Beyond Organic Skincare

Being vegetarian for more years than I can remember, I've always loved looking around for organic non-animal tested brands, but sometimes they're not too easy to discover. In the past I've blogged about a few interesting brands that have given me products to trail and spread the word about and this time I've been sent some lovely products from the team behind Beyond Organic Skincare.

Beyond Organic Skincare is made with ethically sourced materials and are 100% natural and certificated organic products. The products are full with a variety of vitamins to help restore skin health and leave you looking your natural best. My initial trial of the products has left me blown away with some of the items and rather disappointed in another. As I always mention in my blog posts, just because a product doesn't agree with me, doesn't mean it won't be the perfect product for you. We all have different skin and different reactions, in the end it is purely down to what suits your skin needs.

The first products up for review was the Nourishing Day Cream and the Firming Eye Cream. Unfortunately the Nourishing Day Cream just wasn't for me and it made my skin a little bit itchy and oily. This may be due to the fact that I have highly sensitive skin and even some natural ingredients can bring me out in rashes - sometimes this can be quite a hassle for a beauty blogger. The Firming Eye Cream on the other hand was my favourite product I received. It's like a cheaper, more refreshing version of 'Clinique All About The Eyes' and works even better in my opinion. There's nothing worse than having tired eyes in the morning and this little tub has been my saviour. The fresh ingredients rejuvenated my eyes, not only making them feel firmer, but giving them a sparkly new leash of life by waking them up a little bit. I could easily see myself buying this product in the future, especially with my dissertation year coming up.

Alongside the firming eye cream, the 'Ultra Radiance Age Defying Cleanser' is up there with my favourite Beyond Organic Skincare samples. Although I've only used this cleanser once, I was shocked by how clear, refreshed and softer my face felt. It was a lovely feeling to experience after a long hard day.

The final item I was sent is the Shea Delight Moisturising bar. As much as this looks like the cutest little product ever, it didn't work wonders on me. The Shea delight moisturising bar is supposed to be an alternative to liquid moisturiser, where you simply rub it on your body and see the results. I'm sad to say that although it's a interesting concept and it did work slightly, I don't think it gave my body enough moisturising for me to be convinced to purchase it in the future.

The Beyond Organic Skincare range has left me wanting to try more products, but yet with a slight of hesitancy. The eye firmer and the anti ageing cleanser are products I'd buy again in a heartbeat, but as for the others, I'd probably have to see if Beyond Organic have any more suited products to my annoying sensitivity.

Have you tried this range before?

http://www.beyondorganicskincare.com/

Read more

L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique: Rose Sand

Today I thought I'd do a short blog post on my new favourite high-street foundation. For the last few months, if not nearly a year now, I've been blowing on my pennies on Clarins foundation. It has been one of my makeup staples for a very long time and envisioning my life without it would be like bread with no butter. Due to wedding saving, bills to pay and my outlandish shopping habits, I have landed myself in a realm where I'm strapped for cash. In all fairness, I'm usually a good girl. For every expensive item I have, I also have many budget items. I love a little bit of MAC, but MUA does the trick too. Back to the point...when I went shopping the other day, I had no option but to trawl through the array of drugstore foundations to find a shade and brand that would compare to my holy grail 'Skin Illusion'. Recently a few of my friends have been kicking up a fuss about the L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique. It has been years since I tried any L'oreal products, but my friends advised me that this would be a great money saver in my struggling times. 

Verdict? I love it and it's probably now one of my favourite foundations. For once, a high street foundation hasn't brought me out in spots and the oily, creamy consistency has helped with my dry skin. The coverage is fair and adds a lovely shine to my face - something I've been missing for quite awhile. The 'light infusion' means that when I take my photos, my face is always glowing.  The only issue I have with this product is that a lot of the shades seem the same. I really struggled finding a colour which would suit me the best. In the end I settled for a shade a slightly bit darker than my natural tone, but the warmth makes me look healthy and glowing, something I will not complain about. Price wise, I think for £10.99 it's an absolute steal. I've been wearing this foundation for weeks now and I've really had no complaints. Okay, it doesn't quite stay on the whole night through, but for £10.99 I personally wouldn't expect it to. For people with dry skin and those wanting a glamorous shine, I'd definitely give the L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique a try.

What do you think?

(Sorry for the blurry images, unfortunately my camera has been playing up!)

Read more

irresistible skin treats

Don't worry - I have had my eyebrows waxed since this photo *hides in shame*

Today has been rather pleasant and for the first time, I'm feeling almost my normal self. It's been a very difficult few weeks with exams and the added distress of losing a very close family member, but the sun has been shining, my work is close to completion and today has been full of productivity and positivity.   With all this happiness in mind, I thought I'd share with you a few of my latest treats that have made a positive impact in my life. Sometimes when you buy a new product, you don't realise that it will be the one - like realising a first date is going really well and you know you want to see him or her again. Most of these products are now items I couldn't bare to be without. From body scrubs to face masks, these little beauties have been injecting that little bit of happiness back into my life and making my daily grooming regime, a hell of a lot easier.

Sanctuary Spa Hot Body Scrub

Sanctuary Spa products are often hit or miss when it comes to my skin type. I've tried some skin care items that have dried out my skin, but others have made my skin radiant.  The Hot Body Scrub is definitely my favourite Sanctuary Spa product to date and something I really can't see myself living without.  For a start, the tub is massive. You can tell you're going to get your money's worth from this product and I've been using the scrub for several weeks now and it still looks almost untouched.  When you first apply this product, it feels really weird, but wonderful at the same time. When the sugar touches your body it feels like you're burning, but it soon settles down and your left with silky smooth skin. The after-scent of this product reminds me of sweeties and the seaside and I love everything about this product.  I've admitted many of times that skin care isn't something I easily get gripped on, but I can see myself repurchasing this body scrub over and over again.

Rose and Lemon Lip Balm

Doctors often say that a high percentage of pre-menopausal women will get anemia at some point in their lifetime and I've been one of them. This has been going on for several months now and whilst my iron tablets have been helping me beat the exhaustion, the dry skin and lips are still in dominant force. Due to this onset of illness and the amalgamation of exam stress, one of the items I've been purchasing a lot lately is lip balm. I've always been a fan of natural lip balms as I can't stand ones that leave your lips overly glossed or having an unfamiliar chemical scent.  The packaging on this product is very vintage inspired and something that I'm instantly drawn to when selecting my makeup. I like products that look elegant, even if they're only to moisten my lips. The Eve of St.Agnes lip balm has a heavenly scent of lemon and rose, infused by a mixture of oils and beeswax. I find that the lemon vastly overpowers the rose scents in this product, but I love how it reminds me of lemon sherbet. I've always loved anything infused with lemons or limes, so this product is perfect for me. The lip balm settles nicely once applied and feels soft, not sticky and I'm really impressed with the overall result.

http://www.eveofstagnes.com/

Completely my skin treats list are these two beautiful products from Ayurveda Pura. The brand belongs to an holistic spa in London and the company believe in products that help stimulate skin health and improve personal well being.  I was kindly sent both these samples to review and I've thoroughly enjoyed using them. My favourite has to be the clay mask, which is a lot less messier than other masks I've used in the past and smells surprisingly nice. My skin felt fresh and revived after using the product and it worked better than I originally anticipated. The exfoliating cream is great for those who would like a lighter skin care product. I really enjoyed the soft texture of this cream and the fact that it soaks into your skin without vigorous scrubbing. Would I repurchase any of these two products? Definitely.

http://www.ayurvedapura.com/

Have you tried any of these products before?

Read more