Lucy Annabella Organics

One of the nicest parts of blogging is being made aware of brands early on that you might not otherwise come across quite so soon. My mind has turned to gift shopping (where did this year go?) and Lucy Annabella Organics is a beautiful brand that really delivers and is perfect for just that.

Based out of Ireland, they have a lovely small collection of products that are beautifully presented and work just as well as their more expensive competition.

The candles are soy wax, leaving no black tell-tale residue and the smell is strong without being over-powering like some.

I do like a muscle-related bath product and the Muscle Quench Bath Milk doesn't disappoint. This is hand-made and includes..

Essential Oils - Spike Lavender, Rosemary, Marjoram, Vetiver. Base Oils - Sweet Almond, Soya Bean, Argan, Coconut, Rapeseed. Other - Orange Fruit Water, Aloe Vera Juice, Rosemary Extract, Glycerin and Sucrose Laurate

If you are on the look out for either a nice treat for you or a lovely gift for someone else - you may well find it on their website here: www.lucyannabella.com

They've just released their Christmas offering - I'll be getting one of these Festive Spice numbers..... *lush*

Apivita Body Nourish Shower Gel - Review

I'll keep it brief. I was sent this for review months ago in what was obviously a very savvy pre-Marks & Spencer launch PR focus.

In short, it is really, really lovely.

What's in it?

Aqua**, Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Coco-Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Castoryl Maleate, Polysorbate 20, Parfum, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil*, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil*, Mel* Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Tocopherol, Phytosterols, Calendula Officinalis Flower* Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf*, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil*, Glycol Distearate, Citric Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol

What's good about it?

Beautiful texture
Beautiful scent - not overpowering
Doesn't foam too much, just enough to clean thoroughly
Plastic bottle - good for shower
Non-drying

What's bad about it?

It's £12.00 for 300ml. I'm notoriously cheap when it comes to my body products. I genuinely don't spend a lot - especially on shower gels. I save the moolah for my face.

Packaging - 2/5 - although it's not hard to use, I prefer a tube for showers
Texture - 4/5 - lovely
Performance - 5/5 - perfect
After effects on skin - 5/5 - non drying


If like me, you wouldn't normally spend that on a shower gel - add it to your present list. I'd gratefully receive something this lovely.

Apivita Body Nourish Shower Gel is available from M&S and is £12.00

Jo Malone Bath Oil - an Apology!

I was out scouting for a pressie earlier this month for my girlfriend that I KNOW is obsessed with the above. I didn't want to enable her as traditionally (in the old days) this was mineral oil based and I didn't want her channelling the BP disaster when she was trying to bathe. Grim. Vile. *shivers, moves on*

Well NO MORE.

I reluctantly picked up the bottle - I habitually spin to the ingredients label - I don't read the selling blimph on the front..and low and behold:

the main ingredient is...

SWEET ALMOND OIL.

*CHEERS* Jo Malone. Congrats. Job well done. *adds back to list of possible presents*



P.S. - you'd never KNOW it wasn't mineral oil as Jo Malone don't list their full ingredients on their site - so technically, my ignorance was not my fault.... :)

The perfect Thalgo, Aveda and Elemis bath.

My steamy Sunday. 

In the same vein as the supplement post from yesterday - I've been meaning to write about my perfect bath for a while. As it was Mother's Day this past Sunday (in the UK) I took the time for one of my' mega baths'.  This basically involves me throwing all manner of products into a huge boiling bath (yes I know all about broken veins on my legs - I could give a rats arse) and laying in it for as long as possible - well, until I get bored or too shrivelled.

Above is what I used this week. The picture looks out of focus - its not - that's steam from said bath...!

Working from right to left:

Aveda Stress-Fix Soaking Salts - these are not actually released until April. I was lucky enough to get a sample pre-sale and they are SO lovely. Aveda's first Eco Cert endorsed range, Stress Fix is scented with lavender and clary sage. As soon as it hits the water the scent explodes around the room - it's lovely, not too lavender-y, just really fresh and relaxing. This is a mixture of sugar and salt - so it gently exfoliates while also de-stressing. The range also has a body lotion, pure-fume roller ball and Stress Fix treatments will be launching in their treatment rooms simultaneously. As per usual Aveda, job well done.

Thalgo Thalassobath with Algae - this is for those of us that enjoy bathing in what quite literally, is the sea. It's 76% sea salts and 24% fresh algae. Be warned: it smells of the sea - it's strong, sludgey (yes that is a word) and you will have to wash your bath (properly) afterwards. SO worth it though. Bits of the sea floating in the bath - I recommend standing up and showering afterwards. Otherwise you have green sludge on you when you are applying body creams. I'm really selling it here aren't I?!
Seriously - recommended.

Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak - This beauty has been on this blog before and was the first recipient in my Hall of Fame. It still stands alone as the best muscle soak out there. I add this last as it has a mild soap base and thus cuts through the tiny bit of oil in the Aveda. Also: blows your nostrils out of your head.
Can't recommend enough. That is all.