Objects of Desire - February 2019

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 Butterbar Soapery. Above is a photo of my most favourite ever body polish, which was a limited edition available though Skin Organics Clean Beauty. This body polish is chocolate orange flavoured and is the most amazing scent that I've ever had the pleasure of smelling! Artificial chocolate and sweet smells have been a dislike of mine in high street products, but after smelling this and seeing how it can be done properly using completely natural ingredients, it's completely changed the way I think about chocolate scents in body care products.

I admit that I've been saving this 'for best' as it was a limited edition and I will be utterly bereft when I finally scoop out the last of the product.

Butterbar Soapery have really mastered the art of creating heavenly scents, so with this is mind, my first choice for 'Object of Desire' would go to their Limited Edition Winter Spice Collection (£15.00). This set contains six hand-crafted guest soaps featuring Orange & Frankincense (Sparkling Gold & Emerald Green); Cinnamon & Peppermint (Shimmery Copper & Sapphire Blue) and Bergamot & Spice (Metallic Bronze & Pearl White). Oooh - yeah, is all I can say about those combinations!!

 

* Photo from Butterbar Soapery Website

 

But as this is all about the 'fantasy wish list' - I'm not going to stop there. The 'Soothe' range of Body Polish and Bath Salts contain Rosehip Seed Oil, Pink Clay, Evening Primrose Oil and vitamin-rich Cranberry Powder and are scented with Rose Geranium and Lavender essential oils. Designed to calm sensitive skin, smooth, tone and improve circulation and  particularly beneficial for mature skin.  

 

Eden Days

 

Another Skin Organics Beauty Box discovery! The photo above shows the Eden Days Hawaiian Haven Whipped Body Butter which was featured in a Skin Organics box last year.

This heavenly body butter is scented with organic Green Tea, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Lavender and Geranium Essential Oils. I admit that this one of my products that I 'save for best', which is a bit bananas really as a 60ml pot of this beauty costs only £5.00 so it's not like it will break the bank to replace it!

 

Eden Days is run by a mother and daughter team. Based in Swansea, their products are all hand-made; Vegan, cruelty free and contain no animal derived ingredients; with zero waste packaging and ethically sourced ingredients.

 

It's hard to choose just one 'Object of Desire' from their range - as every single product is pretty desirable! I've just ordered some of the wonderfully-named Jiggle Wiggle soap (£4.00 for 100g bar) and Jiggle Wiggle Whipped Body Butter (£6.50 for 150ml) plus one of their natural linen soap bags (£2.50) to keep in my swim bag. 

 

* Photo taken from Eden Days website

 

Eden Days have recently released a skincare range that looks rather enticing too. Check out their site for a suggested skincare regimen. All of their products are so reasonably priced - for example, the Clay Day Mask Set is just £15.00 and contains one 100 gram Glass Pot with dry clay; a ceramic mixing bowl, a bamboo tea spoon plus a cruelty free bamboo face brush. This would make such a fabulous gift.

 

 

Clockface Beauty

 

Yes, you guessed it - Clockface Beauty are yet another discovery from the Skin Organics Beauty Box!! I've tried two products from their range so far. The Enhanced Recovery Body Oil and the Hand & Cuticle Oil Roll-on. 

 

Made in Yorkshire, the Clockface Beauty range is 100% natural, organic and vegan.

 

The Enhanced Recovery Body Oil is a night time staple for me - containing Clary Sage and Geranium, this beautifully scented body oil is suitable for all skin types and is best used after exercise or for easing aching muscles and stressed joints.  I personally use this at night before bed where I massage it into my lower back, buttocks and legs to ease the symptoms of Sciatica and restless legs during the night. I'll be posting a full review of this shortly.

 

 

My 'Objects of Desire' choices would be the Foot & Leg Balm, with May Chang and Frankincense and the Foot & Leg Scrub, with Neroli and Ylang Ylang. I'm loving the idea of extending to leg love on my 'Foot Spa' nights, and these two products sound like they'd be the perfect treatments for a really self-indulgent bout of pampering at home.

  

 

Buff Natural Bodycare

 

Inspired by the raw power of sea and plants, Buff Natural Bodycare make products which contain pure essential oils and their packaging is 100% Recyclable and 99% plastic free.

My first encounter with Buff was through the Natural Beauty Box with the gorgeous Nuit - Sea Salt Body Scrub. I don't know if it was because of the brand's strong coastal influence, but this body scrub really reminded me of the sea and the beach and being a coastal dweller myself, it was a hugely evocative experience. The scrub is a brilliant body exfoliator but also leaves your body feeling intensely moisturised - so no need for a separate body butter, oil or lotion after your bath or shower. Scented with Bergamot, Ginger, Palma Rosa, Patchouli and Sandalwood, the Nuit range was developed with warmth and relaxation in mind for use in a pampering evening routine.

 

Buff also offer a range of gift boxes, which are a great way to try a selection of their products. So for the 'Object of Desire' (and because this post is all about self lurve) I choose the NAKED Exotic and Sensual Pamper Gift Box.

 

*Photo from Buff website

 

The Lovers Blend, sensual aromatherapy gift box (£28.00) contains a 60ml Sea Salt Body Scrub, 15ml Body Oil and 60ml Aromatherapy Candle (20 hour burn time). These products contain the Naked Lover's blend of Clary Sage, Rosewood, Ylang Ylang and Sandalwood essential oils.

 

 

Lola's Apothecary

 

And finally, a brand who have created one of the most seductive, sultry and sensuous natural fragrances that I've come across. Lola's Apothecary are a couture natural beauty brand, based in Devon, who create 100% natural, organic and handmade products.

They describe their products as "thoughtfully designed beauty wonders combine glamour and decadence into the most luxurious of natural skin treats" which perfectly sums up my experience with this brand.

 

Everything about this product makes it an object of desire. From the floating rose petals inside the glass bottle to the scents of romantic rose, warm spices and uplifting citrus, the Delicate Romance Perfume Oil Deluxe Roll On is a luxurious, hedonistic, animalistic yet utterly feminine perfume oil.

 

* Photo from Lola's Apothecary Website

 

On Lola's Apothecary website, products are categorised by product, fragrance and mood. The fragrance of Orange Patisserie instantly caught my eye, described as smelling like a warm country kitchen or an orange drizzle cake! With pure essential oils of Mandarin, Sweet Orange and Lemon and spiced with Ginger and Vanilla, the Orange Patisserie Naturally Fragrant Candle is my pick for 'Object of Desire'. An 85g Candle with a burn time of 20 hours is £22.00, or a 220g Candle with a burn time of 45 hours is £42.00.

 

 

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