November: Lately I've been Loving

Here are my November loves:

I adore hard back books and I think these ones would make excellent Christmas gifts. These are the ones in my current TBR pile (though I'm half way through the excellent Living with Coco Chanel:The Homes & Landscapes that Shaped the Designer by Caroline Young). It's such an interesting read.

I randomly came across Mark Peters Glass and had-to-have this gorgeous Tunnock's Teacake fused glass decoration. It's so sweet and I adore it. Check out the rest of the designs (including gorgeous Christmassy ones HERE).

One of Madara's latest make up launches had to be mine. Their new Skin Equal Soft Glow Foundation (£33 - 30ml) is absolutely fantastic. It blends really well and leaves the skin with a glow. 

I just love mince pies and was thrilled when I spotted them on the shelves of Sainsbury's in early November.

The Portobello Bookshop which is local to me (and wonderful) has a great selection of Indie mags. I picked up my favourite Bloom Magazine which is full of inspiration for the garden, nature lovers, allotments and the great outdoors. Such a treat!

Discovering Nudge Boutique's gorgeous soap free shampoo tablets that actually work! I picked a two pack which retails at £5 (one I kept and one I gifted to my hairdresser - so I'll hear her thoughts next time I'm there!). So far so good, my hair is loving these and I love that they are the perfect palm size. Review is to come!

 top one is the one I've been using - bottom one brand new

What have you been loving this month?

*Petits Rituels: Orange Gourmande Aromatherapy Candle Two Wicks

*gifted It was such a delight when Nathalie, Founder and Artisan Perfumer of Petits Rituels got in touch to ask if I'd like to try reformulated Orange Gourmande Aromatherapy Candle with two wicks (£36 - 200g - 40hrs burn time). I'd tried some of the candles previously - see HERE and HERE. The candles are beautifully boxed making them perfect for gifting (keep your eyes peeled for Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals!)

The candles are presented in recyclable branded boxes and glassware and the candles are lovingly handcrafted in England, 100% natural and cruelty free with 100% cotton wicks.

The double wick is definitely decadent and the Orange Gourmande scent comforting, stress-relieving and relaxing. The artisan candle is hand poured using 100% natural waxes and pure essential oils of Sweet Orange & Rose Geranium. 

When you first light the candle you should allow it to burn for at least 2 hours to ensure a good melt pool is established and to prevent tunneling - before burning for a second time make sure to trim the wick.

This is a beautiful candle with a fantastic throw (I could still smell it in the room I'd been burning it the next morning - which is always the sign of a good quality and lovely candle).

There are 6 different fragrance ranges available - Christmas, Citrus, Floral, Minty, Spicy and Woody and these come in a range of candles, wax melts and essential oil blends.

Beauty Pie Review: Month #11: Extra Order

I picked up an order as soon as my Allowance refreshed on 31st October and again on 6th November - you can see my buys HERE. I also had to have the much hyped LOVE Fragrance 15ml as soon as it landed! (£10.81 - RRP £40). You can join and get your first month free - worth £10 using my LINK.

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I've got to say it wasn't love at first skoosh but the fragrance has grown on me. Not sure I'll buy it again but I have enjoyed trying it. Someone on the facebook group said it was created by the same nose who created Le Labo Santal33 - so I had very high hopes! Alas, it's not like that deeply woody and aromatic perfume at all. 

It's initially very fruity - Calabrian Bergamot, Pink Rhubarb & Quince, here's looking at you! With heart notes of Black Orchid, Apricot Nectar, Honeysuckle and Muget with a base of Golden Amber, Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Musk. It's a wear to work perfume rather than hot date! 

I love the inclusion of the little funnel - perfect if you fall in love with the scent and you buy the full size bottle - makes decanting so much easier! Have you tried LOVE Fragrance? If so, what are your thoughts?

*Blomma Beauty: Curating Natural Beauty

*productsamples Karen MacDonald, Founder of Blomma Beauty (which means to Bloom in Swedish) reached out to ask if I'd like to review a couple of products* from the range in her carefully curated online shop. Karen, an ex-beauty buyer has created a beauty centric concept which gives small batch artisan makers a platform for selling their wares as well as providing meet-the-maker events, pop-ups (next one coming to you 1st December in Shoreditch), workshops and pamper sessions. See details of all up-coming events HERE.

I spotted lots of well-known to me brands in the shop (ones I've reviewed and tried previously - Casa Mencarelli, Evering Botanique and Organic House Skincare to name a few) as well as some new to me brands such as soapNskin, Hemsley Organic and Ginger Green Co. I selected a totally new to me brand soapNskin and a well-loved brand Silvan Skincare. Products are sent direct from the producers where possible to ensure freshness and quality control.

SoapNSkin was founded by two friends and the products are made to order in London using the finest natural ingredients. The range is inspired by the mystical silk roads of the east, friendship and the multi-cultural Britain we live in. Recipes have been handed down from the generations using traditional methods and the products are handcrafted with love and attention to detail. Packaging is recyclable and the pots re-usable.

I picked their luxurious Skin Deep Body Butter with Rose & Sandalwood (£25 - 120ml)* which is a delicious and nutritious treat for the skin. Formulated with skin loving butters and enriched with neem and beeswax, the butter has a delicate rose and slightly spicy scent. 

To use: warm a small amount in your palm and feel it turn to a nourishing oil before massaging it over your body.

My second pick was from known-to-me, Silvan Skincare in the form of their lush Anise Lip Balm (£5 - 15ml)*. This deeply nourishes the lips and has a gorgeous spicy scent. It's a blend of orange and star anise oil and perfect for wintertime. Formulated with organic shea, jojoba and apricot oils this Vegan lip balm is a delight.  I like the little re-usable tin and minimal packaging. See my previous Silvan Skincare reviews HERE and HERE.

*Get 15% off your first order with beautybalm15*

Have you been to a Blomma Beauty event or bought something from the shop? Do let me know in the comments.

*Giveaway: The Rose Tree: Soothing Bath & Shower Oil 40ml - it's over!

*gifted for giveaway I've got a gorgeous Christmas giveaway in collaboration with The Rose Tree. One of my UK readers can win their very own exquisite heart-shaped bottle filled with their glorious Soothing Bath & Shower Oil with Geranium, Cypress & Lavender 40ml which is worth £19! It comes packaged in their signature gift bag and wrapped in black tissue - making it perfect for gifting! 

The bath & shower oil is a sumptuous blend of skin loving oils which will soothe and calm. The skin is left deeply nourished and delicately scented - perfect for moments of me time in the busy run-up-to-Christmas! You can check out the whole range HERE.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Scent Doctor: Neroli EdP 100ml

I first discovered The Scent Doctor over on industry expert, Stephan Matthews Blog, which is a great read - I highly recommend! You can now pick up the perfumes in Superdrug (where you'll find them currently at £15 - a bargain!)

I chose the perfume which spoke to me the most - Neroli. It's reminiscent of one of my favourite perfumes - Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (at a fraction of the price!) On The Scent Doctor's website the perfumes are £28 for 100ml and there are always offers on - currently buy-one-get-one-half-price online. (though I'll be checking the others out on the High Street for sure!)

The Scent Doctor has loved flowers since helping his granddad in his garden as a child. The range is inspired by the flowers that he loves. The flowers featured in the range of perfumes can help with stress relief, anxiety, fighting depression or lack of sleep. 

The perfumes come boxed and the perfume is in a huge 100ml bottle.

Neroli is unisex and has top notes of Mandarin, Italian Lemon Oil and Lavender with a heart of Neroli, Jasmine and Pittosporum with base notes of light musks and Amber.  It's fresh and fruity and an absolute delight! I've now got my eye on Peony & Vanilla and Tuberose. Have you tried any of The Scent Doctor fragrances?

November Empties

I'm not going to use up anymore products this month so here are my November empties:

I love Noble Isle's Summer Rising Cornish Hedgerows Bath & Shower Gel 250ml so I'm sure to buy this again. See my review HERE.

I just love, love, love Inner Senses Greenhouse Tomato & Carrot Seed Oil Cleanser and this wee 5ml is the perfect try-me size or for travel. See my review HERE. I'm sure to pick up full size when my cleansing oil stash reduces in size!

I've loved all the Five Dot Botanics products I've tried so far. Deep Feed Nourishing Facial Serum 5ml was an instagram win. It's beautiful and I'm sure to buy again. See my review HERE.

I've much love for bodhi & birch's Superfoods Series Tomato Seed Cleansing Fluid* (now called Cleansing Oil). See my review HERE. This is gorgeous and I've a couple of minis still in my stash.

John Masters Organic Sea Mist 266ml which I've had for what seems like forever! I tend to use this in the summer and on holiday. Nice for beachy waves. Probably would only buy the mini size in future. Good product though.

I loved Khus+Khus Bleu Body Serum 200ml* which seemed to last forever! See my review HERE. This was lush and I'd definitely consider buying if my body product stash ever reduces.

Lovely NorthburN, their products really are a delight! I love their Luxury Bathing Salts and these Rebalance* ones were gorgeous. See my review HERE. These are the bath salts you "need" in your life/stash!

My final empty this month is a huge 400ml of NUXE's Melting Shower Gel, which my pal Julie gave me for my birthday in April - it's lasted ages! Gorgeous to use.

What have you been using up this month?

*Christmas Gift Guide: The Rose Tree, Beatitude, Ancienne Ambiance, ION-Sei, Tropic Skincare, Petits Rituels, Heka Aromatherapy, Bubu Skincare

marked*productsample there are tons of lovely gift sets and candles for gifting this year. You can see my top picks below:

This gorgeous Soothing Aromatherapy Gift Set* (£39) from The Rose Tree is the ultimate treat for soothing and relaxing - perfect for some me-time after the busy run up to Christmas. Inside you'll find a gorgeous heart shaped bottle of their Geranium, Cypress & Lavender Bath & Body Oil 30ml and a matching duo in the form of Soothing Body oil 30ml and Soothing Aromatherapy Roller Ball 10ml. It's the perfect gift to relax and enjoy some down time (I've got a lovely giveaway upcoming in collab with The Rose Tree so keep your eyes peeled!)

Beatitude's Winter Comfort Candle* (300g - £30) is one of the nicest "Christmas" inspired candles I've tried so far this year. See my review HERE. Staying with the brand a cheaper but just as nice option (makes a great Secret Santa gift) is their Body Oil Christmas Bauble* (£12) REVIEW.

I had the real pleasure of meeting Ancienne Ambiance's founder, Adriana during one of our trips to London and visiting the gorgeous shop. She very kindly gifted me the then, new Beauty Shortlist Award Winning Tuberosa Tuberose Tealight Set. I was absolutely over-the-moon and then some to recently be gifted a full size Special Edition Tuberosa Tuberose Scented Candle* (£44 - 200g) which has 60-65 hours burn time. I love anything rosey and this scent really packs a punch with rich and creamy tuberose blooms - totally decadent and quite wonderful. A review is forthcoming! I do believe this would be a perfect gift for a candle and fragrance lover this Christmas.

I received Skin Alchemist's Midnight's Serenade Intensive Skin Treatment (120g - £36) in my one-off October Natural Beauty Box. This treatment candle is an absolute delight. I love everything about it, the scent (rose de mai, jasmine and orange), the gentle and calming scent when burning and the feel of deliciousness when the warm butters touch your skin. It's housed in a re-usable pouring vessel which has been designed by Sue Pryke. This is the luxurious treat you realise you need in your life always upon first try. A review is to come!

A new toothbrush! I've been testing out ION-Sei's Sonic Electric Toothbrush* (£129.99) which you can buy at Amazon and selected retailers. The toothbrush was a Pure Beauty Global Awards Finalist 2019. 

"ION-Sei has patented technology: Whereas most electric toothbrushes only remove some of the plaque and harmful bacteria, ionic technology actually helps to suppress the bacteria causing plaque too.The ION-Sei electric toothbrush uses an Ultra Violet (UV) LED light that reacts with a Titanium Dioxide bar in the brush handle, to create ions that suppress the bacteria that cause plaque.The negative electrons are sent to your mouth via water or saliva. Although ION-Sei uses advanced technology, it harnesses nature using "water and light".ION-Sei also works with your body's natural electrical charge through a conductor on the handle, producing a weak charge that inhibits bacterial growth and helps to attract bacteria from teeth onto the brush".

I've been very impressed with it's performance and a review is forthcoming! It'd make an ideal Christmas gift.

There's a huge array of covetable gifts at Tropic Skincare. Perfect to get your feet in tip top condition is their A Walk on the Beach Collection* (£24) which contains everything you need for pampering your feet. The polishing foot pebble is fantastic! Also inside is their Ocean Fizz and Repairing Foot Remedy. Another option is their new in, Mini Complexion Trio - I chose Fresh Faced* which contains three 5ml minis: Fruit Peel Resurfacing Serum (REVIEW) and the two new serums - Rainforest Dew Hydration Serum and Glow Berry Brightening Serum - I'm looking forward to trying these (this set costs £18 for 3 mini products).

From Petits Rituels I've been enjoying their exquisite Aromatherapy Candle in Orange Gourmande* which gives a double hit of fragrance with its double wicks. This really is a treat for creating a soothing and welcoming ambiance. The double wick candles cost £36 with 40hrs burn time (200g). Look out for their Black Friday deals too! A review is forthcoming but rest assured, this candle is gorgeous!

From totally new-to-me brand Heka Aromatherapy is two of their hand-blended pulse point oils*. They'd make the perfect gift or stocking filler. These retail at £12.95 each and a review is coming - they're gorgeous!

Rounding up my gift ideas are Bubu Skincare's fun sheet masks* which are single use with tongue-in-cheek names. Retail prices is £5-£7 so they make an excellent small gift for any skin loving friend. There are five bespoke masks in the range which as well as being fun deal with real skincare issues such as hydration, exfoliation, anti-blemish, anti-pollution and lip plumping. I'm looking forward to trying these out!

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

*Inner Senses Raspberry Rose Replenishing Facial Oil

*I picked Inner Senses Raspberry Rose Replenishing Facial Oil (30ml - £34)* as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger pick for November. I'm already a huge fan of the brand having loved their delectable Greenhouse Tomato & Carrot Seed Renewing Oil Cleanser & *Vibrant Earth Revitalising Detox Mask (REVIEW) previously.

The products are award winning, hand blended and small batch and Lisa's love for creating and formulating her range shines through. You are in for a real treat if you pick this luxurious oil up or in fact, any of the others in the range.

Formulated with Damascan Rose essence which will revitalise, nourish and heal. Raspberry Seed Oil provides the highest SPF of any vegetable oil which acts as natural protection from UVA and UVB rays (you still need a sunscreen). The blend is packed with Essential Fatty Acids and powerful Antioxidants which nourish and revive.

Suitable for dry, ageing, damaged and skin exposed to the elements. It has a herbal slightly floral scent and is 96% organic and 100% natural.

To use: gently massage a few pumps onto the face and neck after cleansing AM and PM

What are your favourites from the range?

Lixirskin Electrogel Cleanser

Having fallen head-over-heels for Lixirskin's fantastic Universal Emulsion Moisturiser REVIEW. I knew there was no chance their Electrogel Cleanser was staying put inside my Latest in Beauty Grazia Beauty Advent Calendar!

This evening cleanser (and detoxifying mask - I love a multi-use product!) is fantastic. It'll remove make up and impurities and detox your skin at the same time. Lixirskin say "It is a rich cream cleanser with a twist. Interestingly what is bad for the skin generally has a positive electric charge, so we have included a very small negatively charged electrogel in the cleanser - the two attract each other and can be simply rinsed away!" 

The cleanser will deeply cleanse the pores leaving the skin feeling clean, refreshed and glowy. It has a gorgeous herbal floral scent (Geranium, Sage, Rosemary & Chamomile).

To use: apply generously to the face and neck with clean damp hands, massage for a minute, leave on for another minute then rinse. Alternatively, apply as a mask on dry skin and leave for 3 minutes before rinsing.

I think I may have to retrieve Vitamin C Paste from the depths of my stash and bring it back into circulation (I wasn't keen on the scent of it) as I've fallen in love with the Universal Emulsion and now the Electrogel Cleanser.  And still there's more to explore. What are your favourites from the range?

My to-go-to Haircare Products - System Profesional, BRUNS Products, Nioxin & Charlotte Mensah

These are the products I reach for again and again (there are two System Professional products nestling there). I adore their Reconstructive Elixir, which comes in two sizes a travel mini and full size. Use it before blow drying for soft and sleek locks. It infuses into the hair structure to transform and protect. The second one, which came in a Latest in Beauty Box, I think, is their amazing BB65 Instant Reset Dry Shampoo which is a staple in my stash. No white powder residue!

The Nioxin Density Defend for Coloured Hair is a lightweight foam which is perfect for taming those frizzy bits which seem to congregate around my crown! It strengthens and also improves the vibrancy of hair colour.

I totally fell head-over-heels for BRUNS Products as a Beauty Shortlist Judge last year. Their 14 Tangy Mint Harsuffle* is fantastic and won an award last year. It has a gorgeous minty scent and is great to use to minimise hair breakage, as a heat protector, to smooth down frizz and create volume. It featured in my post HERE.

My final item is the fantastic new-to-me brand Charlotte Mensah, which came to me via Latest in Beauty's The India Knight Style Beauty Box - see HERE. Use this before blow drying, as an overnight treatment or to tame frizz. My hair just loves it and is left with an incredibly smooth glossy sheen.

What are your to-go-to haircare products?

Christmas Gift Ideas: *Beatitude Winter Comfort Candle

*productsample I've had the real pleasure of trying Beatitude's Winter Comfort Candle (£30 - 300g) which feels like a hug in a jar! It's truly sublime, joyous and perfect to use in the run up to Christmas and indeed, on the big day itself!  You can also pick it up in mini size 100g - £12. The full size candle has a burn time of up to 60 hours.

Formulated with eco-soy wax, a led free wick and a seasonal blend of mandarin, bergamot, clementine, lavender, eucalyptus with warming clove and cinnamon. It'll relax and calm both the body and mind and bring a cosy winter warmth to your home.  The throw is good too! And the candle burns nice and evenly.

Check out the rest of the range HERE including the fabulous Body Oil Christmas Baubles which I reviewed HERE - they'd make an excellent work Secret Santa Gift or small present.