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Dr Hauschka Radiant You Starter Kit

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A while ago now I won a Dr Hauschka Radiant You Starter Kit from a giveaway on BeautySwot.  I only got around to using it after Christmas and have just got to the end of the tube of cleanser so I thought it was about time I wrote a review.

The starter kit contains cleansing cream, facial toner, a mini lavender bath and a muslin cloth.  I was also lucky enough to win a Melissa day cream so I had a whole new skincare regime.  The starter kit comes with instructions (just as well as I had no clue what lavender bath was!) which include a description of the best way to apply your cleanser.  I didn’t know there was any specific way to apply cleanser but it turns out you are supposed to press and roll your fingers.

The first step of cleansing is to put a few drops of the lavender bath into a basin of warm water, dip in the muslin and then hold over your face for a few seconds.  I don’t think the lavender bath really does anything for your skin but it makes the water smell gorgeous and makes you feel like you are really pampering yourself.  The lavender bath comes in a little glass vial and unfortunately, somebody knocked it off the sink and smashed it after I’d only used a few times.  It was probably my fault for leaving it on the side!

Anyway, back to the point, once you have used the lavender bath, you cleanse using the special Dr Hauschka cleansing technique.  The cleanser also gently exfoliates at the same time.  To make sure you get all the cleanser off, you use the muslin dipped in the lavender bath again.  Next you spray the toner over your face.  The spray on the toner is really good at spreading it out evenly in a mist over your face (does that make sense?!).  I’ve had toners before where the nozzle just sprays it out more like a jet than a mist.  Finally you apply the day cream.  I really like the smell of this but I do find that it can take a few minutes to sink in properly.  The website says that it is suitable for oily skin but I find that if I use too much it leaves my skin quite greasy and I’ve got normal/dry skin.  I would have thought that it might be too heavy for oily skin?

Since I’ve started using this range my skin has felt really clean and less dry than usual.  I think using the muslin makes a big difference as it makes sure you get all the product off.  The only thing I don’t like about the range is the packaging – I prefer pretty packaging!  You can buy all of the products separately from the website or get the starter kit for £39.95 and the day cream for £23.95.

It’s a 10 – Review and Giveaway

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A couple of months ago I was sent a range of hair products called It’s a 10 which offer 10 haircare benefits (hence the name!) ….

  1. Detangles
  2. Imparts incredible softness
  3. Reduces frizz
  4. Build up free
  5. Preserves hair colour
  6. UV protection
  7. Hydrates hair and scalp
  8. Restores shine
  9. Infuses strength and vitality
  10. Thermal styling protection

I was sent the shampoo, hair mask and leave-in conditioner and I’m really impressed by how good they are.  Even after I’ve used the shampoo, before I have used the hair mask, my hair feels softer and less tangled than usual which has never happened with any shampoo I’ve ever used – normally, if I don’t condition my hair, there is no way on earth I could get a comb through it!

My favourite product from the range is the hair mask. I’ve been using it every day in place of my normal conditioner and it has made a big difference to how healthy my hair looks and feels.  The hair mask is very moisturising so I’m not sure everyone would need to use it daily, but even if you have normal, unfrizzy hair it would be a nice product to use maybe once or twice a week to give some extra hydration.

I use the leave in conditioner after I’ve applied a bit or serum and my hair is dry to just get rid of any last bits of frizz.  It’s a handy product to have because I find that I can miss bits of my hair with the serum so it’s there as a back up!  It’s also good to have when your hair needs a bit of a touch up during the day.

Using all three products leaves my hair really moisturised but even just using the mask on its own makes a massive difference to my hair.  Below are some photos taken when I’d been using the range for a week or so.  Most of the products I’ve used in the past haven’t been able to make my hair look that smooth and soft!

You can buy this range from Sally Express but I’ve also been offered 5 of the hair masks to giveaway to my readers.  If you’d like one, just leave a comment telling me which of the ten haircare benefits would help your hair the most.

You must be a follower of my blog to enter – you can either follow with Bloglovin or Feedburner (link on the sidebar) or on my new Google page. 

You can also get some extra entries if you ….

  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, including the link to this page and @hels89 so that I can see it

I will randomly choose 5 winners on Monday 21st May.

Living Nature Manuka Honey Lip Balm

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Living Nature is a brand I’ve bought a few things from over the past couple of years.  Their products are all completely natural and so far everything I’ve tried has worked really well, although some of their range has a slightly odd smell!  This lip balm is absolutely brilliant.  It is really moisturising and has a slight sheen to it which makes it nice to wear.  The smell is nothing to write home about so at the moment I’ve got to admit that I keep reaching for the Palmer’s Dark Chocolate and Peppermint lip butter (which I reviewed here) over the Living Nature balm.  However, I’ve still been using this Living Nature lip balm a couple of times a day as I think it is better at hydrating my lips, even if it doesn’t smell anywhere near as good!

Palmers Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter

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This Palmer’s Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter smells amazing.  If you like chocolate then this is definitely the lip balm for you!  It smells chocolaty but not too sweet and minty but not too strong!  I would say that it is more of a lip balm than a butter as the formula is much runnier than I would expect from a butter.  It tingles a bit when you apply it which makes it seem as though it is doing something – it really does keep my lips hydrated and it has got a nice sheen to it.  This is one of the best lip balms I’ve used in a while and at just £2.75 I will be repurchasing once I’ve run out…. which might be quite soon as the gorgeous smell means I apply it a bit too often…..

Has anyone else tried this? What did you think?

Comvita Replenishing Body Lotion

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The Comvita Replenishing Body Lotion is suitable for all skin types and contains Manuka Honey which is great for skin.  It has a unique scent with notes of cinnamon which I really like.  It is a brilliant moisturiser but does take a bit of rubbing to make it sink in properly.

All Comvita products are free from parabens and other nasty chemicals.  You can buy this body lotion from MyPure and it costs £16 for 200ml.

Lovea Bio Clay Face Mask

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I’m so impressed with this Lovea face mask.  I’d go as far as to say that it’s the best one I’ve ever used!  It is really easy to apply an even layer and it just leaves my skin feeling so clean and soft.  It doesn’t particularly smell of anything and the packaging isn’t really anything special but the mask itself seems to work wonders for my skin.  I rarely use face masks as I don’t tend to find they do much for my but I can see myself using this one up pretty fast!

The Lovea Purifying Face Mask comes in three varieties; pink clay for sensitive skin (this is the one I have), green clay for oily skin and yellow clay for dry skin.  It is entirely natural and costs £6.99 for 75ml from MyPure.

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish

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I know I promised some posts other than nail posts but here’s another one!  This is another polish I got in Boots last week.  I’ve been looking for a nice yellow for a while now and have finally found one….

It’s on the gold side of yellow with a bit of shimmer and actually goes with my skin tone unlike other brighter yellow polishes I’ve tried.  The formula is good and it’s easy to apply but you definitely need at least two coats or it looks a bit patchy.  I really love how summery this colour is!  What do you think?

No7 Intense Volume Mascara

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For over a year I used the No7 Extreme Length mascara which I really loved but unfortunately Boots were out of stock when I ran out last week.  Instead, I bought the No7 Intense Volume mascara.

I’ve not got thick eyelashes so have tried a lot of volumising mascaras but sometimes find that they clump really easily so I wasn’t too sure whether I’d like this or not.  I got the mascara in shade 02, brown/black and I’m very happy with the colour.  I’m not too keen on the application though.  The brush seems to be a little too big and the formula of the mascara itself is quite runny so I always seem to get it on my eyelids when I blink after applying it, which was never a problem with the Extreme Length.  It doesn’t clump anywhere near as much as I expected which is good and it lasts really well thorough the day.  I’m not sure I’ll buy this one again, mainly because it takes me longer to apply as I have to be extra careful, but I will definitely keep using it until I run out!

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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In case you didn’t know, Mother’s Day is on the 18th of March this year!  I’ve put together a few ideas for you……

1. Paperblanks sell a range of gorgeous notebooks which are way prettier than your average Staples notepad!  This flowery design costs £10.99 and, I think, would make a wonderful gift.

2. I’ve stumbled across some really lovely National Trust beauty products.  The packaging is smart and the scents are unique – I love Countryside: Cowslip & Meadowsweet and Coast: Rock, Samphire and Driftwood which have nice fresh, not overpowering smells and remind me of summer!  I’m very surprised at how good the products I’ve tried are and I think they’d make a great Mother’s Day gift.

Coast Hand & Body Wash, £7.50

Countryside Hand & Body Lotion, 9.50

3. Blue Nun sparkling wine with pieces of 22-caret gold leaf!  At £9.59 a bottle I think this would make a really fun gift!

4. St Ives products are always brilliant and this Apricot Invigorating Scrub is no different! £5.10

5. Aromatherapy Associates have lots of luxurious products.  I’m in love with this mini set of bath oils, but be warned, it’s not cheap at £28.50.  (Worth it though!)

6. Love Hearts, £1.39 – A quirky little gift!

7. You’ll always be able to find something in Thorntons!  TheseI Love Mum Cups, £2.50 are cute and I love the idea of getting a bouquet of flowers at the same time as a box of chocolates!

Organic Surge Super Smooth Salt Scrub

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I’ve recently started using the Organic Surge Super Smooth Salt Scrub.  I’ve used a couple of Organic Surge products before and really liked them, especially as they are free from parabens, SLS, and artificial colours / fragrances.  I always try to uses scrubs as I know that you’re supposed to but I don’t really ever notice a big effect, except on my elbows and this one definitely passes the elbow test!  I think it’s also been leaving my skin softer than normal as well.

The Salt Scrub smells amazing – a combination of lemon, lime and rosemary – so I really enjoy using it.  It’s also a nice texture and I like the way the salt dissolves and doesn’t leave a mess at the bottom of your shower / bath like other scrubs can do.  I think the packaging is good too as I’ve had scrubs in the past which were in tubes that ended up getting blocked by bits of grit.  The lid on this tub is nice and wide so you can easily grab big handfuls without spending ages squeezing a tube.

You can buy this scrub online for £32.  Does anyone else use Organic Surge products?  What do you think of them?

ps… I’ve got tons of uni work at the moment what with my technical project (dissertation type thing) and other coursework deadlines (and finals – but I’m not thinking about them yet!), so I might not get around to posting quite as often as I have been over the past few months sorry!


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