12 Days of Giftmas - What's still live

Yesterday was the last entry into the 12 Days of Giftmas series but seven of the giveaways are still up and running. I thought I'd just pop up a quick masterpost so you can get your entries in before the rest close!

Happy Christmas!

Caudalie (Micellar Water and Divine Oil) - Closes the 13th of December 2015 at midnight.
Willow (€20 gift voucher) - Closes the 14th of December 2015 at midnight.
MyLadyBug (3 Month Subscription) - Closes the 15th of December 2015 at midnight.
OPSH (Howlite Urban Outfitters Bracelet) - Closes the 16th of December 2015 at midnight.
VOYA (Angelicus Serratus Nourishing Body and Massage Oil) - Closes the 17th of December 2015 at midnight.
The Zipyard (€30 gift voucher) - Closes the 18th of December 2015.
Flormar (2 Lipsticks, 1 Lipgloss, 1 Nail Polish and 1 Blush) - Closes the 19th of December 2015.

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12 Days of Giftmas - Flormar ¦ Giveaway

And, finally, on the 12th day of Giftmas, my true love gave to me, professional make-up made easy...

One of my posts which has been most well-received, and garnered some of the most attention and engagement this year, was about the relaunch of Flormar in Ireland. Flormar is an Italian make-up brand which is now made in Turkey and which used to be sold in Ireland in the past. However, it was relaunched into the Irish market this year after being absent for some time. It is a professional make-up brand which retails at highstreet prices, ranging from €2.95 to €12.95, which means it offers some serious quality at a really affordable price point.

Currently, it is available in over 140 locations across Ireland (pharmacies, stores etc) with a free-standing store that exclusively sells the entire line in the works and a projection that it will be available in 200 locations by February. I actually even wrote a separate post about where it is being sold at the moment because I got so many inquiries about, and interest in, it.

The real testament to a brand, however, isn't the carefully worded press samples, expansion and buzz but in the actual products themselves. And, I have to say, they live up to the hype. Some of their products have even become make-up bag staples for me, alongside brands such as Urban Decay, Benefit, Miisha, Etude House and Tony Moly.

All of which is why they are closing out my first ever 12 Days of Giftmas.

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

If you didn't read yesterday's post about The Zipyard, 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!).

I could recommend all of the range as potential gift ideas, particularly for the make-up addicts in your life as a smaller budget is going to go a lot further here than it might at other professional brands. However, I think it will suffice to just suggest a few of my favourites and let you do some of your own swatching and playing around at the counters for yourself.

The first item that has to be included here is probably my most-used product from Flormar, their eyeshadow palette (€9.95) in the shade 04. Containing five shades from cream to beige to brown tones, it's a slim, compact palette that is literally the perfect size for popping in an everyday make-up pouch. It's also got all the shades necessary to add definition to your eye sockets, line your eyes, add light to the inner corners and brow bone and, potentially, fill in your brows if you're stuck.

Another highlight of the line is the Illuminating Primer Make Up Base (€9.95), literally. This crap pumps out which is great for getting the right amount and being hygienic and makes you look all glowy and alive to boot.

Their Revolution Lipsticks (€6.95) are long-wearing, creamy, look like a Mod sixties dream and come in an array of gorgeous colours. And their Terracotta Blush-Ons (€11.95) are the most dreamy beautiful marbled blushes in pretty shades with flecks of metallics and glitter throughout which makes the application gorgeous.

These really are beautiful products and the prices are unbeatable. So, if you want to give this amazing brand a try for yourself, enter my giveaway of two lipsticks, a lipgloss, a nail polish and one of the Terracotta blushes.

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 two lipsticks, a lipgloss, a nail polish and one of the Terracotta blushes from Flormar.

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 19th 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 thanks for reading. This has been the 12 Days of Giftmas.

(Thanks to Flormar for everything!)

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12 Days of Giftmas - VOYA ¦ Giveaway

On the tenth day of Giftmas my true love gave to me, Irish organic skincare from the sea...

VOYA is one of my all-time favourite beauty brands. They were the first brand that I worked with, almost two years ago, just as I was getting into beauty, skincare and make-up properly. In fact, only a few days after I finally committed to establishing a proper skincare routine and trying to use more natural products, I got the email to attend my very first blogger event with them. As a result, they have a particularly fond place in my heart.

Aside from this though, there's a lot to love. And there's a reason that I've gotten friends and my mother hooked on the brand. In fact, Mammy's Christmas request from me and my siblings this year was "just lots of VOYA stuff."

They're Irish, a family-run business, natural, pick inspirational ladies as their spokespeople, make damn good skincare and, oh yeah, everything smells so damn good. I have my favourite products, of course, but I've yet to try anything from them that I didn't get on with. And you'd best believe that anytime I have the option, I choose a spa or hotel that stocks their products (and then ransack the hotel of every product left out in my room).

All of this is why they had to be part of the 12 Days of Giftmas.

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

If you didn't read yesterday's post about OPSH, 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!).

There are a lot of great gift ideas and options from VOYA and to suit a range of budgets and different recipients. If you don't have a lot of money to spend, for example, you needn't despair as this luxury brand has got your back. You can get a cute little Skincare Kit with travel sizes of their Me Time Moisturiser, Cleanse and Mend Cleanser, Ritzy Spritzy Toner and Maskerade Hydrating Facial Mask, all in a little VOYA cosmetic pouch, for just (RRP) €20.00.

And, if you want to give someone a spa day out but don't have a lot of cash, you can get their Lazy Days seaweed bath pack for €18.00 to bring the spa to you.

If you have more to spend and time to bring them on a wee trip to Sligo, the birthplace of VOYA, you can buy a range of vouchers to use in their Strandhill spa.

Then, if you're feeling luxurious, they have the kind of gifts a loved one would never justify buying for themselves that make great presents for spoiling people such as the Hair Gift Set with their high end (and effective) shampoo and conditioner (€43.00).

They also have lovely bits for the house such as their range of diffusers with scents such as African Lime and Clove for €44.00 and a range of candles and refills.

There's also a range of Christmas gift sets including Christmas Mitts Limited Edition Hand Care Gift Set (€34.00) and their Christmas Spiced Candle (€20.00).

In addition, there's a whole range of skin, body and haircare products that you can pick and choose from to make up a little luxury hamper for someone, as we'll be doing for Mam. Basically, VOYA makes the products you need to pamper the hard-working, fantastic people in your life.

So, if you want to give this amazing brand a go, why not enter my giveaway of a recent VOYA launch, the delicious-smelling Angelicus Serratus Nourishing Body and Massage Oil.

VOYA is stocked online, in spas around the world and in stores such as Avoca.

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 Angelicus Serratus Nourishing Body and Massage Oil.

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 17th 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 Tracey and Sophie at the Spa PR Company and VOYA for working with me!)

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12 Days of Giftmas - OPSH ¦ Giveaway

On the ninth day of Giftmas my true love gave to me, online shopping made cool and easy...

OPSH is the brain child of Irish fashion darlings, bloggers-turned-social-media-networkers-turned-e-commerce-stars, and all-around cool girls, the McGinn sisters. The concept is simple, an online store that brings together your favourite high street stores, makes it possible to shop them all through one portal and makes it easy to filter exactly what you want to cut through all the noise. Think Asos without the overwhelming search results. When you use OPSH, you can customise your search to include the type of item you're after, retailers you like, size etc.

The model is similar to ones that you're familiar elsewhere but done exceptionally well on a site that's engaging, nice to look at and carefully put together to make every part of the process easy and pleasant.

Add to this that it's an Irish tech-meets-fashion company run and spearheaded by awesome young Irish women? I can seriously get behind that and encourage others to do the same!

Which is why I had to include OPSH in the 12 Days of Giftmas.

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

If you didn't read yesterday's post about MyLadyBug, 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!).

If you're looking for gifts for a variety of people in your life, OPSH is the place to go. It is home to a variety of clothing, accessories and cosmetics brands all in one place, meaning you'll find something for the make-up obsessive, the fashionista, the permanently-cold individuals and many other friends and family members.

Pair the usability and pleasant shopping experience of OPSH with the variety and great edit of stores, and seriously cool lookbooks to help guide you and give you inspiration and you really do have a winning formula. Currently, you can shop brands such as Boohoo, Warehouse, Missguided, Reiss, River Island and Dune through the site and more brands are often added.

Do keep in mind shipping though. You're ordering from these brands through OPSH so you may have to pay for shipping fees a couple of times, things might not arrive at the same time and the final orders for Christmas are fast approaching (16th of December). So, if you're gonna shop through OPSH, get to it soon!

To complement this post, we have the important part, the giveaway! I have this lovely Howlite Semi-Precious Cuff (that I want to keep) from Urban Outfitters to give away. Read on to find out how to enter!

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 Urban Outfitters Howlite Cuff.

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 16th 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!

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12 Days of Giftmas - Caudalie ¦ Giveaway

On the sixth day of Giftmas my true love gave to me, French skincare that's chic...

Caudalie is a natural French skincare brand that has highly concentrated and effective formulas, is cruelty free, includes no parabens, uses recyclable and recycled materials in their packaging, tries to minimise its effects on the environment and donates portions of their sales to charitable organisations. As well as having a soul, it's a brand that offers results. They emphasise attention to detail and put some products through up to 200 trials to ensure that they have the most desirable textures. The results are creams, lotions, oils and elixirs that feel soothing and delicious on the skin, that are a joy to use. Their eye cream, in particular, is a personal favourite - the best one I've ever tried.

Which is why they needed to be included in the 12 Days of Giftmas.

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

If you didn't read yesterday's post about Billion Dollar Brows, 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!).

Caudalie, like many beauty brands, do great gift sets for Christmas that suit lots of budgets and offer great stocking filler options. However, if you happen to know someone is looking to try a new cleanser or moisturiser, there's a wide range to choose from depending on their particular skincare concerns. I can't recommend the Polyphenol Anti-Wrinkle Eye & Lip Cream (RRP €25.60) enough for anyone with mature skin or who just likes seriously creamy eye creams. If you're buying a gift for a skincare lover who likes to try out new things, consider their Make-Up Remover Cleansing Micellar (€17.90 for 400ml) water. Admittedly, it's not the sexiest gift in the world, but it's got an awesome pump design which is handy and hygienic, it'll switch things up for Bioderma devotees and it's extremely good value for quite a highend cleanser. Similarly, their Divine Oil (€16.80) is what it says on the tin (or bottle, I guess); divine. Intensely moisturising and pretty to look at, skincare nerds will love it. And, for fans of cult beauty icons, their famous Beauty Elixir (€10.90 for 30ml) is a must. Just spritz it on intermittently throughout the day for a moisture boost and to look refreshed.

When it comes to gift sets, there are a few I'd recommend. The best thing about all of them is that they're really good value. You can get substantial gifts for under €30.00 and rather luxurious ones for more. The likes of Space NK stock really great baubles with bestsellers inside which make fantastic stocking fillers. You can get a 15ml Divine Oil for €9.00 and a 30ml Beauty Elixir for €12.00.

In addition, there are sets like the Hand Cream Trio that has three different beautifully scented hand creams in a pretty presentation box for €13.00 and the Must-Have set with four minis of their key products (including the Beauty Elixir, a cleansing oil, hand cream and moisturiser) for €19.50.

There are many, many more options so if you don't have a massive budget and want to give someone the gift of skincare indulgence, hit them up.

So, if you want to give this amazing brand a go, why not enter my giveaway of two Caudalie bestsellers - the Micellar Water and Divine Oil.

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 Caudalie's Micellar Water and Divine Oil.
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 13th 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 Sally and Caudalie for working with me!)

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12 Days of Giftmas - Billion Dollar Brows ¦ Giveaway

On the fifth day of Giftmas my true love gave to me, brows that fill others with envy...

I recently attended a Billion Dollar Brows event with their founder Natalie Plain upon the Irish launch of the brand in stores and learned all about them. Previously, they had been exclusively on sale in salons but now they're available in Boots and other retailers. I also got their full range of products to play around with. And while I had enjoyed the few bits from them that I had tried before, my affection for the brand was really cemented once I got to give the rest of the line a whirl.

Which is why I had to include them in the 12 Days of Giftmas.

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

If you didn't read yesterday's post about REN Skincare, 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!).

The individual products include their clear Eyebrow Gel, Brow Powder and the Universal Eyebrow Pencil (universal because the shade of brown is so light that it can be used as lightly or as heavily as needed to match almost all hair tones) which would all make great stocking fillers for the beauty and brow addicts in your life.

However, their kits are really the perfect thing as gifts for co-workers, family, pals and Secret Santas alike. The 60 Seconds to Beautiful Brows Kit (RRP €34.00) includes their brow brush and powder and is equated to "putting your hair in a ponytail", i.e. it offers quick, easy, neat results without any fuss. It's a great entry-level kit as a gift which won't break the bank but will give someone all they need to get started. The Best Sellers Kit (€68.00), meanwhile, has the universal pencil, gel, a dual-ended pencil for concealing and highlighting, and a smudge brush for more advanced, elaborate brow prep. This one is for the real beauty lovers in your life, those serious about their brows or just someone you really like. And, for the beauty fans that love a bit of beauty innovation or tech, the Brow Buddy Kit (€31.00) is ideal. It includes their Brow Buddy tool which allows you to measure your brows to perfection and shows where you need to pluck or fill in, a pencil for marking it out and a step-by-step guide.

Having tried everything on both myself and family and friends, I'd recommend all the sets but the Best Sellers kit is really the most versatile if you have to choose one. It also seems a bit pricey but is really good value for what you get in it!

So, if you want to give this amazing brand a go, why not enter my giveaway of a special limited edition gift set that isn't available to purchase? It includes a BDB cosmetic bag filled with some of their best-loved products.

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 BDB Gift Set.
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 12th 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 BDB and Barbara and Naomi from Rachel Dalton Communications, in particular, for working with me!)

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