*Love Lula Beauty Box: April 2021

*I received the Love Lula Beauty Box complimentary as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger for an honest review. The Beauty Box costs £14.95 in the UK on a rolling subscription making it excellent value for money. This month the contents are worth £59! As ever, there's 20% off the brands in the box in the form of a code for subscribers which is valid until the 10th May.

I was especially excited to see the new Ooh! Oil of Heaven nestling inside as well as J.R. Liggett's Mini Shampoo Set - both of which had been on my wishlist!

Inside is a full size (30ml - £19) of the latest Ooh! Oils of Heaven - Organic Jojoba Face Oil, which I'm looking forward to trying. It closely mimics the skin's own sebum and is suitable for acne/oily skins. It can also be used to stimulate the scalp - I love a multi-use product. 

I came so close to buying this dinky little Assorted Sampler Box of mini shampoo bars from J.R. Liggett's (6 x 18g, £12.99). Being a huge solid shampoo fan I'm looking forward to testing them out - Original, Herbal, Tea Tree & Hemp, Moisturizing, Jojoba & Peppermint and Virgin Coconut & Argan). They are the perfect try-me set or for travel.

From Inika, is a full size Long Lash Mascara (8g - £23) in Black which will give you long and luscious lashes with no flaking or clumping. I'm sure I've used this Vegan mascara before. It's always nice to see a make-up item nestling inside.

Rounding up this month's box is a delicious Black Cherry Lip Balm from Crazy Rumors. This is full size (4g - £3.99) and is fruity, tangy and sweet. It'll nourish and care for dry and chapped lips.

A great box in my opinion, what are your thoughts?

January: Lately I've Been Loving

I've struggled through this lockdown (hence the reason I've hardly posted all month). Hopefully with the first signs of Spring (crocuses, snowdrops & buds on the trees) I'll begin to feel a bit better and more focused on better things ahead. What's kept me going is - friends online, re-connecting with an old friend, books, good food and shopping online!  Here are my January loves:

*I've fallen totally head-over-heels for Balm Balm's new Lavender Face Balm (30ml - £9.50)* which I received in January's Love Lula Beauty Box. It's perfect to use before bed for restful slumbers as well as being an aromatic delight. A review is to come for this one! (I received it free of charge (in the monthly beauty box) as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger.

Picking up a second Naturisimo starter kit. See my review of the first one I bought - Moisturisers - HERE. What swayed me this time was the eye wateringly expensive range Kypris having a product in the Night Care Starter Set (£20, worth £68). The kits are presented in a reusable branded pouch (you also get a code for 10% off an item in the box).

Inside is: Kypris Ad Astra Eye Cream Emulsion 2.5ml (see pot below) which is a decent enough try me size (it's seriously lush) - Unfortunately full size 14ml is £173! I'm happy to try and savour this little pot! (I can always buy another starter kit for another hit!). I'm also loving Grown Alchemist's Regenerating Night Cream 12ml which smells heavenly and glides onto the skin. I've tried a few of their products before - see HERE so know I'm going to enjoy this. Rounding up the kit are two products I've tried before - BYBI Babe Balm 10ml - see my review of this multi-tasker HERE and INIKA's Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Rich Night Cream 4ml. Have you picked up a starter kit yet?

A beautiful surprise box of chocolates (rose and violet creams) from an old friend through the post who I've recently reconnected with was such a joy giving treat! Aren't they just gorgeous! 

Holly spotted on a daily walk - so glossy and pretty!

I normally make Marmalade every two years, this was the year but I knew I'd be unlikely to get to Waitrose to pick them up. Total joy to find them in our local greengrocers. I really enjoyed making it - gave me such a buzz - must make more preserves again!

A little Blended by Mama order always makes me smile. I ordered The Mill on the Moor beeswax melts just after Christmas (this one is available until the Spring Equinox) and is inspired by Bronte country. These ones have a slightly different formula as they have infused coconut oil and cocoa butter in the mix! The melts have a deliciously orangey (blood orange essential oil), vanilla-y (benzoin) and spice (turmeric and black pepper) aroma (break each melt into three).

What have you been loving this month?

*Love Lula Beauty Box: September 2020

*I very generously receive the Love Lula Beauty Box free of charge for an honest review as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger. September's Beauty Box is worth £62! Check out the subscriptions HERE. If you sign up today, you'll receive the October box (as ever there's the generous 20% off code for subscribers for brands in the box this month which is valid until 10th October).

The first thing that caught my eye was INIKA's Mineral Mattifying Powder 3.5g (which is worth £23!). I'm vaguely sure I've tried this powder before and found it excellent to use to set make up, or to use in place of foundation. I've started going back to the office 2 days a week, so am back to putting my face on!

The Turmeric range is my favourite from Ayumi so I was pleased to see it pop up in my box (the scents inside the box are random). Inside is their Turmeric & Papaya Glycolic Acid Face Toner 150ml (£6.99) which I'm looking forward to trying. A review will follow! (it smells beautiful).

From Madara we have their Smart Anti-Pollution Charcoal & Mud Repair Mask 12.5ml (£7) which I've tried before and my skin loved. It'll purify and remove impurities and promote skin cell renewal. 

Rounding up the box are two moisturisers - one for daytime and one for nighttime which are perfect for getting your skin into a routine for autumn.

From Dr Botanicals is their Hemp Infused Natural Nutrition Moisturiser 30ml (£15.99). This is a day moisturiser which protects, nourishes and hydrates the skin.

Rounding up the box is Urban Veda's Rose+Botanics Reviving Renewal Night Cream 20ml (£8) which smells incredible (rosey) and absorbs quickly onto the skin. I'm pretty sure I've used this before!

What do you think of the contents this month?

Latest Buys: Inika, Vix Wicks, Bodhi & Birch, Blue Labelle, Witchy Wicks, Balneaves

Here's my latest buys:

I'd tried a sachet sample of Inika's Phytofuse Renew Reservatrol Serum and fell in love (30ml - £59). I bought it using Love Lula's Beauty Box 20% discount code plus some points I'd accumulated making it a bargainous £44.70! (I also earned £4.40 in points for a future purchase). It's truly lush and one of the nicest serums I've used. Expect a review soon!

I couldn't resist a Vix Wicks Halloween Wax Melt Box (mystery). I picked the smallest size which costs a tenner (as it was my first order I got free postage). I'll do a review nearer to Halloween.  It's a well thought through box, excellent value and suitably spooky!

For Bank Holiday recently bodhi & birch were offering a very generous 25% off. So I picked up the lush Lime Blossom Protecting Hand Serum 30ml (normal price £25, Bank hol price £18.75). See my review HERE. It's so nice to have it back in my stash!

After meeting Pascale in the summer at her lovely Blue Labelle Shop and making a small purchase I needed to come back and purchase her Hand & Nail Oil Serum full size after loving re-visiting it in the summer. I also picked up a small award winning (30ml) Divine Blend Multi-Tasking Treatment Oil (think body, hair, massage, bath). She also had a Bank Holiday discount on, which is always welcome!

I've now had a couple of small orders from Witchy Wicks (my friend Sam is an Ambassador for the wax brand, so I'm sharing her link). The sample size wax melts (£1.50) are a great try-before-you-buy as there's enough inside the little pot for a few tries. So far I've loved Poison Apple & Black Rose and am working my way through the others. Looking forward to their Halloween offerings (coming 14th September).

My lovely Balneaves Monthly Subscription Box brings so much joy (£14 a month inc p&p). Lots of lovely scents this month. So far I'm loving Mandarin Infusion, Cypress & Sea Fennel, Black Leather and The Florist (still lots to try).

What have you been buying lately?

Naturisimo: Vegan Life Discovery Box

As you know, I can never resist a Naturisimo Discovery Box! Their latest one is Vegan Life Discovery Box and inside are 9 hand picked items with a total value of £80! Pick up a box for £18.95 plus p&p (or free with a £25 spend).

It's absolutely stuffed full!

From Pai Skincare there's a 2ml tube of their Perfect Balance Blemish Serum which I've not tried before. I do get occasional spots (who doesn't?) so I'm looking forward to putting it to the test.

From Inika there's a full size (and worth £19.50) Lipstick Crayon in Pink Nude, a very wearable, suit everyone shade. I love this! (and it's always nice to see a couple of make up items in boxes!)

I received Boucleme's Exfoliating Scalp Shampoo 100ml (£12) in a previous discovery box and my scalp loves this effective detoxifying shampoo. Happy to have another in my stash!

Antipodes's Rejoice Day Cream 15ml had been on my wishlist so this is why (along with the JMO product) the box firmly landed in my basket! A review will come.

From Fushi there is 50ml of their Organic Jojoba Oil (£14) which is great to nourish the skin and hair (I also love the glass bottle packaging).

The second item to sway me into buying the box was John Masters Organics Green Tea & Calendula Leave-In Conditioning Mist 30ml (worth £10) as it had been on my wishlist for what seemed like forever!

Ever luxe, a dinky jewel from RMS Beauty. I adore mini make up products and this one's a beaut. Inside is their Luminizing Powder Madeira Bronze 2g which will leave the skin glowy and radiant. 

Rounding up the box are 3 x 5g sachets from The Nue Co of their Debloat Food & Prebiotic which are great if you suffer constipation and bloating. These are very much an acquired taste (vile) but do work. Rounding up the box is a 40g sachet of Form Nutrition's Superblend Protein Chocolate Caramel, a protein shake containing 20g plant based Vegan protein.

Did you pick up a Vegan Life Discovery Box?

*Love Lula Beauty Box: August 2020

I received the Love Lula Beauty Box* free of charge as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger for an honest review. This month the box is worth £70! (subscriptions start UK wide at a very affordable £14.95 on a recurring basis). As ever there's a very generous 20% off for subscribers on brands in the box this month.

And for a closer look..

The first thing to jump out at me is the full size (30ml - £35) Pure Perfection Primer by Inika. This Vegan primer makes the skin feel silky smooth. Use it before foundation or on it's own for hydrated and smooth skin. A full review is to come!

From Madara is a try-me size of their Plant Stem Cell Age Defying Sunscreen SPF30 (10ml) which has a slight tint. I'm looking forward to trying it out! 

From FOM London is their Anti-Pollution Face Cleansing Cream 30ml which will hydrate as it cleanses. I love cleansers so looking forward to trying it. A review will come later.

The final items is a full size product from Laidbare and is their Glow Laidbare! Facial Self Tanner (50ml - £12) which will give you a natural sun kissed glow. Another great value box this month! 

My favourite item is Inika's Pure Perfection Primer. Are you a subscriber? What are your thoughts?

July Empties

Here's what I've been using up in July (marked * I received the item free of charge for review purposes):

I loved WestLab's Mindful Bathing Salts with CBD Oil 1kg which I picked up in ASDA. I found them instantly calming and soothing and I'd buy again. See my review HERE.

Molton Brown's Heavenly Gingerlily Bath & Shower 100ml which was a Latest in Beauty Pick. Huge fan of the brand and scent so likely to buy again.

I'm a huge fan of Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream 25ml so this is vanilla-y sweet scented cream is very likely to be bought again...and again!

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Monodose Make Up Remover 5ml is handy for holidays but I'd not buy again due to the single use plastic. It was effective however and lasted me two uses.

Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil 3.7ml came as a Feel Unique - My Beauty Kit try. Nice to use (I love the marzipan scent of plum oil). Unlikely to buy full size as I love the ooh! Oils of Heaven Plum Oil from Love Lula, which is a fraction of the price (REVIEW).

Palm of Feronia Grounding Bath & Body Elixir 10ml which I reviewed HERE. Nice to use but I'm unlikely to buy it full size as I preferred the other two samples I selected.

INIKA Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Serum 1.5ml sachet* which I received as part of the Love Lula Accredited Blogger program (you can buy 5 samples with a £10+ spend at Love Lula). This little sample gave me two uses. I fell head-over-heels for this serum and it's one I'm adding to the wishlist!

My second INIKA sample was their Phytofuse Renew Maca Root Day Cream 1.5ml sachet*. I didn't enjoy this as much as the serum (which makes trying the sample first a no-brainer). I found it slightly too rich for my skin but it's a lovely cream. 

Q+A has been on the want to try list and I picked their Hyaluronic Acid 2ml sample sachet as a Feel Unique pick 'n' mix sample. My skin loved it and full size is on the wishlist. It comes in at £6.50 for 30mls making it an affordable buy.

My final item this month is a sachet sample 0.4ml from Medik8 of their r-Retinoate Day & Night Eye Serum. Although a teeny-tiny sample I got a few uses out of it. On the wishlist!

What have you been using up this month?

*Love Lula: July Accredited Blogger Picks

I very generously received this selection free of charge as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger. I've decided going forward to do an initial post of my monthly picks and then, where necessary do fuller reviews later in the month when I've had a chance to test the products more fully (my post contains one affiliate link).

This month, my first selection was a product I've wanted to try for ages - Rahua's Enchanted Island Salt Spray (£32 - 124ml)* which is gorgeous! It's truly luxe and smells wonderful. I'll be testing this out over the month and reporting back. So far, so good.

My second pick this month was from a totally new to me brand - Yin Yang Skincare's MSM Cream for Joints and Muscles (£10.95 - 60ml)* which smells of fresh limes. It's a soothing cream which contains sulphur rich MSM which soothes tired and overworked muscles and joints. I've got muscular issues and an old knee injury so I'm looking forward to testing this out. Again, a full review will follow.

I love Crazy Rumors Vegan Lip Balms and couldn't resist one of their quirky Zodiac balms. ARIES is my star sign, so that's the one I picked up! The lip balms cost a very affordable £4.49 (4g) and a mini review will be forthcoming. Lush!

As you'll know Love Lula offer samples with a purchase over £10. I've tried a few of Inika's new skincare items but not all so picked up a selection of samples. So far, I know I want their Phytofuse Renew Resveratol Serum full size! I'll let you know my thoughts in my monthly empties post.

Occasionally Love Lula offer their Accredited bloggers an extra product if they can commit to reviewing it that month. After having loved EarthKind's Tea Tree & Eucalyptus Shampoo Bar for Improved Scalp Health* last month - REVIEW I was more than happy to try another in the range. Enter their Bergamot & Sage Shampoo Bar for Dry & Coloured Hair (£6.95 - 50g). I've tried this once so far - and I'm suitably impressed - I even felt it brightened what colour I have left in my hair (roll on my visit to the hairdressers later this month). It left my hair feeling nourished and hydrated. Again, expect a review later this month.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what are your thoughts?

May Empties

Products marked * I've been kindly gifted for review. I'm not going to use anything else up this month so here are my May empties:

The little tube you can barely make out is a sample from Inika's newish skincare range in the form of their Phytofuse Renew Avocado Hand Cream 4ml which I picked up at Naturisimo. This was a lovely hand cream but full size is £35 (75ml) so I'm unlikely to buy. Nice to try though.

Another sample from Naturisimo in the form of Agent Nateur's very pricey Holi (Oil) Youth Serum (full size is 30ml - £113). Again, lovely to use with a rosey aroma (it actually reminded me of Ila Spa's Face Oil for Glowing Radiance!) Nice to try, unlikely to buy.

My friend Julie gifted me a set of Commodity Fragrances which used to be available at SpaceNK. They have a new owner and will ship to the UK (although they are currently closed due to the present climate). I'm working my way through the sample set and I fell totally head-over-heels for Bergamot.  It's one I'd love full size (maybe one day!)

I truly adore Kiss the Moon and loved their GLOW Bedtime Bath Salts 350g* which I was kindly gifted. They are a blend of Dead Sea Salts with detoxifying magnesium and scented with beautiful GLOW Blend (Orange, Litsea, Myrrh and Geranium). Perfect to use in your bath before bed for a soothing and calm night's sleep. Will definitely pick up again!

I'm a huge, huge fan of amazing award-winning Ecooking (in fact I've got some reviews upcoming!). I first tried their Cleansing Gel 50ml as a Latest in Beauty pick. Fell in love and stocked up each month until it went out of stock. See my review HERE. I've a couple of these left in my stash but I'll definitely buy full size when I use them up.

The Rituals The Ritual of Dao Night Balm for the Hands 10ml (now Rituals of Jing) was a Feel Unique Sample pick (oh how I miss pick 'n' mix and beauty kit). This is a really rich balm which was perfect to use before bed/after gardening. It has a gorgeous floral scent and it's one I'd buy full size when my hand cream stash reduces a bit.

I reviewed the Casa Mencarelli* range HERE. I loved their aromatic Sicilia Green Clay & Lemon Face Mask & Scrub 80g* which was presented in a huge pot. It made masking into a ritual and it's one I'll definitely buy in the future.

I adore Anita Grant's beautiful range. I first reviewed this mouthwatering Organic Vanilla Cocoa Body Butter 57g back in 2013 and then received the brand again in my April '18 Skin Organic Clean Beauty Box. Of course, I then had to go and buy full size again! And yes, I need that butter in my stash right now!

I love Connock London's beautiful ranges and adored their Manuka Honey Hand & Body Wash which I reviewed HERE. I'll definitely buy again when my stash reduces a bit.

The Nature Lab Volume Shampoo & Conditioner sachets both 7ml came with a recent Cult Beauty order. I didn't notice any extra volume. Nice enough to try but not sure I'm enticed to buy full size.

I enjoyed using Upcircle's Soap which is infused with repurposed Chai Spices (100g). Upcircle were I believe the first company to reuse coffee grounds in their products in the UK (formerly Optiat). See my review HERE. I'll definitely pick this up again at some point.

What have you been using up in May?

*Love Lula Beauty Box: May 2020

*sent to me free of charge as part of the Love Lula Accredited Blogger Program for an honest review. I'd sort of forgotten May's Love Lula Beauty Box was due to land so it was a nice surprise when it arrived on Tuesday!

Inside are 4 items this month with 3 being full size and this month there's a make up item! (squeals) The rolling UK subscription costs £14.95 and the contents this month are worth £51.

From Inika there is a Lip Crayon in Deep Plum 3g, a gorgeous rich wine coloured shade which is super moisturising on the lips and worth £19.50! A colour maybe more suited to autumn and winter perhaps but I'm happy to have this beauty in my stash. I'll definitely get a lot of wear out of it.

From The Castilian Soap Company is their newest launch in the form of their Natural Hand Sanitiser with Peppermint & Chamomile 50ml (£9.50). I bought and reviewed this recently - see HERE. I love its scent which reminds me of murray mint sweets!

From Skin Alchemists Apothecary is their Humble Warrior Cleansing Oil 30ml (£15) which is a beautiful silky oil which makes short work of make up and daily grime. I also like that it can be used as a face mask, a hair treatment, a massage oil, for flyaways and cuticles - nothing beats a multi-use product. See my review HERE.

The final item this month is a shampoo by Ayumi - their Hibiscus & Turmeric Shampoo 250ml (£6.99) which will add volume, shine and help to regenerate fine and dull hair (my hair needs all the help it can get just now - I'm missing my hairdresser lots!). 

A great box I think. What are your thoughts? (a subscriber get the added perk of 20% off any of the brands in the box which is valid until the 10th of the next month - which is a very generous perk!)