A gorgeous new natural brand to try - soapNskin Part 2

I recently wrote about the wonderful, luxury brand soapNskin here when I was sent a gorgeous selection box full of their products*. My first impressions were definitely positive but I wanted a little time to put these products to use to give you a full review! After two weeks of putting these products to the test, would they be as good as I was initially hoping? Read on to find out!

Neroli & Patchouli with Jojoba Oil Body Wash £6.00

As I mentioned in my first post, this was my least favourite scent of all the products. It has quite an intense patchouli scent which isn't entirely to my taste but a lot of people will absolutely love it! The formula itself is sulfate-free and packed with jojoba oil which makes it really gentle on the skin. Removing the sulfates means that it has quite a light lather but that certainly doesn't impact how well the product works. My skin felt squeaky clean after using it but there was no tight feeling. I'd definitely like to try the body wash in a different scent!

Rosemary & Peppermint with Argan Oil Shampoo £7.00

I've said it before and I will say it again, I am completely in love with the scent of this shampoo! Rosemary isn't usually a scent that I love but combining it with peppermint makes it absolutely glorious and quite unique. Similar to the body wash, this product has quite a light formula and lather but it is most definitely effective. Due to this, it's tempting to use heaps of it in one go but trust me, it works perfectly well with normal if not smaller amounts. The peppermint stimulates the scalp and creates a delightful tingling feeling that made me feel fresh and clean. Not to mention the fact that my hair seemed fuller and shinier than it had done in a long time. It felt like my hair had been fully cleansed, removing any product build up and leaving it bouncier than ever!

Honey & Oat with Manuka Essential Oil Hand & Body Soap £3.50

Not that I want to sound filthy, but usually I hate soap. I'm not saying I don't wash, but bars of soap are generally a no go. I usually always opt for a moisturising hand wash or an antibacterial gel rather than standard soap so was expecting not to like this to be honest. Off I went to give it a try though like the good little blogger I am! The soap has a delicate scent which I'm sure pretty much everyone will like. The light lather gently cleansed my hands and I then awaited the dreaded tight, sore feeling that I usually get. But it didn't come! My hands were left feeling clean but not stripped, in fact they remained perfectly happy! I know this might not sound wildly exciting to you but I was genuinely really impressed with how gentle this product was on my rather wimpy hands.

 
Rose & Sandalwood with Neem Oil Body Butter £6.00

Meet my favourite product. This fantastic body butter has had such a great effect on my skin after a couple of weeks of use. Not really surprising considering the huge list of wonder ingredients it includes. Rosehip and Almond oils as well as Shea, Cocoa and Mango butters have been used to create these little pots of magic and they certainly work well. There is no sticky or heavy feeling, it just glides on and results in much happier, healthier skin. If you are going to try any of the products, I think this would be my top choice. I'd love to try this in the Rosemary and Peppermint scent, I imagine it would be amazing.

After having a little longer to try out my selection of soapNskin goodies, I am even more impressed than I was initially. To create products that are natural yet still so effective is quite a feat and has certainly taken time and dedication. Give these products a try, you won't be disappointed!

If you'd like to buy some of these stunning goodies, head to www.soapnskin.com! For a limited time, you can even get 20% off of your first order with the discount code LAUNCH20.

*This post features a PR sample, however the post is entirely my own opinion. For more information, please read my full Disclaimer  here

Got some shiny blonde locks? Try Blonde Addict

The life of a blonde can be a tricky one. Yeah it's pretty cool and all, rocking your sun-kissed beach hair but get it a bit wrong and it's hello orange town. Or to be honest, even if your hair has been dyed the perfect shade initially, over time it can go rather brassy which we all know is not a good look.

Enter Blonde Addict.

A salon professional hair care and styling range designed especially for blondes to control those nasty yellow tones and keep your hair looking glorious. The range* has recently been launched exclusively at Chill Cabinet and the kind folks at Vivid PR sent them to me to try out.

eems that despite the wide range of hair ranges on the market there can never be enough, with the news that Blonde Addict is set to launch.
The range, which includes six products, has been formulated to salon professional standards with ingredients to visibly accentuate blonde tones on natural or colour treated hair.
The range is infused with vitamins, hydrolysed proteins, grapeseed oil and anti-ageing agents designed to leave hair conditioned, soft, smooth and manageable, while exclusive violet pigments neutralise unpleasant yellow and brassy tones.
“Blonde tones and colour vibrancy are noticeably enhanced and intense, and hair is left fragrant with a silky, glossy sheen”.
The product range comprises: Shampoo (£8.99), Mask (£9.99), Active Leave-in Conditioner (£8.99), Gloss Serum (£9.99), Shine Spray (£9.99) and Ultra-Glossing Fixing Spray (£9.99).
New to the UK, Blonde Addict has been formulated and created by the internationally renowned hair care experts at Reef Cosmetics and is available exclusively at the Chill Cabinet, a new online store.^[1]
- See more at: http://hairandbeautywirral.co.uk/index.php/all-made-up-hair-and-beauty-salon-hair/8-all-made-up-hair-and-beauty-salon-news/22333-blonde-addict-launches-in-the-uk.html#sthash.a00uR19c.dpuf

The range is made up of 6 products with each item priced between £9-£10. The shampoo and leave-in conditioner are loaded with grape seed oil, silk proteins and violet extract, resulting in soft, healthy hair without a brassy tone in sight. The mask also has violet extract but is loaded with extra goodies like vitamin E oil to promote hair growth and Panthenol to create shine and moisturise. On paper, they are pretty damn good, but how did they measure up?

Both the shampoo and conditioner have a lovely light floral scent and a thick, luxurious formula. After using them a couple of times my hair does feel very soft and bright. I have also used the mask a number of times and it has definitely made my hair feel healthier. I love my hair but oh my goodness do I abuse it. It's dyed and styled and blow-dried and forced into all manner of styles so needless to say I need to really pamper it on a regular basis. I will quite happily continue to use these on a daily basis as I think they will keep my hair in great condition. I might need a slightly stronger treatment now and again but they are definitely nice day to day products.

The next three products are more on the styling side of things. All are filled with grapeseed oil and generally have been developed to make your hair shiny and healthy looking. Sadly, I wasn't hugely impressed with the gloss fixing spray or the shine spray. They smelt wonderful with the same light floral scent as the shampoo and conditioner but they just didn't seem to do anything.

The fixing spray didn't seem to have any hold at all and the spray mechanism needs a bit of tweaking. Instead of a mist that I would expect with most sprays, there were quite heavy droplets which resulted in too much product being applied. On the other hand, the shine spray seemed to be almost so fine it just kind of dissipated into thin air. Perhaps this was just a one off but I think it's something that needs to be checked as such a simple thing can really affect the product experience.

The serum on the other hand was another pleasant product that tamed flyaways, left my hair feeling silky and hydrated and was a pleasure to use.

So all in all, it's a bit of a tough one. Are they as good as they seem on paper? Maybe not entirely. But I certainly think the shampoo, conditioner and mask will keep my hair in great condition while preventing my blonde locks from getting dull and yellow toned. The serum is also a nice addition to the range and something I will certainly continue to use and to be completely fair, maybe the other two products just have teething problems.

It's pretty difficult these days to create a completely innovative hair product as lets be honest pretty much everything has been done. So no, this range isn't something you can't find elsewhere but it most certainly does the job!

 *This post features a PR sample, however the post is entirely my own opinion. For more information, please read my full Disclaimer  here

A gorgeous new natural brand to try - soapNskin

It is always a rather nice feeling when you find a new brand that you enjoy, but even better than that is finding products that are not only amazing but also free of any chemical nasties. Add to that a lovely back story of two determined friends and a charming personal touch and you truly have something special. That's exactly what I have found to be the case with soapNskin.

soapNskin came about when two best friends became tired of struggling with various skin conditions and the chemical laden products that were currently on the market. After a fair few years of experimenting, a beautiful selection of shampoos, body butters and soaps were created! The owners, Samar & Rabia, decided that they wanted to share their creations at road shows and markets and after a really positive reaction, have taken the next step by launching their website.

I really love to try out natural products and so I was a very happy girl when I was very kindly sent the gorgeous "Try Me" Selection Box* by soapNskin. Admittedly, while I love natural products I am sometimes wary that I will be met with overly strong, obnoxious scents and a lack of any actual effect, but that's certainly not the case here!

Inside the selection box was a variety of the goodies that soapNskin make including the following:

Rose & Sandalwood with Neem Oil Body Butter £6.00
Full of Shea, Cocoa and Mango butters for some serious hydration as well as Rosehip and Almond oils to soften and tone, this immediately grabbed my attention. I opened it straight away to have a little test and was met with a gorgeous smell of rose with a slight smokey undertone of sandalwood. The body butter itself sank in quickly without any greasiness and left my skin feeling really soft. I think the results of long term use of this will definitely be great!

Neroli & Patchouli with Jojoba Oil Body Wash £6.00

This was probably my least favourite out of the selection on first impressions as it wasn't the kind of scent I particularly like, however I'm sure big fans of Patchouli will love it!

Honey & Oat with Manuka Essential Oil Hand & Body Soap £3.50

I'm really interested to try this as my hands tend to be extremely sensitive to soaps and often get sore and dry (delightful!). Considering one of the main reasons behind this brand being created was to use chemical free solutions that are gentler for skin, I'm hoping this soap will be just what I need!

Rosemary & Peppermint with Argan Oil Shampoo £7.00

I fell in love with the smell of this the second I opened the bottle. The peppermint smells so refreshing and it has that lovely tingle on the scalp. It will take a little getting used to as it is thinner in comparison to normal shampoos (due to not adding any chemical laden thickeners). However, I'd much prefer a lighter shampoo that is better for my hair and skin in the long run so can certainly work with it!

Along with the products there was also a handwritten note and a little booklet to give a little bit more of an insight into the brand. As well as a description of each product, it also lets you know that everything is handcrafted in England in micro-batches to keep that personal touch. It was these little aspects that make soapNskin something so unique. Personally I was in awe of how much time and thought is quite obviously put in to the brand, it is a labour of love that's to be sure!

What I think is particularly refreshing about this brand is that despite the obvious luxury side to the products, there isn't the usual intimidating price tag to go with it. In fact, this is something they have purposely chosen to be the case as they believe natural, luxury products should be available for everyone and who isn't at least a little bit charmed by that?

I was so excited about soapNskin that I wanted to let you all know about them as soon as possible but will be putting together a follow up review after I've had the chance to use the products for a little longer! My first impression though is that if you have a love for gorgeous smelling, natural products, you really need to check out soapNskin!!

You can buy these stunning goodies at www.soapnskin.com and for a limited time, you can get 20% off of your first order with the discount code LAUNCH20

So what do you all think? Are you dying to try them out for yourselves? Which scent would you love to try? Let me know in the comments!

 *This post features a PR sample, however the post is entirely my own opinion. For more information, please read my full Disclaimer  here

My Beauty Saviours - Lush Top 5

My top Lush products

As you might have already gathered from my earlier posts, I am a huge fan of Lush. Not only do I love the amazing scents of their products, I really respect their ethos. I think its so admirable of a company to actively support animal rights and to try and protect the environment. I also really love the fact that it is a family based company, with a lot of the products showing personal touches from the Constantine family.

Given my slight obsession, I have tried pretty much everything from Lush and really enjoy the variety that you can get from all of the different products. However, there are a few items that I find myself coming back to time and time again. The ones that I just can't live without! So I thought I'd share my top pick of Lush products with you all.

Ultrabland - The ultimate cleanser & makeup remover

1. Ultrabland | £11.50 for 100g

This is my all time favourite makeup remover and cleanser. It's based on traditional cold creams and is an incredibly gentle yet effective cleanser that removes all traces of dirt and makeup without any kind of stripping effect. It contains almond oil and beeswax for hydration, rose water to soothe the skin, and honey for it's moisturising and antibacterial properties. Quite the combination!

To use the product you simply smooth it over your skin, then remove it with a warm damp cloth. I find this to be the best makeup remover I have ever come across which is my first reason for loving it so much. I use Benefit's They're Real mascara which is so difficult to remove, they even produce a specific makeup remover for it, yet this beauty has absolutely no trouble getting it off. A Lush employee even told me once that after some misguided actions involving alcohol, permanent markers and moustaches (I'll leave the rest to your imagination), Ultrabland was the reason she was the only person in her friendship group without a variety of permanent marker tattoos all over her face the next day. Now THAT is a good makeup remover!

The second reason I love it is it's impressive ability to calm down my skin within days of use. Every once in a while I go off the rails with my beauty routine, whether that translates as a few too many late nights or trying a product that my skin has decided to hate, it doesn't matter, Ultrabland has my back. I can be suffering from a really bad breakout with no foreseeable end, but a day or two later all will be back to normal. What's even better is that due to its simple formula, it is suitable for even the most sensitive skin. Everyone needs a product like this on hand!

Mask of Magnaminty - The perfect mask for problem skin

2. Mask of Magnaminty | £5.50 for 125g

Lush has a huge number of face masks, all with particular concerns in mind. I really like a number of them but this is my top choice. As the name suggests, the mask is loaded with peppermint oil which not only "wakes up" your skin, it acts as a natural antiseptic, promoting the healing of blemishes and scars. As an extra bonus, it also includes ground aduki beans and evening primrose seeds to gently exfoliate your skin as you remove the mask.

The mask has a thick, creamy formula

Letting the magic happen!

The mask has a really thick, creamy consistency which means a little goes a really long way. The mask has been aimed at face and body use so it can be applied wherever it is needed. You simply apply it over the areas you want to treat, enjoy the wonderful cooling sensation, then rinse it off after 5-10 minutes. The application and removal can be a tad on the messy side so it's best carried out in the bathroom, or at least somewhere easy to clean up! I use this mask once a week and it really helps to keep breakouts under control as well as generally making my skin look bright and fresh.

R&B Hair Moisturiser

3. R&B Hair Moisturiser | £11.50 for 100g

This is my favourite emergency hair styling product. Admittedly, I don't entirely use this product as it is meant to be though. It is marketed as a leave-in conditioner, containing a wonderfully rich blend of butters and oils which helps to hydrate your hair. The ingredients used include olive oil, avocado butter and coconut oil. It can be put on wet or dry hair to give an intense hit of moisture and also soothes the scalp. 

I'd imagine for curly or quite course hair this product would be perfect but for fine hair like mine, using a large amount is a bit too heavy for me. So why is it in my beauty saviours list you ask? The reason for including it is because it is the perfect styling cream. I carry a little pot of this product with me wherever I go and find it to be great for when my hair has decided to resemble a poodle (yes, this is a real life situation). Literally just a few fingertip's worth of product tames fly-aways and gives hair a lovely shine. R&B is also scented with a gorgeous jasmine and orange perfume that makes your hair smell fantastic. The perfect last minute touch up!

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - leaves skin moisturised and smelling phenomenal

4. Ro's Argan Body Conditioner | £15.95 for 225g

This is my perfect, lazy girl's moisturiser. Body conditioners are essentially moisturisers that you can use in the shower, massaging over wet skin and then rinsing it off like you would with a hair conditioner. No more waiting to dry and then applying moisturiser, flapping around until it sinks in (is this just me..?) and THEN getting dressed. This beauty takes care of all of that in one go.

Lush have a couple of body conditioners but this one is by far my favourite. It shares its scent with their Christmas product Rose Jam which has the most luxurious, floral perfume. It is a predominantly rose based smell with a blend of lemon, tonka bean and geranium mixed in and is rounded off with the slightly musky element of vanilla. All in all, suffice to say this product makes your skin smell utterly amazing.

Thanks to the extensive list of moisturising ingredients such as argan oil, brazil nut and almond oils, cocoa, shea and cupuaçu butters, Ro's Argan makes your skin not only smell incredible, but will leave it soft, supple and radiant. Perfection.

My favourite Lush shampoos, Daddy-O and Big

5. Daddy-O Shampoo | £5.50 for 100g / Big Shampoo | £12.25 for 330g

Ok, so I know I may have cheated slightly here given that there are actually 6 products on the list but in my defence, it depends on what my hair needs as to what shampoo I choose. 

Daddy-O is my go to, everyday shampoo. Since it is a purple shampoo, it brightens and tones blonde hair, stopping it from going brassy. The lemon and lime juices within it encourage the cuticles to lie flat which results in much shinier hair and it's also loaded with extra virgin coconut oil which hydrates and fine sea salt to soften. It keeps my hair in great condition and has really improved it after prolonged use. The smell of this shampoo also keeps me coming back for more. The strong parma violet scent is lovely and uplifting and lasts throughout the day. 

Big Shampoo - loaded with sea salt

Big is the shampoo I reach for roughly once a week to give my hair a dose of OOMPH. You know what I mean, those days when you want some serious volume in your hair? This is the shampoo to give it to you. As you can see in the picture above, it does have a rather odd texture as it is loaded with sea salt. This may seem strange, but the salt is great for lifting your hair and it gives your scalp a bit of a massage at the same time. The coconut oil and seaweed included soften your hair too. 

Although this shampoo is a little pricey, you only need a small amount to work up a good lather and it's not really one you'd use every day. It's great for removing product build up that can weigh down your hair and leaves it feeling soft, full and bouncy. Added bonus, it smells like the seaside.

So there you have it! Those are my favourite Lush products of all time. What are your favourites? Have you tried any that I've talked about?