Here's another extremely overdue look at a GWP goody bag. This time it is the Space NK Autumn Beauty Edit GWP (or perhaps I say 'Fall' as it is the giftbag from their American stores?)
Out of all the beauty retailers, Space NK has THE best GWP's as far as I am concerned. Their Beauty Edit bags are available in the Spring and Autumn and while there is a rather large spend required to nab one I assure you that you won't be at all disappointed - not only are the bags that the products are gifted in always superb, there is always a skincare heavy selection of products from truly top of the range brands.
These gifts are always available while stocks last but it's worth getting one early on as they do sometimes run out quite quickly. They are available for both in-store and online purchases and while the minimum spend has varied with recent promotions this one required a purchase of $285.00 (pre-tax). It is a hefty sum of money but I always plan my yearly beauty shops around these events and the bag itself always has a value far superior to the amount spent - this years bag had contents worth $560.00!!
Skincare.
I've already got stuck into the travel sized tube of Odacite Black Mint Cleanser and it is fantastic! A very lightly foaming cleanser with just enough mint to feel refreshing and invigorating, I have been eagerly reaching for this as a morning cleanser and I can certainly see myself purchasing this in the future.
I'm not a big fan of physical exfoliators and only use them perhaps once a week so while the inclusion of three of them doesn't thrill me it does mean that I have about a years supply so won't have to buy any.
I have previously used African Botanics Buchu Enzyme Polish and found it to be quite gentle. Chantecaille Bamboo & Hibiscus Exfoliating Cream is another one that I have used before but as it contains both grains and fruit acids it is quite strong and so I will mix a teeny amount of this into a creamy cleanser to make it less harsh. I haven't tried VenEffect Micro Exfoliant before.
Malin+Goetz Brightening Enzyme Mask is another exfoliator but it is purely a chemical one using naturally derived AHAs to cleanse and brighten. I've used this previously and found it to be a fantastic mask that leaves my skin evenly toned and fresh looking. The other mask in the bag is Goldfaden MD Facial Detox Clarify+Clear Mask. I've also used this before, it deep cleans and zaps pimples away while feeling very calming and I like it a lot.
There is also a sheet mask for the eye area, 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask. I'm not big on sheet masks but I've made a habit of popping them into my bag whenever I'm going to be away from home so I have something to revive my skin after travel.
I've been absolutely loving everything I have been using by REN recently, so although I've not particularly liked their Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot in the past I'm interested to give it another go.
I'm also looking forward to trying Sunday Riley C.E.O. Serum as not only is Sunday Riley one of my favourite brands I've been seeing a real difference in the clarity of my skin lately when I use Vitamin C products. Eve Lom Radiance Face Oil also contains Vitamin C for overnight brightening and hydration and for either day or nighttime use there's a jar of Dr Dennis Gross C+Collagen Deep Cream which I have used before and been impressed by (which is no surprise as I love almost anything by DDG!)
On the days I'm not exfoliating or using an overnight Vitamin C cream I will be using either Clark's Botanicals Retinol Rescue Overnight Cream which I can't wait to try out (Clark's Botanicals are another brand whose products I absolutely love) or Verso Night Cream, another Retinol product that is one of my tried and tested favourites.
There's only one sample of eye cream in this year's bag but it's a good one, Derm Institute Youth Alchemy Eye Cream. I'm thrilled to get a chance to try this out as this cream is seriously expensive - I'm talking way beyond my budget - and I have been extremely impressed by everything that I have tried from this brand.
There is also a sample of Natura Bisse Tensolift Neck Cream that I always enjoy using but would never purchase as I honestly don't see the need for a separate neck cream.
I'm not delighted with the inclusion of Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer, merely because of the ethics of sourcing and collecting bee venom, but as I have it I will use it so as not to waste it. However, the inclusion of a 1oz bottle of Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer makes my heart sing as it's such a generous sample from a truly luxe brand!
Makeup.
I was a little disappointed to receive yet another mini Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick but a full-sized ByTerry Stylo Blackstar blendable Eye Liner made up for it.
I'm looking forward to trying Hourglass Caution Mascara* as I have heard such good things about it, I always use mini mascaras from gift bags and rarely have to buy a full sized one.
Minis of Ilia Soft Focus Finishing Powder and Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder have made their way into my stash for me to try out.
Bodycare.
Susanne Kaufmann Ringelblumenol Body Oil was the only body care item. I've used Susanne Kaufmann oils before and they are very high quality and a little goes a long way so this 1oz bottle will last me for some time.
Perfume.
There was just one perfume sample but it was a good one - a 10ml spray of Diptyque Fleur de Peau which is one of their Limited Edition scents that I have had my eye on!
Haircare.
This year there were five haircare items in the bag. Bumble+Bumble Hairdressers Oil Heat and UV Primer is a little too heavy for my locks so I will pass this along to someone else.
I'm happy to try the generous sized Miriam Quevedo Sublime Gold Shampoo though as I do like this range of haircare. I will pair it with the sample of Philip B Lightweight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse which is an effective lightweight conditioner that I have used before.
Styling products included are Oribe Mystify Restyling Spray which instantly conditions and refreshes hair and Ouai Wave Spray which adds choppy piece-iness to hair without drying it or leaving a lot of residue.
If you like the look of this bag do keep your eyes peeled around the beginning of February for the Spring Beauty Edit GWP!
*I did receive this mascara in the Barneys gift bag, some years there are a lot of crossover products with these two bags, this year it was just this mascara and a face mask by Malin+Goetz.
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