Day one single brand advent calendars (Clarins and Ciate)

As well as the multibrand advent calendars this year (lookfantastic, youbeauty and m and s) I have also got two single brand advent calendars and these are Ciate and Clarins.

I did buy the Ciate calendar two years ago and decided to get it again after seeing a code on money saving expert to get it for £25 and because I found that I like having so much selection when I paint my nails.

The Clarins was much more of an impulse though as I've seen their brand advertised but have never tried their skincare and as they had a good deal on with some free gifts I thought 'why not?'

 Hopefully between those samples and my advent calendar I can decide how much I like this brand.

So, what have I received today?

First is my ciate calendar.

Inside there is a 5ml bottle of heirloom nail polish. This is a beautiful complex colour which I can see purple and pink and bronze in and it contains some glitter through the polish so would be a great statement colour for these winter months as the glitter gives it a dressed up edge.

It does need a few coats on it to get a good colour but is well worth the effort as it looks beautiful in the winter sun.

This is the Clarins door today and I have to admit that it provided a certain amount of comic relief while filming my video for this advent calendar as I had to fight to get the item from the calendar, which isn't unusual as the same happened with youbeauty last year.

Ever the consummate professional, not.

Today's item is 4ml of the instant smooth perfecting touch. This looks like an interesting item and sounds a little like a primer in that you use it before make up to cover any imperfections.

It has pink hue, which is great for people like me with pink undertones, and on the skin it is fairly light and a little goes a long way and after gently stroking into the skin your skin is left ready for makeup without feeling clogged up or weighed down.

This has a value £7.04 if you work out the value per gram which is fab and being a primer this will last a while. Suitable for all skin types too.

So there are my day one items and I really like both. Although the varnish does need multiple coats it is worth the time and money and I really like the primer too and like the texture as it leaves the skin smooth and soft.

Roll on day two.

x-J-x