L'Occitane x Rifle Paper Co.

I am a huge fan of L'Occitane and I also love stationery. The two things coming together for a collaboration is quite something, quite stunning and I love it. If you haven't seen, L'Occitane and Rifle Paper Co have worked together to adorn their classic Shea Butter collection with these beautiful hand-painted designs to bring to life the natural beauty of Provence with texture, scents and colours. 

Bringing the whole collection together, the founder of Rifle Paper of said:

I started Rifle Paper Co. with the hope of bringing beauty to the everyday,” says Rifle Paper Co. co-founder and Creative Director Anna Bond, “I’m thrilled to partner with L’OCCITANE, a brand that shares the same sense of small pleasures, as we create a custom collection inspired by the gardens of Provence.

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One of the first products I ever used from L'Occitane is the Shea Butter Hand Cream quite some years ago and it was the only cream I had found to heal my very dry, chapped hands.  From that day, even now, I always have a tube of this cream in my drawer for emergencies and for those times when I just need some TLC for my hands.  It is enriched with 20% organic Shea Butter and is a really creamy balm which penetrates the skin quickly to help protect, nourish and moisturise hands. The formula also uses a blend of honey, almond extract and coconut oil to work alongside the Shea Butter to leave hands soft and smooth and despite being a creamy cream, I have never found it to be greasy. 

The collaboration with Rifle Paper Co sees the classic handcream (£20) which is a beautiful blue and green design, sit alongside miniature versions (£8) in both Rose and Shea Butter.  If you ever need a hand cream for your hand bag or for holidays, the mini hand creams are amazing!  Alongside hand creams the collaboration stretches to a Soaps Trio, Three Balms in fragrances Shea, Rose and Apricot and some incredible beautiful tin collections which are called The Best of Winter and Hand Cream Duo.  To look at they are just absolutely stunning and are available right now.

What do you think of this collection?

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

Lixir Universal Emulsion

Still being on the discovery of new brands and new products, I have come across some amazing new brands that I just want to know about. One of those brands is Lixir, one I was introduced to at a Liberty Press Day and something I am really thankful for.

Lixir was founded by Colette Haydon, a doctor in dermo-pharmacy who, until now I had never heard of like many of you who read this post. However, Colette is the kind of person I feel we probably know more about than we realise because she has formulated beauty products some incredible brands which include HealGel, REN and Jo Malone to name a few. Now we have Lixir, a brand which is incredibly instagrammable in which is referred as its Millennial Pink packaging which is every bit as plain as it is pretty.  Made up of just 6 products, Lixir is designed to simply fit into your life, your routine and just maybe become your favourite product.

Universal Emulsion is a product which is made for using everywhere. As far as Lixir are concerned there is no such thing as a cream which is good for a bit of your skin and not the other – Universal Emulsion is for the face, eye contour, lips, neck, décolleté, arms and hands. Described as being a smart moisturiser, Universal Emulsion uses a unique emulsifying technique to deliver what is referred to as molecular water to the skin and boost its ability to retain it.  We all know that one way to improve how your skin looks is to up the intake of water, something that is so simple, yet many of us just don't do it, well Universal Emulsion is not only water based, it also has something quite unique and that is the formulation which uses a unique emulsification technique to deliver an SPF of 10 without adding actual sunscreen so you can use it at night too and it also protects against pollution and other environmental aggressors.

On the skin, the texture is really light whilst being incredibly hydrating and admittedly with the term 'Emulsion' being used, I was expecting something a little thicker, that said it glides onto my skin and leaves it feeling both plump and soft. There is no greasiness but it does leave a dewy hue and although this cream can be used anywhere, I have stuck to using it on my face, neck and decolletage but when I am a little ambitious with squeezing too much out of the tube, it is good to know that it is not wasted because I can use it elsewhere.  I love that there is a delicate rose scent to the cream which slowly disappears over time.

I have absolutely loved using this Universal Emulsion from Lixir and can fully understand the hype behind how it looks and what it does and now I feel I need to discover what else Lixir has to offer. Priced at £29 for 50ml and £40 for 100ml you can find Lixir and the rest of the Lixir products stocked in Victoria Health and Liberty. 

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

DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-in-One Gel

I think I have professed my love for DHC many times over on my blog, from the Virgin Olive Oil Swabs and the Bubble Foaming Mesh to the product that I am sharing with you today and that is the Astaxanthin Collagen All-in-One Gel.

If you didn't know, DHC is a shortened version of the brands' name and it stands for "Daigaku Honyaku Center. DHC are Japans No. 1 direct skincare company and their Cleansing Oil is a product most people are possibly more familiar with. The vision behind DHC is rooted in the beneficial properties of virgin olive oil, Flor de Aceite – the finest quality, extracted from organic Spanish olives. The entire skincare range was founded on the beneficial properties of olive oil. Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, it is a highly effective component in neutralising damaging free radicals. Olive oil also helps balance your skin's moisture. With its unique ability to mix with water, our olive oil helps moisturise without clogging pores. Oxidised oils cause blackheads and a host of other problems, but because olive oil has a naturally lower oxidation rate than your skin's natural oils, it is a perfect barrier to protect skin from irritants.

With that in mind, the Gel that I have almost finished using is described as being a multi-action gel cream which absorbs deeply to moisturise and nourish skin. It also helps to tones, hydrates, brightens while fighting free radical damage. To do all of that it uses an ingredient I had never heard of, come across and being honest, still cannot pronounce and that is the super antioxidant known as Astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is derived from freshwater green algae, is considered 6000 times more powerful than vitamin C, 550 times stronger than Vitamin E,800 times more powerful than COQ10 - wow!  There is also the inclusion of hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin which helps to firm the skin and uphold its natural moisture levels.

Taking that in, DHC has taken this super antioxidant and have put it into a gel cream and whilst it has a wobbly texture, this pale pink gel cream is lightweight and absorbs quite quickly on contact with the skin and it is scent free which I also like.  You only need a small amount of this gel cream because it is a case of a little going a long way and it is to be applied after cleansing your face, for me, after washing and cleansing, I will always add my eye cream and then this cream. Once it has absorbed into the skin, there is no great tacky feeling at all, but what you do notice is a difference in the texture of your skin.  The pot I was kindly given has lasted an amazingly amount of time and whilst I haven't used it religiously every day, but when I have used it, I have noticed a difference, so with long-term use I can only imagine how amazing this leaves your skin.  

Another amazing product from DHC which is priced at £40 for a 120g pot you can find DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-in-One Gel on Escentual  and Feelunique.  

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

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