SAM FARMER. And why you should buy it.

Here's the deal. A couple of weeks ago I received a phone call from my girlfriend Holly (a younger, prettier version of me but just as easily riled when faced with sexism/misogyny/pretty much any discrimination).

It went along the lines: 

'Babe. I've just met this incredible dad called Sam and you HAVE to help him.'

'K. Elaborate maybe?'

'He's this REALLY lovely man who went into XXX to buy his daughter deodorant and was so pissed off by the sexist set-up being rammed down his throat that he's started his own non-gender-specific-unisex line for young people.'

'I'm in. Send me his details.'

'He's REALLY lovely.'

'I said I'M IN.'

The best conversations always go like that don't they?! So I met Sam Farmer last week. And he IS really lovely.

Unlike Ted Baker - Sam Farmer is a real-life person - who, it transpires, cared passionately enough about gender equality that he did indeed make his own brand. I've felt similarly enraged whilst out and about shopping for products for my 11 year old daughter. Everything is pink, princess-y, glittery, full of love hearts and frankly smells of flowery sick. Shopping for my boys (men), everything is steel grey, black, uses words like 'Adonis' and is strong enough to knock out a horse.

Don't take my word for it. Look in the deodorant aisle next time you're in a supermarket or chemist.

'I'm not sure my children took me seriously after I stormed out of the shop, dumbfounded by the sexist stereotyping marketing we were confronted with, shouting 'that's all bullshit, you're both equal!' and assuring them things were about to change as they ran for cover'.

The Sam Farmer line (so called because Sam was sick of not knowing the names behind the brands) is now here. And it's bloody good.

Simple, to the point and does the job. The first lot of samples Sam sent me were stolen taken by my kids before I'd even unpacked my bag. They smell fresh and clean and although they have been made with young people in mind, I've been using the body wash and the deodorant myself. Lush.

No ridiculous claims, simple instructions and good formulations.

If you want your teens/young people to equate toiletries with having a clean body - not enticing the opposite sex for a shag at the age of 11, please try Sam Farmer.

British-made, not a huge conglomerate, not available everywhere (yet), Sam Farmer deserves our support.

Prices start at £3.99 and go up to £6.00. Suitable for all skin types, including big people.

And my retailer friends that read my blog. You should stock this. I'll be coming after you too.

Because its one thing to call your daughter 'Princess', it's quite another to assume that's her life's ambition.

More information can be found here: www.samfarmer.co 

Disclosure: I have no affiliation with Sam Farmer. He's just a good man doing a great job of being an excellent father. 

Aesop Petitgrain Hydrating Body Gel and Control Anti-blemish Gel

Launching at Aesop counters today, this revolutionary Petitgrain Body Gel is a beautiful addition to the Aesop family. Perfect for the warmer weather, it is scented with grapefruit and lemon peel and feels AMAZING on the skin - I'm keeping mine in the fridge.

Already on counters but equally as exciting is the new (ish) Control Anti-Blemish Gel.

Containing Niacinamide, Tea Tree and Salicylic Acid - this is perfect for applying directly to the affected area and is both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.

Two lovely additions to the range.

On sale now from Aesop.

Petitgrain Body Gel is £23.00 and Control is £15.00.


*PR Samples. Lovely ones at that.

Lierac Lait Sensoriel aux 3 Fleurs - Collection Blanche

Or in other words: 'Lierac's Lush New Limited Edition Body Lotion and Oil Set'.

This is just a quick one from me - and yes I know it's French. Again. No apologies here.

This Limited Edition Set comprises of a beautiful body lotion and a divine body oil and is very lightly scented with three of my favourite all-time smells: gardenia, camellia and jasmine.*
The lotion in particular goes on really well, sinks in like a charm - but not TOO quickly and my skin is just as soft when I get home in the evenings as it was when I left the house.

If you've ever used the Kai range or even Jo Malone Gardenia - this is not that. While they both hit your nostrils like a blowtorch of gardenia (great if that is what you are after) - this scent is perfect if you want to wear something more subtle allowing you to wear your normal fragrance on top. It is perfect for this time of year.

The Body Lotion is £19 and the Oil is £22 - both are available now from Selfridges while stocks last.


*I love all white flowers - they smell much stronger than coloured flowers as they have to work harder to attract the bees. Liz Earle told me that - so it must be true.

The Small Print: My first lotion arrived via a press goody bag - my second arrived via my NatWest bank card.

Rituals

I first received some Rituals last year as a gift and have to confess I was a bit of a product snob when I received it.  I'm not entirely sure why but I had always walked past the Rituals shops and not really entertained the thought of going inside.

To be honest I'm a little conflicted about the marketing of Rituals. The products that I have tried from the range have all been good enough to sell on their own merit but the different 'rituals' can be a little confusing. At least, confusing to ME...

All of that aside, as I said, the products are good - really good. So far I have used 3 items from the range and they all perform well.

I am especially liking this shower gel.  Firstly, you only need a minute amount, it exits the pump as a gel and very quickly explodes into a silky soft foam - not unlike a shaving foam - but a good one.

It spreads easily, is not sticky and cleanses gently without stripping the skin and leaving it tight and dry. And it's affordable. £6.50 for a 200ml tin, it comes in 4 flavours (I think?). Also good for smaller members of the family - although they prefer..

Bubbles... The Energy Bubbles again are soft, non-drying and give good foam - enough foam to keep the small people happy too.

Although my favourite, rather predictably, is a body butter. Except it's not a butter - it's whipped cream - at least in texture.

Magic Touch Ultra Rich Whipped Body Cream really does have the texture of just-whipped cream. It's really light without losing any of its hydrating capabilities and absorbs almost on contact - which is a bonus if you need to get dressed immediately. It also retails around £10.00 so is very reasonable.

So the verdict on Rituals? Good products, great as gifts, confusing message - at least for numpties like me. I would suggest visiting a store and talking to one of their assistants or using the John Lewis website - which I found simple to use. *relieved*

Rituals is available in John Lewis and on their own website.

Brand Focus: Caudalie

Caudalie is based around the anti-oxidant properties of grape seed polyphenols and first went on sale in 1995. If you are still unsure as to what an anti-oxidant does, it protects the skin from free radicals and thus slows down the signs of aging. If you are unsure what free radicals do: slice an apple in half, leave one half open to the elements and cover one half in lemon juice. Check back on them half an hour later (in theory) and you will see that the one covered in lemon juice retains its firmness and colour. The exposed apple will be brown and shrinking. That is what free radicals do to your skin.

I first worked with Caudalie about 14 years ago and have used two of their products on a regular basis ever since. The Beauty Elixir has become a staple on my shelf and I am lost without it.

I use it at the toner stage of my routines in the mornings - mainly when my acne rosacea is having a flare-up and nearly always in Summer. It balances containing rosemary, mint and melissa with glycerin and orange blossom and although designed to 'smooth features, tighten pores, and give the complexion a burst of radiance' I find that it literally dries up my spots. I can feel it working - in a good way - and my spots are worse when I run out. N.B. Just make sure you CLOSE YOUR EYES when you spray it. Don't ask.

My other staple is the Nourishing Body Lotion.

Although the Vine Body Butter is newer to the range and richer in texture, this body lotion never fails to disappoint. It smells gorgeous, is not sticky going on, leaves no residue and your skin feels just as hydrated at the end of the day. Love.

In 2006 Caudalie stepped up their game and made the commitment to be free of all of the following: parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, mineral oils, artificial colouring and animal ingredients. Not bad going.

And then last year, they made their move in to the prestige market with the release of Premier Cru, which for the first time contained 3 of their patented ingredients: titrated Resveratrol, Viniferine from grapevines and grape-seed Polyphenols.  Premier Cru was an instant sell-out and won Marie Claire's Prix de Excellence 2010 leading almost inevitably, to the release of Premier Cru The Eye Cream.

Caudalie say:
This unique combination of the three Caudalie exclusive patents and of the best anti-ageing research make this elixir of youth perform wonders on all signs of ageing: wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness, lack of radiance and firmness, leaving the eyes with a renewed youthfulness. 

Whilst I haven't been using it long enough to form an absolute opinion, amongst other things - what I am impressed with is that it gives the 'radiance' without (from what I can see) using Bismuth Oxychloride. This ingredient is the reason a lot of people can't use certain eyeshadows/creams or even in some cases, mineral makeup. It is widely used in the industry as a light reflecting particle and a lot of people are allergic to it without knowing - they may experience itchiness or redness and put it down to the product as a whole - not realising it's that ingredient.
First impressions are that it definitely reduces puffiness, increases firmness and plumps up wrinkles - the dark circles it is still contending with but will update a little further down the line when it has had more time to work its (highly anticipated) magic.

Caudalie is available at SpaceNK, John Lewis and Online at the usual suspects.

CEW Finds and Favourites - Jergens Cocoa Butter Body Moisturiser

I have waxed lyrical about my love for Jergens before so was pleased to see them entered into the awards this year.

Well my old favourite Age Defying with Green Tea has, I'm afraid, been replaced with this little gem:

Jergens Cocoa Butter is wonderfully moisturing without being sticky or tacky, keeps the skin hydrated all day, is 96% naturally derived - and smells DIVINE. One of my (many) favourite things is the smell of coconut/cocoa butter. I was raised in Mississippi with holidays in the Deep South and the smell takes me straight back to those days - and frankly in this weather gives me a reminder of sunny times ahead!
The Jergens scent is subtle and very pleasant. It is not at all overpowering like some coconut products can be and sits very softly on the skin.

If you haven't tried Jergens before or indeed if you are simply a fan of the smell of coconut - give it a go. Lush.

Jergens is available in all major chemists and some supermarkets and is an astonishingly bargainous £4.99.