Gallivant Nomad Discovery set

Purchasing a fragrance is often a hard choice, department stores and shops are full to the brim of old-time classics, the celebrity endorsed fragrances, the new and the yet to be discovered and if I am honest, I am always unsure as to what I like the most.  In recent years,  I have become a bit of a fan of fragrance discovery sets and the option to try them at home, in surroundings you would normally find yourself in so that you get a good understanding of what does and does not work for you and your skin. Today sees the turn of this Gallivant Nomad Discovery set which I have been getting to know over the last few months.

Gallivant describes itself as being is an indie perfume maker from London and it was founded and created by Nick Steward. With a 'less is more' design ethos, Gallivant believe that a quality perfume can speak for itself; it doesn't need to be loud and flashy. This Nomad Discovery Set is a collection of unisex, gender-neutral eau de parfum which brings a thoughtful, honest and unfussy approach to perfumery.

There is a total of eight fragrances to be discovered from Gallivant and each one of them comes with their very own story and each one is named after a city or country and they are as follows:

• Amsterdam - This fragrance sits within the floral woody scents but with added spice. It has top notes of elemi, schinus molle CO2 extract, Szechuan pepper and saffron, heart notes of tulip and rose and sitting within the base notes you will find cedarwood, musks, sandalwood and amber. To me, this is quite a green, fresh scent which as it settles allows the spiciness to come through. It is warm, it is cosy and the floral notes are not overpowering for those who don't want a floral fragrance.
• Berlin - This is a definite Citrus, woody and spicy fragrance one that I have really liked wearing. It has top notes of grapefruit, clementine, lemon and Schinus molle CO2 extract, heart notes of black pepper and black tea and base notes of Haitian vetiver, cedarwood and patchouli. A wonderful light, clean scent with Vetiver being the ingredient which stands out to be noticed and I love how it opens with the boldness of the citrus notes before they settle down to allow the heart notes to clear the path for the base notes.
• Brooklyn - This fragrance is said to be a musky citrus scent with extra spice which has top notes of bergamot, squeezed lemon and orange juice. Incense, cardamom, ozonic. The heart notes of magnolia and orris root and finally base notes of white woods, benzoin, amber and musks. For me, this is almost like the powder you get from a lemon sherbert, tangy and citrusy and a bit of a contrast between the lemon and the orange to start with before it settles down and the citrus notes mix with the woods to settle. One of the longest lasting on the skin from the collection.
• Istanbul - Described as being an ambery, woody, spicy fragrance. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom, red thyme. Heart notes of lavender absolute, Egyptian geranium essence, patchouli heart and sweet myrrh (opoponax) essence. Finally base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber and musks. When I first sprayed this I was reminded of Marzipan, not something I am a fan of admittedly but as soon as it dries down, the heart notes come through to give it quite a sweet but spicy tone and the vanilla thankfully doesn't overwhelm the other notes.
• London - This is my second most worn and I can't help but like it a lot. Described as being an ambery, woody, spicy fragrance. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom, red thyme. Heart notes of lavender absolute, Egyptian geranium essence, patchouli heart and sweet myrrh (opoponax) essence and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber and musks. This is a scent for Spring in my view, it is light, it is crisp, it is fresh with the cucumber note being quite prominent but working well with the heart notes. For me, a scent that is hard not to like.
• Los Angeles - Described as being a hot, sensual woody floral, this fragrance has top notes of eucalyptus, clary sage, mandarin orange and pineapple; heart notes of narcissus, tuberose and sea notes; base notes of cade oil, cypriol oil or nagarmotha, musk, heliotrope and guaiac wood. I am on the fence with this scent, I like the inclusion of eucalyptus which keeps those citrus notes from being over the top but as it dries down the Heliotrope note for me is a little too strong, but I don't dislike it.
• Tel Aviv - This fragrance my favourite of the set and it is described as being a floral fruity fragrance and it has top notes of clementine, bergamot, and blackcurrant bud. Heart notes of jasmine sambac absolute, Comoros’ ylang-ylang, rose oil and freesia with base notes of sandalwood, musks, Deer’s Tongue absolute (liatrix) and benzoin. This has all the notes I love within a fragrance and it is a beautiful floral with the dominance coming through from the Freesia. Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine whilst the note of bergamot is just ever so slightly there in the background.
• Tokyo - The final fragrance of the 8 and one which is described as being a zingy, spicy, woody fragrance. It has top notes of yuzu and bergamot with black pepper and cardamom, electrified with a dash of wasabi. Heart notes of hinoki, cedarwood, and incense, with iris, rose and nutmeg and base notes of amber, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver. I was expecting this scent to be quite heavy given some of the ingredient notes within and with the spice coming from the likes of wasabi and nutmeg, they don't dominate. For me, the notes of Yuzu and Bergamot as an opener bring to life the zingy side before the base notes, which bring everything together for a fresh but calm fragrance and this is one which reminds me of another fragrance, I just can't think what it is.

What we have here from Gallivant are eight individual fragrances and no two are similar or even alike, the only thing they share other than the kit they arrive in, is one or two notes within the fragrances.    The likes of Tokyo and Istanbul are unique and will test your nose but for me, Tel Aviv and Berlin would be the ones I would opt for.

Each one of these fragrances costs £65 for 30ml or this Discovery set which I was kindly gifted costs £25 here from the Gallivant site.

Have any of these fragrances caught your eye from their descriptions?

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

Lee Stafford Shampoo Massage Brush and Smooth & Polish Paddle Brush

Lee Stafford is a haircare brand I’ve been a fan of since they first launched Lee Stafford Poker Straight hair protection spray, a product I have used over and over again for many years and there is something about the scent that I just happen to adore, not forgetting just how good at protecting your hair from any form of heat it is.  When it comes to hairbrushes, I have a comb from Lee Stafford that has seen me through quite a few years now and just recently, the brand has relaunched their hairbrush collection with the aim of ensuring that it contains every brush or comb that you will ever need.  With nine different tools to choose from, all of which are available from Boots, you will without question find one that you really need.

I was kindly sent two products from the range, the first is the Lee Stafford Shampoo Massage Brush and the second one is the Lee Stafford Smooth and Polish Paddle Brush.

The Massage Brush is the one I was particularly looking forward to trying because the one I had from another brand has managed to disappear and I have become quite a fan of them.

Priced at £5.99 it is amazing value for money and it is described as being perfect for cleansing and exfoliating, helping to maintain a healthy scalp and fabulous looking hair. Pair it with your favourite Lee Stafford shampoo for that extra foaminess! With an ergonomically designed handle making it easy to grip when wet, massage with the soft silicone tips to lift away dead skin and stimulate your scalp!

This massage brush is absolutely brilliant to use.  For someone like me who suffers from scalp irritations, usually linked to stress, I need something that not only helps to massage my head and exfoliate my scalp but also something that helps aid that exfoliation process when I use particular products to help exfoliate my scalp.  I also use this massage brush when I have applied a hair mask to my hair, it helps to ensure I get as even a coverage as I can.  The brush is also a great size for sitting in the palm of your hand and because the tips are made from silicone, they are not too rigid that they hurt the scalp, instead they do give quite the relaxing massage.

The second brush, the Smooth and Polish Paddle Brush is again reasonably priced at £10.99 and it is described as being a must-have for making the most of your hair, every day. Whether you want silky soft hair or to just detangle and combat frizz this paddle brush with soft-touch grip is the perfect go-to tool. With flexible nylon pins that can be used on wet or dry hair, the soft cushion adapts to the shape of your head to ensure a comfortable styling experience!

Most of the brushes that I use on my hair are paddle brushes.  I have shoulder length hair which has a fine texture, but I have a lot of hair, so anything I can do to prevent tangles and knots.  This brush features an easy-grip handle which has a rubberised coating to it and what I love is how large the brush head is.  Again, with silicone bristles, this brush doesn't drag its way through your hair, it glides without pulling and scraping against your head.  A delight to use and one of my most used brushes.

Do you have a favourite brush or brush brand that you couldn't be without?

You can find these brushes and the entire Lee Stafford hairbrush collection at Boots.

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

REN Clean Skincare - Hero Products

One of my absolute must-have bathroom skincare brands is REN, now known as REN Clean Skincare.  Over the past year, REN has been on quite the journey with their efforts to become more sustainable and throughout the whole of 2019, I have been lucky enough to share some of that journey with them.  

Today I am sharing three hero products from the REN skincare range and each one of them is completely different from the other and yet all three are just fabulous.

The first product is one I loved from the very first use and it is the Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic. I first reviewed this product here, but the reason I wanted to include it within this post is because it is suitable for the most sensitive of skin.

Described by REN as being a toner that provides a daily dose of clean bio-active extracts to help your skin get glowing, it is formulated with the pH of 3.5; the optimum pH at which your skin naturally exfoliates. Within Ready Steady Glow, REN use and harness the power of three sustainable, natural bio-actives - Lactic Acid, Salicin and Azelaic Acid Precursor and each one of these ingredients works together to dissolve dead and dey skin, cleanse your pores, help balance the skin's natural sebum levels and helps to boost radiance, hydration and elasticity.

I have been using Ready Steady Glow for some time now and the very first time I used it, there was a slight tingle on my skin, but what it didn't do was turn red. After using my skin has never been left feeling dry and nor has it caused any irritation.  Priced at £25 for a 250ml bottle, if you have been wanting to try an exfoliating acid, then this is a great place to start.

The second product within my trio is one you might have seen featured quite a lot on my Instagram stories and that is the REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm. The Evercalm collection is described as being soothing care for sensitive and sensitised skin.

The Evercalm™ range is packed with soothing, calming and anti-irritant bioactives and it is formulated to reduce redness and restore skin’s protective barrier against environmental stress.  Within the range, you will find not only find cleansers, moisturisers, masks and serums, but also the Overnight Recovery Balm, which is a firm favourite of mine.

This Balm is perfect for anyone who feels their skin is in need of some TLC if its dry, irritated and is in need of some calming.  This balm is really rich and is said to feed your skin with lipids from Olive, Almond, Borage and Linseed oils, all of which have been activated so they are easily absorbed into the skin, in doing so, they work to intensely nourish and moisturise your skin whilst you sleep. Within this balm, you will also find both Jojoba and sunflower oil which supports the skin's natural lipid balance which in turn helps to strengthen the skin protective barrier. Then we have an ingredient called Beta-glucan which soothes and alleviates signs of irritation from dryness.

I use this balm every evening currently, always when I was freshly cleansed my face and usually after applying a serum to my skin.  Once the serum has absorbed, I will then add this balm.  Once on the skin, it absorbs without being greasy and it leaves my skin feeling incredibly soothed and nourished.  It is worth noting that this balm can also be used on your lips, knees and elbows too for soothing dryness.  Priced at £40, this is one product that should always be on your bedside table.

The final product within this trio is one for those who, like me, love spending time in the bath for some well-deserved R&R and it is the REN Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil.

Made with one of the worlds most expensive oils, this bath oil is not only an absolute luxury it is just the tonic after a really stressful, tense working week. Moroccan Rose Otto oil is best known for its anti-bacterial, hydrating and anti-depressant properties. When a few drops of the oil are added into the bath, it disperses pretty much instantly into the water and as it does so, it turns that water into a milky white colour and what I absolutely love is that you can step into the bath and then get out of it again, without the fear of slipping on a slippery oil.  

As the bath continues to run, the steam vapour manages to capture the scent of the Moroccan Rose Oil and fills the air with the most beautiful, natural scent, rather than one which is manufactured.  On the skin, this is very much a moisturising product for your skin, especially if you have dryness.  Priced at £32 for a 110ml bottle, this makes such a wonderful treat.

I would love to know whether or not you are a fan of REN skincare and whether you have a favourite product from the brand, or if you have never tried them, do any of these products stand out?

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

Product Likes and Dislikes for 2019

As we come to the end of a decade and arrive in 2020, I have looked back over my reviews for the last 365 days and uncovered a lot of products I absolutely loved, many of which I have re-purchased a fair few times and then we have two products which I didn't love at all in 2019 but featured them on my blog, one out of frustration and the other as a dupe post.

It was really hard to choose which products stood out for in 2019 because there are so many from different brands that I just love and many that I constantly rave about, but I did manage to choose a mixture of skincare, fragrance, makeup and some non-beauty products that I loved and almost everything featured has been repurchased with a few exceptions. 

One brand I had really wanted to try was Drunk Elephant.  When something is as raved about online via social media as some brands are, you can't help but want to try them. So, I purchased the Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser (review here). Anyone who knows me or reads my blog will know that I am a huge fan of balm cleansers, this one included.

Staying with skincare and of course, Emma Hardie was going to make it onto my list with the Moringa Light Cleansing Gel (review here).  I am a huge fan of the cleansing balm and it is always a product I have within my stash for double cleansing with, but this gel is a perfect alternative for a morning cleanse and it smells just as incredible as the balm.

I never thought I would be someone who loved trainers, but ever since I injured my ankle on the last bank holiday of the year in 2018 and honestly, the photos of my ankle are grim so I haven't shared them with you.  However, with my injury, which was essentially every ligament torn, tendons over-stretched and a flare-up of Plantar Fascitis means it has been agony to walk and I was on crutches for a few weeks too.  So,  I have had to resort to comfort shoe over 'but I really like those boots' and to begin with I was less than happy. However, Skechers trainers have been an absolute dream to wear.  I can walk without being in agony, they don't hurt my feet, they feel like you are walking on clouds and my physio said I have to wear them, so what is a girl to do.  My current Skecher of choice is the Skech-Air by Skechers and I absolutely love them.

Choosing a fragrance is something of a personal choice, it is rare I can walk into a department store and find a scent I like from the first sniff, I have to walk away and try it within an environment I am likely to spend some time in.  In 2019 I came across two fragrances that I have continually worn.  The first is from Jo Malone with Nectarine Blossom and Honey and it is a scent that came into my life accidentally (review here) but it is one I have since repurchased because it is stunning.  The second is from Floral Street with Electric Rhubarb (review here) and honestly, not only does it smell just insane, it lasts and it lasts and it lasts on the skin, on your clothes and I have had so many compliments about it when I wear it.  When you really love a fragrance that much, chances are you will like others within the range, so now I have my eye on London Poppy from Floral Street and Honeysuckle and Davana from Jo Malone.

When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, I am very happy with my Nude/Neutral shades and I don't think I will ever venture too far from them.  The palette I have surprised myself by using a lot during 2019 is the Diego Dalla Palma Nude Eyeshadow Palette (review here). 

The palette Nuda contains 12 stunning, highly pigmented shades all of which are nude and warm colours and they are said to have been inspired by the colours of the earth. 

My happy place when I am stressed, feeling poorly or just want to take a time out is in the bath.  We recently had our bathroom renovated and I am up for using any excuse I can find to use and try new products.  I am a huge fan of bath salts, in my opinion, they are very much underrated and this year I've been lucky enough to try two new brands - Verdant Alchemy and London Bathers.  Liquid Yoga by Mama Mio will forever be a product in my bathroom and I can never rave about it enough, but bath salts have been a lifesaver.  The Drift Off Mineral Bath Salts from Verdant Alchemy (review here) is designed to calm your mind and help you drift off and alongside Epsom and Dead Sea Salt, you will find ingredients such as vetiver and lavender. With London Bathers, I was lucky enough to try a trio of Soaking Salts (review here). London Bathers are an independent, family-run company on a mission to offer high quality, low impact bathroom products and accessories.

One item that has probably made a bigger impact than I had anticipated is silk pillowcases and to date, I have tried three different brands and there is no going back.  Slip Silk was the first brand I tried (review here) and it was like waking up someplace new and as someone who is a constant pillow turner because I hate having a hot pillow, it was quite the change.  Then I tried Holistic Silk (review here) again, literally, life-changing sleeping on something so soft, smooth and not having the pillow crease face the following day is quite something.  The final brand I tried most recently is SilkUp (review here) and as with the previous brands, a silk pillowcase comes with so many benefits, I simply couldn't switch back.  If it is something you can afford to treat yourself too, then definitely do.

The job I do can result in a lot of stress, so I tend to opt for products which can help de-stress me and as well as spending time in the bath, I am a huge fan of candles and this year I have shared quite a few on my blog.  However, Bath and Bodyworks Stress Relief Candle (review here) are definitely one I go too to create that relaxing atmosphere as it uses Eucalyptus Essential Oil to help clear the mind as well as Spearmint Essential Oil which soothes and uplifts.  The entire range is just totally divine.

When I am stressed, one place it shows is my scalp and I can have a nightmare with a dry scalp at this time.  Two products I've been introduced too during the last year come from Omorovicza and Living Proof.  From Omorovicza we have the Revitalizing Scalp Mask (review here) a pre-shampoo treatment which is packed with amazing ingredients such as Hungarian Moor Mud a product featured in the majority of the brand's range.  Then from Living Proof, we have the Restore Dry Scalp Treatment which you use on clean, damp hair. Again from Living Proof, we have a product which uses a hyaluronic acid-based Molecular Patch delivers instant soothing and sustained hydration to the scalp.

Lip Balm is an absolute must and I have recently bought the Rabot 1745 Lipbalm (review here) for a friend as part of her Christmas box because it is just so good.  Part of the Hotel Chocolat range, this lip balm smells absolutely incredible and yet on the lips, it is as moisturising and hydrating as some of the higher-end brands that I have tried.

The final skincare product that I just absolutely loved comes from Fresh Beauty and having read and seen so much about the brand on my social media timeline, I went in search of something to try.  The Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask (review here). Described as being designed to combat signs of tired and overstressed skin, this mask uses a whole host of amazing ingredients hydrate, improve radiance and promote a youthful-looking complexion.

The final part of my likes for 2019 is book recommendations.  I have been a huge book worm since the day I learnt to read and for the last few years, I have used my Goodreads account to set goals and challenges for books to read throughout the year.

For 2019 there are two books that need to read if you haven't done so already, whether you are an avid reader or sometimes pick up a book and then forget about it.  The first one is by Gail Honeyman with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Described as being an astonishing story that powerfully depicts the loneliness of life, and the simple power of a little kindness, I can guarantee you that Eleanor Oliphant will be someone who makes you wonder how she is, despite being a character in a book, she is someone we can all relate to in so many ways. An absolute heroine who cannot help but want to be friends with.  The second book is The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and there are so many words to use to describe this book, but it is described as a beautifully written harrowing story of one man's will to survive in Auschwitz...it is a story of hope and endurance and a beauty that emerges when all around is painted in black. As a reader, you cannot help but be affected by this account the simplicity of the storytelling only adds to the poignancy. This book had me in tears, it made me smile, it made me cheer and it made me realise just how strong that human spirit to survive is.

It is rare I feature products I dislike on my blog because I prefer to promote the things I actually like, however, there is one product which drove me to distraction and that was the Revolution Foil Frenzy Creation Eyeshadow Palette (full review here). At just £8 and knowing how good Revolution usually is, I had high hopes for this palette.  

Unfortunately, it was just awful and the swatches turned out to be nothing like those I had seen on the Revolution Instagram page, even when I wet them to attempt to get some colour pay off.  Definitely not in my good books!

The second product in my dislike pile is the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads. I am not a huge fan of Nip + Fab as a brand in any case, I think they are overpriced for a highstreet brand especially when you can get better products for less and more so when I compared the Aldi Lacura Daily Cleansing pads (full review here) which are an almost identical dupe.

At a different in the price of more than £11 or a saving of more than £11 depending on how you see it, there was no question for me as to which product was the better of the two, more so that the ingredients are nearly identical.   

So that is my 2019 round-up of products and I would love to now if you have found anything here that tempts you or is one of your own favourite products to use?

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