Archive for ‘Beauty’

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March 20, 2013

Sweet Cecily’s lip balm kit: A review

I bought a lip balm making kit for my daughter from Sweet Cecily’s a little while ago, and promptly forgot about it until the other day when we were looking for something fun and a little bit different to do together. It proved to be the perfect choice, combining my girl’s love of making things and her desire to be a real ‘girly girl’ with her own lip balm, just like her mum!

It’s been a while since I wrote about a skincare company and Sweet Cecily’s is exactly the kind of brand I like. A small company based here in Yorkshire, creating hand-made skin care with natural ingredients and complete with pretty packaging, there is a lot to like. I look forward to trying out more of their range in the future. The Sea Buckthorn Berry hand cream looks particularly good for us gardeners!

The kit I bought contained all the weighed-out ingredients for five pots of orange essential oil lip balm and the little pots, lid stickers and instructions needed, all inside a cotton drawstring bag. My daughter added all the ingredients to a double-boiler saucepan for me to heat up. Everything melted easily together and there was the perfect amount for the five tins included. I then poured the melted lip balm into the little pots and left it to cool. It took hardly any time at all and so as an activity, it wouldn’t have been enough on its own. But – plenty of time was needed for creating five mini masterpieces to decorate the lids and so Eve was happily drawing oranges all afternoon!

PicMonkey Collage

 

 

Originally, the plan was for Eve to give out several pots away to friends, but in true diva fashion, she has decided to stockpile it all for herself. I have been honoured to receive a pot of my own to keep though, so I’m happy enough. The lip balm contains a lovely combination of shea butter, cocoa butter and almond and calendula oil and so is really moisturising and the orange essential oil adds a lovely fragrance. My pot is made all the more special because of the unique picture that has been drawn for the lid, which makes me smile every time I see it. I keep it in my bag and use it every day. I really recommend this kit as a gift, it’s been a great success.

 

 

Posted in Barbara Loves..., Beauty, Craft, Home, Margot Loves... | 3 Comments »

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October 29, 2012

Anya Hindmarch for British Airways: A Little Luxury.

Have you ever turned left on entering a plane? I haven’t. Not for me the luxuries of First Class, sadly. It has to be said that I’ve not been on a long-haul flight (the only time I think upgrades are really worth it) since 2006, when I flew to New York. I was in the second trimester of pregnancy and so spent the entire flight either walking around to stave off the threat of DVT or going to the loo. Given that, a First Class ticket would have been something of a waste of money!

Luckily for me, I do know people who turn left on entering the plane, and not only are they fortunate, they’re also kind enough to share their goodies with me. Now that I’m in the throes of saving up, I’m trying very hard not to spend money on luxury things, but I do love a bit of luxury (and who doesn’t?) so this really does help make up for my economising.

If you travel First Class with British Airways you are fortunate enough to receive a lovely Anya Hindmarch bag, filled with REN skincare goodies. REN skincare is a great brand and creator of my favourite Rose Otto bath oil. Inside this kit, which is structured like a little framed doctor bag and utterly lovely, is everything you could need to emerge after a long haul flight feeling as fresh as a daisy. Well, nearly… I’m sure the flat beds in First Class help with that too! Alongside the all-important sleep mask and ear plugs, you get the following things: Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel, Vita-Mineral Day Cream, Neroli and Grapefruit Hand & Body Cream, Biominetic Lip Balm (all by REN) and a toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash. So very lovely.

Now, I don’t have any long distance travel plans in the near future, but I am going away to Whitby for a couple of days in November to stay in the fabulous looking Bensons Townhouse, which was all booked and sorted before I made my decision to save up for a bigger trip! I’ll be taking this perfect little travel bag of luxury with me and will very much enjoy a brief interlude from my economising…

Posted in Beauty, Design and Culture, Home, Luxury, Margot Loves..., Travel | 6 Comments »

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October 3, 2012

Space NK and leaving beauty boxes behind.

I had a subscription to one of the beauty boxes until recently. Each month, I’d get a pretty box filled with a selection of sample beauty products posted through the letter box. And for a while, it was great. I love to get exciting post, and this was a little treat just for me. But after a while, the lustre wore off the whole thing. I heard rumours that beauty bloggers were getting different products to the rest of the subscribers, purely so they could act as free PR for the companies, and then another rumour about a ‘premium, invite-only’ box, that the company were going to just make available to a select few people. Quite how they were going to decide whose £12 a month was the most deserving of this premium line, I don’t know, but it seemed a little bit of ‘us and them’ behaviour to me. Of course, these were just unsubstantiated rumours, and I’m no beauty expert, but I decided to leave.

The other thing that I really realised about the experience is how much I love to go into stores and play around with products before buying them. Even getting the samples in the post wasn’t really the same, because part of the fun for me is chatting to the staff and learning more about the products that way. So, I’m back in the stores, trying things out, and enjoying the great customer service you often find with beauty brands.

One of my favourite places to do this is in Space NK. I like that they have a range of different brands, and that the staff in my local branch all seem to be really passionate about what they do and what they sell. Maybe they’re on commission, it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that I always feel as though I’m being treated well and leave the store with a happy feeling.

At a brilliant card holders’ event recently (where I had my hair straightened) I came away with a incredible free bag of lovely goodies, after spending enough money (on gifts and for other people, so not spending money to get freebies, which is really bad maths!) and I really don’t think it would have been bettered anywhere else. I have favourite brands elsewhere (Liz Earle and Neal’s Yard Remedies for example), and favourite brands in Space NK (Eve Lom, Darphin, Caudalie, Diptyque to mention a few) and there is room in my life for them all! I’m enjoying the process of choosing things in store again, and I don’t think I’ll be going back to a beauty box subscription any time soon.

Posted in Beauty, Fragrance, Home, Luxury, Margot Loves... | Leave a Comment »

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September 5, 2012

Neal’s Yard Remedies: Bee Lovely shower gel review

The minute my Neal’s Yard Remedies Bee Lovely shower gel arrived my daughter pounced on it, asking ‘Is this for me to share?’ Somewhat begrudgingly, I agreed. She’s been frightened of using the shower, preferring the calmness of a bath, and I thought this might be the thing to make her brave enough to give the shower a try.

I was right. She was in there for ages…

The Neal’s Yard Remedies Bee Lovely hand cream has been such a success that they’ve expanded the range to include this gorgeous honey, orange and mandarin shower gel (which can also be used in the bath but don’t tell my daughter, or we’ll be having a water shortage again) as well as a body lotion, hand wash and a multi-purpose balm. All of these are gentle enough to be used from age three upwards, which is why I’ve had to relinquish sole ownership of the shower gel. The citrus fragrance is uplifting without being too strong and used in the shower, makes for the perfect energy boost. The wake-me-up start to the day I need! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get to use it again, because it’s rapidly become Eve’s favourite too…

As well as being gorgeous to use, 5% of the retail price of all of this range goes to support the Bee Lovely campaign and help fund a number of the charitable partners that Neal’s Yard Remedies are working with. They’re also working with Project Dirt to provide grant funds to projects working in support of bees – so if you think you might be eligible, do take a look (the deadline for applications is 30th September)

One thing that everyone can do to support their campaign is sign the petition, which needs 100,000 signatures by 30th November 2012. I really do urge you to do this, because it’s not an overstatement to say that bees and other pollinators are vital to our survival. A third of the average diet is pollinated by bees and so their disappearance would have disastrous consequences.

Earlier this year we sowed wild flowers that we got through the Friends of the Earth Bee Cause (one of the charity partners), and the brilliant little booklet that Neal’s Yard Remedies sent out to us has lots of facts and pictures. Eve has gone from being really nervous of bees to being fascinated about them, and she is already planning what we’ll grow on the allotment next year to encourage them to return. Once we’ve decided which plants to grow, I’ll share my top ten flowers for bees here on the blog. If you want to know more about why bees are so vital, do have a look at my previous post about the Neal’s Yard Bee Lovely campaign and I urge you once again to get involved, perhaps buy one of the lovely products or plant some seeds and sign the petition.

With huge thanks to Neal’s Yard Remedies for sending me the lovely shower gel to review.

Posted in Barbara Loves..., Beauty, Bee Project, Ethical and Environmental, Gardening, Home | Leave a Comment »

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August 17, 2012

Weston Scarves and Burt’s Bees collaboration

A Weston scarf is firmly on my ultimate fashion wish list. Founded by Professor Richard Weston, the scarves are a remarkable fusion of art and science, with stunning digital images taken from nature, such as rocks and minerals, being used to great dramatic effect. The end result is something not purely to wear for one season, but something you would love forever. Perfect for someone like me, who wears a scarf like an adult comfort blanket almost every day (honestly, ask my friends) and cannot bear throw-away fashion. (I’ve written quite a lot of blog posts about scarves actually, if you want to look…)

This summer, Weston Scarves are collaborating with Burt’s Bees in a campaign to support the British Beekeepers Association, with the creation of a stunning ‘Wild for Bees’ floral printed scarf and matching, special edition version of their 24 hour Milk and Honey body lotion.

The beautiful yellow, purple and green scarf, which is over a metre long, is being sold exclusively through the Burt’s Bees website, with all proceeds going to the British Beekeepers Association‘s ‘Adopt a Beehive’ project. It’s a seriously gorgeous scarf, I covet it so much. If you bought one, not only would you feel great about supporting the charitable campaign but you’d never want to take it off!

You can buy the body lotion nation-wide from Debenhams, the Burt’s Bees website and independent stores. I’ve tried the lotion and it feels very light, absorbs easily and really does soften the skin very well. Along with the milk and honey, it also  contains shea butter, coconut and grape seed oils and vitamin E, so there is no surprise that it does such a good job. I liked it a lot.

I’ve written before about the plight of bees and every single project that is making a contribution to their recovery gets my full support. As an allotment holder and keen gardener, I’m only too aware of the importance of all bees as pollinators. Approximately a third of the food we eat has been pollinated by bees, so whether you think it matters to you or not, the survival of bees is vital for everyone. This campaign, working to support honey bees in particular, will hopefully raise the profile of the British Beekeepers Association and the work they do in supporting bee colonies. The limited edition scarf and body lotion will be available throughout August and September.

With thanks to Burt’s Bees for the body lotion sample.

Posted in Barbara Loves..., Beauty, Bee Project, Design and Culture, Ethical and Environmental, Fashion, Home, Margot Loves... | Leave a Comment »

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July 25, 2012

Lomi Lomi

Recently, I had the best massage of my life at Lomi Massage Leeds. I’ve taken a while to write this post because I wanted to be sure of myself before I wrote about it. You see, the massage therapist is a dear friend of mine and I wanted to be sure that I was writing about the massage and not just being kind because of how fondly I think of her. I’ve thought back on it for a while now, and I’m reassured. It really and truly was the best massage I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot. I’m even qualified in Swedish massage myself, and I believe wholeheartedly in the power of massage for mind and body, so this is high praise indeed from me.

Often, when I have a massage, I spent far too much time thinking ‘Relax, relax, relax for heaven’s sake. You should be RELAXED by now. Why aren’t you relaxing?…’ Then, I start thinking of my to-do list and all hope is lost. Obviously, this means that by the end of the massage I’m not feeling much better than I was at the start. Having studied massage myself too, I kind of know what I’m looking for, and what I’m expecting, which can mean that if it fails to live up to my expectation, I’m terribly disappointed. This sometimes can happen if it feels as though the practitioner is merely going through the motions as if by rote, without really being genuinely involved in what they’re doing.

Jo’s calming personality and true belief in what she is doing mean that you have a real trust in her and that in itself allows you to relax almost right from the start. I know that it helped that we weren’t strangers, but I do believe that you’d feel that way from the start regardless. She’s simply one of the most grounded, kindest and positive people I’ve ever met. The secret location (a hidden cabin in the leafy Chapel Allerton area of Leeds) also helps, as you feel a little disconnected from the world for a while, which feels perfectly suited to the experience. She also works from Bivouac in North Yorkshire, another beautiful location.

Lomi Lomi  is different to the Swedish style of massage more commonly practised. It originates from the Hawaiian islands and is based in the spirit of Aloha. Simply put, this means universal love and it creates an atmosphere of open-hearted acceptance and kindness that you can feel from the minute you arrive. This massage is a wonderful way to be nourished and nurtured, and to take some time out of your regular routine for your mind, body and soul. The long firm and intuitive massage strokes flow over and under your body and you drift off into a real place of peace. As the massage began, I cried. At the end, I cried. I know this sounds odd, but they were not sad tears, but a sign of the much needed release of built up tension and anxiety. I felt so much better afterwards. More at peace with myself and with the world. This feeling continued long after the massage ended and thinking back to it, I return to a calmer state of mind.

Lomi Lomi massage is a beautiful, nourishing and powerful experience. I hope to repeat it again very soon.

 

PS: I want you to know that this isn’t a sponsored post in any way. I paid for my massage, and I wasn’t asked to write a blog post about it. I just loved it, and wanted to share that with you. Especially if you’re looking for a massage yourself…

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July 9, 2012

Liz Earle Skincare: Product Review

A short while ago, I wrote a post about the Leeds branch of Liz Earle, purely because I’d had a great experience and wanted to share it. The lovely folk at Liz Earle read it, and sent me a few products to try out.

The first was the Instant Boost Skin Tonic. Now, I’m not very good at using toners. I forget in my rush to get out of the house in the morning, and to be honest, I’ve tried a few in the past that were simply too harsh and so which left my skin really tight and dry. This one is different. It’s alcohol free for a start, so doesn’t have the astringency of older styles of toner, and it’s got a gentle floral smell from the calendula and rose-scented geranium it contains. It’s really gentle and refreshing. In fact, I’ve started using it on its own when I come home from work, just to freshen myself up, as well as after cleansing. It does seem to make a difference, taking off that last bit of grime  (usually mascara!) from my face, not to mention tightening up the enlarged pores on either side of my nose. I love this product and really recommend it. Just be careful when you first use it though. In my enthusiasm to try it, I ended up sloshing it all over my hands – it comes out of the bottle faster than I’d anticipated!

The second product I’ve been using is the Gentle Face Exfoliator. I’ve been using this on a weekly basis. It has a slightly medicinal smell (probably because of the skin purifying eucalyptus it contains) and is a white creamy consistency with small beads of exfoliating jojoba. It is massaged onto dry skin after cleansing and then rinsed off. It’s really gentle and does a good job of taking away the dead skin cells and dryness on my skin without leaving it feeling as though it’s been treated harshly. Once it’s rinsed off, I then use the Skin Tonic above again, which leaves my skin feeling soft and floral scented.

Finally, I’ve been using the award winning Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask. I love this product. My skin often feels a bit exhausted, a bit like the rest of me really! I especially like using it when I’ve got the chance to lie down for 15 minutes and relax with it on, because it feels like a real treat after a busy week. My skin reacts really well to it too, looking and feeling smoother and softer – less exhausted! If you buy the starter kit, it comes with a muslin cloth for you to use to take the mask off with.

It comes as no real surprise to me that I’ve been so impressed with these products – although they were a gift, this is really how I feel about them, and if you get the chance to talk to me in person about them, you’ll have a job getting me to stop! I love the products, the ethos of the company, the BUAV accreditation, the British roots and the great customer service. At the moment too, there is a special offer. If you spend £60 on products, you can get this lovely tote bag which I think would be great for the beach. Now, if we could only get the weather sorted out too…

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June 13, 2012

Liz Earle skincare and Leeds store review

I recently went to the Liz Earle store in the Victoria Quarter in Leeds for the first time. In honesty, I went with a friend who had vouchers to spend, but I ended up shopping myself too! I’ve used Liz Earle products before, bought by mail order, and really liked them, so I’m not really sure why I’ve not been in store before. Anyway, suffice to say I’ll be going back.

The store is a large one, covering two floors in the prestigious and beautiful Victoria Quarter in Leeds and is a really light, calm and welcoming space, giving very positive first impressions. There are lots of products out on display, but the real joy of this store is their complete understanding that before we buy a product, most of us like to try it out. What does it smell like, feel like, look like? How do I apply it? How does my skin react? All those questions, and more, can be answered by testing (playing!) with the products at the many spaces around the store.

Upstairs are more sinks and mirrors for exactly that purpose, as well as giant sofas with magazines and books about natural ingredients to browse through. Staff are on hand to answer any questions you might have, and the three that I spoke to during my visit were all really friendly and knowledgeable about the product without being pushy about making sales. Perfect. The icing on the customer service cake is literally, cake. Every Friday afternoon the store gives out cake to customers. That’s right, you heard me! CAKE FRIDAY! How well they know me…

Recently has seen the opening of a treatment room in store. This restful space will be used for providing facials using the Liz Earle range, which would be such a treat. I want to be the the woman having the facial in this photo! The Signature Facial was the highest rated in a Vogue magazine review of ‘wonder facials’.

As for the products themselves, I think they are brilliant. I bought the multi award-winning Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth cleanser, which is applied to the face and then washed off using the accompanying muslin cloth, therefore it acts as a gentle exfoliator too. I’ve been using this for a while now and my skin loves it. Alongside the cleanser, I bought a sample sized Skin Repair Moisturiser, which has also been lovely to use. Because I’d bought these two, I got another sample sized product free, so I chose the Superskin Concentrate which I’ve used at night. It smells glorious and feels very nourishing.

This is a long term offer and one that I think is another great example of excellent customer service, giving the opportunity to try new products at a reduced cost, or perhaps use the smaller sized versions for holiday. The other thing I love is their range of ‘Try Me’ kits – also great for holidays or just trying smaller sizes out before you commit to a more expensive purchase. Alongside the facial products is a full range of body products, sun protection and aftercare and men’s skincare too. I have friends with really sensitive skin who say that the Liz Earle sun protection cream is the only one that their skin doesn’t react to. They’ve recently launched a range of make up, which I’ve not tested yet, but it’s on the to-do list!

If I haven’t convinced you enough, what with the ace products, cake and great offers, I’ll tell you that they’re BUAV approved and British, with a headquarters on the wonderful Isle of Wight, where one half of my family are from. Excellent.

Posted in Barbara Loves..., Beauty, Ethical and Environmental, Home, Margot Loves... | 2 Comments »

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May 23, 2012

Yves Rocher Skincare Review

Yves Rocher is a company that’s been in my peripheral vision for a long time. It’s the number one skin care brand in France, and that’s where I’ve seen it on sale when I’ve been on holiday, so I’ve not really been in the market for skin care purchases.  As a result of that, I’ve never tried any of their range until now, as they are expanding into the UK market and so can be bought by mail order.

The first of their products I’ve been using is the Derma Smoothing Day Moisturiser for sensitive skin. I have skin that I’d consider to be sensitive. I am allergic to a few things and my skin often flares up for no discernible reason, so I tend to look for products that are designed to deal with that. This moisturiser comes well packaged in a nicely designed tub with a pink lid. It has a fairly thick gel-cream texture and is unscented. This is to remove any irritants that people may find in perfumes, and leaves it with a pleasant enough, fairly neutral smell. I liked this cream. It does exactly what it sets out to do, offer good long-lasting moisture without irritating my skin. I’ve been using it regularly, and applying liberally, for a couple of weeks and there is still plenty left in the 50ml sized jar, so I think it offers really good value too. It doesn’t have an SPF, so you’d need to add one of those on top, and luckily Yves Rocher do a range of sun protection too!

The second product I have been using is their Precious Night Oil, which is part of the organic range. I love facial oils for my skin. As I get older, my skin has got drier and wrinklier (how lovely) and this oil, used in the evening after thoroughly cleansing, feels really nourishing. I loved the smell from the sweet orange oil it contains. This product contains extracts from five different plants; lavender, jojoba, petitgrain, sesame, and sweet orange. Again the product is nicely packaged, in recycled cardboard and feels like a good quality product. I have been using this for a couple of weeks each evening and my skin does feel as though it’s less dry. It’s a pleasure to use and again, it feels like really good value, considering how little is needed each time.

I’d definitely buy more products from this brand on the strength of these two. In fact, I’ve got my eye on some of their home spa products which look gorgeous…

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April 27, 2012

Neal’s Yard Remedies: Bee Lovely hand cream review.

I have been using the Neal’s Yard Remedies Bee Lovely hand cream for a few days now and I’m really impressed with it. I have to say, I’m not surprised at all. I’ve been a fan of the company for a long time and love their Melissa and Garden Mint and Bergamot hand creams. In fact, at the moment, my daughter is using the Melissa cream to prevent her little hands from getting dry (lots of hand-washing going on!) and she loves it too.

The Bee Lovely hand cream is being sold to raise funds for three charities involved in supporting the bee population, which as I wrote about the other day, is in serious need of help. It’s a cause that I completely support, but I really wanted the product to be great too and thankfully, it is.

Its a pale cream colour, and is slightly thicker than the other Neal’s Yard Remedies hand cream we have. It has a glorious orange smell, courtesy of the essential oil and, although it’s quite thick, it’s really easily absorbed into your skin so it doesn’t leave a greasy feeling afterwards. It’s got sunflower and brazil nut oils in, to help create the softness, as well as the all-important honey!

I have been using it a couple of times each day and I’ve really loved it. Over the period I’ve been using it, I’ve definitely noticed a softening of my skin and the removal of some drier areas across my knuckles and between my fingers. Although that could be because I’m applying it so often; I’m addicted to the smell…

76% organic, with no parabens, synthetic fragrances or odours, mineral oils or other chemical nasties, this is another winning product from Neal’s Yard Remedies and I really rate it highly. So, I do recommend you either go along to your local branch of Neal’s Yard Remedies (where you can also pick up other Bee Lovely information) or have a look at their online store to buy your own tube of Bee Lovely hand cream.  Either way, please do also sign their pesticide petition and help them to save our bees!

Posted in Barbara Loves..., Beauty, Bee Project, Ethical and Environmental, Gardening, Home, Luxury, Margot Loves... | 1 Comment »

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