Liberty Ultimate Beauty Gift 2013 - What I bought and what's in the bag

I’ve indulged in a couple of beauty sprees at Liberty and Space NK this month, tempted by the beauty GWPs both stores had (and in the case of Liberty – still has) on offer with a  minimum spend of £150.

They’re both pretty impressive, but the Liberty GWP pips Space NK to the post in terms of the selection and size of products – in my opinion at least.

Here’s what’s in the bag (I didn’t get the colour bag I wanted, but I can live with that - and it's a fantastic size washbag).

I'm not going to list all of the items individually, but highlights for me include:

• Mini Diptyque candle in a scent I love - Baies
• A mini pot of Eve Lom cleanser - not only is this my favourite cleanser in the world but the pot is a perfect size for travelling, and I'll easily be able to decant cleanser from one of the larger pots into it when it runs out
• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - never tried this but very keen to and this is a very generous sample size
• Nars Orgasm illuminator - ditto
• Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist - have wanted to try this for ages and again it's a very generous size
• ESPA body oil
• Plus goodies from Kiehl's, Dermalogica, Ren, Trish McEvoy, Aesop, Aromatherapy Associates, Phillip Kingsley, Cowshed, Hourglass, Chantecaille and more. 

I'm really impressed with the range of samples and their sizes. It's a definite improvement on last year's Beauty Gift, and while the minimum spend has increased from £125 to £150, I think the contents more than justify this.

So what did I buy? I had a few things in mind, but all that changed when I dropped by the Trish McEvoy counter and received a mini-makeover using the two products pictured below - Instant Solutions Beauty Balm and the Instant Eye Lift.

I've never tried any Trish McEvoy products before, but the natural colours of the blushes and eyeshadows have always caught my eye when passing by the counters (I'm a sucker for delicate pinks, peaches, and soft taupes and browns). I needed a new base and concealer, so I asked the sales staff what they'd recommend, and ended up having a lovely mini makeover.

First of all the exfoliating Beta Hydroxy Pads were used on my face, which I really liked, before an eye serum and face serum, then the BB cream, eye lift and a beautiful gel blush with a powder on top. I was impressed with the results of all products, and purchased the BB cream and the eye lift, with the others all added to my wishlist for a later date. They are costly products - up there with Sisley, By Terry and Chantecaille - but I'm hoping they'll prove to be worthwhile investments - fuller review to follow soon.

I also booked a facial with Eve Lom, which brought me to (and beyond) the required £150 spend. In my opinion, money very well spent. The Beauty Gift provides a great opportunity for you to treat yourself to products you've had your eye on, replenish stocks of tried and tested favourites, and also to buy some early Christmas presents in for beauty-loving friends (the products in the GWP make great stocking fillers too). Judging by the popularity of the Liberty and Space NK beauty GWPs (and I think Harvey Nic's do one too) it surely won't be long before some of the other big departments stores start doing similar... here's hoping anyway!

The Liberty GWP is sold out online but still available in store - though I'm not sure for how long, so hurry on down there if you're interested! I'll post about the Space NK GWP and what I purchased soon.