Late to the Party

NorthburN Gift of the Month (June) £12 + P+P 50ml Mandarin and Bergamot Reed Diffuser 30ml Room Mist 10 Pack of Wax Melts How on earth has it taken me so long to get around to buying NorthburN's fabulous monthly deal?! It's fantastic value at just £12 (plus postage) offering 40% savings on the regular price. I previously tried a NorthburN candle from a Skin Organics Clean Beauty box and found it to have a beautiful long-lasting scent, which burned evenly and lasted for ages. I had always meant to go back and try more. The Mandarin & Bergamot scent is just my cup of tea. And it's the perfect summer scent with its citrus notes. I'm so impressed with each of the products in the box and they all ensure that my house is kept smelling sweet and fresh. I don't often buy wax melts, but these have definitely re-ignited my interest in them.  I've been using one of the heart-shaped wax melts at a time in the evening and they l...

Mila's Apothecary - Hedgerow Nectar This was the latest product that I picked up from the fabulous Mila's Apothecary, after falling hard for the Winter Gift Set that I received for Christmas. The Hedgerow Nectar is a face and body oil blended with cold-pressed strawberry seed oil and hemp seed oil. The hero ingredient of strawberry seed oil is actually a by product from jam-making which would otherwise go to waste. Ingredients Cold-pressed Fragaria Ananassa (strawberry) Seed Oil; Organic and cold-pressed Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil; Organic and cold-pressed Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil;  Organic Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Oil; Linalool; Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene - naturally occurring. Such a luxurious oil which is a real pleasure to use and offers some fabulous hydrating and complexion smoothing results. It's a lovely deep, rich amber-hued oil. Rich in essential fatty acids Omegas 3 and 6 as well as  Vitamins A,B,C,E and anti...

It may be a short month but I've had plenty of new products to play with. Here's a selection of my favourites that I've tried this month. Slow Ageing Essentials This Slow Ageing Essentials trio have, in the past month, become my Sunday evening skincare routine. Pared back to the basics but just as pampering and full of self-care as any of my more drawn-out routines. The face wash is pearly and silky and surprisingly smells of bubblegum (surprisingly because all of the ingredients are natural botanics). The face essence is a beautiful herbal oil-based serum and makes for a gorgeous and indulgent facial massage. Slow Ageing have a massage technique that they called Skin'esis which is available to view on their website. However, this essence absorbs so well that I found it had absorbed completely before I finished the massage and needed to replenish in order to stop my hands and fingers dragging on my skin. And finally the balm, which is one of those b...

Despite trying hard not to fall for the lure of the January sales, I couldn't resist making a couple of purchases! Walden Perfume Sample Kit After receiving a 10ml rollerball of 'Live the Life' Perfume Oil by Walden in December's Love Lula Box, I really wanted to try more from this natural perfume brand. A 25% off voucher (also from the Love Lula box) afforded me the perfect opportunity to try some more. They all sounded so good, so I opted for the Mini Rollerball Sample kit, comprising of seven small 2ml vials of different scents. I loved every single offering - but I think my favourites are 'A Different Drummer' and 'The Solid Earth'. Read a full review here. Ffern - Winter '20 A surprise delivery this January as I only just managed to get my name down for the Ffern production ledger and thought that I would be too late for the Winter Solstice release. But this is the best type of surprise you can have, as Ffern's Wint...

With the change in the weather comes a change in my skincare routines. Now is the time for stepping up the hydration and skin-repairing products. My choices for this month mostly reflects these seasonal changes - the products I'm loving are the skincare equivalents to pulling out the snuggly jumpers! NK Naturals - Autumn Oil* £15.00 for 15ml (* PR Sample) I only heard about the concept of 'Seasonal Oils' last year and it's a concept that I'm a real cheerleader for. I love how they cater for the skin as it changes its requirements as the seasons change. Facial Oils are one of my favourite steps in my skincare routine and also the category in my collection that I have the most of! When I first started using facial oils I was under the impression that one was very much like another, but with every new oil I tried, I was proven wrong! Despite the recommendation by NK Naturals to use this oil at night, I've been using this oil in my mor...

Although this month was all about an Autumnal de-cluttering for me, of course I managed to pick up some new products that have become fast and firm favourites in September. Angel Face Mineral Cosmetics - Illuminator Pot for Life £16.00 I picked up a few Angel Face Mineral Cosmetics samples a while ago. I was hugely impressed with their service. The sample pots are cardboard and completely recyclable (or re-usable for travel pots) and only cost £2 each. I loved all the samples but it was the Illuminator which I absolutely fell in love with! This pale pink finely milled powder has really made me re-think my highlighting game! I just don't want to wear those blinding, strobing highlighters any more and much prefer something much more natural and subtle. The Illuminator gives me exactly the look I prefer. It's natural and subtle and just gives my skin a very healthy looking 'lit from within' glow. Boho Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Date Night Bo...

Here's the products that I've loved using the most during August: It's a rare treat to get to try the entire product range of a brand, but this month saw that happen twice! Firstly was the capsule range from the fabulous Lime & Lilac after I was lucky enough to be chosen as a brand ambassador for. And also, the entire range in the form of a starter set from Meadow Botanical Skincare, which I won this month in an Instagram giveaway. * Denotes PR Samples *Lime & Lilac - The entire range! In August I was delighted to be chosen as a brand ambassador for one of my favourite brands - Lime & Lilac. As such, I was sent the entire range of Lime & Lilac products to review. In this package was included the new-to-me Passionflower Cleansing Oil, which has been on my wish-list since Lisa announced it as the newest addition to her range earlier this year. And the long wait did not disappoint!  Also included were two products that I already kn...

July has been a month for discovery - mostly in mini form as there have been some impossible-to-miss 'try it' sample offers. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Mini 3 Step Starter Kit This fantastic mini starter set was on offer for just £5. I have tried to find the link, but sadly, I think this offer has finished now. This mini set comprised a 5ml Miracle Cleanser; 5ml Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser; 5ml Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser; 2ml Revitalise & Glow Serum and a cotton face cloth. It was a great chance to be able to try out these products from a well-loved brand. I really enjoyed the Miracle Cleanser, but it is highly perfumed, so wasn't suitable for eye makeup removal. Also, the dinky little 2ml serum bottle had it's own metal roller ball application, but I found it very hard to actually get much product out so the ball felt like it was dragging on my skin. I enjoyed the moisturisers the most. They're very rich and creamy but don't feel ...