Happy New Year! Well that’s it guys, the festive season is officially offer for another year. For New Years Eve I went out for a lovely meal with Mr Juicy but unfortunately I am loaded with the cold at the moment (seriously, I am more mucus that woman) so we were tucked up in bed with lemsip, Christmas treats and DVDs by 10pm! I hope you had a good one whether you were out partying or relaxing at home.
Again I’m, surprised by how many products I finished this month! It’s not until I look at them altogether like this that I realize how much stuff I actually get through! It’s all skin, body and hair care this month, so no make up but I am thrilled to say that everything is 100% cruelty free.
1) JASON Glowing Apricot Natural Body WashThis is a BIG bottle of body wash so it’s taken me a good while to get through it. I absolutely loved the fruity apricot scent and the creamy texture. This was £.9.49 for 900ml which I think is pretty decent for such an excellent quality a natural brand.
Repurchase?Definately. Although JASON have a huge range of body washes so I’ll probably try some different scents and formulations rather than buying this exact one again right away.
2) Burt’s Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate and Soy Shampoo
Burt’s Bees are owned by an animal testing parent company although I am assured that they remain independent i.e. Burt’s Bees profits are put back into Burt’s Bees and, the brands cruelty-free status is unchanged. The cruelty-free amongst you may choose to give them a wide birth anyway which I understand entirely.
I really loved this shampoo. The pomegranate scent is powerful and delicious. The shampoo fees light and washes through my fine, limp hair easily. it lathers up exceptionally well (something which can’t always be said of natural shampoos)!
Repurchase? I would. The packaging for the Burt’s Bees shampoos has now changed to something a bit more modern looking. Personally I prefer this packaging but it wouldn’t stop my buying this product again.
3) Essential Care Creamy Coconut Cleanser
I received this product in November’s Amarya Beauty Box and it’s the first product I've tried from Essential Care. I loved using this product. I’ve used a lot of different cleansers recently ranging from ‘meh’ to ‘oh my God what have you done to my face’ (I’m looking at you Fresh Farmacy from LUSH), so I was really pleased to finally come across something I which worked so well for me.
This cleanser has a lotion like texture and doesn’t really smell of anything, which is a little disappointing as you do expect a strong coconut smell. Personally though, I’d pick no smell over an artificial smell. This removed every inch of my make-up super easily and gently without leaving my skin feeling dry and tight.
Repurchase? Absolutely.
4) Lavera All Round CreamThis is another Amarya item from May’s Beauty Box. I’ve been aware of the Lavera brand for quite a few years. When I was a teenager and first began to suffer from contact dermatitis, I had to try and figure out what was triggering it by eliminating and reintroducing certain ingredients. Back then natural, chemical free products were not readily available but good old Lavera had appeared on the scene and saved me from the constant painful rash on my face that I was experiencing at that time.
I used this cream as a body moisturiser and Mr Juicy used it as a facial moisturiser. He NEVER uses any sort of skincare products and I even had to introduce him to using shampoo rather than just using shower gel to wash his hair! If he liked this Laverna cream enough to use it as a moisturiser then it must be good! It’s just so...inoffensive! It doesn’t smell of anything. The packing is gender and age neutral. The formula is very basic making it perfect for super sensitive skin and even babies skin. On top of this it’s thick, creamy and does what you need it to do.
Repurchase? Yes. It’s a great little staple to have around the house.
5) REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Cream
Yet another product from an Amarya Beauty Box, this time it’s from July’s box. Oh REN, how I love you! Everything I’ve tried from REN I’ve loved and this body cream is no exception. The rose scent is delicate and modern rather than old fashioned and overpowering. The texture is light and airy, like a whipped souffle. It sinks into your skin quickly allowing your to dress almost immediately after application.
Repurchase? Yes, but only on special offer or with a discount code as this is retails for around £26 for a full sized bottle. Luckily Amarya are very generous with their discount codes. In fact there is a 15% off sale on at the moment if you use the code SALE during checkout!
6) LUSH Aqua Marina CleanserAs you can see from the photo, this was a little sample size pot from LUSH. I actually got this on the same shopping trip as I bought the disastrous full size Fresh Farmacy Cleanser. I wish I’d bought a full sized Aqua Marina instead!
On paper this product doesn’t sound that appealing. Carrageen, vegetable glycerine, Irish moss...hmmm. Don’t let the list of not-so-tempting ingredients put you off though, this cleanser is a little beaut. It is a pink clay with green flecks of moss running through it, and it turns to a paste on contact with water. I felt like it cleansed my skin really deep down and made an immediately visible difference to my skins texture and gave the appearance of tighter pores. It smells (and tastes) salty which sort of makes you feel like a mermaid, if you use your imagination a bit!
Repurchase?Most definitely.
7) LUSH Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser
This was another little sample I picked up while I was purchasing a few bits and pieces from LUSH. I wasn’t particularly interested in this product but the member of staff who was helping me said this was her favorite product from LUSH so I thought I’d give it a go.
Personally it didn’t do much for me. I don’t like the idea of using an exfoliating cleanser on my skin twice a day. It just feels like too much abrasion and you can’t use it to take off your make up. Ground almonds on your eyelids anyone? It was also very dry and didn’t mix well with water to create a paste like most of the LUSH cleansers do.
Repurchase? Sadly no. This could work as a once a week exfoliating product rather than an everyday product, but even then, it’s just not for me.
8) LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask
I recently gushed over LUSH’s Cosmetic Warrior Face Mask and thought I’d give another one of their masks for troubled skin a try.
Catastrophe Cosmetic sounds much more appealing than Cosmetic Warrior as the key ingredient is blueberries rather than garlic. It’s a thick, purply-grey mask with huge chunks of blueberries in it and as you would expect, it also smells of blueberries too.
If I’d of tried this mask before Cosmetic Warrior I would've said it was amazing. It does leave my skin visibly improved however Cosmetic Warrior worked significantly better for my skin type.
Repurchase? No, purely because I loved Cosmetic Warrior so much! I think that Cosmetic Catastrophe would be perfect for those who suffer from occasional break outs but for me (someone who is in a state of permanent break out) Cosmetic Warrior helps to clear up skin much better.
9) Balance Me Wonder Eye CreamYet another Amarya Beauty Box product! I mentioned at the time of receiving this that I’m not a huge eye cream gal. I’ve suffered from milia in the past after using too rich eye creams and I’ve been off them completely every since. I did really like this eye cream however, has it has quite a lotion like texture and turns quite velvety once applied. this little tube has also lasted me a long time. Every time I thought it was finished, I managed to squeeze out a little bit more!
Repurchase? No, purely because I’m not ready to start using eye creams again. If I was though, I’d be happy to use this product.
10) Dr Hauschka Day Creams
I received a Dr Hauschka Daily Face Care Kit in an Amarya Beauty Box and these three day creams came in it, along with two cleansers and a toner. Unfortunately the kit is suitable for all skin types except oily, acne prone i.e. my skin (!) but i thought, bugger it, I’m using the products anyway!
The Moisturising Day Cream was the lightest, most fluid of the formulas so in theory it should of been my favorite. In fact, it was my least favorite. The Quince Day Cream I was indifferent to, but the Rose Day Cream...wow! I love it when brands manage to make roses smell modern and Dr Hauschka does that brilliantly with this cream. It’s deliciously thick and creamy making it ideal for very dry or mature skin so this shouldn’t have worked for me but it really did. It could be that because I’ve been suffering with the cold, it’s winter and I work in place where I’m outside a lot of the time, that I just happened to use this when my skin could most appreciate it!
Repurchase? I usually go for Dr Hauschka’s Melissa Day Cream but after sampling the three other creams above I will definitely be repurchasing the Rose Day Cream at times when I feel like my skin could do with the extra support. There’s also a Rose Day Cream Light which I quite fancy trying out too.
Has anyone finished any great products this month?
Lisa x
