Best Beauty Advent Calendars 2017

Helloo :)

It's that time of the year again... my tan is fading, the temperature has dropped and woolen sweaters have been pulled out. And whilst for many reasons that saddens me (I <3 and="" but="" can="" christmas="" corner="" help="" i="" is="" it="" mean="" my="" nbsp="" one="" only...="" only="" p="" round="" t="" tan="" that="" the="" thing="" think="">
And whilst I could write a long, long list of reasons I absolutely love Christmas time, todays blog post is simply focused on one of the many: Advent Calendars!

Now, my view on what the perfect Advent Calendar is has changed over time. For most of my life, it was the Advent Calendar that contained the best and biggest pieces of chocolate. However, a few years back, when beauty advent calendars became 'a thing', I couldn't help but become obsessed. I mean, opening a little box to find a delicious chocolate sounds great.. but opening a bigger box to find makeup - that sounds fantastic!!
(Disclaimer: I still, and always will, be obsessed with chocolate advent calendars, so this post recommends having one chocolate and one beauty advent calendar for Christmas time)

Following up on my blog post recommending the best beauty advent calendars for 2016, here's a list of my favourite advent calendars on the market this season:
(Price: High - Low)

1. Jo Malone (£300)

Jo Malone's 2017 advent calendar, featuring a Georgian townhouse design, contains mini body lotions, perfumes and of course, candles. So if you're somebody who absolutely loves Jo Malone's gorgeous scents, and would absolutely love to try as many of them as possible (24, to be accurate), then this is the advent calendar for you!


2. Diptyque (£300)

Calling all Diptyque fans (i.e. everyone)... this gorgeous calendar is loaded with mini treats of the best scents. Let's look past the hefty price tag, and focus on the fact that this advent calendar could be the start of your miniature Diptyque candle collection. And who wouldn't want a collection of mini Diptyque candles?! (answer: nobody)


3. Harrods (£250) 

But, of course, Harrods have entered the world of beauty advent calendars and have provided us with this beauty! Containing nearly £600 worth of surprises, this luxury calendar contains treats from the best luxury brands, including Sisley, Acqua di Parma and Kiehl's. And 25 boxes means a treat for every day (including Christmas day)! 

4. Liberty (£169)

What better way to treat yourself pre-Christmas then with a calendar that contains several of the best products currently on the market? That's right, it contains a Diptyque candle, an Hourglass lip product, Laura Mercier eye stick and several other full-sized products (and some minis) of high-end brands! And if it's the price tag that's holding you back, then keep in mind that the calendar contains products worth over £500. So really, it's a win-win.. right?

5. Charlotte Tilbury (£150)

As somebody who absolutely loves makeup and skincare products, choosing a favourite brand is a difficult task. However, if I had to narrow it down, Charlotte Tilbury is definitely one of my favourites. The quality of both makeup and skincare products is out of the world, and don't get me started on the gorgeous packaging. So, all you beauty junkies - this one's for you! 12 of her best-selling products to open up (and obviously make use of) during the Christmas period - sounds great, doesn't it?

6. John Lewis (£149)

John Lewis are definitely front runners when it comes to celebrating the Christmas period (yes, I'm referring to the yearly adverts that have us all in awe)... but for us beauty lovers, John Lewis are giving us something... (dare I say it)... even better!! Providing us with a gorgeous beauty advent calendar containing so many best-selling products from leading brands (I see you, Mac, Benefit, Laura Mercier, Nars, Hermes!!), this calendar is one to get your hands on ASAP!!

7. The Estée Lauder Companies (£125)

First of all.. how cute (and in Christmas theme) is the star-shaped calendar?! And secondly.. how amazing are the products that this calendar contains?! With brands ranging from MAC to Clinique to Origins and also to Estée Lauder itself, this calendar is packed with some fantastic treats that will make that run up to Christmas that much more exciting! Oh, and rumour has it that only 1000 of these beauties were made... so hurry up and get yours!

8. Selfridges (£120)

And of course, our favourite department store has created the holy grail of beauty advent calendars, containing products from the best-of-the-best brands including Lancome, Kheils, Urban Decay, and also Victor and Rolf! Get it before its gone... quick!

9. Kheils (£95)

ATTENTION all skincare junkies... this one's for you! That's right, a whole calendar of mini versions of Kheil's skincare products.. including some of their best sellers. So, if you're simply obsessed with trying out different skincare products, or just love anything Kheil's, get your hands on this calendar ASAP!

10. Look Fantastic (£79)

The LookFantastic Beauty Advent Calendar is the stuff of dreams. Containing four mini drawers, each containing several different treats to be opened in the lead up to Christmas, this calendar is simply perfect for those beauty fanatics. Oh, and it's a total steal too... the products inside, from leading brands such as Illamasqua and Molton Brown, are worth over £300.

11. Bare Minerals (£75)

The Bare Minerals 'Box of Wonders' is exactly that - a box of wonderful makeup products ranging from eye shadows, to lipsticks, lip glosses, mascara, blusher and also some skincare treats. So, if you're a person who loves their makeup products, and loves trying out new colours, then this calendar's for you!

12. Asos (£55)

This ASOS calendar is packed with amazing treats, with products from brands such as Zoeva, Cowshed, Smashbox and many more. And costing £55, this calendar is wallet friendly too! And although around Christmas time, I personally prefer a calendar that's more "in theme", I'm totally loving the marble/pastel pink/rose gold effect that ASOS went for.

13. NYX (£50)

All makeup junkies, this one's for you! Whether you're a beginner looking to test different products, or a more experienced makeup user, this NYX calendar is the perfect option for you. As many of you know, the quality of NYX makeup is incredible, and likens some of the high-end luxury makeup brands. Containing 24 treats, this calendar will give you the chance to try out some of the best products the brand offers.

14. Body Shop (from £45)

Body Shop has created three different beauty advent calendars this year, with the most budget-friendly starting out at £40. It contains mini versions of several of their best selling products, including products from their skin care, makeup, bath & body and fragrances ranges. So, all you Body Shop fans, you have 3 gorgeous calendars to choose from... get picking!

15. No7 (£40)

Like what you see? Then get in line! This £40 calendar has a waiting list of over 85,000 people, and the treats inside are the reason why! Filled with a variety of products from this amazing brand worth a total of £169, this advent calendar will make the run up to Christmas so much more exciting!

16. Sleek Makeup (£35)

All Sleek makeup fans (or just makeup fans), this one's for you. This calendar will give your makeup bag a complete revamp, since it's filled with plenty of gorgeous makeup treats to be able to test out in the run up to Christmas, ranging from liquid liners, to mascaras and also to a contour kit!

17. Feel Unique (£35)

Feel Unique's Beauty Advent Calendar, named '12 Days of Beauty', contains 6 full size and 6 luxury sample size products from some amazing brands, including NYX, Elizabeth Arden and Rimmel. Oh, and let's not forget, the price-tag on this calendar is great too - making this calendar all the more tempting.

18. Benefit (£34.50)

Having tested out the Benefit Advent Calendar last year, I can wholeheartedly say that this calendar is amazing. Filled with mini's of Benefit's best selling products, including the Hoola Bronzer, the Pore Fessional primer and the 'they're Real!' mascara, this calendar will give you the opportunity to test out these products for yourself.. and will lead you to have to buy the full-size product when the mini runs out (trust me, I would know). And the price-tag is a massive PLUS! So, if you love Benefit, or have heard of Benefit and would like to try their makeup products out, get your hands on this calendar before it runs out!

19. Makeup Revolution (£30)

Makeup Revolution's advent calendar, costing only £30 pounds, is not only a super wallet-friendly calendar but it's also packed with a wide variety of beauty essentials that any makeup lover will go crazy over!

20. House of Fraser (£25)

Looking for an advent calendar and a great bargain? Then this one's for you! With 25 products of House of Fraser's very own brand 'Colour Couture', this calendar contains makeup products including glitter shadows and liners, lipsticks, nail polishes and even makeup brushes. Definitely a great choice for the make-up obsessed who just love trying out different (and glittery) products!


So, after some research, these are the calendars that are, in my opinion, the best on the market this Christmas season. I'm personally torn between which one to get my hands on.

Which one's your favourite?

Let me know in the comments,

Lexie Rose May X

Morphe 35O Eyeshadow Palette: Review | Lexie Rose May

Calling all Make-Up Enthusiasts!

After years trying different eyeshadow palettes, I think I've finally found THE ONE. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic - but you would be too if you tried this eyeshadow palette.

I first heard about the Morphe 35O online, whilst doing some research on eyeshadow palettes worth investing into. I came across tons of recommended ones; ranging from high-end to highstreet brands, big palettes to quads, bold colours to neutrals. So, when I stumbled upon this, it seemed a bit surreal. I mean, the factors seemed too good to be true: 

- It's a 35-pan palette 

- Wide variety of beautiful warm shades

- Recommended by professional make-up artists

- Sleek and slim packaging 

- AMAZING price tag (retails for £21.75)

So, just imagine my face when I went to add it to my cart and bam: SOLD OUT. Sold out on the Morphe website as well as all other websites that stock Morphe. Meaning, I added myself to a wait list of all these websites and hoped for the best. And... a couple of weeks ago, this beauty was back in stock! and obviously, I bought it!

Since being able to call this palette mine, I have made so much use out of it! I use it for everyday makeup (there are loads of neutral, matte shades), to full-out glam (the pigment of the glitter shades is amazing)!

The palette is made up of mostly warm shades, which I personally LOVE, especially for the summer months. The quality of the eyeshadows is amazing too - very pigmented, creamy and blendable. I do sometimes get some fall-out, meaning I'd need to rearrange my under eye makeup before heading out of the house.. but I've found that knocking the makeup brush slightly to remove excess can fix this problem completely.

Overall - I'm obsessed with this palette, and have not stopped using it. If you love warm shades, do yourself a favour and invest in this palette. You will not regret it. Promise! And for those of you who prefer the cooler shades, Morphe have tons of different palettes with different colour schemes, so I'm sure you'll find one that tickles your fancy :)

What is your favourite eyeshadow palette?

Lexie Rose May X

My 5 Favourite Apps Right Now

Good evening ♡,

I hope your Monday was great (well, as great as a Monday could get). This week was a busy week for me. Why, you may ask? Well, I GRADUATED from law school!! :) :) and it was also my boyfriends birthday so I had a very busy week.. CELEBRATING!

But, Monday struck. And it's back to reality. I can't exactly complain, because I had a delightful week, but scrolling through photos just makes me wish it didn't have to end. On the plus side, every week that goes by is a week closer to Christmas... so I really can't complain.

Lately, I've been using all sorts of different apps to try and make me feel as in control as possible. I've decided to jot down my five favourite apps right now, and what makes them so special.

1) Instagram

This is an obvious one. I'm pretty sure it's nearly everybody's favourite app. But I really do love Instagram, mainly because I am obsessed with taking photos, editing them & just making my feed as pretty as possible. And with an exciting week like the one I just had, there's nothing better than editing your favourite photos and posting them to Instagram, for your friends to see and mostly, for such memories to be stored :)

(Follow me on @lexiefarrugia)

2) UNUM

Speaking about Instagram, UNUM is a gem I recently stumbled upon when scrolling through the app store. This app works with Instagram, and allows you to edit photos and see what they would look like on your Instagram feed before posting them. It also allows you the possibility of posting the picture automatically at a particular time (if for e.g. you wouldn't be able to manually post it yourself). This app has made me feel extremely in control of my Instagram feed, and has helped me develop a consistent theme on my Instagram.

3) Boomerang

This is a really fun app, which also works with Instagram (and has recently launched on Snapchat Story too). I really enjoyed making use out of this in the past week with friends. This app creates a very short video clips which loop back and forth to create a very fun and cool effect. It's perfect for capturing great moments in mini videos that will make you smile whenever you watch them back.

4) Pinterest

I love love love Pinterest as it's the perfect app for your daily dose of inspiration. I turn to Pinterest whenever I need any sort of inspiration; whether this is for makeup, hairstyles, gift ideas or room decor. This app is also super easy to use, as you simply type key words and it automatically generates all images that would be useful to what you're searching for. Having an account also means that you could post your own photos, and possibly be someone else inspiration.

5) Calm

And last, but not least, an app which has helped me to relax and breathe during all those times when anxiety got the best of me (and for those of you who suffer from anxiety, you'd know that these busier weeks are when it hits you the hardest). Calm is an app which provides meditation techniques for "stress reduction". Although I don't use this app every day like I should, I turn to it on those days when I really feel like I need some help relaxing... and it works wonders. Just imagine how effective it would be if I were to use it daily.

These are definitely my favourite apps right now. These apps are all free on the app store (although you can pay for upgrades for Calm) and I've really been enjoying lately.

What are your favourite apps? Let me know in the comments below.

Love,

Lexie Rose May X