Compagnie De Provence Sample Reviews

 

There is something rather wonderful about this brand, whereby even just the packaging conjures the image of 'a home worthy of a front page glossy mag'. It could be the obvious, that French do ooze class and sophistication, or maybe that the simplistic, muted package gives an air of 'Farrow and Ball' but in the skincare realm. Whatever, it looks classy in a bathroom, and are the kind of products that visitors will mention when they come out of the downstairs toilet! 

Compagnie De Provence is a company whereby ingredients are sourced in the region Provence. However, what stands them apart is that their products are made with 95% naturally derived ingredients. They also refuse to use any 'nasties' chemicals etc in their products and so are 100% free of all mineral oils (known to clog pores) and sodium laureth sulphate (foaming agents that long term strip the skin of moisture). Many of the products are made using a process called 'saponification', which is where plant/vegetable oils are mixed with an alkali and the result is soap/glycerin. The process is made in the traditional way of using a cauldron! So not only do the products look great but are made in a sustainable way. Now are they any good?

Compagnie de Provence Olive Marseille Soap Cube £6 

The soap is a whopping, chunky block of 400g containing just a few ingredients. I looked at the Marseille Olive Soap, and it contains natural glycerine and sodium salts derived from the fatty acids of coconut and olive oils, and it's also palm oil free. Not only can this nourishing and enriching soap be used as a hand soap, it can be used all over the body, to wash clothes and to even clean tiles! It's a multi-purpose soap that is a house-hold must!

Savon Liquide Marseille Extra Pur Lavande Aromatique £18/500ml

This beautifully, presented liquid soap in a glass bottle, is made with botanical oils and produces a very light lather, non-drying and kind to dry skin. It's enriched with sweet almond oil, that is nourishing and gentle on the skin, whilst the delicate scent of lavender is relaxing and calming, making showering less of a chore and more of an instant 'shoulder drop' experience. As the smell of lavender fills the bathroom you'll instantly find tension just disappears. It's a must for anyone who has busy jobs, is stressed or just needs to time to indulge in some stress free time.

Finally I looked at the Creme Mains Hydrante Extra Pur Bois D'Olivier Moisturising Hand Cream £16. It's scented with olive wood, so ideal for both men and women as has an earthy, wood fragrance that is fresh (camphor) and unisex, and not too dissimilar to one of my Tom Ford fragrances. You only need a small amount to nourish and protect dry hands and nails, and so the 100ml tube will last ages. It contains an abundance of ingredients to moisturise hands such as camellia seed oil, sweet almond oil, honey, shea butter and skin soothing ingredients such as aloe leaf juice. 

It's a great range, there is something for everyone but it just has that little extra class, a touch above the rest and that's why the products also make perfect Christmas gifts. The range is available online to purchase at www.seymourshome.com

Nuasan Post Care Exercise Kit £39 Sample Review

 

I've not heard of this brand before however, as a huge advocate for fitness and having written about the benefits of fitness for the last 20 odd years, I was interested in reviewing this product. Personally, I am registered disabled and have been for over 30 years with severe hypermobility and spondylitis. The way I keep going (I have to as I'm a single mum) is by exercise notably, weights, cardio and lots of Pilates. However, I suffer badly with sleep as I get horrendous 'restless legs' caused by the nerves pinching on my facet joints. The only thing that has helped with my restless legs is a daily dose of Magnesium. 

I also liked the background that the brand was founded by Dara Scott who also, by looking at his biography, is an extreme, outdoor fitness lover however, also has the scientific background to really know his ingredients and what works. Based in Ireland the brand prides itself on ethical practices and sustainability, and thus 10% of all it's profits are donated to sustainable and environmental charities.

This set contains everything to help with aches, pains, restless legs, overworked legs, bruising and tired joints. It's designed for those that exercise or someone who is on their feet all day. However, it also contains magnesium and arnica, both known to help arthritic pain, and so ideal for anyone who may suffer, as I do with inflammation.

The actual kit itself contains 200ml Nuasan Active Body Wash and 200ml Nuasan Body Moisturiser. Both are scented in a refreshing, neutral fragrance (the body wash contains awakening peppermint), making them ideal for both men and women to use. 

The Active Body Wash is made primarily of sugar based cleansers and active ingredients including:-

• Algae Extract - Helps alleviate dry skin, draws out toxins and contains anti-oxidants.
• Magnesium Chloride - Magnesium is 'transdermal', which means it can actually penetrate through the skin. Helps restless legs, soothes aching and fatigued muscles, thus giving better quality sleep.
• Tea Tree Leaf Oil - Antibacterial and anti-fungal, ideal for those that suffer with oily skin or any breakouts.
• Vitamin E - Contains anti-oxidants and protects the skin from environmental pollutants.
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder - Soothing and helps inflamed skin. Ideal for eczema and drier skin types.
• Arnica Montana Flower Extract - A plant  this is often used to help bring out bruising and is incredibly healing. It also can help heal insect bites and can heal swollen skin, making it an ideal anti-inflammatory ingredient. Arnica actually stimulates the body's healing process. 

The Active Body Moisturiser contains ingredients including:-

• Magnesium Chloride - As above, again this is transdermal so actually penetrates the skin and gets into the blood stream, aiding tired muscles. Use after the shower, ideal after a weights session!
• Arnica Montana Flower Extract - Again as above, used if you feel you have bruised or your muscles are aching.
• Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root - Incredibly warming, and perfect to help soothe and warm up tired muscles. Ginger contains gingerols that actually help reduce pain so ideal after sport. For those that worry about cellulite, it can also help reduce the appearance of dimply skin! It is packed with anti-oxidants and not only flushes out toxins but also helps with blood circulation. 
• Butyrospermum Parkii Shea Butter - Moisturising and nourishing to the skin.
• Avena Sativa Oat Kernal Extract - Soothes the skin and leaves it feeling incredibly soft. 

The quality of ingredients are excellent and I would urge that if you, or you are gifting someone who is into their fitness to check out more of their products on their website at www.nuasan.com

Stila Camouflage Beauty Eyeshadow Palette £32 sample review

 

This perfect palette is the ultimate in luxurious, multi-faceted eyeshadows with colours taking you from night to day. The versatility of the colours from application to colour will suit every eye shade and every skin tone, making it an ideal Christmas present.

The skin tone, light shades are perfect for creating an optical illusion of a brighter eye, ideal for daytime use. To vamp the colour up, just apply a smidgeon of the molten gold into the centre of the lids to make eyes 'pop'.  The gold can also be used pressed into the centre of the lips to give a glamourous gleam and make lips look fuller. 

If you prefer a more full on smoky eye, then play away with the shades of pewter and charcoal. Again containing both matte shades and glitter, it has everything you need for a full on Christmas glamour look. Apply using your fingers, a blending brush or simply wet a fine brush and apply as liner around the liner for a deep, magical show-stopping, shimmering eye.  

The brown colours are a beautiful contrast to green/blue eyes, whilst the lilac/lavender makes brown eyes stand out. Richly pigmented and incredibly soft, so you can build up the colour and they blend to perfection.  The compact has a decent sized mirror and the slim design is ideal for fitting in your handbag for a night out! 

I'm a huge fan of Stila (as you can probably tell), and these shadows are by far superior in my opinion to other expensive makes! You can purchase Stila makeup online at www.stila.co.u.k

Stila Heaven's Hue Highlighter Kitten £29.00 Sample Review

 

This is the most delicate, shimmering and stunning highlighter I've seen this year and it's from Stila.  A decent highlighter is worth it's weight in gold (pun intended), and one that is not glittery, but just has the right amount of lifting effect can knock years off. It's all about where to put the highlighter. Here's some tips.

• A highlighter naturally should be placed where you want to lift the face, so upper cheekbones and browbones. 
• To accentuate lips and make them appear fuller, put a small amount on the cupids bow, or dab a pop of highlighter in the middle of the lips over gloss. 
• Sweep across the collarbone to give an instant glam look - use on top of moisturiser to just give that dewy gleam.
• Again you can get a large brush and just give a sweep down shin bones to elongate the legs and give the illusion of shimmer tights. Make sure you moisturise legs first though. 
• Apply to the inner corner of the eye to make eyes appear brighter and more set apart.
• Many makeup artists like to use highlighter down the middle of the nose to make it appear more elongated and slimmer however, whilst this is 'Instagram photo look', I would advise just using a lighter foundation. Remember with all highlighters less is more! 

This great highlighter isn't glittery, contains ultra fine shimmer particles and gives skin that inner luminous glow. The consistency is almost mousse like, and so is easy to apply without having to use a brush. It presses into the skin easily with a sponge or fingertips and simply blends without looking obvious. It's a beautiful compact and would make a lovely present, albeit it would be hard to give away! Check out the glowing (another pun) reviews on their website at www.stila.co.uk

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Beso Sample Review £17

 

Red lipstick is the ultimate in glam makeup, and Christmas/New Year is the one time I insist on wearing it. If, like me, you don't have time to do a full makeup look, then all you need is a decent red lipstick, quick fix of the brows and a swipe of mascara and you're party ready. It's important to choose one that has blue undertones, as too warm can make teeth look yellow, so steer clear of more orangey reds and go for a true red. 

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick £17.00 www.stila.co.uk

I've been testing lots of red lipsticks and my favourite is definitely the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso. Not only is it the perfect shade, but it simply just doesn't budge! I didn't need to use a primer, it simply just slicked on with one coat.  It dried to a silky finish within less than a minute and didn't have that chalky, drying effect that many long-lasting lipsticks have. This could be due to the ingredients including nourishing avocado oil. Pls check out my Insta reel @askmollybeauty and you will see how it just didn't budge. The colour will suit every skin tone, making it the perfect Christmas red. Now to find the mistletoe!