September: Lately I've been Loving

Here's what I've been loving in September: 

A smallish dropbox from The Rose & Thistle Wax Patisserie which I started at the beginning of August. Huge love for Gain Island Fresh and Morello Creme so far!

I read The Midwife's Secret by Emily Gunnis* which I kindly received from the publisher via Netgalley. It's an absolutely superb read and one of my favourites this year. It publishes near the end of October so watch out for it.

Trying out the scrumptious new Vanilla & Salted Caramel Wax melts from Olfactory Candles. Seriously mouthwatering. Get 15% off your 1st wax order with SANDRA15.

Looking after my boss's gorgeous wee dog Astro (looking for treats!)

I signed back up to Balneaves monthly wax melts box again! Total fail I only missed a month before I needed my sub back!

Discovering a lovely new homewares shop in Musselburgh called Coast & Wild. Looking forward to popping back. 

Receiving proof copies* of two fantastic looking books!

Lunch at Foresters, our local pub with a pal. What have you been loving in September?

September Empties

Here's what I've been using up in September. If a product is marked * I was kindly given it for review:

*Florena Fermented Skincare 24H Hydrating Face Mask 8ml - this creamy mask was lovely to use. See my review HERE. I've got quite a few masks to use up but I'd likely buy it in future.

Fair Squared Olive Hand Cream 50ml - a really lovely hand cream which absorbs instantly. I was sorry to use it up. Will buy again.

Lucky Cloud Orange & Ylang Ylang Soap - a gorgeous natural soap with easily recyclable packaging. Sure to pick it up again.

Noble Isle Bath & Shower Gel minis (30ml each) - huge fan of this brand and loved all of the scents - Rhubarb Rhubarb!, Scots Pine & Tea Rose). Likely to pick these again in bigger sizes.

Nudge Boutique's sublime Saffron Glow Neroli & Vanilla Dry Body Oil 30ml - simply stunning. I've since stocked up. 

I used up two Raven Botanicals products at the same time! Both have been repurchased! I adore their Spellbind CBD, Bakuchiol & Yarrow serum 10ml (review to come) and the wonderful Solstice Facial Oil 30ml Review.

It was nice to revisit LJ Natural's divine Organic Purity Rose Body Oil mini. Adds to wishlist to buy when I use up more stuff! 

Sad to use up Dafna's Active Mist 100ml - gorgeous stuff. See my review HERE.

I used up the last of my Schmidt's deos. Geranium Flower was nice and effective. I love nknaturals seasonal skincare and enjoyed their Summer Copper Distilled Botanical Mist 50ml all summer long. See my review HERE.

Huge love for Bodhi & Birch's Sicilian Rose Body Oil 100ml which I picked up for a song in a recent online shop closing down sale. See my review HERE. Will definitely splash out on this again! 

I loved Africology's sublime Skin Conditioning Body Oil 50ml* which is scented with neroli. See my review HERE.

Madara's Moonflower Tinting Fluid Rose Beige 50ml is a staple in my stash. I've given up wearing foundation since the pandemic. I find this evens my skin and gives it a soft glow.

My final use-up this month is Kerastase's fantastic Nutritive Lait Vital conditioner 75ml which my hair loves. Sure to pick it up again at some point.

What have you been using up in September?

*Trilogy Skincare Review

I very kindly received some Trilogy skincare products* from Love Lula for review. Inside my package was:

Trilogy Cream Cleanser (200ml - £23.50)* which is presented in a large glass pump bottle. It's formulated with the brand's signature rosehip oil which softens and cleans the skin. Evening Primrose, natural softeners and skin loving oils of carrot, jojoba and almond along with soothing chamomile are included in the formulation which makes the cleanser an absolute dream to use. Trilogy say that it's best for normal to dry skins but I've found my slightly drier autumnal combo skin is loving it! The cleanser gently cleanses and balances and leaves the skin feeling clean and very comfortable.

To use: AM/PM massage a small amount over the face and neck before rinsing and patting dry.

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil (20ml - £19.50)* its so nice to have this product back in my stash! I've used it many times before and it was one of the first facial oils I tried. It'll help to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, soften and smooth, nourishing, renewing and restoring and it's good for stretch marks and scars too. It absorbs instantly and leaves the skin with a healthy glow! 

To use: use before bed as a nourishing night treatment. Massaging a few drops onto the face and neck.

The third item I was kindly sent was their Age Proof Multi-Defence Moisturiser SPF15 (50ml - £29.50) which is a rich cream with a floral scent. It deeply repairs and hydrates and protects from UV and Blue Light damage. Enriched with Collagen rich Glycablend and fresh water algae complex PEPHA-AGE. It'll smooth and nourish and contains SPF. I've been really enjoying this moisturiser which plumps and firms and I'll definitely try others from the range soon.

To use: apply daily to cleansed face and neck.

What are you're favs from Trilogy?

New In: Antipodes Glow Ritual Vitamin C Serum

I can never resist a new Antipodes product! When I saw their new Glow Ritual Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid 30ml (£35) arrive at Naturisimo I immediately snapped it up and how glorious it is!

It is golden in colour and skin illuminating with a light and easily absorbed texture. Formulated with Kakadu Plum, an ingredient which contains up to 100x the Vitamin C in oranges + it helps to boost collagen, illuminate and protecting from free radical damage. Antipodes say "it's your all-day golden hour glow in a bottle". Who doesn't want that?

Plant based Hyaluronic Acid retain moisture in the skin and Bakuchiol is a gentle natural retinol which will firm and smooth the skin. It's also got a gorgeous scent of vanilla pod + mandarin. 

To use: apply to cleansed skin followed by your fav Antipodes moisturiser

I've not been using it that long but my drier autumn skin is loving the touch of radiance + nourishment it gives. Have you tried this glow-in-a-bottle yet?

Cult Beauty: The Cult Conscious Edit

I can never resist a Cult Beauty box and their recent one - The Cult Conscious Edit is fantastic! At time going to press there was still some left! Costing £40 with 10 items both full and travel size and with 8 of them being new to me items with 4 new-to-me brands - excitement much!

It's absolutely stuffed full! Reviews to come.

15ml @versed The Shortcut Overnight Facial Peel
50ml @disciplelondon Juicy Mist
30ml @omorovicza Cleansing Foam
30g @sandandskyresults Superbounce Mask
15ml @aurelialondon Revitalise + Glow Serum
5.5g @hourglasscosmetics Caution Extreme Lash Mascara
3g @danessa_myricks Beauty Dew Wet Balm
15ml @officialmedik8 Illuminating Eye Balm
180ml @larrykinghaircare Liquid Hairbrush Conditioner
50ml @renskincare Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream

Did you pick one up?

Good Housekeeping - The Green Beauty Box

As a subscriber of Red magazine they recently offered their subscribers Good Housekeeping's The Green Beauty Box for £48 instead of £60 with free p&p. It's such good value! Inside is 18 full and travel sizes. The box is worth a whopping £274. (there is of course a few items I won't use which I'll pass along). You also get a digital 12 month access to Good Housekeeping mag.

Wow! 

I was especially excited to see Earthkind's Organic Oats Conditioning Bar (full size - 50g - £8.95) as I'm a huge fan of the brand + this had been on my wishlist. Also inside the box is their Shampoo Bar Dry + Coloured Hair (Bergamot + Sage) (full size - 50g - £6.95). Always happy to have a back-up. See my review HERE. There's also a full size of Scentered's De-Stress Aromatherapy Balm (5g - £14.90). I've tried this before and it really does calm a stressed mind!

I'm a huge fan of Floral Street perfumes, my fav is Electric Rhubarb). Inside is their Mini Discovery Set Light (5 x 1.5ml £9) which is the perfect try-me set. See my review HERE.  From Temple Spa is a 30ml AAAHHH! Foot + Limb Moisturising Cream Balm worth £4. There's also pocket tissues from The Cheeky Panda which are plastic free and made of bamboo. These are worth a quid.

There's a Bellapierre Brown Eyed Girl Palette which is full size and worth £28.99. All the shades look pretty wearable. I especially like the sparkly one - perfect for Christmas parties! I don't use liquid liner + am quite fussy about my mascaras so these two will be passed along. The eyeko Skinny Liquid eye liner is 1.2g and worth £9. The Body Collection Big Volume Black Mascara is full size 12ml and worth £2.50.

From Lumene is their Nordic Ageless [AJATON] Radiant Pressed Serum 15ml which is worth £13.50. It smell really nice and has a gel like texture. Looking forward to trying it. I recently tried Florena Fermented Skincare and inside the box is their Regenerating Facial Oil 30ml (full size) worth £24.99. Totally new-to-me is Neo Sephiri and inside is their Pure Kalahari Melon Facial Oil 5ml which is worth £19. Looking forward to trying it!

From Codex is 20ml of their Bia Skin Superfood 20ml which is worth £12.80. Nice to see Skin & Tonic's Plump Up Hydration Serum 20ml £18.60 in there too. REN's Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream mini 10ml is worth £9.80. It was also fab to see Ecooking's Fragrance Free Day Cream 50ml (full size) which is worth £32. From Balance Me is 10ml (£10) of their fantastic Hyaluronic Plumping Mist. Rounding up the box is (another one I'll pass on) is Garnier's Organic Rosy Glow 3-in-1 Youth Cream 50ml (full size) and worth £8.99. Also some of the brands are offering discount codes, some of which are valid until the end of the year (and in some cases beyond). Pick yours up HERE.

*Love Lula: Organic September - Neal's Yard Remedies

*Sent to me as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger for an honest review. As you'll probably know I've been theming my picks this year:

January - SLEEP,  February - LOVE, March - AWAKEN, April - BLOSSOM, May - FORAGE, 

June GROW, July - PLASTIC FREE JULY, August - CBD

This month it had to be Organic September - a month long campaign which raises awareness of the many benefits of organic food, farming and beauty. Read more about it here. This month I picked Neal's Yard Remedies, a brand which has been around since 1981! Organic + Soil Association Certified (and one of the 1st Green beauty brands I tried). I chose two products which are new in at Love Lula:

I love the iconic blue glass bottles! The first item I selected was Wild Rose AHA Toner 200ml - £18* which gently refines the skin. It's formulated with a natural source of AHA and can be used daily. Formulated with organic wild rose rosehip seed oil, caviar lime fruit extract + citric acid to exfoliate while organic aloe vera + glycerine hydrate. Skin is left soft, smooth and glowing.

To use: use AM and PM after cleansing using a cotton pad in a sweeping motion, avoiding the eye area

I've been really enjoying using this gentle AHA toner. It's got a nice rosy floral scent, it feels comfortable on the skin and I've found my skin looks brighter, softer and less dull. It's a winner for me!

I also selected Wild Rose Glow Facial Oil 30ml - £28* which while a light textured oil intensely nourishes and replenishes the skin. Formulated with organic wild rosehip seed oil which restores + renews, naturally derived olive leaf extracts to replenish + hydrate along with light oils which condition + refine. Skin is positively glowing + healthy looking. 

To use: apply a few drops with your fingertips, massaging in with upward circular motions. Use alone or follow with moisturiser

My autumnal skin has been loving this delicious nectar which has a floral + herbal scent. My skin feels soft + hydrated with a radiant glow! What products have you been picking for Organic September?

*Love Lula Beauty Box: September 2021

My September Love Lula Beauty Box arrived on Saturday. This month is absolutely fantastic! I receive the monthly box free of charge as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger for an honest review (subscribers also get a very generous 20% off the brands in the box). The first item to jump out at me was a very wearable Cacao Lip Colour from Ere Perez  in shade "Sway", a pink/mauve nude which is absolutely gorgeous! This is a full size product (3.5g - £21). It adds the perfect pop of moisturising colour to the lips. It's total love!

It was also great to see a brand new product from Glossworks - their luscious and zesty Cuticle Balm (15g - £12). It'll nourish the driest of cuticles (and nails). Another win! A review will follow. 

So nice too to see a Madara product back in the box! Inside is a 20ml of their Time Miracle Total Renewal Night Cream Travel size (£18) which is rich and nutritious - perfect for nourishing autumnal skin! It'll rejuvenate and replenish the skin while you sleep.

Rounding up this fab box is Ayumi's Sandalwood Face Cream (100ml - £6.99) which absorbs instantly. It's got an aromatic spicy aroma and feels slightly soothing as well as moisturising on the skin. I'm looking forward to testing it out!

Are you a subscriber? What are your thoughts on the box this month?

nknaturals: Seasonal Specific Skincare: Summer

I'm still holding onto summer! The equinox falls on 22 September which signals the start of Autumn. I've been enjoying two products from nknaturals Summer range.

I'm a huge fan of nknaturals Botanical Mists and I've been enjoying Summer Copper Distilled Botanical Mist (50ml - £15) which has been specifically formulated for the summer months. I especially found it refreshing over the hot days in July and even into September too! It's got a beautiful refreshing neroli orange aroma and is perfect to refresh the skin, body and mind.

To use: spritz onto the skin after cleansing or the body to refesh.

Summer's Deep Steam Salt Infusion (120ml - £15) looks gorgeous and smells amazing. Use this mix of air dried rose petals, vanilla pod, seabuckthorn berries, Sea and Himalayan salts for salt steam distillation which removes pollution, drawing out bacteria and impurities from the skin. 

To use: boil the kettle and pour a small amount into a heatproof bowl then add a tsp of salt infusion. Lean over the bowl with a towel over your head and let the salts work their magic! See my fuller post on this product HERE.

As ever, a stunning range which cares for the skin and enlivens the senses. Looking forward to delving into the Autumn collection soon!

Latest Buys: Nudge Boutique, Abbey Perfumery, Hetkinen, Organic Youth Skincare + Noble Isle

Here are my latest buys from the end of August and into September:

I fell head-over-heels for Nudge Boutique's newest launch the glorious Saffron Glow Dry Body Oil Neroli & Vanilla which starts at a very affordable £10 for 30ml. Review soon!

I came across the amazing Abbey Perfumery on instagram and couldn't resist Kindled Rose EdP 10ml, which is so affordable. 10ml costs £8.50 plus p&p (free if you spend £40). Kindled Rose is an exquisite blend of rose, clove and oud and is perfect if you're partial to Jo Malone! A review to come.

Sadly Koti Lifestyle are closing their online doors to go onto different things. I saw on instagram they were having a half price sale. I bought two Hetkinen soaps with soap dish. Being half price I got two for the normal price of one! A steal!

I first tried Organic Youth Skincare when I won a giveaway - see my post HERE. I fell in love with their rich and aromatic Escape Organic Bath & Body Oil. It's a considered purchase as it's £42 for 100ml (get 10% off your 1st order if you sign up to their mailing list). A similar aroma to the body oil by Nudge Boutique but enhanced with a touch more vanilla, jasmine & sandalwood as well as sweet orange. Again, a review to come.

During the recent Bank Holiday and to celebrate their new website, Noble Isle were offering a special summer super pack of 2 x 250ml Hand Washes (Rhubarb Rhubarb! + Whisky + Water) and 2 x 250ml Bath & Shower gels (Summer Rising + Scot's Pine), presented in a gorgeous branded reusable box. This cost £60 instead of £80. If you spent over £50 you got a free 250ml of their Golden Harvest Bath & Shower Gel worth £21 plus a 30ml trial size of your choice - I picked Wild Samphire Hand Wash which I'll pop in my bag and use when out-and-about! 

What have you been buying lately?

*Blog Tour: The Man on Hackpen Hill by J S Monroe

I received a copy of the book complimentary to enable me to take part in the blog tour. Today it's my stop for the fantastic The Man on Hackpen Hill by J S Monroe.

It isn't unusual for crop circles to appear overnight on Hackpen Hill. In this part of Wiltshire, where golden wheat fields stretch for miles, the locals have got used to discovering strange mathematical patterns stamped into the earth.

But this time, it's different. Not only because this particular design of dramatic spiralling hexagons has never been seen before. But because of the dead body positioned precisely in the centre of the circle. DI Silas Hart, of Swindon Police, is at a loss.

Only Jim, a scientist at secretive government laboratory Porton Down, knows the chilling truth about the man on Hackpen Hill. And he wants Bella, a trainee journalist on her first ever story, to tell the world. But Silas has other ideas – and a boss intent on a cover up.

As Bella and Jim race against time, dark forces conspire against them, leading them to confront the reality of their own past and a world in which nothing is as it seems.

An original, intelligent and twisty thriller set in rural Wiltshire. A dead body in a crop circle sends a coded message. Can DI Silas Hart uncover the chilling truth before it's too late?

About the author:

J.S. Monroe read English at Cambridge, worked as a foreign correspondent in Delhi, and was Weekend editor of the Daily Telegraph in London before becoming a full-time writer. His psychological thriller Find Me became a bestseller in 2017, and under the name Jon Stock, he is also the author of five spy thrillers. He lives in Wiltshire, with his wife and children.

My thoughts?

Unusual mathematical crop circles are found in the golden wheat fields on Hackpen Hill. There is a body placed in the middle of each one and that person has met their death in an unusual way. DI Silas Hart & his partner Strover have to carefully investigate these deaths and come up with more questions than answers.

Scientist Jim who works at secret Government Lab, Porton Down believes he knows what happened and is keen for rookie journo, Bella to write his story. What follows is a twisty tale which is told from the viewpoints of Silas, Jim and Bella. Nearer the conclusion to the story we find the characters of Jim and Bella are not all they seem...

An un-put-downable read which I really enjoyed.