Friday 11 December 2015

The Trip to Australia was Complete with the Help of RMS Beauty Facial Wipes

After 3 flights, 18 hours of flying, one overnight stay in Indonesia, travelling by plane, ferry, tube and taxi, I have finally arrived in Australia. Phew. If there's one thing that's kept me going throughout, it's RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes. Facial wipes often get stuck with a bit of a bad rep, and rightly so; they have a limited expiration date, they offer a superficial cleanse and they often leave my skin uncomfortably dry. But not this little number. The RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes contain nothing but wholly certified organic coconut oil, nothing but goodness. 

As the little sister to the RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream (reviewed here), these wipes are a convenient way to deliver similar results. Coconut oil is unmatched when it comes to removing make-up, and saturating compostable rayon fibre in this delicious oil means you can quite literally remove your make-up with the flick of the wrist.

While I wore make-up on the long-haul flight (12 hours), I found the Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes to be my ultimate companion. As there isn't the space in my hand-luggage or the on-board toilets for my full cleansing routine, I packed a few of these very travel-friendly wipes. There are 20 in total, and they are individually wrapped. At first, I had a big problem with this. My reflex screamed wastage, wastage! but actually they are housed inside a recyclable cardboard box, within which are 20 foil sleeves. If you read up on RMS' manifesto, they only ever use biodegradable, recyclable or reusable packaging (http://www.rmsbeauty.com/pages/about-us). 

The individual wrappers can be a real bonus when it comes to transportation and helping to extend their expiration. Furthermore, you will need to heat the packet up slightly before opening. Helping to activate and melt the coconut oil so it has a much easier time of removing make-up. 

As we know, oil likes to leave its mark. There will be an oily residue on the skin once applied, meaning, you'll want to wet a cleansing cloth to help remove it. Alternatively, you could use non-oil facial wipe (I was using Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes £4.99 / 30 WIPES) after using the Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes. This does slightly reduce the travel friendliness of it all, but the advantages are far beyond real measure.
The following flight was still a biggie (5.5 hours), I didn't wear any make-up for this flight, but I still used the Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes because coconut oil has more than one place. Sitting in a metal tube that's elevated 35,000ft above ground, breathing nothing but recycled air and being assaulted by air conditioning did only bad things to my skin. I left the residue of the oil (it's very subtle and lightweight) on my skin, to keep me moisturised and projected throughout. My skin revelled in it.

While I am already a member of the I-like-facial-wipes camp, the RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes are unlike any wipe I've used before. They're just so friendly. Effective, moisturising, gentle and compact, these wipes really are hand luggage's best friend. 

RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes can be purchased from Naturisimo for £13.50 / 20 WIPES. You can also try a RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipe Sample for £0.75 / 1 WIPE

Thursday 3 December 2015

Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub; The Pore Purifying Pineapple and Papaya Perfecter!

The Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub is an interesting little number, being both your physical and enzyme exfoliator in one tube, this fruit-packed scrub offers both a mild-buffing and surface decongestion in one. The magical mix of papaya and pineapple enzymes, plus the ever scrumptious jojoba esters makes for a super gentle way to clear and smooth the skin.
By some possibly intentional or unintentional engineering, the Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub manages to maintain perpetually cool. This was particularly welcome during the summer period, as it kickstarted my skin with an instant refresh. The jojoba esters are especially spongy, offering a super gentle exfoliation with a similar sensation to finally being able to scratch an itch that's been tickling forever. That is by no way to suggest that this scrub is harsh, when it is in fact very mild, due to the cushioning jojoba beads.

Being labelled as hypro-allergenic, this enzymatic exfoliator is made with sensitivity in mind. My sensitive skin does not take any issue with the pineapple and papaya enzymes, and I find that they very aid in clarifying my dull, congested skin. I usually gently buff my skin for 1-minute to allow the jojoba beads to remove any surface debris, then leave the product on my skin for around 3-5 minutes to allow the enzyme exfoliation to take place. 

It's worth mentioning that this product does leave an oddly wax-like film on my skin, so I always have to remove it with a cleansing cloth. The fruity and citrusy fragrance is just tops, the scent is fresh and it certainly makes skin feel fresh after use.

The Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub is a wonder-worker when it comes to clearing pores and decongesting skin. The cushion-like jojoba esters are gentle yet purifying, and the pineapple and papaya enzymes are reviving and clarifying. This makes for a perfect in-the-shower scrub, but remember to keep a muslin to hand. 

As usual, when it comes to physical exfoliators, I'd like to remind everyone about Ban the Microbead to help reduce our consumption of plastics and the truly gross environmental impact that has. Make the switch to natural by seeing the full list of approved products for your region here: http://www.beatthemicrobead.org/en/product-lists.

Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub can be purchased from Beauty Naturals for £7.30 / 118ML. 

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Alice & White BOTANIKA Eco-Chic Subsciption Box November 2015

Winter is coming. 21st of December to be precise. For that very reason, Alice & White have decided to prepare us and our sensitive skins for the darker, colder, harsher months ahead. As the second instalment of what I anticipate to be an outstanding monthly delivery of green and eco-luxe skincare, the November BOTANIKA Box has delivered a wonderful collection of Winter month saviours.

Balance Me Collagen Boost Restore & Replenish Cream Cleanser

The Balance Me Collagen Boost Restore & Replenish Cream Cleanser is a very addictive and very creamy, cream cleanser. The white cloud-like cleanser is wonderfully soft and gentle, providing a perfect alternative for when skin is feeling a little delicate.

Helping to nourish and replenish the skin, this cleanser offers the most delicate cleanse, leaving skin feeling hydrated and protected. Oddly smells like playdough, this isn't the first time I've encountered a kooky scented Balance Me product. A totally gentle and effective cleanser, one that feels just luscious on skin.

Balance Me Collagen Boost Restore & Replenish Cream Cleanser can be purchased from Alice & White for 249 SEK / 125ML.

Bodhi & Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil

Said to be catered for oily and blemish-prone skins, the Bodhi & Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil is a very rich facial oil, that is every bit nourishing. Absolutely packed with vitamin-fuelled ingredients, my skin really does feel fresh and revitalised after use.

While lightweight, I did find this oil to be a little on the greasy side of things. It struggled to absorb and left a thin film on the skin. It's blood-orange in colour, which helps to illuminate my dull and pale skin. While the absorption qualities are minimal at best, the oil feels really lovely and nourishing, something I will continue to use.

Bodhi & Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil  can be purchased from Alice & White for 429 SEK / 15ML.

Ekologist Krämdeo Grapefrukt Deodorant Balm

Oddly, this wasn't listed on the Alice & White store, which is a real shame because I will definitely be buying the Ekologist Krämdeo Grapefrukt. It's an all-natural, all-organic deodorant balm. It's far creamier than any other balm I've used making it a dream to apply and it sinks straight in.

I received the grapefruit scented balm, which smells utterly scrumptious. It's a very fresh, complimentary fragrance which lasts all day long. I'm still smelling clean and fruity by the end of the day. 

I found Ekologist Krämdeo Grapefrukt available on their webiste for 139 KR / 60ML. 

True All You Need Is Me

As an all-purpose balm, the possible uses are endless with True All You Need Is Me. This highly luxurious translucent cream balm is superbly rich and protective. The tiniest of portions will go a very long way as this silky balm melts into a warm oil on skin.

It has a fantastic shine, making it perfect for application on lips. I also dabbed a little on my psoriasis and found it to skin straight in. As a very nourishing, very hydrating eco-luxe balm, this is definitely something I'll be investing in.

True All You Need Is Me is available from Alice & White for 249 SEK / 50ML. 

Odacité Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow

Odacité are very, very expensive. Let's not shy away from it. The sample I received of the Odacité Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow is available from Cult Beauty for £45.00 for 5ML. Yes. FIVE ML.

These are very rich and supper concentrated facial oils and the Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow is specifically for anti-ageing, restoring and nourishing the face. Something to be added alongside a moisturiser, or standalone as part of a one-month treatment (if you can stretch 5ML that far).

Odacité Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow is available from Alice & White for 499 SEK / 5ML. 


Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream

I am just the wrong skin type for the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. Ideally catered for drier skin, this ultra-hydrating moisturiser is just too powerful for the likes of my oily skin. It also contains shea butter as the second highest ingredient, known to block pores and causes blemishes, for me this ingredient just leaves me very, very greasy.

But, not all is lost! Fragranced with the ever-delicious vanilla, I just can't get enough of the scent. I use this instead on my neck and décolletage, finding the rich formula very soothing and nourishing and it's just close enough to my nose that I can continue to smell it through the day.

Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream is available from Alice & White for 375 SEK / 60ML.

You can subscribe to the Alice & White BOTANIKA Box here from 199 SEK a month, plus 100 SEK international shipping (that's a total of around £22.86).

You can see the contents of the first Alice & White BOTANIKA Box (October) in my review here.

Sunday 22 November 2015

All Beauty, No Beast: Rosalena Oils Beauty & The Beast Facial Oil

Rosalena do only all-natural, clean, botanical beauty, and boy, they do it so well. Their blends of naturally occurring oils are a divine mix of luxurious ingredients with powerful results. Rosalena's truly indulgent range of oils offers the ultimate way to moisturise, delivering long-lasting hydration in only a few golden drops.
Beauty & The Beast is a vitamin-loaded facial oil catering for both the Beauty & The Beast of the house. Believe me when I say, I couldn't let my partner anywhere near this oil, I wanted every last scrumptious drop for myself. While that could paint me in a selfish light, he certainly admired my wonderfully rejuvenated skin, so really, win-win!

Oils are, hands down, my favourite way to moisturise, and the Beauty & The Beast keeps me exceptionally hydrated. This sunglow yellow oil is hydrating, toning and rejuvenating, helping to keep my skin fresh, moisturised and looking stellar. All I need is just 2-3 drops to cover the whole face and jawline, applying a little pressure and massaging in circular motions, this lightweight oil absorbs right in and gets straight to work.

As someone who suffers with redness and inflammation, Beauty & The Beast surprisingly manages to balance and calm my skin, resulting in an equilibrium for both skin tone and oil production. An all-round skin balancer. This nourishing oil provides an even complexion and optimum hydration, keeping my skin balanced and oil-free throughout the day.
The ultimate oil for hydration and rejuvenation, loaded with antioxidants and skin beneficial ingredients, the Beauty & The Beast really is all beauty, no beast. Just a few luxurious drops of this magical oil is enough to provide healthier skin. With a lovely sweet, fruity, almost citrus-like fragrance, Beauty & The Beast really is rejuvenation for both the skin and the senses. Being ultra-hydrating and readily absorbed, this darling little oil makes for the perfect complement to my oily, inflamed skin.

Rosalena very graciously included a generous sample of each of the other three oils they offer, and I must admit, after trailing them all, I'll be investing in The Rosalena Collection this week. All four of these divine oils provide everything my skin needs for an unmatched hydrated, balanced, radiant complexion.

Beauty & The Beast can be purchased from Rosalena for £38.00 / 15ML.

Disclaimer: I purchased Beauty & The Beast myself, and I'm very much of the opinion that that's money well spent! 

Friday 20 November 2015

Easy As Pai: A 1-2-3 Step Routine to Create That Perfect Balance

Minimal skincare routines really can be something of a luxury, especially when there's a range of simple, clean and super efficient products at your fingertips. Pai Skincare are formulated specifically with sensitive, intolerant and allergy-prone skin in mind. This means gentle and caring, but that does in no way means Pai skimp on their effectiveness. 
With a clean list of organic and naturally derived ingredients approved by The Soil Association and a conscientious cruelty-free Leaping Bunny certification to boot, alongside a wealth of sustainable ingredients and recyclable packaging, Pai Skincare really do put the conscience into beauty. 

The Pai Perfect Balance Range has been formulated for us combination, oily and blemish-prone lot. Intended to rebalance oil production, clear and calm skin, the Pai Perfect Balance Range is for those of us who are frequented with blackheads, congestion, shine and oversize pores, all while considering those sensitive skin types.

Step 01. Camellia & Rose Hydrating Cleanser

A calming and replenishing cleanser is the perfect way to kickstart any cleansing routine, and the Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser does it so masterfully. The almost cream-cum-lotion type cleanser manages to be rich and creamy while also lightweight and easily spreadable. 
This silky smooth cleanser positively glides across skin, leaving nothing but a smoother and softer complexion in its wake. Pai really meant what they said about looking out for sensitive skins, as this highly gentle cleanser is in no way harsh or stripping.

This nourishing little cleanser takes away any impurities, smooths the complexion, all while replenishing the skin. After clearing the skin, removing any make-up or dirt, skin is left fresh, clean and hydrated. The cleanser also comes with an Organic Muslin Face Cloth (2 pieces / £6.00), which adds a little bit of exfoliation to the routine, encourage circulation while helping to fully remove the product; this muslin cloth makes for the perfect complement.

Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser can be purchased from Pai for £28.00 / 100ML and includes a muslin cloth.

Step 02. Rice Plant & Rosemary Bioaffinity Tonic

Once cleansed and cleared, an instant hydration booster is the next port of call. The Rice Plant & Rosemary Bioaffinity Tonic is a spritz-based toner, which graciously sprays out of a pump-dispenser and delicately falls onto skin. There's an instantaneous surge of moisture which is readily absorbed.
This lightweight tonic is very soft, effortlessly falling onto skin. The effects are super refreshing, skin is revived and boosted. Helping to balance the skin at the optimum pH balance, this tonic managed to calm any disrupted skin, making for a healthier complexion.

This refreshing pick-me-up is the perfect way to deliver instant hydration that balances, calms and helps to control oil, capable of absorbing and moisturising instantly. While making for the perfect tonic for a simple routine, it can also double-up as a top-up toner to be used throughout the day.

Rice Plant & Rosemary Bioaffinity Tonic can be purchased from Pai for £30.00 / 50ML.

Step 03. Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream

My all time favourite step: moisturising. The ultimate way to finish off any routine and help provide long lasting hydration, the Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream manages to deliver hydration, calm redness and control oil. It really is the whole package.

This extremely light moisturiser absorbs straight in with little-to-no effort. My skin just feeds off this day cream, delivering a truly replenished sensation. Instantly, my skin is calmed. Any redness or irritation is reduced and balanced, I'm soothed and I'm clarified.
The Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream creates almost the perfect canvas. The lightweight moisturiser just glides over skin and the absorption rate makes skin instantly mattified. There is no residue, no grease, no oil, no shine, only a perfectly flat and clear canvas making it far easier to follow up with any primers, foundations or powder.

Skin is fresh, matte, breathable and balanced. This moisturiser, really does deliver a controlled complexion alongside long-term hydration.

Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream can be purchased from Pai for £34.00 / 50ML. 

This simple routine really is easy as Pai. All three products have a superb texture, silky, lightweight and absorbent. Followed with a delicate fresh scent - very much garden in spring bloom. 

Three easy steps that really do lead to calmer, balanced and controlled skin and it's all positively hassle-free. This minimal routine really is one to make my skin flourish.

I purchased all products featured here. The Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream was free as part of a spend over £50.00 promotion. Keep your eyes peeled, as Pai very often host these promotions. 

Saturday 14 November 2015

Origins Original Skin Retexturising Mask With Rose Clay Really Does Retexture Skin To Its Original Smooth And Flawless Condition

What a concept! To retexture skin to its original flawless texture. For someone with congested skin, oversized pores, blemishes and irregularities, it's the kind of thing I'd roll my eyes at and ask to pull the other one. So can you imagine the spit take when I discover a mask that delivers smoother, supplier and retextured skin? The Origins Original Skin Retexturising Mask With Rose Clay manages to be both a face mask and an exfoliatior; an expert resurfacing combination that really does achieve that flawless skin.
Origins' latest mask is a gorgeous pink little number contains active rose clay, Canadian willowherb and jojoba seeds to help provide that flawless look. Rose clay is a gentle way to extract impurities. This soft, sticky clay barely hardens, it remains gorgeously wet and hydrating when left for the 10-20 minute treatment. A little unusual for your typical clay mask, this mask manages to draw out impurities through its sticky texture, as opposed to the hardening and drying of clay. As a bonus, I use a cleaning cloth to remove (as I said, this mask can be a bit of a tough cookie), as a little boost to the exfoliation factor.

The added (and plentiful at that) jojoba beads helps to aid exfoliation on, ensuring that pores are unclogged, skin texture is resurfaced and any impurities are removed. The delicate jojoba beads are soft and natural circular seeds that gently move along the skin's surface aiding renewal. Everything about this mask is delicate and nurturing, transforming even my sensitive skin into a healthy complexion.

Original Skin is perfectly descriptive of what this mask achieves. Offering that youthful skin texture, skin is smoother, supple and healthy. Impurities are removed, skin is decongested and pores are emptied, creating a true silky smooth surface. My skin is left clearer, clarified, balanced, calmed and flawless. 
The floral scent of the rose clay is subtly sweet. It's a fragrance that endures, so for the 10-20 minutes during the treatment I can continue to experience this relaxing and calming scent. The clay is cool and wet when first applied, then begins to warm - in quite a comforting way - without any of the tingling that comes with a typical clay mask.

Origins Original Skin Retexturising Mask With Rose Clay has been an expert skin treatment to keep my skin soft and supple. Whenever I feel congested, Original Skin is what I reach for, whenever my pores are clogged, Original Skin is my first port of call, whenever I what clearer, more clarified and balanced skin, Original Skin is always there in my hour of need. This mask really has become my saving grace, providing me with such well-conditioned skin that I never imagined my face could attain.

Origins Original Skin Retexturising Mask With Rose Clay can be purchased from Origins for £23.00 / 100ML.

Tuesday 10 November 2015

Beauty Heroes November 2015: Josh Rosebrook Hair

A recent subscription service for me, Beauty Heroes Expert Selection Subscription offers some of the finest non-toxic, clean, green beauty from the US. Spotting a new eco-luxe brand each month, featuring at least one full size hero alongside a full/mini sidekick, the Beauty Heroes Expert Selection Subscription provides a phenomenal way to experience a minimal and effective green routine.
The November Beauty Heroes Expert Selection Subscription champions the wholly organic, artisan, luxury Josh Rosebrook from within his truly divine hair collection. A superhero duo and their sidekick feature in the November Box. Kuh-pow!

Every single one of these luxurious haircare products is outstanding. It's not very often that I am given any answers when it comes to haircare haircare, like most of us, I have fussy, unpredictable hair, but this trio manages to condition, tame and balance my once uncontrollable locks. 

The subtly sweet and subtly citrus-esque fragrance of the Balance Shampoo and Balance Conditioner is truly welcome. I strongly detect notes of aloe and grape, a natural scent that expertly refreshes and awakens. Never foaming, since there are no nasty foaming agents in here thank you very much, the Balance Shampoo manages to both cleanse and moisturise, effectively reviving and balancing my hair and scalp. Followed up with the Balance Conditioner, this little number is very, very moisturising. While intended for normal-oily hair types, my dry ends find this to be surprisingly hydrating. My frizzy locks are managed and tamed without being weighed down.
 
While only given the sidelined role of sidekick, the Josh Rosebrook Firm Hold Hair Spray has to take gold for me. A little unconventional - it's a pump-spray hairspray, instead of an aerosol - this extremely lightweight lacquer expertly holds hair into position, without being sticky, hardening or heavy. This completely transparent spray just falls neatly only to hair and provides that long-last hold without leaving a trace.


Josh Rosebrook offers some absolutely sensational haircare, that really does help to achieve great balance and firm hold. Powerful, simple and revitalising, this superhero trio is definitely my hair saviour.

Beauty Heroes Expert Selection Subscription is available here from $39.00 a month (plus $12.95 international shipping and are subject to customs fees).

Josh Rosebrook Balance Shampoo ($30.00 / 240ML), Josh Rosebrook Balance Conditioner ($30.00 /240ML) and Josh Rosebrook Firm Hold Hair Spray ($22.00 / 118ML) are also available from the Beauty Heroes online shop here

Saturday 7 November 2015

LoveLula Beauty Box November 2015

I'm fully aware that I'm at risk of sounding like a broken record, but I am just over the moon that month after month LoveLula can continue to deliver such a strong selection of organic and natural skincare and cosmetics. 
The LoveLula Beauty Box November 2015 is an interesting selection, as it features a number of products tailored for specific skin types. I'm not sure how well that will float, but for me, who has a bit of dry/normal/oily skin at least somewhere on my body, I don't mind at all. We once again come to the issue of broad strokes for all folks. Perhaps subscribers should be able to highlight their skin/hair/body types and each box ships with a curated selection, tailored to meet your needs. I would be very on board for that.

Laidbare For Richer, For Porer Miracle Mask

This is a very interesting mask indeed, the Laidbare For Richer, For Porer Miracle Mask adopts the concept of nourish and hydrate while clearing and detoxifying. This is a very hydrating mask indeed, helping to create smooth and conditioned skin, feeling wonderfully soft and supple after use.
This is a cream-type mask that doesn't harden on the skin, it remains creamy and appears to absorb. It also contain palm kernels, offering the bonus benefit of all-natural micro-exfoliation. These little seeds will remaining on your face, and when it comes to rinsing, simply massage them off, helping to smooth and clear the skin.

This mask is extremely gentle - though the palm seeds are fairly powerful - and expertly keeps skin nourished and hydrating, while helping to clear and exfoliate. 

Laidbare For Richer, For Porer Miracle Mask can be purchased from LoveLula for £6.99 / 50ML.

Odylique Avocado 24hr Replenishing Cream

This scrumptious and super rich facial cream helps to replenish moisture, with its list of super hydrating natural ingredients, to provide smoother and plumper skin. The Odylique Avocado 24hr Replenishing Cream's impressive moisturising properties help to promote skin regeneration, nourish and provide protein, minerals and anti-oxidant vitamins. All the essentials.
Catered more towards drier and maturer skins, this replenishing cream is a real moisture surge. Helping to balance any inflammation, relax and regenerate, this cream is perfect for when your skin has been put through a little stress. Something I will use after a heavy masking session to resupply moisture and nourish the skin.

Odylique Avocado 24hr Replenishing Cream can be purchased from LoveLula for £20.00 / 50ML.

FOM London Body Contouring Serum

Helping to firm, tone and improve elasticity, the FOM London Body Contouring Serum is an infusion of premium non-toxic oils designed to relieve dryness, repair and improve the skin. 
The extremely rich blend of botanical oils is a super rich hydrator, helping to nourish and protect skin that needs a little toning. It's a wonderfully silky oil that glides over skin and absorbs easily after a minute or two. It converts skin into this smooth and soft canvas, skin feels nourished while appearing repaired and delicately slinky.

Said to firm, tone, lift and reduce cellulite and stretch marks, this is something that will become apparent with continued use. But it does smell and feel a dream.

FOM London Body Contouring Serum can be purchased from LoveLula for £30.00 / 100ML.

Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm

Something I've tried before and loved before and something I will definitely be repurchasing. The Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm is a lovely silky balm that converts to a wonderfully soft oil when applied. As a multi-purpose product, this can be used to cleanse and remove make-up, as a moisturiser, or to protect and repair any dry patches.
Made from 100% natural plant oils, this balm is the ultimate way to keep skin hydrated. When used as a cleanser, the smooth texture glides over skin, whisking away any impurities and leaving only a softer, smoother complexion behind. As it converts into an oil, it needs to be removed with a cleansing cloth, or you can leave a small trace on your skin to double-up as a moisturiser.

The smell and the texture is truly divine, this product is super hydrating and nourishing, helping to repair skin, and causing no disruption.

Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm can be purchased from LoveLula for £12.95 / 55ML.

PHB Natural & Organic Pencil Eyeliner (Black)

This delicately soft and truly pigmented eyeliner offers fantastic colour with a lovely nourishing wax-like feel. The natural and organic formula of PHB Natural & Organic Pencil Eyeliner provides a very true-black colour which holds.
As a very smooth wax pencil, it glides effortlessly along the eye, making it very easy to control and layer. It causes no irritation to my sensitive eyes and is also water-resistant, helping to last even longer.

The colour is lovely and very pigmented and the feel of the pencil is super soft. This long-lasting pencil is a perfect match for my sensitive eyes.

PHB Natural & Organic Pencil Eyeliner can be purchased from LoveLula for £10.95 / 4G.

PHB Gentle Moisturiser Shea Butter & Apricot

As a bonus, PHB Ethical Beauty included a sample sachet of the PHB Gentle Moisturiser Shea Butter & Apricot. This delicate formula is perfect for sensitive skin, helping to smooth, protect and nourish. Containing the purist natural ingredients, it's free from the most common skin irritants.
Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, this replenishing moisturiser helps to relieve any redness, inflammation and irritation, transforming skin into a balanced and calm canvas. 

PHB Gentle Moisturiser Shea Butter & Apricot can be purchased from LoveLula for £16.95 / 50ML.

As I said, quite a mixed selection catering for a variety of skin types. The total value of this box is around £30.00 this month. It's only £12.50 to subscribe (with free delivery). You can subscribe to the LoveLula Beauty Box here, this box of all-natural cosmetics are delivered automatically to you door and feature 4-7 wonderful mystery products.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I subscribe to this box myself and all opinions are my own.

Thursday 5 November 2015

Getting That Coveted Glow with Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil and Hylamide Booster Glow Serum

I stumbled onto what I can only describe as the perfect synergy of natural and synthetic skincare. It's almost skincare meets some inverse Murphy's Law, because this little stellar combination of Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil and Hylamide Booster Glow Serum has definitely got it right!
On the face of it, these products have properties to help brighten, combat dullness and balance an uneven skin tone, and singularly, both these products achieve that expertly. But when used together, they combine to give the most wonderful natural glowing skin. Creating a really healthy and alive complexion that's balanced and brighter. Together they create an almost no-foundation foundation appearance.

The Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil is a wonderfully nourishing facial oil designed to regenerate the skin, providing a healthier skin condition while repairing and improving with its potent omegas, vitamins and antioxidants skin fuel. Being blood orange in colour (or rosehip, if you prefer), this gorgeously warm and rich oil blends and absorbs seamlessly into skin. 

My skin feels so beautifully nourished when using this oil. Any tightness, dehydration or damaged skin is instantly soothed and rehydrated. For my particular skin type, this is a night-time only oil, as it is very rich and fairly heavy, so I prefer to let it work its rosehip magic while I catch my forty winks. 

Skin is balanced and radiant. With each use my skin appears healthier, smoother, brighter and very well conditioned. The almost tea-like smell of rosehip makes for a perfect complement and the effective absorption allows my skin to benefit from every last drop of this nutritious and warm organic oil. 

The Hylamide Booster Glow Serum is a booster treatment, designed to provide more radiant skin within 2-3 days. That's a big promise, but boy does this stuff deliver. It helps boost skin's glow, creating a golden skin tone from the superstar ingredient ultra-purified keto-sugar (an alternative to DHA when used as a tanning agent).

The hybrid oil-like yet gum-like texture absorbs instantly into skin, penetrating deeply and quickly getting to work on that glow from within look. Instantaneously, skin is brightened, giving a wonderfully glowing and healthy complexion. Skin tone is also balanced, any unevenness or redness is reset, delivering a gorgeously even complexion.

The sweet as sugar booster is gentle to skin, ultra absorbent and quick to get to work. With continued use, my skin appears golden, an unmatched radiance above traditional methods. Helping to brighten and balance, this science-y little booster is a step in the right directions towards skincare meets cosmetics.

From the surface, the Hylamide Booster Glow Serum is the main benefactor when it comes creating that golden no-foundation foundation look, but it works tenfold when combined with the Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil. At first, I thought it was the blood orange oil was staining my skin, when it fact, both products are working in complete synergy to create that brighter, balanced, tanned skin tone.
I am of a very pale complexion and tend to steer clear of foundations as they tend not to complement my oily and blemished skin. This is the perfect answer to achieving a flawless balanced skin tone with a brighter and golden finish. The skin conditioning properties of the Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil provides nutrition and combats dullness, while the Hylamide Booster Glow Serum brightens and tans the skin.

That being said, I tend to err on the side of caution. With frequent over use, skin can start to turn to the wrong side of orange. Use sparingly and use infrequently. Make sure to cover the whole face and neckline, blending it in right to the seams. These products are powerful and their presence will be very apparent if they aren't used correctly.

Together this is the perfect twin skincare to getting that coveted glow instantaneously, while achieving healthy and hydrated skin. Both Essential.

Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil can be purchased from Pai for £22.00 / 30ML. Hylamide Booster Glow Serum can be purchased from Boots for £20.00 / 30ML.

Thursday 29 October 2015

What's The Difference Between Bloom Skin Essentials Polish for Oily Skin and Polish for Combination Skin?

I'm one of those I-want-to-try-a-bit-of-everything types. So when you tell me there are different versions of the same product designed to target specific skin types, I can't help but find myself at least a little curious. Often, curiosities pay off, and trying out Bloom Skin Essentials Polish for Oily Skin and Polish for Combination Skin is absolutely one of those times.

My skin is oily. There's no question there. I'm oily, congested and have dramatically oversized pores. It was only natural that I picked up the Polish for Oily Skin from Bloom Skin Essentials. I love everything about it (as demonstrated by my full review here); it has become a skincare staple and a consistent repurchase. But, as I said, I was curious what the difference was with the Polish for Combination Skin, and you know what, I found myself yet another staple to add to my collection.
The Polish products contain a very simple list of 100% organic and super effective ingredients (ingredients for Polish for Oily Skin listed here, ingredients for Polish for Combination Skin listed here). There are only three ingredients that these products share: rice powder, whole milk powder and coriander powder. Meaning it's up to the three remaining ingredients to make a difference, and yes, they make a very welcome difference indeed.

Described as an 'Everyday Brightening Polish', this is like a very mild exfoliator that is gentle enough to be used every single day if you please. It also doubles up as a face mask, to either be combined with Glow. or, my personal favourite, with water. The ground powders, milled petals and fruit peel act as a very delicate way to buff the skin, helping to remove dead skin cells and reveal that bright and lovely complexion hiding beneath. 
There are three types of Polish in total, for Dry, Combination and Oily, each designed to match the needs of your skin type. As I'm oily, I want a buff with a little bite. These products suit my sensitive skin perfectly, effortlessly unclogging pores and evening out my skin tone without disturbing or disrupting. Not sure on your skin type? Bloom has a neat little test here.

When used daily, I am far fonder of Polish for Combination Skin. This is just a tad gentler, offering the same brightening effects but with a softer touch. Its texture strikes the perfect balance of being heavy enough to effectively buff, while being soft enough to cushion the granularity. 

As a daily exfoliator, it expertly unclogs pores, instantly giving me a brighter skin tone. It also wonderfully smooths my skin, giving me a soft and flawless complexion without any need for that harsh over-polishing. Furthermore, it completely balances my complexion. I have a very uneven skin tone, due to redness and inflammation, and the anti-inflammatory powers of Polish for Combination Skin helps to restore equilibrium no problem.

Polish for Combination Skin makes for the ideal daily exfoliant. It's powerful, it's effective, it's gentle and it offers instantaneous results. This is absolutely my favourite way to balance and brighten my skin, without question.
As for the Polish for Oily Skin, this little fellow has become my staple masking partner. As usual, you'll need to combine this with an oil like Glow or just plain old water, to turn it into a paste. You then take that paste and apply it to your face, wait 10 or so minutes, then remove, massaging as you go, for that extra exfoliation and that extra circulation. 

This mask is absolutely incredible for decongesting my terribly congested skin. Any impurities are extracted, any rough skin is removed and any clogged pores are completely cleared. The Polish for Oily Skin gives skin a run for its money, instantly providing a clearer and brighter complexion. 

With regular use, this two products have provided me with gorgeously balanced, brighter and clearer skin. They never, ever fail me. Their gentle but scrubby textures, their wonderfully delicious fragrances and their unmatched results are all reason for me to place Bloom Skin Essentials Polish as a solid staple in my skincare collection. 

Bloom Skin Essentials Polish can be purchased from Bloom Skin Essentials for $40.00 / 6 OZ. ($20.00 international shipping, subject to customs fees).

Sunday 25 October 2015

Completing My Balm Balm Frankincense Collection

Balm Balm are a brand that soared from who? to hero for me, and the Balm Balm Frankincense Range is the forerunner of it all. It all started with one little drop of the Balm Balm Frankincense Light Facial Oil (reviewed here), and I was hooked. I've finally completed this delightful Balm Balm Frankincense Trio and each and every product has a made a very welcome and permanent fixture in my skincare routine. 

Taking frankincense essential oils as the active ingredients, this trio is packed with skin rejuvenating benefits, particularly those of the anti-inflammatory variety. The frankincense featured in the Balm Frankincense Range is extracted from the boswellia neglecta and boswellia carteri (of the boswellia genus), by taking a component of the resin that is produced by the tree. All natural goodness, baby.

The Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm and the Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol Soothing Facial Tonic have been nurturing, revitalising and invigorating. My skin is hydrated, balanced and controlled. This range provides a truly luxurious skincare experience at a remarkably affordable price tag.

Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm

While I may have sold my soul to removing my make-up with oil cleansers, balms make for sort of their incognito counterpart. The Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm is more like a creamed balm. It is delightfully soft and gorgeously whipped. When activated, it melts into the most delicate oil, that feels truly divine on my skin. It's warm, it's comforting, it's superb.
This makes for one super effective make-up remover. My face and eye make-up is instantly melted away and easy removed with out any irritation or that nasty eye stinging. As water and oil don't mix, this is something that needs to be removed with a cleansing cloth. But that's perfect, as it effectively removes all the product and helps to stimulate circulation.

The Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm leaves my skin in a very nourished condition after use. My skin feels super hydrated and balanced, with a clearer and more even complexion. It also makes for lusciously soft skin too, my delicate skin feels completely revitalised. Effective, repurchase.

The Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm can be purchased from LoveLula for £7.99 / 30ML. Alternatively, a larger value size (£15.50 / 60ML) is available here.

Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol Soothing Facial Tonic

Now, the Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol Soothing Facial Tonic, this, this has to be one of my all-time favourites. As a by-product of the steam distillation of frankincense essential oil, this tonic is revitalising, hydrating and soothing. Used as a toning mist, 1-3 spritz of this liquid gold provides instant hydration and nourishment.
This is a very lightweight toner that is easily absorbed. From the first spritz, skin feels hydrated and it helps to immediately balance out my complexion. You know what, it's also a superstar with aiding oil control. While I don't think this is the intended benefit of the product, it's a very happy side-effect. 

I can either use this where I would use a typical toner in my routine, or I can use this post-make-up application, to help set my make-up. That's right, if I use this after I've applied my make-up I get incredible oil and shine control. My skin is supported and nourished through the day, providing essential hydration and unmatched oil control. Essential.

The Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol Soothing Facial Tonic can be purchased from LoveLula for £7.99 / 30ML. Alternatively, a larger value size (£15.50 / 100ML) is available here.

The Balm Balm Frankincense Range is unequivocally an all-time favourite. Every product in the trio is one I've fallen heels over head for. I'm planning to repurchase all three of the frankincense delights and use them as part of a 1, 2, 3 step routine.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the fragrance of frankincense, it's gorgeously aromatic, a little sweet and a little botanical, but, most of all, utterly luxurious. 

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Are your empties even empty though?

I, as much as the next person, like to get my money's worth. I also loath wastage. Combine pricey cosmetics with flawed package design and we've got ourselves a problem. Are your empties really even empty though?

Product packaging is a toughy. I'll admit, I'm very often sold on pretty packaging, pretty fonts and pretty branding. All that's fine, it's all Capitalism, baby! But where I find fault is with packaging without real concern for function or design. How often have you come to what you rightfully assumed was the end of your product, only to find that there is a treasure trove hidden inside truly unreachable places? Apply intense pressure, summon the scissors, blind scooping, anything to get the product which you paid for out and onto your skin.

Functionality is everything. But functionality of packing has to mar with the type of product and its consistency. During the #MissionEmpties Challenge, I was able to burn my way through a whole heap of products in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Generally speaking, I found there were usually an additional 1-4 more uses in each product at the stage I would typically qualify it as 'empty'. The trick is, accessing those final 1-4 uses and making sure the product is 'really empty'.

Piecing together some of the products I've been storming through, I've noticed a crux or two with packaging flaws. I've had to get a little inventive, and some of it is a little frustrating, but anything, anything, to make sure I get what I paid for.

Jars

I have a soft spot for products that come in jars; they have to be the easiest of the bunch. I can simply twist or pop the cap off and evaluate just how much product is left. While it is not the most convenient packaging design for some consistency types, when used correctly, it can prove to be super efficient.

As a twist cap, they are easy enough to reseal and seal securely. They are portable, but generally (not always) come in a smaller size. 
When it comes to empting out your jars, it's usually simple enough. Just scoop up what you can see and carry on as normal. However, if you're using your fingers to scoop, you'll find that they aren't always the best at gaining purchase on a product. Usually, there will be a few traces left behind which involves a lot of twisting and turning your fingers in the jar until all is recovered. Alternatively, if appropriate, you can use a cotton pad/face wipes/muslin cloth to remove and apply any remaining product.

Fussing around with the cap can usually prove a little slippery post-use. I always find I need to dry and clean my hands before I can gain purchase again. But jars, jars are good, we like jars.

The squeezable ones you can cut

Squeezable tubes are very common amongst the more liquid-based product types. Think lotions and creams, anything that doesn't have a solid enough consistency to stand on its own two feet. Squeezy tubes are brilliant as you can pick them up, access your product and pack them away without any fuss.

However, squeezy tubes renders so much product completely inaccessible. There is product hidden in corners, hidden behind lips and it never wants to budge no matter how hard you squeeze and push. Cue scissors. 
Simply snip your tubes in half and, you'll have to do a bit of excavating here, but use your fingers or a spoon, or whatever instrument you please, to dig into the open tube and access your product. You'll be amazed just how much extra is stashed away in there. 

Once the product has been come open, I am often concerned about the product become oxygenated. Some products really don't like to be left in exposed air, it can reduce their shelf-life. So, if this is the case, I'll be sure to use cling film on the two halves of my squeezable tubes to keep them as air tight as possible. 

The squeezable ones you can't cut

Not all squeezable tubes are tubes you want to cut. Sometimes, it's just plain inconvenient, stands against logic, or isn't designed in a way that can be cut open. I'm talking more specifically about any shampoo and conditioner and toothpaste bottles, I would never cut these open as it will be too messy and too difficult to control.
So, when you can't use scissors, you can use your next best asset: your thumbs. By massaging the top corners of the product down towards the lid, you can begin to force the product to the cap. Once there, you can push your thumbs into the cap, and, applying a lot of force here, squeeze out as much as you can.

While there will always be some inevitable bit of product still lurking inside your tubes, this is one of the only solutions I've found to accessing this product without scissors.

Pipettes 

I generally only encounter pipettes will oil-type products: facial oils, oil cleansers, that type of thing. Pipettes are just tops for transporting oils and to help distribute a specified measurement. They offer a lot of control, and can help keep the packaging clean, as we all know how tough it can be to remove that pesky oil.
The most common trait with pipettes is, they just never seem to reach anywhere close to the bottom of the bottle. This means, you guessed it, you have no way of reaching those final few drops of oil. So, if you fancy, you can just turn the bottle upside down and have done with it, or you can tilt the bottle, to shift the liquid to a more accessible angle. 

Usually, not every last drop of oil can be squeezed out of the pipette. To solve this, I usually tap the pipette on the palm of my hand to remove those final drops, as squeezing the pump, usually seems to be tantamount to useless here.

Spray Caps

Mist toners are complemented entirely by the delicate and refreshing method with with you apply them: spray tops. Without a spray cap, there isn't really an alternative way to use these types of products, so they need to be designed in a way that means you can always access every last drop.
When down to the few remaining spritzes, you may have to tilt the bottle to make sure the liquid is inside the slim tube that is attached to the spray cap. A spray bottle with flawed design will have a short tube, that won't reach the bottom. If it doesn't reach the bottom, you probably won't be able to access the liquid in any sort of reasonable fashion.

So remember, tilt if needed. Other than that, you're on your own here, because part of the soothing experience with this type of product is usually in the spritz-type application.

The ones you can't see inside

Possibly the most frustrating of the lot; the products you just can't see inside. If you can't see inside your product's packaging, you can't ever be sure when you're about to run out.
This, coupled with not having a simple way to remove the remainder of the product leads to even more frustration. As I can't see inside these products, I don't know which way to tilt or manoeuvre, or which way to push and force. Some of them are completely indestructible and can't even be opened with scissors. 

Admittedly, these are generally the prettiest of all the packaged products, but I do always insist on functionality over aesthetics.

This #MissionEmpties Challenge has made me very aware of just how much product that might have escaped me. From now on I am super thorough; the product isn't empty until I have scooped, forced and cut my way to emptiness.