Xmas 2015 / L'Occitane Pierre Herme Hand Cream Trio

For me, it's not Christmas without a L'Occitane gift!

Last year it was the Delicious Almond Collection from the hubby, the year before The Secret to Beautiful Hands (review here)... and again we are spoiled for choose with many fantastic gift sets this year.

L'Occitane Pierre Herme Hand Cream Trio* is really one of these presents that make you scream with joy! 

It contains three Limited Edition hand creams, created in collaboration with Pierre Herme - the famous French Pastry Chef.

There are actually 3 whole ranges with these newly crafted fragrances that combine precious ingredients and that evoke the Mediterranean and the Corsica coast.

All three scents are peculiar and tantalising for different reasons: 

Jasmin Immortelle Neroli is a floral, feminine bouquet with the richness of woody and musky notes.

Pamplemousse Rhubarbe combines the bitterness of the grapefruit white skin with the sweetness and tartness of the rhubarb; a warmly combination, slightly spicy.

Miel Mandarine is the most delicious concussion; fruity notes from the mandarin perfectly marry the sweetness and warmth of the caramelised honey, epitomising the holiday spirit!

They all have the fresh and nourishing consistency of the classic L'Occitane Shea Butter formula that we love!

Bonus: they come in a beautiful illustrated tin to collect and house your treasures!

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! :)

Christmas 2014 / The Body Shop Glazed Apple Collection

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Collection is a HUGE range that includes a Eau De Toilette, Body Polish, Body Butter, Shimmer Lotion, Shower Gel, Bath Sprinkles, Bath Jelly, Soap, Lip Gloss, Lip Tint, Hand Cream, Sparkler and Home Fragrance Oil.

There is also a super adorable apple shaped gift set - The Body Shop Glazed Apple Tin of Treasures - that includes a selection from the line, in travel size format. 

This new fragrance just came out ideally before Christmas; it’s not your typically Christmas scent (like spiced apple or frozen berries) but still festive & delicious and sure to make an impression when gifting.

The products and the packaging with their bright green colour and frosted sparkles are also perfect for this time of the year.

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter* has got a creamy, rich texture and comes in the traditional 200ml tub.

It contains shea butter and leaves the skin conditioned and softly sweetly scented; it is not a sickening smell tho, but more of crisp, fresh fragrance - thanks to the fruity notes of the fresh apple - and warm vanilla.

I love the slightly green tint of the product itself too :)

I'm sure you're already familiar with the moisturising and fast absorbing qualities of The Body Shop hand creams and the Glazed Apple Hand Cream* is no exception. Same fantastic formulation with shea butter and apple seed oil to give relief to dry skin, without leaving any greasy residue.

Furthermore, for example the soap or the shimmer lotion make great stocking fillers or you can pick up the gift set for that tricky secret santa at work. 

The range is truly versatile and you’re bound to find a product to please everyone, for every budget and to make an impression for originality!

Have you seen this line in store yet? What do you think?

New In / L'Occitane Whipped Shea Butter Collection

This year, L’Occitane is celebrating 25 years of partnership with the women’s co-operative in Burkina Faso and supporting Fair Trade Shea Butter.

2014 Limited Edition Collection is the Whipped Shea Butter range that includes a body cream, hand cream and shower foam.

The innovative formulation takes inspiration from the technique used by the co-operative in Burkina Faso, where the women whip the butter to obtain a mousse consistency.

This way you still get the same nourishing benefits that you’re used to from shea butter products but in a lightweight and extra comfortable texture.

L’Occitane Whipped Shower Foam* is probably my favourite item of the collection; I’m pretty partial to a shower foam – they are fun to use and they last ages too, in my experience.

The product feels velvety and creamy on the skin and doesn’t strip the skin. The typical Shea Butter scent envelops the senses and is the perfect combo for a warm and comforting shower to start the day.

The consistency of L’Occitane Whipped Body Cream* looks a bit odd admittedly, but is a dream to apply and it’s such a soothing and pleasant experience; it melts in the skin (making the application super-fast) and - with 10% shea butter - locks in hydration and soften the skin.

I'm definitely picking up L'Occitane Shea Whipped Hand Cream, which comes with a fun, star-shaped nozzle too.
What have you tried from this collection?

Brasil 2014 / L'Occitane Au Bresil

Brasil 2014 has been a popular inspiration for LE Collections this season.

Inspiration from south American culture with the energy and artistic predisposition, as well as rich natural resources and ingredients, indigenous of these lands.

The two new plants at the heart of L'Occitane Au Bresil Collection are: Vitoria Regia and Jenipapo. 

Vitoria Regia is a water lily found in the Amazon river that sleeps during the day, to protect from the sun rays and blooms at night, revealing pink petals and a delicate scent.

Its dual life has been perfectly captured in L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Day Flower - fresh and light with citrusy notes and the acidity of the green apple. A proper summer scent!

And L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Night Flower - with more powdery under-notes, dominated by musk and sandalwood and a hint of peony.

If you’re a L’Occitane aficionado, the consistency of L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Day Flower Handcream* is thinner than the shea butter counterpart and perfect for warmer months. It absorbs instantly and leaves the hands velvety soft and hydrated.

L'Occitane Vitoria Regia Night Flower Soap* echoes the decadent scent with the gorgeous engraving on its surface; it's fantastic and nearly too beautiful to use. The formula doesn't strip the oil on the skin and leaves the hands nourished and clean. 

Both scents come also as 300ml and 100ml Eau de Cologne bottles too.

Jenipapo is a citrus tree from the Cerrado region that basks in the sun its entire life and rapidly grows above the rest of the savannah to absorb the sun's energy.

The protective and moisturising properties of the fruit are well known to the native populations and they have now been used by L'Occitane to create this suncare line for the face & body.

L'Occitane Jenipapo Lip Balm Spf25* comes out as a clear gloss and it has a green and fruity mouthwatering flavour: you'll find exotic notes of watermelon, pina colada and vanilla.

The line also includes Body Jelly Milk Spf20, Shower Oil and Perfumed Oil Roll-On.

Local artists helped create the pretty illustrations of the flowers on the packaging and they are worth of turn-of-the-century Impressionist paintings. 

L'Occitane Au Bresil is out now in store and on Loccitane.com

Haul / The Body Shop + Valentine's Day Ideas

Whilst shopping for presents before Christmas, I treated myself to few products from The Body Shop; their offers are simply too good to resist so I stocked up on few favourites (and discovered new loves).

The Body Shop scrubs are my absolute favourites hands down but I have to admit that I have never tried the Cocoa Butter Cream Body Scrub before; I guess, I usually go for more 'unusual' or limited edition scents but I decided to sniff it, out of curiosity, and I was sold: rich yet not overpowering.

It's kinda of thick cream consistency with evident scrubbing bits in it - hardcore, how i like it!

I fell in love with The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter (link) few months ago and I couldn't resist getting the matching Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub too. The consistency is thinner than the Cocoa Butter one - I guess it will be easier to spread and use on dry skin, will see how it fairs.

 I don't spend much money on shower products (I guess because they just go down the drain so quickly) but I love getting indulging bath products because I enjoy relaxing baths quite often.

The Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt looks exactly like honey when drizzled under running water and creates a ton of bubbles. It's a big tub that will last for a long time and I'm certainly savouring using it!

I've been interested in trying the soap-free shower gels for some time and I chose the Moringa Shower Gel - which has a sweet floral scent.

I also got this Almond Hand & Nail Cream Gift Set from my Secret Santa at work, which I was thrilled about because it's right up my street; I have used this hand cream before (Hemp, Absinthe) but not the Almond yet… I love the scent so much!!! 

Finally, I wanted to share a couple of ideas if you're looking for a special gift; Valentine's Day is fast approaching and The Body Shop offers many options for any budget and taste.

My favourite gifts are this cute Heart Lollipop Lip Butters, which includes 5 different lip butters; I understand that the Body Butter Lollipops were a great hit during the Christmas holidays and they have been given a revamp with an heart-shaped box.

Perfect to give the sweetest and most delicious kisses! ;)

… or the Chocolate & Strawberry Shower Gel Duo, the ideal his&her gift set to treat yourself and your loved one, for some smellicious quality time together!