Ecoya Guava & Lychee Sorbet Candle

I have probably mentioned it a lot but I do adore candles, whichever room I am sat in, I have one burning, I find them relaxing and of course I am intrigued by their scents and whether or not they live up to their claims.

Ecoya isn't a brand I am too familiar with, but if this Guava and Lychee Sorbet Candle is anything to go by, then I want and need to know more. Before the candle is removed from the box, the scent is already quite captivating and most definitely has a tropical note to it, summer time might almost be over, but this is a candle which will make you forget that Autumn is coming. 

Founded back in 2004, Ecoya is described as being 'a leading eco-luxe fragrance and bodycare brand'. They are an Australian brand and use hand-poured natural waxes and lead-free cotton wicks to craft their signature paraffin-free scented candles. Ecoya focus on pure ingredients and meticulously blended scents has led to them becoming popular in more than 25 countries worldwide.

The candle arrives inside a beautifully peach/coral sorbet coloured box and inside is glass jar which houses the candle.  This particular one has a burn time of 55 hours and its fragrance is described as follows:

Layers of delicious guava nectar interwoven with the sparkling sweetness of lychee, underpinned by voluptuous tropical berries.

So full of fruity notes, the scent of Guava is really quite evident and even before the silver embossed lid is removed and once alight the scent becomes even more alive and literally travels to each room of the house leaving behind the most incredible tropical scent, very uplifting and a definite mood pleaser.

If this sounds like a candle for you, then John Lewis has both a mini version which is £17  and the larger size candle, which is the one I have for £39 at John Lewis. If candles are not for you, but you like the sound of the scent, there is also a reed diffuser option right for £45.

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise stated. Please see my disclaimer for more info.

Christian Breton DELICIOUS FACE OIL

Christian Breton is a new brand to me, one until very recently I had never come across, but it is one that I am glad I have been given the opportunity to use. To that end I have been enjoying the Delicious Face Oil and some products from the Eye Priority Range (here).

Radiance in a bottle! This NEW Delicious Facial Oil (£59.00, 30ml) from Christian Breton is described as being 'a beautiful oil but with the performance of a serum' quite some claim, but given how much I adore the eye care range, then I had high hopes for the oil.

The oil is enriched with Camellia oil, an ingredient which is proven to visibly replenish the skin with essential moisture whilst at the same time working to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The use of Baobab oil works alongside the Camellia oil and it helps to improve the skin's elasticity whilst Tocopherol protects the skin against elements such as pollution and dryness. Further ingredients include:

Ingredients include:

• Spilanthes Acmella: relaxes facial muscles to decrease facial lines and wrinkles
• Sunflower Oil: rich in vitamin E it acts as an antioxidant on the body to neutralise free radicals and prevent damage to healthy cells
• Gycine Soja Oil: contains essential fatty acids that are key to maintaining skin health and restoring long lasting radiance.

The oil comes inside this beautiful frosted glass bottle and the use of a pipette for distribution is really welcomed. All you need is two or three drops of the oil in the morning or evening, depending on your preference and then you apply it to your skin either from the palms of your hands, or if you can manage it, the pipette itself, but it is really runny.  I also like to add it to my moisturiser if I am in a bit of a hurry.

On the skin, the oil absorbs really quickly, possibly the quickest I have ever tried (that or my skin is really dry) and once it has done so, there is not a trace left behind that it was ever there. After use, my skin feels incredibly soft to the touch and definitely hydrated.  There is a slight scent to it which I can't place, other than to say it has a clean smell, but one which doesn't transfer on to the skin.

I am loving this oil and it has really lived up to its expectations for keeping my skin moisturised and hydrated, but as yet, I am still unable to say how well it does with wrinkles because I haven't got any.  

You can find the Christian Breton range on both LookFantastic and BeautyExpert

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Aldi Candles - A Jo Malone Dupe?

I am a candle obsessive and for this I make no apology, I find them relaxing, I like to have one burning in whichever room I am sitting in.  When my timeline exploded with excitement over the Jo Malone candle dupes from Aldi, I naturally had to see what all the fuss was about.  

Admittedly there has been chatter that these candles cannot be dupes because the wax used is not the same, the essential oils are not the same and obviously the design and packaging is not remotely similar, that said I gave them a try.

So the candles are priced at £3.99 and oddly I found them amongst the cleaning products rather than with all the special offers around the store, but I did manage to get all three that they had in store. The candles are packaged in large glass containers and have a double wick which is quite impressive and they have a 48 hour burn time.

So candle No.1 is Lime, Basil & Mandarin.  

With this candle you can smell both the Lime and the Mandarin before it is lit and then as the candle burns the basil comes to life and I was quite surprised as to how lovely scented this candle was. 

Candle No.2 is Blackberry Bay and this candle is much stronger smelling than No.1.  

The Blackberry scent is not as strong and fruity as I had expected it to be, you have to get up quite close and personal to catch the actual scent, but I have bought candles far more expensive which have less of a scent.  For me, I think it is the weakest of three candles.

My favourite of all the candles is No.3 which is Pomegranate Noir. 

This one for me has the strongest scent and the one which has the ability to ensure the fragrance spreads throughout the house and to me, it actually does smell as the name suggests.

Having mentioned the candles are from Aldi, cost £3.99 and most people are on the fence about their worthiness as a dupe, these two wick candles have surprised me for a few reasons.  Firstly they burn well and secondly there is no black residue or smoke once the candle is alight and I was actually expecting there to be some if not a lot of black smoke.

As always with a glass jar candle you need to be careful about touching it, despite the thickness of the glass, these jars do get very hot, so you will need a mat underneath each one, or use the lid like I do and they need to be cool before touching. At £3.99 I think these are well and truly worth trying, they are not a match for a Jo Malone Candle when it comes to luxury, an amazing scent and that incredible packaging though.

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

Lookfantastic x bareMinerals Limited Edition Beauty Box Out Now!

There is a new beauty box in town from Lookfantastic and this time it is a bareMinerals Limited Edition Beauty Box. The box contains a variety of favourites from the brand, including three full-size products! 

I am new to bareMinerals as a brand and have only recently used the Complexion Rescue which I reviewed here. I really like the idea of a one off Limited Edition Box, something I think Beauty Boxes do really well. 

Full Contents:

• Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydration Gel Cream – Buttercream
• Full Size All Over Face Colour – Soft Romance
• Mini Smoothing Face Brush
• Full Size Original Mineral Veil
• Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion
• Full Size Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara

The box has a total worth value of over £62 but you can get yours now for just £35! Plus, existing lookfantastic Beauty Box subscribers get an extra £5 discount, which will be sent via email with an exclusive discount code!

With an extremely limited number of boxes available, make sure you don’t miss out on this box!

Will you be grabbing this box?

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