Late to the Party

I did think about making this a Valentine's themed post - but actually, it's not a day that my husband and I make a big deal out of. Yes, we get each other a card, but after being married for almost 24 years, we've decided many years ago that we don't need or want to be prompted into making a grand gesture. We'll buy each other little gifts throughout the year, whenever the mood may take us, to show each other love, respect and gratitude for each other. Not because there's a designated day when you have to 'prove it'!! But there's still a nod to love with this post. I've chosen products that are ideal for self-love and will give you that wonderful sense of enjoying time for yourself with beautiful, sensual scents and textures. And if you want to share and enjoy them with someone you love, then hurray for that!     Butterbar Soapery   It's thanks to the Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box that I had the joy of discovering Butte...

Who could have thought that February could feel so spring-like? This amazing weather and early signs of Spring have made me unseasonably joyful! I'm loving waking up with an instant feeling of positivity and exuberance which is only made greater after my early morning swim and hearing the Woodpecker hammering away in the woods where the pool is based. So it seems incredibly fitting that the  theme of the February Skin Organics Clean Beauty box is 'Pure Bliss' . Despite a larger volume than normal of outside stressors in my life currently, I'm feeling pretty blissed out! My box turned up earlier than usual this month too, and that also added to this welcome feeling of general contentment!   The Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box is a monthly subscription service offering a selection of five full/deluxe sample sized natural beauty, skincare and makeup products.   100% natural, organic, non-toxic, eco-friendly, cruelty free, ethically sourced and often...

     Evolve Beauty are a brand that I've been aware of for some time and their products had been on my wish-list for a while. During the Black Friday sales I picked up one of their 'Taster kits' and soon after I won their giveaway on Twitter in December. I was over the moon when I received a huge box of three of their Christmas gift sets and was finally able to try them out.     Calm & Bright Christmas Cracker     Inside this cracker was a Daily Defence Moisture Mist (30ml), Hyaluronic Serum 200 (10ml) and Daily Renew Facial Cream (30ml)   Daily Defence Moisture Mist £10.00 for 30ml/£20.00 for 100ml This is definitely going to be a 'repurchase' product! Incredibly versatile - I've been using this as a general refreshing mist throughout the day and between steps in my skincare routine for an extra burst of hydration. It works really well over makeup too and does appear to give my base makeup a second life during th...

Oh T.K Maxx - you've been KILLING IT recently with your offerings!   Not sure if Friday is a new delivery day, but the shelves were absolutely teeming with Dr Jart products. Seriously, my antennae were twitching as I came down the escalators into the Norwich store! Dr Jart + - Ceramidin Liquid £14.99 (rrp £33.00) Limited funds meant that I couldn't go all 'Supermarket Sweep' and pick up multiples of everything - but there was no way that I wasn't coming away empty handed. I picked up a back-up of the Ceramidin Liquid (I'm currently almost finished with a deluxe mini size of this). Also available was the Ceramidin Gel Cream (£14.99) the Ceramidin Oil Balm (£9.99 - which my mum picked up for me from another store!), the Help Me! Ceramidin Trial Kit, some Dr Jart sheet masks (only £2.99) and the Dermaclear Micro Milk Peel (£12.99).  Patyka - Cornflower Water Micellar Gel Cleanser (£4.00 RRP £24.70) and Spearmint Purifying Foaming Gel (£5.99 RRP £24.70) ...

Bespoke Ma'Umi Facial Serum by Kihoutei     Order your bespoke serum (50ml) blend HERE   Who? Based in Sheffield, Kihoutei offer a bespoke facial serum blend service, designed entirely around the needs of your skin using only vegan, cruelty-free and certified natural ingredients. They are a small-batch brand, with a maximum of 12 bottles made per day. 100% of profits from the blend go to charities which empower women.   I first started noticing Kihoutei on Instagram in early December and was completely fascinated by the brand and their concept having seen nothing like it before!   A lot of store is put in transparency in brands with consumers (quite rightly) wanting a lot more readily available information about ingredients, packaging, values and ethos about their products and the brands who make them. I think this is one of the reasons that we're seeing such an upsurge in the popularity of small, natural Indie skincare brands - thro...

  Moksa Midnight Chandra Oil £11.00 -10ml/ £23.00 30ml (with options for closures and organic cotton gift bag). BUY HERE   Who? Moksa is a natural, plant-based, vegan and cruelty free brand from Devon. The entire range is free from any parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals (mineral oils), fillers, SLS or any other ingredient that can be toxic for your skin. The name Moksa is a Sanskrit word meaning liberation, bliss and inner peace. The brand and name were thought up when Chloe, the creator of Moksa and her husband were travelling around India. So taken with all of the inspirations gained from travelling India, Chloe decided to put her training in natural skincare into practice and the brand was born.   What is it? Chandra (meaning 'moon' in Sanskrit, derived from 'Chand' meaning to shine. Chandra is a lunar deity) is a night facial oil. Using last thing at night helps all the active ingredients to get to work as you sleep. Each ingred...

The 20/20 Vision Project is a mega panning project which ends on 31st December 2019. The idea is to finish twenty makeup items and twenty skincare items.   I started this project in mid July 2018 - so this update covers almost 6 months of use. In total I have finished 15 out of 40 products. Makeup Items The makeup items, as expected, are taking the longest for me to use up. I still haven't hit pan on any of the products, so I am wondering if I'll get to finish all of these - even with 11 more months of the challenge to go! 5 down - 15 to go! 1. MUA - Matte Perfect Loose Powder - used rarely. 2. TonyMoly - Cats Wink Powder Compact - Used every day - not hit pan yet. 3. Nars - Copacabana Highlighter Cream Stick - Hardly used. This has turned into a bit of a mess! The consistency is like putty so I've almost having to mould it back into a stick shape after use! Starting measurement was 22mm - no change. 4. L'Oreal - Lash Paradise Mascara -...