Content Beauty Wishlist

I spied some new to me brands and products at Content Beauty yesterday. So you know what's coming up...A wishlist!

I'm loving the look of Isla Apothecary..

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The products are hand made in small batches in the UK. What caught my eye was their Blood Orange + Vanilla Moisturising Sugar Scrub (220g - £23) which sounds like a delicious combination. 

I'm also loving the sound of their Hawaiian & Himalayan Detox Bath Soak (220g - £26) which blends black Hawaiian and Himalayan salts with Patchouli and Citrus.

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Neroli Body Oil (100ml - £32) which is scented with Neroli, Citrus, Frankincense and Patchouli and can be used in your bath or as a luxe body oil.

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Next up, a new range Julisis Gold Day Wash (150ml - sold out at present!) which blends Neroli flower extract, Carrot oil, Jojoba and Liquid Gold. 

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I also spotted John Masters Organics SPF30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen (50ml - £28.50) which protects and nourishes the skin.

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What's on your Content Beauty wishlist?

Gallinée La Culture Hand Cream

After having loved Gallinée's La Culture Foaming Facial Cleanser* (REVIEW) I knew I'd also love their Hand Cream (£12 - 50ml)* which is a lightweight citrus scented cream which absorbs easily into the hands and nails. It really is fantastic and I will buy (pick up the products at Look Fantastic, Beauty Expert, HQHair and Beauty Mart online).

The cream intensely nourishes the hands and the skin feels instantly hydrated, soft and smooth.

Containing probiotics (deactivated bacteria from the Lactobacillus family) which are gentle on the skin and help support the microbiome and the skin's protective barrier, prebiotics (a mix of gentle fibres and sugars which feed your skin's good bacteria and help support the skin's barrier), Lactic Acid a gentle AHA which helps the skin stay at its optimal pH level as well as hydrating and softening. Daisy extract brightens and helps to prevent dark spots while Shea butter hydrates and protects.

Products are free from colourants, parabens, mineral oils, silicones, microbeads, phenoxyethanol and methylisothiazolione. 

To use: massage into the hands as often as needed.

*PR sample

The Glamour Summer Edit: Latest in Beauty

The Glamour Summer Edit (£20) is available now from Latest in Beauty. It contains Glamour mag's Beauty Director's favourites which are perfect for summer. The contents are worth an incredible £104!

I'm currently obsessed with Aurelia Probiotic Skincare's Miracle Cleanser. Inside the box is a 30ml size (perfect try me or for holidays) and a bamboo muslin cloth. See my review HERE.

Oribe Dry Texturising Spray 75ml also caught my eye. I'm always on the lookout for new to me haircare and this one adds texture and volume.

Grounded's Chocolate Orange Body Scrub uses coffee grains to exfoliate the skin leaving it soft and smooth. The chocolate orange scent sounds right up my street!

Nuxe's Prodigieux Shower Oil comes in a 30ml tube and is perfect for holidays as it has a golden shimmer. With notes of Orange Blossom, Vanilla and Magnolia this smells great. 

WOW Mask Luxury Facial Mask which is a single use sheet mask and contains collagen-boosting ingredients which firm and plump the skin.

The Revlon Ultra HD Matte LipColor is just the sort of shade I'd choose (Devotion).  A matte finish which is comfortable on the lips and a pretty shade.

St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mist 125ml is (apparently) easy to apply and give an instant streak free colour.  I'm not a real fake tan fan but might give this a go before my summer holidays.

The final item is Ladival Sun Protection Spray SPF30 150ml which protects the skin from infrared-A rays as well as UVA and UVB.

What's your favourite item from the box? Did you pick one up?

John Masters Organics: Orange & Rose Hand Cream

I love when new products arrive at Love Lula and I was excited to see a range of hand and body washes and hand creams from John Masters Organics.

I chose the Orange & Rose version (£14 - 54ml) which has a deeply aromatic slightly spicy citrus floral scent which is lush.  You can currently pick up 2ml samples (50p) with purchase. Others in the range include Lime & Spruce and Lemon & Ginger.

A rich hand cream which absorbs easily nourishing and soothing the hands. Including 9 organic ingredients which hydrate and smooth the hands.

Use as often as needed throughout the day (I now want another one for beside my bed and in my desk drawer).

What's your favourite hand cream?

Craft Gin Club: June 2016: NB Navy Strength Gin

My June Craft Gin Club box arrived at the end of last week. It's definitely one of my favourites!

Inside this month is a bottle of NB Gin Navy Strength (57%), a bottle of Fentiman's Sparkling Lime & Jasmine (review) a miniature of Martini and a jar of Alco Olives which are infused with NB gin and of course the fab Ginned! mag.

A smooth and delicious gin (with a kick) made with botanicals of Juniper, Coriander Seed, Angelica root, Grains of paradise, Cassia bark, ground Cardamon, Lemon peel and Orris root powder.  It makes a delicious martini.

Sign up HERE. Remember you can get a tenner off your first box with code BEAUTYBALM.

The Manchester Bee Company: The Beekeeper Mug by Tea with Jud

I was invited to GirCo's pop-up shop in Stockbridge, Edinburgh last Thursday. Unfortunately I was unable to go but enjoyed checking out their Facebook page and oohing and ahhing over the beautiful crafts.

A company which jumped out at me was Tea with Jud so I went to investigate...

Jud Pollock is a ceramicist from Northern Ireland who lives in Rattray, Perthshire and creates beautiful pottery ranges and knitwear. You can see her online shop HERE. 

This in turn led me to The Manchester Bee Company and the adorable Beekeeper Mug (£20 plus P&P) which is absolutely exquisite. Hand thrown with a hexagon detail and hand made especially for the company by Jud. You can check out the shop HERE.

Jo Malone: Velvet Rose & Oud Dry Body Oil

I received this bottle of Jo Malone's Velvet Rose & Oud Dry Body Oil (100ml) from my pal Julie at Christmas. I've used it on and off since then but am finding I'm using it more and more now as the scent lingers all day and is perfect for using in summer (and it's super lush!)

It has top notes of Clove which adds a spicy note, a heart of Damask Rose which is opulent and sweet finishing with a rich and resinous oud base. 

It's just gorgeous! All you need to do is spray it onto the skin and pat in. Absorbing instantly the oil nourishes and smoothes the skin leaving deliciously scented. A real luxe treat.

What's your favourite Jo Malone scent?

Shopping my Stash #75

I've been enjoying revisiting Mendill. Their organic wipes* are really effective and smell great. There are also some new editions to the range including the gorgeous Jasmine and Grapefruit scents. Really handy for summer and holidays. See my review HERE.

I've been spraying the delicious Jo Loves Pomelo which is the perfect summer scent. See my review HERE. 

Omorovicza's Queen of Hungary Mist refreshes and hydrates the skin (perfect for summertime) and is scented with Neroli & Rose. Gorgeous!

Schmidt's Bergamot+Lime stick is my favourite natural deodorant. It keeps me protected all day and smells great. I love this scent. It features in my Top Three over at a beautiful world.

I'm slightly obsessed with new to me brand Supernatural Beauty. A 10ml size of their Redemption Face Oil came in the recent Content Beauty GWP. This oil is simply divine - it's scented with Rose Otto Damask (swoon) and packed full of good things for the skin incuding Rosehip, Grapeseed, Evening Primrose, Wheatgerm and Carrot Seed oils. It leaves my skin looking radiant and healthy. Love.

What have you been reaching for lately?

*PR samples

The Botanical Farmer: Bath Botanicals & Candles

I've been trying out The Botanical Farmer's Bath Botanicals and Candles and I can quite honestly say they are gorgeous! The company was started by Sam Ellson who runs the award winning The Traditional Flower Co. and The Artisan Dried Flower Co.

Based in Staffordshire the flower business is a small scale outdoor operation of approximately 8,000 scented rose bushes, over 5,000 herb plants and acres of seasonal flowers and foliage. They plant, sow and harvest most of the ingredients.

I was sent their Bath Botanicals Bath Tea No.4 Citrus Floral* (half ltr jar - £12.00)* and Bath Tea No.7 Rose* (half ltr jar - £12.00)* which are packed in kilner jars as well as two candles* (more about them later!)

The packaging is super cute..

No.4 Citrus Floral Bath Botanical* helps calm and relax and smells simply divine. It's a blend of dried botanicals (rose petals, lavender, lavender grains, chamomile and lemon balm), essential oils and Himalayan Salts. The oils used are Sweet Orange which de-stresses, Rose Geranium helps relieve depression, Lavender helps with anxiety and Bergamot uplifts. All you need to do is fill the cotton muslin bag included and hang from a running tap. When you turn off the tap you can add the bag to the bathwater to infuse further.

No.7 Rose Bath Botanical* is sensual and rosey. Again, a similar blend with Rose Geranium and rose petals (this would be perfect for taking on Honeymoon or for a weekend away).  I love that the packaging is re-usable.

I was also sent two matching natural candles* (small £10) which are simply exquisite. Packed in mini jars the scents are long lasting and natural. Burn time is 14-16 hours and I think they'd make brilliant gifts.

Have you tried any products from The Botanical Farmer? Which scents would you choose?

*PR samples

Content Beauty & Wellbeing: British Beauty GWP & Purchases

I couldn't resist the latest Content Beauty & Wellbeing GWP which is now sold out. Worth £95 and free with a 100 quid spend.

My parcel arrived on Wednesday and I couldn't wait to open it.

I'd been wanting to try A.S Apothecary First Aid Kit #12 (30ml - £18) for ages. It restores calm in anxious situations. Expect a full review soon.

Skin & Tonic's STEAM CLEAN with cloth (50g - £27) is a staple for me - I've always got this in my stash.

New to me is LIHA Beauty Idan Beauty Oil (30ml - £16) which I'm also looking forward to trying. It smells divine and is made from cold pressed coconut oil and tuberose flowers. It's solid at room temperature so you need to warm the bottle a little before using.

Another item which has been on the wishlist for ages is Less is More's Rose Serum (30ml - £26) One word. Gorgeous! Again, review will follow.

I also bought something for a forthcoming swap (so it's not in the photo).

Onto the gift (reviews will be forthcoming)

Supernatural Beauty Redemption Face Oil 10ml (lushest oil ever)

pai Skincare Lotus & Orange Blossom BioAffinity Toner 12ml

Skin & Tonic Gentle Scrub 50g Full size

AS.Apoth Lip Balm #7 Full Size

Therapi Orange Honey Moisturiser 15ml (mini review)

LIHA Shea Butter 15ml

Nourish Revital-Eyes Kale Biomimetic Anti-Ageing Eye Cream 5ml

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Miracle Cleanser 30ml + bamboo cloth (review)

Included in my parcel was a surprise Trial Set of sachets from Madara (new design) which are great for try me/holidays.

What do you think of my purchases? Did you pick up the GWP too?

Marc Jacobs Rain EdT 100ml

I first tried Rain by Marc Jacobs when it launched way back in 2006 and it was love then as it is now. The only difference is the size of the bottle. Back then it was a massive 250ml and now a 100ml chunky simply designed bottle.

It's the perfect summer scent - watery and refreshing just like a summer rain shower.

With top notes of Wet Cut Grass, Wild Strawberry, Clementine Zest and Cypress with a heart of Tropical Rain accord, Passion Flower, Sunshine Flower and White Orchid with a base of Beech Amber, Tree Moss, Musk and Teakwood.

The scents are perfect for sharing as they are suitable for both men and women. Also available is Pear which captures the sweet nectar of summer with fresh Pear, Bergamot and Lemon Peel. Cucumber is crisp and cooling with notes of Cucumber, Lily of the Valley, Linden Blossom and Freesia while Cotton is a clean and comforting scent with notes of Peach, Mandarin, Bergamot and Aquatic accord.

Which one would you pick?

VRAC Ethical Tea Shop & AS.Apothecary for VRAC

Amanda is featured in June's Country Living magazine - she's on a roll as she's also in The Simple Things!

In the article she mentions that she makes a soap for VRAC based on tea - so I went off to investigate and purchased these..

VRAC Ethical Tea Shop is based in Lewes (where Amanda lives) and you can buy the teas (and soap) online. There is always around 30 to choose from which are from small estates around the world. Most blends are made by hand in the studio.

For my tea choice I picked Ceylon Chai (£8 - 100g) - I'm slightly obsessed with Chai and this one smells mouthwatering and is delicious! A blend of chocolaty fine whole leaf Ceylon from the Kataboola estate in Sri Lanka is blended with cinnamon, green cardamon pods, cloves, star anise and black peppercorns (I also like it with a splash of milk).

The Spring Tea Soap (£8 - 100g) Amanda has created for VRAC is simply divine. It's made in small batches using VRAC's Seogwang detox blend (Vietnamese Green Tea, Lemongrass and Ginger) and smells of citrus and spicy notes.

See VRAC's website HERE.

May Books

Here's what I've been reading in May:

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Play Dead by Angela Marsons (DI Kim Stone - Book 4)* - Stone and her team are at Westerley Research Facility on a visit when they find a "fresh" body of a young woman among the dead inhabitants at the "body farm". A second girl is attacked and left for dead. She too has soil in her mouth and appears to be drugged. Nosy and annoying newspaper reporter Tracy Frost goes missing and the race is on to find her...A fast paced story with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommend.

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The Last Days of Summer by Vanessa Ronan* - Lizzie's brother has done his time for a horrific crime and is now coming back to the family home in a small prairie town to live with her and her two daughters.

Teenager Katie finds her uncle creepy and wants nothing to do with him while 11 year old Joanne is curious and keen to be-friend her uncle.

While not looking for trouble it duly arrives at Jasper's door with ugly consequences and typical small town prejudices. I found the characters interesting as well as most of the storylines although I found it hard to read in places. Would like to read more by this author and likely to pick up future novels.

Last Dance in Havana by Rosanna Ley** - huge fan of Rosanna's books and this one was un-put-downable. See my review HERE. Also please enter my world wide giveaway to win a copy which ends today.

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton*** - Lily has been held captive in a windowless basement room for 8 years when at 16 she was abducted by someone she knew and trusted.  She's suffered but she's also loved - she's got a little daughter called Sky who is her world.

One day her captor forgets to lock her in and they escape finding out they've been held close to home. They make it to safety but so many things have changed since she's been away..

Her boyfriend is now in love with her twin sister who has suffered deeply since Lily's been gone. Can things ever go back to how they were?  A fast paced story which I couldn't put down.

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The Girl who Lied by Sue Fortin**** - Erin and Roisin were friends at school until a fatal accident which killed Niall, Roisin's brother and Erin's boyfriend. Erin leaves Ireland thinking she'll never return.

She comes back to visit her father after he is injured and in a coma in hospital. She finds it good to be back among family despite the circumstances to her visit. She becomes friendly with Kerry, a local mechanic who called the ambulance after her dad's fall.

Roisin is determined to make Erin pay for something which happened in the past...A fast paced and exciting story which I couldn't put down. Highly recommend.

*copy from Netgalley

**copy from the Publisher

***copy from Love Reading

****copy from the author

May Empties

I think this must be the smallest amount of empties yet. But included are some definite re-purchases.

Bee Good Honey & Crambe Daily Hand Cream 50ml* - really lovely to use and I'd buy it once the hand cream stash reduces a bit.

Beatitude Joy Body Oil 100ml* - I love this luxe citrus scented oil. See my review HERE. Just cracked open a new bottle (I'm going to wash out this bottle and use it as a reed diffuser).

Botanicals Indulgence Aromatic Body Oil 50ml - lovely to use and a real luxe treat. Again, when my body oils stash reduces a bit I'll pick it up.

L'Occitane Roses et Reines Hand & Nail Cream 10ml - a rich cream scented with roses. Would buy again.

Fair Squared Vanilla Shower Gel 10ml* - this is a great little try me size/for weekends away. See my review HERE. It's one I'd pick up full size.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist 15ml - again one of these products I buy periodically. See my review HERE.

Isle of Harris Distillery Rose & Honeysuckle Hand Cream by Amanda Saurin Apothecary 30g* - absolutely loved this and will buy once my hand cream stash reduces a bit. See my review HERE.

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil 7.5ml - this is my favourite Aromatherapy Associates scent. See my review HERE.

Clarins Booster samples (0.8ml) in Repair, Detox and Energy - liked Detox and Energy so would maybe buy.

John Masters Organics Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor 10ml - used this loads of times before. Makes the hair shiny and healthy looking. Will no doubt buy again.

Corinne Taylor Recharge Himalayan Bath Salts with Sweet Orange, Grapefruit and Ylang Ylang to uplift and Revive 70g single use sachet - these were gorgeous. I'll definitely buy these again. See the products available HERE.

Skyn Iceland Pure cloud Cream 1.7g sample - absolutely loved this lightweight nourishing cream. Will definitely think about buying full size at some point.

RMS Beauty The Ultimate Make Up Remover Wipe - This oily wipe is great for removing make up (although maybe a tiny bit small). Will still buy at some point as they'd be great for holidays.

MAULI Rituals Himalayan Healing Salts 60g - these are made for MAULI by Michelle Roques O'Neill of Therapie. Love these.

Kneipp Pure Bliss Mineral Bath Salts 60g single use sachet - lovely. Will buy full size soon.

Green People Quinoa & Artichoke Shampoo sachet - nice to use would maybe buy.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body Creme 7ml - loved this beautifully scented rich cream. One for the wishlist!

Neom Daily De-Stress Burst Capsule single use - lovely and would consider buying.

Bjork & Berries Dark Rain Body Lotion 5ml sachet - gorgeous! Will definitely look closer at this lovely range which is available to buy at Cult Beauty.

What have you been using up this month?

*PR samples

The Scent of a Man Discovery Box

The Perfume Society's latest box is entitled "The Scent of a Man" and contains scent samples and skincare goodies from Elemis and Penhaligon. Costing £15 plus P&P for subscribers and £19 plus P&P for non-subscribers.

It really is a fabulous box (for men) (which I bought it because I was keen to try Miller Harris's Latest launch) which I now can't wait to buy and I'm already a HUGE fan of Beaufort London's Coeur de Noir (mini review). 

It would be the perfect gift for Father's Day (19 June).  I'll be sharing some bits with hubby:

And probably some of the other scents too:

Do you think this is something you'd buy for your dad or as a present for your boyfriend or husband?

ABW: A Beautiful Box: S/S '16 Sampler

As ever the S/S box from a beautiful world sold out in record time. Mine arrived yesterday. (It costs £20 plus P&P). I added a Schmidt's deodorant to my order which I wanted and it meant I didn't need to pay P&P (P&P is free on orders over £30).

So what's inside:

The first thing that jumped out at me was new to me brand Skinnamon and inside is a single use pouch of Renew Body Scrub with Orange Sea Salt + Himalayan Apricot. The range comes all the way from NYC and I'm looking forward to trying this out.

Next I was delighted to see Josh Rosebrook's Hydrating Accelerator 60ml (and worth £19.95!) I've been wanting to try this for a while. Expect a full review soon.

I'm a huge, huge fan of Skin & Tonic and their STEAM CLEAN is always in my stash. So this is a very welcome addition to the box. This is a 15g travel/try me size pot and worth £11.

Also from Skin & Tonic is their Naked Lip Balm which is full size and worth £3.50. I've tried their Peppermint one before and loved it.

From YTTP there is a small pot of their Kale + Spinach, Green Tea, Hyaluronic Acid Age Prevention Moisture Cream which I can't wait to try. I absolutely love the cleanser and serum from the range (review).

The final beauty item is a 15ml shaker pot of Yarok's Feed Your Style Dry Shampoo which I'm happy to see in the box as I've not yet found the "perfect" one.

We are also treated to a cute Esmie mini notebook (the brand is yet to launch at ABW) and a code for 10% off a future purchase.

See my review of the Schmidt's deodorants HERE. The one I picked up is in my favourite scent.

Did you pick up a box? What are your thoughts as to the contents?