I Love Fall tag!

I was tagged by Tania over at Bow Tied Beauty to do this I Love Fall Tag and while it is Autumn to me (no offence Americans) I will still keep the title!

1.) Favourite Fall lip product?

I'm currently using a mix of Herbfarmacy Lip Conditioner in Marshmallow & Vanilla during the day and bodhi Cacao Cocoon Lip Treatment at night

2.) Favorite Fall Nail Polish?

I love neutral colours so usually wear skin tone polish but especially browns at this time of year

3.) Favorite Starbucks Fall Drink?

Soy Toffee Nut Latte. I love those crunchy sprinkles on top!

4.) Favorite Fall Candle?

Anything with cinnamon and/or ginger. I haven't got a go-to Autumnal candle yet though.

5.) Favorite Fall Scarf or Accessory?

I'm a huge scarf fan - I did a sort out last weekend and have about 30 different ones! My current favourite is a massive navy one from Zara. 

6.) Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?

Eeeek, too frightened! I don't know which is less scary - a hay ride?

7.)  Favorite Halloween movie?

Scream! Or Rocky Horror Picture Show. Neither of them are scary but both great for this time of year

8.) Favorite candy to eat on Halloween?

Popcorn but then I like to eat that all year!

9.) What are you dressing up as for Halloween?!

I'm off to see a recorded live version of the play Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch as Frankenstein for Halloween so I won't be dressing up this year

10.) What is your Favorite thing about Fall?

Bright, sunny days that warrant wearing sun glasses but cold enough to need a coat and a big scarf - perfect for stomping around woods!

I'm going to tag Annie at Hello Purple Clouds .

Of course the tag is open to anyone else, so let me know if you do this and what your answers would be :) 

Beauty Routine Tag!

Earlier in the week I was tagged by the lovely Annie from Hello Purple Clouds to take part in this beauty routine tag.

Rules of the Tag:

- state that this tag was created by www.thebeaubow.blogspot.com

- tag other bloggers 

1. Name a beauty routine that you rarely do

Exfoliate! I use a muslin cloth ever morning and evening and apply a face mask once a week but I rarely get the actual exfoliator out. 

2. Is washing your make-up brushes something you do regularly?

I pretty much live on eyeliner and mascara. I occasionally use eye-shadows, rarely use a concealer and never use foundation. I guess I can go a few weeks between washing my brushes but that could just be because I haven't worn anything during that time.

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

Ohhh, probably a day or two after I first notice a chip. Mostly because I'll probably be at work when I first spot it then by the time I get home I will have forgotten! I tend to wear neutral colours so a chip doesn't tend to stand out.

4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a product even if you really need it?

I wouldn't put off buying something that I need to replace, especially if it is one of my staple products. However, if I read a review on something and like the sound of it - it goes on my wishlist and could be there for months before I get around to buying it!

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

The lady who threads my eyebrows tells me that it is using tweezers to remove brow hairs in-between threading sessions. She says it causes ingrowing hairs but I still do it! Also, I'm a reformed spot picker. 

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off all the time

Clothes shopping - especially jeans/trousers. Ergh. I will wait until my jeans are falling to bits before I go out to buy more. Even then I will only go to town on a Sunday so it isn't so busy!

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute or not?

I usually allow myself two hours to get ready for going out. Shower, hair, clothes, make up and then 10 mins to calm down before I leave the house! If I don't have that time to get ready then I won't want to go as I feel rushed and unprepared which causes my skin to react and redden. 

8.  Can you commit to spending bans?

Like Annie, I really try to commit but I usually fail. There is always some good bargain to be had, some new item being raved about, that I struggle to keep myself in check. Also like Annie, I make a list at the weekend of everything that I had spent this month on beauty products and it totalled a figure I am too ashamed to confess!

9.  How organized are your make-up/nail polish collections?

I did a clear out of nail polishes earlier this year and gave them all to my sister so they are much tidier now! I keep them in a basket and I only have about 4.
As for my make up, I don't have that much so it is all in a tupperware container. I probably should invest in something more elegant!

10.  What is the longest you've gone without writing a blog post?

Also like Annie, I have only been blogging for a couple of months. I tried to post twice a week, usually a week day then on a weekend but sometimes I have only managed to do one post. I think it was about 5 days. 

I'm going to tag Tania from Bow Tied Beauty and Olivia from Beauty from the Fjord 

Samples: Peppy Galore

Peppy Galore have been on my radar for a while since reading a post from Ana Goes Green on their DIVA range (see here) so when they recently posted on Twitter how to get a few sneaky free samples, I headed over to their website and signed up.

You have to fill our a form to subscribe to their mailing list, then you get to pick three samples to try out. One moisturiser, one body mousse and one 'Nurse Peppy' - either a hand cream or a healing balm.

I picked the DIVA Face Moisturiser - a moisturiser aimed at sensitive skin which brings together Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and Sunflower Oil with Vitamin E, Calendula Extract, Vanilla Extract. This is such a light cream but it gives great coverage and gives enough moisture to last the day.

For my body mousse option I had to go with their Herbs de Provence. Rosemary, lavender and peppermint on a mango and avocado oil base? YES PLEASE! This mousse it so airy and light and like the facial moisutiser, a little goes a long way. Heavens above, I am in love with this mousse. I don't suffer from dry skin so I often find body moisturisers to be too rich and only need a light lotion. Who'd have thought a mousse would do the trick! I used up this sample over the weekend but already wish I had more so I will be buying a full sized pot in the near future.

Lastly, I went for a hand cream over the healing balm. Again, another winner for me. Aloe Vera, Roship Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Calendula Oil, May Chang Oil, Grapefruit Oil work so well together to provide a deeply nourishing hand cream. I need this in my life!

You can sign up to Peppy Galore's mailing list here and I really do suggest that you do so!

Peppy Galore. I love you.

Review: bodhi Mint Thè Temple Balm

The bodhi Mint Thè Temple Balm has been on my wish list for months. 

I have read so many reviews that it has kind of become an obsession - something that I MUST HAVE. 

I thought that I could wait for Christmas for this but last week I was suffering with the start of a headache, had twitchy fingers and within a few moments I found myself on the bodhi website with the balm in my shopping cart! I was very restrained and only put the Temple Balm in the cart and checked out. 

I tweeted about my new purchase and had little chat with @BodhiUK about which products I had used and I mentioned that I had restrained myself from picking up the Cacao Cocoon Lip Treatment. What I love about Twitter is this contact with companies - that they are able to take an interest in what their customers are buying; it takes that customer service to another level. 

When my parcel from bodhi arrived, I opened it up to find this inside...

Elijah Choo, the founder of bodhi, had included a Cacao Cocoon Lip Treatment Balm with my order! I can't even express how surprised and delighted I was (still am!) for this to have been included. Adding the Lip Treatment to my order was so incredibly kind, I feel really touched at this generosity. 

I will follow this post with another for the Lip Treatment.

I'm sure that, like me, you have read loads of reviews on Mint Thè Temple Balm. I love the Bath & Shower Therapy and the Temple Balm contains a lot of the same essential oils - Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Marjoram,  Spearmint, Lavender. The Temple Balm has added Shea Nut Butter, Babassu Nut Oil, Cajeput and White Camphor.

You only need to use a very small amount and the balm melts instantly on contact with the skin, so no need for any rubbing and is effective instantly. It really is multi purpose and I have used it over the last few days to deter headaches, to massage into sore shoulders, I've even dabbed a very tiny amount under my nose to de-congest (you can probably figure out, I've got a cold coming!). The website also suggests using it to alleviate insect bites due to its antiseptic properties, soothe travel sickness and to rub into tired feet and legs as a pick me up.

I can't believe how long I held out buying this, it has been by my side for just 72 hours and I still keep finding uses for it. It smells divine - a minty, eucaluptusy, refreshing balm from above and the cooling feeling once applied to the skin is just something I've not experienced before. It is both long lasting on the skin and because you only need to use a small amount, it will last a long time too! 

This gets a massive thumbs up from me! I think it is great value considering the many uses for the balm, at £15 for 15g and can be bought from bodhi's website here.

Review: Weleda Citrus Deodorant

Deodorants. 

I've been looking for The One for years. 

Dove's Roll On used to be my perfect partner; we spent years happily together before the inevitable breakdown. It just wasn't going to last, I was being slowly poisoned by Dove's close friends - aluminium salts and parabens. 

It had to end.

Time to move on and with any breakup there are often rebounds. Dr Organics Tea Tree Roll On provided a good run and was almost up to the job but still wasn't the perfect fit for me. After reading a few good reviews on Weleda, I decided to buy the Citrus Deodorant and see where things would lead...



 

You can buy it for £8.50 from the Weleda website here.

 

I went for the citrus option over the rose and sage fragrance as I have some strange subconscious feeling that citrus = fresh. 

This deodorant uses essential oils and natural ingredients to neutralise odour causing bacteria. It is light and fresh - easy to use with a pump action spray and dries quickly.

The ingredients list is: Alcohol, Water (Aqua), Fragrance (Parfum)*, Lemon (Citrus Limonium) Oil, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Farnesol*. *from natural essential oils .

The number one ingredient is Alcohol and by God can you tell. 

I have been using this product for about 4 weeks now and while I think it ticks most of my boxes for a deodorant (it lasts well, it dries quickly, free from aluminium salts and nasties, has a nice fragrance) all of this is put to one side due to the overwhelming smell of alcohol when first applied. 

I actually have to turn my head to the side and hold my breath otherwise I find myself gagging. I also have to apply it in my spare room, otherwise the alcohol smell just hangs around while I am getting ready and catches at the back of my throat!

Other people have raved about this, the reviews on the Weleda website and Amazon both say how much people love it. Maybe I am just really sensitive to the scent of the alcohol? I don't know but I do know that when I have finished this, I will not be repurchasing.

The hunt for The One Deodorant continues...

REN: A treat within a treat

I've had such a rubbish few weeks at work finishing off a project that I don't feel like I have had much time to relax and take care of myself.

Today I finally finished my horrendous project and so to celebrate I hot-footed it over to my local Marks & Spencers and headed straight to the beauty department to treat myself.

REN had an offer on in-store sometime during September but I didn't take advantage of it at the time. Luckily for me, although the promotion had expired the store still had a few of the 'free gifts' left over.

In order to qualify for the cosmetic purse full of minis, I had to buy two full sized products. Easy!

I bought the Rosa Centifolia 3-in-1 Cleansing Water with rose otto oil to calm and soothe, tannins to tone and tighten and polyphenols to decongest the skin, soothe and protect.

I also got their delicious Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash with, you guessed it, rose otto, palmarosa and geranium oils. Perfectly scented for an exotic treat.

The contents of the cream washbag are:

Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash 50ml

Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion 50ml

Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel 25ml

Vita-Mineral Day Cream 15ml

Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream 15ml

Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask 15ml

Some new REN products for me to try and some old favourites. Really happy with my haul, I can't wait to play with everything.

Did you take advantage of this offer too?

Autumn Beauty Swap - with Sandra from Beauty Balm

A few months ago, I saw on Twitter that Kat from Tales of a Pale Face was organising a Beauty Swap.  I headed over and put my name down straight away! Although I am new to writing my own blog I'm certainly not new to reading them and reading swap posts is something that I have always really enjoyed. Its great to see what two relative strangers have bought for each other and what they both thought of the products they received.

So, a couple of weeks ago I was sent an email from Kat pairing me up with Sandra from Beauty Balm. I honestly couldn't believe my luck! I have followed Sandra for AGES and have always really valued her reviews and opinions. I felt like a groupie and even did a (well, more than a few) little squeals when I found out we would be paired up. We agreed on a price limit and posting date and off to the shops we went!

I picked up my parcel from the Post Office today and LOOK AT THIS WONDERFUL ARRAY OF GOODIES! I'm not great at taking photos and the natural light was just fading but you can see just how beautifully everything was presented.

Sorry again about the photo quality, I had to use my phone as my camera is playing up and wouldn't do what I was telling it to do! As soon as it is working again, I will edit the photos with new ones.

I started opening things very calmly and very patiently - this lasted for about three things before I descended on the rest of them in a mad frenzy!

And this is what was inside:

Sandra gifted me some incredibly scented tea lights from St Eval Candle Company in Apple & Elderflower. I am in love with these already. They hold such a crisp, fresh fragrance and even my husband likes them.  I will be putting some more of these on my Christmas wishlist.

Something that has been on my wishlist for months is bodhi's Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil-with Tunisian Neroli, Frankincense and Sea Buckthorn oils. Over the moon to have this at last!

A Bathing Beauty POP Fabulous Effervescent Foot Reviving Tablet - with Peppermint, Tea Tree, Witch Hazel and Peach Kernel oil to cleanse and nourish feet. I love anything effervescent; that magical fizzy noise it makes and the look of bubbles forming rapidly in water! 

Also from Bathing Beauty Sandra included a Super Lux Rose and Shea Butter Soap made with Fair Trade Shea Butter and crowned with 10 pink rose buds. This looks so pretty that I almost don't want to use it! I will though and I'll enjoy every moment.

From A'kin there was a Lavender & Anthyllis Leave in Conditioner.  My hair is going to love this, I can tell! A leave in conditioner for dry and frizzy hair, it can be used on either wet or dry hair to defrizz and protect. I've said before that I find natural hair care products that suit my hair difficult to find so I'm keen to get this on and try it out.

Sandra added a mascara from Avril - A girl can never have enough mascaras and I'm about to come to the end of one so very good timing!

Also a Wellgreen Lewes Lip Balm in Orange - this will be perfect for those cold Winter months that are just around the corner.

Something else to help balance the skin during the Winter is a Collagen Mask Pack by Naisture. Again, I've read lots of great reviews on this mask so pleased to have the chance to try it out myself.

Sandra added some samples along with everything (how lucky am I?!) - bodhi's Mint Thé shower gels, Dr Bronner's Magic Soap in Lavender (my favourite), Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence, Suti Fabulous Foot Balm, Vapour Multi Use Blush in Courtesan.

I'll be using the super cute Caroline Gardner mini notebook to do mini reviews and quite happily drink the gorgeous Brewhaha Rose Tea while I'm at it!

 I am incredibly happy with everything picked for this swap, thank you so much Sandra!

You can read what I picked for Sandra and what she thought of everything here.

Review: Freyaluna Try Me Selection Box

The Freyaluna TRY ME Selection Box has been on my wish list for some time but for one reason or another, I never seemed to get around to ordering it.

That was until last week when I read on Twitter that they would be giving away a free soap with every order! How could I refuse?

The creator of Freyaluna, Sami Blackford, is a certified Herbalist and Aromatherapist based in North Wales. She created her skincare line after years of battling with acne with the approach that Mother Nature can help you to achieve beautiful skin. All of her products are natural and handmade, free of preservatives and harsh chemicals.

From reading her bio, you can tell straight away that she is truly passionate about skincare and takes a real holistic approach to clear skin - not only for herself but for those who buy her products. I love the philosophy behind the brand and I've got to say, the packaging is just wonderful!

So, onto my TRY ME Selection Box.

The idea behind this box is that you try before you buy - selecting up to 5 of Freyaluna's products to sample before buying full sized items. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I wish more companies would offer this kind of service! After picking your five samples, Sami then gets in contact with you to talk about your skincare issues and then picks a further 3 samples for you to try out.

You can buy the TRY ME Selection Box here for £13.

The 5 samples I picked were:

Marigold & Bergamot Soap - Bergamot is one of my favourite fragrances. Combined with the Marigold, this helps give the soap an antiseptic and healing quality to the skin

Shine Control Tonic - my skin can get oily in the afternoons so I picked this out as I hope it might help to balance out my oily skin. With cedarwood and lemongrass, I'm sure this will work

Patchouli & Orange Hand Cream - you can never have too many hand creams and I like the idea of this mix of essential oils

Rose Lotion - thick creams often sit too heavily on my skin so a lotion is much better for me. This Rose Lotion is light enough to absorb quickly and leaves my skin soft and smooth

Chamomile & Lavender Lotion - I always apply a cream or lotion to my skin before I go to bed. I think this one, with the blend of chamomile and lavender will help not only my skin but to help me drift off to a good nights sleep!

The 3 samples that Sami picked for me were:

Soothe the Sensitive Facial Tonic which contains rose water, aloe vera gel and gentle essential oils to sooth sensitive skin

Soothe the Sensitive Cleaning Cream which uses chamomile and rose to provide gentle care for the skin

Regain Your Balance Facial Moisturiser which contains grapeseed oil, rosewater and jojoba oil which helps the skin to balance its oil levels naturally

My free, full sized soap was Orange & Sandlewood which is helps to soothe anxiety and reduce stress.

So there we have it, a wonderful sample box full of natural goodies. I have already used up the Rose Lotion and I can't wait to get my hands into the rest of this beautifully presented box.

Sami can be found on Twitter @samiblackford

Have you tried anything from Freyaluna?

Review: Lavera Shampoo & Trilogy Conditioner

I've probably mentioned before but I have a really difficult time finding an SLS free shampoo that I can use. I have thick, thick, thick hair which is also long and frizzy! 

After reading a few reviews, I decided to pick up the Lavera Basis Mild Shampoo (£6.45 - LoveLula.com) and I've been using it for about 5 weeks now. 

The shampoo feels very odd to me - I don't know how to describe it; it's very gloopy and kind of sqwadges out of the bottle into the hand. I found, like with the Neal's Yard Remedies shampoo in my empties post here, that I had to use a small amount on the roots of my hair and rinse first before shampooing properly. I think the hair must have to be very, very wet for the shampoo to be able to effectively spread around the hair without leaving unwashed bits. I quite liked using this shampoo, once I worked out how best to use it on my hair. I could really smell (and enjoyed) the organic wheat and rose essence and I suppose it did make my hair feel soft. 

I usually wash my hair every three days - day 1) wear it down, day 2) half-up and day 3) tied up with a bit of dry shampoo on the roots. 

However since using the Lavera Shampoo, I have to dry shampoo on DAY 2!! I don't know what it is, maybe the shampoo makes my hair heavier or something but this was just not good enough for me. It takes time and effort to wash and style my hair that I want to get as much use out of it before I have to go through the process again - I don't want to do this more often than I have to. I was really disappointed with this shampoo after reading so many good things about it.  I certainly wont be buying it again.

As for a conditioner, I haven't had such a problem with this as I have the shampoo. I guess because essentially it goes on the ends in a creamy layer rather than all over. I bought the Trilogy Clean + Balance Conditioner on sale at Lucyrose.biz for £5.50. Bargain, thought I - a conditioner for oily and combination hair that removes product build up! Again, I just wasn't impressed. It has a very runny formula, much more like a shampoo, that I didn't feel that it provided any real benefit to conditioning the roots. Another one that I wont repurchase.

What shampoo and conditioners do you use and recommend? 

Review: bubb & DIMPLES Body Balm, Face Balm and Body Oil Candles!

Last on my list of lovely bubb & DIMPLES products to review are the Nourishing Face & Body Balm, Face & Lips Balm in Vanilla Pod & Rose*, Lavender* and Chillax*, Nourishing Body Oil Candle in English Garden and Afternoon Tea.

Nourishing Face & Body Balm - When I initially received this, the product had actually gone bad and was unusable. Fortunately, after a quick email to the bubb & DIMPLES team they sent me a replacement the same day and I received it the day after! Great service. This came with a muslin cloth which was a lovely bonus. As for the balm itself, I have been using it nightly for a few weeks now. As with most balms, this is a true multi-tasker. Remove eye make-up, cleanse, moisturise, lip balm, hair treatment and spot treatment. It has a lovely scent with a mix of Rose Geranium, Lavender, Neroli and Grapefruit. The balm is a good consistency - not too hard or too runny and is easy to use. 

Face & Lips Balm in Vanilla Pod & Rose*, Lavender* and Chillax* - These were sent along with my order as samples. Great sized pots for keeping in the handbag, desk draws or car. I've used them as lip balms mostly but also as a hand balm and to tame a bit of hair frizzage that occurred during this rubbish muggy weather. The Lavender Balm was my favourite as it had hints of bergamot and I love those earthy smells!

Nourishing Body Oil Candle in English Garden and Afternoon Tea - What a brilliant idea - a candle that you can also use as a moisturiser! I was so excited to get these after reading a few reviews on them. I love candles but since "going green" have struggled to find eco-friendly ones. That was until I turned to Twitter! Anyway, this Body Oil Candle was like a dream. 

Ideally you light the candle for 15-20 mins and leave to cool for a few moments before dipping your fingers in the soy wax and apply to the skin - particularly dry areas. It felt a bit odd the first time I used it, pouring hot wax all over myself (!) but the odd feeling soon went and now I look forward to this part of my pamper evening. I found the English Garden to have a slightly citronella-ry fragrance which I wasn't really keen on but that my Husband did like. 

What balms and candles do you enjoy using?

*PR Sample

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September Empties

I love reading other bloggers 'empties' posts. It just gives that quick overview of what they have used and would buy again; great to compile a wishlist to. Hopefully your'll enjoy my mine!
I will forewarn you, it is very Neal's Yard Remedies heavy as they have been my go-to brand for the last couple of years. I am branching out though, so stick with me!

Neal's Yard Remedies - Beauty Sleep Concentrate 30ml - The best, really and truly, product that I use. See my full review here

Neal's Yard Remedies - White Tea Face Mist 45ml - A total skin saver during the hot summer months! Mist onto the face for an instant pick-me-up. I used this bottle every day and even kept it in the fridge to use on those hot hot hot days. Will buy again next summer.

Neal's Yard Remedies - Orange Flower Facial Oil 30ml - Well now, I hear such good things about facial oils that I through I would give one a go. Lovely scent but I'm not sure if it worked for me!

Neal's Yard Remedies - Organic Shea Nut and Rosehip Lip Formula 4.5g - This lip balm is my absolute favourite, so much so that I haven't used any other for the last 18 months! When this finished, I stopped myself from buying another so that I could venture out and give Herbfarmacy a go. 

Neal's Yard Remedies - Lemon and Coriander Deodorant 100ml - I'm still on the search for a deodorant that lives up to Dove's roll on. This spray had a really lovely scent but didn't cut it for me. I wont be buying again.

Neal's Yard Remedies - Revitalising Orange Flower Shampoo 200ml - Since going green, have found shampoo really difficult to find. I have really thick, long hair and washing it is a real chore. With this shampoo I found I had to lather, rinse, repeat about 3 times in order to get through the dense mass of hair. It did leave my hair feeling light and really clean but it was a lot of hard work to use. Wont buy again.

Neal's Yard Remedies - English Lavender Bath and Shower Gel 200ml - I really love lavender scented ANYTHING and this shower gel is just delicious. Will buy again.

Dr Organic - Aloe Vera Deodorant 50ml - I usually go for the Tea Tree Oil deodorant but Holland & Barrett didn't have it in stock. I didn't think this one worked as well so will not buy again.

Bodhi - Mint The Shower Gel sample - I picked this up as a sample with a LoveLula order. I managed to get three uses out of this. I love the scent but not sure I would shell out £23 for the full sized product. 

Weleda - Citrus Body Wash sample - Again, I loved this sample! The citrus scent got me going in the morning and the creamy wash left my skin feeling fresh.

Essential Care - Rose Moisturiser sample - Again, this came with a LoveLula order. A very delicately fragranced facial moisturiser, light and easy to use. 

Natural Empathy - Hand and Body Lotion sample - I really loved using this sample sized lotion. It smelt great, it was light enough to use all over and left my skin feeling so soft. Full size is on my wishlist!

Caudalie - Purifying Mask sample - This was a 1 application sample so I can't say how well it worked long term. Still, it was easy to use.

Elemental Herbology - Facial Detox Purifying Mask sample - I think I got 4 applications from this sample. Was lovely to use and left my skin feeling soft and looking radiant.

Neom - Happiness Travel Candle 75g - This was my first Neom candle and I thought it was just brilliant! I can smell the candle even when it isn't lit - a fresh, floral scent. I keep it by my bed and it helps me to relax. Will buy again.

Boots - No7 Beautifull Skin Eye Make-Up Remover - I got this as part of a set at Christmas. While the size is great for travelling (its been to Riyah and Bruges in the last year!) and it worked really well, I wont be buying again as its full of nasties.

Lush - Fair Trade Foot Lotion sample - YUCK! This lotion is bright pink! When I looked at the ingredient list they use a synthetic colour (Colour 17200 to be exact). Won't be going near this again, even if it is Fair Trade.

Lush - Helping Hands 100g pot - See my review here. I won't be using this again.

Balm Balm - Mini Set of Seven Single Note Eau de Parfum - I've used them all up over the last couple of months. I got on really well with the lavender but the spearmint caused a reaction - I came up bright red and blotchy. Not convinced of their staying power but it was fun to mix and match.

REN - Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel 25ml - This lasted for ages! Such a light gel, a real pleaser to use and thoroughly cleaned the skin. Would like to buy the full size.

REN - Vita-Mineral Day Cream 15ml - Again, for a sample size this lasted a long time. Easy to use and kept my skin feeling and looking good all day.

REN- Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream 15ml - Lovely consistency and feel, frankincense is a favourite of mine so this was a winner.

What have you used up this month?