Latest Buys: Beauty Pie, Sunday Rain, Balm Balm, Pukka, Grazia, Latest in Beauty

Here's some of my recent purchases:

Beauty Pie's latest launch Super Healthy Skin Nourishing Body Wash which is a delight. It's got the same scent as their Nourishing Body Polish and Deluxe Moisture Body Creme. Use my LINK to get your first month's membership free (each month you pay your membership fee+members price products+p&p). This Body wash has a typical price of £25 - members pay £6.95. It's a HUGE 450ml too.

I spotted Vegan Sunday Rain in my local gift shop (it was in the Children's section, so didn't give it too much thought!) I then spotted Jane at British Beauty Blogger reviewing it and I realised it was for adults! So I dashed round and picked up their lush Exfoliating Cubes in fruity Watermelon (£4.95) and Watermelon Bubble Bath (£4.95). They both smell of juicy watermelon and sunny summer days - Lush!

Love Lula have some very generous pre-Christmas offers on - with one of them being 40% off Balm Balm with code BALMBALM40. I picked up some favourite Organic Essential Oils.

A Pukka Christmas Calendar with 24 different tea bags to be enjoyed each day on the run up to Christmas. I picked this up at Waitrose for a tenner. I'm looking forward to this one.

A Grazia Advent Calendar! I picked this little beauty up from Latest in Beauty during their Halloween sale with 20% off. I have sneaked a couple of days products out for early use!

What have you been buying lately?

Latest in Beauty: Balance - The Night-Time Edit

I couldn't resist Latest in Beauty's Balance - The Night-Time Edit box (which cost £33 for monthly members, £38 for non-members) in collaboration with Balance. The box is worth over £145! The product which initially caught my eye was Jurlique's new Limited Edition, Fragrant Rose Hand Cream (100ml - £29), a glorious and indulgent rosy cream - review to come!  

There are also 15 other items nestled within.  Pick yours up HERE (while stocks last).  There are of course some items which are not to my taste (and these will be passed on).

It's absolutely packed full!

From pukka is a box of their Night Time Organic Herbal Tea (20 tea bags - £2.59) which is a blend of organic oat flower, lime flower and lavender to help you unwind before bed. Happy to give these a try!

From Puressentiel there's a trial size spray (20ml) of their Rest & Relax Air Spray which calms and relaxes before bed. It contains 12 essential oils to comfort and calm. It's got a gorgeous lavender based aroma.

I've used Tisserand's effective Sleep Better Pulse Point roll-on before (10ml - £6.25) and found it to be a useful aid to ease restful sleep. 

I adore Dr Teal's and have used their super soothing Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution Soothe & Sleep with Lavender before (1lb bag).  You can buy at Boots & Superdrug.

Huge fan of both This Works Sleep Plus Pillow Spray (mini) (there's also a code for 15% off you next purchase) and Weleda's Lavender Relaxing Body Oil (10ml).

I'm already a fan of Patchology and inside is their Down Time Moodpatch Eye Gel (single use - £3.20) which help to soothe and smooth the undereye area.

From Dr Botanicals is their Pomegranate Sleeping Mask (30ml - £9.90) which I've used before. It'll hydrate and nourish your skin while you sleep.

I'd just been talking about taking more magnesium so these Link Nutrition Magnesium Food Based Mineral Natural Health Supplements (£15.95 for 30 capsules) couldn't have come at a better time. The supplement encourages relaxation and regulates the body's stress response system. They also offer a 15% off your next purchase code.

I'm already a fan of Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm and inside is a 15g pot (£12). It's a one-pot-wonder suitable for all skin types enriched with provitamin A, Vitamin E and rosehip seed oil. It'll nourish and make the skin glow (they also offer a code for £10 off if you spend £30).

There's a 30 day free trial of Calm App with over 100 guided meditations, sleep stories and music to reduce stress and anxiety, calming the mind and body before sleep.

From Guinot their is a 15ml of the Gommage Biologic Exfoliating Gel which gently exfoliates the skin activating cellular regeneration.

And the star of the box - Jurlique's Limited Edition Fragrant Rose Hand Cream (100ml - £29) which is divine. Jurlique are offering 15% off your next purchase.

Moving on to the final items in the box..

I simply adore the self-heating eye masks from Spacemasks and was super pleased to see one in the box. There's also a hair mask from L'Oreal - Botanicals Fresh Care Arnica Repairing Mask (£2.99) and GLOV Make up Remover ECO (a re-usable make up removing glove).

It's a great box and review will follow for some of the items. Did you pick one up?

Naturisimo: Sleep Clinic Discovery Box

I can never resist a Naturisimo Discovery Box and Sleep Clinic Discovery Box is worth £107 and costs only £17.95 including p&p. Inside are products to help unwind, relax and sleep.

Inside is:

Absolution La Solution+Eclat Radiance Boosting Serum 15ml

Jurlique Rejuvenating Overnight Cream 15ml

Lavera ReEnergising Sleeping Cream 1ml

Pukka Night Time Tea Bag x 1

Tisserand Sleep Better Rollerball 10ml 

Scentered De-Stress Therapy Balm 1.5g

Lola's Apothecary Bath & Shower Oil Tranquil Isle 10ml

REN & Now to Sleep Pillow Spray 10ml

Skin & Tonic's Calm Balm 20g

Weleda Lavender Relaxing Body Oil 10ml

I'll share my thoughts in either posts or empties as I start to use the products. Did you buy this discovery box?

Naturisimo: Self Love Discovery Box

You'll know I'm a huge fan of Naturisimo's Discovery Boxes and I couldn't resist their Valentine edition. Costing only £17.95 and worth £57 it's stuffed full of gorgeousness!

Inside the little branded box you'll find:

And for a closer look:

The first thing that jumped out at me (after the MantraBand which is worth £25) was that small pot of gorgeousness which is Lola's Apothecary Delicate Romance Balancing Body Souffle (30ml) which is seriously divine (it melts onto warm skin and leaves it scented with rose - absolute perfection) and so now I want full size!

From Jurlique there is their Rose Moisture Plus Cream (11ml), REN's latest bath care range, Atlantic Kelp & Microalgae Anti-Fatigue Bath Oil (10ml), Green People's Damask Rose Facial Oil (10ml) and three sachets from Madara - Brightening AHA Peel Mask (5ml), Daily Defence Ultra Rich Balm (2ml) and Cleansing Milk (5ml).  The final items is a Pukka Love Tea Bag.

It's a great collection. Did you pick one up?

Pukka Clean Me Green Organic Wellbeing Kit

I've been testing out Pukka's Clean Me Green Organic Wellbeing Kit (£19.99)* which is the perfect kit to use for a detox in January or like me in springtime.

The kit is packed in a sturdy cardboard box which is perfect to re-use for more products or to store teabags afterwards.

Inside is:

• A booklet telling you everything you need to know about your 14 day wellbeing programme along with handy hints and tips
• 14 sachets of Clean Greens Superblend powder
• Clean Matcha Green Tea/Detox Herbal Tea

It is suggested that when on the programme to eat light organic meals, drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous exercise. Going for a massage is also recommended.

I initially found the Clean Greens Superblend Powder quite powerful so started off taking less in my morning smoothie and building my intake up over the 14 days. It's a blend of 11 super-rich green foods including nettle, kale sprouts, wheatgrass juice, vegetables, seed sprouts, seagreens, freshwater plants and digestive herbs. 

From the tea duo I absolutely loved the suggested morning blend Clean Matcha Green Tea, so much so I've gone on to re-purchase. It's a refreshing blend which tastes delicious. 

I was less keen on Detox Herbal Tea which had quite a strong and spicy taste. It contains sweet aniseed, fennel, cardamon and licorice root which gives your body the fresh start it needs.

It's a great kit and one I'd definitely use again. Probably next January!

*complimentary - sent for review

Naturisimo: De-Stress & Unwind Discovery Box

An absolutely fantastic Limited Edition Discovery Box is launching today at Naturisimo the De-Stress & Unwind Discovery Box, which contains 9 calming and relaxing full sizes and travel sizes. Costing only £9.95 including P&P it's an absolute steal!

Inside you'll find:

FULL SIZE: Scentered Stress Less Therapy Balm (5g - £14.50) - I've wanted to try one of the Scentered balms for ages! This one is great to calm and de-stress in a chaotic life. A full review will follow.

FULL SIZE: Hydrea Stress Spot Massager (£4.50) - great to massage the skin where you feel stress and strain or to ease muscle fatigue and unwind. Looking forward to trying this out especially on my shoulders.

TRIAL SIZE: Ila Bath Soak Pure Relaxation (50ml - £2.95) - this is one of my favourite products to use in the bath. It contains calming vetivert and Petigrain and soothes and calms both the body and mind.

TRIAL SIZE: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (5ml) - I'm a huge fan of their Sleep Plus+ Pillow Spray (review) which I loved! Looking forward to trying this one out.

SAMPLE SACHETS: Dr Hauschka Calming Lavender Body Cream (5ml) and Almond Soothing Lavender Body Cream (5ml) - these soothe and calm the skin leaving it moisturised.

3 x single use Pukka tea bags: Relax, Love and Serene Jasmine Green.

Use code UNWIND at checkout for 15% off any of the items in the box.

Do you think you'll pick one up?

*PR sample

Souk Souk November Beauty Box

My November Souk Souk Beauty Box arrived yesterday and I think it has a great selection this month. It includes one brand I haven't heard of before Zephorium which always really excites me! (upon checking them out I do already follow them on Twitter!)

Zephorium Soul Tonic Perfume Oil 10ml (£12.50) - each scent is designed to support one the chakras and comes with it's own affirmations. Mine is Aquamarine Crystal Throat Chakra - Truth & Integrity with Neroli Oil. The Affirmation is "I speak my truth with courage and integrity".  Neroli helps to overcome anxiety and listen to our inner wisdom calming and soothing the mind.  Aquamarine is the stone of courage which helps to clarify the mind, unblock thoughts and clear the throat chakra giving strength to powerfully stand and speak our truth.  Love this item!

Elemental Herbology Deep Cleanse Body Wash 50ml (£6.50) - huge fan of the face care range. Haven't tried anything from the body care range before. This Deep Cleanse Body Wash combines bio-dynamic algae with apple, grapefruit, lemon and rosemary.  Smells gorgeous!

Lyonsleaf Calendula Cream 15ml trial size - this is the only Lyonsleaf product I haven't tried.  It is great for soothing eczema or psoriasis and as a healing cream for abrasions and rashes. It can also be used for massage and dry skin areas. A wonder cream!

Glam Mineral Eyeshadow in Antique Gold 4.5g (£12) - Vegan and Vegetarian highly pigmented mineral eyeshadow made with 100% natural ingredients.

Extras include: 2 x teabags in peppermint & licorice (I'll pass this one on) and lemon, ginger and manuka honey and a mini Green & Black's Dark Chocolate bar.

Did you get this month's box?  What are your thoughts as to the contents?

Autumn Beauty Swap - with Jen from Jen's Green Skincare

Kat at Tales of a Pale Face recently organised a Autumn Beauty Swap.  I got paired up with Jen at Jen's Green Skincare.

My parcel arrived yesterday and I simply love the contents which include two brands I've never tried before!  Look how beautifully packaged it is. It made me smile and I'm so happy with everything - thanks Jen.

Here's what I received:

lj's very indulgent organic face oil (30ml) - with rosehip, evening primrose and frankincense oils - a brand I follow on Twitter but I've not tried any of Lisa's products before. Jen also gave me soothing organic handbag handlotion (60ml) this is scented with lavender, rosewood and ylang ylang essential oils - so looking forward to trying both.

A brand I've not tried or heard of before is Wild Honey Apothecary which is made by Kat in Wisconsin, USA.  Jen included Strawberry Honey Mud - which smells good enough to eat!  Looking forward to a pampering session.

Jen also included some lovely Neal's Yard products - Aromatic Foaming Bath (100ml) which smells really relaxing. It includes essential oils of lavender, marjoram and geranium. It is said to help you relax and unwind.

She also included some NY samples - Wild Rose Beauty Balm (love this!) and Rehydrating Rose Facial Polish - which I'm looking forward to trying as well as a pukka gorgeous grey tea bag - Earl Grey with a hint of lavender - huge Earl Grey fan so looking forward to having a brew with my yummy galaxy chocolate.

I'm already a huge fan of Louisa Brown Soap and included is a wedge of Pink Peppermint soap - which also smells good enough to eat!

A final touch was a cute mini lavender bag which smells glorious - hand made with lavender from Lisa's garden.

Thanks so much Jen! I absolutely love my swap goodies. Hope you like yours!

You can see what I sent Jen here.

Follow Jen @JenMorriss (blog) and Kat on Twitter @Talesofpaleface (blog) 

Spiezia Facial Cleanser

I've used this wonderful Facial Cleanser many times before.  I came across Only Naturals on Twitter and noticed they were offering 10% off to new customers.  I decided to browse the site noticed they stocked Spiezia.  They also offer lots of lovely gifts with purchase and Special Offers.  

Spiezia products are 100% organic and are made in Truro, Cornwall. The cleanser is a best-selling product which is a blend of essential oils (Eucalyptus, Clary Sage, and Clove), plant and nut oils and beeswax.

Amanda, MD and founder of Made for Life - a complementary programme supporting people diagnosed and recovering from cancer within Cornwall.  The programme offers holistic treatments, organic makeovers, nutritional advice and love and hugs.

"we believe in pure, organic and ethical hand made skincare that makes you feel fantastic inside and out. That's the made for life philosophy".

The range contains products for her, for him, for baby, for therapy, for living. Check out the shop here and here.

The cleanser helps decongest skin, regulate sebum and is great for removing waterproof mascara. It also rids the skin of impurities and it smells absolutely gorgeous!

You only need a tiny amount, warmed in your palms and then applied to your skin massaging the cleanser into the skin.  Remove with a warmed wet cloth.

I was also sent a couple of samples from Only Naturals which was a nice surprise - Pukka Nourishing Face Oil (2ml) and Madara Deep Moisture Cream (1.5ml).

Only Naturals offer 10% off for new customers (first shop only) - see here.

See Spiezia website here on Twitter @Spiezia 
See Only Naturals here on Twitter @only_naturals 

Beauteco Box - July

I saw Sara's review of her July Beauteco box and I was sold! - see here.

Beauteco offer three different boxes each month - some items are standard in all boxes and then a variation is offered - see previous boxes here.  It costs £10 plus P&P.  I like that Beauteco use less packaging than normal beauty boxes and all is recyclable.

Here's the one I picked!

Neal & Wolf Harmony Intensive Care Treatment - for all hair Types 200ml (full size 200ml - £12.95) I've never tried any Neal & Wolf products before so super excited that there are two in this box and full size! Tried this Friday morning for the first time and it left my hair supersoft and nourished.

The second Neal & Wolf item is Elevate - a Volumising Lotion again full size! (200ml - £11.95) this is designed to give hair volume and body. Again, tried this on Friday and it gave me full bouncy locks!

My next items are 3 Accorelle minis - these are exclusive to Beauteco - there are three 2ml sample sizes - Day Cream, Night Cream and Serum.  From a brand I've never heard of before.  Happy to try these.

I've used the Pukka Radiance Serum (10ml) before.  See my review here. Happy to use this again.

Finally, an Art Deco Soft Kajal Liner in Black, again a full size product from a brand I've not heard of before.

Did you get this box?  What are your thoughts?

See the website here
Follow on Twitter @beautecobox 

June Empties

Here are my June empties:

Khiel's Hand Salve - got this in the Advent Calendar, smells of eucalyptus.  Enjoyed using it but unsure if I'd re-purchase though it worked really well.

Elemis Absolute Eye Serum - love this eye care product - have already bought another - it just works.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Cream - love this, have got a few of these from swaps and beauty boxes.  I reviewed the body cream here.

Kerastase Lait Vital 1 Conditioner - love Kerastase products so will probably buy this again as it lasts for ages.

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation sample pot - a great foundation will probably buy again at some point.

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash - one of my favourites, I'm on my last one.. sob.  I'd buy again.

Tropic Skin Revive Firming Nourishing Cream - I got this in a swap.  Loved it.  Would probably purchase it again in winter time as its a fairly rich cream and too heavy for my skin now.

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser - mini sample - got a few uses of this.  Nice product but expensive to buy.

Bamford Geranium Bath Oil x 2 - One of my favourite bath oils - only got two left now so will probably buy full size at some point.

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make Up Remover - a good budget buy - would re-purchase.

L'Occitane Desert Rose Ultra-Rich Body Cream sachet - really fab cream, very rich and smells good.  Have a full size tin of this still to use.  L'Occitane Desert Rose Hand Cream - loved this cream - it was a magazine freebie.  Have another of these to use.  L'Occitane Divine Cream mini pot - really loved using this.  Looking for it in swaps/on ebay at the moment.  I also used a 1ml sachet of this too.  L'Occitane Divine Eyes - 1ml sachet - lovely.  Would consider purchasing in the future.  L'Occitane Baume des Yeux Eye Balm - 1ml sachet - enjoyed using this, would perhaps purchase.

Gielly Green Hand and Body Wash and Hand and Body Lotion - Loved these.  You can see my review here.

Sanctuary Hand Wash - nice hand wash and will probably pick this up again.

L'Oreal Everpure Shampoo and Conditioner sachet - really liked using these and would consider purchasing full size.

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner from Lush.  I bought this with Xmas voucher.  A beautiful rose scented product.  I'd probably re-purchase but it is quite pricey.  You can read my review here.

Vaseline Aloe Fresh deodorant - a staple and this one works for me.

Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Body Souffle Cream - love all Laura Mercier body lotions this is gorgeous, lightly scented with coconut and almond. Yum.

Iroisie Ultimate BB Cream sample sachet - this was from the latest Amarya box.  I struggled with this - didn't like the texture and I found it hard to spread on my skin.  So wouldn't purchase.

Japan Rose Bath salts - these were really nice - big pink salts which turned the bathwater pale pink.  Thanks Evelyn!

This Works Enjoy Multi-Tasking Lotion - I quite enjoyed using this lotion but wouldn't re-purchase as there are other lotions I prefer.

Pukka Radiance Serum 10ml and Pukka Deep Moisture Day Cream 10ml - I quite enjoyed using these products but I am unsure if I'd re-purchase.  The day cream was highly scented which put me off a bit.

YSL Waterproof Eye Pencil in simmering burgundy - absolutely love this although Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner in Blackberry is a good dupe.  Will probably buy again.

Antonia Burrell Natural Glow Cleansing Oil - I didn't like the scent of this, it was too overpowering and it made my skin feel dry after use so wouldn't re-purchase.  Luckily this was just a trial size which cost £2.95.

Prada Candy Body Lotion - got this in my Xmas box set.  Nice to use but would prefer to save up for another bottle of perfume rather than buy the body lotion.

Aveda Stress-Fix Soaking Salts - love these, make you feel totally relaxed and great after a hard day.  Will definitely buy these again though I wish they were a bit cheaper!

Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Soothing Anti-Stress Moisturiser - nice product quite rich so I mainly used it at night.  Probably wouldn't purchase full size as its not really suited to my skin type.

Apivita Express Beauty Mask with grape - bought this from ebay.  Nice product.  See M&S now selling them online/instore so will probably pick this up again and I want to try the honey one.

RMK Cleansing Oil sachet - love this, got three uses from the sachet.  Will purchase this once I trawl through my numerous cleansers.

Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion - lovely coconut scent.  Nice lotion to use but prefer the body oil in the range which came in Joliebox.

What have you been using up?

May Empties

It's that time of the month again - empties!

And now for a closer look...

Here are my thoughts:

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash 125ml - absolutely love this product.  I'm now on my last one.  I'll definitely re-purchase.

Vaseline Roll-on Deodorant - a staple.

Tropic Skin Revive Firming Nourishing Cream 5ml pot - love this and got another in a swap although now summer is here its too rich for my skin.  Would definitely buy it in winter, love the texture, feel on my skin and the scent.

Korres Citrus Little Moisturising Body Milk 50ml - this was from a swap.  It originally came in a Boudoir Prive box. Lovely light lotion.  Would perhaps purchase again.

KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry 30ml - from Carmine box (and another swap).  Will definitely pick up full size next time I'm at the hairdresser - it really does what it says it will.

Tom Ford Santal Blush EDP 50ml - this was my extreme purchase from Harvey Nichols Beauty Department last November.  Love it, reviewed it here.  I actually bought another bottle during the luxury GWP promotion in March.  

Rose Sheet Mask - this was from the lovely goodies Evelyn brought me from Japan.  I love sheet masks and this one smelt and afterwards the skin felt amazing.

Erno Laszlo - I love these samples, have picked up a few packs in swaps.  Would never buy full size as the products are so expensive, but the samples are nice to use.

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash 15ml and Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm 15ml - absolutely loved both of these products.  Will definitely purchase full size at some point.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant sachet - got two uses out of this.  Have used this product in the past and loved it.  One I'll definitely buy at some point.

Pukka Firming Face oil 2ml sachet - an ok product but there are better face oils out there.

Pure Fiji Nourishing Exotic Coconut Oil - I'd just bought a mini travel set when I received a mini bottle of this in my Joliebox.  Absolutely love the light coconut scent and one I'd buy full size.

Molton Brown Eucalyptus Bath & Shower 30ml - got this in a gift set - loved the scent would purchase.

Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Bath & Shower 30ml - as above. My favourite Molton Brown scent.  Sure to purchase as some point.

Macademia Healing Oil Treatment 10ml - my last bottle of swaps - would re-purchase once I've used up the oils I am using currently.

Elemis Sharp Shower & Bath Gel 50ml - this had a nice minty scent, enjoyed using it but probably wouldn't purchase.

Cowshed Quinoa Hydrating Daily Moisturiser 20ml - a lovely moisturiser (I got this one of my Easter swap boxes) but a bit too rich for my skin - I used this on my neck.  Loved the scent and feel on my skin though.

Umberto Giannini Dazzling Shine..to Perfection Gloss Cloth - single use, used it before a night out with good results.

Sanctuary Body Moisture Spray 50ml - love this for days I can't be bothered rubbing in a body lotion.  Just spritz on and pat in.  Got a full size back up.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Shower Gel 15ml - got this as a freebie in my birthday box.  Gorgeous!

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation sample pot - in shade 5.5 - good coverage would perhaps purchase.

Nailtiques Cuticle & Skin Gel 7g - a nice product, I got it in a set would probably re-purchase.

Santaverde Xingu High Antioxidant Prevention Cream sachet - lovely cream to use but unsure if I'd buy.

Bamford Geranium Bath Oil 30ml - love this.

Pukka Uplifting Toner 10ml - gorgeous trial size would purchase full size.

What have you been using this month?

May Favourites

These are the products I've been reaching for all month -

Giorgio Armani Lipstick in shade  rose - 506 - creamy long lasting colour.

Lancome Nutrix Royal Mains Hand Cream - a pricey one at £21.50 but gorgeous to use and smells lovely.

AD Skin Synergy Nourishing Night Treatment - as reviewed about here.  My new favourite night oil.

Soap & Glory - A Great Kisser in Juicy Peach - I've been reaching for this all month - love the scent and how moisturising it is.

Pukka Uplifting Toner a mini that I got in a travel set recently.  Scented with rose and orange flower - its one I'd buy full size.

What have your favourites been this month?