Coconut Oil - my favourite ways to use it!

Coconut Oil is one ingredient we all probably have in our kitchen and are never really sure what to do with it. As a natural oil coconut oil is a perfect moisturisers, lightweight, absorbs really easily not to mention smells divine. I am a huge fan of coconut scent products whether it is a cream, hair mask, face-mask or sun tan lotion.

Just mentioning all of the above means that it is an item you can incorporate into your beauty routine, especially if you are on a spending ban, wanting to save money, are having a bit of a DIY moment or are simply wanting to try something new.  All you need to do is Google Coconut Oil uses and within seconds before your eyes you will have over 4.3million pages to look at and go through.

The lovely people at Viridian sent me a lovely jar of organic raw virgin coconut oil** and it smells amazing, I absolutely love it.

So rather than read all of those pages, I thought it would be a good idea and a good post if I picked my favourite 5 ways to use Coconut Oil and share them with you below.

1.) Eye Makeup remover: This is a tip I was given by a friend when she was training to be a beautician.  Coconut oil will gently remove your makeup, all you need to do is place some on a damp cotton pad and rub gently in circles around your eye area to get rid of makeup.  Once you have finished be sure to wash your face thoroughly.

2.) Hair Mask: Use coconut oil as a DIY hair mask to soften your hair and add moisture. Just scoop some out into the palms of your hands to warm it through and then apply to your hair, focusing on the ends (if like me you have greasy hair, then definitely avoid the root area altogether). Once applied, leave it on for around 30 minutes and then rinse it out in the shower before shampooing and conditioning your hair.  You can also use this method as an overnight treatment, just put a towel on your pillow to make sure it doesn't stain and then wash out in the morning.  I do this when my hair is feeling really dry, particularly at the ends when my hair is due to be cut and my hair feels so soft and smooth after using.

3.) Body Scrub:  You can make your own body scrub really easily and there are a lot of tutorials which show you how to do just that.   Below is one of my favourite home made body scrubs which the people at Eco Market sent to me to try a few months back.

Combine coconut oil with: 

• 1 small organic lemon

• 1 small organic lime

• 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 
1 teaspoon organic peppermint essential oil/extract
. 

You can, if you like also add some mint leaves and lemon & lime peels. Mix the coconut oil, the peppermint oil and the juice from both the lemon and lime. Then pour in the sugar and mix it up well. If you want to add the mint leaves and citrus peels then stir them in at the end. Transfer the mixture to a clean, dry container like an old jam jar and you're ready to scrub.

This is such an effective exfoliator and definitely one to try if you fancy trying a DIY version because it is so easy to do and it smells so good.  You can also use this scrub on your feet, hands and lips!

4.) Shaving Cream:  If you run out of shaving cream/foam or whatever you might use, instead of reaching for your misters (oops yes I do) or using shower gel, grab some coconut oil and warm it between the palms of your hands, massage onto the skin and then you'll see how easily your razor glides over the skin leaving you with hair free soft smooth skin.

5.) Cuticle oil: If your nail beds look really dry, cracked and are a bit sore, get a cotton bud and your jar of coconut oil and dab some onto each fingers around and on your cuticle and massage it on.  If your cuticles need a little bit more TLC then don't massage it in, put some gloves on overnight whilst sleeping, in the morning you will notice quite a difference.

Those are just some of the ways I use coconut oil and naturally there are lots of other ways because it is just such a good moisturiser and so kind to the skin.

Have you ever used coconut oil in your beauty routine? How? 

1. Tell me in the comments!

Patisserie de Bain lip balms - sneak preview!

A few weeks ago I was introduced to Patisserie de Bain by Rose & Co.** products which you can see HERE. Rose & Co. to give a very brief introduction was created by Patricia and Caroline Rose when they bought an old druggists shop in Yorkshire. With a love of all things vintage, beautiful and romantic, they restored the shop to its former Victorian splendour and a quirky but charming beauty apothecary was born.  All products are made in the UK with professionally blended handpicked ingredients. Products are made in small batches in the UK and soaps are still traditionally milled and pressed in one of the oldest soap factories in England.

When I arrived back from Amsterdam there was this lovely little package waiting for me, which was such a lovely surprise and inside I found this:

In a previous post, I introduced these very lip balms but in tin form and they are every bit as lovely as they look, now they have been packaged together in handy little tubes which are perfect for dropping into your handbag.

Described as follows:

"Soften and nourish lips with our travel friendly Patisserie de Bain lip balms. Sweetly scented flavours make the balms irresistible and almost good enough to eat. Beeswax and sweet almond oil gently replenish dry lips keeping them kissable condition for a perfectly pretty pout.

New for Spring, this cute little collection of Lemon Bon-Bon, Strawberry Cupcake and Sugared Violet is packaged in an adorable gift little box".

The first thing about these lip balms is that they smell amazing, exactly as their description gives - Lemon Bon-Bon smells exactly like those sweets you can purchase, Surgared Violet reminds me of Parma Violets which I also found in my box and Strawberry Cupcake smells like the strawberry and cream sweets you can also find in a good old fashioned sweet shop and again I found both of those sweets in my beautifully packaged box.

On the lips they are really moisturising and not at all sticky or tacky and they are really moisturising.

These products are available to purchase in March 2014 and RRP is £8.50 and would make a perfect gift or addition to your lip balm collection.

Lush The Kiss Lipgloss

As part of my goody bag at the Lush Event which I attended a few weeks ago was this brilliant solid lipgloss called The Kiss**.

Nestled inside a little tin, similar to the sample pots of Charity you can buy, this lipgloss has become an item that has found its way into my handbag and something I use a lot.  Designed and produced as part of the Valentines Day Range, The Kiss costs £5.75.

Described as 

" A delightful, whipped up gloss made from luxurious and protective butters including Fair Trade shea and cupuaçu. This preservative free tinted lip gloss gives a touch of colour to the lips. It’s so easy to apply you won’t even need a mirror!.  

We’ve created a light balm using the same aerating technique we use for our massage bars. It will moisturise and protect the lips, whilst giving them a subtle pink glossy sheen. It contains delicious organic agave syrup to leave your lips deliciously sweet".

Firstly it is pink, anything pink is going to get me excited and the scent is absolutely divine, Lush use organic mandarin and almond essential oils to give it this amazing scent, not to mention that it tastes pretty good too.  Once applied to the lips there is a very slight pink colouring and a natural gloss look.  It can either be worn on its own or over the top of your lipstick or lip crayon if you prefer.

Lush being Lush don't just put things together for the sake of it, there is usually some hidden meaning behind each product, usually within the ingredients and this one is no different.  As expected there is a long list of what ingredients it has such as - guarana seed powder which is a natural skin plumper to make your lips irresistible.  You will also find Shea Butter which has amazing moisturising properties, Organic Caster Oil which helps to lock in moisture, protect the skin and prevent damage by the elements and environmental toxins. You can find the full list of ingredients on the Lush website.

Which Lush products have you been loving lately?

You Beauty Discovery Box

I am a subscriber to Glossybox and for the last 3 months it has been pretty awful, with that in mind, before I decided whether or not to cancel it, I thought I would try You Beauty. I've heard a lot of people talk about this box and having read one or two reviews, I decided to bite the bullet and see what all the fuss was about.  

Here is the box in comparison to Glossybox in size.  It fits through my letterbox with no problems.

The You Beauty Discovery Box is another subscription service, but it is just £6.95 per month and here is where it differs slightly, when promoted to go and look at the website http://www.youbeautydiscovery.co.uk/ each month, you will be asked to select two product samples from a list of between 6-10 and then those products will be in your box along, depending on stock levels, along with 2-3 other samples.  If you cannot decide which products you want, then You beauty will decide for you.  For more information on how to join and to read more about it, you can find everything easily described HERE.

So my first box arrived a few days ago and whilst one product was out of stock that I liked the look of, the other two were in stock so they got selected.  Here are the contents of this box:

Like other boxes you get a little menu with information about the products within your box, this one comes in the form of a magazine.

You might not be surprised to find that I opted for GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate as one of my options, this is because ever since I read about it, I have been itching to try it. Described as follows "the ultimate at-home  mud treatment for immediate camera-ready super radiant skin. FOr when you need great skin and a glowing complexion in just 10 minutes. It delivers both instant and cumulative results and leaves your complexion revived and glowing, whatever your skin type".

The product in my box is a 15g tube which means I will get at least more than one use out of it.

The second product is Stila lipglaze in Kaleidoscope.  Not a product I have tried before and I opted for it because the Pixi Flawless and Poreless primer was out of stock. Described as follows: "The formula in Stila lip glazes has been created to provide strong lasting power, without drying out your lips. The easy to use click and brush applicator means you get an even deposit of colour with minimum fuss – perfect for applying on the go!"  This is definitely an evening wearing lipglaze, it is very sparkly and would be a great finish to a great outfit.

The next two items are surprise items or extra treats as the booklet refers to them as and they are Charles Worthington Instant amplifying volume treatment and Beyond Dark Moments of Pleasure Hint of orange.  

Charles Worthington treatment is described as follows "A true red carpet star and the official product of the EE BAFTAs in 2013, this rinse-out weightless jelly has been desgined to lift the hair from the root to tip leaving it fully conditioned with high impact body and bounce for an A-list glamorous finish".  An interesting concept that I am still debating whether I will or will not use, would be interested in other peoples views if they have used this or want to use it.

Beyond Dark is described as follows "Beyond Dark is the ultimate chocolate treat - these delicious drops of pure pleasure are packed with more than three times the antioxidents found in other dark chocolate.  Contains the antioxident equivalent of 25 oranges, 8 bananas or 5 apples in every 35g pack".  They are also wheat, gluten and dairy free as well as being suitable for vegetarians.  Hmm well nothing makes chocolate sound more appealing than being told it is actually good for you right!

Now I am really impressed with this little box of treats, infact I would have paid the £6.95 for the GlamGlow mud alone because I really want to try it out.  I am going to continue with this box for a few months so I can get a real feel as to whether or not the value for money continues.

What do you think?  Do you get this box?