Natural and Organic Products Show 2015

On Monday, I attended my first ever trade show. Don’t know what a trade show is? Well, it’s a big event attended by lots of brands and distributors where they showcase their existing and new products in the hopes of finding new buyers and distributors – or press coverage. They’re big work events and Monday’s show was the Natural and Organic Product Show, packed full of natural beauty, lifestyle and food and drink brands.

It would be fair to describe my feelings on the way to the trade show as apprehensive. I was a little bit nervous about my place at this kind of event and what sort of interaction I’d have with brands and their representatives. I met Lauren from Britton Loves – who had very kindly invited me to accompany her, courtesy of Fuel PR – at Victoria and then we made our way to the Excel Centre together. I felt a lot more excited about the day once the two of us joined forces and we started to discuss all the gorgeous natural brands we were going to meet throughout the day.

We started off being led around the Show by Robyn from Fuel PR and she introduced us to some her clients. We began by meeting Herbatint, a herbal hair colouring brand that's entirely ammonia free that's suitable for even chemically straightened hair. I loved the range of hair colourants that they offer and I'd definitely consider using Herbatint the next time I dye my hair. They're a particularly good or regular root touch ups as you can reseal Herbatint, keeping whatever product you don't use for later applications.

Lauren and I then went to see Eterno Naturals' stand - which on the day was home to MyChelle Skincare among other gorgeous brands. I finally got to meet Anna in person (who I've been emailing with recently) and I was introduced to some of the other exciting products that Eterno Naturals stocks. I'm already familiar with their Les Fleurs de Bach products but I was introduced to a newly released haircare line from Noah which I'm now trialling for review next month. Eterno Naturals were incredibly generous and also gave me some other samples from Pur and Royal Green to try out for myself.  

After we parted company with Robyn, Lauren and I explored the rest of the show. We made a concerted effort to talk to as many different brand representatives as we could. I was so happy to see Sukin's stall - as they're a brand I've been interested in for quite a while. They actually launched their new Super Green range at the show, and were kind enough to gift me the Super Green Facial Serum which I'm looking forward to trying out! We also stumbled across Konjac Sponge Conpany's stall which I was very excited about as their sponges are an absolute staple in my skincare routine. Lauren hadn't heard of the brand before so she was happy to learn more about their products. We saw so many other gorgeous beauty brands on our wander around the show and one of the last brands that really excited me was Nourish. I haven't ever tried Nourish's products in person so it was an absolute treat to be able to talk through their range with their representative Lydia - who was an absolute pleasure to chat to! 

On top of all the new beauty brands, Lauren and I also had the chance to explore the natural, vegetarian and vegan food section. Some of my favourite discoveries were Chimpanzee & ZooT (natural energy bars), Frill (who make frozen smoothies - essentially healthy ice cream) and Inspiral's new Kale-O kale crisps - especially the pizza flavoured ones which are just incredible. We also had some delicious tea from Pukka and Kromland Farm.

Overall, attending the Natural and Organic Trade Show 2015 was a really valuable experience. I discovered new brands, learnt more about brands I already love and also got a much better insight into the natural and organic product sector. I'll be writing more about the brands who very kindly gifted me products to take home on my blog and also on my instagram and twitter accounts, so if you want to hear more about natural beauty and food products then definitely give me a follow over there. 

I have to say a big thank you to Lauren and Fuel PR for giving me the opportunity to come along - if you also attended then I'd love to know how you found the show?

Beauty Products for Skin Prone to Redness

Do you have sensitive skin prone to redness? My skin can be difficult to look after as it can often react when I use the wrong beauty products. One of my regular skin concerns is reducing the appearance of redness and also trying to find sensitive-skin "friendly" skincare. Today I've gathered together some skincare and some makeup products that I think are all good options for skin that's prone to redness. If you have similar skin concerns then I hope you find my recommendations helpful, but please do let me know in a comment if you use any products that you think I should try out!

A good place to start when it comes to looking after sensitive skin and reducing redness is with a gentle cleanser. I really like RMK's Cleansing Balm* - it has a very natural, gentle rose scent and a rich, oily consistency. It's wonderfully gentle on the skin but still removes makeup like a dream! And because it's a balm cleanser it doesn't dry out your skin, so it's left completely clean but still soft, supple and hydrated.

If you can't afford to invest in a new cleanser, or if you already like what you're using, another great option is to introduce a gentle cleansing sponge into your routine. Many people use muslin clothes, flannels or even wet towels to remove their cleanser - these can all be quite harsh on sensitive skin and leave it looking red. Konjac Puff Sponges are a much gentler alternative - in the past I've tried their grey sponge, but right now I'm using the Konjac Sponge with French Clay for Tired or Devitalised Skin*. It has a really gorgeous consistency, almost bouncy when wet, and it makes it really easy to gently cleanse your skin. Not only that, but the structure of the sponge also helps to gently massage the skin and help stimulate bloodflow which helps skin to naturally look more refreshed. I got mine from Eterno Naturals, an online natural beauty store that stock the entire range of Konjac Sponges - there's different colours for every skin, but this pink one is a good choice for more sensitive skin.

Clayspray's Aloetherapy White Clay and Aloe Vera Treatment Mask* featuring what the brand describes as "intelligent clay". Unlike other claymasks, the white and red clay in each Mineral Treatment Mask contain a really high percentage of pure clay, 60-65%. Not only is this clay some of the oldest in the world (millions of years old) but it has loads of benefits such as being deep cleansing and removing environmental toxis but without disrupting the skin's lipidic barrier, so it restores the skin's hydration levels where it's needed. Clayspray have a range of facemasks but their Aloe Vera treatment is especially for sensitive and reactive skin. If you've always found clay masks too harsh in the past then this is the clay mask that you need to replace all the others with. Not only is it paraben, preservative, natural and vegan-friendly, but it's also really kind to otherwise sensitive and red-prone skin. I think it's a really great product.

If you're looking for a new moisturiser to try then I'd recommend checking out Steamcream*. It features high quality, sustainably sourced ingredients - including calming essentials oils - which nourish deep into the skin's surface whilst natural antiseptic properties help to banish redness and prevent oiliness. This makes it a great option for sensitive or problematic skin! Ingredients such as Oatmeal, Almond Oil, Cocoa Butter, Lavendar Essential Oil and Rose Absolute all work to leave skin hydrated and loooking more even and smooth. I've really enjoyed incorproating Steamcream into my evening skincare routine, but it's light enough to use at any time of day. If it sounds like a product you're interested in then you should check out my Steamcream Giveaway as I have four tins (all featuring different limited edition designs) to give away to my blog readers - all you have to do is enter via the giveaway form.

Even with great skincare I'm still left with visible redness in my skin. However, in February I had my makeup done at the RMK counter in Selfridges and I was shown two easy ways to mask redness using some of their limited edition products from their Vintage Sweets Collection. The Vintage Sweets Face Colour in 02* features stripes of colour that can be used together or alone. If you take a small brush you can collect pigment from the green stripes which you can apply to localised areas of your face - on my face, I apply the green powder around my nose and across patches of redness on my cheeks. The green powder masks redness really well and the colour isn't noticeable after you've gently buffed it into the skin. Another great way to conceal redness in your cheeks is with RMK's Candy Cheeks Blush in 04* as the blue tones also work to conceal redness. However, not only does it balance the colour in my cheeks but it also adds a very natural looking warm flush that I find incredibly flattering on my skin.

What beauty products do you use to reduce or conceal redness in your skin? 

Click here to enter my Steamcream Giveaway to win a limited edition tin of your choice