A Closer Look: Serums & Face Oils

When I started #NoBuyJanuary I showed you a photo of my over-stuffed bathroom cabinet (well..one of them!)  See here. Today I'm going to show you my Serums and Face Oils collection.  These are my all time favourite type of skincare items along with cleansers and body products.

S5 Calm Serum 10ml - this came in a beauty box and is really nice to use.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum 10ml - I got this recently in a Latest in Beauty pack not really tried it much yet.

Willow Organic Beauty Super Firming Serum 20ml* - simply love this. You can feel it instantly firming on the skin.  See my review here.

Apivita Natural Serum Radiance 15ml* - lovely to use.  See my review here.

inner-soul organics Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum 30ml - I was lucky enough to win this and other goodies in Fi's (The Beauty Shortlist) giveaway just before Christmas. A full review to come.

MVO Face Oil sample* - a gorgeous face oil which is packed full of good things for the skin.  See my review here. I'll be sad when this one's finished.

001 Intensive Elixir 30ml* - my favourite face oil of last year.  See my review here.  It makes the skin look and feel amazing. It also has a beautiful scent.

Kris D'Amour Organic Argan, Apple Seed & Strawberry Seed Rejuvenating Face Treatment Oil 30ml* - a light treatment oil which smells lovely.  See my initial thoughts here.

Botanicals Rose & Camellia Face Oil sample - this came in a mini gift set a while ago. Nice to use and smells lightly of roses. See my post here.

inner-soul organics Mullein Flower Purifying Facial Oil 30ml - another product I received in the prize from Fi at the Beauty Shortlist. Again, a review will be up soon. Both are simply exquisite.

Charlotte Hilton Rose Otto Facial Serum 25ml* - a gorgeous rosehip, argan oil and pomegranate seed oil based facial serum scented with rose otto. Again review up soon.

ESPA Optimal Skin ProSerum 8ml* - a lovely light serum which I reviewed here. Also have back ups of this!

bodhi Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil 30ml - one of my favourite face oils and one which will always be in my collection. I just love everything about it. See my review here. This is a brand new bottle :)

bodhi Neroli Luce Revitalising Face Oil 15ml - I also love this one for spring/summer months. This is great for combination/oily skin and smells fantastic.

Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil 1oz* - I was sent this to review from a beautiful world and love it. See my review here. It seems that every Indie Lee product I try I love!

Antipodes Divine Face Oil 30ml - a simply gorgeous oil which I have only recently cracked open. I received it in my Selfridges box ages back.  Packed full of good things for the skin. Review up soon.

Lj's Very Indulgent Organic Face Oil 30ml - I received this from Jen in the Autumn Beauty Swap. A gorgeous face oil which contains rosehip, evening primrose and frankincense essential oil.  One of my favourites.

OCÉOPIN L'Huile de Graines de Pin Maritime 15ml* - a really unusual facial oil scented with Maritime Pine. See my review here.

Simply Bee Propolis Serum 30ml* - this lovely serum only has three ingredients. See my review here.

Do you use any of these? What's your favourite face oils and serums?

*PR samples

My Top Ten

It has been really difficult to chose my top 10 products of 2013. I featured 31 products in 2012 - see here. I was initially going to do my top 5 but I just couldn't choose.  Here goes..

bodhi Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy 250ml - my favourite bodhi product (love the rest of them too though!).  Just love this refreshing and revitalising Shower Gel. It's a great wake up call in the morning and is also lovely to use to refresh after a hot day. It's a product which will always be in my stash. It featured in my 2012 favourites - see here. See my mini review here.  See the online store here.

A'kin Lavender & Anthyliss Leave in Conditioner 150ml - one of the best hair care products I've ever used. It featured in my top products of 2012 see here and it featured in my June favourites here. It leaves my hair soft and moisturised and looking great with split ends diminished! You can purchase from Naturisimo here.

Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts 400g - these bath salts are one of my favourite tries this year. I always have an restful and deep night's sleep after using them. You can see my mini review here.  Buy here.

Dr Organic Rose Otto Bath Oil 100ml - huge fan of Dr Organic products. The rose otto range is simply divine. This is a good dupe for REN's Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil and a third of the price. Dr Organic can be bought from Holland & Barratt instore or online. (Although REN's Moroccan Rose Otto will always be my favourite).

Shay & Blue Atropa Belladona perfume - this is a recent try for me and I've worn it every single day since I bought it! Need to stock up soon. See my review here. Check out the Shay & Blue website here.

001 Skincare Intensive Elixir 50ml* - this is quite simply the most ground breaking skincare product I've used this year. It makes my skin look simply fabulous. See my review here.  You can buy at a beautiful world.

Marble & Milkweed Nourishing Body Oil 118ml* - Love this body oil. It just smells so good and super moisturises the skin. Scented with Cardamon which gives it a spicy edge with Rose Otto and Sandalwood.  See my review here. Pick it up at a beautiful world.

Balmology Neroli & Sweet Basil Cleansing Balm 50g - this heavenly scented balm simply removes all make up and daily grime. See my review here. I bought this at Samsara Skin.

Mary Elizabeth Spearmint & Tea Tree Nurture Balm 15ml* - love that you can pretty much use this balm wherever you feel you need it - lips, dry patches, flyaway hair, hand and heels. See my review here.  See the online shop here.

Naturally Nourished Exotic Body Balm 90g - this is one of my favourite finds of the year. It smells quite simply heavenly. A rich balm which melts easily into the skin and is scented with Monoi de Tahiti Oil, Ylang Ylang and Palmarosa oils.  See my review here. See all of the products available here.

What's in your top ten?

*PR samples

a beautiful world - A/W '13 Sampler Box

I was super excited to receive my a beautiful world A/W '13 Sampler Box yesterday.  The box went "live" at 6am on Wednesday and I was one of the first to buy.  Simply amazing customer service - the box arrived the very next day! And what a box!

Costing an amazing £20 including P&P the sampler box is stuffed full of gorgeous full sizes and samples - I kept finding them hidden inside the crinkly paper packaging.

Here's the contents:

001 GLA & Anti-Oxidant Balancing Cream - this is a totally new UK boutique skincare brand that hasn't even launched at a beautiful world yet! It gives your skin an instant burst of moisture, it feels light on the skin and contains natural actives, replenishing oils, Omegas 3, 6 and 9 and Vitamin E. It smells lovely too. It contains essential oils along with Rosa Damascena extract and Vanilla Planifolia fruit extract. One of my favourite items in the box.  

Yarok Feed your Ends Leave in Conditioner (2oz) - I'm a huge fan of Yarok's Feed your Youth Hair & Scalp Serum - see my review here so I can't wait to try this leave in conditioner and heat protection spray.  Perfect for me as I use hair straightners every day!

Marble & Milkweed Nourishing Body Oil (3.7ml) - this comes in a tiny little bottle which has a piece of ribbon at the top. I've been tempted to buy this for a while. Scented with Rose, Cardamon and Sandalwood oils. I tried it last night and it is quite simply one of the nicest body oils I've ever used. It moisturises the skin and the scent is just lovely - rosy and spicy notes with a distinct smell of Cardamon - I'm buying this full size.

Marble & Milkweed Modern Chai Tea No.2 - a single use sachet. I simply love this chai tea.  See my review here.

SW Basics Cocoa Lip Balm (4.5g - full size) - one of my favourite lip balms. I reviewed it when the company was called Sprout - see here. Super moisturising it smells nice and leaves lips glossy and smooth.  Contains Organic Cocoa Butter, Beeswax and Organic Coconut Oil.

SW Basics Shea Butter Cream - this comes in a cute little screw top jar and is made of only 3 ingredients - Fair Trade Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and Olive Oil. It instantly melts on contact with warm skin and is ideal for dry areas. You can even use it on your face as a night cream.

Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil - one of the best facial oils I've ever used.  See my review here.

VMV Hypoallergenics Know-it-Oil 50ml - 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil use all over the body and great for taming flyaway hair or as a deep conditioning treatment. You can eat it too!

butter London Tea & Toast Nail Varnish - (full size) - the perfect nude shade.

Konjac Sponge Puff with added French Pink Clay (full size) - I received a natural version in my September Souk Souk box which I haven't tried yet. Pleased to have a different variety to try.

Naisture Collagen Mask Pack (single use) - super moisturising mask. Have tried before and loved it.

Tili Bag - reusable, resealable bag which is perfect for storing make up, skincare, bits and bobs - anything really.

WOW what an amazing box. Also included was a 20% discount on any purchases. Reviews will follow.  Did you pick up the box? What are your thoughts?

See the website here

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