While compiling this post of my December First Impressions I realised I actually tried quite a few new products, a lot of those were skincare products, with a few makeup items too. You can also check out my December Favourites over here.

Starting with nails, my obsession with Jessica Phenom has not waned at all. I am so glad I bought this shade, it is called Geisha Girl and is the most beautiful red!

Moving onto skincare, I tried a few new products from Dr. Jart. I loved the Vital Hydra Solution Sheet Mask, it felt really soothing and hydrating, and left my skin looking and feeling supple and plump. The Water Drop Moisturiser reminds me a bit of the Dermalogica Calm Water Gel, although I don’t find it as soothing or hydrating, but it feels light on the skin, and isn’t a bad moisturiser. The Cicapair Moisturiser is great! It has a weird clay type look and feel, and goes on pretty thick and green, but once it absorbs it soothes my skin, and has added sun protection. The Sun Fluid is a bit disappointing with an spf of 30, but the texture and feel is nice.

I received the new Nuxe *Aquabella range to try out, and I really love the Moisturising Emulsion and Essence-Lotion, but the Gel Cleanser is a bit too scrubby for me. The Emulsion is hydrating and light and perfects the skin for a more even look.

Do I even need to write anything about the *Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Range? I adore the new Limited Edition Love Heals packaging. I have previously bought all of the products aside from the Lip Protectant Stick and the All-Over Miracle Oil, so I was really excited to try them out!

The Original Skin Protectant has cult status for good reason,  it heals, protects, soothes and even highlights, and it has also been around for EIGHTY EIGHT YEARS! The Lip Protectant Stick is quite nice and handy, and although it isn’t as thick the cream, it does a great job at hydrating dry lips, the packaging also looks amazing, so you won’t mind pulling it out of your handbag!

I was also sent the All-Over Miracle Oil which is great as a body oil on damp skin, it also smells amazing! The Hydrating Mist is a light glorious mist that I have been using after cleansing, before makeup and after makeup, and I love it. Lastly I have the Sun Defense SPF 50. Although this looks and feels quite thick and rich, it absorbs really well and doesn’t leave a greasy feel.

I don’t use facial wipes much, as I find them to be quite harsh and drying on the skin. I was sent the *Sensitive/Dry option from Cherubs and although it wasn’t harsh or drying on my skin I felt that the wipes weren’t saturated enough. The material itself was quite gentle, and if I added some micellar water to each wipe it did a great job. I was also sent the *ECOtton Rounds, and I love them, they do not tear and leave fluffy pieces behind, they work well on both the face and nails and most importantly, they are flushable!

I was sent two sunscreen options from *Avene which I took with me on holiday and put to good use. The SPF50+ Anti-Aging Sunscreen is not new, it is quite rich and has been designed to combat photo-induced aging. I like to use this sunscreen when I am not wearing makeup as it can be too much to layer underneath. The newly renovated Fluid is my favourite of the two, it is light, has a dry-touch feel and works well under makeup. It is also eco-friendly which means it has a minimal impact on marine life.

I did a bit of a last minute Christmas Gift Guide which you can check out here.

I received a few products from *Pure Beginnings at the end of last year. I had previously bought a different scent of the deodorant which I really enjoyed, so I was excited to give this one a try. I love the light floral scent, and I love that it doesn’t irritate my under arms. Next up are two Insect Repellents, a Stick and a Spray. Firstly, these work, I did not get bitten once when I used these and everyone else around me did. Secondly these really are gentle on the skin. I tried another brand last year that claimed to be a gentle/sensitive spray but when I applied it to my feet, it removed/smudged my pedicure!

Moving onto makeup I have some new products from Clarins. I was sent the new *Joli Rouge Velvet in Spicy Chili and Plum. (These aren’t actually new anymore, I received them in August, and they have been available since September.) They are matte, long lasting and the colour selection is great. I really love the original Joli Rouge and this matte twist is genius! I bought the Limited Edition Bronzing Compact and True Radiance Foundation in Caramel. I was sent the Limited Edition Compact in 2017 which was a bronzing/blush compact and it is still one of my most used products (but still looks almost untouched), so I definitely wanted to treat myself to the 2018 version. This one is a bit cooler toned but can still be used as a blush or bronzer, the formula is silky smooth and a pleasure to use. Also, look at those flamingos! I am really enjoying the foundation, it is light and dewy and just evens out and perfects the skin. It covers minor imperfections, but it is definitely not full coverage, I think it can be built up to medium coverage at most which is perfect for me!

Finally I was sent a few new *Elizabeth Arden launches to try out; the new Beautiful Colour Liquid Lip Lacquer and Bold Defining Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner. I will have a full review with swatches up soon, but you can check out the swatches on my Instagram in the meantime. These glossy pigmented lippies are perfect for Summer and come in a variety of shades from nude to bright to bold. The eyeliner is long-lasting, smudge free and so so pigmented and it will last through a good cry session too!

Thanks for reading ladies!

*Press Sample