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Aveda Botanical Kinetics travel kit (includes purifying creme cleanser, liquid exfoliant, skin firming/toning agent and hydrating lotion) - Like most beauty addicts, I find myself permanently stalking Caroline Hirons blog. What she doesn't know about skincare is probably not worth knowing!  Anyway, Mrs Hirons mentioned these Aveda goodies as being good quality skincare at a decent price point, so when I spotted them in Debenhams with 10% off, I thought I'd give them a try. I'm really enjoying the collection as a whole, particularly the toners and my skin is looking pretty darn good as a result of it.  I'll report back after a bit more usage, but so far so good.

Armani Code Luna EDT and Kate Walsh Boyfriend EDP - I'll let you into a little secret - if I haven't worn one, I've worn the other - all month long! Talk about being a creature of habit and I'm not usually like that at all - especially when it comes to perfume!  Even though I usually like to ration my usage of Boyfriend as you can only get it in America (it's a a given that I will be stocking up while I'm on holiday) I've been using it like a crazy woman.  As for Luna, Boots.com  writes it up as: a "vanilla eau de toilette", fresh and floral, leaving a mesmerising wake. To lead in, bright citrus-like and sparkling bergamot notes, green accents of bitter orange essence, and a pear chord, crisp as fresh fruit. At its core, the orange blossom absolute - the real olfactory signature of Code Luna - combines with a stunning "moonflower", filmy and light as air. With the botanical name EphiphyllumOxypetalum, it thrives in areas of light and shadow. Cultivated in India, legend has it that it only opens and flowers during the full moon. Rare and mysterious, its whiteness is a reflection of its purity; it grows and blooms to its fullest in the moonlight. Doesn't that sound right up my street? Well that explains why I've used it to death this month.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector (combo to oily) -  as I've mentioned thanks to the new Aveda skincare, I've been having a pretty decent skin month.  So I've rediscovered the Miracle Skin Perfector as a daily base.  Is it a miracle? No! Does it perfect? Not entirely, but it does give a nice amount of (light) coverage and keeps the oil at bay.  I've also found it to be a nice mixing base. A few times over the month I have used it in conjunction with other foundations to great effect. What is not to like?  

Nivea in shower body moisturiser (dry skin) - when I heard about this I instantly wanted to give it a try.  While I love a gloriously thick body butter as much as the next person, there are times when I don't want to feel like a butter basted chicken!  I use my shower gel of choice and then slap this all over and rinse.  I've been using the dry skin version and I've certainly noticed a massive difference in the condition of the skin of my upper arms and elbows.  I think this is really great concept that can slot into your routine with minimal fuss. This product is genius. Hey, I'm busy/lazy (delete as appropriate) so it's winner for me.  Of course, there's also something very nostalgic about the scent of Nivea that reminds me of my childhood and that is never going to be a bad thing.