May: Lately I've Been Loving

Here's what I've been loving in May:

Our first post lockdown lunch at The Lookout by Gardener's Cottage which is perched on Calton Hill. The food and views were quite wonderful. Two other diners randomly paid for our lunch (when they heard us tell the waiter we'd missed birthday and anniversary meals through lockdown) Which was an amazing joy giving surprise. See my instagram post HERE.

It's been nice dipping in and picking up The Perfume Society boxes again. This one is their Launches we Love Discovery Box. It's jam packed. My absolute fav is Loubirouge 4ml EdP by Christian Louboutin which has notes of cardamon, iris and vanilla. 

I've been trying A Melt in Time's Luxury Wax Melts*. The clams cost £3.99 each and are hand poured using natural waxes. With a range of popular scents including a perfume inspired range. I found the scents subtle with a gentle throw (I was kindly gifted these for review). 

Lots of beach walks in the sunshine, so good for the soul! Looking forward to the better weather arriving next week!

I dipped in for a one off Natural Wellness Box - May's theme is GLOW. I adore Lola's Apothecary and Skin & Tonic (and hadn't tried the products inside the box this month). All in all I'm delighted though I had already tried 2 of the items and brands inside. Look out of individual reviews soon.

Visiting my mum and dad last weekend for lunch was sooo nice! We enjoyed my mum's trifle - one of the best things in life!

I was over the moon and then some to win a copy of Stacey Halls new novel Mrs England over on twitter. My next read!

What have you been loving this month?

*Evolve Organic Beauty Deep Clean Micellar Water

*PR sample - AD I've been trying Evolve Organic Beauty's newish Deep Clean Micellar Water (£20 - 190ml)* which is absolutely fantastic. It makes light work of make up and daily grime and is the perfect cleanser for non make up days or as a pre-cleanse. It'll cleanse and tone your skin using micellar molecules which gently lift make up and impurities with zero irritation - skin is left feeling clean and comfortable, never tight.

This natural make up remover is formulated with moringa peptides to help to remove micro particles of pollution from the skin, hyaluronic acid to lock moisture into the skin and pomegranate which helps limit water loss leaving the skin clean and glowy.

To use: use on it's own or as a first step in a cleansing ritual. Apply 3 pumps onto a reusable pad and wipe over the face and neck. Follow with a cleansing balm.

I love how clean and refreshed the micellar water leaves my skin. It's got a pleasant fruity scent and is easy to use, coming in a pump action recyclable bottle. Great product, I highly recommend and a fantastic addition to the range. What are your favourites from the brand?

Latest Buys: Witchy Treats, Hells Bells Homemade Candles, Olfactory Candles, Bodhi & Birch, Miel Botanicals, Sol de Janeiro + Dook

I've not done a latest buys post since 2nd April but I've not stopped spending! I am however from June going to limit myself to a £100 spend each month, which is more than enough for plenty of cheer me up treats!

Through my friend Sam, I discovered Witchy Treats and picked up a selection of wax melts to try. I'm working my way through them - they're lovely with strong scents and pretty colours. Using the code SAM-15% will get you 15% off your 1st order (I also received some pretty awesome free gifts!)

I also picked up 3 melts from Hells Bells Homemade Candles. The Watermelon Daiquiri is deliciously fruity and perfect for summer days. 

A little Olfactory Candles order - I was desperate to try the new Little Pots (buy 10 for £10, or £1.20 each). They are the perfect try me size or to take on holiday. The Fresh Coffee Melt Pot (£3 for 50g) smells exactly like freshly brewed rich coffee and is the best coffee scent I've ever tried. I also loved the new scent - Fresh Raspberry & Black Peppercorn so needed more! Remember you can get 15% off your 1st order with SANDRA15 (excluding burners).

I was sorry to see Pure Skin Lab close down but delighted to pick up Bodhi & Birch's exquisite Sicilian Rose Body Oil in the sale for £18!! I reviewed this beauty HERE. Chuffed to bits to have it back in my stash!

I'm always needing something to help me sleep and I've found Miel Botanicals Herbal Sleep Balm to be a miracle cure! (£8.50/£15). A review is coming for this one. It's magic.

I've lusted after Sol de Janeiro's Biggie Biggie Bum Bum Cream 500ml since I saw it in Harvey Nichols one Christmas a few years ago! I got it for a bargain price (normally £72). Feel Unique were offering 15% off and they are one of my brands, so I got 10% off on top, making it £55.08. I also received a mini of their new Bom Dia Bright Cream, a free gift for an order over £50 (Benefit 24-hr brow setter mini worth £12.50) and two free samples.

I also picked up an order locally at Dook, a gorgeous salt soap. I already adore these beauties (REVIEW) and their Hand Cleanser/Sanitiser (review to come). A wee short walk along the prom in the sunshine. Pure bliss. Founder and formulator, Helen is opening a shop locally - can't wait!

What have you bought recently?

*Love Lula: FORAGE: Herbfarmacy, Odylique, Balmonds & Ying Yang Skincare

*partly gifted - AD via the Love Lula Accredited Blogger Program. As you'll know this year I am theming my blogger picks. This month it's FORAGE - the products I've chosen contain ingredients which can be foraged from the hedgerows and roadsides. 

See my previous months: January - SLEEP,  February - LOVE, March - AWAKEN, April - BLOSSOM.

I recently bought the Herbfarmacy Nail Therapy Oil (35ml - £17.50) which is made with, among other ingredients, HORSETAIL which contains silica, a natural nail strengthener which helps to prevent splitting and cracking. The Nail Therapy oil is also formulated with Calendula to soften and antiseptic Lemon Thyme. The oil itself has a pleasant citrus aroma. I've been using a small amount on my cuticles and nails before bed. A fuller review to follow.

Also from Herbfarmacy is their Mallow Beauty Balm (30ml - £20)* which is formulated with hydrating MALLOW and Mullein with a Damask Rose scent. You can use it as a deep cleansing balm, treatment mask or moisturiser. This is a luscious rich balm which I've also used on my hands and for flyaways. A must-have. I also love the easily recyclable or re-usable tin.

From Ying Yang Skincare we have their Nettle & Zinc Scalp Cream (60ml - £14.99)*. I discovered it's best to use before bed as it leaves your hair looking quite greasy. NETTLE is ideal for scalp conditions, soothing and calming. I've got an itchy scalp so I was looking forward to putting this zesty lime scented cream to the test! Massage with fingertips onto dry areas of the scalp, trying to avoid the hair (difficult!) continuing until the scalp feels smooth. I've only had the chance to use this a couple of times so far but it definitely helps!

Balmond's Intensive Hand Cream 50ml - £10.99 is formulated with NETTLE & CHICKWEED which soothes and intensely nourishes dry and cracked hands. It's perfect for constant handwashing. It does have a very herbal aroma and I find I like to use it best at night time just before bed and love to awaken with super-soft and nourished hands.

Rounding up my FORAGE picks is Odylique's eco friendly and 100% natural Citrus Natural Deodorant (70ml - £10.99)* which contains strengthening HORSETAIL. I've found the deodorant lovely to use with a fresh citrus scent and the all important all day freshness. 

Have you used any of these products?

Blog Tour: You Had It Coming by B M Carroll

*I received an e-copy free of charge to enable me to take part in the blog tour. Today I'm on the blog tour for You Had It Coming by B M Carroll*.

WOULD YOU SAVE THE MAN

WHO DESTROYED YOUR LIFE?

When paramedic Megan Lowe is called to the scene of an attempted murder, all she can do is try to save the victim. But as the man is lifted onto a stretcher, she realises she knows him. She despises him. Why should she save his life when he destroyed hers?

Jess Foster is on her way home when she receives a text from Megan. Once best friends, the two women haven't been close for years, not since the night when they were just the teenage girls whom no-one believed; whose reputations were ruined. All Jess can think is, you had it coming.

Now Megan and Jess are at the centre of a murder investigation. But what secrets are they hiding? Can they trust one another? And who really is the victim?

Perfect for fans of C.L. Taylor, Lucy Foley and Lisa Hall, You Had It Coming is a thrilling tale of suspense and dark secrets.

About the author:

B.M. Carroll was born in Blarney, a small village in Ireland. The third child of six, reading was her favourite pastime (and still is!) Ber moved to Sydney in 1995 and spend her early career working in finance. Her work colleagues were speechless when she revealed that she had written a novel that was soon to be published. Ber now writes full time and is the author of ten novels, including Who We Were, published by Viper in 2020. Find her on twitter @bmcarrollauthor. 

My thoughts?

Wow I couldn't put this fast paced and twisty read down! Megan is a paramedic and with her partner is called out to a shooting. When they get there she realises she knows this guy. He's a barrister who ruined her and her friend Jess's lives and reputations all those years ago after the party which saw their attackers get off scot free. 

She finds it weird that she was the one to attend to him and she contacts Jess, whom she's lost contact with. Jess an ex-boxer and boxing coach finds it equally weird. The story jumps between the two girls and Bridget, the cop, whom I thought was a good character.

One of their attackers tries to contact both girls in order to meet up. They both think this is weird  Why would Dylan want to see them now, and what can he say which will make things right? 

I did guess from earlier narrative who the killer was but regardless of this I found the story fast paced, with interesting characters and gripping storylines.

*Nudge Boutique: Saffron Glow Facial Oil Serum

*gifted product - AD As you'll know I absolutely adore Nudge Boutique's decadent and luxurious May Chang & Pink Grapefruit Whipped Body Butter, see my review HERE. It's one of my favourite products this year! Founder and formulator, Jo very kindly send me her Saffron Glow Facial Oil Serum* to try and review (£20 for 10ml, £10 for 5ml).

This best seller is an absolute joy to use, scented with my fav neroli & orange. It's formulated using local Norfolk Saffron threads and carrot extract to help reduce hyperpigmentation, Virgin Prickly Pear oil hydrates, smoothes and helps with skin damage, Organic Rosehip and Olive Squalane nourishes, tones, protects and brighten while Rosemary extract soothes.

To use: warm a few drops in your palm and apply to your face, massaging in with your fingertips. Can be used AM and/or PM layering it with your day and night cream. 

Saffron Glow Facial Oil Serum* as well as being a joy to use smells amazing and my skin is left feeling nourished with a healthy glow. I like this a lot! I just finished it and am sad to see it leave my skincare stash - it'll definitely be replenished at some point! What are your favourites from the range?

*Love Lula Beauty Box: May 2021

*I receive the Love Lula Beauty Box complimentary as one of their Accredited Bloggers for an honest review. This month the contents are worth £68 and contains 4 full size products!

What a great box! The first thing to jump out at me was my fav Organic Works. Inside this month is a full size Lavender Hand Wash worth £10. For me, hand wash is always a welcome item in a beauty box as in these times I go through it by the gallon! I'm also a fan of their Bergamot Hand Wash* (review) Looking forward to this 'un! 

As soon as the latest Walden Natural Perfume - A Morning Star EdP arrived I rushed out to buy a 15ml spray. See my review HERE. Inside the beauty box this month is a full size natural perfume oil rollerball 10ml worth £22.

I've used Bowe Organics Lash Oil before and inside the box this month is their Brow Oil 10ml which is worth £17. It'll help to thicken and strengthen and grow your brows.

Rounding up the box this month is Urban Veda's Purifying Day Cream 50ml which is worth £18.99. I've used this cream before. It's suitable for oily and congested skin types and has a minty herbal aroma. 

Are you a subscriber? What are your thoughts on the contents this month?

Blog Tour: A Melancholy Event by Dan Glaister - A Giveaway! - It's Over!

Today I'm on the Blog Tour for A Melancholy Event by Dan Glaister and am delighted to be able to offer a copy of the book in a giveaway. Read on to discover more about the book and enter via the Rafflecopter below:

When Stephanie finds a hand-written story in a box of old papers, the path her life is to take becomes clear. Haunted by the true tale of a duel that took place 200 years ago, a ritual as tragic in its inevitability as it is in its futility, she is determined to harness its ghoulish beauty for her own ends.

A Melancholy Event is a tale of obsession, of a story that inhabits and infects the landscape, drawing the characters in this novel into its own world.

An eerie novel of possession and compulsion, of a young woman propelled to fulfil a macabre destiny.

About the author:

Dan Glaister was born and grew up in the south of England, going on to work at The Guardian, as a writer, editor and foreign correspondent. He is captivated by the stories embedded in the landscape, by the traces they leave and how they seep into our present. He lives in Gloucestershire, near the setting of this, his first novel. Follow him on twitter @danglaister

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Beauty Cleanse Skincare: Cabbage + Cranberry + Hemp Multipurpose Antioxidant Rich Oil-to-Milk Formula

#gifted - AD I've been trying out Beauty Cleanse Skincare's award winning Cabbage + Cranberry + Hemp Multipurpose Antioxidant Rich Oil-to-Milk Formula (£26 - 100ml)* which can be used on face, eyes and lips. The cleanser comes in a weighty glass bottle with a pump - buy it with the pump first time and then with subsequent purchases choose the plastic free aluminium lid and re-use the pump (see my review of their Carrot Algae Marine Drops* and Mean Green Superfood Drops* HERE. They also made my Top Products January - March 2021 see HERE).

It's suitable for all skin types, Vegan, gender-neutral, cruelty free, 100% natural and micro-plastic free. Formulated using the latest innovation in sustainable and natural ingredients the cleansing oil is infused with oils from leftover hemp, which contains standardised levels of natural CBD and cranberry seeds, which as a natural by-product of the food industry and would normally be binned. 

The cleansing oil is silky and rich and turns cleansing into a real ritual. It has a pleasant lightly herbal and very slightly fruity aroma which is perfect for everyone. It turns into a light milk on contact with water ensuring that you get every last drop of makeup and everyday pollution, SPF and even gym sweat from your skin. 

The powerful antioxidant blend of grapeseed, cabbage, cranberry, hemp and bisabolol soothe and soften and leave the skin feeling clean and comfortable. It's "brimming with nutrient-rich superfood ingredients, just like a juice cleanse for stressed-out and blemish-prone complexions. Pillow-y soft skin, here I come!"

To use: apply 2-3 pumps to dry hands and massage onto dry face. Massage over the skin, including eye and lip area. Add a splash or two of water and the cleanser turns into a milk. Remove with warmed damp cloth or with water.

My skin is absolutely loving this gentle cleanser which is nice to use and very effective. Again, I see it nudging into my Top Products this year! 

Saman, the founder and formulator of Beauty Cleanse Skincare is currently crowdfunding and has extended the help-out date to the 17th May - see the rewards you can receive it you join the crowdfunder to launch her innovative minimalist Superfood-Powdered Multipurpose Face Mask and ethical zero-waste gifting bags made of sustainable cork HERE.

*Ecooking 50+ Series

#PR samples AD As you'll know I'm a huge fan of Ecooking and their new range for ages 50+ is fantastic (I'm 53). I love the brand already - see my reviews - Cleansing Gel (HERE), Firming Serum*, Neck & Decolletage Cream* + Eye Cream* (HERE) and Fragrance Free Micellar Water* + Cleansing Scrub* (HERE). You can buy the range online at places like Feel Unique and Look Fantastic.

I was sent 3 items from the range - 50+ Cleansing Foam (200ml - £23)*, 50+ Fragrance Free Serum (30ml - £49)* and 50+ Goodnight Cream (50ml - £32)*. The series is formulated with ingredients such as stem cells from wild olive trees, CBD from citrus peel, electrolytes+ and the range is fragrance free.

50+ Cleansing Foam is a light and fluffy foam which gently cleanses the skin. I use this in my morning shower. It's formulated with mild cleansers and like the whole range, plant stem cells from wild olive trees give the skin an energy boost. Niacinamide and panthenol moisture, soften and improve elasticity. The Cleansing Foam is suitable for all skin types and will clean and nourish. It's presented in a PET bottle with pump.

To use: can be used AM or PM. Wet skin and massage 1-2 pumps of foam into your skin using circular movements before rinsing and patting dry.

This is a lovely product (I'm slightly missing the signature Ecooking scent though!) The Cleansing Foam gently cleanses leaving the skin feeling clean and never tight.

50+ Serum protects and nourishes as well as helps to improve elasticity and structure. Again, the product uses stem cells from wild olive trees which help to renew and repair. The serum is also formulated with two types of hyaluronic acid which helps to bind moisture to the skin. It'll add moisture, soften, smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and make the skin glow! (this is my favourite from the range).

To use: apply at night after cleansing, smoothing a few drops over the face and neck before night cream.

A gorgeous and luxurious serum which makes the skin glow!

50+ Goodnight Cream was the one I was most excited to try! It'll give you fresher and smoother skin while you sleep. This luxurious cream will pamper and care for your skin, moisturising, firming and smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. CBD, from citrus peel strengthens while hyaluronic acid and electrolytes deeply moisturise. Wake up with fresher and smoother skin. 

To use: apply every night after the 50+ serum.

This is a beautiful night cream which does exactly what it says it will! It has a rich cream texture and absorbs almost instantly. 

A fantastic range, which I so recommend. I've really enjoyed trying these three products from the 50+ series and have noticed a definite difference in my skin's tone and texture. 

*Blog Tour: The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan

Today I'm on the Blog Tour for the fantastic The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan. I received an ecopy* free of charge to enable me to take part in the blog tour.

Three women, three different stages of life, united by one thing: the chance to start again.

When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, she must turn to her friend, Jo for help, who calls in her daughter, Lucy to run the village surgery. Leaving her city life, and past demons, behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.

As life slowly begins to resemble something normal for the three women, Jo's world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.

In search of some solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice; to take a dip in the nip...

An emotional story about taking chances, finding new friends and living life to the fullest.

About the Author:

Faith Hogan is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of six novels. She also writes crime novels under the name, Geraldine Hogan. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown up women's fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel good and inspiring. 

Faith Hogan was born in Ireland. She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway.

She is currently working on her next novel. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. You can find out more about Faith on her website www.faithhogan.com and catch her on Twitter @gerhogan.

My thoughts?

I fell head-over-heels for this gorgeous book! Elizabeth's husband, the village GP dies suddenly leaving her with huge and largely unexplained debts. She turns to her friend Jo who suggests that the daughter, Lucy may be able to lend a hand in the meantime as she's taking time out from her busy hospital job. Lucy is divorced and she and her teenage  son, Niall come down to Ballycove from Dublin to check the situation out and see if they could make their home there.

Dan is having some time out from his busy life in London to try and trace someone who means the world to him. He's also planning to write his first novel. He meets Niall in unusual circumstances and becomes a father-figure and friend.

Jo and Elizabeth start taking midnight swims together to share their troubles as well as having a few laughs. When Jo breaks the news to her friends and family everyone is heartbroken but after getting over the shock of it they plan a big fundraiser - gathering all the women together, young and old to take part in a midnight skinny dip, which turns out to be a huge success.

There are some moments in the book which had me in tears, both sad and happy ones which made my heart ache. I just loved the storylines and characters and highly recommend it. It's one of my favourite reads this year.

*NeuroSkinFeeds: The MicroMilk

*PR sample - AD I've been testing out Award Winning NeuroSkinFeeds The MicoMilk 250ml - £33. Having loved the brand's TheMicroOil (REVIEW)* I was keen to try the luxurious formulation for the body. It comes boxed and in a pump action bottle.

The MicroMilk has a very light lotion texture, has a fairly neutral creamy sort of scent and it absorbs almost instantly. It helps to keep dry skin skin nourished and feeling silky soft. Formulated with antioxidant rich Camelina sativa seed oil which calms both the body and mind and helps to restore the skin's natural barrier. It'll also calm sensitive skin and hydrate. Cannabis sativa seed oil +1% CBD, the super booster intensely nourishes and regenerates tired skin. Rich in Vitamins A and E it'll deeply moisturise as well as, improve the skin's structure. Aloe vera gel hydrates, soothes and reduces inflammation leaving it feeling comfortable and smooth. Shea Butter is rich in polysaturated fatty acids and vitamins and it'll helps to softens, heals, conditions and soothes. The ingredients are carefully selected for the skin's benefits but also for the mind's. 

To use: smooth onto the body AM and PM

I've really enjoyed using the MicroMilk as it absorbs instantly and leaves the skin feeling moisturised and soft. I like to use it after my bath, just before bed for instant relaxation and calm. Pick yours up HERE.

Love Lula: Walden Natural Perfumes: A Morning Star Natural Perfume Purse Spray

I recently spotted a new Walden Natural Perfume over at Love Lula and you know the drill, I had to snap one up to try it. I chose the 15ml purse spray which retails at £26. A Morning Star EdP is blue in colour and simply boxed.

The range of perfumes (I'm a huge fan of Two Eternities - see my review HERE) are made from the finest natural absolutes, resins and essential oils. The perfumes are named after Henry David Thoreau's seminal work Walden. The book which is part meditation, part handbook for simple living and natural surroundings and Walden Natural Perfumes walk in his footsteps.

“The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.”

A Morning Star opens with a strong note of lavender which mellows quite quickly and notes of bergamot and grapefruit appear. With heart notes of Rose di Mai, ambrette seed and chamomile and base notes of sandalwood, orris butter, cabreuva wood and orange flower.

I'm really enjoying wearing the perfume and find I like it best when it's settled. Softly floral with hints of citrus and woody depths (you can pick up a small sample if that suits you better to try before committing. These come in at £3 for a 2ml rollerball (a sample you can buy with a £10+ purchase) or a 5ml trial size at £12). It's one of my favorites from the range. 

Which Walden Natural Perfumes do you like best?

*The Pomelo Box: May 2021: Spring is in the Air

*gifted - AD When founder and curator, Sadia got in touch and asked me to review her new quarterly box I jumped at the chance as I'm always looking for the perfect subscription box and it seems that The Pomelo Box has it all! What you'll find each quarter is a bit of beauty, some lifestyle items including things like candles, edibles and homewares all made by UK artisans. This month the theme is "Spring is in the Air" and inside the box are 7 items (they'll always be a minimum of 5 full sizes). You can buy a one-off box for the special price of £44.99, sign up quarterly at £47.99 or yearly at £183.96 with free p&p. See all the subscriptions HERE. This quarter the box is worth over £85.

When you untie the ribbon and open the box you'll find an info card (below) and the box contents wrapped in good quality shiny tissue paper. Some of the more delicate items are wrapped also in tissue which really makes you feel like you are opening a gift.

WOW. What a fabulous selection. Nestled inside are 4 new-to-me brands which is what you want to see in a subscription box. It really is an interesting mix of things. 

Now for a closer look..

The first thing to jump out at me was the beautiful Falling Hearts fused glass hanging heart by Morpheus Glass, a business local to Sadia. The blue shades are really lovely and will look great in my living room when it's redecorated at the end of the month! A fab addition to the box.

A new to me beauty brand! (squeals). Inside the box this quarter you'll find Vetivert&Co's Lavender & Vetivert Dead Sea Salt Body Polish 250ml which is a fab addition to the box. This vegan scrub is gorgeous and a review is to come!

Yet another new-to-me brand! Inside you'll find 15ml of MEI BOTANIC STUDIO's exquisite Tsubaki Blue day/night treatment concentrate which has an oil regulating formula, with my combo skin this is perfect for me. I adore palo santo too! A review will come for this one also.

Coconut & Raspberry Dark Chocolate from Seed & Bean - Yum and a Rainbow Wildflower Seedbom. Happy and very nice items which I'll enjoy. This really is the box which keeps on giving as well as being great value.

A Grapefruit & Lime candle from Arya Candles, a socially conscious company who handcraft natural home fragrance products in Suffolk. The blend also contains peppery basil and lavender. I'm looking forward to lighting this one! The candles are made with rapeseed wax and high quality essential oils. It's also another new-to-me brand! The company support women in former war torn countries via Women for Women International.

Rounding up the box is an award winner from Betty Hula. This brand is known-to-me so it's nice to revisit. Inside is their Nourishing Anti-Bacterial Hand Moisturiser 150ml in exotic Lime & Mango. They have incorporate silver chromide into the formulation for natural & gentle anti-bac properties. It's perfect for covid times! 

It's a fantastic new quarterly subscription box. I love everything inside. Make it yours HERE. Thanks again to Sadia for gifting me the box for review.

*REVIEW: Africology Body Care

*PR samples - AD I was delighted to to try new-to-me brand Africology, South Africa's leading Spa brand which is organic, fair trade and the products are ethically formulated with their own exquisite scents. Founder, Renchia Droganis is a natural healer and botanical alchemist. She trained as a Reiki master, Aromatherapist and Metaphysical Counsellor and has worked with victims of South Africa's turbulent past. She also shared her homemade bespoke skincare with her clients incorporating them into massage and skincare treatments. Even now she uses metaphysical concepts to her manufacturing area working with energetic frequencies, crystals and meditation. 

I've honestly loved all the products I've tried - they are effective, smell great and add a touch of luxury to everyday life. Your purchases come beautifully boxed and tied with ribbon which in itself is joy giving!

I've been trying the products over a few weeks and enjoyed all of them, although I do have some favourites!

Skin Conditioning Marula Oil (50ml - £35)* is pure luxury. It's presented in a dropper bottle and can be used all over the body for naturally glowing skin. Formulated with marula oil and rooibos and scented with uplifting neroli. It really is heaven in a bottle! 

To use: massage over the body after a bath or shower.

It's absolutely beautiful. Deeply nourishing with a delicious scent. It's one of my favourite products this year.

I was also delighted to try sample pots of Body Butter and Cape Snow Bush Body Balm (which retail full price at £30 each). The Body Butter has an aromatic scent and a rich buttery feel. It's formulated with Cocoa and Shea Butters, repairing Canola Oil as well as Marula, Rooibos, African Potato and Aloe extract. It's scented with gloriously uplifting Neroli essential oil. 

To use: warm the butter in your hand before massaging onto the skin.

This is a beautiful product. Deeply nourishing, rich and hydrating with a delectable scent. Love!

Cape Snow Bush Body Balm has a herbal aroma which captures the essence of the flowers grown in South Africa's Cape region. The Snow Bush (also known as wild rosemary) has detoxifying properties making it an effective health tonic. It also has sedative properties which help calm and relax a stressed body and mind. 

To use: the aromatic balm easily melts onto warm skin. A small amount can be added to the bath for a soothing soak or added to an aromatherapy burner for surround self-care.

The balms are formulated with plant waxes making them Vegan friendly. Again, I've loved using the balm and definitely want to try more of the body balms which come in an enticing range of scents.

What are your favourites from the brand?