Melvita Body Lotion

February 7, 2011

Melvita is a company which produces natural, organic beauty products.  All of their packaging is completely recyclable and they have long-standing relationships with growers in both their local area and in underprivileged parts of the world.  In 2002, it was one of the first companies to get the ECOCERT certificate which certifies organic products.  Melvita was formed in 1983 in the Ardèche in France where they have an eco-factory complete with solar panels as well as a living ‘green’ roof to help it camouflage into its surroundings.

The first UK Melvita store has opened in the new St Martin’s Courtyard development in Covent Garden and you can also buy the products from some John Lewis stores or online.

I will definitely be buying more Melvita products after trying out the Moisturising Body Lotion.  It contains rosehip seed oil, cotton extract and olive squalane and you can read about what each of these does here.  I really love the smell – I can’t work out what it is but it smells very tropical and reminds me of holidays!  The lotion is quite runny but it absorbs quickly and works so well.  The pump is handy for getting the right amount of lotion out of the bottle.  Although the products are more expensive than your average high street beauty products, I think it’s worth it as there are no nasty chemicals and it is a really eco friendly company so you feel as though you’re doing your bit for the planet!


Love Letter Solid Scent

January 18, 2011

Love Letter is a new solid perfume by The Green Grocery.  It is 100% organic and comes in a 100% recyclable tin inside a cute gift box.  The scent is a mixture of rose, jasmine and sandalwood.  It smells gorgeous, not overwhelming, and lasts for hours as well but the tin is small enough to fit in your bag if you do need a top up during the day.  There is no alcohol in the perfume as some perfumers believe that the scent from the essential oils can be lost when mixed with alcohol so it is hand-blended using traditional methods instead which takes over two weeks.  And here’s the best bit – it only costs £9.99 so is lots cheaper than most perfumes out there!


Bonterra Gift Pack

November 15, 2010

If you’re looking for a present for a wine fan then you can’t really go wrong with this Bonterra Gift Pack which includes Bonterra wine and Green & Black’s chocolate.  You can pick from either Zinfandel for people who love red wine or Chardonnay for those who prefer white.  Bonterra is based in California where it was one of the 1st vineyards to commit to organic and sustainable winegrowing which means you can enjoy the wine without harming the environment.  The gift pack is available from Tesco and it costs £10 which is really good value as it definitely looks like it should cost more.


Godminster Vintage

October 4, 2010

Godminster Vintage has been making food gifts for 10 years from its farm in Somerset.  Their range includes organic cheeses, chutneys, fruit cake, vodka and sparkling wine.  I think their products make the perfect Christmas gifts for anyone who loves food.

I’ve got the ‘The Combo’ gift set which has a 400g organic cheddar and a 235g beetroot and apple chutney.  The cheese is inside a purple wax which is a really nice colour and matches the packaging perfectly!  My favourite thing about this gift set is that you can choose between a circle or a heart shaped cheese and you can leave apersonalised message for whoever the lucky recipient is.  And of course, it tastes delicious!  It costs £23 but is definitely worth the money as it makes a different and tasty gift.

I’ve also got the ‘Triple Tipple’ which contains 3 5cl bottles of flavoured vodka.  There are lots of different flavours available from cucumber to horseradish to damson but the flavours you get depend on the season which I really like this as it proves that it’s all fresh.  On the back of the pack are some ideas of how to use the vodka, for example blackcurrant vodka goes well with champagne and cucumber vodka makes a nice cucumber martini.  The set costs £15.66.

I love this website and you can also buy Godminster Vintage products from local delis and cheese shops around the UK.  I’m sure I will be buying some Christmas and birthday gifts from them over the next few years!


Green & Black’s Miniature Collection

September 30, 2010

Green & Black’s is one of my favourite brands of chocolate.  All of their chocolate is organic, they use ethically sourced ingredients and every flavour that I’ve tried tastes delicious.

Their new 24 Miniature Bar Collection is a brilliant idea as it includes 8 of their best selling flavours.  It is perfect for people like me who can’t decide which type of chocolate to go for and also for those who have never tried any type of Green & Black’s.  The collection would make a great Christmas present for just about anyone so I will definitely be buying a few between now and December!

The collection costs £8.99 and you can buy it from most supermarkets, making it an even better Christmas present as you can easily just pick one up!


Balm Balm Rose Geranium Hand Balm

September 18, 2010

As you would guess from the name, this hand balm has the gorgeous smell of roses. The balm is quite greasy and takes a while to be absorbed so I tend to use it before I go to bed. This gives it time to sink in properly and leaves my hands feeling lovely and soft in the mornings. Balm Balm Hand Balm from BigGreenSmile.com is 100% organic and uses 100% natural ingredients so you know you are not putting any nasty chemicals into your skin.

The balm can be used on more than just your hands; the box suggests using it on your feet, lips, face, neck and elbows as well. I don’t think I’d try it on my face due to the balm being greasy but it is definitely a good idea for elbows and feet.

At just £5.99 I would recommend this hand balm to everyone!


Summer Essentials

July 12, 2010

I’ve been looking for products to take away with me on my summer holidays.  Here is some of the stuff I’ve found so far:

First, the essential holiday product – sun cream.  Wilko do a great range of affordable 5 star sun creams.  I was surprised at how quickly they absorbed into my skin, even the higher factors, as other cheaper sun creams I’ve used tend to stay sticky.  The kids sun cream is purple until it is rubbed in which helps make sure you don’t miss anywhere out.  Wilko also have after sun in the range.

Insect repellent is a must if you are going anywhere warm.  Effitan insect repellent protects for up to 8 hours and is made with 98.88% natural ingredients.  It is parabens free so shouldn’t case any allergic reactions.  It comes in a spray bottle and absorbs easily into the skin.  However, it doesn’t smell very nice but then insect repellents never do – I suppose that if they did smell good then the bugs would be all over you!

Burt’s Bees natural beeswax lip balm has got to be my favourite lip balm of all time.  It has a refreshing peppermint smell and has made my lips super soft.  When you apply it, it make your lips tingle which is slightly strange but once I got used to that I became completely addicted.  The fantastic thing about the lip balm is that it doesn’t seem to melt.  I always keep it in my bag so it has been outside on some of the really hot days we’ve had in the last couple of months and hasn’t once melted –not the tiniest bit – even though one day I spent about 5 hours outside in 27° heat revising for my exams!

Everything Balm by Trilogy is brilliant.  You can actually use it for just about everything – according to the box it can be used for soothing dry skin, moisturising all skin types including face, massage oil, lip and cuticle conditioning and as an alternative to mineral oil based baby care.  It is the perfect product to take with you on holiday and is a great space saver especially as it has a nice but not too strong smell so can be used by both men and women.  All of the ingredients are natural.

Aloe Pura Organic After Sun is a good natural product.  It feels cool and soothing when you apply it and absorbs quickly into the skin.  I really love the smell which is subtle and nothing like the overpowering smell of lots of other after suns.  It is more expensive than the Wilko after sun but it smells so much better and also feels more luxurious.  You can buy Aloe Pura products from Waitrose and Holland and Barrett.

This next product is slightly strange.  Eau Thermale Avène is a spray can of thermal water which also comes in a little travel size.  It claims to be able to sooth sensitive skin, sunburn and irritation and can be used to complete cleansing.  At first I couldn’t believe that someone would try and sell water as a beauty product but after trying it out on a sunny day I changed my mind.  I didn’t get sunburnt so couldn’t really test whether or not it soothed my skin but it is just so refreshing to use – it sprays a fine mist so it doesn’t look like you’ve just thrown a glass of water over yourself!  I don’t think I would buy this again though unless I wanted to splash out as it is kind of pointless!

To keep your skin looking good over the summer, Simple has a range of skincare products.  They contain no colourings or perfumes as well as no unnecessary chemicals.  The moisturiser is nice and light so it doesn’t make your skin greasy after a day of wearing sun cream, but if you do end up with a few spots there is a spot zapper in the range which is small enough to be used on-the-go as and when needed.  I really like the eye roll-on which is cool and revitalising when applied and doesn’t stay sticky like lots of other eye gels.  Simple also do a sun cream for faces which is really good as it is not as greasy as body sun cream so is better for your skin.  It doesn’t smell or have any colourings making it perfect for sensitive skin.

Finally, Radox Shower Smoothies are the perfect product for a summery shower.  They smell heavenly and come in a few different flavours.  As they lather up really well they should last for ages and the little bits of what look like fruit pips gently exfoliate your skin to stop it looking too dried out from the sun.


Lavera

May 28, 2010

Lavera is a company from Germany which makes natural skin care products.  All of their products are 100% free from synthetic perfumes, colourants and preservatives.

Last night I tried out the Lavera Naturkosmetik Organic Wild Rose travel kit.  It contains a rose scented cleanser (7.5ml), toner (10ml), moisturiser (7.5ml) and a face mask (10ml).  They are a good size to take away on holiday and are small enough to take as hand luggage on a plane, but I’m not sure the moisturiser would last for more than a few days.  Lavera do similar products for all different skin types.  I used the products for dry / aging skin.  I have got dry skin but I’m only 20 so hopefully not aging quite yet!  After using everything my skin felt very greasy and I was a bit worried that I would wake up with spots but in the morning my skin felt nice and soft with no trace of a spot so now I’m looking forward to finishing off all of the products.


Green People Organic Lip Balm

March 25, 2010

I’m not really one for wearing lip gloss or lip stick because I hate that they feel gloopy and heavy on your lips.  I’ve recently tried a lip balm by Green People which I really love as it not only makes my lips nice and soft, but also looks like a lip gloss and it stays put for hours.  It is spf 8 and uses 70% organic products.  I would definitely recommend it!