Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil (£25.00), a serum I throw on overnight after moisturisers for a serious boost. The next day I wake up with plump, happy, uber-soft skin.

Much as I adore these skincare essentials, it's the aforementioned innovative stuff that I get properly excited for. Examples that I'm particularly fond of include the Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot (£36.00) and the Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial (£32.00) The Beauty Shot is classified as a serum and the Flash Rinse as a mask but both are so much more than that. Long-term use will provide noticeable firmness (in the case of the former) and clarity (the latter) but its their immediately visible results that separate them from other skincare products. The Beauty Shot will immediately give you plumper skin and is a saviour after long flights or when you're exhausted whereas the Flash Rinse will brighten and revitalise the skin, giving you a noticeable glow. Both are really good gifts for beauty nerds as they're rather unique.

For body care, the Moroccan Rose line smells DELICIOUS. Like, seriously. People will grab you and demand to know what it is - but usually only people who know you well. It's not your typical rose scent but spicy and more complex and seriously addictive. You'll be sniffing yourself along with all the others doing it! The Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil (£26.00) makes your skin look great and glowy, makes you all soft and smells lovely and the Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash (£18.00) is the perfect luxurious accompaniment to make you smell extra damn good. These are the gifts for the perfume obsessives.

The gift sets, then, are also great options. Something like the Glow and Go kit (£14.00) is good for smaller budgets or stocking fillers and has a Flash Rinse mini and a mini of the  Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. The idea being that you use the former in the morning and the latter at night for instantly glowy skin. Great for the party animal in your life who needs to look their best before a big do.

The Instant Beauty Booster set (£32.00), if you have a bigger budget, gives you a full-size of the Glycolactic mask and minis of the Flash Rinse and Beauty Shot and is a seriously luxurious treat - and a bargain to boot as it is worth £53.00.

If you have a pal with sensitive skin the Stop Being So Sensitive kit (£34.00) is a great option and pretty much everything they need to get started.

Finally, for fans of the Moroccan Rose line the Moroccan Rose Duo (£36.00) is a perfect gift with a full-size body wash and lotion included.

The last two posts were about party season prep and beauty gifts and these options are great for that too but also offer long-term care, salvation after the party and pampering, high-quality skincare regimes for your future. Our skin is our biggest organ and it deserves some love this Christmas/Festive season.

REN is available online, from Feel Unique, ASOS, Space NK, Marks and Spencer and more.

So, if you want to give this amazing brand a go, why not enter my giveaway of a Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial?

1. Sadly, I can only keep my giveaways open to Ireland this time around. I apologise to those who might disappointed but I have to keep the generous brands that I'm working with in mind!
2. The prize is one Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial.
3. All you need to do is comment below here or on Facebook with who you'd give it to - or if you want it for yourself! However, you must be following me on at least one platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin', Tumblr), let me know which one in the comment if it's not obvious!
4. Competition closes a week from now on the 11th of December 2015 at midnight Irish time.
5. Winners will be chosen at random.
6. I will then comment below the winner's comment and ask you to email my official blog email address.

And that's that! Good luck and see you again tomorrow for the next brand and giveaway!

(Thanks to REN and Naomi from Rachel Dalton Communications, in particular, for working with me!)

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REVIEW: REN Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil

I was given a press sample of the REN Moroccan Rose Otto Shower Gel last month and remembered how much I loved the scent. I was also in the market for a glowy dry oil for the summer. And then the REN Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil (RRP €28.00) came into my life.

It's basically everything I wanted in a single product. Another one of those things that when I wear it, people grab a limb and demand to know what the smell is, it's luxurious and comforting. The packaging is gorgeous and, again, luxurious, in a glass bottle with gold accents on the label and cap. However, I'd be careful of throwing it in a suitcase as I imagine there is a certain amount of leaking over time.

The oil feels lovely on the skin, leaving you feeling refreshed, and makes your skin look glowy and lovely and better. A little goes a long way, as most oils do, so it's pretty good value for money.

I really can't recommend this one highly enough, it's really a must-have for me for summer. Admittedly, it's totally an indulgent extra and probably not a necessity but it's good to pamper your skin in summer and a little luxury is never a bad thing, right?







(This product has been sent to me as a press sample, however, all opinions are my own)
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REN Instant Firming Beauty Shot

To those who may be unaware, REN is one of my two favourite skincare brands of all time. I love the packaging, the concepts behind new launches, that they are cruelty free and, most of all, the results. In fact. it's not just me that loves them but my skin too.

Their latest product, available from this month onwards, is called the Instant Firming Beauty Shot. It's basically a gel-serum that makes the skin look instantly plumper and brighter for up to four hours after application. But it also works on a deeper level in the skin, improving its firmness. I could go into the sciencey bit but really that means little to me. The bottom line is that after applying this, you'll want to stroke your face for the rest of the day. It makes the skin unbelievably soft and glowy and is great before bed and the application of an intensive moisturiser to replenish and hydrate your skin overnight. But it is equally a great way to start your day and make you look well-rested. It's exactly what your skin needs after winter.

Another major selling point for me is that it is a multi-tasking product - and don't we all love those? It doubles up as a fantastic primer. I used it the other day instead of my Porefessional and it proved the smoothest base imaginable.

Just two or three drops from the pipette is all you need, followed by moisturiser or make-up and it can be topped up as much as you like throughout the day. It also smells gorgeous, btw.

REN Instant Firming Beauty Shot retails at €48.

*This product was given to me as a press sample but all opinions expressed are my own.*

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Le Skincare Routine

I love skincare.

More than makeup.

To many, it may seem like a boring chore (and I won't pretend I don't skip the full routine every now and again when I'm feeling super-lazy) but I think there's something really luxurious about high-end skincare. It's taking a moment to entirely focus your energy and time on yourself. And it sure is an easier way to take care of yourself than exercise or avoiding eating deliciously bad-for-you things.

Consistency is key with skincare so I never change my routine hugely. I swap out moisturisers or cleansers or rotate a few at any one time but the steps remain the same, if somewhat refined as I go forward.

Morning is very simple. I don't use cleansers and instead use plain water to wash my face because, unlike in the evening, my skin doesn't have a night of healing ahead of it. I don't want to strip it first thing. After washing my face, I use Lush's Tea Tree Toner and then Ren's Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil* to make sure the last of the impurities are cleansed and moisture is immediately returned to my face. Then I use a little of Ren's V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream*. To finish, I use a high SPF suncream.

The evening routine is more elaborate. I cleanse with VOYA's Cleanse and Mend* most nights but a couple times a week I use Yes To Carrots Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, applying and massaging it very gently into the skin so as not to damage it. The same toner and oil come into play at this stage and then Ren's V-Cense Night Cream*. On top of this I apply Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel and then a dab of pure tea tree oil to any blemishes I might have. Lastly, as I get into bed, I moisturise my hands with Laura Mercier's Ambré Vanille handcream (so lovely it makes drunk people stop in the street and demand what the smell is...several times) and apply a little of Eve Lom's Kiss Mix to my lips.

Other than this, I also regularly use Lush's Catastrophe Cosmetic and Mask of Magnanimity masks to try and keep hormonal blemishes in check, alongside Ren's Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial* to brighten the skin.

 

And there we have it!

I won't say I have anywhere near perfect skin but it's certainly better behaved, softer and more well cared for. And I can attribute that to nothing more than the awesome products I use and research and time put into figuring out a routine that works for my skin - which is combination with dryness around the nostrils and an oily t-zone as well as being prone to hormonal breakouts.

I would also say that you can probably devise a more inexpensive system but I'm personally cool with spending a bit more, especially for products that are more natural...also, all products marked with a * have been sent or gifted to me so I'm a wee bit spoiled...

Current obsession: Ren V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream

I had already been using (and loving) the Ren V-Cense Revitalising Day Cream for months when I got the Night Cream. 

Um, obsession, thy name is Night Cream.

It's so creamy and rich and lovely and the scent is super-soothing. It lives next to my bed and before going to sleep I put this and my hand cream on. The gorgeous smells help soothe me and calm me down, making sleep much easier. This, alone, would be reason enough to be crazy over the product as I have such a fraught relationship with sleep.

Ren is one of my two favourite skincare brands and this product really only affirms this. I can safely say it's now a mainstay of my nighttime skincare regime. Retailing at €38, it's a bit of an investment but what better to invest in than your own skin? 

Check it out here.

Interested in giving it a try? Use it already? If so, let me know what you think!

One Night Essentials

I'm not going to lie and say I travel light. By and large, I bring too much with me - be that in a handbag or luggage. I like my things and I like to bring them with me. However, I've gotten better at leaving things behind for short trips.

Or, I had gotten better at it.

And then I had to go and spoil it all by doing something stupid like getting into skincare.

Again, I won't lie and say I'm always rigorous or consistent. Sometimes, when tired, I just wash my face, brush my teeth and go to sleep. But I rarely skip at least some form of a skincare routine because some consistency is necessary to see the results.

Which means that travelling light now necessitates finding room for my skincare. This weekend, I went home for a night to my family home as I'm going to be so busy with my dissertation for the next while that I doubt I'll be able to get back often. Though I only brought a clean tee and underwear to change into, I also had to bring the following. At the moment, these are the skincare items I can't go a day without. So, I guess, you could say they're my essentials.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Water - Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Hand Cream - Viviscal Hair and Scalp Serum - Ren Flash Rinse One Minute Facial - VOYA Cleanse and Mend Cleanser - Ren V-cense Day Cream - Eve Lom Kiss Mix - Tea Tree Oil.

So, what can't you go a day without?

PS. Thanks to anyone who nominated me in the Irish Blog Awards - I'm now shortlisted! Woo! x

Ren's One Minute Facial.

When Ren promised a new product which gives the results of a facial in one minute in a press release, I was excited to try it. I won't lie. Who has the time or money for a facial on the reg? Not I.

(Accidental rhyming.)

The Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial doesn't actually hit shops until September but it's well worth the wait. As chic and sleek as the rest of the Ren line, the packaging is done in shades of white and silver. The tube makes the product easy to transport and it can be thrown into a handbag or luggage for use at home, on the go or on holidays. It's kind of the perfect product for the busy, jetsetting city gal on the run and provides relief to a life full of stress and urban grime. The high concentration of Vitamin C is exactly what your skin needs to brighten and refresh.

The texture upon squirting some of the product out onto the back of the hand is somewhat unusual - a watery gel that has a slight exfoliating grain to it. It's lightly scented and is quite sweet, almost like actual candy, with a soapy undertone.

This is applied to the face, neck and décolletage in this form and massaged into the skin with circular motions. Then the fingers are dampened and the gel is worked again. This transforms the texture of the product, making it glide over the skin. Think the texture of Benefit's The Porefessional. At this point, the product is allowed rest on the skin for at least a minute and then rinsed thoroughly with cool water.

Immediately noticeable is a brightening of the skin after use. And it's soothing as hell. The product can be used every three days and is suitable to most skin types except the most sensitive. 

It'll retail at €38, so it's a good deal cheaper than a facial in a salon or spa and you'll get multiple uses out of it. I'm a major fan of luxury skincare at a reasonable price and this is well worth the price.

Excuse me while I go use it again...

Before

After

You excited to try it?

Space NK hits Grafton Street.

I was finishing up my first chapter of my dissertation (due this morning) in the library when I had to run off for two events, after which I returned to my work - my life is ridiculous. I'll post on the first event, which was with Jessica Nails, tomorrow but for today I'm gonna give you guys a glimpse of the opening of the new Space NK on Grafton St.

Have to say, I was pretty excited for this one as I wanted easier access to the store that I've heard UK bloggers raving about for years! Now our turn! A Space NK is already in the Harvey Nichols in Dundrum but the new location means easier access...potentially dangerous...

To launch the new store there was a wee preview and in-house party for press. Vogue Williams was on the decks and the place was SO BUSY. Peeps are obviously just as excited as I.

The store stocks luxury skincare, hair products and cosmetics and brings with it brands that are normally quite difficult to source. I'm most excited for the Lipstick Queen and Eyeko (LOVING it at the moment) makeup ranges. The Bumble and Bumble stuff also caught my eye as I know it's stocked here in a few places but never so extensively. Ren and Eve Lom are two other brands I love that are outstandingly represented by the store.

My one purchase of the evening was a good'un. The Eve Lom Kiss Mix which is amazing and so luxurious. More on that some other time!

That's all for now! Expect a bunch of posts over the weekend as I'm done with dissertation stuff for a day or two...then back to the libo.

Anyone else planning to hit up Space NK soon?