Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm

The reason I am blogging about this product today is that it is #DontStepOnABeeDay which you can read more about at the bottom of this post!

I am a bit of a lip balm addict, there I have admitted it, I cannot help myself. When asked if I would like to try the Bee Good deeply nourishing and seductively sweet Vanilla and Honey Lip Balm, I immediately said yes. Add to that I am also a big fan of bees and always plant bee friendly flowers in my garden and on my allotment.

For those of you who have't heard of them, Bee Good is an independent British skincare company based in rural Hampshire, who have harnessed the centuries-old healing powers of British honey, propolis and beeswax in an innovative skincare range, designed to make a real difference without the use of parabens, synthetic colour, mineral oil, silicone or SLS/SLES.  Each and every one of their products are described as being packed with hard-working intensively soothing ingredients, there is nothing better to care for your lips than this nourishing and protective treatment delivered from the flower, to the bee, to you. 

The Lip Balm is described as follows:

Deeply nourishing, our Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm softens, protects and moisturises to bring welcome relief and rescue to dry or chapped lips. Packed with  hard-working intensive and soothing ingredients, your lips will be left perfectly conditioned and kissably soft and the delicious scent is truly addictive!

The first thing I love about the Bee Good range is the outer packaging, not something I would usually get excited about, but when something like this pops through your door, it is bound to prick your interest. Packaged inside a plain corrugated cardboard pillow pack, which is then secured with a bee patterned cotton ribbon, there is a label which is called a 'seeded paper label' and you can plant it into your compost and wait for the flowers to grow - How amazing is that?  I was totally blown away.

Back to the lip balm, packaged inside a yellow squeezy coloured plastic tube which features some lovely bumblebees and the Union Jack to remind you the product was made using British Bees!  When using the lip balm, it has an angled tip so you can apply directly onto your lips if you prefer, personally, I always tend to squeeze some onto the end of my fingertip and apply, unless I am in a rush or on the tube and haven't time to wash my hands afterwards.

This lip balm smells incredible.  I am not a fan of vanilla scented things, it gives me a headache, but just imagine the scent of fresh honey and for me that is exactly what this is, not so much of the vanilla.  So why does it smell so good? Well the ingredients include protective British beeswax, naturally sourced vitamin E, British Borage Oil and British Echium Oil which are moisturising, nourishing and replenishing ingredients to help soften, smooth, protect and moisturise your lips, more so if they are dry and chapped.

After applying the balm, which is a fairly thin texture, it slowly absorbs into my lips rather than immediatly disappears which I don't mind at all because rather than sit on the surface looking all shiney and not doing alot, I feel it is working its way through each layer of skin giving it some TLC.  As it does sit on the lips it is neither tacky nor sticky but you know it is there, so it works better over lipstick than under it.

This lip balms costs just £4.75, and it is perfect for keeping in your handbag.

Don’t Step on a Bee Day

This Don’t Step on a Bee Day, we urge you to help spread the message! Please find an image attached for use across your social media channels - we would love it if you could share our message with your audience and tag @BeeGood_UK or use #DontStepOnABeeDay to help raise awareness! Please see below for our Top 5 Bee Care Tips to give you inspiration for Don’t Step on a Bee Day:

1.       Don’t step on a bee! (Of course)

2.       Support your local bee keeper! The majority of our honey here in the UK is imported, but with the wealth of bee keepers on our doorstep there is really no need. Support your local bee keeper by visiting a near-by farm shop or deli and enjoy their precious produce for breakfast on some warm buttered toast - yum!

3.       Plant your Bee Good labels! Our little tags that accompany your Bee Good products are impregnated with special wildflower seeds that bees simply can’t get enough of! Just soak the label for an hour and plant under an inch of soil and watch your wild meadow grow! 

4.       Download the Great British Bee Count app. This wonderful app created by Friends of the Earth allows you to log the bees you spot out and about. This builds a picture of bee health and activity in the UK to secure a thriving future for our buzzing bees! You can find out more about the app here.

5.       Build a bee hotel! Did you know that bees need somewhere to rest when they venture out on their pollen mission? Get the kids involved and get building! You can find a step-by-step guide here.

You can find out more about Bee Good and all of the great work they do by visiting their website

Kosmea Daily Skincare

I love being introduced to new brands, one of the best things about being a blogger is the introduction to brands you might never have heard of, thought of using or have put off using.  Kosmea is an Australian skincare brand which has recently become available in the UK and when I was offered the opportunity to put some of their products to the test I jumped at the chance.  Why? well I liked their ethos for a start which is "skincare as nature intended" which for me intrigued me enough to want to find out more. 

The products are based around the certified healing properties of organic Rosehip Oil which is packed full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants making it ideal for ideal for dry, scarred, sensitive and sun-damaged skin.  Kosmea products also contain no SLS, mineral oils, petrochemicals and artificial colours or fragrances.

The two products I was sent to try was the replenishing moisturising cream and radiance 24/7 youth boost.

Replenishing Moisture Cream 50ml - £28.95

Described as being "Like a multi-vitamin pill for the skin and the perfect base for make-up" it is suitable for all skin types and contains: Rosehip Oil, Carrot Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Rose Flower Water, Jojoba Seed Oil, horsetail, nettle and Green Tea just to name a few!

When I first went to use this cream I was surprised to find that it wasn't that perfect white colour I had been so used to using with other moisturising creams, instead it has a slightly yellow tone to it.  The formula is fairly thick in texture and you need just the smallest amount to cover your entire face and neck.  When using this cream you are advised to apply after cleansing and then massage it into your face and neck.

Once applied to the skin, the first thing you notice is the lovely scent.  The kind of scent you find in a spa during a facial, that lovely clean essential oil scent that is really relaxing and leaves you safe in the knowledge the ingredients are doing something nice to your skin, which, in this case they are. The Organic rose hip oil helps to nurture your skin because it hosts skin-protecting antioxidants and essential fatty acids. The carrot oil provides a natural source of Vitamin A which then helps to improve elasticity. Horsetail and nettle extract, for me the two most intriguing ingredients are said to aid in the rebuilding of collagen, helping to plump out those fine lines and wrinkles. Green tea extract, which is an antioxidant protects against the signs of ageing.

So this cream is definitely hydrating.  With all this change in the weather, one minute it is warm, then very warm then raining, my skin becomes a bit of a nightmare and needs a bit of TLC and this cream has been absolutely amazing at keeping my face hydrated.  I am lucky that I am yet to find those fine lines or wrinkles, but what it has done is ease the puffiness under my eyes due to lack of sleep and it has left my skin looking much healthier, much more plumper and my complexion that bit brighter, meaning as one of my colleagues says "OOh you are positively glowing today, what make-up or cream are you slapping on"!

Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost - 20ml £29.95

Described as being a product which "Boost your skins radiance 24/7 with this powerhouse combination of antioxidant rich berry oils". it arrives in this little 20ml glass bottle and excitingly has a pipette to help with distribution. It uses the active ingredients of rose hip oil, seabuckthorn oil, apricot oil, pomegranate oil and camelia oil.

As someone with combination skin which leads towards the oily side, I was always afraid of using facial oils, I assumed quite wrongly that I would be left with an even shinier looking face, when in actual fact, every oil I have tried has done the exact opposite.

Firstly the oil is a bright orange colour, almost the colour of carrots and it has quite a fruity scent to it.  Naturally because this is an oil, its consistency is obviously very runny, but once it is on the skin, it does absorb very well into the skin, and it doesn't leave any oily residue behind.  I have found that just three drops of the oil is plenty to ensure my face has been covered.  So using the pipette, I drop the oil into the palm of my hands, rub them together and apply to my face, as with any cream, massaging the oil into the skin.  

When it comes to using this oil, the instructions advise you to apply 2-3 drops to clean, damp skin morning and night, I have been using this two or three times a week in an evening after I have double cleansed rather than in a morning and once it is on the skin, there is a definitely softness and when I wake up the following morning, my skin is so soft and smooth, I almost don't feel the need to add a moisturiser to my face (but of course I do).

I have become a huge fan of these two products, whenever I feel my skin is in need of a boost and some TLC, these products are the ones I would go too without question. 

Have you tried any products from Kosmea?