Xmas 2015 / Melvita L'Or Bio Gift Set

Today's Christmas recommendation is for a luxurious bodycare set from Melvita.

Melvita is a french company, pioneer in organic cosmetics since the early 80s and it's a leader brand in the natural and organic sector.

I'm really fond of this brand and I just wish it would be more readily available on the high street - I'd love to see flagship stores where you can try the products, like the 'sister' brand L'Occitane; anyway, I get my stuff from feelunique.com or you can also visit uk.melvita.com

They have some really great Christmas ideas with some good savings too, like the Melvita Christmas Treats Bauble - that contains 3 minis inside a pretty ornament.

The Melvita L'Or Bio Gift Set* is a real treat for the body and the senses; the organic brand is kind-to-skin and kind-to-the-enviroment and this duo will leave you feeling pampered and relaxed.

This coffret includes Melvita Extraordinary Oil which is a multitasker for body, face and hair and contains 5 precious oils to nourish and beautify.

This oil is a best seller and leaves the skin silky to the touch, non greasy and sophisticatedly scented, thanks to notes of Italian bergamot, jasmine and tire flower.

It also comes in a beautiful glass bottle that certainly enhance that special experience.

The Melvita Extraordinary Shower is the matching cleanser with the same precious and rare oils and smell.

You get a generous 250ml and a drop of this golden gel transforms into a velvety foam for a pleasant and rewarding experience.

The Melvita L'Or Bio Gift Set retails for £25 which is a fantastic price for such high quality ingredients and performances. 

Have you tried Melvita before?

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?

New In / My Picks for Spring 2014 with Sanctuary Spa, Good Things and Orla Kiely

Sanctuary Spa 7 Day Moisture Miracle Oil Balm

I'm a big fan of beauty oils - face oils, body oils and even hair oils - and they have now been a staple in my routine for many years; it's no secret tho that they can be a bit messy. They work fine on wet skin, in the privacy of your bathroom, but they are not great for travelling or for your handbag.

Sanctuary Spa 7 Day Moisture Miracle Oil Balm* comes in a handy little tube that is purse-friendly and comes in a balm form. You will find that it's solid and you can squeeze the desired amount on the go, without any spillage disaster.

It contains 7 essential oils - Gold of Pleasure Oil, Corn Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Rice Germ Oil and Camelia Seed Oil - that provide on the spot relief for problematic areas, like elbows, cuticles, heels; the skin is instantly softened and it also doubles up as an hand cream, leaving my skin gorgeous scented. 

It locks moisture into the skin for up to 7 days! It's not super greasy (for an oil) and absorbs easily – It’s the perfect compromise! 

Love the luxurious gold packaging and it would make a lovely and useful gift too!

Sanctuary Spa Relax Nourishing Shower Creme

Transitioning into Spring/Summer, I always struggle to fall asleep at night:  first the clock changes then there is too much light outside. Up here in Scotland, it could be light until  11ish pm and, at the same time, temperatures could be (fairly) hot and I usually not in the mood for warm baths.

If like me you also have trouble sleeping, Sanctuary Spa Relax Nourishing Shower Creme* is the perfect alternative to easy you into a restful night; I have been using it for a few months now and the comforting and delicate scent certainly helps me relax and unwind before bed time. 

 Essential oils of vetiver, cedarwood and labdanum help calm the mind and melt the tension of a busy life; the pampering cream is nourishing and hydrating for the skin, thanks to shea butter and lotus extract. 

The Relax line also includes Cocooning Body Butter, Warming Sugar Scrub, Unwind Candle so if you fall in love with the Shower Creme, there's no reason why you can't count on its benefits all year round and add them to your bedtime routine.

For Spring 2014, Orla Kiely came out with  a Bergamot Collection - the line includes hand wash, hand lotion, shower gel, body lotion and hand cream. 

The description of the scent sounds just amazing: "...warm cedarwood, patchouli and refreshing notes of grapefruit and bergamot... hint of fresh floral with petigrain, neroli and orange flower extract; spicy nuances of cardamon and coriander are combined with herbal hints of aniseed and peppermint to create a zesty twist..."

There’s also a useful new addition to the popular Geranium bath and body range that launched last year - Orla Kiely Geranium Hand Sanitiser*.

I’m not a fan of geranium, to be honest but this blend - with eucalyptus, lavender and clary sage - is refreshing and  I found it soothing on the mind too, thanks to these essential oils; some hand sanitisers can be overpowering alcoholic and sterile, instead this is very delicate and still kills 99.9% of germs. This product is also formulated with aloe vera to keep hands soft and moisturised and avoid dryness.

The recognizable Orla Kiely pattern on the bottle makes it stylish enough for your handbag and I like to keep a tube of this in my gym bag at all time, as well.

Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub

Good Things is another affordable and reliable brand that I have come to appreciate in recent years; they do fantastic body care and you can pick their products from the drugstore. The skincare line includes a Manuka Honey range, which is appropriate for the approaching National Honey Bee Day on the 16^th August.

Key ingredient in the Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub* is the Superfood Manuka Honey, of course; together with other bee derivatives - like royal jelly and propolis - sustains the growth of new cells and collagen to prevent the signs of ageing; it's also fantastic to restore Ph balance and promote healthy skin.

It has a creamy consistency with oatmeal flakes that provide a gentle exfoliation and they are soothing for irritated skin; white kaolin helps draw out excess oil and purify the complexion, whilst sweet almond oil hydrates dry skin and it's rich in vitamins E and fatty acids.

The skin is left clean and nourished at the same time and - how you can guess - it has a delicious scent.

You get a very generous amount for a bargain £4.99 so I've been using it on delicate parts like decollete, shoulders and arms as well.

All Good Things products are free from parabens, mineral oils, sulphates and are suitable for vegetarians.

Have you tried any of these products yet??!

Haul / Philosophy

A couple of months ago, I received a discount code in the post from Philosophy; it was for £15 off on £60 spending, which I thought was very generous and silly not taking advantage of.

So this is what I ordered:

Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash

I had recently finished  a sample of this wash (link) and I loved it so much that I decided to buy the full size bottle. The consistency is perfection: the micro scrubbing particles are very effective but, because of the gel consistency, is also gentle at the same time. 

Philosophy The Great Mystery One-Minute Daily Facial

I also picked up this mask to try… sounded pretty intriguing.

When you massage it in, it foams up on the skin and you can feel it fizz actually; it's kinda of weird and worrying at first but, when you see that no damage is done to your face, it becomes a pleasant experience.

Plus, acts in 1 minute and it's delicate enough that could be used every day; again, a great purifying product: leaves my skin super-clean! 

Philosophy Senorita Margarita Shampoo Shower Gel & Bubble Bath

Loved the idea of a margarita scented shower gel (plus, I had to reach the minimum spending for the offer) but again not impressed with this Philosophy body washes. It's my own fault: I have already been disappointed before in the formula (link) and the smell just doesn't last out of the bottle. :(

Have you tried Philosophy yet? Which are your must-have products?

Review / Noble Isle Willow Song Bath & Shower Gel

Noble Isle is a british luxury bath/body and home fragrance brand; they take inspiration from the beautiful nature of the british isles, like misty moorland, Highland distilleries and English orchards and use only the finest ingredients to evoke these gorgeous and mystic lands.

If you recall from my previous post (link) - Noble Isle Fireside is more of a unisex scent, whilst Noble Isle Willow Song* has definitely a feminine twist.

It's sweet - thanks to watermelon and rose petals - but not in a sickening way because the base notes of cedarwood and musk create a perfect balance between florals and mellow woods.

Willow bark and water lily extract, sourced from the medieval town of Lavenham (hence the name), have soothing properties and these romantic notes make it the ideal gift to spoil your Valentine!

The range includes bath & shower gel, a luxurious whipped body cream for your bathtime routine and weighty glass candle or an elegant black reed diffuser.

 Also, if you're looking for the male counterpart, you can bet on Noble Isle Lightning Oak line that, with its smoky woods and peppery notes, is also a favourite of Brad Pitt… doesn't get more handsomely manly than that! ;)

Have you tried Noble Isle yet?

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!

Favourites / Noble Isle Fireside

Cold weather is upon us and before we know it, we'll be singing Christmas carols and planning our festivities. I love this time of the year but I hate the cold! I'm always cold and not to mention getting soaked in rain that can really put a damper on my mood.

There's nothing that I look more forward to - at the end of the day - than a relaxing warm bath and my current favourite is Noble Isle Fireside Mynwy Valley Bath & Shower Gel*
Noble Isle is quintessentially British, taking inspiration from every corner of the isles: from misty moorland, old English orchards and Scottish distilleries.

Fireside has all the ingredients to create the ideal relaxing mood. The smokey notes - oakmoss, vanilla - evoke roasting chestnuts, wood burning and curling up with a book by the fireplace. The spiciness - pink and black pepper, ginger -  tingles the senses and it's balanced by fresh top notes of grapefruit.
 It's comforting for tired minds, cold muscles and frozen toes and truly the epitome of Autumn in a bottle!

Because of the rich notes, it's also the perfect unisex scent and - let me tell you - my husband is certainly appreciating more baths than usual. ;)
I'm guessing the fact that Brad Pitt is the newest famous fan is certainly impressive but not at all surprising, knowing the quality and care behind the brand.

Packaging is also beautiful and if you're buying a gift, they will wrap it in a luxurious box, tied with a striking  satin ribbon and you can add a tag with a special message for your loved ones too.

Have you tried anything from Noble Isle yet? They offer bath & hair products, body lotions, handcare and home fragrances - Take your pick on www.NobleIsle.com