Osmology | The Home of Scented Candles

If you read my blog regularly then you probably would have noticed that I am slightly obsessed with candles. Not just any candle, I am quite picky about my scents. Long gone are the days when I would just pick up anything from the high-street, now I like to choose my scent based on a need rather than a want, though that still features. When Osmology got in touch offering me a chance to test their site and buy myself some candles, I didn't need asking twice.

Osmology describe themselves as being a specialist scented candle retailer, sourcing the world’s most exciting scented candle brands and home fragrance designers and this alone was enough to draw me in. I literally spent hours looking through each and every possibility before narrowing down my choice. What I enjoy about this site is how it is broken down into categories and sub-sections. If you are not to sure what someone would like you can choose by a simple occasion or the him or her option, but if like me you know what you like then you can delve deeper and look into options such as the mood you want to create, the scent you like and whether or not you like a strong, subtle or mid strength scent. Within my own group of friends, we all like something different, so Osmology does make candle buying that little bit less stressful and a lot more fun.

I really enjoyed looking through the brands that feature, some of which I am aware of and others I have never come across. For example you can choose a brand via its origin or just because it stands out and for me, I narrowed down my choice by scent and then strength and ended up with over 20 candles to choose from and from there I simply chose something I had never used before and this is what I bought.

Eastwick Candles are an independent brand who started making their candles as a hobby. The little team of two opened their online boutique back in 2015.  Their candles are all hand poured and packaged in small batches by them, and they use all natural soy wax, cotton wicks and a blend of paraben free fragrance oils to create unique scents that gently fill your room.   This particular candle drew me in because of the scent option, I was torn between Coconut and Sweet Pea or Mint and Jasmine, sadly the latter was out of stock.  

Coconut and Sweet Pea is a large candle with a burn time of 40 hours and it uses a combination of creamy coconut and floral sweet pea, with notes of geranium and magnolia. It sits within the relaxation category, which is usually what I want a candle to do whenever I have one alight and before I had even removed the lid, the scent of this one is just stunning, the coconut scent is definitely prominent but not dominant which I am pleased about because the scent of Sweet Pea is really just divine.  I love the understated packaging that the candle arrives in and at £18 it is just an absolute bargain, I am already wanting to try more from this brand.

Next up we have Nordlys (Northern Light) Scented Candle by Skandinavisk. I am obsessed with wanting to see The Northern Lights, it is number one of my bucket list of things to do before I die and the name of this candle literally drew me in. The candle is said to reflect the magical wonder of the Northern Lights, famous for their symphony of light, colour and movement across cool norse skies. Pronounced Nor-Luce this candle is made from a blend of perfume and vegetable wax with a 100% cotton wick and is hand-poured into a painted glass votive.

Nordlys which has a burn time of around 50 hours has what is best described as being a crisp Citrus scent with a touch blended sea salt to give it a crisp fragrance and one I wasn't too sure I would like, but have absolutely fallen in love with.  I can imagine that the scent this candle gives is the kind of smell I would get fro capturing a view of the Northern Lights. A relaxing yet fresh scent which at £29 is a luxury but one well worth investing in.

So having decided upon my candles, I quickly added them to my basket before temptation got in the way and I either added more or changed me mind over what to choose.  The check out process was a simple 2-3 minute option and one which didn't want to know everything about you before allowing you to spend money.  Once I had checked out, my candles arrived delicately packaged within just a few days, which I found impressive and I was ready to test out my new ones.

If you are a fan of candles and want something special, something that little bit different but something unique, fun and simply joyful, them Osmology has got literally everything you need and with so many brands to choose from, it is an eye opener and one which will move you from your comfort zone of scents and just perhaps, as it has done for me, move into the realm of new scents and new brands and a road to discovery!

Have you discovered Osmology yet? If you love candles as much as I do, then you definitely should.

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

Sleek Lifeproof Foundation and #MyFaceMyRules Campaign

If you hadn't guessed by now, I am a huge fan of Sleek, I think it is a great value for money High-street brand which is constantly challenging boundaries and releasing some amazing products/ Their latest release is the Lifeproof foundation which I was colour-matched too at a recent Sleek launch event, at which, I was one of the first to see their new campaign #MyFaceMyRules.

The My face. My rules campaign is essentially about trying to tackle makeup shaming. The campaign which was created in partnership with international anti-bullying charity Ditch The Label was developed to positively recognise and stand up for everyone’s right to define their individual beauty, without boundaries, a campaign I think we can all get behind right?. My face. My rules. is essentially a celebration of individualism and uniqueness, with a true love for makeup being right at its core. What I love even more about the campaign is that it stars Sleek MakeUP’s own consumers, the majority of whom were cast via social media, and showcases their skills and responses to the judgement they face in the world. You can watch the entire campaign here.

The Lifeproof foundation is available in an impressive 24 shades and I was matched to two of them, which I mix before using and I am pretty with happy with how it looks. Using blurring and brightening technologies which help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and help your skin look even and shine-free, whilst imperfections are concealed, it promises to be sweat-proof whilst also being oil-free.  It also gives a medium to full buildable coverage.

Whether your skin is fair, Fair, Light, Medium, Medium Deep or Deep with pink, yellow, olive, neutral or even red undertones, Sleek have something for everyone and even I, who is usually the fairest of them all, am a mixture of two shades which are LP01 which is very fair with pink undertones and LP03 which is fair with yellow undertones.

The foundation, which comes in a squeezy tube, works really well with my beauty blender, I simply squeeze a mixture of the two shades and then blend over my face, after priming. The foundation glides onto the skin and impressively, I haven't found that it sticks to any dry patches and it does leave a silky velvet appearance behind and creates a pretty good seamless coverage. Blending both of the shades together gives me a coverage that I am happy with.

I have combination skin which gives me an oily t-zone, so in a foundation, I want something that doesn't slide off my face mid-afternoon and to give Lifeproof Foundation a huge round of applause, it really doesn't slip as much as I had expected, but if I am going out after work, I do need touch up my makeup, which in fairness I always do anyway.

Priced at £8.99 and available now, Sleek is on a  for 2 offer in both Boots and Superdrug.

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

You Beauty Box - CEW Shortlist September 2017

I feel quite sad writing this post because You Beauty Box has been one of my favourite boxes for years and now it is to be no more.  The Powers that be over at Latest in Beauty have bought the box and it is now all change from here on in.

That aside, the September edition of You Beauty Box has arrived and it is a CEW Awards Edit and the products that make up the shortlist for choosing are all either finalists or winners of the prestigious 2017 CEW Beauty Award.

This months treats features two samples from Weleda and Aussie Haircare. I adore the scent of Aussie Haircare but my hair really does not get on well with it, infact it leaves me scalp all itchy and my hair greasier than before I washed it.  That aside, this 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Treatment Sachet is formulated with Australian Balm Mint extract, smoothes rough cuticles and helps restore manageability and adds shine.  Jardin de Vie Grenade from Weleda smells just incredible. If you like a fragrance which is both fruity and sweet fthen this is one for you. Weleda use only the finest essential oils for this fragrance and it is said to have been inspired by their pomegranate-based skincare range. Opening up with the exotic notes of Orange and Davana fruit, there is also a slight floral hint from Neroli. Using Vanilla as a base note, gives the sweetness, but it isn't too heavy.

Again this month I was to choose three products from a really long list of options within Makeup, Skincare, Bodycare and Haircare, from which there was brands such as Benefit, St Tropez, Bioderma, Dr Organic, This Works and Yes Too. 

Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton 5 Minute Miracle Mask - This mask is a 100% natural multi-action miracle mask. 

Using Kaolin Clay which gives an instant detox, while Beauty Kitchen’s secret ingredient, Seahorse Plankton, a biologically proven microalgae gives an instant skin detox that cleanses, stimulates, firms and plumps face, neck and décolletage.

Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm - Described as being a cult favourite as well as a best selling beauty balm nurtures all skin types for a glowing, radiant complexion.

Using a combination of Vitamin and antioxidant-rich wild rosehip seed oil, this multi-purpose beauty has many uses and some of them include being an Exfoliating Cleanser, Intense Moisture Boost, Balancing facial Mask, A nurturing lip balm and as a nourishing nail balm. I love how it smells and I love how it feels on the skin.

Max Factor False Lash Epic Mascara - You can guarantee that if I have an option for a mascara in a beauty box, I am ticking that option.  For this box, the Max Factor Lash Epic Mascara is the product.

Described as having a zoom-action tip, this mascara is said to capture and magnify every detail of every lash for an Epic Lash Fan.  I love that this brush has been designed to capture every lash and coat them, without having to work extra hard to capture the lashes in the far corner of each eye.

I absolutely love this box and am delighted with the choices that I made. I got a nice variety of products and until now, I have never tried any of them.  For £8.95 I got a box worth around £35 which is great value for money.

Whilst I am sad to see the end of this box as I have enjoyed it for the last few years, the latest box from Latest In Beauty has been given a rave review over on Allurelavie and if this is a taste of things to come, then I am quite excited as there are some amazing brands.

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

Stemm Haircare | A Deciem Brand

Stemm is part of the Deciem family and it was a brand I really did not like when I started to use it. You see my hair is used to SLS, Silicone and all things it shouldn't like, a bit like me with Chocolate or Banoffee Pie - especially Banoffee Pie!  But, I didn't give up, I perservered with a shampoo and conditioner from Stemm and some 6 weeks later, I am kind of glad I did.

Stemm is described as follows: 

STEMM is a range of daily care and treatments to support the health of follicles, scalp and, in turn, hair. Traditional haircare focuses on the only part of hair that is not living, the hair fibre itself. Stemm recognizes that the beauty of hair, its visible thickness, density and fullness, begins at the root and the range focuses on supporting hair health from the root up, while concurrently its formulations respect the integrity of the hair fibre itself and protect it from environmental, cleaning, over-conditioning, colouring and styling damage.

Also describing itself as skincare for the hair, Stemm uses a combination of traditional nutrients such as black fulvic acid, burdock root, clove and a comprehensive array of amino acids and minerals with highly-advanced forms of high-strength caffeine, creatine, high-stability sulphur and plant peptide isolates, Stemm creates an optimal environment for hair health, from follicle to fibre.

The High Amino Shampoo my hair hated for a good few weeks and I almost gave up using it. Instead of having tangfle free, clean feeling locks, I instead got hair that felt lank and greasy and whilst I didn't find myself washing it anymore frequently than I had before, it just felt awful and I don't usually have knotty hair. 

Described as being an effective shampoo concentrate to promote visible hair density for thicker-looking hair, with gentle cleaning technologies that respect hair fibre. I did find that there was no lather at all with this shampoo and naturally the lather is something I am used too.  As this is concentrated, I also didn't need to use as much as I usually would, instead I mixed it with warm water to make it cover my entire head of hair.  We all know that some shampoos use a lot of ingredients that can strip the hait of healthy natural oils and Stemm want to put a stop to that with this formula.  Using a combination of Amino Acids, Burdock Root and Coffee-Derived Caffeine, which thoroughly clean hair whilst delivering essential moisture and mild conditioning.

I stuck with using this shampoo for a good few weeks before deciding whether or not to continue with using it. Once my hair did get used to it, the change was incredible. My suddenly knotty hair was now soft and smooth, but without feeling like there was a film on it. My scalp, which doesn't usually deal with change too well, never once flared up whilst using this shampoo, which is a tell-tale sign it is a good one.  Now I have finished the shampoo and am glad I stuck with it, because since finishing it, ive not gone back to a shampoo which has SLS, I have instead repurchased this.

Gold Fluvic Conditioner (for blonde hair) is described as being a rinse-off treatment that promotes thicker-looking hair whilst specifically targeting damaged parts of hair to avoid the apparent loss of density associated with the build-up that occurs with traditional conditioning agents. Traditional conditioners almost always cause an immediate thinning of hair fibre and also result in buildup of conditioning agents over time. This formula combines a targeted conditioning system that does not coat the entire hair and focuses only on damaged areas that require support, while supplementing hair and scalp with nutrients to help hair look its healthiest, densest and fullest now and with continued use.

Oddly I had no problem with using this conditioner from start to finish.  As a rule, I don't tend to use a conditoner after every shampoo and instead limit it to once or twice a week depending on how my hair is at that time.  As with any conditoner, this one is best used with attention being paid to the scalp and the roots and it is formulated with a potent blend of reparative Amino Acids, Biotin & Gold Fulvic Acid alongside 2% Caffeine, bringing these ingredients together stimulates the hair follicles aiding in thicker, more dense hair.

I had fully expected to be writing a review saying I had found the first Deciem product I disliked, but infact I should have had more patience to begin with because I absolutely did love using it after those first few weeks.

You can find out more about Stemm and the rest of the brands under the Deciem Umbrella right HERE.

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