Dr Bronner's 18-in-1 Cherry Blossom Pure Castile Soap RRP £8.49 sample review

 

A few years back I was sent this product but in the Eucalyptus fragrance. I only had it for about a month before I gifted it to my mother - she loved it, as did I. Before I give my review on why I like it, here's a little background on the company.  Founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, who's German-Jewish family were soap-makers. His message, that is still written across the packaging of the products is that 'We Are All One or None'. 

Indeed the packaging and what is written is part of the brands unique selling point, and the fact that there are so many uses to the soap!

Making up the liquid soap is a cocktail of ingredients made from pure organic oils such as:-

• Coconut Oil - helps with inflammation, hydrates the skin and is repairing. 
• Palm Kernal Oil - moisturising, nourishing and helps promote healthy cell renewal. 
• Olive Oil - rich in anti-oxidants, helps protect the skin from UV rays, is anti-aging and skin regenerating.
• Jojoba Oil - anti-bacterial and healing, ideal for skin inflammation and acne prone skin.
• Sunflower Oil - contains naturally fatty acids, is non-comedogenic - doesn't block pores so ideal if you have blackheads.

So this isn't just any soap, this liquid soap has so many uses other than just washing in! Use it to:-

• Wash your clothes in, ideal as a travel soap.
• Add a couple of dashes onto a towel, wring in hot water and apply to your face, for a steaming facial.
• Use as a hair wash, shave gel, shower wash.
• Use as an environmentally friendly detergent to clean your work surfaces. 
• Use as a dog shampoo
• You can even use it for brushing your teeth!

This multi-purpose liquid soap is one that every household should have, and of course it smells wonderfully light and refreshing, and a little like a Cherry Bakewell Tart! Not only is it vegan, fair trade, cruelty free etc it also saves an awful lot on the pennies! Something we all need whilst this energy crisis is going on!

You can purchase Dr Bronner's here at www.drbronner.co.uk

Yardley London Sample Review

 

There is no other description that I can think of, or that gives Yardley the respect it deserves, than quintessentially English. Yardley, made in good old Great Britain is probably the most recognised name in the beauty industry, claiming it's fame as one of the longest standing brands, in fact it's been around for 250 years. Where other brands come and go, Yardley has stood the test of time and it's not hard to see why.

If you haven't visited Yardley for a while then I would urge you to do so. Whilst for many it maybe reminiscent of what our grandmothers used, the scents themselves have been leaders in the fragrance market. You only have to look at more recent brands to see that the floral, kitsch packaging has been copied, as has the trend for singular perfume notes.

For Mothers Day, or any other day, be it gifting yourself or someone who needs a little a cheering up, here's a selection.

English Lavender Perfumed Talc £7.99 200ml

Made from 96% naturally derived ingredients, this divine fragranced talc contains notes of geranium, chamomile and eucalyptus. These essential oils are known to be balancing, comforting and refreshing so ideal if you need a little pampering. The talc is super fine and leaves skin feeling silky soft, whilst the fragrance itself is subtle and not over-powering. Suitable for vegans and cruelty free. 

Blossom & Peach Moisturising Body Mist £6.99 200ml

Again made from mostly naturally derived ingredients, this sparkling, juicy body mist is an instant pick-me-up. The gorgeous scent is flirty, floral and has top notes of blossom and pink pepper, middle notes of rose, peach, lilac and geranium and woody base notes of patchouli and musk. It contains sweet almond oil to leave skin feeling nourished and moisturised.  The scent is enough so that you don't need to layer on perfume, and is ideal for spritzing in the morning after your shower, before a night out or even in your hair to freshen it up after a night out! Vegan and cruelty free.

Luxury Soap Collection £6.50 for 3

These soaps can be split into 3 and gifted as 3 different presents, or make wonderful hand soaps to keep by your bathroom sink. Containing 3 soaps 1 English Lavender, 1 English rose and 1 Lily of the Valley.  They smell utterly divine and leave hands feeling soft. I'm gifting one of these each to my dog walking friends (who've been helping me whilst I recuperate from my broken ankle).  Again vegan and cruelty free.

Opulent Rose Eau De Toilette £15.99 125ml

The epitome of an English summer time garden, this is, as the name suggests simply Opulent Rose. It's rich velvet notes, easily compete with the high end perfumes of rose notes, and if you know someone who loves a floral fragrance then this would make a perfect gift. The base notes of white musk, amber and patchouli give the lasting fragrance a lend towards middle eastern scents. The glass pink bottle, sits elegantly on a dressing table - and is not so bulky that you can't put it in your handbag.

At the moment there is an amazing offer on at Boots whereby many of the products are up to 1/3 off and many 50% off gift sets. Buy now here at www.boots.com

Sanctuary Spa Jar Of Treats RRP £12.50 Sample Review

 

Sanctuary Spa is one of the brands that I always like to revisit. The original fragrance evokes comforting, pampering memories and is so unique that it's instantly recognisable. Every year they do amazing gift sets for most occasions such as Christmas, Valentines and of course Mothers Day. I always look forward to reviewing them, not just because I like the products but because the value for money in these gift sets are brilliant. 

The products themselves are vegan, cruelty free,  eco friendly (plastic free) and you can always re-use the packaging. This year I'm reviewing a couple of their gift sets, which I will do separate reviews on as both are, in my opinion worthy of my time (I don't get paid for reviews)!

You can see the contents here and the sizes are decent 'travel' sizes so are perfect for introducing you to the products, or for a long weekend of pampering. The jar is of course re-usable, I recently put my daughter's makeup sponges in one and she loved it! 

Of course with Sanctuary Spa it's not just about the fragrance and the packaging. Many of the products include active ingredients such as:-

• Shea Butter - the Body Lotion contains this wonderfully rich ingredient that helps nourish and moisturise the skin. 
• Aloe Vera - good for calming down redness and inflammation.
• Sesame Seed Oil - known for containing vitamin E that helps protect the skin against UV rays, pollution etc. 
• The Salt Scrub contains oils of  Sweet Almond, Coconut and Wheat Germ, oils that really condition the skin and act as a barrier to protect the skin. These oils also contain an abundance of vitamins and essential fatty acids to help moisturise cracked, dry skin.
• Camelina Sativa Seed Oil is one of the main ingredients in the Shower Oil, and is a rich source of omega-3 known to help with inflammation.

You can purchase this at www.amazon.com however, last time I looked it was available at an incredible £6.50 from www.boots.com although best to hurry up as it will sell out quickly!

Naturtint Hair Food Goji Revitalizing Mask £6.99 150ml

 

My hair is in need of a good drench of hydration, and so recently I've been testing hair masks. I have used Naturtint products before and am always impressed by the quality of ingredients. This one contains:-

• Goji - an ingredient used in hair care to help promote a healthy scalp. Anti-inflammatory properties soothes flaky, itchy scalps.
• Shea Butter - hydrating, nourishing, conditioning, an ingredient that smooths the cuticle shaft and lends itself to making hair feel and look in better condition. 
• Baobab Proteins - harvested from the 'Tree of Life', this ingredient is full of saturated fats and helps revive and strengthen weak hair strands. It also protects the hair from damage caused by pollution/UV rays.
• Milk Thistle - a strengthening ingredient that can reduce hair loss. 

My before picture shows that my hair is naturally dry, flyaway and looks dry...

I applied it after shampooing and whilst still in the shower. It only takes 4 minutes to work so that's a bonus for busy mums like myself, or those who have broken ankles and can't stand in the shower for long, like myself. It smells absolutely scrumptious, fruity and berry and whilst it says to 'apply generously' all over the hair, I simply applied mid-lengths to the ends. 

Here's the results without use of any serums, dried naturally and brushed through like my photo above - sometimes a photo speaks volumes and on this occasion you can see for yourself the great results!

You can purchase the Goji Revitalising Mask here at www.naturtint.co.uk oh and before I sign off, it's vegan and 99% naturally derived ingredients!

St. Moriz 1 Hour Fast Tan Mousse £5.99 200ml

 

Having recently tested the Fast Tan Water from St. Moriz, I wasn't expecting too much of a difference - I was wrong, there is. 

The St. Moriz Fast Tan Mousse from testing is definitely darker and gives a much more deeper tan in just over an hour than the 'water' version.  As always I've taken a before photo (above) and you can see the results below. As always I didn't have time to exfoliate, shave etc and I didn't wear gloves .... anyway here's my review....

The foam is incredibly easy to apply, personally I prefer a tinted colour as it helps show where you've applied the tan - the downside is, of course, it gets very messy. However, this was easy to massage into skin, took little effort and in fact took me less than 5 minutes to do my whole body - the foam consistency meant it didn't fall onto the floor/sink etc. As you can see below I should've probably worn gloves however, I simply washed my hands immediately after use and the tan came out. (To do the back of the hands simply apply in the middle and massage hands back to back - I usually apply moisturiser to my knuckles as tan can cling to this area).

Looks scary but this washed off immediately! The tan contains Aloe Vera, an ingredient that helps calm the skin and inflammation, so ideal if you've over-done it in the sun. Vitamin E helps minimise the look of scarring albeit nothing helps more than an application of tan, which is why I love fake tan!

In as little as over an hour the tan started to develop, I left it on for 3 hours and after showering off was left with a beautiful deep olive glow. For the price this is definitely one of my favourites, especially as I have a naturally light olive skin. You can purchase it here at www.superdrug.com