Late to the Party

Mei Botanics Mei Botanics are a new natural vegan skincare brand, based in London, who launched last month. They had some tempting opening offers at their launch, so I decided to try a few of their products. Gentle Rhassoul Cleansing Oil £5.80 for 50ml/£8.90 for 100ml I've never tried a cleansing oil with clays in the ingredients. This oil is suitable for all skin types, including oily and acne prone skin. Shake the bottle before each use as the clay will settle to the bottom. Wet your face and then massage a small pool of all all over the face to remove dirt, impurities, makeup and spf. The oil very gently exfoliates the skin at the same time as giving you a deep cleanse. I found that I could use this on my eyes without irritation, but remember, what may be okay for me, might not suit you! I'm really enjoying this cleansing oil. It's scent-free but does have a natural scent of Lavender. I also love the texture of the oil and clay mixed togethe...

Terre Verdi - Acqua Di Rosa Balancing Mist* £17.00 for 100ml * Disclaimer: This product was gifted in exchange for an honest review. Who? Terre Verdi, founded by Sicilian-born Alessandra de Gregorio, make the most beautiful ethically-made products using the finest organic ingredients.  Terre Verdi were one of the earliest UK companies to manufacture COSMOS Organic products, certified by The Soil Association. Products range from 84 - 100% organic and all products are 100% natural. All products are vegan and contain no synthetic ingredients. What is it? Acqua Di Rosa is a pure rose floral water - 100% organic and 100% natural. It comes packaged with the usual Terre Verdi care and beauty. Housed in striking black miron glass, which not only looks stunning on the shelf but also helps to keep the product fresher by protecting the contents from sun damage. I only recently learned that the gold crest on the label is actually the de Gregorio family crest, which is a lovely to...

Akamuti I recently discovered this brand through Skin Organics Beauty Box and loved the product I tried so much that I had to go back and pick up a couple more items. Akamuti, a Welsh brand headed by Lindsey , hand craft natural skin, body and hair care products using only the best natural butters, oils, herbs, aromatic distillates, barks, resins and flowers. They have a strong environmental policy and ethical policies regarding animals and people . The name Akamuti comes from the Bemba language of Zambia and has two meanings - 'Little Tree' and 'Little bit of medicine' and shows the important connection meaning trees and medicines. Akamuti stress that tree ingredients are vital in their products - essential for our health and also for the health of the planet. Amazonian Murmuru Butter £5.00 for 50g This is the product that I received in the most recent Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box. Murmuru Butter is a creamy yellow Brazilian ...

In these uncertain times it's always a pleasure to grab hold of something which can ground you and calm the mind, body and spirit. The March Skin Organics Clean Beauty box is just the ticket this month, with it's theme of 'Meditate' to make things just that little bit better in times of stress and uncertainty. The Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box is a Bi-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 from up and coming British Indie Natural Beauty brands, the products chosen are free from Parabens, Petrochemicals, PEGs (petroleum-based compounds), silicones, Sodium Laureth or Lauryl Sulphate, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol , Synthetic Colours and Fragrances, Triclosan,  Formaldehyde, Toulene, Benzophenone/PABA, Petroleum/Mineral oil, Alcohol, Urea, PEG, PG/BG, Dioxin, Aluminium, DEET, Campho...

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...

Mila's Apothecary - Winter Gift Set I feel a bit cheeky showing this off as this gift set is no longer available. In fact, Mila's Apothecary currently have no products available. Mila herself is volunteering in Greece and is concentrating on this for the near future.  In fact she has been using the proceeds from her sales to fund her volunteering trip at a Women's Refuge - another great reason to support this brand. To be alerted to when Mila is making more products for sale, it's best to follow her on Instagram to keep up to date. I first came across Mila's Apothecary on Instagram and it goes without saying that I was going to be drawn to her use of English Botanical ingredients from the hedgerows and fields. And yes, the fact that her products were limited and not so simple to get a hold of, only drew me in further! So when Mila announced a limited run of Christmas box sets, I knew I just had to get my hands on one. The gift set I ch...

I thought I might just have gotten away with it this season! The seasonal transition from Autumn to Winter is usually pretty dramatic - an instantaneous and very apparent switch in my skin where in a blink of an eye, I can be oily one day and dry, tight, sensitive and dehydrated the very next day. But as of yet, it's been an incredibly mild winter - who knows if the real severe weather is to follow in the next couple of months? My skin was behaving quite nicely up until I succumbed to a bad cold and my body felt all ill and stressed, my skin followed suit very rapidly. After a bit of a blip and utilising all the most potent products in my skincare arsenal, I've managed to bring my skin back under control. Here are my favourite winter products:  Products marked * are PR Samples. Morning Lime & Lilac - Light Facial Oil* This is perhaps the most versatile facial oil in my collection, suited for all-year-round-use and works in both my morning and...