November Empties

I think this is the smallest amount of empties I've ever had. I did think of saving them for next month but, here goes! If a product is marked * I very kindly received it free of charge for review.

Schmidt's Jasmine Tea Sensitive Skin Formula Deodorant - this is my all time fav deodorant. Unfortunately, they sold out to Unilever. I've got a couple of the other scents to use up before I try to find something I love as much! 

Palm of Feronia Moonstone Sleep Spray sample size - I picked this up a while ago before they rebranded (the prices have gone up slightly too since my blog POST). I felt it really helped to have a restful night's sleep and I'll pick up the smaller 30ml spray at some point.

nknaturals Summer Daily Protection Moisturiser 60ml* - I thoroughly enjoyed this pot of goodness. See my review HERE. I'm currently loving my mini Complete Autumn Collection - expect a review soon! I adore this seasonal skincare range.

Rounding up my empties is Absolution's fabulous Le Gommage Corps Body Scrub 208g which I received in Naturisimo's Summer Vibes Discovery Box. I simply adored this scrub which had a texture of soft wet sand encased in a skin loving oily formulation. Amazing! See my review HERE.

What have you been using up this month?

August Empties

I wasn't going to do any August empties with being away 2 weeks out of four (and recycling when I was there) but it would feel odd not to, so here goes.

Schmidt's Jasmine Tea Natural Deodorant 75g which is one of my favourite scents. Keeps me dry all day and I love the formulation and scent. Will buy again.

Bodhi & Birch Avo Bao Cleansing Balm mini which is the perfect size for holidays (15g) and came in the Superfoods Series Mini Discovery Kit. See my review HERE.

KurlySue's sumptuous Organic Shea & Argan Oil Body Butter mini came in my June Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box. See my review HERE. Would buy again.

This teeny pot of Glamglow's Waterburst Hydrated Glow Moisturizer was a Feel Unique pick'n'mix sample. I loved its light gel texture and fresh scent. Would maybe buy full size.

My final item this month is Elemis's Tan Accelerator 125ml which helps to prepares the skin for summer holidays by stimulating natural melanin production. I use it 2 weeks before I go away and find it helps to prevent prickly heat and help produce a light golden tan. Sure to buy again.

What have you been using up this month?

Latest in Beauty: Oh So Natural: April 2019 Edit

My recurring subscription with Latest in Beauty is 30th of the month. Of course I couldn't resist an extra box when I saw the theme was Oh So Natural for the April Edit (and picks were my fav Schmidt's Deodorants which retail at £12 for 75g). My selection cost £18 for 9 items (sign up HERE).

So what did I pick:

Schmidt's Jasmine Tea Sensitive Skin Formula Natural Deodorant 75g

Schmidt's Bergamot+Lime Natural Deodorant 75g (link)

Schmidt's Rose+Vanilla Natural Deodorant 75g

Schmidt's Coconut Pineapple Sensitive Skin Formula Natural Deodorant 75g

True Skincare Certified Organic Clarifying Safflower & Geranium Cleansing Oil 100ml Oily-Normal (a new to me brand, this is worth £12)

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil 9ml (huge fan of these).

Soaper Duper Yuzufruit & Fig Body Butter 300ml 

My final picks were a duo from NUXE. Reve de Miel Ultra Comforting Face Cream 15ml and Aquabella Beauty Revealing Moisturising Emulsion 15ml

This month's extra is £7 off at Bloom & Wild Letterbox Flowers.

I'll post reviews when I've had a chance to try. Have you picked up a box this month yet?

October Empties

Here's what I've been using up in October (I don't have much as I chucked all the samples and trial sizes I used up in London rather than bringing them home!)

Esse Probiotic Gel Cleanser 10ml* - I simply love this cleanser. See my review HERE. I took this to London earlier in the month and it was more than enough for a few days break. Huge fan of the brand. I definitely want to try more products from the range.

MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion Shot 10ml - absolutely love this bath treat. See my review HERE. Will definitely re-purchase.

Schmidt's Rose+Vanilla and Bergamot+Lime Natural Deodorants - I love this brand. Bergamot+Lime is my favourite scent. I wouldn't pick up the Rose one again as although nice I didn't love it.  Just opened a new B+L one.

Dr Bronner's Peppermint 18-in-1 Pure Castile Magic Soap 236ml - this is a staple for me in this scent. I use it to clean my make up brushes and sometimes the bath! I've just picked up a new one.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet SPF15 - 30 Beige - I love this foundation and I'll buy it again. It gives good coverage and I find it suitable for my combination skin.

MAKE Skincare Face Glow 30ml** - which was beautiful. See my review HERE. I'd consider buying when my stash reduces a bit.

Dafna's Personal Skincare Recovery Cleanser 50ml** - I simply loved this beautiful cleanser. See my review HERE. I'll definitely buy when my cleanser stash reduces a bit.

Molton Brown Coco & Sandalwood Body Wash 300ml - this is one of my favourite Molton Brown scents. Sure to buy again at some point.

Isla Apothecary Neroli Body Oil 100ml* - this body oil is divine! It has a beautiful scent and deeply nourishes the skin - what's not to love! See my review HERE. I'm sure to buy this again as I just love it! I do however have a mini one to use which came in the Discovery Set which I mentioned HERE.

My final item this month is a Reed Diffuser* from The Handmade Soap Company. I loved the scent - Lemongrass & Cedarwood and found it lasted round about three months. Would buy for sure. You can also buy refills. See my review HERE. 

What have you been using up this month?

*sent to me as part of the Love Lula Accredited Blogger Program

**complimentary - sent to me from the founder

My Top 6 Natural Deodorants

These are the six natural deodorants which I've found work the best for me. I absolutely love Schmidt's Bergamot+Lime deodorant which I buy again and again from a beautiful world. I also love the Jasmine Tea (Sensitive Stick) which is formulated without baking soda. See my reviews of Schmidt's deodorants HERE and HERE.

From lovely Awake Organics is their super effective Aura Clean Natural Deodorant. I've gone through loads of travel size pots. The deodorant is very long lasting and smells gorgeous. See my review HERE. I'll definitely pick up full size when I use the mini pots up (they are great for travel as they don't take up much room!)

From Indigenous Beauty I have their gorgeous Uplifting Natural Deodorant Cream which has an uplifting citrus scent. It's easy to apply and leaves me feeling fresh and clean all day long. A full review will follow.

Latest launch from Evolve Beauty is their Cotton Fresh Deodorant which has a gentle fresh laundry scent. The deodorant is made with Organic Shea Butter, Coconut oil, Kaolin, Bicarbonate of Soda along with Sage oil and natural essential oils. It really is lovely and keeps me fresh all day. Again, a fuller review will follow.

I first tried Aurelia Probiotic Skincare's Botanical Cream Deodorant as a sample size pot and fell in love! It featured in Shopping my Stash #85 (see HERE). I totally fell for it and I'm now delighted a full size pot is mine!

The final natural deodorant in my line up is from The Ohm Collection - Deo Dorant Neroli Powder which is available to buy at Love Lula. It's a powder deodorant which is easy to use and long lasting. See my review HERE.

Do you use any of these natural deodorants?

July Empties

Here's what I've been using up in July (hardly anything!) I'm not going to use anything up before the month's end - so here are my July empties:

Schmidt's Jasmine Tea Sensitive Skin Deodorant Trial Size - just loved this and full size will be bought next! At the same time I bought full size of Coconut Pineapple but I much prefer this one.

mallow+white Revitalise Face Mask 30g* - this was beautiful and lasted ages! I'd buy when my stash reduces a bit. See my review HERE.

Sunday Riley Tidal 15g - I really liked this. It had a gel cream texture which absorbed quickly plumping and hydrating the skin. I'll probably pick this up again at some point.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Demolition - I loved this dark brown shade and would buy again (this is the only make up item I ever finish!)

Awake Organics Frankin-Sense Divine Face Care 30ml* - I adored this beautiful luxe cream. See my review HERE. Again, another one I'd buy when my stash reduces a bit.

Apple & Bears Grapefruit & Seaweed body Wash 50ml* and Body Silk 50ml* - I absolutely loved this duo. See my review HERE. Again, I'll buy these once my stash reduces a bit.

BioExtracts Lifting Boost 1ml and BioExtracts Face Cream Rich 2ml - these seemed lovely. I'm definitely adding full sizes to the ever expanding wishlist. I'm currently testing out their Eye Contour cream* which is fantastic.

Lavera Hand & Cuticle Cream 2-in-1 1ml sachet - this cream is really nourishing but I don't like the scent so wouldn't buy.

Living Naturally Hibiscus & Lavender Bath Tea* - this was nice (came with a little bag to stop the bits getting stuck all over the bath). See my review HERE. I don't think I'd buy it again however I loved their Coconut Milk & Chai Bathtub Tea and would buy. See my review HERE.

What have you been using up this month?

*complimentary

Shopping my Stash #84

It's January so it's got to be Shopping my Stash time! Here's what I've been reaching for:

Indie Lee COQ 10 Toner sample - I received this in my recent ABW A/W '16 Sampler Box. It's a product I'd used before and loved. Will be adding full size to the wishlist as it deeply refreshes and tones the skin.

From Cult Beauty's recent goody bag I received a full size Jouer Cosmetics Long Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Lychee which is a really pretty longlasting shade.

I got the Pureology Hydrate Shampoo & Conditioner minis via my YOU Beauty Box in December. I absolutely love them. They make my hair look and feel amazing. Definitely want full size soon!

Diptyque's Eau Rose roll on I've had for ages. It has a deep rosey scent and I love it. See my review HERE.

I'm a huge fan of Schmidt's Natural Deodorants (review). My favourite being Bergamot+Lime. Naturisimo have introduced a new one - Rose+Vanilla - and it's gorgeous! You can pick up a sample size or full size HERE.

What have you been reaching for lately?

ABW: A Beautiful Box: S/S '16 Sampler

As ever the S/S box from a beautiful world sold out in record time. Mine arrived yesterday. (It costs £20 plus P&P). I added a Schmidt's deodorant to my order which I wanted and it meant I didn't need to pay P&P (P&P is free on orders over £30).

So what's inside:

The first thing that jumped out at me was new to me brand Skinnamon and inside is a single use pouch of Renew Body Scrub with Orange Sea Salt + Himalayan Apricot. The range comes all the way from NYC and I'm looking forward to trying this out.

Next I was delighted to see Josh Rosebrook's Hydrating Accelerator 60ml (and worth £19.95!) I've been wanting to try this for a while. Expect a full review soon.

I'm a huge, huge fan of Skin & Tonic and their STEAM CLEAN is always in my stash. So this is a very welcome addition to the box. This is a 15g travel/try me size pot and worth £11.

Also from Skin & Tonic is their Naked Lip Balm which is full size and worth £3.50. I've tried their Peppermint one before and loved it.

From YTTP there is a small pot of their Kale + Spinach, Green Tea, Hyaluronic Acid Age Prevention Moisture Cream which I can't wait to try. I absolutely love the cleanser and serum from the range (review).

The final beauty item is a 15ml shaker pot of Yarok's Feed Your Style Dry Shampoo which I'm happy to see in the box as I've not yet found the "perfect" one.

We are also treated to a cute Esmie mini notebook (the brand is yet to launch at ABW) and a code for 10% off a future purchase.

See my review of the Schmidt's deodorants HERE. The one I picked up is in my favourite scent.

Did you pick up a box? What are your thoughts as to the contents?

Schmidt's Natural Deodorant Stick Review & Giveaway - it's Over!

I'm been testing out two of the new stick natural deodorants* from Schmidt's. Having loved the deodorant jars - see my review HERE I was keen to try out these new ones.  

They retail at $8.99 for 2.65oz (approx £5.83) and are free from aluminium, propylene glycol, parabens, phthalates are Vegan and Cruelty-free and are made in Portland, USA.

Bergamot+Lime* is my favourite as it's a fresh and invigorating citrus scent while Cedarwood+Juniper* is woody and spicy.

I've been really impressed with their performance - they leave me feeling fresh all day long and the scents are really great.

I've got 2 deodorants to giveaway in Ylang Ylang+Calendula and Lavender+Sage.  

This giveaway is UK only - Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a beautiful world S/S '15 Sampler Box

I think I was the last person to receive their a beautiful world S/S '15 Sampler Box. Luckily for me, Liz tracked it down - thanks Liz! I picked it up at the Post Office yesterday morning.

The box costs a bargainous £20 plus P&P. I'm pretty pleased with mine. I think they sold out in 15 minutes or so! All boxes are slightly different. You can see what Ria got here and what Karen got in her box here.

I was surprised to receive a full size product of PLANT's Rosemary & Lemongrass WAKE UP Body Wash. I've tried the brand's CALM DOWN Body Wash and you can see my review HERE.

The next item to grab my attention was Olivine's Love+Salt Beach Hair & Body Mist (2oz) which smells of coconut. Love! Looking forward to testing this out. I also recently tried the brand's Love+Roses Beauty Mist see my review HERE.

There is a Schmidt's Natural Deodorant in Lavender+Sage mini pot which I've used before and loved. See my review HERE as well as new brand to me and a beautiful world (it hasn't actually launched there yet) COOLA - I received a 5ml tube of Classic Sunscreen SPF 30 - its not a huge sample but I'll give it a whirl.  I'm hoping a beautiful world will be stocking their Lotion Bars.

Huge Indie Lee fan, inside is a Brightening Cleanser sample tube which smells of strawberries. So looking forward to trying in my morning shower.

There's also a Josh Rosebrook sample size pot of his Cacao Antioxidant Mask which I can't wait to try. It brightens, detoxifies and firms the skin and smells delicious!  The final beauty item is by The Body Deli - Solar Day Cream in a mini pot which has SPF15 and protects against environmental and sun damage. Huge fan of this brand so looking forward to using.

The box also includes a cream coloured branded tote bag (always useful), a washbag size Tili bag and a cute pencil. Mine says "you are amazing" which made me smile and there is a voucher code for 20% off any future purchase.

What did you get in your box?

Travelling Light

I'm just back from an amazing trip to London (a post about what I got up to will follow). Here's the beauty products I took with me & the hotel ones that I acquired! 

The Cowshed sachets came from July's Love Lula box and were lovely to use. I've definitely got some favourites - I'll be picking up Grumpy Cow Uplifting Bath & Shower Gel and Wild Cow Invigorating Body Lotion at some point.

I also packed the pai travel kit - see my review here. I'm a huge fan of all three products and I enjoyed using them.

I love the John Masters Organics sachets which you can pick up at a low cost from Naturisimo or free with order from Love Lula (subject to availability).  I also packed a Lavera rose repair shampoo sachet - I'm keen to try this full size. I also popped in JMO citrus & neroli detangler and a sachet of Argan Dew's Replenising Hair Mask.  My final hair item was John Frieda's Flyaway Tamer Smoothing Wand which is fantastic for these pesky flyaway hairs.

Scent wise my beloved kai perfume oil and a sample vial of Jimmy Choo came with me and I couldn't travel without the very fab Schmidt's natural deodorant* - See my review here.

I can't go anywhere without a lip balm. I've been testing Portland Bee Balm* in Oregon Mint flavour which is super moisturising on the lips - a review to follow shortly!

I packed a couple of eye care samples - Oskia's Eye Wonder eye serum and Kahina's Eye Serum. I only used the Oskia one.

Nourish's Illuminating Golden Glow Face Shimmer is one of my most favourite products ever! See my review here. I also tucked in a sachet of Madara's fab Moon Flower Rose Beige Tinting Fluid.

Make up wise my liquids (we only took hand luggage) were Dermalogica primer, Better than Sex mascara, 3 x Bite Beauty Glosses, BareMinerals Bareskin Foundation and Armani concealer.

I always pack Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Essence* which is great for destressing and calming - see my review here.  

At St James' Court Hotel the plentiful toiletries were by a company I haven't heard of before - Plantation London in Darjeeling scent - an aromatic scent with lemongrass, lemon, nutmeg and tea tree. The products are free from parabens, sulphates and artificial colours.  

When we nipped across town to watch the Dolphins v Raiders at Wembley we stayed at the Hilton London Wembley.  The toiletries provided were by Peter Thomas Roth, a brand I've heard of before but haven't tried.

I think in the end I took too much. Are you able to travel light when it comes to beauty products?

*PR samples

Schmidt's Natural Deodorant

I received a Schmidt's Deodorant* in July's Petit Vour* box in the scent Lavender+Sage which is a clean herbaceous scent. The lovely people at Schmidt's contacted me to see if I'd like to try the other scents.

A package of goodies arrived from Portland, USA and I've been testing them for a week or so now and I can honestly say they are amazing!

Schmidt's was founded in 2012 by Jaime Schmidt. She wanted to create a natural and chemical free deodorant. The products are crafted by hand with love.  Jaime personally develops each of the scents.  There are currently 5 available - Lavender+Sage, Bergamot+Lime, Ylang Ylang+Calendula, Cedarwood+Juniper and Fragrance Free.

The deodorants are really easy to use - scoop a small amount (pea size) and apply using your fingertips. All the scents are really lovely but my favourite is Bergamot+Lime for it's zesty and refreshing scent. 

A pot (56.7g) costs $9 (approx £5.39). You can buy here and get 15% off with code STOCKUPSUMMER.

The deodorant is 100% natural, aluminium, Propylene Glycol, Paraben and Phthalate free.  Packed full of good things for the skin the deodorants are made with Shea and Cocoa butters, Vitamin E, Hop extract and Essential oils.

They are one of my favourite products this year. Very effective and love the scents.  The smaller size pots are just perfect for travel, use on the go and to take to the gym.

Have you tried any Schmidt's deodorants?

*PR samples