Introducing / Arbonne

Few weeks ago, I had the chance to try some Arbonne products; a friend of mine is an Arbonne representative and asked for an honest and unbiased opinion about their ranges. 

If you're not too familiar with the brand, Arbonne was born in the USA and they are celebrating 35 years this year.

They were one of the first, back in the eighties, to really look at the science of nature and how to harvest the power of the plants.

The FC5 range is named like that because it encapsulates fresh cells from  5 fruits & vegs: kiwi, strawberry, carrot, mango and pumpkin.

The Arbonne FC5 Moisturizing Night Creme is suitable for every skin type; it has a cooling gel consistency, light on the skin and a fresh scent.

The Arbonne FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub is a creamy face exfoliator that is gentle enough that can be used daily; I was actually amazed how effective it was from the first use: I used it before bed and the morning after my skin was incredibly soft to the touch. It's now become an addiction to use it every evening!

The Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme is a lovely hand cream with the refreshing signature smell of this line, absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any sticky residue.

Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme

Arbonne FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub

Arbonne FC5 Moisturising Night Creme

From their make up selection, I tested the Arbonne MakeUp Primer which is a primer (doh) that create a smooth surface to apply your base on. 

It reminds me of the Daniel Sandler Retexturing Face Primer, but with a better INCI; I love these silicony-feeling type of primers - I find they work really well to fill in pores, fine lines and prolong foundation wear.

The Arbonne It's A Long Story Mascara has a plastic, spiky type of wand that is my favourite kind and it's bendy so you can easily grab the small lashes too; it wore well for the whole day, I was just not too keen on the floral scent (but I'm renownedly very sensitive to smells)

Arbonne MakeUp Primer

We also tried their baby products.

First off, the Arbonne Baby Care Hair & Body Wash was my favourite of the lot!

I especially loved it as a shampoo; it rinsed easily and left my baby girl hair super fluffy and soft.

In the bath also, you need the tiniest amount.

Following the routine, the Arbonne Baby Care Body Lotion is light and absorbs quickly - soooooo important with a squirmy baby that doesn't enjoy massages ;)

Then, the Arbonne Baby Care Nappy Cream has a thick consistency to create a protective barrier, but it spread easily and has a lovely 'baby' scent. Definitely a staple of any nursery!

Arbonne Baby Care Nappy Cream

 Arbonne Baby Care Body Lotion

Finally, I couldn't resist to place a cheeky order too.

I got the Arbonne Seasource Detox Spa Renewing Body Gelee - a body cream that contains ocean's natural ingredients and minerals for an extra pampering and beautifying care for the body.

It's super fresh on the skin and ideal after a late night gym session, to hydrate the skin and sooth sore muscles. I find I definitely sleep better too.

I also bought the Arbonne Calm Soothing Eye Gel that comes with a roller ball applicator to help de-puff and it's super quick to apply; as a busy mum, I definitely appreciate that and I like to keep it in the fridge to enhance the cooling effect.

So, have you heard of Arbonne before? Please, feel free to check my friend Gillian Facebook page for more insight and tips about this brand. Happy discovering! :)

New In / Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

The Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette* needs no presentation. Just look at it - it's stunning.

Every time there is a new naked palette coming out is hard to believe that they can come up with a better one... and sure enough they do.

All the palettes are beautiful in their own right but smoky is a different class, in my opinion, and a must have!

It's the most versatile and - although intended for smokey looks - you can also easily create a nude look and the shades work well with any eye colour: purple is great for green eyes, browns for brown eyes and silver for blue eyes.

It comes in a beautiful and sturdy case with smoke twirls on a transparent background and magnet fastenings - the print gives it a certain mysterious je ne said quoi that recalls the sexy looks that you can create wit these shadows. The quality is great, exactly what you would expect from Urban Decay eyeshadows.

l-r: High, Dirtysweet, Radar, Armor

Personally, I have divided the 12 eyeshadows in 3 sections: the highlighters, the greys and the neutrals - there are 9 new colours and 3 exclusive ones.

Most of the shades are shimmery - the first 4 are:

High is a light champagne with a metallic finish; Dirtysweet is a golden bronze with yellow undertones; Radar is a medium brown with warm undertones; Armor is taupe grey with frosted finish.

l-r: Slanter, Dagger, Black Market, Smolder

In the mid-section we have a selection of greys that are perfect to create shadows and smoke the eye look: 

Slanter is a light silvery grey with cool undertones and a pearl finish; Dagger is a medium grey with a blue tint; Black Market is the darkest shade of them all - a near black with a satin finish; Smolder is a blackened purple with silver finish.

l-r: Password, Wiskey, Combust, Thirteen

Finally, the right part contains the only matte shades of the palette and they are the neutral colours: 

Password is a true cool taupe with a matte finish; Whiskey is a warm, reddish brown also with matte finish; Combust is a pinkish nude and I can't detect any glitter here either; Thirteen is a white beige, perfect as a base or to neutralise any eyelid discolouration.

The palette also includes a guide to recreate 4 popular looks and a double-ended brush.

Both sides of the brush have a rounded head - the shorter has a denser consistency whilst the other side is fluffier, perfect for some blending work.

This beauty is a guaranteed success and one to add to your collection! You can get yours here

Review / Nourish Relax Hydrating Peptide Serum #Campaign4Clarity #OrganicBeauty

Continuing with Organic September and the Campaign For Clarity, running this week - Nourish is another brand joining in the cause and deserving to be labelled organic and recognised by the Soil Association.

You can also read more about this initiative here> www.soilassociation.org/campaignforclarity

I've talked about Nourish Skincare several times before - and in particular the Revital-Eyes Kale Biomimetic Anti-Ageing Eye Cream is one of my must have and always on rotation in my routine.

Recently, I've been using the Nourish Relax Hydrating Peptide Serum that is approve by the Soil Association and a skin super hero!

This serum is a fantastic helper to reduce irritation and calm down inflammation; it's particularly recommended if you struggle with problematic and sensitive skin.

The barely-there lavender scent is also calming on the mind and ideal as a last step before bedtime; it feels light and cool on the skin and absorbs in a matter of minutes.

I've been really enjoying using it at nights and most importantly I haven't had any irritation flare up.

In the mornings, it's perfect to create a smooth canvas for my foundation thanks to the hyaluronic acid that plumps up the skin and reduce fine lines.

If you are on the market for a new serum, this is one to try - you can get yours on nourishskinrange.com

Review / Botanicals Orange Blossom Body Balm #OrganicBeauty #Campaign4Clarity

The Soil Association announced September as the Organic Month and launched the Campaign For Clarity, throughout Organic Beauty Week - 14th to 21st September 2015.

Unfortunately with no legislation in place, it can be confusing and misleading when trying to purchase products that are truly organic from those with the claim but little natural origin.

And this campaign aims to educate and encourage people to be careful and properly informed, when buying.

During Organic Beauty Week Twitter TakeOver will take place to promote the benefits of choosing organic in your skincare products.

Wendy Stirling - founder of Botanicals - is sharing few tips on how to select real organic products:

- select products with certified key ingredients;

- check that the percentage of organic ingredients is higher;

- see if the company has won any award for its commitment in the field;

- research how the product is made; often in smaller batches and greater quality;

- organic skincare doesn't need to be more expensive than luxury brands but are safer and kinder to the skin.

To round up this post, I'd like to talk about the latest product that I've been using.

The Botanicals Orange Blossom Body Balm is an outstanding skin moisturiser that nourish and protect the skin.

It contains a blend of shea butter, apricot kernel, jojoba oils, neroli, patchouli, bergamot and sweet orange essential oils that give it its exotic scent, inebriating for the senses too; these ingredients derived form active plants promote the skin's natural ability to heal and regenerate.

The balm doesn't feel greasy at all and melt into the skin - its conditioning properties make it the perfect ally for post-holiday skin; it helps calm irritations, protects skin from flaking and leaves a beautiful sheen on your sun-kissed skin.

Botanicals is a multi-award-winning natural organic skincare brand and the Orange Blossom Body Balm is 89% organic and 100% natural!

You can get yours on www.botanicals.co.uk and Botanicals is also running a series of September offers.