November Empties

Here's what I've been using up in November. If a product is marked * I kindly received it complimentary for review.

I love Indie Lee's Energize Deodorant 50g. See my review HERE. Will buy again. Huge fan of Ezape Naturals, their body butters are divine. I didn't think the Tea Tree & Peppermint* blend would be something I'd like as I'm not a huge-huge Tea Tree fan but this blend was really nice and minty-fresh. I would buy full size. Monpure's Clarifying Salt Scrub 50g was nice to use but unlikely to buy it again as there are other scalp care products I prefer. I love CITY SURViVOR supplement range and found both Immune Support and Night Support very effective. See my earlier review HERE. Will definitely buy both again at some point. Naturopathica's CBD+Unwind 30 Caps* see my review HERE. Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub 28g which is a nice scrubby scrub with the delectable sweet original aroma. On the wishlist full size. The Nue Co MOOD 30 caps, I love these onto my second pot. They really do ease anxiety and brighten your mood. A keeper. Raven Botanicals Drift Bathing Oils sample, a rich and aromatic bath delight with a gentle lavender aroma. I simply adore Miller Harris's Lumiere Dore EdP 9ml, it's one of my favourite MH scents. Distinctly summery with orange blossom notes.

Friendly Soap with Peppermint & Poppyseed, a zero waste minty soap which was nice and refreshing. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk 150ml, one of my favourites. I've just opened the last in my stash. I want to try the newish Living Proof one next. Love a bit of aromatic bodhi & birch. Their Ylang Ylang Inscensa Bath & Shower therapy 50ml is one of my fav b&b scents. See my review HERE. Just bought full size. Kiss the Moon Love Bedtime Bath Salts 50g* were gorgeous. See my review HERE. Will definitely buy again.  I quite enjoyed Agent Nateur & Shiva Rose Holi (Rose) No.4 Deodorant but not enough to buy it again. Noble Isle's Rhubarb Rhubarb! Hand Wash 250ml was gorgeous. Hugely fruity and lathered up well. Would buy again (wish they did refills though). JOIK's Organic Cornflower Facial Mist 50ml* was very refreshing. See my review HERE.

What have you been using up in November?

November: Lately I've been Loving

Where has November gone! It's just raced through. Here's what I've been loving (if it's marked * I kindly received it complimentary):

Kiss the Moon's sumptuous gift sets*, some of which I reviewed HERE. I absolutely adore their Bedtime Bath Salts. So good.

We had a gorgeous night away in beautiful Perthshire at newly reopened Killiecrankie House, a restaurant with five exquisite bedrooms with large rolltop baths. The food was incredible and the drinks pairings spot on! The bottom picture is part of the sweeties course - Black Pudding Madelines! Delicious they were.

I first tried Fair Squared's eco friendly, zero waste Olive Hand Cream* as a Beauty Shortlist Judge and fell head-over-heels for it's rich and nourishing feel. I'm so enjoying the pot Fair Squared generously sent me and a review is forthcoming.

Christmas Wax Melt scents from Olfactory Candles plus a few others (the Limited Edition Parma Violets is so strong!)

We dog sat one of my boss's dogs again. Wee Astro. He's adorable.

Attending the Authors & Bloggers Christmas Lunch was such fun and so nice to receive the above books* from Sandstone Press which I'm looking forward to reading. The books below I received in the Secret Santa which also look interesting!

What have you been loving in November?

*Love Lula Christmas: Kiss the Moon

*Sent to me complimentary as a member of Love Lula's Accredited Blogger program for an honest review. As you'll know I've been theming my picks this year. The last two months of the year have-to-be Christmas related. This month I've picked sumptuous gifts from Kiss the Moon and next month I'll share my eco friendly stocking filler picks.

Presented simply in black boxes with branded ribbons and tags which are easily recyclable or reusable. I selected 3 gift boxes to review:

GLOW & DREAM Essential Oil Soap Duo (£18 for 2 x 100g soaps)* are exquisitely packaged in recyclable glassine paper and tied with branded ribbons and tags. I've previously tried the GLOW Soap* see my review HERE. The soaps are truly gorgeous and could be split up for small gifts/secret santa.

I also selected the Bedtime Bath Salts Trio (£12, 3 x 50g)* which are gorgeous. I took LOVE which is formulated with essential oils of rose, palmarosa and ylang ylang on my recent mini-break and totally wallowed in my beautifully scented relaxing bath (large rolltop). Also inside is GLOW (Review) which is scented with orange, geranium and myrrh along with epsom & dead sea salts. White tea and coconut seed oil provides an antioxidant boost leaving the skin nourished and moisturised. The final one is DREAM with French Lavender, Bergamot and Cedarwood. Again, this set would be perfect to gift as intended or split up for small presents.

My final pick is the decadent and truly relaxing Sleep Mask Luxury Silk (£18)* it'll help you drift off to restful slumbers blocking out all the light for a deep and peaceful sleep. It's also great if you need half an hour's shut eye during the day!

What are your favourites from Kiss the Moon?

Latest Buys: By Sarah London, The Organic Alchemist, REN Clean Skincare, Desavery, Nudge Boutique + Kiss the Moon

Here are my latest buys. I'm enjoying this time as going into next year I'm going into operation use up.

Having recently tried By Sarah London's Hero Oil* (REVIEW) I was keen to try more from the range. Balancer Oil-to-Milk Cleanser and Reviver Hydrating Mist (personal favourite) are fantastic. A review to come of these buys.

Having recently discovered The Organic Alchemist on instagram I had to try something from the carefully curated and formulated range. I chose Deep Relax Bath Salts 250g (£28) which are exquisitely packaged and smell oh so good! I can highly recommend them to relax and soothe both the mind and body. Review soon!

I picked up an old favourite at Love Lula - REN Clean Skincare's divine Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil which I've loved for years. See my review from 2011 HERE. Pleased to have this beauty back in my stash.

Such happiness to have the delectable STELLAR Daily Serum by Desavery back in my stash. I first tried the award winning range as a Beauty Shortlist Judge (see my top picks from what I judged in 2020 HERE). 

I'd been wanting to try Nudge Boutique's Cocoa & Avocado Oil to Milk Facial Cleansing Bar for a while. Since I was picking up a couple of Christmas gifts I treated myself to it. It's gorgeous. Review to come.

Gorgeous Kiss the Moon soap set which I picked up at Love Lula. I reviewed the GLOW Pure Essential Oil Soap* HERE. Now the problem is, to gift or keep!

What have you been buying lately?

*Kiss the Moon: GLOW Night-Time Body Cream

*ProductSample - AD I've been testing out Kiss the Moon's latest launch which is truly sublime - GLOW Night-Time Body Cream 200g (£36) which comes in a large recyclable pot and is 100% natural, cruelty free and suitable for Vegans. The award winning beauty sleep brand have also just launched their Christmas goodies if you want a wee peek.

The night-time body cream is truly sumptuous with the texture of lightly whipped cream and is totally dreamy. Formulated with Shea and Mango Butters which are whipped with rehydrating Orange Blossom Water along with KTM's signature GLOW blend of aromatherapy oils - Orange, Geranium, Litsea and Myrrh which will "revive the spirit at bedtime and bring skin beautifully back to life while you are sleeping".

To use: slather over the body at night time and awaken beautifully rested and with silky soft skin.

It's really a beautiful product which absorbs quickly leaving the skin soft, hydrated and delicately scented. It really does help you to sleep well.

Top Products 2020: September to December

This year I broke up top beauty and books into little chunks. See my top beauty products January - April HERE and May - August HERE. If an item is marked * I was kindly gifted it for review. 

Here's what I loved and rated in September:

Discovering Scottish brand, Raven Botanicals. The girls very kindly sent me a few samples* to try and review. See HERE. It's a simply stunning range, carefully formulated and hard working as well as gorgeous.

A perfume which has been on the wishlist a while before I snapped it up is Rahua's gorgeous Palo Santo Oil Perfume. See my review HERE. Simply stunning.

So much love for beautiful Ffern Organic Small Batch Perfume. Autumn 20 is simply exquisite. See my review HERE. So much love for this co!

Rounding up September's top picks is John Master's Organics Maximum Moisturizer with Mandarin & Glycoproteins* which I received free of charge as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger for review. It's a fantastic hydrator and perfect for autumn and winter skin. See my review HERE.

In October, Naturisimo brought out a fantastic range of starter kits. I reviewed their Moisturisers one HERE they're great for beauty lovers and beginners alike!

I also had the pleasure of trying Charlie Miller award-winning Haircare & Styling products* which are absolutely fantastic. See my review HERE. 

I treated myself to Inika's Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Serum after trying a sample. It makes my skin glow! Check out my review HERE.

As soon as it launched I had to have Kiss the Moon's Relaxing Eye Pillow with DREAM Aromatherapy Drops. The set's simply stunning. See my review HERE.

Coming into November there was more Raven Botanicals love when I tried their 24 Carat Oil to Milk Cleanser which takes cleansing to another level. Check out my review HERE.

I also loved ila spa's The Big Sleep Drops which really do what they say on the bottle! See my review HERE.

My skin loves NeuroSkinFeeds The MicroOil* which intensely rejuvenates the skin and senses. See my review HERE.

In December, I reviewed nknaturals full Autumn mini Seasonal Collection - see HERE and two items from the current Winter collection - see HERE. I just love these carefully formulated seasonal collections.

Rounding up my top picks for December is Skin Elixir's Magnificent Night Oil* which I reviewed HERE. 

Do we share any top picks for 2020?

New In: Kiss the Moon: Aromatherapy Drops & Eye Pillow

As soon as I saw this wee beauty on Love Lula I knew I had to snap it up! As my order was over £40 (the set costs £45) I received 10% off, I also had some points accumulated so used them too! As with all Kiss the Moon products, the Aromatherapy Drops & Eye Pillow is exquisitely packaged and a true joy to open. Shall we..?

And for a closer look..

WOW! So gorgeous! You can choose either DREAM or LOVE Aromatherapy Pillow Drops (although DREAM is only available currently at Love Lula).

I tried the set last night for the first time and what a good night's sleep I had. It's perfect to calm and relax both the body and mind before bed. 

To use: take the pillow out of the Liberty Tana Lawn cover and apply a few drops to the pillow, massaging them in before putting it back in the cover. Place on your eyes, lie back and relax...

It really is one of the best things I've bought recently! How do you relax before bed?

Oh.... and I just spotted Soy Wax Melts over at Kiss the Moon - I'll definitely need some of 'em!

My Must Haves: Naturopathica, Kiki Health, Sanctuary Spa, Kiss the Moon & Zing Organics

If an item is marked * I've generously received it free of charge for review purposes. These products are my must-haves (but not all on the same day as some of them contain similar ingredients):

naturopathica's CBD+ Unwind (30 capsules - £39.99)* I've been testing out these capsules and they really do what they say on the tin! Inside is 5mg of super concentrated full spectrum CBD which helps to relax and unwind and help you sleep. They are also formulated with Magnesium, Vit B1, Theanine and Chamomile.  I've found myself feeling less stressed and more chilled! Take one capsule a day.

I received KIKI Health's Magnesium Oil/Spray* 125ml in January's Love Lula Beauty Box. It increases the magnesium levels within the body. It helps with fatigue, muscle function and healthy teeth and bones. Spray onto the body morning and night and massage in (it does tingle slightly!) I've found it really helps an old knee injury of mine.

I simply love Sanctuary Spa's new wellness range. I reviewed two product in the range HERE. Their Calming CBD oil 45ml helps the body and mind relax and relieve stress - it's also got a gorgeous scent. Use it on pulse points for instant relief or in the shower or bath.

The whole Kiss the Moon range is simply exquisite. Their CALM After Dark Sleep Balm* is scented with exotic Jasmine and Ylang Ylang, grounding Sandalwood and soothing Roman chamomile. It helps you have more restful and deep sleep. See my review HERE.

Rounding up my must-haves is Zing Organics's gorgeous Fabacado Organic Hand & Body Butter in Softening Avocado, Wild Spruce, Frankincense & Lime 25g which is heaven in a jar! This rich skin loving butter melts instantly onto dry skin leaving it feeling comfortable and deeply nourished.

What are your must-haves? 

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?

*Kiss The Moon: CALM After Dark Sleep Balm

*productsample As you'll know I'm a huge fan of award winning Kiss the Moon - see my previous reviews HERE. I love the luxurious packaging (it's perfect for gifting, if you're so minded, or a lovely treat for oneself!)

I've been trying their CALM After Dark Sleep Balm* (12ml - £16) which really is helping in getting a good night's sleep. 

Inside the box is a lidded jar containing the magic sleep potion and an information leaflet.  The balm helps to quieten the mind and encourage a deeper and more restful sleep. 

To use: massage a small amount on pulse points, breathe in deeply and relax. Perfect to use just before bedtime slumber.

The balm is formulated with exotic and calming Jasmine along with Sandalwood, soothing Roman Chamomile and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils (it's one of my favourite KTM scents), Shea Butter, Sea Buckthorn, Rosehip Seed and White Tea Seed oils.

I've found it really helps me to calm down and relax before bed (I'm a bit of a worrier) and my sleep is longer and undisturbed. Pick yours up HERE.