Caudalie Vinosculpt Lift & Firm Body Cream

You know the drill, this year has been seen it, want it, buy it but I'm trying to be better (although my £100 spend for June was totally blown out the window when I saw Cult Beauty's latest Conscious Goody Bag on Monday morning, free with a £65 spend - whoops - although I did buy a birthday present as part of my spend).

I've lusted after Caudalie's Vinosculpt Lift & Firm Body Cream (250ml - £27) for a while now. It's simply gorgeous and smells of orange blossom! Enriched with antioxidant grapeseed polyphenols and firming iris extract. It helps to target 4 key areas of the body - arms, chest, stomach and buttocks for firmer and smoother skin. It definitely feels tightening on application and its lush and creamy whipped texture melts easily onto warm skin. 

To use: apply to clean and dry skin in circular movements until absorbed

A gorgeous cream which I'm loving using. It feels tightening and firming on the skin and I adore the orange blossom scent. I must admit I haven't really noticed a huge amount of difference to the look of the skin on my body. It is smoother and feels hydrated - regardless, I love it! What are your favourites from the brand?

Naturisimo: Glow Starter Kit

As you'll know I'm pretty obsessed by Naturisimo's Starter Kits having reviewed their Moisturisers one HERE and Night Care Starter Kit HERE. I was buying a late birthday gift for a friend who's birthday is in April like me (we're hoping to catch up soon!) and so, I had to pick something for me too - I chose the Glow Starter Kit £17 (worth £32). 

You also get 10% off a product in the kit if you find there's something there you can't live without. Naturisimo also slipped in a free sample sachet of Susanne Kaufmann's Body Butter, which of course I now need full size!

The kit comes in a branded re-usable Naturisimo cotton bag and inside the GLOW Starter Kit is:

3 x 1ml sachets Josh Rosebrook Herbal Infusion Oil 

3 x 1ml sachets Tata Harper Elixir Vitae Eye Serum

Odacite Vital Glow Wild Carrot Serum Concentrate 0.6ml

Pai Light Work Rosehip Cleansing Oil 10ml 

Leahlani Skincare Meli Glow Illuminating Nectar Mask 7ml

Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Correcting Moisturiser 15ml

Pick your kit up HERE.

Latest Buys: Silvan Skincare, Ben & Anna's, Marley's Amsterdam, Bee Good, Feel Unique's Beauty Kit, Lovely Melts, Nicki's Aromatics, Herbs for Healing

I know, I know, I said I was having a leaner February. Things which have kept me going is having a few online spends! The way I look at it I'm not going into town shopping or going to work so have a little more free cash! Plus it makes me happy.

I took advantage of Love Lula's recent 10% off a £40 spend (I also had a fiver's worth of points). I'd spotted Silvan Skincare's new line of face creams and their Balance Face Cream spoke to me! It's formulated for oily and combo skins (and smells of exotic Ylang Ylang. I can see it's going to be a firm favourite (review to come). I'd never tried one of Ben & Anna's cardboard tubes of natural deodorant before so picked up one in their Persian Lime scent (I'm having a few issues with the tube - which I think could be slightly modified) but the product is superb (again, a review to come). The third item I bought is new brand at Love Lula - Marley's Amsterdam Sustainable Shampoo Beer & Incense - these are shampoo flakes which you mix with water to create shampoo & packaged in easily recyclable packaging. Genius! 

A friend on instagram asked for a recommendation of a new exfoliator. I suggested Bee Good, as I'd always enjoyed their one, you know the drill, I spotted their Hand & Body Wash with Warm Fig & Vanilla and had to snap one up! It's absolutely beautiful and has a scent which lingers, the wash lathers well, feels silky and leaves the body and hands refreshed and clean. I like this a lot.

I hadn't had a Beauty Kit from Feel Unique for ages. They were offering it for £9.95 plus p&p (instead of £12.95 plus p&p) for a limited period and so I jumped right in there. Really pleased with my picks! You also get the postage back as a voucher code for your next purchase which makes the kit excellent value (the trial sizes are a good size). I chose a duo from Kerastase, a generous Medik8 mini, Clinique's cult Take the Day off and a new Caudalie cream.

I picked up a handful of melts from Lovely Melts and the Sanctuary Orange one is identical to the evocative aroma of The Sanctuary products - it's absolutely lovely.

A little return order for Nicki's Aromatics Soy Wax Melts which are gorgeous! See the shop which is Glasgow based HERE. The melts (and candles) are lovingly hand poured using essential oils and soy wax.

The power of socials! I spotted Herbs for Healing on Saskia's Flower Essences instagram and went to investigate. I spotted the lovely collab and had to have one! It smells instantly relaxing and I'm looking forward to trying the Herbs for Healing Bath Oil with Saskia's Breathe Deep Seek Peace Flower Essence. Look out for that review!  

What have you been buying lately?

Naturisimo Most Wanted Discovery Box

 As you'll know I can never resist a Naturisimo Discovery box. I'm always looking to see if there's a new one! Imagine my delight when I spotted their Most Wanted Discovery Box. Create an account (new feature) and you can collect points which you can use against individual buys or save them up for a big spend - see HERE - they're also currently offering a £5 reward when you open an account!

Costing £19.95 and worth an incredible £92! WOW!

So what's inside:

Kosas Weightless Lip Colour in Rosewater 4g FULL SIZE worth £20

Evolve Organic Beauty Hyaluronic Eye Complex 10ml FULL SIZE worth £16

ILIA Beauty Clean Line Gel Eyeliner in Twilight 0.4g FULL SIZE worth £24

Indie Lee CoQ10 Toner 10ml TRIAL SIZE worth £3.30

Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Correcting Moisturiser 15ml worth £10.20

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength 15ml worth £18.75

A great box, don't you think?

Naturisimo: Summer Vibes Discovery Box

I thought I'd managed to resist Naturisimo's latest Discovery Box - Summer Vibes (£19.95 worth £86) but you know the drill... There were a few items inside that I was hankering after like Absolution's Le Gommage Corps Body Scrub (208g) which is worth £36! It has the texture of soft scented sand and I'm totally in love. Currently there are still a few boxes remaining..

And for a closer look..

There is a 30ml Green People Scent Free Sun Lotion SPF30 (worth £7) which I'll be applying before my 2.5 walk this morning. I've used this before and it's lovely.

From Madara is a full size Hemp Lip Balm 15ml (worth £10) and is another product I've used before.

I was desperate to try Captain Blankenship's Mermaid Hair Oil and inside is a 5ml sample. I tried it yesterday and loved how soft and hydrated my hair felt. Full size now firmly on the wishlist.

I've tried a few Scentered Therapy Balms before but not Escape scent. Inside is a full size tube (5g) which is worth £14.50. It smells of summer holiday and exotic shores. I'm looking forward to testing it out.

From Caudalie is 10ml of their Vinoperfect Serum which ml by ml is worth £15. Again, one I've tried before and loved.

Ahhh this is perfection (the scoop came with another scrub). Read more about the body scrub HERE. A review will follow.

Did you pick up a Summer Vibes Discovery Box?

July: Latest Buys

I've had a mad few weeks buying more than I should...

This is my second Les Fleurs EdP 7.5ml by Maya Njie Perfumes one day I'll buy full size. It's a beaut!

I had a little extra PIE in the form of one of the new shampoos & conditioners at Beauty Pie. I'm currently trying these out (so far, so good) and a review will be coming!

My gorgeous Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box landed at the weekend. This month (last monthly box before it goes bi-monthly) is entitled Bon Voyage and is stuffed full of beautiful things with holiday time flavour. See my initial thoughts HERE.

Madara's new Booster Ampoules in Antioxidant Energiser which I picked up via Love Lula's very generous beauty box discount. A review will be forthcoming!

I can never resist a Naturisimo Discovery Box and Extreme Purity is stuffed full. See my initial thoughts HERE.

The Organic Pharmacy Tan Accelerator which gives an instant glow and helps to develop a rich deep tan stimulating melanin production naturally. I'm packing this one in my suitcase! 

A couple of minis from Bodhi & Birch it'd been a while since I'd tried beautiful Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil (it's still love). Founder, Elijah Choo recently gifted me one of their beautiful Alchemy Bowls* and so I bought Renshen Root Exfoliant & Mask (12ml) in order to have a little play.. (review to come).

I also picked up Ezape Naturals latest launch their Ylang Ylang & Lavender Body Oil (review forthcoming).

And of course, I couldn't resist Latest in Beauty's collaboration with Grazia mag. See my initial thoughts HERE.

I tried a sachet sample of Rodial's Pink Diamond Magic Gel Day and fell head-over-heels in love. I wanted to try more so picked up a mini 9ml size from Look Fantastic. A review will follow.

Feel Unique were offering 20% off Caudalie so I snapped up this SPF duo (I also had a fiver off voucher) making me glad I'd waited!

And yet more PIE! I had to have another of the latest launches at Beauty Pie. I'm seriously in love with this pot of goodness. Expect a review soon! (as a member this cost £11.59 instead of £50). Sign up using my link to get your first month of membership free HERE.

I spotted an offer on Facebook for this little try me Dry Skin Kit (£2.50 - with a code for free p&p). I thought it would be ideal to pack in my holiday bag. Pick yours up HERE.

What have you been buying this month? Do you think I should have a spending ban?

Naturisimo: Wanderlust Discovery Box

I can never resist one of Naturisimo's Discovery Boxes, and the latest one "Wanderlust" is just amazing. It's worth £95 and includes 8 trial sizes and costs only £17.95 with free delivery. There are still some left if you are interested!

Inside you will find:

Tata Hydrating Floral Mask, 7.5ml: A skin-quenching hydration mask with 1,000 sizes of hyaluronic acid that instantly replenish moisture for unparalleled hydration. 

Kjaer Weis Beautiful Oil, 4ml: A nourishing, luxurious elixir that awakens skin's natural luminosity and deeply hydrates to transform your skin. 

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum, 10ml: This high potency serum captures and diffuses water deep within the skin to restore its moisture balance and leave it feeling soft and supple. 

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum, 30ml: A silicone-free styling sensation that banishes frizz and gives hair a sleek, hydrated and picture-of-health appearance. 

Madara Time Miracle Ultimate Facelift Day Cream, 2ml: An organic day cream that deeply hydrates skin and has been proven to reduce wrinkle depth by 26% within 1 hour. 

Madara Time Miracle Total Renewal Night Cream, 2ml: A luxurious anti-ageing night cream that continues to work overnight to rebuild dermal collagen, elastin fibres and activate cell processes, revealing younger looking skin. 

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask, 29ml: An intensive, hydrating treatment that cares for and soothes the hair, whilst restoring essential moisture and enhancing hair's strength.

Mauli Rituals Supreme Skin Face Serum, 7.5ml: A deeply hydrating elixir of precious active ingredients formulated to repair, rejuvenate and nourish to minimise fine lines and leave skin glowing with health.

A few of these products I've tried before but being a sucker for some new to me products (especially ones which are normally out my price range like the Kjaer Weis) so I just had to pick the box up. Do you think you'll pick one up? Or have you already?

Naturisimo 10th Birthday Discovery Box

Naturisimo created a fabulous discovery box worth £188 and costing only £19.95 for their 10th Birthday (wow how did that happen!) The box has of course now sold out!

The star product for me (and probably a lot of others) is Tata Harper's Elixir Vitale 10ml (which is worth a staggering £116!) A review will follow on this one!

Also inside is new to me brand Agent Nateur. There is a 1.5ml try-me vial of their Holi Oil Refining Youth Serum. Full size costs £113 for 30ml (and will probably never be in my shopping basket) so this is great to try.

From Inlight is a 2ml sachet of their Intensive Line Softner (full size 28ml retails at £78) so again, this is nice to try and gets rave reviews!

From Aromatherapy Associates is 3ml Fine Line Face Oil which I'm looking forward to trying. Huge fan of this lovely brand.

There are 3 products I've used several times before which are great additions to the box - Caudalie's Premier Cru The Cream 15ml, Aurelia Probiotic Skincare's Refine & Polish Miracle Balm 20ml and Madara's SOS Hydra Moisture & Radiance Mask 12.5ml.

The final items are two Neal's Yard Remedies sachet samples - Frankincense Intense Lift Serum 2ml and Frankincense Intense Lift Cream 2g. I've wanted to try these products so these samples are great.

Did you manage to pick up a box? What are your thoughts on the contents? Oh and Many Happy Returns Naturisimo!

Naturisimo: Heaven Scent Box

I love Naturisimo's Discovery boxes and the latest one went straight in my basket last night!

It's available while stocks last and costs £22.95 and is worth £60. Inside is:

Bamford Splash One Morning 10ml: a light water blended to splash over the entire body. With violet, jasmine, iris, musk, amber and vanilla notes.

Acorelle Vanilla Blossom Rollerball 10ml: with vanilla notes this is warm and comforting.

Caudalie The des Vignes Body Lotion 30ml: with ginger liqueur, orange blossom and jasmine notes.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist 30ml: I'm a huge fan of this rose scented hydrating mist which I've been using for years. See my review HERE. This one's a decent size too.

Lola's Apothecary Delicate Romance Balancing Body Souffle 30ml: a light as air whipped souffle with a delicious rosy scent topped with rose petals. I received this recently in a box and rushed out and bought full size.

Pacifica Waikki Pikake Roll-on 30ml: formulated with sweet pikake, an exquisite flower native to Hawaii and sandalwood.

Edit: And here's my box!

Latest in Beauty: The Beauty Box: Beauty & The Beast

Latest in Beauty launched a box in March to celebrate the release of Beauty & the Beast. Worth £80 and when launched costing £20. I picked one up last week for £7 with a voucher code. Absolutely bargainous! (some items I'll keep and some I'll gift). See the collections currently available HERE.

The item I was most interested in was the Burt's Bees Lipstick in (Sunset Cruise 523) which is a full size item and worth £9.99! The colour is a bright coral shade which I love and it feels really moisturising when on!

The Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Gommage is full size (75ml and worth £35!). This exfoliator has a balm like texture which transforms into a oil as it gently dissolves the top layer of the skin, clearing pores and refining the skin leaving it looking radiant and glowy.

From Caudalie there is a sample size 10ml of Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet which I'm sure I've tried before. This is a great size for travel.

I love the little compact 'Latest in Beauty' branded mirror (I've got something similar from the early days in my make up bag). I'll pop this one in my desk drawer!

There is a beautiful full size nail polish from SOIGNE worth £11 in Betteraves Rouges a gorgeous deep red. The formula doesn't contain any harmful carcinogens and each polish contains up to 85% plant sourced raw ingredients.

I'm a fan of ORIBE's dry shampoos and inside is 43ml size of their Gold Lust Dry Shampoo which revives your style for another day. This is also a great try-me size or for holidays.

The final item is L'Occitane's Roses et Reines Hand & Nail Cream 10ml which is the perfect handbag size. The cream deeply nourishes and leaves the hands smelling of roses.

This box is currently still available (at £15). Check out the collections HERE.

November: Lately I've been Loving

The arrival of my Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar. I had lots of stresses regarding delivery and customer services weren't the best.  It is lovely but it will be my one and only online order from Liberty. The calendar itself is beautiful and the contents super luxe. Roll on 1st December!

My Love Me Beauty picks from The #Nightfall Edit included a second Kat Von D lipstick mini (1.2g). I absolutely love the shade magick - so wearable! My other picks were two Caudalie Hand Creams (each 30ml) and Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm (25ml). I also adore that make up bag it's so cute! 

Get £21 worth of credit if you use my code SANDR174.

My gin baubles arrived from Pickering's Gin each one is filled with 50ml of gin! Can't wait until I get my Christmas tree! (if they last that long!)

I swithered about getting the recent Cult Goody Bag - buying 3 Christmas presents softened the blow a bit! As ever the goody bag is jam packed full of beautiful things to try.

This book called Reunions by Chris Porsz is one of the most amazing things! He took photos in the 70s, 80s, and 90s in Peterborough and revisits the locations and people and takes the photo again in the current day. It's a must read. Every picture really does tell a story..pick yours up HERE.

I won tickets on a twitter competition to Edinburgh Foodies Festival - thanks again My Little Black Book! We had a great time sampling delicious food and drinks - some things which caught my eye (and tastebuds) - Narcissus Flowers, Loch Ness Gin, Mademoiselle Macaron (the rose ones are my favourite!) and Aelder Elixir. Roll on the summer one!

I've been testing out two new perfumes* from Ancienne Ambiance which are absolutely gorgeous - Colonia IX EdP which is a woody oriental and Colonia VIII EdP which is sweet/woody. Expect a full review shortly - I absolutely love both of them.

What have you been loving this month?

*complimentary