Kirsty's Unusual Gift Guide

Family and friends will agree that I love to give unusual gifts, the weirder the better in some cases, but I look for coolness and functionality; less Soap on a Rope and more NASA Space Ants. Being slightly bored of seeing beauty gift guides, and preferring a touch of something different myself, I’ve compiled a unisex guide for those that want to give something memorable to the people that really do have everything. Some I’ve bought for others before so can personally recommend them, some I’m planning to buy this year, while others just caught my eye for their funkiness, but there’s something here for all tastes and budgets.

Tried & Tested

The Beer Soap Co. Beer Soap (£5.99 each) - Something different for the beer lovers among us, these soaps use a formula of real ales and stouts. Available with the hop goodness of Guinness, Stella Artois, Newcastle Brown Ale and Kronenbourg 1664, they contain no artificial ingredients and have a manly scent so no one ends up smelling like they’ve been on the Special Brew.

66.6% Devil Vodka (£25.99) - Presented in one of the coolest bottles I’ve seen, this vodka isn’t for the faint hearted! It’s definitely one to get people talking, but remind your loved one to take it slowly or they really will have the hangover from hell.

Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn Pouches (£4 each) - Popcorn isn’t just for the cinema, and Joe & Sephs ranges feature specially selected flavours from sweet to savoury such as Fruit Cocktail & Cream, Smooth Caramel Lemon & Poppyseeds, Cheese on Toast and Thai Style Peanut Satay. Their Christmas range includes Mince Pie and Mint Chocolate, with all flavours being gluten free and the majority vegetarian. I’ve given Goat’s Cheese & Black Pepper and Mince Pie flavours as Christmas presents, and they’ve both gone down a treat!

Edible Insects (from £4.99) - ever fancied crunchy cricket snacks, mealworm larvettes or chocolate covered ant wafers as an interesting supper? Ok don’t answer that, but trust me curiosity will get the better of you.

True Utility Cashstash (£6.50) - A practical gift for the person who’s always losing their wallet, this little waterproof capsule made from aircraft grade aluminium features a steel cashclip to hold to more than enough notes for a cab journey home. Available in silver, black and pink.

Tatratea (£21.80-£44.60 depending on flavour) - This liqueur is based on black tea with fruit and herb extracts, is named after the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia, and has an amazing tea scent. Available in Original (52%), White (42%), Citrus (32%), Coconut (22%), Forest Fruit (62%) or Outlaw (72%) flavours, it can be drunk neat, in a cocktail, or mixed with hot tea to create an unusual and interesting drink.

Antworks Space Ants (£11.50) - This mini ant farm uses NASA developed patented technology from their 2003 space shuttle experiment. The blue gel is rich enough in nutrients to keep the ants alive in their self-contained home, and if you can’t find any ants yourself you can send off for a starter pack and they’ll be shipped live in the post!

Vampire Chutney Gift Pack and Curry Lover’s Selection (£12.95 each) - Created by the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm, these themed gift selections are perfect for lovers of strong flavours. The Vampire themed chutney gift box includes Plum Chutney, Tomato Salsa and Apple Chutney, each with a fiery kick. The Curry Lover’s Selection includes Cheeky Monkey Banana Chutney, Hot Garlic Pickle and Peach & Mango Chutney which are perfect curry accompaniments.

Marmite Chocolate (£2.45) - Marmite isn’t to everyone’s taste but for the connoisseurs out there this is perfect. If your gift receiver is a fan of the salty bitter taste of Marmite crisps then they’ll love this! I’ve tried it and wasn’t wholly convinced on the flavour, but it makes a great gift nonetheless.
For the Photography LoverLumi Light Printing Kit (£29.99) - One of the coolest gifts in this guide, this kit uses light sensitive paint to enable you to print designs on anything from fabric to untreated wood and unglazed ceramics. Use the Lumi app to transform your image into a negative, print it onto acetate (unfortunately not included) apply the Inkodye underneath your image and watch as it develops using the power of the sun! Then wash fabrics with the Inkowash and the design is permanent. Available in either Blue or Red, and with extra Inkodye to buy once the kit runs out, this kit is perfect for any digital lover that wants to try something new, or film lovers that want a step up from sun prints. 

Konstructor DIY SLR Camera by Lomography (£29.95) - Build your own functional SLR camera with top down viewfinder in 1-2 hours from a sheet of flatpack plastic parts. This kit is suitable for ages 14 and over and includes stick on leather patches and vinyl decals to personalise the look of the camera once finishes. Featuring a 50mm f/10 lens, this fully working camera will take beautiful 35mm Lomo shots. Who else do you know who’s built their own camera?
Twitfish Camera Lens Cup (£6.95) - available in black or retro-looking white, with a flared lens cap to keep your drink warm which also doubles as a coaster or biscuit holder.
Camera Lens Travel Mug (£16.99) - featuring an insulated interior and screw on spill proof lid with drinking tab, this is a cool accessory for drinks both hot and cold, and is detailed enough to look like you’re drinking from a real lens!

For the Kitchen

Bogey Man Egg Separator Jug  (£5.95) - disgusting and delightful at the same time!

Rose Bunting Cake Decoration Kit  (£3.95) - I’ve never before seen bunting on a cake, but this little kit would make a seriously cute gift for an avid baker.

Citrus Zinger Water Bottle (£14.99) - This is a water bottle with built in juicer for a healthy metabolism boosting drink on the go- add a citrus half to the bottom compartment of the bottle, add water to the top, and shake!

Gluggle Jug (£29.99) - these jugs mae a great gurgling ‘glug glug’ sound as liquid is poured- functional, attractive and cool. These look like a piece of art whether on the shelf or in use, and are available in Cobalt blue, Green, White and Surf Blue.

OCD Chef Wooden Chopping Board (£19.99) - Featuring grids and rulers for those that like to keep things precise in the kitchen.

Toucan Magnetic Kitchen Scissors (£9.99) - How cute is this little guy! This sturdy pair of shears is magnetic so sticks to the fridge or knife rack, and also has a built in bottle opener.

Mason Jar Shot Glasses (£9.99 for 4) - Jam jar drinks are a popular tipple at engagement parties and wedding receptions, but these shot glasses are perfect for those of us that like to take things a little less seriously.

For the Home

Mystical Fire Magic Dust (£12.50 for 10) - transform a log or camp fire into vivid colours by throwing 1-3 unopened sachets into the flames for 30 minutes of 'wow!'.
Sky Planter Recycled (£14.99 - £34.99) - these space saving ceiling planters use a reservoir system to save water and come with all that’s needed to hang and enjoy (except the plant).
Build Your Own Life Sized Human Skeleton (£11.95) - one for the biology buffs, this book features anatomically correct pop out cardboard bones and requires no glue or scissors for assembly. All joints work as they should, and Mr Skeleton measures 1.8m tall when completed.
I Could Pee on This/I Could Chew on This (£5.18 each) - for the cat or dog lover in our lives, ICPOT features amusing poems by cats and photos too, while ICCOT includes photos and poems about mischevious dogs.
Rufus Fox Draft Excluder (£24.99) - a cute hand embroidered fox doing the splits to hold a door open and block winter drafts.
Sex Tips for Husbands and Wives from 1894 (£3.50)- Published by Ruth Smythers as a serious book of bedroom tips over 100 years ago, this is now a book of giggles and shows just how much things have changed over the last century!
‘She should let him grope in the dark. There is always the hope that he will stumble and incur some slight injury which she can use as an excuse to deny him sexual access.’
'While sex is at best revolting and at worse rather painful, it has to be endured...One cardinal rule of marriage should never be forgotten: give little, give seldom and, above all, give grudgingly!'
Lifestraw (£21.99) - Not so much for inside the home as outside it, the Lifestraw filters 99.99% of bacteria and parasites so a muddy puddle or dirty stream suddenly becomes a thirst quenching drink. This straw can filter at least 1000 litres of contaminated water so doesn't just have to be saved for emergencies, and is the perfect unusual Christmas gift for walkers and countryside explorers. 

Are you planning to gift anything out of the ordinary this Christmas?

YSL Touche Eclat- Is It Worth The Money?

I have used 3 or 4 tubes of Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (£25 for 2.5ml) since I was about 15, at that time all the fashion and beauty magazines that I read were hailing this product as the absolute answer if you suffer from dark circles, and at that time I believed them.

The packaging of the Touche Eclat highlighter is iconic- a gold metal tube with push button at one end and slim brush at the other. It really does look and feel luxurious compared to the clear tubes and doe foot applicators that we usually see. I currently have the shade 2 which is a very light salmon pink, but have also previously used shade 1 and until quite recently there were only 3 or 4 shades available.

Touche Eclat is translated as ‘radiant touch’, and this product is meant to be used as a highlighter over the face as well as brightening up the undereyes- the packaging insert shows a woman applying it around her nose, chin and cupids bow among other places. The concealer contains ‘tiny light particles and mineral extracts to create a healthy, natural glow’ and YSL claim the product is ‘Eight Hours of Sleep in a magic wand’. I admit that my dark circles are particularly striking, but if this ‘No.1 luxury face make up product’ of 2012 can’t help, then what can?

The only time I use this product is under my eyes on minimal or natural make up days, my love for this product has really waned over the last few years- the problem is that it just doesn’t do its job very well.

The coverage is very sheer, so must be used on top of another concealer if you do have dark circles, but once powdered (it stays tacky and doesn't dry properly) the brightening effect is very minimal, and if it isn't powdered you can expect creasing and product movement. I find that it only has enough reflective quality when I keep my chin up and look down my nose at everything and, as the pigmentation is so light, this doesn't have enough colour to really perform as a colour corrector on my dark circles, so the salmon tint is almost completely lost on my skin (bear in mind I'm not wearing self tan in the above swatch photo which is unusual for me).

Even though I occasionally use the Touche Eclat on the eye contours, when blended onto other areas of the face I just can’t tell the difference, whether I use it on powdered or unpowdered skin.

If you like very subtle brightening then you might enjoy this product, but if I apply a highlighter or luminiser I really want to see that’s it’s doing something. Finally, I've found that this product flashes back like nothing else in photographs, even under powder, and especially when the face is at an angle to the flash. Looking back over photos and seeing a very obvious whiteness under your eyes is both embarrassing and strange.

My current tube is a special edition design and has kept me going for a long long time because I use it so little. I've tried brightening products from other brands, and lots have products that are just as good or better with a much cheaper price- the No7 Instant Radiance Concealer (£12.95) in particular stood out to me as being just as good as the Touche Eclat with a saving of just over £12 .

A brightening concealer that is so much cheaper but, in my opinion, actually so much better is the Rimmel Match Perfection Illuminating Concealer (£5.99). It has a similar brush applicator and a squeezy tube but is brightening along with actually having enough coverage to use alone, and it really makes a difference to my dark eye contours when patted onto the skin. I use the Rimmel concealer so much more than I do the Touche Eclat and would definitely recommend it instead of splashing the cash on such an over-hyped product.

Have you tried Touche Eclat? What do you think of it?

Whats In My Bag?

I love to see what's in other peoples handbags, maybe I'm just a bit nosey but I'm a chuck-and-run kind of girl so I find it really interesting to see what other people carry round with them.

I usually have lots of tickets, receipts and sticks of gum hanging around the depths of my bag but I've had a recent clearout so it's relatively rubbish free. As well as receipts I also found a fan which isn't very useful in November, and I'll have to remember to replace it with an umbrella. As you can tell by the light in the above photos, the winter weather is closing in and I'm sure I'll be adding a pair of gloves and some earmuffs to my bag in the coming weeks!

I tend to choose bags in a neutral colour that will go with everything and keep with the same one for a few months, instead of repacking a different bag for different outfits. I bought this cream and brown bag from Matalan in the summer and it's still going strong- I find Matalan really good for accessories and they usually have a big range of affordable shoes too. 

I have the EST. 1969 Cream Studded Purse from New Look, which is a good big size (but unfortunately not very full!) and I would be lost without my phone so I like to keep it protected- the Switcheasy Avant Garde Blossom case looks pretty but also keeps it scratch and crack free, it's available in a range of different colours and you can find it discounted on eBay or Amazon. I keep my makeup together in my handbag using the Disaster Designs In a Nutshell Makeup Bag which has a lovely design and is really big, I also have a What's In My Makeup Bag? post which is a few months old but shows how much I can fit in there!

I carry a little black quilted pouch to keep girly bits together, Boss Orange perfume to keep me smelling fresh and Asda Protect hand gel to try and protect myself from coughs and colds. I have the turquoise Handbag Mirror with LED Lights that I wrote about in my Birthday Wishlist, which is the handiest thing ever and you can find them in a range of colours for about £4 each! 

Along with the essentials like Nivea lip Butters, a nail file and pen, I also carry a few sheets of toilet paper in the bag's front pocket, which seems a bit strange but is just much cheaper and easier than individual packets of tissues (and also very handy if you've chosen the one toilet cubicle without any paper!). For some reason I get a bit anxious if I don't have a bottle of water with me, so it's a must for my bag and I fill it up every time I go out. I take a water bottle everywhere, whether its a 5 minute journey to the post office or out to the pub for a drink!

As far as beauty products go, I have the Neutrogena Spot Stess Control Ultra-Light Moisturiser which I find brilliant for breakouts and congestion so I take it with me for overnight stays, the MUA Out There Gloss in Candy Pink is one of my most used glosses, and the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Cherish (click for a full review) is my favourite lip product at the moment so stays in my bag for touch ups.

Finally I have a little costume ring with three clear stones that that was hiding at the bottom of my bag, I'd been looking for it recently and thought I'd lost it so that was a brilliant little find!

This is what's currently in my bag, what's in yours? Are there any handbag essentials you couldn't be without?

A Little Body Jewellery Collection

Something you might not know about me is that I have 4 piercings- two in my ears, one in my lip and one a little further south. I've had my left nipple pierced for just over 4 years; I’d wanted it done for a while and took the plunge a few weeks before my 18^th birthday. The piercing parlour was clean and gave good advice about aftercare, but looking back I wouldn't recommend them as they agreed to pierce an intimate area even though I told them I had no ID. I think nipple piercings are really attractive, but for me the healing was a drag and almost put me off piercings completely- it took a good few months of sleeping in a bra because of the soreness, not letting anyone touch it and being careful not to accidentally knock it. Nips take on average 9 months to heal, but it was only towards the 12 month mark that mine finally healed completely.
After the initial pain of the needle (one which took me by surprise and made me shout words that I didn't even know I had in me), it was sensitive and sore for longer than I had expected, but I haven’t had any problems with it since and I'm so glad that I had it done. While I occasionally contemplate removing my lip stud, I can’t see myself taking my nip piercing out until I need to- not only, in my opinion, does it look great but it’s also nice to have something that isn't on show and that only a handful of people will see.

Most of the body jewellery I own is very simple, but there are a few pieces which are particularly colourful or interesting that I thought were definitely worth sharing. With nipple jewellery you can be a bit more creative than with other parts of the body, and it’s always fun to see someone’s reaction when they come across something they weren't expecting.BCR steel rings are possibly the most boring items of body jewellery, but they're sometimes necessary as they're the least likely to catch on hair or clothing. I tend to prefer rings over bars, even though I do like a change sometimes, but there aren't really a lot of options when it comes to rings other than changing the little balls that close them. To jazz mine up I've gone for blue, turquoise and green jewelled balls as that's the colour family I like the most and, even though they're simple, I think they're really pretty colours.This shield is quite interesting, with its semi-floral design in clear and blue crystals. It does look really nice on and is a more feminine version of a plain cut-out silver shield, but the design lets it down slightly- the hole is quite small and when the bar is threaded through the two loops at the back it sits a way behind the shield, so it was quite optimistic of the designer to expect anyone’s nip to actually stay in place unless they kept still and were perpetually....cold. Even though you can't really tell, the shield is made from plastic which makes it a bit more comfortable than it would be in metal as its more lightweight. The bar from this shield is the one that I wear the most, it's quite big at 3cm long, but I'm not very keen on those short ones that just look like two silver balls floating on either side of the nip.I think this bow and arrow is so cute! One day I might actually buy something in a colour other than blue but I think the little crystals in this one bring it to life a bit. This one it's not quite as dainty as it looks so it doesn't come out too often as its a little bit heavy. The bar is a bit shorter than the other, and I'm thinking of getting a couple of more interesting balls to go on the end rather than a little ball and a cone. The thing with metal screw on balls is that most have the design on the top and the hole on the bottom, so when they're on a bar you can only see the design from either side rather than if you’re looking at it straight on. Tongue bars for some reason seem to have the funkiest designed balls, especially in acrylic, and I really like the look of these Two Tone Glow In the Dark Balls from Urban Piercing Shop to add to my collection.You'll either think this is really sweet or really tacky, I've got a feeling you might go for tacky but obviously I thought it was sweet! I'm sure I don't need to explain why there’s a gap where the O should be, I don't know who designs these things but that gap is a lot smaller than it looks, let me tell you! To be fair it does come in three bar lengths but the end of the L really encroaches into the bar area so I'm glad I got the biggest size. I think the font adds a tiny bit of class to this one, with some sort of chunky 'Impact' style font it might look a bit like it belongs in the jewellery section of the Argos catalogue, but its a little more classy and the letters are sterling silver instead of the normal steel. This is probably my least worn, as it has edges that can catch, and the memory of getting it caught and tangled once in a knitted jumper still makes me shiver a bit! Even so, I'm pleased to have it in my collection to pull out as a surprise every now and then.

Do you have any unusual piercings or interesting pieces of body jewellery?

VO5 Give Me Texture and Plump It Up Styling Sprays

I've been working on trying to grow my hair recently (by working on it, I basically mean not cutting it), but since the layers that were once around my ears are now down below my shoulders I've had more of struggle when trying to create thickness and volume. I wash my hair every day and it usually feels soft and flat, when I would much rather have it bouncy and messy, so creating style and texture that holds now that my hair is long again has become a bit of a challenge!

I was scanning the haircare aisles of Asda when I came across V05's large range of styling products, and as I used to swear by their Mega Hold Weather Resistant Gel Spray when I was at school, I thought I would try out a few of their newer releases.

Designed to give the hair 'volume and thickness with natural bounce', Plump It Up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion (£3.65) also includes heat defence to protect it from damage. This is sprayed onto damp hair before blow drying and I find it gives my hair more shape without it feeling sticky or greasy. It has a wide spray that makes it easy to coat the hair, and has a lovely fresh sweet scent.

The Give Me Texture Tousled Style Spray (£3.89) is meant to create texture on layered hair, when sprayed into the lengths and scrunched. I like a messy slightly wavy look to my hair but don't usually use tongs or curlers so I thought this would be the perfect product for me, unfortunately though it's the one I've used the least. I find a lot of product comes out of the pump at once which can make application patchy and, although V05 claim it creates a 'touchable finish', it feels quite hard and crunchy in my hair. I thought this would give a similar result to a mousse, but instead seems very much like the gel sprays which hold hair in place by making it crisp.

The final spray is designed to be used instead of backcombing for up-dos, but I find it great on my hair when it's down and I've been reaching for the Plump It Up Dry Backcombing Spray (£3.79) a lot over the last few weeks. While it doesn't give such an intense look as backcombing, it acts like a dry shampoo with less powder and more grip. I spray this into my roots and down the lengths of my hair where it removes the softness and flatness of my clean hair and makes it easy to mess up. The instructions say to 'jujj' hair into shape, which is exactly what I do, and it gives me much more texture and volume at the crown, and down my layered lengths which can otherwise hang limp below my shoulders.

This is definitely my favourite of the three as it works so well on my hair and it actually makes it feel thicker between my fingers. If you like sleek shiny locks then this spray might not be for you, but if you struggle with flatness and dislike products that make the hair hard then this is well worth a try!

The VO5 styling range is really affordable, with almost every product being under £4, and there is such a large choice of products that you're bound to find something to suit your hair. I'm pleased that I've found two out of these three products work really well for me, and having heat defence already built into the formula of one of them is a definite convenience. I'm sure I'll be having another snoop down the aisle soon!

Have you tried any styling products from VO5 recently? 

Do You Clean Your Makeup Packaging? - How and Why You Should

A while ago I wrote a post about cosmetics sanitisers from Beauty So Clean, titled 'So You Clean Your Brushes, But Do You Clean Your Cosmetics?', but I found it really interesting recently to find out that some people don't clean their make up packaging. When you're touching a product every day, even with clean hands it can become marked with cosmetics and fingerprints  and any oils or dirt from your fingers can transfer to the compact or pot, which might then transfer to your face. If you store your cosmetics out in the open, dust can also settle on it, which doesn't cause much threat, but can make it look less than new!

I clean the packaging of a product to make sure it looks nice and new, and to remove any smudges, fallout or oil and bacteria. I go through the whole collection of my frequently used makeup once or week or so (usually when I wash my brushes) and clean anything that looks marked, as well as wiping over products like lipsticks and concealers that I store uncovered in pots. It's an obvious one, but I also make sure to clean the countertop that I keep my make up on too- it collects powder and eyeshadow fallout, and I am constantly touching it to pick products up and set them down.

The best and easiest way that I use to clean cosmetic packaging is with wipes- any face wipes you have are great for getting rid of annoying smears or spillages (I find the textured exfoliating types the best, they remove dried mascara with ease!), and alcohol disinfectant wipes are brilliant for sanitising surfaces and products, as they work quickly, dry really fast and don't leave any scent. I've tried cleaning solution on a sponge in the past, but it leaves the products so wet that it isn't very helpful for a quick scoot over the collection.

The makeup wipes that I currently have on hand at the moment are the Simple Cleansing Wipes, which I don't use for a full cleanse but do use to remove my make up, and some super cheap Pure Exfoliating Wipes which I use purely for cleaning. The alcohol wipes I'm currently using are the Milton Antibacterial Surface Wipes, meant to be used to disinfect surfaces around babies, but work brilliantly for make up products. Disinfectant wipes take a minimum of 5 minutes to kill bacteria, but usually don't require rinsing so you can wipe a product over and set it back into storage while it quickly dries.

I find the most annoying packaging to clean is the matte black type, which seems to collect dirty finger prints without me even touching it! I use a make up remover wipe, or sanitising wipe (such as the Antibacterial Cleansing Surface Wipes from Dettol), then wipe them quickly with a cloth or towel to avoid making fingerprints on the wet packaging before it's dried.
A task that often slips my mind is to clean my big mirrors- it's sometimes amazing how much more detail you can see after polishing a mirror that didn't even look dirty! Some cleaners can leave streaks, so I apply a few drops of vinegar to some kitchen towel and then wipe it over the surface of the mirror, buffing until it quickly dries. I'm left with a completely clean shiny mirror and no drips or streaks! 

Cleaning makeup packaging and storage areas is one of the household tasks that I actually enjoy doing, and I think it's quite important. While fingers and brushes will hold more bacteria to transfer to the face, anything that's on the packaging might ultimately end up there too. Aside from hygiene, there's nothing better than seeing your pretty make up shine like new!

My Favourite Four High Street Highlighters

The basic concepts of a highlighter or luminiser seem pretty easy to replicate, but sometimes high street brands get it so wrong. I've tried my fair share of products that are either bright white, horribly glittery, or just so badly formulated that they look like nothing on the skin, and each has left me wondering whether cheaper products can really do as promised. Thankfully I have found some high street highlighters that I really enjoy using, and think are definitely worth picking up. Here are my current favourite four:

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder (£3)- this is one of the best highlighters for its price in my opinion- at £3 this powder is so light on the purse that it's often sold out in superdrug stores and on the MUA website. It has a lovely iridescence without being too sparkly and can be applied lightly or built up for a really glossy look. This product isn't overly finely milled, which means there isn't much fallout from the pan, but also means it can tend to highlight the pores so a light hand is needed for areas where pores are particularly large (for me, thats across the nose and centre of the cheeks). The product is lightly pigmented with a pinky tone, and when bought new it has a really attracted embossed wave pattern which I think makes it look far more expensive than it actually is. The hinge on my lid has unfortunately broken off, so the packaging doesn't get a thumbs up from me, but  this product is one of the best you'll find for £3 and excellent value for money.

Autograph Liquid Glow Illuminator (£9.50)- A great high street dupe for Mac Strobe Cream, this light lotion is moisturising and luminising with iridescent light reflecting particles that create a natural look in the absence of sparkle or shimmer. The illuminating liquid can be used underneath foundation, mixed with foundation, or tapped and blended on  top over the high points of the face to make them stand out. This lotion is so easy to blend into the skin with fingers or a brush, but I find on my oily skin I sometimes need to set it with a little powder just to keep in place through the day. The packaging features a pump with plunger at the bottom of the bottle instead of tube in the centre, which means you can be sure to use up every last drop of the 30ml. The Liquid Glow Illuminator is available in White or Bronze, and while bronze is too dark for me I think it's great that they've created an option for more tanned skins.

Topshop Highlighter in Sunbeam (£10)- This highlighter has unfortunately been discontinued (although it seems to still be available online at John Lewis), but deserves honourable mention for its uniqueness. First, I love the simple packaging of this product- the matte cream compact is solid but lightweight, and the hand-drawn stars make it stand out in my make up collection. This is the most pigmented highlighting powder I've tried and a light dusting creates a lovely warm metallic glow to the face without being chalky or grainy. A light hand is definitely needed to avoid the golden powder showing up too obviously on the skin, but I find highlighters that lean too pink can look a bit unnatural on my skintone, so this is the perfect shade to give an iridescent warmth. If golden highlighters aren't your thing, Topshop also sells Crescent Moon, which has the same formula but in a much lighter and pinker shade.
[I've just heard from lovely Lucy at The Little Blush that Sunbeam will be available at Topshop again this Christmas, I'll definitely be buying myself a back up!] 

Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java (£9)- A recent release from Bourjois celebrating their 150^th birthday, this finely milled pearlised rice powder illuminates the skin in a really delicate way. The translucent light pink powder can be used lightly all over the face to brighten (and is praised as an undereye setting powder), or more heavily along the cheekbones for a stronger but natural glow. I find I can get away with using this product all over during the day, but at night the artificial light tends to bring out the gold shimmer so I stick to the natural high points of the face. The powder contains rice starch, oakmoss extract and rose extract which give it a light scent that reminds me of roses and baby powder, and the packaging is definitely worth talking about- a convenient twist lock sifter sits inside a vintage style pot, which looks eyecatching rather than outdated and the green stands out perfectly among the black and white compacts of my collection. I was so eager to get my hands on this product when it launched, and it certainly didn't disappoint me!

In my opinion, if you can't swatch a highlighter before buying, its best to seek out reviews from people with a similar skintone to you- a product that looks gorgeous on, for example, a warm olive shade of skin can look completely different on a lighter complexion. Even though I already own more than enough, I've got my eye on the Balm Mary Loumanizer (£16 from Feel Unique) as the next to add to my highlighter collection. A product that I originally saw in a video by Shaaanxo, and which seems to look gorgeous and glossy on every skintone!

What are your favourite highstreet highlighters?

Real Techniques Sam's Picks Set

As I've said before (and I'm sure I'll say again), Real Techniques seem to be able to do no wrong. Their previous new release, the Miracle Complexion Sponge, was a massive hit with with me; so much so that I haven't picked up a foundation brush since trying it and now have two so that I'll never be without a clean one. Imagine my excitement when I heard they were launching a new set in time for Christmas, which includes the Essential Crease Brush, a new eye brush exclusive to the collection.

Presented in a plastic box with shiny cardboard-covered foam insert, the Sam's Picks* set stands out against the others in the group, and looks quite festive with its bright colours. The set features 6 of Sam's favourite brushes for adding to any collection, 4 of which are face brushes and 2 are eye brushes, that are perfect to create a flawless finish from minimal makeup to a dramatic look.

Multitask Brush- This is so soft which makes it perfect for applying powder to the larger areas of face and has become my new favourite brush to set my makeup. While I find it a bit too big for blusher, it does a great job of sweeping bronzer over the cheeks and forehead for a sunkissed look.

Buffing Brush- A bloggers favourite for foundation and only previously available in the Core Collection. I love this brush to flawlessly apply foundation on days when I need less coverage, and it does a brilliant job of blending my base into my hairline and jawline. This is also perfect for buffing powder foundation seamlessly into the skin and creates a lovely finish with my mineral powder.

Essential Crease Brush- This is exclusive to the set, with no plans yet for it to be released on its own. The tapered end means it fits perfectly into the crease and applies shadow evenly while the rounded bristles at the sides blend it in easily. This has some of the softest bristles in my eye brush collection but their slight stiffness means you can use it lightly to get great definition.

Setting Brush- The perfect size and shape for the areas under the eyes and around the nose, this flat but fluffy brush applies loose powder perfectly to avoid creasing and shine. It's soft for delicate areas and doesn't leave the bristle marks that larger brushes can. It can also be flipped over and used to apply a dusting of highlighter precisely to the cheeks and nose.

Pointed Foundation Brush- This brush aims to layer foundation where more coverage is needed and to aid application in tight spots like around the nose and eyes. This is probably the brush that I reach for the least as I find it a bit too small and dense, but it does have its uses.

Fine Liner Brush- Its a rare occasion that I crack out my gel liner but this long thin brush makes it easy to get a sharp line and flick, even for those of us that are a bit clumsy with our fingers. Used with powder eyeshadow this brush creates a light thin line, and I find it really useful when I'm applying minimal make up in a rush in the morning as I can sweep along the lashline without worrying about any jolts in the line that I can sometimes get with hurried use of an angled brush.

This set combines the highlights of the whole of the Real Techniques collection, and would make the perfect Christmas present for any makeup fan. Even if you already own some of these brushes it's always useful to have another clean one at hand, and the Essential Crease Brush makes it a perfect addition to any collection.

The Real Techniques Sam's Picks set is available for £29.99 online from Precious About Makeup and Ula La Beauty.

Capture the Light with Vita Liberata Translucent Rose Skinfinish

I love the look of a bright glossy leg; I think it looks healthy, glamorous, and also draws the eye. A highlight at the front of the leg can also make it longer and slimmer, as any bits that aren't quite as toned as you'd like seem to almost disappear into the shadows. I might already have a touch of the Winter Blues, but I'm always looking for the perfect product to achieve a glow all year round, so was really intrigued to see these Skin Perfecting Illuminisors from Vita Liberata. These are a purpose-made alternative to diluted shimmery moisturisers or body oils that can make your skin feel greasy and leave you stuck to your seat.

The Capture The Light collection features a group of products in translucent and opaque finishes that act as skin finishers to illuminate the body with iridescence. Available in shades from Translucent Rose through to Opaque Latte, there's a colour to suit every skin tone, and Translucent Rose* is the perfect highlight for my fair skin. The Skin Finish contains SPF25 and has 80% organic ingredients, and with its water based mousse-cream texture it doesn't feel oily on the skin. Applied sparingly, the weightless pale cream needs to be well blended into the skin with the fingers, and dries to a finish that is slightly shimmery but very iridescent.

This cream is perfect to apply to arms, legs and décolletage, and the sturdy plastic bottle makes it easy to pump the product out even when my hands are covered in cream. Applied in a blended line to the front of my calfs and thighs, and to the tops of my arms, I'm left with a glowing illuminated finish to the skin that instantly makes me look more healthy and put together. As this product provides a higher level of illumination than the types can be used on the body but designed for the face, it's perfect for nights out and events where you want to show a bit of skin, and really want to show it off.

I would suggest swatching these before buying if you can as, although the translucent Rose and Gold shades don't provide any coverage, the opaque shades are more of a bronzing product on lighter skin tones and can appear quite dark if you don't already have a tan. The pump bottles contain 30ml, the size of a bottle of foundation, but because only a small amount is needed (and it's more of a special occasion product than everyday) the bottle will last you a long time, and you'll still be reaching for it frequently come the sunshine of next spring!

Vita Liberata is the brand behind one of my favourite self tans- Extra Rich Silken Chocolate, and the Capture the Light range is definitely another winner. The Vita Liberata Capture the Light Illuminating Skinfinishes are available for £29.95 from Debenhams and Cult Beauty.