Recent Empties: Shower.

Hair:

L'Oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Sparkling Conditioner: I was sucked in by the new product advertising and purchased the matching shampoo which I am yet to finish. The shampoo is so pretty- a pink jelly with sparkles! The conditioner however is not so pretty, just a plain creamy milky pink in colour, and to be honest it made my hair feel soft like any conditioner would, but also quite heavy and weighed down even though I had rinsed it all out. I didn't like it, and won't be buying it again. 

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner: This I bought after using it back in September (full review here), it softened my hair and made it easier to comb through. As deep conditioners go, it is a good one, but as always the tub size doesn't last me that long!

Charles Worthington Mineral Hair Rescue: I loved this. This was really effective in what it did, it wasn't as heavy as other conditioners and a little seemed to go a long way. I noticed good results with this and will buy it again.


Body:

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil: (Full review here) This is a wonderful, luxury product. It smells like almonds in a nutty way, rather than an amaretto way. It lathers nicely, though not greatly, leaves skin feeling clean and soft and best of all is is paraben and SLS-free.

Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry Shower Gel: I adore the smell and consistency of this. It is so foamy, yet it still feels gentle on the skin. I try not to buy this often, but it is on offer quite a lot and I can't always justify splashing out on the more expensive, kind to skin shower gels.

Burt's Bees Fabulously Fresh Peppermint and Rosemary Body Wash: (Full Review here) This is a good value for money shower gel, it's free from nasty ingredients and it's 350ml lasts a long time. The scent is fresh and herby, and it lathers and foams really well. The scent lingers on your skin for a little while too, I love that fresh feeling.

Original Source Lemon and Tea Tree Shower Gel: Just a small travel size shower gel I took with me when I was staying in London for a week. It's so so, not as nice as the vanilla milk and raspberry one, and again, I do try and avoid SLS as much as I can. 

Thanks for reading,

E.

Dr Bronner's Magic Soap

I've seen it in American Apparel, I've seen it in & Other Stories, but I finally caved when I saw the infamous Dr Bronner's Magic Soap in my local HomeSense store for a few pounds off it's RRP. After contemplating which 'flavour' to choose I decided to go with Peppermint, because you just can't beat the freshness of a mint scent. My intention was to use it for all sorts, but mainly for cleaning my makeup brushes as it had been recommended to me.

The first thing I must say is that this is such a thorough cleaner. It makes things squeaky clean, and I mean squeaky, in little to no time at all. I tested it in three ways: My makeup brushes, as a bathroom cleaner, and as a shower gel. It does state it's multipurpose, after all.

On my makeup brushes it didn't lather up much, but cleans them very well. Unfortunately I can't detect a peppermint smell once they have dried, but that would have just been an added bonus. I've noticed no difference to the quality of my brushes, nor has it left any residue behind or was hard to rinse out.
A few squirts of this around my bath, shower and sink and lathered up with a cleaning sponge, this worked fantastically. I love that it isn't pumping any nasty or dangerous chemicals back into the environment, and a little really does go a long way. My bathroom was dazzling within minutes, as it works grime and smudges off immediately.
This really foamed up when I used it as a shower gel, and it was a very luxurious clean. However, I didn't like that it made my body squeak after I had washed it off!! Loved the peppermint scent lingering on my skin for the rest of the day though.

Magic Soap is a fantastic product because it is multipurpose and also cruelty free. None of the ingredients nor the final product are tested on animals (which for me always makes a product way more enjoyable to use) plus they are vegan as they don't use any tallow in the soap making process. Magic Soap is completely free of harmful and/or nasty ingredients such as SLS or parabens. Not only this, but it is a 100% organic product AND fair trade! If there was ever a completely ethical product to buy, this is it. Next time I see it locally I'll be stocking up, I've really enjoyed using this and have been so impressed by it too. I would be intrigued to try more products from Dr Bronner too, especially the hand sanitizer and the the body soaps. What a fantastic brand, definitely one I will be looking into more and would completely recommend this.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek Post: Another SLS free shower gel.

Burt's Bees Fabulously Fresh Peppermint and Rosemary Body Wash, £9.99 for 350ml.

This is the third post in my sort-of mini series about SLS and paraben- free shower products. Natural bathing products interest me and feel so much more indulgent than those that are not, because I know that they aren't full of cheap chemicals. If you missed my post about these naughty ingredients, you can catch up on it here.

In comparison to the L'occitane Almond Shower Oil that I featured last time, this one is a bit more purse friendly, costing £9.99 for 350ml compared to the former at £17.50 for 250ml. This lathers up so well, it is so foamy and rich with a gorgeous scent of peppermint with a hint of herb (that would be the rosemary, but it in no way has an overpowering influence, it's all about the mint here.)

There's also other 'flavours' in the same range that I am keen to try. My discovery of the Burt's Bees body washes was a nice surprise, I wasn't aware that they were SLS and paraben free until I looked at the ingredients list when I was browsing in store one day. It is nice that I managed to find a body wash in Boots that ticked all the boxes. In terms of my skin, I have noticed a small decrease in the irritation/itching I would get after washing, but knowing my shower gels are chemical free help put my mind at ease rather than anything else.

I would completely recommend this, it's a perfect morning shower gel because it is so freshly scented and lathers up just as well as any shower gel packed with SLS.

Thanks for reading,

E.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil, £17.50 for 250ml.

Following on from my post about chemicals and ingredients in skincare last Monday I thought it best I review a product that is free from all of those I listed. L'Occitane Almond Shower Gel is easily accessible- it is available from L'Occitane shops & their website and is also stocked in larger Debenhams stores and online too.

It is a luxury showertime treat, being fairly pricey at £17.50 for 250ml, however I imagine this is partly due to the ingredients- it is free from SLS which is a very cheap 'bulking' product to make bath time products foam and is normally second on the ingredients list of most shower gels (proving it's high content.) The absence of SLS leads me to think the ingredients including in this shower oil are premium or of good quality and therefore worth paying a little extra for.

Lets get down to the details. In my head I was expecting what is the often assumed almond scent in artificial products- that potent smell like amaretto or marzipan. It's a smell I love but I appreciate that the scent of this almond oil is more true to life and less synthetic, it is very subtle and almost nutty, a lot more elegant and a lot less overwhelming. An element of sweetness remains but this isn't overpowering, resulting in a product that both males and females can use without worrying about an after-scent seeming either too masculine or too feminine.
The oil in consistency is runny, as expected. Both it's liquidity and colour could easily be likened to olive oil! I was worried about an oil feeling heavy on the skin or leaving an icky film behind but thankfully this product does neither of these things, it lathers up in a natural, not overly bubbly way and washes off easily leaving skin feeling cleansed and smoothed.

Something I have noticed since using this is my skin seems calmer. I have never thought that I experienced skin sensitivity, particularly on my body but I had noticed recently that after showering my back and legs would become so itchy. This had just become the norm and to be honest I hadn't put two and two together (duh!) and am now certain that something in my old shower gels was irritating the skin in these areas.

I know this product has a certain amount of 'blogger fame' and while I am always a bit wary of such claims I can honestly say that this is worth the hype. It is lovely to use, though understandably a higher price tag than many would like to pay for a body wash. However if you are concerned about SLS, parabens and so on, I would urge you to give this a go- I love it.

Let me know if you have used or continue to use this product. If you can recommend any other shower products that are free from SLS etc then please do let me know as I am really keen to try more!

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek Post: Limited Edition LUSH Shower Gel.

LUSH 'Snow Fairy' Shower Gel, £4.25 for 100ml. (Limited Edition)
LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel, £4.25 for 100ml. (Limited Edition)

I popped into LUSH last week to pick up my annual bottle of Snow Fairy. I know it must be a love/hate scent because Snow Fairy is so sugary that it wouldn't appeal to everyone, but I do enjoy it's sickly sweet aroma. I don't however enjoy its sickly sweet aroma for more than 100ml. This gets a bit much and a bit samey very quickly, and while it is a treat to have, I'm always happy to see the back of it. Talk about a fickle relationship, eh?
I was really interested in buying Glogg but apparently missed the boat on that one as it isn't being sold this Christmas (even though it's on the website?) Instead the sales assistant showed me Ponche and Twilight. While I wasn't too fussed on the orange/tequila Ponche I was happily surprised at how much I liked the first whiff of Twilight. Infused with Lavendar and malt it seemed like the perfect night time shower gel. While it has the strong, herby scent of lavendar it doesn't have that nana smell that so many products have, it's got a bit more punch without being overwhelming or intoxicating. I've used it every day since.

I trotted home with my two 100ml shower gels a very happy girl. I am an absolute shower gel addict- I LOVE them! I think I've got 5 or 6 in regular circulation at the moment. The only downside to these two shower gels is that they contain parabens. I think it's a real shame that a company such as LUSH who champion cruelty free and natural ingredients are still including parabens which have such a bad stigma attached to them. If it wasn't for this fact I'd give these products a double thumbs up!

Midweek post: L'Occitane Milk Body Wash

L'Occitane Bonne Mere Gentle Body Wash, £22 for 600ml.

Whenever I walk past the L'occitane shop in Cardiff I always look through longingly. Well, on my birthday this looking caught Ben's attention and he dragged me in there for a birthday treat. Straight away I saw this and knew I had to have it!
It appealed to me with it's 'gentle' and kind-to-the-skin claims, I'd noticed some dry patches cropping up here and there, particularly on my lower legs and the back of my arms, and I like to use body washes that aren't too strongly scented or overpowering. I also thought it would be suitable for Ben to use too, should he want to borrow it (he has sensitive skin).

There was a choice between a milk or honey formulation. I chose the milk because I remember getting a giftset years ago with a milk bubble bath in it and I loved it.
The texture is creamy and feels like a foaming moisturiser. It lathers amazingly well, you're coated in bubbles after just a pump or two and it smells softly of milky-creamy goodness. I've noticed that said dry patches I mentioned above have been restored back to normal and my skin doesn't feel tight or dry after showering.

This is a luxury bathtime treat, and I would really recommend this body wash, particularly if you suffer with sensitive skin or are suffering from any skin ailments, I imagine this would be lovely and soothing on sun burn.

The pretty packaging also can't go unmentioned-simplistic and appealing with a tasteful nod to vintage- like other L'Occitane products. I love the way it adorns our bathroom!

What are your favourite L'Occitane products? Would you pick honey or milk?

Ojon Dry Recovery, worth the hype?

Ojon Dry Recovry Shampoo £18 for 250ml and Conditioner, £19.50 for 250ml.

I was very excited to try these products, luxury hair products always excite me a little and using the Ojon oil ingredient they're famous for I was hoping the treatments would work for me.

The smell of these is absolutely divine! It may sound silly to some, but the scent just reminds me of what I imagine it would be like to be in a middle Eastern spa! It's quite undescribable to be honest, but I am a sucker for a good smelling shower product and I always look forward to cracking these open!

I may have chosen the wrong treatment for my hair by choosing the Dry Recovery range,  but I almost feel the moisture within the shampoo has almost over compensated and my hair has become overly nourished (I'd be interested to know if others may have found this too). By this I mean I've found that my hair feels greasier a day quicker than it used to when I was using a Tigi shampoo and conditioner, which means I've in turn had to use more dry shampoo in those days between washes.  However, a plus side of this point would be to say that the range really does do what it says on the tin, and if you do suffer from severely dry hair then definitely give this a shot, if I'm honest I don't think my hair was in as bad condition as I assumed it would be.

I've been using Ojon for about 5 weeks now, aside from the vast restoration of moisture into my hair, I haven't noticed a vast difference in the condition of my hair in terms of split ends or colour protection. I love that it does feel light and clean after washing and I've never had any product residue remaining- it washes out very easily. I think I would purchase from Ojon again however I would probably choose a different treatment next time!

LUSH Review; Dream Wash

LUSH 'Dream Wash' £9.25 for 250g.

I first came into contact with this last year when it was recommended to my boyfriend to go hand in hand with his Dream Cream- a moisturiser that is hailed as a wonder product due to it's natural ingredients and has been recommended as a healing remmedy for those suffering with dry skin or more serious skin conditions. 

Anyway, I took a real liking to using Dream Wash in the shower as a replacement to my shower gel. The consistency of the product was like nothing I'd ever used before - it's a sort of soft clay in texture, it's thick but once applied to wet skin it lathers and it leaves skin feeling squeaky clean. It's off- white, almost lilac toned in colour and is smooth to the touch. It's mild and soothing which is perfect for both everyday use and for those suffering with skin ailments, and leaves my skin feeling nourished and healthy!

Dream Wash really feels like it is doing your skin good when you use it, it contains so many ingredients that are well- known to be beneficial to the skin- Calamine, Aloe Vera, Tea Tree, Lavendar...Its scent is very natural and almost peppery, it reminds me a bit of that herby smell you get from Liz Earle products. The scent isn't overwhelming on the skin and because it smells so natural and organic, and due to it's thick consistency it feels luxurious to use.

Dream Wash can be found in the 'Shower Smoothies' section of the LUSH website.

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Two products I'm loving ATM

Soap and Glory Hand Food £2.35 for 50ml (Miniature)

Original Source Raspberry Milk and Vanilla Shower Gel £2.20

Not the most of exciting products, but two that make me very happy when I use them!

 Hand Food;

I like buying miniatures of products for two reasons; a) they are a handbag size, so easier to carry around if they are a product to use on the go. (Such as hand cream, like this) b) It's nice to 'test' something new out before buying the full size. Hand Food; it's the typical girly, eye- catching packaging and witty lines that Soap and Glory offer, but the contents inside are phenomenal. Yep, that good.  Soap & Glory claim that "Hand Food™ Hand Cream is a super-silky gorgeously-scented non-greasy hydrating hand cream featuring fennel and lotus flower extracts, which leaves your hands super smooth."- And they ain't lying.

This product softens hands instantly. The shiny plastic packaging means it doesn't get dirty or look manky from being in my bag for weeks. I use it quite a lot- I work on a makeup counter so use a lot of antiseptic serum and wipes on my hands after every customer so it dries them out. I recommend this product for baby soft, luxurious feeling hands! It takes a few minutes to soak in, but once it has the results are instant, particularly perfect for this frosty time of year! The smell is clean, and fresh, and the product is a joy to use.

Original Source Shower Gel;

I've always used Original Source but recently I noticed this product was vegan friendly (have they always been?) and in a way it did attract me to the product even more. Throughout the years I've tried most of the Original Source shower gels, shampoos and conditioners (unfortunately I cannot recommend the shampoos and conditioners, but hey you can't win everything!) but this Vanilla Milk & Raspberry one is without a doubt my favourite. My other favourites are White Pear and Avocado, and Mint (but I sometimes find this too strong to use). This one is a creamy consistency and feels quite indulgent when I use it, it lathers really well. It may be a silly point to make but I also feel really clean using it!- I think this is because the sweet smell lingers on my skin for a while after washing it off, lush :-) I love the pale pink colour and I think the bold yet unfussy packaging that Original Source adopt is pretty refreshing and makes it stand out in what is a saturated market. This particular scent is also available in a hand wash.

What are your favourite products this week?

Do you use Hand Food or Original Source? What simple but effective products could you recommend to me?

ps) I'm nearly BURSTING at the seams with products to blog and review, and they'll all be coming up in the next couple of weeks. It's hard to get good photos which is why my posts lack every now and then; I leave the flat when it's dark, and return when it's dark! I always think it's important to get daylight photos of products, so bear with me! Posts coming up include BB Creams, Illamasqua, La Roche Posay, Benefit, Lee Stafford, Dior, TopShop...the list goes on. (and on and on and on...but I'm not complaining!)