A Beautiful World Autumn/Winter Beauty Box

It's that time of year again, that always creates a buzz in the green bloggers world. Yesterday was the release of  the abeautifulworld Autumn/Winter Beauty Box. These always sell out super fast and are completely pot luck as to what they contain.

The first item is a 30ml sample of Get It On body wash by Plant. I seem to recall that there were one or two full sizes of this in the last box. Fragranced with Ginger, Sandalwood and Cedarwood this smells lovely.

 

A 30ml sample of S.W Basics Makeup Remover which is made with sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and olive oil. This can also be used as a light moisturiser.

 

A full size S.W.Basics lipbalm in Peppermint.

The bigger bottle is a 30ml sample of YTTP cleanser. This brand is a new arrival to ABW. Made with Spinach, kale and green tea, this is full of antioxidants. I am looking forward to trying this.

 

The first vial is a sample of Indie Lee's CoQ-10 Toner which is said to hydrate, brighten and tighten the skin. I love the smell of this.

 

The second vial is the product I am most excited about and was secretly hoping I would receive. I have wanted to try the Squalane Facial Oil for ages, expect a review soon.

The Body Deli samples are the Living Hair Sprouted Greens Shampoo and Conditioner. I am curious to see how these perform as my hair is notoriously hard to please.

 

The one item I don't think I will use is the false eyelashes by Helen Dowsley. I feel like a real party pooper by saying this, but false eyelashes are just a faff that I can't be bothered with.

 

The final item is a nail lacquer by Intensae. The shade I received is Muse, which is really pretty. It will be perfect for the upcoming Festive season. It is still far too early to mention the "C" word.

 

I love the hustle and bustle that the ABW boxes bring. I think that they are fantastic value for money and a good way of showcasing the store. If I am being totally honest I am not completely blown away by this box, but that is because I have preferred the contents of previous boxes. I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone else got in their boxes, so if you bought one leave me a link so I can have a snoop.

 

Swell Ultimate Volume Masque

Finding cleaner hair care has been one of the things I have found to be really hit and miss. Thanks to the recent Hair care boxes from Naturisimo I have found a few products that have impressed me. Swell's Ultimate Volume Masque  is one of those products.

 

Having long, fine hair, I find a lot of products either weigh my hair down or make it look greasy. I find a lot of products, especially intensive conditioners and oils too heavy for my hair. For the most I have overcome this by using a leave in conditioner, but I was missing the benefit of a weekly treatment. 

 

I have used the mask weekly for about 5 weeks, and still have a huge amount of product left. The instructions tell you how much product to use and for how long according to the length of your hair. To be honest I have found I don't need to use quite as much as they suggest. I see this lasting me a very long time.

 

 The formula is rich and hydrating, but is light at the same time. It is unlike any other hair product I have tried before. It doesn't weigh my hair down. It leaves my hair very soft and easy to manage and has started to look fuller. I have never quite had results like this before, so I am very impressed. I have already bought another one and am planning to try the rest of the range.

 

Ingredients taken from the website:-

Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Bisethyl (Isostearylimidazoline) Isostearamide, Behentrimonium Chloride, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Pelargonium, Graveolens Flower Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Peel Oil, Niacinamide, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Hydrolysed Lupine Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Oat Beta Glucan, Cedrus Deodara Wood Oil, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Root Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Pyridoxine Hci, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Gluconolactone, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Calcium Gluconate, Linalool*, Limonene*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Citral*.

Green People Fruit Scrub Exfoliator.

An exfoliator is an important part of my beauty regime, even more so as we move into colder months. It is probably the one that I tend to forget to mention. I have tried quite a few products from Green People so today I thought I would share my thoughts on their Fruit Scrub Exfoliator.

 

I know a lot of people are put off by manual face scrubs. They have a bad reputation for being overly harsh and for being full of plastic microbeads. When they are done right however, they are so much more gentle. I trust Green People, as they always use ingredients which are kind to the skin as well as to the environment. There are no microbeads to be found here.

 

 I have found this to be very true of the Fruit Scrub Exfoliator. The particles of apricot seed are just the right size to be an effective exfoliator, without being too abrasive. It tackles dry patches very effectively, leaving my skin super soft and brighter in appearance.

 

This has a lovely citrus fragrance thanks to the addition of mandarin peel oil, lemon peel oil and bergamot. For my dry skin this works beautifully. I always find citrus aromas to lift my mood, so this is a good product when I want to give my skin a little pick me up. I know that citrus oils are often a trigger for some, so in this case this perhaps wouldn't be suitable.

 

Ingredients taken from the website:-

AQUA (SPRING WATER), OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL*, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) SEED POWDER, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL*, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER*^, GLYCERIN* (VEGETABLE DERIVED), SQUALANE (FROM OLIVE OIL), CETYL ALCOHOL (EMULSIFYING PLANT WAX), CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE (PLANT DERIVED EMULSIFIER), CETEARYL ALCOHOL (EMULSIFYING PLANT WAX), ELAEIS GUINEENSIS (PALM) OIL*^, GLYCERYL STEARATE (PLANT DERIVED EMULSIFIER), ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) LEAF JUICE POWDER*, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL*, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT*, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS (MARSHMALLOW) ROOT EXTRACT*, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE (PLANT DERIVED EMULSIFIER), HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) WATER*, HYDROLYSED JOJOBA ESTERS (FROM JOJOBA OIL), AROMA [LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) HERB OIL*^, CITRUS NOBILIS (MANDARIN) PEEL OIL*, CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA (BERGAMOT) FRUIT OIL*^, CITRUS LIMON (LEMON) PEEL OIL*], CITRIC ACID, BENZYL ALCOHOL, SALICYLIC ACID, SORBIC ACID, LIMONENE*, LINALOOL*, CITRAL*, GERANIOL*. *88.6% ORGANIC, ^FAIRLY TRADED

Focus on Toners.

Today I thought I would share my thoughts on some of the toners I have in my collection. I tend to keep my reviews to products which have impressed me, and this is true of all three of these products. I would just vary what purpose I use them for.

 

Neals Yard Remedies White Tea Facial Mist was given to me by the lovely Annie from Hello Purple Clouds when we did our beauty swap. NYR describe it as being a gentle facial mist to calm, refresh and rehydrate the skin. This gives a super fine mist and really does calm the skin when I have felt hot and bothered. This has been wonderful when the weather has been really muggy and I like using this after exercise too. The smaller bottle makes it a great size to keep in my handbag or gym bag.

I am a huge fan of Botanicals Rose & Camellia range. Out of the three toners, this Hydrating Mist is the one that gives the biggest hit of moisture. I love the fragrance and would use this to refresh my skin throughout the day. This is also the best value for money. 

I am a huge Skin and Tonic fan, so couldn't wait to get my hands on their Rose Mist. As with all Skin and Tonic products, the quality of ingredients is so high. The rose fragrance is beautiful, and this always feels very calming whenever I use it. For me, this is the one that I would save for when I am pampering my skin, for when I wanted to use something a little more special.

Pommade Divine

I feature a lot of cleansing balms on my blog, but today I thought I would share a slightly different balm. Today I wanted to talk about Pommade Divine.

 

Pommade divine is a rich balm, which the company say repairs and nourishes dry and damaged skin. Traditionally a pomade was a mixture of animal fat, lanolin and essential oils. Pommade divine does contain Lanolin so this obviously isn't a product that is suitable for vegans. It also contains 5 essential oils (benzoin, nutmeg, cinnamon, liquidambar and clove). All of these essential oils have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, as well as the ability to reduce scars and brighten the skin.

 

Although this can be used to moisture very dry patches and cuticles, I would use this as a medicinal balm. Pommade Divine is a very rich and thick balm, so needs only to be applied sparingly. It's fragrance makes me think of Christmas because of the spicy essential oils.

 

Over the Summer I fell when I was running with friends. I made a real mess of my face as I fell on a gravel path. I am very lucky that I didn't brake anything, but I managed to give myself a nose bleed, a decent cut above my lip and to the bridge of my nose as well as grazing my cheek. On top of that I sported a cracking fat lip and black eye. I frightened the living daylights out of friends, who thought I should really go to A&E. I refused as I hadn't broken anything and as a nurse there wasn't anything I couldn't heal with myself. I won't show you the photos because they certainly aren't pretty. I am someone who bruises very easily, and normally it takes a good while for the bruising to heal.

 

I am so impressed with Pommade Divine. I applied it sparingly every couple of hours for the first few days and then probably twice a day for 3-4 days after. After 72 hours all the swelling to my face had gone down, the grazed area to my cheek had completely healed, leaving just dry scabs to the bridge of my nose and above my lip. Those scabs took about a week to lift, and I have very minimal scarring to the cut above my lip. I genuinely feel that this is because of Pommade Divine, as my skin would normally take much longer to heal. I also think I would have been left with much more noticeable scarring without it.

 

The only draw back for me is that you can only buy the full sized jars (50mls). As I would use this as a medicinal balm I would rather buy it in a tube. The 7ml sample that I had was perfect. This is probably a product I would use sporadically, and my concern would be that a big pot would spoil before I used it. As a nurse I think a tube is a much more hygienic option for this kind of product.

 

Lanolin, Olus Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Cera/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Styrax Benzoin Resin Extract, Liquidambar Orientalis Resin Extract, Myristica Fragrans (Nutmeg) Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Bud Oil, Eugenol, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Oil, Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Parfum (Fragrance).

Love Lula Beauty Box October 2015

Today my Love Lula Beauty Box arrived. Sadly I am going to unsubscribe for a while.

 The first item is a full sized packet of Cleansing Wipes from the Yes To range. Although I quite like the products I have tried from the Yes To range, I am not a fan of cleansing wipes. We have also had different varieties of these in previous boxes. I will more than likely use these on the kids grubby mitts.

A 7ml sample of Pommade Divine. I have tried this all purpose medical balm before and really like it. Although this may seem a small sample, a little goes such a long way.

 These lip balms by Fair Squared are really good, but I think this is the third I have received from Love Lula. I am giving this to my daughter as there are only so many I can use. Having said that, these are super gentle and I am more than happy for her to use it.

A full size Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm by BalmBalm. I have tried this before and really like it. This is a very good cleansing balm and like all BalmBalm products they are very affordable too. I just have a lot of their products courtesy of my LoveLula subscription.

The final item is a sachet of Dr Bronners Lemongrass Lime Shikakai Soap. Dr Bronners liquid soaps are a staple beauty product for me, but I haven't actually tries the Shikakai soaps. I will be interested to see how these compare. 

 

There are some products in this months box that are really good and as a whole it is good value for money. If I were a new subscriber to Love Lula I would be really pleased with this, as a regular subscriber it just doesn't feel very exciting.

 

 I feel like I am guaranteed to get something by either John Masters, Yes To, BalmBalm, or Fair Squared, and either a hand cream or a lip balm. All of these products have been lovely, but I have a stash of very similar products. This is a shame as Love Lula has an extensive range of brands, and the beauty box does not show case the online store's full potential. As I said earlier, it is time for me to take a break from my subscription. I will continue to shop from Love Lula because of the choice of products and their excellent customer service.

Beatitude Peace Body Oil.

As a massive fan of aromatherapy products I have had my eye on Beatitude for quite a while. Their range of luxury soaps, bath, body, and facial oils is quite stunning so it took me a while to decide which product to start with. After much faffing I chose their Peace Body Oil

 

Beatitude was founded by Rebecca O Connor who is a qualified aromatherapist who trained with Geraldine Howard from Aromatherapy Associates (who are also one of my favourite brands). Beatitude combine pure essential oils with natural plant oils. Products are not tested on animals.

 

I chose the Peace Body Oil for it's fragrance. The combination of Ylang ylang, Lavender, Cedarwood and Petitgrain really does live up to it's name. I love to use this after my bath at night. I find it very calming and it definitely helps me to wind down.

 

The essential oils are mixed in a base of Oat, Camellia, Peach Kernel and Daikon Radish Seed oils, making the Peace Body Oil feel very nourishing. It feels wonderfully silky when applying, leaving my skin ever so soft and beautifully fragranced. It absorbs quickly and doesn't feel in the slightest bit greasy.

 

I couldn't review the product and not mention the packaging. All of Beatitude's oils come in solid glass bottles, which obviously make them very attractive. I plan on using mine as a reed diffuser when I have finished the oil as it is simply to pretty to confine to the recycling bin. My one criticism of the product, is that it took me a little while to get the knack of pouring out the product without any trickling down the sides of the bottle.

 

 

 

 

 

John Masters Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo and Citrus & Neroli Detangler.

I have had my samples of John Masters Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo and Citrus & Neroli Detangler for quite a while. They were part of the first Haircare Discovery box that Naturisimo released. At the time I was very keen to be able to try the Rahua products, but in all honesty these have been much more to my liking.

John masters Organics are very much a luxury brand, and their prices certainly reflect that. However I do think that they make very high quality products and I managed to get 3 weeks use out of this 60ml sample, which isn't bad going to say I wash my hair on a daily basis. I think that although the products aren't cheap, they do last making them better value for money.

 

The shampoo itself has a low foaming action. I found it better to use smaller amounts and shampoo twice. Despite the low foam, I did find it fairly easy to distribute through my hair. I have found some of the natural shampoos I have used very difficult to get through my hair - my hair is very long, but this wasn't the case here. The Lavender Rosemary Shampoo has a pleasant herbal fragrance. It rinses out easily, and I was pleased with how shiny and manageable it left my hair. All in all I am very impressed with this shampoo.

The Citrus & Neroli Detangler is still going strong, I don't think I have used half of this yet. I have a lot of very fine hair that is easily weighed down by products. For me this is the perfect light weight conditioner. It gives the right amount of moisture, without weighing my hair down.

 

I have found the best way for me to use this, is to towel dry my hair and then add a pea sized amount to the ends when it is nearly dry. I think this is definitely a product for people with finer hair, as I am not sure that it would be moisturising enough for thicker hair. This is my favourite product of the two, and was the star item from the box for me and will repurchase in the future. Love Lula sell the 60ml sample size, which makes it a much more affordable option.

Empties September 2015

This is another month where I don't seem to have used up very much. That's the way it goes, some months are better than others.

 

Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Stem Cell + Argan oil Shampoo When I ordered this from Amazon, I actually ordered the conditioner and was sent the shampoo by mistake, and couldn't be bothered to send it back. I initially thought it was going to be a bit too rich for my greasy hair, but ended up relly liking it. As ever I still needed to wash my hair daily, but it didn't weigh my hair down. This has a gorgeous marzipan fragrance too. Would repurchase again.

 

Weleda Pomegranate Body Wash. I am a huge fan of Weleda. Their body washes are lovely and gentle and all smell amazing. I liked this a lot. I have a couple of others to use, but will buy this again.

 

John Masters Organics Geranium and Grapefruit bodywash. This was really gentle and I liked the fragrance, but wasn't blown away with it. Unlikely to repurchase.

 

Sranrom Sleep Tight Body Cream. This was a sample from a SoukSouk box ages ago. Not sure if I have had this too long, but it had a funny smell to it and I found it quite greasy. No repurchase.

 Cauldalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. I loved using this serum over Summer. Super light. Full size is going on my wish list.

 

Aromatherapy Associates Light Relax Bath & Shower Oil. These feature pretty regularly in my empties post, so it is no surprise that I love them.

 

TEWC Lavender Sweet Orange Body Melt this was lovely to use, but I do like the Lemon and Geranium one better. Would buy again in the Lemon and Geranium.

 

Inika Organic Liquid Mineral Foundation this was a great match for my skin tone and I loved the way it makes my skin look. However, I rarely wear foundation so £30 is to much for me to justify.

 

My final empty this month is Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts. This is another firm favourite product and I have a couple more stashed away. I absolutely love these.