March 2014 Empties

 I seem to have used a lot of products I have been using for a while this month. I feel quite pleased that I have managed to use up a good few full sizes and some of my stash from my beauty box subscriptions. I almost feel like I am cheating when it's mostly samples I have used up. 

 

My first product is Herbfarmacy's Mallow Beauty Balm (15g) This was included in my November Love Lula box and I have used this lovely little serum daily until it finished mid March. Smells wonderful, highly moisturising and has been a saviour over Winter. I do already have a back up of this, but I think I will save it for cooler months. I am very impressed with Herbfarmacy and look forward to trying more of their products.

 

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask (75g) can either be used as a face mask or as an exfoliating facew wash. I prefer it as a face mask. I love how bright and smooth it left my skin, and would happily buy again.

Skin Blossom Age Resist face moisturiser (50ml) came in my December SoukSouk box. As you can see the writing has completely come off the product. This is my only fault with the product, as the moisturiser itself is lovely. Definitely one for dryer complexions, again really good over Winter. This is a really affordable product and I will try other products by them in the future.

 

Peppy Galore Diva Cleansing Oil (75ml) is another product from December's SoukSouk box. Intended for sensitive skins, this worked really nicely on my dry skin. It has a lovely vanilla fragrance and it just so gentle and nourishing. Would buy the full size.

 

Dr Alkaitis Night Cream (3ml) I was a bit underwhelmed by this. Obviously it was only a small sample so can't vouch for it's long term effects. I thought it was OK, just nothing special. For that price I would wasn't something special.

AD Skin Synergy Nourishing Night Treatment (5ml) was from December's Love Lula box I thought this was a lovely light facial oil and enjoyed using it at the time. I don't think I would buy the full size as there are other oils I like better (Bodhi Dessert Rose I am looking at you).

 

Bodhi Palmarosa verde showergel (200ml) I loved this. Very indulgent, worth every penny. Have already stocked up on other fragrances to try.

 

BareSkin Beauty Soothing Body Butter was sent to me to try and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This jar lasted nearly two months of daily use. Loved how soft and smooth it left my skin. There are lots of products I want to try from this website.

Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner (50mls) were from October's Souksouk box  These smell absolutely amazing. They are very gentle, so if you have a sensitive scalp I would imagine these would be grate for you. The shampoo left my hair lovely, soft and shiny, but it wasn't strong enough to control my greasy mane. I ended up using it on my daughter's hair with much better success. The conditioner I loved, but I don't know if I want to spend that much money on hair products.

Roques Oneil Therapie Himalyan Detox Salts (100g) have been on my wishlist forever. I made a cheeky little ebay purchase after Sandra from Beauty Balm kindly sent me some to try. I love these and will be buying the full size in the future.

I have finished two products by Weleda this month. The first is Skin Food (75mls). I absolutely love this as a hand cream. I already have a replacement lined up. The second is a 10ml sample of the Seabuckthorn body oil. It has a sweeter and lighter fragrance than the skin food. I have the hand cream in this as I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on twitter by Weleda and will be buying more when this runs out.

 

Dr Bronners Magic Soap in Peppermint (237ml) I love these and have a couple more stashed away. They smell great, last ages and are super gentle. Can be used for so many different things.

 

Lastly, a 50ml sample of Neom Organics Complete Bliss hand cream. For me, as someone who has problems with my hands, this is what I would call a good hand day cream. It is very light and absorbs quickly. I do love the smell, and have a couple of other samples to use up. I wouldn't buy the full size as usually I need something that is more moisturising, but am enjoying using the samples up.

Hardworking Hand Creams and Balms.

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 It's fairly safe to say I have an obsession with hand cream, and I usually have several on the go at any one time. I thought I would share some of the ones I have found most effective when my hands are really chapped and sore. All of these need a little longer to absorb, but are worth taking their time over. For maximum benefit these are really good slathered over your hands at bedtime with a pair of cotton gloves over them

 My first choice is Weleda's Skin Food I love the bright and cheerful citrus fragrance. It is made with chamomile, calendula, and organic sunflower oil. The fragrance comes mainly from the sweet orange essential oil. This is a very rich and thick cream. A very small amount gives much softer skin.

 The Bakewell Soap Company have some wonderful multi-purpose pocket balms. The one I have is the May Chang Citrus. This is a lovely soft balm that melts into the hands. It has a much more zesty fragrance than the Skin Food, smelling more like lemons. I find this really helpful when my hands are chapped as it helps soothe inflammation.

 I have reviewed Gauntlet by Bathing Beauty before here and can't speak highly enough of it. It has a lovely rosemary fragrance and helped my hands hugely over Winter.

 My final choice is Badger Balm Hardworking Hands Balm. This is made with olive oil, caster oil, beeswax, aloe extract, wintergreen and birch oil. The fragrance is immediately recognisable as wintergreen is commonly used in preparations to soothe sore muscles. This does a very good job of soothing sore hands.

      Have you trued any of these creams and balms? Would you recommend anything different?

March Haul

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This was supposed to be a month when I wasn't going to buy anything. As you can see I failed spectacularly. First I bought these Bodhi shower gels from Cutecosmetics. They were reduced to only £10 each, so it would have been rude not to take full advantage. I chose Rosemary Chi, Galangal Spice and Jasmine Falls. All 3 smell amazing, but I think Jasmine Falls is my favourite.

 

After receiving my a sample of Bohemian Chic Minerals eyeshadow in my SoukSouk box I knew I wanted to try more from the brand. I ordered 2 full size eyeshadows and 2 foundation samples and was generously sent the samples of blusher and eyeshadow below to try. I will do a proper post with swatches when I have a bit more time. So far I am really impressed with the quality of the makeup, these photos don't really do them justice. I can see this getting very costly.

SoukSouk Box March 2014.

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My SoukSouk box was waiting at the post office for me today.

 

 

I had already seen a couple of other people's posts so knew what treats I was in for. I am really pleased with the contents again. 

 The mineral eyeshadow is by Bohemian Chic Minerals (1g). My shade is Innocent, which is a lovely lavender shade. This brand is new to me, so I have had a good snoop around the website. The range is cruelty free and suitable for vegans. They have some absolutely gorgeous colours from neutrals to brights, so there is something for everyone. I am really looking forward to trying this out.

Green People Age Defy+ Soft Buff Exfoliator (10ml) I haven't tried this particular product, but have really been impressed with the quality of other Green People products I have tried.

Bloom Remedies Daily Revive Moisturiser (30ml) I bought this moisturiser recently and think it is lovely. I am really pleased to receive another one.

 

The final two items are from Chain Bridge Honey Farm and are a full size Heather Honey lip balm and soap. I have seen the lip balm on one or two blogs and they get a lot of love. I can see why, the lip balm feels wonderfully nourishing on the lips. I am more than happy to try these products.

 

 

As I have already told you I am really pleased with this box. There is a nice combination of new discoveries and old favourites.

 

 

BodyTox Lavender Sleep Patches.

One of the most interesting items we received in last months SoukSouk box were these Bodytox Lavender Sleep Patches Bodytox Lavender Sleep Patches contain and wood vinegar which simulate the actions of Reflexology. Bodytox claim that the lavender oil supports the natural cleansing of the body and aids a restful night’s sleep with less sleep interruptions.

The patches can be used in two ways. Either to aid a good nights sleep by applying vertically to the soles of the feet, or by applying patches to a chosen detox zone nightly for 6-14 nights. They reportedly stimulate meridian points on the feet to encourage a smooth flow of energy to the major organs of the body. It is this effect which claims to create a soothing, calming and cleansing effect which produces a better nights sleep.

The starter pack we received contained two patches so I used mine to see if I would get a better night's sleep. I have to confess that I did wear socks over mine so that hubby wouldn't laugh at me. The patches smell pleasant. If you are allergic to plasters I would be cautious as the patches appear to be made of Mefix - it doesn't say what they actually are on the ingredient list.

Ingredients;-

Lavender Oil, Tourmaline,  Agaricus, Wood Vinegar, Chitosan, Eucalyptus Oil, Mugwort Extract, Loquat extract, Vitamin C,  Highly purified silica, Pearl stone, Starch, Polyolic alcohol.

 

I have to confess that I did wear socks over mine so that the hubby wouldn't laugh at me. I am normally someone who goes to sleep easily, but am such a light sleeper that I wake several times a night. The patches didn't stop me waking through the night, although I did feel like I had slept well. However it has been a very difficult week and I can't say that I wouldn't have slept as well without them. I don't really see how the detox claims would feasibly be achieved either.

Overall I view this as product as a bit of fun, as a gimmick. It's not something that I would buy with my own money. Having said that I have enjoyed having it in my SoukSouk box. It has satisfied my curiosity without breaking the bank. For me, part of the attraction of beauty boxes is being able to try things I am too tight to pay full price for.

Have you tried any of these patches before? What did you think to them?

Ideas for Mother's Day

 

 

 With Mother's day almost upon us I thought I would share a couple of ideas for gifts. The first set comes from Quintessentially English and is an English Rose gift set which contains an absolutely beautiful looking slice of soap, two bath melts and either an English Rose cream or gel. They have lots of mini sizes of oils, salts and bath melts so you could even make up your own little gift pack.

                          

Another gift box I have had my eye on is this one from Soak Yourself. The box is centred around a 5ml bottled blend of lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang and jasmine organic essential oils. It also contains, a bag with a combination of salts, oats, milk and other natural ingredients, pot of honey, a handmade patchouli & vetiver soap, scented candle, camomile teabags. In short it has everything you could need for the perfect bath and sounds wonderful.

My final suggestion is the very indulgent pamper pack by Sweet Cecily. This allows you to choose a body butter, a face mask, a toner and also comes with a citrus and walnut body scrub and an almond and avocado face cream. I had a sample of the face cream in a recent SoukSouk box and loved it, so I would be delighted to receive this from my own children (Hint, hint, hubby).

                            Have you any other recommendations for Mother's Day?









 

Currently Using

 I thought I would share with you the things I am currently using in my skincare regimes. Most of these products I have only been using for a little while so this is more of a first thoughts post. I will come back to individual products in more detail later on.

                                

These are my morning skin care. As you can see I like to keep things quick and easy. I have enough trouble preventing world war 3 erupting over the breakfast table and so really don't want a complicated routine.

 First is Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm by BalmBalm This is an absolute snip at the price of £7.99. It's lovely and gentle, but very effective. Nice and quick to use, I am really enjoying this.

Botanicals Chamomile & Mandarin Facial Serum is a lovely and light serum. Absorbs quickly and good for when time is short.

Restore Cream by S5 Skincare is my current daytime moisturiser. I love the smell of this. Again this absorbs quickly but is moisturising enough to cope with my dry skin. I have been really impressed with everything I have tried from S5 skincare so far.

                                  

 

Onto my night time product. This is when I tend to favour richer products and tend to spend a bit more time. I already mentioned my cleanser, I do try and stick to just one cleanser on the go at once.

 

 I use an exfoliator twice a week and this Eternity Facial Smoother by Xenca (PR sample) suits my skin perfectly. I love the way it brightens my skin.

 

 I tend to favour an oil at night rather than a serum. I am really enjoying Bodhi Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil  (PR Sample) This has been on my wish list for quite some time and I can whole heartedly say it deserves the love it receives. It smells divine, makes my skin look plumped and refreshed. I will be repurchasing this.

 

 My final product is my Mary Elizabeth Frankincense and Rose Moisturiser which I love and reviewed recently.

 

 

Love Lula Beauty Box March 2014.

Today my Love Lula box arrived and I have to say  I am really pleased with it.

Full size (25g) sample of Gwdihw Smoochy Lips. I finished mine off last month and am very happy to have a replacement. I think these are such good value for money, it lasts ages, makes my lips (and other dry skin) lovely and soft and smells good enough to eat.

  Full size (30ml) BalmBalm Face Balm. I am currently using BalmBalm's Frankincense cleansing balm and love it. I also had one of their Rose Geranium lip balms which was lovely too. BalmBalm is a brand I really want to try more from, so this product is perfect for me. It can be used as a cleansing balm or as a moisturiser.

Odylique Superfruit Concentrate (Sample size unknown). This is the product I am most excited to try. I have seen lots of other bloggers rave about this, so I can't wait to have a play with it. I have had a quick try this morning and after a night on the town. I am very impressed with how it has perked my skin up. It feels a very decent size sample too.

Egyptian Magic (3ml Sachet) I have had samples of this multi purpose balm before and I really like it. I found this really helpful on patches of eczema. The only thing that has stopped me buying the full size is I am not sure I would use it regularly enough to justify the big tub. This is a really handy sachet to have, and I would be quite happy to buy a few of the sachets to keep in the first aid kit.

Thefinalsl sample is from Argentum Apothecary and is a 5ml sample of their La Potion Infinie which is an incredibly luxurious sounding anti-aging cream. The full size is without question out of my price range, but it is lovely to be able to try products I wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. If you fancy trying a sachet yourself they currently have free samples on their website (see link).

I love this month's box, serums and multi task balms are my weakness and this suits me perfectly. I will use everything in it. 

Mary Elizabeth Frankincense and Rose Moisturiser.

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I received this jar of Mary Elizabeth Frankincense and Rose Moisturiser in a giveaway I won from Sophias Choice over Christmas and have been using it as my night time moisturiser for about a month.

 Mary Elizabeth was created by a mother (Cecilia) and daughter (Claire) team. The company was developed after Cecilia had successful treatment for skin cancer and found that conventional skin care products irritated her sensitive skin. Mary Elizabeth products incorporate vitamin rich plant oils and organic essential oils and harness Cecilia's skill as a trained aromatherapist and member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists.
                                                                                 

 

When I saw this moisturiser was include in the giveaway I was really pleased. I love products with rose and frankincense, so this was the perfect product for me to try. This is definitely a cream for very dry or mature skin, as it is very rich. I apply it very sparingly to my skin, as a little goes such a long way. It has a lovely silky texture which absorbs well and leaves my skin feeling very hydrated. I feel that it has helped keep the drying effects of Winter at bay. I would say the dominant fragrance is the Frankincense, which I absolutely love. This is a wonderful moisturiser and I am really enjoying using it.

 

I have taken the ingredients from the website as I couldn't get the to show up clearly enough on my photo.

 

Aqua, Buxus Chinensis seed oil, Carthamus Tinctorius seed oil^, Limnanthes alba seed oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein, Butyrospermum Parkii butter^, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Boswellia Carterii Oil^, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil^, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil^, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citronellol*, ^Organic