Lyonsleaf Body Butter

I fell in love with Lyonsleaf when I tried a sample of their Calendula Cream in a SoukSouk box and couldn't resist buying their gift set to try put more from them. My review of their Natural Body Butter is long overdue.

 

What I really like about Lyonsleaf is that the products include ingredients that have been grown on their own farm, and that all the products are waterless. It gives complete confidence that products are completely natural, as their is simply no need for added preservatives.

 

The Body Butter comes in a sturdy glass jar, and is reasonably priced at £12.95 for 110mls. Although at first glance this may not seem a very big jar I can honestly say that this really does go a long way, making it very good value for money.

 

 At room temperature it is solid, but melts very quickly when applied. My dry skin loves the nourishing blend of shea butter, coconut oil, avacado and sweet almond oil. It has banished flaky patches from my legs and always gives me super soft skin. I find that if I apply it sparingly it absorbs very quickly, but I quite like to apply a thicker layer when I have a little more time to let it soak in. This is especially good as a foot cream overnight with socks over the top.

 

The fragrance reminds me very much of the Calendula Cream, in that it is very cool and fresh. This makes it a very good unisex appeal, and is something I think Lyonsleaf are very good at. The Body Butter is certainly a firm favourite.

 

Sample sizes of the Body Butter, Beauty Balm and Calendula Cream are now available on the website at a very reasonable £1.99.

 

95% organic): butyrospermum parkii [organic raw shea butter] • cocos nucifera [cold pressed organic coconut oil] • persea americana [organic, cold pressed, avocado oil] • prunus amygdalus dulcis [cold pressed sweet almond oil] • tocopherol [natural vitamin E oil] • styrax benzoin [benzoin resin] • salvia sclarea [clary sage essential oil]  • pelargonium  graveolens [geranium essential oil]  • calendula officinalis [calendula flower extract] note: the essential oils naturally contain: citral, geraniol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl cinnamate, limonene, linolool

 

Love Lula Beauty Box May 2015.

After having a break from all my beauty box subscriptions, I decided I was missing my monthly fix too much. I was so envious of last month's box in particular, so have re-subscribe to Love Lula. I am really pleased with May's box, as it contains some familiar brands.

I have had a couple of products from Salcura and have been really impressed with the quality of their products. The Zeoderm Repair Moisturiser leaves my skin so silky. I like this a lot.

 

Similarly, I have loved all the John Masters Organics products I have tried. I am a huge fan of anything with a citrus fragrance so am really looking forward to trying this orange & ginseng exfoliating body bar. 

I have tried Ren's Youth Vitality Day Cream before and really liked it. However, I can't help but feel sad that Ren have been bought out by Unilever. I have decided that I will use up the products I have, but won't purchase from them again. 

Figs & Rouge do some gorgeous hand creams, but I have yet to try their solid balms. I absolutely love the pretty tin and the Rose Geranium fragrance is lovely.

Detox teas seem to be all the rage at the moment. I have to say I can't quite make my mind up about them. Part of me is rather suspicious of them and part of me is intrigued by them. This sample of Skinny Detox will help me decide. That is the attraction of a beauty box for me, the opportunity to try new product, without spending a fortune in the process.

A Beautiful World Spring/Summer 2015 Sampler Box.

You know that Summer is on the  horizon when A Beautiful World release the Spring/Summer Sampler Box. I was up bright and early yesterday to secure my box, as these do sell out very quickly. I am so pleased with products I have been sent and am looking forward to finding out what everyone else was sent too.

The first item is a 60ml sample of Love + Salt Beach Hair & Body Mist by Olvine. I am not sure that I will use this in my hair, but I will most definitely use this as a body spray. I love the coconut fragrance. This feels like Summer in a bottle. I desperately want to try the Rose version too.

 

A 15ml sample of Cacoa Antioxidant Mask by Josh Rosebrook. This luxurious mask is naturally high in antioxidants and helps to make the skin look brighter and tighter. I am very much looking forward to trying this.

 

Schmidt's Lavender + Sage Deodorant (0.5oz) these are really effective deodorants and I really like this fragrance. I can't use these every days as I find after a few days the baking soda irritates my skin

There are two samples by The Body Deli. A 10ml sample of Solar Day Cream which as the name suggests is a day cream with the equivalent of SPF15, so I am really looking forward to trying this.

 

The second sample is of their Bluebery Fusion Micro-Scrub which is absolutely gorgeous. I have tried this before courtesy of the lovely Sandra from Beauty Balm was kind enough to send me some of hers.

 

A sachet of sunscreen by Coola which is SPF30 and hasn't quite reached the A Beautiful World website yet. I have tried a facial sunscreen by Coola previously and was impressed by it. However my one moot point is that the sachet isn't going to cover a huge amount of my body.

 

Indie Lee has been on my wish list for quite some time. The Brightening Cleanser is just the kind of product I would pick for myself. Who doesn't want brighter skin? This is made with strawberry oil, and smells gorgeous. I can't wait to try this.

Included in the box is a large Tili bag which has a zip lock top and is handy for travelling. There is also a cotton shopping bag which I really like, and a pencil with You Are Loved  written on it.

 

I think this is a really good value for money box with the first three items more than covering the price of the box. I think A Beautiful World have done a great job of show casing their website, and know that come Autumn time I will be setting my alarm clock again.

Empties April 2015

I haven't used up a huge amount of products this month, but I am pleased that there are a couple of full sized products. 

I reviewed Green People's Gentle Cleanse and Makeup Remover here and loved it. I have another sample size, but will repurchase this in the future.

 

Yes to Carrotts Shampoo was something I ordered by mistake - I thought I had ordered the conditioner. Despite initially thinking it wouldn't be right for me, I ended up really enjoying this. I still needed to wash my hair each day, but it did give my hair more volume. Possible repurchase.

 

Organic Surge Energising Fresh Ocean Shower Gel this has a lovely light citrus fragrance. I like these shower gels a lot and have a bergamot one to use.

 

Mu London Organic Rose Foaming Face Cleanser made a lovely change from the cleansing creams and balms I usually favour. Possible repurchase. 

 John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Milk and Shower Gel I absolutely love the fragrance of this. I have had numerous samples of this, but think it will be the body milk I buy in the full size.

 

Rahua Conditioner I liked the effect of this, but didn't like the smell. Wouldn't repurchase for that reason.

 

Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts I have had quite a few of these, and they are another favourite product. I already have a back up.

 

Vinali Body Treatment I liked the fragrance of this, but thought it took quite a while to fully absorb. I wouldn't repurchase this.

 

 

 

Odylique Superfruit Concentrate

About this time last year I received a sample of Odylique Organic Superfruit Concentrate in  Love Lula beauty box. It didn't take me very long to buy the full size, but for some reason I haven't reviewed it. Shame on me.

 

Odylique are a brand that I really respect. They remain a family owned company who produce their products by hand. Their formulas aren't overly complicated, with organic ingredients carefully chosen for their therapeutic effect. Odylique developed as a result of Margaret's desire to improve her family's eczema, so those with sensitive skin can rest assured that they are indeed in safe hands.

 

Superfruit Concentrate is made with just six organic ingredients; cold pressed oils of jojoba and avocado, and extracts of pomegranate, rosehip, seabuckthorn fruit and rosemary. I often look for products with seabuckthorn, rosehip or avocado oils as I know that my skin loves them, so it is no surprise that I am very impressed by this serum.

 

In terms of texture this feels more like a light oil than a serum, and  it absorbs very easily. Despite it's lightness, this is a really nourishing product. It's simple composition belies a real powerhouse of a formula. It is full of antioxidants and fatty acids, making it a great choice for dry or mature skins. It took me a little while to remember to apply it after my moisturiser rather than before, but I really can't fault it's performance. It helps lock in your moisturiser, making it work just that little bit harder. For my dry skin, this suits my needs perfectly - especially over the cooler month. My skin has definitely looked brighter and healthier for using this. 

 

 Persea gratissima fruit oil, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil, Rosa canina fruit extract, Punica granatum seed extract, Hippophae rhamnoides fruit extract, Rosmarinus officinalis extract

Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner

Hair care is one of the things that I have struggled with most when trying to find cleaner alternatives. I have always been curious to try the ultra luxurious brand Rahua, but was nervous of paying the full price for something that might not meet my needs. I quickly snapped up the sampler box from Naturisimo and thought I would run through my thoughts on the shampoo and conditioner.

 

Rahua Shampoo is a very gentle and nourishing shampoo. It's formula is designed to strengthen weak and damaged hair as well as regenerating the scalp and hair follicles. It removes dirt without stripping nutrients or colour pigmentation, making this a good choice for those who colour their hair.

 

Unfortunately for my fine, oily hair it is much too gentle for me. Even after doing a double shampoo, my hair was still a little greasy. I only used this a couple of times before writing it off as a loss. I think that if my hair was thicker or drier, I would probably have had better results, but this is sadly not the right product for me. I also wasn't very fond of the fragrance. I don't quite know how to describe it other than I don't like it

 

 aqua, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract*, rosmarius officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract*, rubus idaeus (raspberry) leaf extract*, aloe barbadensis leaf extract*, coco betaine, sea salt, glycerin, saccharum officinarum (molasses) extract, glycine, caprylic acid, oenocarpus bataua (rahua, ungurahua) oil, potassium sorbate (plant derived), busera graveolens (palo santo) oil, citric acid, panthenol, hydrolyzed quinoa, tocopherol (Vitamin E).

 

Rahua Conditioner can be used as either a conditioner or as a styling cream. I have  to say I didn't bother trying it as a styling cream, as I know that my fine hair can't cope with this kind of product. It has the same aroma as the shampoo, although I found the conditioner to have the stronger fragrance.

 

Despite the fragrance I had better luck with the conditioner. It's formula leaves hair soft and manageable and protects and fortifies damaged hair. I only ever put conditioner on the ends of my hair, so I can't comment on it's performance on the scalp. I was pleased with how soft and tangle free it left my hair. It also didn't weigh my hair down like a lot of conditioners have done in the past, and I haven't needed to use any hair serum to top up moisture levels. I found that I only needed to use a small amount, so the bottle has lasted me a month of daily hair washing.

 

Aqua, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (Colza oil), Stearalkonium Chloride (plant derived), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Saccharum Officinarum (Molasses) Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Oenocarpus Bataua (Rahua, Ungurahua) Oil, Bursera Graveolens (Palo Santo) Oil, Lecithin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Potassium Sorbate (plant derived), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Panthenol, Citric Acid.

 

I am pleased to have been able to try the shampoo and conditioner out at a reduced price as unfortunately I would not buy the full size of either. The shampoo is simply the wrong product for my hair type, whilst the combination of the price and the fragrance puts me off the conditioner. If I am going to splurge on a product, I want it to knock my socks off. I didn't get that feeling

Empties March 2015

March has been one of those months where I seem to have been unable to organise myself very well, hence the very late posting of my March Empties. 

I am a huge fan of Aromatherapy Associates. Their products undoubtedly fall into the luxury department, and I think they are worth every penny. De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil is a comforting blend of lavender, rosemary, black pepper and ginger. It is wonderful for soothing achy muscles and I have enjoyed every last drop of this. I have quite a stash of their bath oils to use, but will definitely buy this again.

 

I bought this little sample of Lucy Annabella's Organic Treatment Oil with Argan & Bergamot from the samples selection at  Naturisimo. This is a gorgeous oil, that is so uplifting. It leaves the skin lovely and soft. Full size is on the wish list.

 

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash is a repeat purchase. This is my favourite body wash by Weleda. I love the bright, citrus fragrance. I have another of these waiting to be used.

 

Ylang Ylang Incensa Bath & Shower Therapy by Bodhi & Birch is another well loved product. I find this a very calming and grounding fragrance and particularly enjoy this if I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed. I have a full size of this for now, but will repurchase this.

 

AFYNA Organic Detoxifying Body Lotion is another citrus based product. It would appear that I am very obsessed with all things citrus this month. I was really impressed with how light this body lotion is and how long my little sample lasted me. I liked this a lot.

Mu London is another favourite product. I reviewed the Rose, Rosehip & Rosemary Moisturiser earlier in the month here and loved it. I have the Hemp moisturiser to try next.

 

Brit Beauty Oil by Skin & Tonic. I love this oil. It is feather light and sinks into the skin. Simple, clean ingredients that just work. Skin & Tonic have quickly become one of my favourite brands. I have the full size of this already.

 

I also reviewed the tester set from Suti earlier in the month here, so won't say too much again. The stand out products for me are the Cleanse balm and the Rejuvenate Face Oil.

 

My final item is something sent to me by the lovely Annie when we did our beauty swap. I loved this Ameretto lip balm by Crazy Rumors. I always have feel a real sense of achievement when I finish a lip balm. I will buy these again, so thank you Annie for introducing me to them.

 

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