Smell Great, Feel Fantastic

Unusual Beauty Extras Worth Trying Out

One of the really exciting parts of being a beauty blogger is that I often have the opportunity to try new and interesting beauty products. Over the last couple of months I've been accumulating some unusual beauty finds and I thought that in today's post I'd share my thoughts on some of them. 

A Natural Energy Booster

My Pick: Les Fleurs de Bach's Energy Elixir*

I'm going to start off by saying that I can't really tell you if this does or doesn't work. I've tried it and sometimes I'm like "YES!" and other times I just don't think it does anything... But in principle, I find the whole idea of these natural essences really interesting. The Energy Elixir contains essences of Crab Apple, Gentian, Hornbeam, Red Chestnut, Rock Rose, Walnut and Wild Rose, and you consume it by adding drops to water. I find it completely tasteless which makes it a pretty easy addition to my routine. The Energy Elixir is specifically designed for those who are "physically or mentally tired" helping you to "regain energy, vitality and enthusiasm for life". Like I said, sometimes I think that it really does make a difference - but I think that to an extent it's about your mindset, much like the "placebo" effect. 

Les Fleurs de Bach offer lots of different elixirs, helping with everything from sleeplessness to break-ups. They're all made using organic methods of product and the elixirs themselves were created by Dr. Bach, a Harley Street doctor who left his practice to explore more natural non-traditional methods of treating his patients. He identified plants that could be used to stabalize emotional imblances, and this began the slow evolution of natural elixirs bearing his name. Personally, I'm still sceptical as to the effectiveness of these elixirs, but at the same time I don't think that the entire idea is preposterous. If you have a specific health or well-being issue that you're looking into seeking help for then I wouldn't rule-out natural remedies, but I would certainly always recommend doing so in tandem with conventional medicine. But, for instance, if you're about to enter essay or exam season and you're keen to try anything that might make seemingly endless study sessions slightly more bearable then I don't see any harm in trying out a natural remedy such as Les Fleurs de Bach's Elixirs. I certainly wish I'd known about this sort of thing when I was writing my dissertation last year, I certainly could have used extra bursts of energy, even if they were sporadic!

An unusual toothpaste

My Pick: Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Black Toothpaste*

It's always nice to find ways to make everyday essential tasks a little bit more fun. Well, I've been using Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Black Toothpaste for quite a while now and I thought it deserved a mention on my blog. I've never come across a black toothpaste before and I was genuinely excited to give it a try. It's colour comes from the inclusion of charcoal, but it still has a traditional minty taste that leaves teeth feeling lovely and clean. It's supposedly a whitening toothpaste but I can't say that I noticed any noticeable improvement in the appearance of my teeth. However, I would repurchase it and recommend it purely for the novelty factor!

A New Facial Oil

My Pick: Pure Marula Facial Oil* from John Paul Selects

I'm always on the look-out for a good facial oil so, last month, when John Paul Selects offered to send me a bottle of their fair-trade and sustainable Pure Marula Facial Oil I very kindly accepted. Marula Oil is extracted from the nuts of the Marula tree and is packed full of fatty acids and antioxidants that make it great for use on the skin. Traditionally, Marula Oil has been used by Tsonga people of South Africa and Mozambique as a body moisturiser and as a massage oil for babies. I've been really impressed with my experience with Marula Oil so far. I've found that it's very different from Rosehip Oil (which has been a long standing favourite of mine), with a lighter and thinner texture and a much more pleasant scent, and it absorbs incredibly quickly into the skin with instant results. Because Marula Oil absorbs so quickly, leaving almost a matte finish on the skin, it makes it a great product to use in both the morning and evening,  it's easy to layer other moisturising products or primers over the top of it without overloading your skin. A little goes a very long way and, like other high-performing facial oils, although it's an expensive product it's an investment that will pay dividends for months and months. During my research into Marula Oil I've discovered that although I didn't know much about it before, John Paul Selects' Pure Marula Oil is an incredibly popular product in the US - with 4034 "loves" and 190 reviews on Sephora's webiste, 146 of which are 5 star reviews (link here). Additionally, although I can't personally comment on it's effectiveness, John Paul Selects Pure Marula Oil is very highly rated as an anti-ageing skincare product - offering to reduce the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles, for softer smoother skin. Overall, I'm really impressed with my first experience of Marula Oil - and if you're interested in trying it for yourself then it's available online from John Paul Selects as well as from Holland and Barrett. 

A Bi-phase Cleanser or Makeup Remover

My Pick: Sephora's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

A bi-phase cleanser is a product that consists of both an oil based and a water based liquid. They appear seperatated in their container until it is shaken, at which point the two merge into a mixture that you then use to cleanse your face or remove your makeup. Due to the oil content, biphase cleanser isn't as light as a micellar water but it can be a lot more effective at removing stubborn eye makeup. I really like Sephora's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover as it's a fantastic affordable biphase cleanser - it's incredibly effective at removing makeup and it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin. It basically speeds up makeup removal without compromising on being gentle - so bi-phase cleansers will be a great option for anyone with sensitive skin, especially around their eyes. Sephora's bi-phase makeup remover isn't easily available in the UK but I'd definitely recommend picking it up next time you're within reach of a Sephora. If you're interested in finding a bi-phase cleanser in the UK then I know that Nivea (£3.59) and Decleor (£21.00) have them in their range.

Have you tried any weird or wonderful new beauty bits recently?


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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?