The A-Z of Beauty Tag - Revisited

Way back in November 2012 I did an A-Z of Beauty Tag - see here. I've decided to revisit it and you'll find some changes...

A - Aromatherapy Associates - I've been enjoying their Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil - see my review here.

B - bodhi - one of my all time favourite brands. See my review of Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil here.

C - Charlotte Hilton - a brand new to me this year. See my review of Rose Otto Sweet & Seductive Rosebud Milk Bath here.

D - de Mamiel - I've been trying some sample sizes of this lovely brand. Received Rosey Lip Balm for my birthday and I love it. See here.

E - Essential Care - still love Rose Moisturiser - see my review here.

F - Freyaluna - their mini Selection Box is such a great introduction to the brand. 

G - Green People - I recently fell in love with their scent free cleanser. See my review here*.

H - Hairy Jayne - came across Jayne on Twitter and fell in love with her gorgeous scented effective hair care range.  See my post here.

I - Indie Lee - since a beautiful world arrived to tempt us beauty lovers I've tried lots of Indie Lee products which I've fallen in love with. My favourite has to be Squalane Facial Oil*.

J - Jane Iredale - I'm addicted to Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain it's one of my all time favourite lip products.

K - Kai Perfume Oil - one of my favourite summer scents. See here. I normally stock up when Cult Beauty run a GWP offer.

L - LJ's Natural Solutions - I've tried a few products from this brand and love them. My favourite is the Very Indulgent Organic Face Oil - see my review here.

M - Marble & Milkweed - another find on the a beautiful world website - go check it out if you haven't already http://abeautifulworld.co.uk/. I love their cardamon scented body oil - see my review here*.

N - Neom - a huge neom fan! Love all their products. Their Complete Bliss Moroccan Blush Rose Hand Cream is my absolute favourite. See my mini review here.

O - Organic Surge - lately tried a few products from Organic Surge and have been really impressed with the range. My current favourite is their Tropical Bergamot Shower Gel - see here*.

P - Pure Thoughts - love all the soaps and Tangerine & Jojoba Whipped Shea Butter is my all time favourite.

Q - Quintessentially English - my friend Nardin gave me a gorgeous box of goodies from Quintessentially English at Christmas. I loved the English Rose Bath Oil.

R - Raw Gaia  - simply love their Coconut Body Butter. See my review here.

S - Shay & Blue - simply adore their Atropa Belladonna scent. I'm now on my second bottle. See my review here.

T - Therapie - a huge fan of every single product. Top spot must go to the wonderful Himalayan Detox Salts - see my review here.

U - Unique Naturals - Skin Serum Collection - love that you can mix and match the three products depending on your skin's needs.  See my review here*.

V - Vegan Cuts - an amazing American Vegan beauty box.  See my review here*.

W - Willow Organic Beauty - I tried their fab Barbary Fig Miracle range last year and was blown away by the very effective Super Firming Serum*.

X - Xenca - a lovely new organic range. I recently reviewed a lipstick and gloss see here*.

Y - Yarok - another a beautiful world find. Great hair care products. My favourite has to be Feed Your Youth Hair & Scalp Serum. See my review here*.

Z - Zelens - recently enjoyed using their 3t Complex Essential Anti-Ageing Cream. See my thoughts here.

What's in your beauty A-Z?

*PR samples

A Closer Look: Lip Balm

Uh-oh I've got a bit of a lip balm addiction although some of them are multi-purpose balms... I actually didn't realise I had so many!

Willow Organic Beauty Luxury Lip Balm 5ml* - this is a real luxe lip balm and leaves the lips super soft.  See my review here.

bodhi Cacao Cocoon Lip Treatment Balm 15g - love this super moisturising balm.  See my review here.

de Mamiel Rosey Lip Balm 10ml - I received this from hubby at my birthday after dropping several hints! Absolutely love it. It deeply moisturises the lips leaving them scented with roses. Gorgeous!  This one's constantly in my make up bag.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm 15g - a rich balm for the lips which is a cult product (and a love/hate one too) I tend to use it in the evening just before bed. It can also be used on dry skin areas and cuticles.

Dr Organic Rose Otto Lip Balm Serum 10ml - a gorgeous serum which smells like raspberry ripple ice cream! See my review here.

Bee Fruitful Mandarin Lip Balm 5ml* - a lovely fruity balm.  See my thoughts here.

Sweet Cecily's Mojito Flavour Lip Balm 10ml - flavoured with lime and mint just like a Mojito. I love the cute tin it comes in. See my review here.

balance Me Shine on Tinted Lip Salve 5g - this was a magazine freebie and I love it! (I picked up a couple). Gives lips a lightly tinted glossy look. It features in my balance Me favourites here.

Sprout (now SW Basics) Peppermint Lip Balm .15oz - a Vegan lip balm which is made of four ingredients. Deeply moisturising and smells good enough to eat.  See my review here.

BRIXI Bee Balm - a gorgeous beeswax balm that can be used on the lips and also other dry areas of the skin.  See my review here.

Mary Elizabeth Spearmint & Tea Tree Nurture Balm 15ml* - one of my favourite multi-use products of last year.  See my review here.

Melvita Apicosma Repairing Lip Balm 10ml - a lovely repairing lip balm which deeply moisturises. See my thoughts here.

Chain Bridge Honey Farm Tangerine Lip Balm 12g - Ana from Ana Goes Green very kindly sent me this with a little note after Bess our dog died. It cheered me up and lifted my spirits - thanks Ana.  100% natural and super moisturising - smells good too!

eos Summer Fruits Lip Balm 7g - a really fruity balm which is 95% organic and is Petroleum and paraben free. Leave lips moisturised and soft.

Molly Rose Pickles & Ice Cream Lip Balm .15oz* - I received this in February's Vegan Cuts Beauty Box. The most unusual flavoured lip balm I've ever tried! Leaves the lips smooth and moisturised.

Trilogy Everything Balm 5ml - a multi-purpose balm. See my thoughts here.

REN Vita Mineral Lip Balm 15ml* - a rich balm which leaves the lips moisturised and glossy.  See my review here.

Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment SPF15 2.2g - in Rose, Honey, Passion, Berry and Coral.  See my review here.

Burt's Bees Rose Tinted Lip Balm 4.25g - a nourishing lip balm with a rose tint. A really pretty shade.

Estelle & Thild Raspberry Lip Balm - this lovely balm came in the very first Selfridges Beauty Box and what a box it was! A clear glossy balm flavoured with raspberry.

Simply Bee Lip Balm 10ml* - soothes the lips leaving them moisturised and soft. Smells of peppermint.  See my review here.

Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick SPF15 - this has a reddish/pink tint. Feels lovely on the lips.  I received this from Julie in our Birthday Swap.

Napiers Alkanet & Organic Elderflower Red Lip Tint 15g - leaves the lips with a glossy red tint.  See my mini review here.

Kallisto Creams Cocoa & Orange Lip Balm - a super yummy moisturising lip balm which I received in a swap box.  Check it out here.

Rodial Glam Balm Lip 2.5g - a turkish delight rose scented balm which keeps lips soft and nourished.

The Organic Pharmacy Rose Balm 10ml - a rose scented multi-purpose balm which is packed full of good things for the skin.  Great for moisturising on the go.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick 4g - deeply moisturises the lips. Smells great too and good for the handbag or pocket.

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain - moisturises and tints the lips with a stain ranging from pale pink to red depending on your mood. One of my all time favourite products.

Ooops I forgot a few..

Lanolips 101 Ointment 15g - not used this for a while! See my review here.

Lush It Started with a Kiss Lip Tint 8g & Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Lip Balm 7ml - I received both of these from Julie in our Birthday Swap and I've not tried them yet!

Have you used any of these?  What's your favourite Lip Balm? 

*PR samples

March Empties

Here's my March empties:

Nourish Balance Essential Moisturiser sample - this was nice to use and had a great scent but quite a small sample so unsure if it's really suited to my skin. I'd maybe try and purchase a bigger size.

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil 7.5ml - simply adore this bath oil. Sure to buy it full size at some point.  See my review here.

Conscious Skincare Grapefruit & Cedarwood Body Wash 50ml - this was lovely and refreshing. I'm tempted to pick up full size.

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Lotion 20ml - my favourite Weleda scent. Sure to buy again.  See my review here.

Maddi Alexander Frivolous Bath Oil 10ml - this was lovely to use and scented with citrus and spice. Would buy again.

Revive Creme Visage SPF30 5ml - a real luxe face cream. Was nice to use but probably wouldn't purchase as it is super pricey.

bodhi Ylang Ylang Incensa Sensual Bath & Shower Therapy 50ml - one of my favourites. See my review here.

Urbanveda Daily Purifying Facial Wash 20ml - this was nice to use.  See my review here. I've got another stashed away to use.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 30ml - one of my favourite foundations. Will repurchase.

Estee Lauder Daywear BB Creme 5ml - this was nice to use, a natural looking shade and one I'd consider purchasing.

Urbanveda Radiance Face Wash 20ml - again a nice product. Would perhaps purchase.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash 100ml - huge fan of the bath oil. This is lovely too.  Got a few minis to use up.

Dr Organic Pomeganate Deodorant 50ml - love this deodorant. Already picked up another.

Dr Bronner Peppermint Magic Pure Castille Soap mini - my favourite Dr Bronner's scent. I have already re-purchased this.  Mainly use it to clean my make up brushes (or the bath!)

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Evening Bath & Shower Oil 7.5ml - nice enough to use but prefer Deep Relax or Inner Strength scents.

Omorovicza Gold Hydalift Mask 2ml - a gorgeous mask.  See my review here.

SKINLikes Natural Deodorant 70ml* - one of my favourite deodorants.  See my review here. Know I will buy this effective and nicely scented deodorant again.

kai shampoo 59ml, kai conditioner 59ml and kai perfume oil 3.6ml - absolutely love this scent and would repurchase all in a heartbeat.

Willow Organic Beauty Super Firming Serum 20ml* - loved this! See my review here.

*PR sample

A Closer Look: Serums & Face Oils

When I started #NoBuyJanuary I showed you a photo of my over-stuffed bathroom cabinet (well..one of them!)  See here. Today I'm going to show you my Serums and Face Oils collection.  These are my all time favourite type of skincare items along with cleansers and body products.

S5 Calm Serum 10ml - this came in a beauty box and is really nice to use.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum 10ml - I got this recently in a Latest in Beauty pack not really tried it much yet.

Willow Organic Beauty Super Firming Serum 20ml* - simply love this. You can feel it instantly firming on the skin.  See my review here.

Apivita Natural Serum Radiance 15ml* - lovely to use.  See my review here.

inner-soul organics Barefaced Beauty Natural Serum 30ml - I was lucky enough to win this and other goodies in Fi's (The Beauty Shortlist) giveaway just before Christmas. A full review to come.

MVO Face Oil sample* - a gorgeous face oil which is packed full of good things for the skin.  See my review here. I'll be sad when this one's finished.

001 Intensive Elixir 30ml* - my favourite face oil of last year.  See my review here.  It makes the skin look and feel amazing. It also has a beautiful scent.

Kris D'Amour Organic Argan, Apple Seed & Strawberry Seed Rejuvenating Face Treatment Oil 30ml* - a light treatment oil which smells lovely.  See my initial thoughts here.

Botanicals Rose & Camellia Face Oil sample - this came in a mini gift set a while ago. Nice to use and smells lightly of roses. See my post here.

inner-soul organics Mullein Flower Purifying Facial Oil 30ml - another product I received in the prize from Fi at the Beauty Shortlist. Again, a review will be up soon. Both are simply exquisite.

Charlotte Hilton Rose Otto Facial Serum 25ml* - a gorgeous rosehip, argan oil and pomegranate seed oil based facial serum scented with rose otto. Again review up soon.

ESPA Optimal Skin ProSerum 8ml* - a lovely light serum which I reviewed here. Also have back ups of this!

bodhi Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil 30ml - one of my favourite face oils and one which will always be in my collection. I just love everything about it. See my review here. This is a brand new bottle :)

bodhi Neroli Luce Revitalising Face Oil 15ml - I also love this one for spring/summer months. This is great for combination/oily skin and smells fantastic.

Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil 1oz* - I was sent this to review from a beautiful world and love it. See my review here. It seems that every Indie Lee product I try I love!

Antipodes Divine Face Oil 30ml - a simply gorgeous oil which I have only recently cracked open. I received it in my Selfridges box ages back.  Packed full of good things for the skin. Review up soon.

Lj's Very Indulgent Organic Face Oil 30ml - I received this from Jen in the Autumn Beauty Swap. A gorgeous face oil which contains rosehip, evening primrose and frankincense essential oil.  One of my favourites.

OCÉOPIN L'Huile de Graines de Pin Maritime 15ml* - a really unusual facial oil scented with Maritime Pine. See my review here.

Simply Bee Propolis Serum 30ml* - this lovely serum only has three ingredients. See my review here.

Do you use any of these? What's your favourite face oils and serums?

*PR samples

Shopping my Stash #42 - #NoBuyJanuary Edition 2

These are the products I've been reaching for this week:

Melvita Apicosma Ultra-Nourishing Body Balm - I first received a mini of this in Jane's BBB Beauty Box.  A rich balm scented with honey and packed full of nourishing butters and oils. Great for all over body use but especially on dry skin areas.

Apivita Moisturising Hand Cream with Aloe and Honey* - a light hand cream which super moisturises the hands. It smells lovely too. It contains aloe, honey, natural oils and butters along with biotin, Vitamin E and Provitamin B5 which helps to strengthen nails as well as nourish.  Organic Witch Hazel enhances antioxidant and soothing action. A really lovely hand cream.

Charlotte Hilton Rose Otto Face Oil* - a rich face oil which is stuffed with good things for the skin - Rosehip Seed Oil, Argan Oil and Pomegranate Seed Oil along with Rose Otto. It moisturises the skin leaving it soft and radiant. A fuller review to follow. I reviewed the Rose Otto, Sweet and Seductive Rosebud Milk Bath here.

Bee Yummy Skin Food* - a new product which is straight from NYC and only available at a beautiful world. This moisturiser is made from totally raw ingredients and is "so pure you could eat it".  It contains wildflower honey and honey cappings, bee pollen, St John's Wort flowers, Royal Jelly, Balsam Fir needles and pure water.  It super nourishes the skin and can help with burns, cuts, eczema and psoriasis.  My skin is just loving it.  A fuller review to follow.

Willow Organic Beauty Luxury Lip Balm* - a gorgeous rich and conditioning balm which is scented with orange. It also includes comfrey, Barbary Fig oil, Vitamin E and antioxidants. It leaves the lips conditioned and glossy. A really lovely lip balm. See my review of products from the Barbary Fig Miracle range here.

Have you used any of these products?

*PR samples

Willow Organic Beauty - Barbary Fig Miracle Range

I was recently sent some products from the new Willow Organic Barbary Fig Miracle range.  I've been trying them for a few weeks now.

Sue Stowell, founder of Willow Organic Beauty previously worked as a creative interior designer.  The spa she was working with at the time asked her to source organic luxury beauty products. She couldn't find anything suitable so decided to create her own brand.

She teamed up with cosmetic chemists, herbalists and aromatherapists to develop a luxury organic range (the bath oils are pretty special too).  No animal testing, no parabens, SLS or mineral oils.  The products are Soil Association Certified.

The Barbary Fig Miracle range is the latest launch which combines the most up-to-date technology with powerful organic ingredients.  1000 kilos of Barbary Fig fruit creates 1 litre of oil which is packed with anti-oxidants and twice the Vitamin E of Argan Oil.

I was sent Gentle Cleansing Balm* (£38 - 120ml), Deeply Hydrating Toner* (£24 - 50ml), Super Firming Serum* (£80 - 20ml), Hydrating Moisturiser* (£52 - 50ml) and Luxury Conditioning Lip Balm* (£24).

Packaging is luxurious, the products are effective, a real luxury and are a joy to use.  

Gentle Cleaning Balm* - a light and easily absorbed cleansing balm which contains Barbary Fig oil, comfrey and marigold.  It deeply cleanses the skin and removes all make up including waterproof mascara. It smells fruity and is suitable for normal, dry and mature skin types.  Massage onto dry skin and remove with a warmed damp muslin cloth.  Leaves the skin soft, refreshed and clean.  Really lovely to use, this is one of my favourites.

Deeply Hydrating Toner* - a concentrated gel formula which hydrates the skin. Formulated with Barbary Fig oil, chickweed, comfrey and marigold to refine, calm and lightly moisturise the skin.  Leaves the skin refreshed.  Apply to the skin using damp cotton wool and smooth over the skin to remove any last traces of cleanser.  Suitable for normal, dry and mature skin types.

Super Firming Serum* - contains natural enzymes, Barbary Fig oil, Rosehip oil, and almond and aloe vera essences.  It helps to smooth, restore, replenish and firm the skin as well as reducing fine lines.  You can feel it instantly firming and tightening the skin on application.  Massage gently into the face and neck.  I love this!

Hydrating Moisturiser* - a light and nourishing moisturiser which contains Barbary Fig oil, rose, orange, thyme and marigold to soothe, protect and hydrate.  It leaves the skin radiant and restored.  Sutable for all skin types. Use after the serum.

Luxury Conditioning Lip Balm* - a rich and highly concentrated balm which is scented with orange.  It also includes comfrey, Barbary Fig oil, Vitamin E and antioxidants. Plumps up the lips and protects leaving the lips glossy and conditioned.  Apply as often as needed. This is a real luxe lip balm and would be great to gift.

Have you used any of the range?

See the website here

Follow on Twitter @WillowOrganic 

*PR samples