For the Love of Shea Butter

Shea Butter is quite possibly one of my favourite scents in a cream or lotion (aside form coconut) it reminds me of Caramac bars, a childhood love I shared with my late Grandfather.  I first came across Shea Butter back in my teens when I was looking for something to soothe and cure my dry shins, a skin problem I have had for many years now and it drives me insane.

I was recently sent a lovely tin of Pure Health Shea Butter Skin Food to try and as soon as the package arrived, it was ripped open.  Inside the package was this 100g tin:

Pure Health Shea Butter Skin Food is sold in quite a funky retro tin and is available for £9.19 whereupon which 10% of the profits are donated to development projects in Africa.    The tin itself tells you that this product is 100% pure, meaning it contains no parabens, sulphates or paraffin to irritate the skin. Instead what will you find is something that is rich in Vitamins A, E and F and being so it is not the only kind to your skin but will also be both nourishing and rejuvenating and it has shown to be effective in treating certain skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis add to that it is also said to be effective in reducing the appearance of stretch marks and wrinkles - now where exactly can you get some of this miracle butter?

Right here -  Pure Health’s Shea Butter Skin Food (£9.19 for a 100g). 

What they say

“From the seeds of the shea tree comes the gift of shea butter. A wonderful natural balm and skin moisturiser appreciated by many with dry, irritated skin. Unlike the white, odourless, refined shea butter that goes into so many cosmetic products today, our shea butter is pure, unrefined shea butter sourced from women's cooperatives in West Africa. In addition, refined Shea Butter has usually been extracted from the shea kernels using hexane or other petroleum solvents, traces of which are often present in the finished product, which also lacks many of the soothing, nutritive properties of unrefined, virgin shea butter.

Like all premium unrefined shea butter, it has a characteristic nutty scent, which disappears after a few minutes when rubbed on the skin. Unrefined shea butter is a very versatile active ingredient for skin and hair care products and has excellent anti-aging, soothing and moisturising properties.”

Shea Butter has been around for many years and it does appear in quite a lot of products, particularly those which are moisturising, hydrating and it even appears in make-up products such as lip balms and lipsticks.  I really like Shea Butter as an ingredient for those reasons and it has a lot of uses:

• Helps heal scars, burns, and stretch marks.
• Prevents ashy skin, chapping, and skin rashes.
• An ideal hairdressing that protects the scalp from sores and rashes and prevents dandruff.
• Helps prevent weak hair from breaking, fading, or thinning out.
• Fortifies cuticles and nails.
• Helps bruises to heal.
• Helps drain toxins from sore muscles: perfect for sports participants.
• Helps prevent skin irritation for babies: used for generations to help babies sleep better.
• Use after shaving to prevent irritation and restore skin's natural lustre.
• Ideal for dry skin, dermatitis, eczema, sunburn and athletes foot.
• Rejuvenates skin pores and adds elasticity to skin.
• Firms up ageing skin and helps clear wrinkles.
• Massage Shea butter into areas affected by arthritis, joint pains, or other muscular aches.
• Naturally, contains vitamins A and E.

Upon opening the tin, using a simple twisting action, the first thing I noticed was the creamy look of the Shea Butter, as you wipe your hand across the Shea Butter, which is packed tightly into the tin, it is almost a solid, until the heat from your body touches it and it simply glides onto your finger, then onto you skin and it is so smooth to the touch.  As it glides onto your skin, it disappears almost immediately and leaves behind no hint that it was there in the first place, there is no greasiness to the skin, so snail-like trail it was once there, instead all you are left with is soft, smooth skin which is purely delightful.  

As for the scent, well it came as a surprise to me that there was no sweet smell, instead there is this soft aroma that had a slightly nutty scent to it, nothing too overpowering, in fact it is so delicate you would almost not notice it, if you weren’t looking for it and it is quite nice.

This Shea Butter is Fair Trade and suitable for Vegans.  It also doesn't contain:

• Parabens or other preservatives
• Parafin or other petrochemicals
• Solvents or Perfumes

After using it for a few weeks, concentrating on one area of my body, my shins, there is already a notable difference to the dry skin on my shins, it hasn’t disappeared entirely but I no longer resemble a reptile about to shed its skin. Instead, my shins are soft and smooth to the touch and I am now not as embarrassed by my legs and I will continue to use this product until it runs out because I can see how beneficial it has been and will be. 

In the last week, I have been using it on my nail cuticles, which is looking quite haggard in the hope it will soften and soothe them and too.

label.m Therapy Age-Defying haircare range

My hair can be the bane of my life.  I suffer from greasy roots and dry ends which mean I feel as though I have to wash my hair every other day and my life has been saved by my own discovery of Dry Shampoo.  I also have thin hair but a lot of it and when I am stressed it leads to a flaky scalp and as yet I have not found a product that can cure all of this, I doubt I ever will, but I have found products that can deal with one part of it.  I spend quite a lot on hair products and usually at my Salon’s request, stick with their offerings.  Until now!

I was recently sent a lovely gift package from the lovely people at Label.m and in that package was a shampoo and conditioner from their Age Defying Range.  Both items are packaged inside lovely purple/plum coloured bottles and both feature a pump action dispenser, to dispense the shampoo and the conditioner.  The bottles themselves are quite classy looking in design and wouldn’t look out of place in a top boutique hotel or hair salon, they are readily available online with the shampoo for a 200ml bottle is £13.95 and the conditioner is either £16.95 for a 150ml bottle.

What they say about the Shampoo

The label.m Therapy Age-Defying Shampoo has an ultra cleansing formula that is perfect to restore and replenish dull and weak hair and leave it feeling beautifully soft and full of life.

The Label.m Therapy Age-Defying Shampoo comes from the gorgeous range formulated with 8 ultra caring and technologically advanced ingredients to reverse the visible signs of ageing so you can enjoy hair that is left looking and feeling strong, radiant and beautifully youthful.  This sulphate-free shampoo will restore, replenish and rejuvenate. Designed to quickly transform weak, dull, aged hair into strong, radiant and youthful looking hair.

The first thing I noticed when I came to use this shampoo was how easy it was so dispense, even with wet hands, two pumps of the dispenser and I had more than enough shampoo to cover my head of hair, The shampoo itself has an almost peal-esque colour to it which shimmers in the light, but what caught my attention the most was the sweet aroma that came alive.  As soon as the shampoo is massaged into your hair and scalp, it lathers immediately where again the sweet smell that I instantly loved came alive.  As you wash away the lather, ensuring you have nothing left behind, my hair was already feeling soft and smooth and I was yet to try the conditioner.

What they say about the Conditioner

The Label.m Therapy Age-Defying Conditioner is a gorgeous sulphate free conditioner that has been formulated to restore, replenish and transform weak, dull and aged hair leaving it strong, radiant and youthful.

The Label.m Therapy Age-Defying Conditioner comes from the gorgeous range formulated with 8 ultra caring and technologically advanced ingredients to reverse the visible signs of ageing so you can enjoy hair that is left looking and feeling strong, radiant and beautifully youthful.

When it came to the conditioner, again, same classy design for the bottle and same dispensing action for the product.  With this conditioner are simple instructions -

“Apply to freshly shampooed hair, combing through from roots to ends. For extra conditioning benefits, leave in hair for 2-3 minutes before rinsing out”  

I don’t use conditioner every time I shampoo my hair because I have found it makes my hair greasier much quicker, but whenever I do use a conditioner I do leave it on for a few minutes to give it time to work and I always brush it through using my Tangle Teezer.  Then once I had washed the conditioner our of my hair, again the super soft feel was more evident than it was before, only this time the lovely sweet aroma more noticeable.

Looking closer at both products Sugar Cane extract which is quite possibly where the sweet smell comes from and as you can see from the photographs, there are a huge amount of ingredients which will ensure both of these products are good for your hair and naturally they are sulphate free too.

For me, my problem has always been one of three things.  My hair is either greasier after using a product, my hair becomes too dry after using a product or my hair feels lank and lifeless.  Having used these products for the last 5 weeks, my hair is none of those things, infact I am washing my hair every 3 days instead of every other day, my hair is soft and smooth with a natural shine and it is an absolute pleasure to style with my GHD’s, they glide through my hair.  Quite a few people have commented on how lovely my hair smells, one lady sat next to me on a bus assumed it was my perfume, only to my told it was actually my shampoo and conditioner that left the sweet smell that she was referring too, thankfully she stopped short of actually smelling my hair in public, but the aroma does last for a good 24 hours before it begins to fade.

The downside to these products? My husband likes them and I fear they will run out quicker than I hoped.

I have become a huge fan of Label.m products; I adore this shampoo and conditioner. Infact I love everything about it - the ease of use with the dispenser, the bottle design, the fragrance of both, how my hair feels after using and how my hair looks, it has a bit of life back into it.  If you have never tried these products, I would urge you to do so!

EMERGENCY...

Like most girls, I do have my must have and must wear products that accompany me everywhere, the kind of items I never leave the house without such as Iphone, Purse, Kindle and of course make-up.  Some mornings I am in a rush and simply don't have time to sort my face out and put on make-up, if that happens, I have a make-up bag which holds these items and I grab it, shove it in my bag and I am away.

As you can see, my beautiful boy, Dude, is very kindly modelling my Gorjuss make-up bag, a present from a friend a few years ago.  I love this little bag because I can fit so much into it and it is cute.

So inside the bag you will find:

1. BeneFit - Hello Flawless foundation - I have 2 of these.  One I keep in this bag and one I keep at home.  I love the colour, how easy it is to use and I like the packaging.  £24.50

2. BeneFit Hoola - my must have bronzer.  I love this stuff and again have 2 of them as above. £23.50

3. Lip Balm - I am a lip balm addict, a post is coming on my lip balm addiction, but I am never without lip balm. Palmers Cocoa Butter Dark Chocolate Cherry is one of my current favourites, it smells good enough to eat and at £1.99 it is a bargain.

4. MUA under-eye Concealer - a recent purchase as my Touche Eclat has run out and whilst it isn't as good, it 'makes do' and it was only £2 so I can't complain.

5. Thick & Fast Soap and Glory Mascara - to be honest it is a good mascara, I like the brush and it doesn't clump and I am a huge Soap and Glory fan too.  £10

6. Rimmel Day 2 Night Glameyes Mascara - just incase I need it and I like the thin brush for the corner of my eyes. £7.99

7. M&S Autograph Blush - I love this perfume, it is perfect for work, fits in my bag and smells really lovely - the description reads "This refreshing fragrance has a fresh floral note with bergamot and cassis giving sparkle to a pretty violet accord. Water fruits and soft raspberry mingle with dewy rose in the heart which reaches into a background of warm amber, creamy vanilla and silky musks. A captivating fragrance to refresh and uplift." £8.50

8. A Nail File - I am never without a nail file. Boots £2.05

So that is my emergency bag of make-up that I grab in a morning and shove in my handbag and I thought it would be fun to see how much it is worth :drum roll: £80.53 and if you include the cost of the bag which is aorund £10, that takes the total to £90.53.  That total has shocked me a bit because for those few items, it is a lot of money to use as my grab bag! I dread to think what my 'Actual Make-up bag' that I use when getting ready and am not in a rush is worth!

Does anyone else have an emergency bag like this?

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What's in the box?

This month's Glossybox has finally arrived on my desk and having seen a few posts already on what other people have had, I was in two minds as to whether or not I would like my box when it arrived.  Anyway, here it is:

So, as you can see it is all nicely packaged and the one thing I do like about Glossybox is that the box is always nicely presented and it is sturdy.

Anyway, once I had managed to locate my five items, this is what is in it:

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush - The Description - A moisturizing lip stain that tints your lips with just the right amount of juicy colour and hydrates like a balm. Apply liberally, purse and let the silky lightweight texture melt onto your lips.  Full Size: £12 for 2.5g

Nails Inc Brunton Street - I am a fan of Nails Inc, I am yet to find a colour I don't like and this one I really love.  The Description - Bruton Street, nestled in the middle of London's Mayfair and home to the likes of Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, upmarket restaurant Hakkasan, antiques dealers and contemporary art galleries.  In short: sophisticated with more than a touch of glamour. Just like the nail polish nails inc has named after the street: a dusky pink nude shade that is perfect for a cosmopolitan, everyday look!  Full Size sample £11 for 10ml

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - I have been wanting to try this forever, now I have it I am slightly disappointed that because the sample size is only 7ml, I won't really get the chance to see how well this works or whether it doesn't.  The Description - Discover the UK Beauty Editors’ favourite product for the past 7 years*. 

Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden to soothe and protect skin Eight Hour* Cream Skin Protectant was an instant and overwhelming success. Discover the skincare classic used by women worldwide - to moisturize and protect any way you choose.  Refresh jet-lagged skin. Shape brows. Revitalize shine. Soothe dry hands. Smooth cuticles and nails. No wonder Eight Hour* Cream Skin protectant is loved by makeup artists around the world. 
*Source: mymarketmonitor.com, Skincare category, number of PR mentions from 1/1/2006 - 31/12/2011.  Full Size sample £25.00 for 50ml

L'Occitane En Provence (Immortelle Precious Cream) - Not a product that has ever graced a wishlist but I do love the bright bold blueness of the pot.  The Description - Enriched with unique essential oils, Immortelle Precious Cream is a rich smooth cream that visibly corrects deep wrinkles and improves firmness, allowing skin to stay beautiful and younger for longer. Full Size sample £43 for 50ml

TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray - I have to say, I was not excited about this product at all.  I don't use hairspray and well.  Product Description - TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray offers lasting extra firm hold and all day control – whatever your style. With a fast drying professional performance formula, this hero hairspray provides all day flexible control with long lasting extra firm hold that is humidity resistant, with the ability to brush out with ease. Full size £4.69 for 500ml

And Finally... a special gift included which is clearly just for me: