Insatiable skin? Go Naked with Naked's 24 Hour Body Butter!

Naked is a brand with which I associate hair care having tried some shampoos and conditioners from the range, so when I was asked if I would like to try the Coco De Mer Body Butter I jumped at the chance.  

The cream arrives in this huge 300ml tub and everything you need to know about the product can be found written somewhere on the tub, for example you are told it is 97% natural* and that it gives 24 hour moisture for skin with an insatiable appetite.

This is Coco De Mer body butter uses creamy coconut extract, Shea butter and passion flower oil and the scent is, as you can imagine, absolutely stunning, it is a happy mix of being quite floral but also a little bit tropical too when it comes to describing the scent.  I wasn't too sure whether to apply it onto my skin or drink it!

 Described as follows:

"Naked 24 Hour Coco de Mer Body Butter gives 24 hour moisture for skin with an insatiable appetite. Creamy coconut extract, enriching shea butter and passion flower veil your skin in an intoxicating scent, so you can be sure your skin feels caressed day and night.

Naked truth: There's so much care and thought in a naked product because we cram in naturally derived ingredients and leave out as much synthetic stuff as we can. This is goodness in a bottle".

It retails for around £5.45 in Boots and as a 300ml tub it is quite large and you only need the smallest amount at any one time because the cream is quite thick texture wise, so a little goes a long way. 

I use mine after showering in an evening, before going to bed and when I wake in the morning, the scent is still noticeable on my skin and it is really hydrating, it leaves me with soft, smooth skin which feels really moisturised and in this ever changing weather that we have right now, it is definitely something my body is in need of.

Have you tried any products from the Naked range? If so what do you recommend?

*Every Naked product is 97% natural and free from sulphates, parabens and petrochemicals so each one is packed full of natural goodness.

Monu Cleansing Balm

I am quite new to the world of cleansing balms having only ever used one in my entire life, so when the chance to try and test out the Monu Essential Care Cleansing Balm I jumped at the chance. Monu is a brand that I have come to really like and one I have mentioned on my blog a few times now.

So the cleansing balm is said to be "An indulgent melting balm that works to cleanse skin and remove make-up for an instant boost of radiance and vitality" and is suitable for all skin types. What you get inside this rather luxurious looking box is a 150g tub of the balm and a muslin cloth which is really soft and smooth and so white I didn't want to use it.

When it comes to use it, you are told to warm the balm in the palm of your hands before gently massaging it over your face and neck with your fingertips.  As you do this the balm is said to efficiently melt into the pores to dissolve all traces of make-up and any impurities. You then add water to emulsify the balm into a luxuriously rich and creamy milk that is said to leave your skin feeling vitalised, conditioned and utterly flawless from morning to night.

This balm smells absolutely amazing, it combimes the aromatic secent of Rose and Geranium essential oils which awaked your senses and work to stimulate their skin.  There is also Evening Primrose, Blackcurrent and Rosehip Seed Oil, all of which work together to help 

"maintain a youthful suppleness and elasticity to the skins appearance, helping you to look and feel refined all day long. The added effects of comforting Wheat Germ, Apricot and Almond oils will help calm and clean the skin".

As soon as I began to massage this into my skin I loved it. Not quite as solid as I was expecting it to be considering it is called a balm, it is quite runny so you don't need to use very much at all, it is definitely a case of a little goes a long way, the scent is simply divine, more so than I can describe to you, but think spa-like scent and you are almost there. What it does do is everything it claims to do and that is dissolve every ounce of make-up on your face including any bits of dirt and grime that you didn't think was there! Trust me, it finds it and dissolves it and that includes the quite stubborn to remove They're Real from Benefit, literally nothing gets in its way.

Then when it does come into contact with water, it emulsifies quickly and completely and washes away without leaving any residue on my face, my hands or in sink, which I am thankful for, infact the only dirt that is left behind is on poor old Mr Muslin cloth which you can put in the washing machine anyway.  As for my skin afterwards, my face is so soft and smooth I don't feel the need to run for my moisturising cream and cover myself in it, but old habits are hard to stop and as i always would do, I apply my moisturiser, safe in the knowledge that there are no nasties on my skin stopping it from doing its job.

So, if you are on the look out for a cleansing balm that will do exactly what it tells you it will do, is paraben free, not tested on animals, has no animal derivatives and consists of a 100% natural fragrance then you are reading about it right here, right now and it costs £38 for this huge tub and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Pineapple Express from Bomb Cosmetics

A few months ago I was lucky enough to win a package from Bomb Cosmetics which you can see HERE and within that package was a Bomb Blaster called Pineapple Express and tonight I got round to using it for the very first time.

With the following description:

"Everybody's laughing on the Pineapple Expressed! Juicy fun and freedom with pure bergamot and grapefruit essential oils to pick you up and post you happy!Sweet & zesty pineapple with hints of Lemon & Orange. Creamy Vanilla comes through the base notes to close"

All I can tell you is that it smells exactly like that and if like me you love fruity scented products for your bath, then this would be perfect and it is only £2.09 - worth every penny.

When it comes to using this Bath Blaster, all you need to do is ensure there are a good few inches of water within the bath and then drop your Bath Blaster in to a bath of warm water and watch as it fizzes, releasing its perfume and essential oils, while the Bicarbonate of Soda softens the water.  Once you do place it into your bath, this is what happen:

This Bath Creamer is full of lovely ingredients and I always like to look at what is something before I use it, it fascinated me for years and this particular product includes: 

• Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter - both know for their ability to moisturise the skin,
• Bergamot Oil - has an uplifting effect on the mood and can also help deal with stress, tension and that fed up feeling,
• Grapefruit Peel Oil - has an uplifting effect on the mood and helps with stress and depression. It is used with great success to combat muscle fatigue and stiffness while stimulating the lymphatic system and thereby clearing the body of toxins. It helps to clear congested oily skin and also assists with acne, while toning the skin and tissues.

There are other ingredients included within this Bath Blaster which are listed on the Bomb Cosmetics website.

The water that you immerse yourself into feels really soft on the skin, that is the best way for me to describe it, the Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter are incedibly moisutirsing and I almost felt no need to add anything else to my skin because it is all there in the water. However with this cold weather, my skin is quite dry on my legs, so I did exfoliate, but then rather than use anything else, I used what was in my water and once out of the bath, my skin was soft and smooth to the touch and it smelt totally amazing.

It is worth nothing that within this products the little stars, silver balls and the fruit pieces all float about your bath, mainly to add some decoration and fun, but there is a warning to always rinse them away from the bath after use to avoid and prevent any staining.

All of the products from Bomb Cosmetics are formulated to be free from Parabens, or Paraben based preservatives.

Have you tried anything from Bomb Cosmetics? Do you have a favourite product?

Ruby Red Cosmetics Natural Skincare

Ruby Red is a company I came by after an opportunity arose in an email and I have to say, if you want a product to make you go "Wow" then read on.

The brand Ruby Red is a combination of Mike’s surname (Ruby), the owner and Red for their London roots. Ruby Red as a company believe that healthy, radiant skin needs vital nutrients from the outside as well as the inside. Their Skin and Body care ranges are full of plant nourishment combined with distinctive pampering aromas made from oils without SLS, parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals and dyes as well as never tested on Animals.  

I was sent two products in the form of a Reviving Body Cleanser** and a Renewal Shea Skin Cream** which as you can see below arrived really well packaged and inside two very different containers.  

The Body Cleanser, which was a finalist in the Best Shower Gel category at the 2014 Beauty Shortlist Awards is described as follows:

"Botanical glucosides found in sugar and coconut makes an effective cleansing agent which does not irritate the skin; botanical extract of Aloe Vera soften and soothe the skin. A warm, invigorating, citrus aroma of Lime, Red Mandarin, Coriander and Cedarwood boost circulation while toning and refreshing the skin"

The first thing about this cleanser is the scent, it is absolutely phenomenal, one of those scents you need on a morning when you feel really sluggish, annoyed that you have had to leave your bed and a morning when no amount of caffeine is going to wake up - well this product will! To use you simply apply a generous amount onto your hands or onto a cloth and then massage over your damp skin whilst in the shower, as soon as the clear looking gel leaves the bottle the scent wakes you, but when it hits the steam you become more alert than you probably have done in a long time, after wahsing you simply wash it off, again using a damp cloth and it leaves your skin not only squeaky clean but smelling so good and the scent lasts pretty much all day, even as it fades it is still wonderful. it is also worth noting that this Reviving Body Cleanser can also be used as hand cleanser, something I am yet to try.

The second product is the Renewal Shea Skin Cream which is in this 60ml glass jar and when I first removed the jar, I didnt find what I was expecting. I was expecting to find a runny cream not a solid, so I was very much intrigued to use this. It comes with the following description:

"The healing enzymes in Lemon and Honey work together to improve cell renewal while Vitamins A, E, & F in our pure, hand processed organic Shea butter help to restore the skin’s elasticity lost through dryness or sun-exposure. A small of cream amount will moisturise, softening and smoothing the skin".

Even though this skin cream contains lemon and honey, the scent isn't as strong as the body cleanser, but it is subtle enough for me to absolutely love it. To use you simply warm a really small amount in your hands and on the Ruby Red site they make a point of stating that by small they mean no bigger than a raindrop, the reason being that as soon as it comes into contact with your skin it begins to melt, so it literally absorbs without no amount of effort on your part and as you massage it into the skin, the lemony scent comes to life and reminds me of sherbet lemons, a scent I happen to adore. Once massaged onto the skin, within a matter of minutes there is no trace that anything was actually there, instead you have soft, smooth skin. If like me you spend a lot of your working life, days and sometimes evening dealing with paper, I find it dries my hands out, hence my love of hand cream, well I have been using this for the last 2 months and it is a perfect remedy for my dry hands, not to mention I use it on my shins, elbows and feet as well.

These products I cannot rate highly enough, they have caused no adverse reactions to my skin, they smell more wonderful than I can give them credit for and I absolutely love using them.  You can find more information about Ruby Red on their website which is HERE and their products can be bought online through the Ruby Red shop or from places like Amazon, Fortnum and Mason and soon to launch in Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge.

Beluah-home - one to look out for!

One thing I always remember from my childhood is my mums passion for knitting, show her any pattern and she can copy it in its entirety, just before Christmas she handed me a king-size blanket for my bed which she had knitted and created herself and I absolutely adore it. 

Knitting is once again fashionable, the number of people that I know who are learning, taking lessons or rediscovering their love of knitting is constantly growing and when you come across sites like Beulah-Home, I am almost tempted to pick up my knitting needles to see if I can remember how it is done, yes my mum also taught me to knit too.

Beulah-Home state that the are  

“geared to meet all our customer’s needs for fashionable knitted homewares for the living space and everything is made is Britain”. 

Just one look at the site and you can see for yourself that it is fashionable, contemporary and even traditional. The use of colour, textures, styles and patterns are one thing that jumps out to me and these are just a few of my favourite things

Beulah-Home has one desire and that is to meet every household’s needs.  Their product base is quite extensive and it includes luxury knitted cushions and throws, fashionable knitted pet blankets and stylish yet soft knitted kids’ blankets and cushions, something for everyone and something for everywhere and everything is 100% crafted by hand, so when you do buy something, you know that someone has put a lot of love, care and effort into making that particular item. 

Beulah-Home is definitely a new designer to watch out for and you can find more about them online via their homepage, Twitter  or Facebook.




**This is a sponsored post

The Haagen-Dazs Easter Master-class

Whenever an email pops into my inbox and mentions chocolate I get excited! I am a huge chocoholic and I also love ice-cream so there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to attend this masterclass.

When Kimberley and I turned up in Leicester Square we were greeted really warmly and handed some champagne (how perfect) and told how the evening would go and what we would be doing, you can only imagine the size of the grin on my face when I was handed an apron incase things got messy!

The blurb in the email read:

"Join us for an evening of discovery with acclaimed food stylist, writer and presenter, Phil Munday.  Experience the passion, craft and inspiration behind his latest ice-cream creation, the limited edition Haagen-Dazs Easter Egg, exclusive to the Leicester Square store from 22nd March"

We saw how Phil created the chocolate Easter egg using chocolate and a mould and then how he transformed it into something I just wanted to frame rather than eat.  Using ice-cream, some sorbet and one or two toppings, Phil managed to create this amazing, perfect work of art, talking us through how he did it.  Then it was our turn!

We had a menu of 8 different ice-creams and sorbets to choose from, the menu of which you will see above and the idea being you choose an ice-cream to fill the chocolate egg, naturally all of the ice-cream was Haagen-Dazs and then you needed to choose something to go with it to make it look decorative.  Before all of that we got to decorate our plates, which is easier said then done when you are not very artistic, but I managed it as the photos show.

So I choose salted caramel ice-cream to fill my mould and then I made a hole within which to place my chosen sorbet, I opted for Raspberry and boy do those two flavours go well together and then we had an endless choice of extra toppings to choose from to get really creative and my effort is shown below.

Obviously after all that hard work there is only one thing left to do - eat it!  yes we got to eat our very own creations after they had been photographed and boy did I enjoy it.

If you want to try out this delicious Haagen-Dazs Easter creation it will be available until 25th April 2014 at the Leicester Square restaurant. 

What do you think of my Haagen-Dazs Easter Egg creation? What would you have chosen?

How to make your own hand and body scrub

Like most people I use my hands a lot, whether it is cleaning, washing-up, polishing, ironing or typing to name just a few of my every day things, it takes it toll on my skin, not to mention the ever change in weather which can leave my hands feeling really dry and horrible.  

A few weeks ago I shared a post on my blog about how I love to use Coconut Oil and listed some of the ways I like to use it best, which you can see HERE. In that post I mentioned a quick recipe that you can use at home to make your own scrub.  Today's post is a similar scrub which I have been using, made at home in my kitchen and given it takes less than ten minutes to make, I thought I would share it with you.

All you will need to make this scrub is:

• 1 Kilner Jar because it has a secure lid
• A tablespoon, 
• A knife to cut the orange
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar which will act as your exfoliant to remove dead, dry and flaking skin
• 1/4 cup of Pure Coconut oil, this will soften and moisturise your skin 
• 1-2 tablespoon's of freshly squeezed orange juice which smells wonderful and is both invigorating and uplifting

I have the little ramekin as an extra for when I squeeze the orange juice onto a spoon for measuring so it can catch any excess juice.

Once you have gathered all of the things you need for this scrub, all you need to do is follows:

Put the coconut oil directly into the Kilner jar which is where it is going to stay and then add the sugar.  Once both of these ingredients are in the jar, give them a stir, using your tablespoon, to ensure they are mixed together, then do a little test to see how if you are happy with the coarseness of the mixture by taking a small amount out of the jar and place it on your skin and then rub gently, if you are happy that it will give your skin a good scrub leave it as it is, if not add a little more sugar and test it again.  

Once you are happy with your scrub, cut your orange in half and then squeeze the juice onto the tablespoon, add it to your scrub and mix it in before repeating.  Again, give your scrub a really good mix and again text it on your skin.  If you are happy with it, clean the edges around the top of the jar, securely close the lid.  

A little tip - You need to ensure your scrub is stored in a cool, dry place and I would recommend leaving it for 24 hours or overnight before using it to give the coconut oil time to solidify again before using.

Now I have used this scrub on my lips, legs, arms and hands to date and it is really lovely, effective and best of all cheap, not to mention really effective on dry skin.  It also makes a nice little gift for someone too.

Have you ever made your own products at home?

Himalayan Detox Bath Salts from Therapie

When asked if I would like to try some Himalayan Detox Bath Salts from Therapie**, I immediately said yes. Those of you who know me, will by now know that I absolutely love having a bath to help unwind, de-stress, relax and escape from the real world for an hour or until the water is cold and I can't stand it any longer.

Now, this is a bit of fangirl post because I absolutely love these bath salts and it isn't often that this happens. These salts were created by aromatherapist Michelle Roques Oneil, who with around 25 years experience in the business has been voted as one of the worlds top ten Aromatherapists! These salts contain over 84 minerals and are infused with many essential oils such as Lemongrass, Lavender, Juniper and Geranium to name just a few. The scent is nothing short of being divine, that is the best way I can describe it and no sooner had I opened the packet to take a sniff, the water was running in the bath so I could try them.

These salts are said to help you de-stress, eliminate toxins, Detoxify your Body and they also help with insomnia, balance pH levels as well as counteracting the electro-magnetic energy we absorb from modern day gizmos - woah!! Or to put it another way: 

"A blissful cocktail of therapeutic Himalayan mineral salts, powdered Amethyst & essential oils of Lemongrass, Juniper & Geranium; these pink crystals work to balance pH levels & positive/negative ions, to help the body establish equilibrium. The Amethyst has a high mineral content, to heal & clarify problematic skin whilst counteracting the electro-magnetic energy we absorb from modern day gizmos. Add to this blood purifying & anti-inflammatory properties & discover that heaven is a bath soak".

All from a very small handful that you need to use as shown above and the salts themselves are a mixture of pinks and white grains making them just as pretty as the scent.

As soon as these salts come into contact with the water (they do dissolve) and then the vapour from the steam, the scent really comes alive and once in the bath it does truly become an amazingly relaxing experience and like nothing I have ever experienced from similar products and some people refer to these salts as being the natural Valium due to the long lasting effects. Once out of the bath there is a very slight residue on your skin which Therapie recommend not washing off, so I massaged my skin for a few minutes and then continued as I would normally do and shoved on my PJ's on and the next thing I knew my alarm was screaming at me to get up because it was time to get ready for work.

It has been a long long time since a product has given me the ability to sleep so soundly and I do believe it is this product because having now used them three times, once on a Saturday afternoon, where I was out for the count for a good few hours and when I did wake up I felt totally refreshed, the sluggish feeling had gone, instead I was alert and raring to go.

A pouch this size which has 100g inside will last a good few months and they cost just £10 which you can see HERE and I cannot recommend them highly enough.  

The Dos and Don’ts of Leggings

Leggings were a big deal in the 80s, then the 90s, and again in the 00s. It is now 2014 and it seems this particular item is going nowhere. There have been some interesting incarnations of the legging, some more appealing than others, but however you wear them, you have to admit that, when done right, they look great as well as being comfortable. Despite the fact that leggings have been around for a good few decades, there are still those that commit big fashion crimes when wearing them, so here are the basic dos and don'ts of wearing leggings: 

As tights

It is perfectly acceptable to wear leggings as a substitute for tights, they are much cosier in the winter, and less see through if you’re rocking a short skirt. If you choose to do this however, make sure you are wearing boots or other foot covering footwear, as being cut off at the ankle does nothing for the legs, even on the loftiest of supermodels. If you are wearing your leggings in the place of tights, you should shop around and try and find a pair with invisible seams so they really look like thick tights even up close. For really cold days why not invest in a pair of thermal leggings complete with fluffy inners to keep your pins extra toasty?

As trousers

The nation is split as to whether leggings should be worn as trousers with most believing that if you are going to do this you need to wear a long top that covers at least the top half of your bum. An absolute must if you are going for leggings in the place of trousers however, is that you buy a quality pair that are big enough. The least attractive thing in the world is a pair of leggings that have worn through or are being stretched too much over a derriere so that your whole bottom can be seen through the fabric. Have a look at George at ASDA's range of leggings for some good quality thick pairs.

For the gym

Leggings are great gym-wear as they are stretchy, absorbent, comfortable and available in different lengths. Originally most popular with aerobics goers, they are not used by weight lifters and runners as the training attire of choice. Team your leggings with an oversized t-shirt for a practical yet stylish workout outfit that won’t let you down at that critical moment. Leggings are especially good for those who are new to exercise and don’t want to fork out on expensive gear until they have decided whether it’s really for them. As you progress you can look into purchasing special sports leggings or yoga pants. 

Leggings are one of the most versatile items of clothing you could own, easily transitioning from day to night depending on how you wear them. What other item of clothing could both be worn to the gym for a workout, or with a tunic dress of an evening for cocktails? Leggings are 100% here to stay, so now’s a great time to invest.

Do you wear leggings?

**This is a sponsored post

Glossybox - March 2014 Edition

So my Glossybox has arrived for March and this month I used my Glossydots to get it and having seen a few other posts, I was hoping I would get some of the products they got.

Again, this month is a themed box and it is called Beauty Blossom and Glossybox have said in their magazine that now we can put winter behind us, shed the tights and black wardrobe to welcome in spring.  So to celebrate the season of changed, they have curated a Beauty Blossom theme for march.  So this is my box.

My first thoughts are hmmm... I didn't get the serum which ive seen in a few boxes and I quite liked the look of that because I am quite obsessed with serums right now. So this is a breakdown of what is in the box.

Mitchell and Peach Body Cream - With English Honey, Organic Cocoa, Vitamin B5 and Shea Butter, this Mitchell and Peach body cream is perfect to leave you feeling as though you've taken a walk in the English Countryside.  A 40ml sample is included in my box and a full sized 180ml would cost £36.  So at a rought guess this sample is worth around £8

Sleek Make-up Pout Polish and I have the shade Bare Minimum - This tinted balm is full of nourishment and has SPF15, almond oil, shea butter and Vitamin E, it will leave  your pout looking perfect.  The shade is a sort of peachy brown nude but when you use it, it is more of a clear gloss and I actually quite like it. This is a full sized product and has an RRP of £4.49

Bellapierre Cosmetics Ltd Shimmer Powder and I have Beige as my choice - This 100% pure Mica shimmering eye shadow will provide you with a long lasting vibrant colour without smearing, creasing or fading.  I am not new to Bellapierre make-up, I have a fair collection and happen to think it is pretty fantastic, so this is a nice little edition and it is also a full sized product which retails for £12.99

So those are the main items for me, three alright ones that I will use.  Now onto the products which frankly I probably won't use and feel a bit cheated about.

Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair 60 second shot - Hmm well... I don't use Dove hair products because they leave my hair feeling lank and greasy and whilst this is a full sized 15ml tube which costs £1.49 it isn't something I would buy or indeed use.  I much prefer my label.m versions which leave my hair feeling wonderful.  But this is the second 'shot' from a High Street Brand I have had in a Glossybox, the first being Tresemme which I also didn't use as I am not a fan of the brand.

Then there is not one but TWO Juicy Couture perfume samples.  For me, the only good thing about them is the bright coloured cardboard packaging which caught my eye.   This is what Glossybox say about them:

"Meet us in Malibu with Juicy Couture's Malibu collection! This fragrance blends the spirit of carefree Cali with Glam LA and we love it.

Sadly I like neither scent, one is meant to be fruity and the other floral, all I can see is that I won't use them.

So all in all it is an alright box, three products I like and three samples that I don't like.

Did you get your Glossybox this month? What did you think to mine?