Boots Christmas Gifts

One of the best places for doing some early shopping for Christmas presents is Boots which has an amazing range of gifts. At their store on Oxford Street in London, there was an entire floor devoted to Christmas gifts, featuring a mind-boggling array of brands. All were eligible for the "3 for 2" promotion.

Soap & Glory had makeup, skincare and bodycare sets.



No.7, which is exclusive to Boots, also had a wide range of makeup, brush and skincare sets. Even after the recent revamp, I still feel that the quality of the brand is very hit-and-miss. None of the makeup and brush sets looked that fantastic, to be honest.



17 also didn't look that tempting.

At first glance, I thought that these shower gels were by Philosophy. Upon closer examination, I realised that it was just a very cleverly designed knock-off.

Ted Baker is one of my favourite UK clothing brands but their makeup and bodycare line for Boots doesn't have much going for it aside from pretty packaging.


Even Starbucks and Nando's have gotten in on the act.



I did splurge on the Hello Kitty x Liberty collection, which like last year's range, contained makeup, bodycare and accessories. That retro alarm clock was right on top of my list.


Fearne

L'Oreal & Dove


Even Twilight and Glee sets are available.



Have you started on your Christmas shopping?

Boots No7 Vital Brights Cream Blush and Lipstick

At Boots in London, I picked up a couple of pieces from the No7 Floral Brights collection for spring. Created by Lisa Eldridge, the collection has a breezy retro flower child vibe and offers playful bright hues for the cheeks and lips, with a more neutral palette for the eyes.


The Vital Brights Cream Blush comes in two shades: Blossoming Pink (below) and Blooming Pink (bright candy pink). Blossoming Pink is a coral pink that gives the cheeks a natural flush of colour without any shimmer. This normally retails at £10 but Boots currently has a '3 for the price of 2' offer for all No7 products.

The formula is impressively smooth and blends effortlessly into the skin without feeling greasy or pooling in the pores.

Both the blush and lipstick are made in Italy with a shelf life of 18 months.

The Vital Brights Lipstick (£10; 3.5g) is also available in two shades, Blooming Pink and Blossoming Pink. I picked Blossoming Pink, a lovely bright candy pink that is reminiscent of MAC Candy Yum-Yum but less glaringly neon with a more emollient texture and a slight sheen. This wore comfortably for about four hours, before fading during the course of a meal. The white plastic tube looks too plain and slightly cheap, which could have been avoided if they had incorporated the colourful flower print on the tube instead of merely on the box.

Here's the look that I did today, using also Becca Balearic Love Palette over Romanticism Eye Tint, Cabrera Line + Define Pencil and Ultimate Mascara, with Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation 100 Ivory.


The Floral Brights collection is still in stock on Boots.com and in Boots stores in the UK. It's well worth checking out if you are looking for easy-to-wear shades that help to perk up your complexion instantly. The wonderful Lipglossiping has swatches of the whole collection.