XO Balm

I love a good multi-purpose product. Something you can just shove into your handbag and use for a multitude of things. 

XO Balm is one of those products and I have been using it for a good few weeks now and I love both the product, the story behind it and what it stands for.

XO Balm does not sacrifice product efficacy for texture, feel or fragrance. The scent is only of the natural beeswax and oils to avoid stressing the skin. The formula is concentrated on active ingredients, no filler, so a little goes a long way! If it is a little cold, the balm may firm up, use the spatula provided to remove the amount you need and it will warm up in the hand.

Consideration of the three pillars for sustainability; environmental, social and economic, is built into the XO Balm business plan. These sustainability practices are an important part of the XO Balm business, to help people, protect resources and prepare for the future.

XO Balm has supported local UK businesses, with packaging components, ingredients, testing and manufacturing all sourced from smaller UK suppliers. We are also an ongoing supporter of the Oxfordshire charity Give Bees a Chance, whose work allows healthy bee populations to live and grow.

Arriving in a tin which looks like a button, XO Balm features a hand mirrored lid and a really useful scoop which is small enough to live inside the tin but big enough to help you scoop the balm out and I prefer to use a scoop because it helps keep everything as germ free as possible and it saves on wastage. 

With four main ingredients - Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Olive Oil and Chia Seed Oil together they not only have amazing benefits for the hair and skin but used together they help to deliver a unique blend of hydration, protection and nourishment.  

• Coconut oil - not only contains fatty acids which help prevent moisture loss from the skin it is also a great source of vitamin E which improves elasticity.
• Beeswax locks in moisture and protects skin from damaging environmental factors. It also has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties which are ideal for fighting chapped skin and bacterial infections.
• Olive oil has an occlusive and emollient effect which helps prevent moisture loss. It contains Oleic acid which helps to soften the skin, while Vitamin A and C protect from free radicals and environmental factors. It is also rich Vitamin E.
• Chia oil is said to be the richest source of botanical fatty acids which includes both Omega 3 and 6. It also helps to reduce skin inflammation and itching. It helps to soothe any discomfort as well as protect the skin.

All of which come together in this one little balm. Now, this is a balm which means you need to warm it before you can use it and to do that you simply need to use your own body temperature once you have extracted what you need with the scoop.As it is a multi-use balm it can be used as a lip balm, on your cuticles, on dry skin particularly the elbows and knees where I often find dry skin an issue, it can also be used on other parts of the body which include the hands, feet, nails, face, brows, scalp and hair - it is perfect for smoothing flyaways! It can also be used to help make perfume last longer.

Priced at £12.50 per tin, you can find XO balm here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Feral Cosmetics Liquid Matte Lipsticks

I absolutely love discovering new beauty brands and today I am sharing one of them with you - Feral Cosmetics.  Coming all the way from Los Angeles, Feral Cosmetics is a cruelty-free and vegan beauty brand which can be found on Beauty Chamber here in the UK and their range consists of two different lip products.  The first is Ultra Satin Lipsticks and then the one I am sharing with you today which are the Liquid Matte Lipsticks.

Packaged beautifully on the outside, I was excited to see what was inside the box. All three of the Feral Cosmetics Liquid Matte Lipsticks that I was kindly sent are packaged inside clear plastic tubes which have accompanying metallic silver lids with the brand name clearly visible. Feral Cosmetics describe their formula as being 'creamy smooth, fully opaque and dry matte with a touch proof finish' and it is fair to say that is exactly what they are.  I really like that the consistency isn't overly thick and gloopy and nor does it have to be layered to get a pop of colour, it is an instant swipe and you have coverage.  Using the doe-foot applicator allows you to apply just the right about of lipstick and unlike others, I have tried, Feral has a slight vanilla scent to their liquid lipsticks which, although I am not usually a fan of anything vanilla scented, this is pleasant enough and disappears quite quickly. 

I have been trying out three of the new shades from the range (there are 8 available) which are; Home Wrecker, Skin Tight and Berry Sexy and already with these three shades, there is something to suit everyone!  The first one to catch my eye was Berry Sexy as it is after all still Berry Lip season and it is just a beautiful shade.  Feral Cosmetics describe this shade as being a gorgeous cranberry shade and I find that it is a little bit deeper than that once it has dried and you get a beautiful deep berry.  Next up comes Skin Tight which sits in the nude camp.  A slightly warm beige that differs to most of the nude lipsticks I have tried and whilst I am not usually a nude lipstick fan, I have found that I have worn this one rather a lot.  The final lipstick is Home Wrecker and firstly what a fantastic name for a lipstick and secondly it is just beautiful.  Described as being a True Red shade and whilst I still fear the red lip, I can't help but just love the colour of this.

If you love your liquid lipsticks especially Matte and you want to try something new, then I am definitely saying these are the ones.  I already have my eye on both Beach Bum and Mauve Along!  The formula for these lipsticks is just divine and once on the lips they are long lasting, they are comfortable, they don't crack, they don't feel drying and ive not found that they bleed, feather or transfer.  They literally tick every single box and whilst I also haven't found that they cling to any dry skin, I always exfoliate before wearing a liquid/Matte lipstick anyway.

All three of these shades are just beautiful whether you like your statement red lip, a sext berry or even a classic nude and you can find them all on Beauty Chamber for just £14.95 which is great value for money when you look at the price of similar Matte Liquid Lipsticks.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel

When the Effaclar Duo (+) launched in 2014, it seemed to explode onto my social media feed with people hailing it as an incredible launch which changed their lives.  Designed to change the lives of those with oily, blemish-prone skin, the Effaclar Duo (+) range gives a range of products which work together.  I have been using the Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel for Oily Sensitive Skin.

Sadly the gel inside the tube isn't as beautifully blue, instead, it is a clear gel which doesn't have too thick a texture, for a gel it is quite runny. Designed to eliminate impurities and excess sebum, La Roche-Posay use their Thermal Spring Water as one of the main ingredients alongside Glycacil which purifies the skin, Zinc PCA which helps to reduce excess oil and Citric Acid which gently dissolves dead skin cells.  It is also soap-free, contains no parabens, is 100% hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

I have combination oily skin and I really don't cleansers which strip my skin and leave it feeling really dry.  With this gel, I find it quite cooling on the skin and the one thing it doesn't do is leave my skin feeling all taut and dry.  When using it, you need to ensure your hands are wet and then having squeezed a small amount of the gel onto your hands you work it into a lather, which it does quickly before applying it to your face and then rinsing off with warm water.  After using, my skin always feels so soft, smooth, clean and fresh.  One of the worst things about living in London is how the air, smog and pollutions can make your skin just feel vile and there are days when I come home and just want to wash my skin until I am confident there is nothing nasty left on it.  As well as using this foaming gel on your face, this it can also be used on the body!

Priced at £12 it is widely available from sites such as Lookfantastic, Feelunique and Boots.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

TOO FACED Hangover 3-In-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray

The Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer and Setting Spray is the sister product to the cult favourite Hangover Primer. Described as being a weightless 3-in-1 coconut water-infused mist that primes, sets and refreshes make up while it helps keep skin hydrated, this spray is silicone, Alcohol and Oil free.

A bit of a multi-tasker, this mist can be used to Prime, Set and Refresh and what I love about it is not only is there a slight scent of Coconut but when spritzed it doesn't soak you through leaving you wet, instead it is lightweight but there is enough mist so that you know you have sprayed it. It is infused with hydrating coconut water that works to prime, set and refresh your makeup while helping to keep skin looking radiant and poreless.  So you can use this spray to:

• Prime: Apply to clean skin before makeup.
• Set: Apply after makeup to keep it in place all day.
• Refresh: This spray can also be used anytime to refresh skin.

I have used it in all three ways and have differing views on each option.  When it comes to priming my skin, I am admittedly not a fan of spray primers, I prefer something of substance and I like something I can use to tone down my redness, so for me, this isn't the best use of the spray but it does a good job at being a primer. I do however love to set my makeup and do flip between a powder and a spray depending what I have in my stash, so for the past few months I have used this spray and it does an incredible job at not only ensuring my make is set in place, but it also adds a hit of hydration too, not something you get with many setting sprays.  Finally, using it for refereshing, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know I love my face mists and the fact I can use this to be one of them has been quite an eye-opener because it also does an amazing job at refreshing my makeup which means I don't have to do a mid-afternoon touch up.

I am a huge fan of setting mists and have one or two favourites, of which this one has just joined the crew.  It comes packaged in pink, so it already gets a huge thumbs up and for your £27 you get a huge 120ml bottle.  Overall, I absolutely love this product and have a back up ready for when it runs out.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here