*Love Lula: Awake Organics Natural Vegan Shampoo

*sent to me free of charge as part of the Love Lula Accredited Blogger Program. I'm already a huge fan of Awake Organics. 

You can see my previous reviews HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. I've been testing out their latest launch - Natural Vegan Shampoo (55g - £12.99)* which is presented in a recyclable/re-usable aluminium bottle. The Vegan and small batch brand is 100% natural, eco-friendly, certified cruelty free, plant based and multi-award winning.

The shampoo is 100% biodegradable, contains no water, fillers, colours, alcohol, SLS, silicones, microplastics, parabens, palm oil or mineral oil. It's in powder form and is activated with water. Mix to a paste with a few drops of water before massaging onto damp hair (the lather is immense!). You'll also get up to 35 washes from each bottle making it very cost effective and perfect if you're trying to go greener.

Natural caffeine from Guarana seed, organic Rosemary and Lemongrass oil stimulates your scalp an encourages growth. Coconut milk protein strengthens and softens while Acacia tree gum helps with volume and shine. The shampoo is pH balanced to prevent dryness and colour-stripping.  It's suitable for all hair types but especially good for weak, thinning and colour treated hair.

To use: apply a small amount to your palm and activate with a few drops of water. Apply the paste to the roots of wet hair, lathering before rinsing. Follow with conditioner, if needed. 

I've been really impressed with this product. It's easy to use, great for travel and better for the environment. I've found I don't always need to use conditioner as it really does leave your hair soft and silky. It's really great and I highly recommend (it's definitely in my top products of 2020!) Have you tried it, if so, what are your thoughts?

August Empties

I'm very early with my August empties but I'm absolutely drowning in the stuff and want to recycle! Products marked * I've very kindly been gifted for review.

I've a few perfume samples: All Saints Incense City vial which I picked up via Feel Unique's pick 'n' mix service. I've since bought full size of this. See my review HERE. Safe to say I love it and would re-purchase. From Avon is one of their latest launches - Elixir of Love - Falling in Love with Neroli & Iris EdP vial (again, loved this and have picked up full size). My final sample vial is from Typology (Yuzu Mandarine)* - see my review HERE.  One for the wishlist.

I totally adored D'Alchemy's Spectacular Hand Therapy* and was bereft when I used this up (it's on the wishlist when I've used up some hand creams in my stash). It's just total perfection. See my review HERE.

Avon's Planet Spa Aromatherapy Beauty Sleep Hand Cream 30ml was nice to use before bed. Might or might not pick it up again.

I'd read absolute rave reviews about La Roche-Posay's Pure Vitamin C10 Serum 30ml. The product is fantastic as it brightens and makes the skin glow but the pipette packaging is terrible (cue excess dried on around the neck). Loved the product - hated the packaging.

Trilogy's Vitamin C Booster Treatment 12.5ml* I really liked this and would definitely buy it again when my skin needs some oompf. Check out my review HERE.

Diptyque Philosykos Perfume Oil Roll On - the best fig perfume out there. Will pick up the EdT at some point.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk 150ml - one of my favourite dry shampoos. Have already cracked open a new one. Does what it says on the tin.

Bronnley Rose Luxury Soap which was an absolute delight. Will definitely buy again. I also enjoyed Seatree's Bergamot Handcrafted Soap* see my review HERE (also the Patchouli soap further down my post).

Sol de Janeiro's Brazilian Joia Shampoo & Conditioner sachets both 10ml had been on the to try-list. Lovely to use - my hair loved them (and I adore that original bum bum scent). Full sizes on the wishlist. Moving on..

I loved Bloomtown The Woods Nourishing Dry Oil 100ml* see my review HERE. I've got a HUGE body care stash but I'll buy this when it reduces in size. I've had the Neal's Yard Remedies Garden Mint & Bergamot Hand Wash 200ml for what seems like forever (it was beside the sink in the kitchen) It's a lush and silky refreshing wash which I'll definitely buy again at some point. 

From Elemental Herbology is their Lemongrass & Nutmeg Body Wash 290ml which I thoroughly enjoyed using. See my review HERE. It's one I'll definitely buy again. I buy again and again Avon's Zen Mandarin & Jasmine Handwash 250ml as I love the scent...and there's more...

JOIK Organic Quick Absorbing Hand Lotion & Softening & Deodorising Foot Lotion* samples. These gave a flavour of the products and yes, full sizes are on the wishlist!  Darphin Tangerine Aromatic Care 4ml absolutely gorgeous product - full size is on the wishlist. From Indie Lee is a trial size of their Purifying Face Wash which was nice to try. Unlikely to repurchase as there are other face washes I prefer. Moroccanoil Body Souffle mini which came in my August My Beauty Kit. Nice to try but not a buy-er.

I loved re-visiting Bramley products REVIEW and found their Body Wash lovely to use on hot summer days and nights. My final beauty item is Odacite's fab mood cleansing ayurvedic bath salts. See my review HERE.

What have you been using up this month?

Naturisimo: Vegan Life Discovery Box

As you know, I can never resist a Naturisimo Discovery Box! Their latest one is Vegan Life Discovery Box and inside are 9 hand picked items with a total value of £80! Pick up a box for £18.95 plus p&p (or free with a £25 spend).

It's absolutely stuffed full!

From Pai Skincare there's a 2ml tube of their Perfect Balance Blemish Serum which I've not tried before. I do get occasional spots (who doesn't?) so I'm looking forward to putting it to the test.

From Inika there's a full size (and worth £19.50) Lipstick Crayon in Pink Nude, a very wearable, suit everyone shade. I love this! (and it's always nice to see a couple of make up items in boxes!)

I received Boucleme's Exfoliating Scalp Shampoo 100ml (£12) in a previous discovery box and my scalp loves this effective detoxifying shampoo. Happy to have another in my stash!

Antipodes's Rejoice Day Cream 15ml had been on my wishlist so this is why (along with the JMO product) the box firmly landed in my basket! A review will come.

From Fushi there is 50ml of their Organic Jojoba Oil (£14) which is great to nourish the skin and hair (I also love the glass bottle packaging).

The second item to sway me into buying the box was John Masters Organics Green Tea & Calendula Leave-In Conditioning Mist 30ml (worth £10) as it had been on my wishlist for what seemed like forever!

Ever luxe, a dinky jewel from RMS Beauty. I adore mini make up products and this one's a beaut. Inside is their Luminizing Powder Madeira Bronze 2g which will leave the skin glowy and radiant. 

Rounding up the box are 3 x 5g sachets from The Nue Co of their Debloat Food & Prebiotic which are great if you suffer constipation and bloating. These are very much an acquired taste (vile) but do work. Rounding up the box is a 40g sachet of Form Nutrition's Superblend Protein Chocolate Caramel, a protein shake containing 20g plant based Vegan protein.

Did you pick up a Vegan Life Discovery Box?

*CiTY SURViVOR Night Support, Pollution Protection and Immune Support

*gifted I came across CiTY SURViVOR as a The Beauty Shortlist Judge in the 2020 10th Anniversary Beauty Shortlist & Welllbeing Awards and fell head-over-heels for their fantastic IMMUNE SUPPORT Capsules which picked up a Wellbeing Winner Award (along with POLLUTION PROTECTION). As well as looking fantastic, the aluminium capsule packaging is recyclable or reusable.

Founded by nutritionist Daisy Connor who understands that people need a simple and straightforward supplement plan which is easy to take and fit in with their lifestyles and so, CiTY SURViVOR was born!

IMMUNE SUPPORT with Beta Glucans & Elderberry (£19.95 for 60 capsules)* won Best Immunity Supplement in the awards. The capsules get their purple-y colour from the Elderberry extract. Beta Glucans are combined with Vitamins A & C and Zinc, which maintains the normal function of the immune system. It can be taken as a daily support, when travelling or exposed to seasonal coughs and colds (I've been taking it pretty regularly recently). Take 2-4 capsules daily.

To use: take one capsule daily with food. You can up this to a maximum of four if you are feeling under the weather. Take with POLLUTION PROTECTION Daily Protection.

I've found all the tablets really easy to fit into my routine and they have made me feel safer during this unsettled period!

*POLLUTION PROTECTION Daily Multi-Vitamin with Antioxidants (£34.95 for 60 capsules)* (as I said earlier these also scooped a Beauty Shortlist win for Best All-Round Vitamin & Mineral supplement at the 2020 Wellbeing Awards). I've found I've more energy and feel less anxious.

The daily multi-vitamin provides your essential daily vitamins and minerals in high quality and active forms, including Methyl-B12 and Folate along with Copper, Natural Vitamin E, Maganese, Vitamin B2, Selenium, Vitamin C and Zinc. Unusual in a multi - N-Acetyl-Cysteine, CoQ10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid along with  Natural Beta-Carotene complex, Niacin, P-5-P, B5 and K2. The capsules are free from Iron. 

To use: take two capsules daily with breakfast or lunch

Rounding up the trio is NIGHT SUPPORT Magnesium & Theanine Complex (£14.95 - 60 capsules)* which help you get a more rested night's sleep. They'll support a calm night time routine with Magnesium being important for the normal function of the nervous system, it also helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue which is paired with amino acid L-Theanine (more commonly found in your soothing cup of tea) and L-Taurine. They are free from sedatives so you won't feel drowsy the next day. I've felt these supplements have given me a better and more rested night's sleep (they're magic!)

To use: take 2 capsules 30 minutes before bed (or in the daytime if you need some calm concentration).

I've been hugely impressed with the trio of supplements* Daisy so very kindly gifted me to try and review - they do what they say on the tin and take guesswork out of which supplements will best suit your needs when browsing the hundreds available instore.

Pick yours up HERE and see a list of stockist HERE. 

*Blog Tour: Sight Unseen by Sandra Ireland

Today I'm on the Blog Tour for Sight Unseen (A Sarah Sutherland Thriller) *by Sandra Ireland. I found the story absolutely riveting and can't wait until the next one in the series. I received an ARC free of charge to enable me to take part in the Blog Tour.

1648. Alie Gowdie marries Richard Webster during a turbulent time in Scotland’s history. Charles I is about to lose his head, and little does Alie know that she too will meet a grisly end within the year.

2019. Sarah Sutherland is struggling to cope with the demands of her day job, caring for her elderly father and keeping tabs on her backpacking daughter. She wanted to be an archaeologist, but now in her forties, she is divorced, alone, and there seems to be no respite, no glimmer of excitement on the horizon. However, she does have a special affinity with the Kilgour Witch, Alie Gowdie, who lived in Sarah’s cottage until her execution in 1648, and Sarah likes nothing better than to retreat into a world of sorcery, spells and religious fanaticism.

Her stories delight tourists as she leads them along the cobbled streets of her home town, but what really lies behind the tale of Alie Gowdie, the Kilgour Witch? Can Sarah uncover the truth in order to right a centuries-old wrong? And what else might modern-day Kilgour be hiding, just out of sight?

About the Author:

Sandra Ireland was awarded a Carnegie-Cameron scholarship to study for an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study at the University of Dundee, graduating with a distinction in 2014. Her work has appeared in various publications and women's magazines. She is the author of Beneath the Skin (2016), Bone Deep (2018) and The Unmaking of Ellie Rook (2019). She lives in Carnoustie, Scotland.

Buy your copy HERE.

My thoughts?

I loved this first book in a new series featuring Sarah Sutherland, a divorced woman in her 40s who just hasn't enough hours in the day, spending it either working as Manager of the local supermarket, caring for her elderly dad or worrying about her backpacking daughter who's off on her travels.

Sarah has a huge interest in history and the supposed witch, Alie Gowdie who lived in her cottage. She also takes tourists on witch tours on the streets of small town Kilgour, pointing out places of interest while weaving in stories of Alie Gowdie and other happenings at that time.

Her dad is seeing what seems like ghosts in his house but he doesn't want to bother his daughter and instead tells his new carer, Grant whom Sarah seems to know. Sarah finds herself forming an unlikely friendship with Grant.

I raced through the story and found that the cliffhangers at the end made me want more. Roll on book #2. A fantastic start to a new series. I'd highly recommend.

*ZOJO Beauty Elixirs Magic Cocoa

*sent to me free of charge as part of the Love Lula Accredited Blogger Program for an honest review. I'm a huge fan of ZOJO Beauty Elixirs The Bikini Body Formula* - see my review HERE. I've been trying latest launch the fabulous Magic Cocoa - High Vibrations Chill Out Cocoa with Mushrooms (150ml - £29)* which had me drooling as soon as I opened the lid as it smells of rich and dark decadent chocolate (without a whiff of mushrooms in sight!)

"Magic Cocoa chills you out and warms you up - all at the same time!"

A blend of rich raw cocoa along with Ashwagandha and various mushroom powders (Reishi, Lion's Mane & Maitkake) which helps to relax, calm, rejuvenate, balance and support. It'll boost your energy if you drink a cup in the morning, elevate your mood during the afternoon slump and calm and relax both the body and mind in the evenings. 

To use: mix two tablespoons (round about 10g) in hot water or warm milk (I blend the powder with a little kettle hot water before topping it up with hot milk. I do find it slightly too bitter for my tastes so have been adding half a teaspoon of sugar per drink.

With prolonged use you'll see glowy and rejuvenated skin, a sense of calm and vitality and more get-up-and-go with Reishi mushrooms contributing to natural immunological defenses. I've found the drink absolutely delicious and have found it totally calms me down. Having a cup in the evening calms and relaxes both the body & mind before bed. I think it's absolutely fantastic and will definitely be replenishing the jar!

Have you tried it?

Latest in Beauty: Beauty Vay-Cay or Stay-Cay

My final month of my three month Latest in Beauty subscription came the other day. I picked this month's Haul of Fame Product plus two items from July. There are some things upcoming I'd like so I may buy another box this month!

The extra this month is money off code for Frank Body plus a mini Coconut Coffee Scrub sachet. And so, for a closer look...

I've tried Dr Sebagh Serum Repair Hyaluronic Acid before (it's fantastic). This is the Haul of Fame product this month and worth £20 (5ml)! It plumps, hydrates, rejuvenates and promotes skin cell renewal. Use alone or layering with other products. You can also use it as a 10 minute mask.

My second pick (again this month!) is Earthkind's fantastic Shampoo Bar for improved scalp health with Tea Tree & Eucalyptus 50g (worth £6.95). See my review HERE.

My final pick (3 item box) which was a July pick (after I'd made my July picks) is the refreshing Pink Grapefruit Try-Me Box from Farmologie (Child's Farm) which is worth £7.50 and contains 4 products - body wash, bath soak, moisturiser and hand cream. This is a fab wee set!

What have you pick up from Latest in Beauty recently?

*Love Lula Beauty Box: August 2020

I received the Love Lula Beauty Box* free of charge as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger for an honest review. This month the box is worth £70! (subscriptions start UK wide at a very affordable £14.95 on a recurring basis). As ever there's a very generous 20% off for subscribers on brands in the box this month.

And for a closer look..

The first thing to jump out at me is the full size (30ml - £35) Pure Perfection Primer by Inika. This Vegan primer makes the skin feel silky smooth. Use it before foundation or on it's own for hydrated and smooth skin. A full review is to come!

From Madara is a try-me size of their Plant Stem Cell Age Defying Sunscreen SPF30 (10ml) which has a slight tint. I'm looking forward to trying it out! 

From FOM London is their Anti-Pollution Face Cleansing Cream 30ml which will hydrate as it cleanses. I love cleansers so looking forward to trying it. A review will come later.

The final items is a full size product from Laidbare and is their Glow Laidbare! Facial Self Tanner (50ml - £12) which will give you a natural sun kissed glow. Another great value box this month! 

My favourite item is Inika's Pure Perfection Primer. Are you a subscriber? What are your thoughts?

Latest Buys: Naturisimo, Pink Lagoon Crystals, Olfactory, NorthburN, Anenome Aromas

I know, I know I'm still treating myself too much! Here's what I've been buying lately:

I'd spotted Fushi's new uplifting Coconut & Frangipani Body Wash (glass bottle) (230ml - £10) and couldn't resist it. The fragrance sounded perfect for summer as well as cooling and refreshing. The gentle exotic scent is delicious. A lovely product. I fancied rahua's new Enchanted Island Lotion Mist and spotted that a smaller, travel size (30ml) was available at £16. Again, it has a beautiful tropical scent and absorbs instantly - it'd be perfect to pack for your next beach hol. I was desperate to try Josh Rosebrook's new Enfleuria Botanical Fragrance Oil but full size 15ml costs a whopping £150! A little sample vial (1.5ml costs a fiver). This is stunning, one to save up for! Reviews to come!

I've got a total obsession with wax melts at the moment and these Vegan ones by Pink Lagoon Crystals are simply stunning as well as smelling divine. Check out my little instagram post listing all the scents HERE. Almost to pretty to melt!

I love Scottish Olfactory - their Red Delicious Apple Little Melts are truly mouthwatering - they smell just like a juicy red apple. Yum! Pick yours up HERE. These cost £4.50 for 8 little red heart melts. Check out the MiSi Melts too - they are excellent value at 75p per melt (or pick up a bundle).

NorthburN's Gift of the Month is always such great value. This month there are 10 Lime & Coconut Melts, 6 long lasting unscented tealights and a 50ml Reed Diffuser which costs £12 saving £6. It's the perfect scent for summer and a great value set.

I picked up Anenome Aroma's August Box which is entitled "Mad about Jo" (£15) and inside are lots of Jo Malone inspired scents - Wild Strawberry & Parsley, Blackberry & Bay, Pear & Freesia, Peony Suede Blush, Bluebell Woods and Lime Basil & Mandarin. I was really impressed - you get a lot for your money - and the brittle and mermaid slab are gorgeous! Owner and founder, Charley had been disappointed with the ranges available and decided to create her own, developing the ranges while on maternity leave. Check out the shop HERE.

What have you been buying lately?

Love Lula: August Accredited Blogger Picks

*sent to me very generously free of charge as a Love Lula Accredited Blogger. Last month I started a new series showing my picks, followed by reviews where necessary. See my July picks HERE. This month I selected: a brand new product, one which had been on my wishlist and three sample sizes (which are available to buy with a £10+ spend (up to five). And so, for a closer look:

My first pick was Awake Organics brand new Natural Vegan Shampoo 55g (£12.99)* which comes in powder form. Mix to a paste before massaging onto your roots, lathering then rinse. It smells great (lemongrass+rosemary). Expect a full review when I get the chance to try it out properly (I love the aluminium packaging too!) It's good for weak, thinning and colour treated hair (tried it once so far, it's fantastic!)

Madara's Time Miracle Hydra Firm Hyaluron Concentrate Jelly (£30 - 75ml)* has been on the wishlist a while. It feels amazing on the skin, deeply hydrating yet very lightweight. I'm so looking forward to testing it out. Expect a review very shortly.

I love trying products before buying full size so samples are a great idea (5 can be bought with a £10+ spend). See the selection currently available HERE. I selected:

The Organic Pharmacy Peppermint Facial Wash Trial Size (£6.50 - 20ml)* is a great try-me size or for holidays. The minty wash is unisex and ideal for teens too. Again, expect a review for this one.

Rounding up my picks this month are two sachet samples from JOIK Organic, their Quick Absorbing Hand Lotion* (I got three uses from the sachet) and Softening & Deodorising Foot Lotion* (one small use). I loved both of these - they smell great and feel quite effective (yes, you've guessed it, I want them full size!) These samples cost 25p each.

From time to time Love Lula offer bloggers extras if they can commit to reviewing that month. I was lucky enough to be selected to try ZOJO Beauty Elixirs new Magic Cocoa 150g (£29)*.

As soon as I opened the lid I was drooling! It smells of rich and dark decadent chocolate. The blend can be enjoyed in hot water or warm milk and will revive your energy and senses throughout the day. Expect a full review shortly.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what are your thoughts?

Blog Tour: The Silence by Susan Allott

Today I'm on the Blog Tour for The Silence by Susan Allott. I bought the book myself via my May My Chronicle Book Box.

It is 1997, and in a basement flat in Hackney, Isla Green is awakened by a call in the middle of the night: her father phoning from Sydney. Thirty years ago, in the suffocating heat of summer 1967, the Green's next-door neighbor Mandy disappeared. At the time, it was thought she fled a broken marriage and gone to start a new life; but now Mandy's family is trying to reconnect, and there is no trace of her. Isla's father Joe was allegedly the last person to see her alive, and now he's under suspicion of murder.

Isla unwillingly plans to go back to Australia for the first time in a decade to support her father. The return to Sydney will plunge Isla deep into the past, to a quiet street by the sea where two couples live side by side. Isla's parents, Louisa and Joe, have recently emigrated from England - a move that has left Louisa miserably homesick while Joe embraces his new life. Next door, Steve and Mandy are equally troubled. Mandy doesn't want a baby, even though Steve - a cop trying to hold it together under the pressures of the job - is desperate to become a father.

The more Isla asks about the past, the more she learns: about both young couples and the secrets each marriage bore. Could her father be capable of doing something terrible? How much does her mother know? What will happen to their family if Isla's worst fears are realized? And is there another secret in this community, one which goes deeper into Australia's colonial past, which has held them in a conspiracy of silence?

About the Author:

Susan Allott is from the UK but spent part of her twenties in Australia, desperately homesick but trying to make Sydney her home. In 2016 she completed the Faber Academy course, during which she started writing this novel. She now lives in south London with her two children and her very Australian husband.

My thoughts? 

Isla receives a late at night phone call from her father asking her to go back to Australia as a case of murder has been reopened following an inheritance claim. Their neighbour, Mandy went missing 30 years before and her father, Joe is in the frame although he vehemently denies any wrong doing.

She's not keen to go back but knows her father will get no support from her mother or brother so makes the long journey home. It stirs up childhood memories, not all of them good. Her mother seems distant and her father is barely holding it together.

Isla vaguely remembers Mandy being kind to her and taking her to the beach. Her mother and Mandy were fairly friendly and she knew her deepest secrets. We also learn about Mandy and Steve's home life. Her husband is desperate for a family to take him away from his heartbreaking job of removing Aboriginal children from their families. 

As the story unravels we read about real life history, addictions, family life, marriage, unhappiness and friendships. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat as I had no real clue what was coming! A brilliant debut which I'd highly recommend.

Pick up your copy HERE.