L'Occitane New Intensive Hand Balm

If you love hand cream and especially that from L'Occitane then you will love the new Intensive Hand Balm which is enriched with 25% Shea butter to provide intense nourishing care, the Shea Intensive Hand Balm forms a protective film for dry to very dry skin.

Shea butter is a natural beauty balm, used by women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1980’s, L’OCCITANE has set up a sustainable and fair trade partnership with the women in Burkina Faso who produce it. The L'OCCITANE Foundation is involved in women's entrepreneurship supporting literacy, training and microcredit programs, as well as the development of companies created by women and I mentioned this over in the Solidarity Balm post which you can find here. 

Enriched with allantoin, a naturally moisturising and regenerative ingredient, this ultra-rich balm absorbs into the hands when applied and massaged in and it leaves your hands feeling soft, smooth, soothed and nourished without any trace or greasiness left on the skin.

If you love the original Shea butter hand cream, then you will absolutely adore this.  You can use this as a daily hand cream, or as an extra treat, use it twice-weekly as an intensive hand mask by applying a thick layer to hands and leaving for 10 minutes before massaging excess into the skin.

The Hand Balm costs just £21 and you can grab it right here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

My ultimate Spa Day

It might surprise some people, but I have never been to a spa on a break and had an all out pampering session.  I have visited one or two places for a facial, a massage and a pedicure but I have never experienced the whole thing.

Image Source - Redletterdays

I have an incredibly busy and stressful job and am often feeling tense and stressed. That stress and tension lie in my shoulders and lower back which is often agony, so I should find more time to relax and take care of myself.

This week my inbox has been packed full with offers and money off deals for Valentines Day and the one gift that most of those emails mentioned were a spa break, all of them offering different types of deals and treatments trying to tempt me in.  As a blogger, I do of course pamper myself at home and there are many products that I can use to do that and sites that I can get advice from and purchase items. Ellison's supply wholesale beauty products to spas which help to create the perfect spa experience because the products are just as important as the treatment itself. This got me thinking if I could create my perfect spa day what would it be like?

Well, this post is inspired by many friends and some Bloggers who have shared their stories in print and in the video on their experiences on a Spa break and I have looked at some of those offers which landed in my inbox.  So, my perfect spa day would hopefully be with a friend that I could enjoy the experience with and have some well earned girlie time and a catch-up, I have many friends whom I haven't seen for absolute ages, so the chance to catch up would be amazing and what better way to do it.

Image Source - Redletterdays

The first thing I would love on arrival is to be greeted with a glass of Prosecco and the chance to relax and unwind with access to all the facilities especially the steam and sauna room, having travelled to the destination, the chance to shower, relax and unwind would be absolute bliss.

Having relaxed, it would be time for Afternoon Tea which of course I am a big fan of.  Over tea, my friend and I can have a good old catch up on what has been going on in each other lives.  After tea, I would love to have a full on body exfoliation and mud wrap which would let just lie back and relax, taking in the atmosphere of the spa. I like the idea of a mud wrap removing and eliminating toxins in the body but in a non-evasive and de-stressful way. Then as the mud sinks in, the chance to receive a relaxing face and head massage might just send me off into a relaxed sleep but would be much welcomed.

Once the treatments had finished it a glass or two of bubbly over a manicure or pedicure would also be a final treat to send us on our way back home to reality.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise/Collab