Korres Body Care

A while ago I did a post on the Christmas Korres kits I got, and reviwed the rose range products. Today I am going to tell you about the body care products.

Fisrtly, we have the tinted lip balm. This is a really nice colour and has quite a good pigment considering it is only a balm. I love red on my lips so I was fortunate that this was the colour in the set.

I love the Korres packaging as every aspect has been thought about, even continuing the writing on the tube of the balm.

Next we have the hand cream. This contains Almond Oil and Shea butter, two of my favourite ingredients. This hand cream is a match hade in heaven with the Jessica Phenomenon nail Oil as that is an almond oil. It is lovely and thick but also absorbs into the hands quickly so you don't have to worry aout stickiness. It smells lovely and it one of the best hand creams I have used.

Finally we have the Guava body butter. Korres offer two body lotions, the body milk and the body butter. The body milks are slightly thinner so easier to spread, and the body butters are thicker so provide better hydration. I am ABSOLUETLY obsessed with this smell! Guava is just the tastiest smell ever. Along with Bergamot Pear, Guava is one of my favourites, although when it comes to Korres, every single smell is delightful and still remains my favourite body care range.

The set also contained one of the miniature rose face moisturiser which have been heavenly for my travels as they're mini sized and lovely, and contain SPF 6 which is good as an everyday moisturiser for the warmer weather I've been experiencing.

If you haven't tried Korres products I 100% recommend you do as they are cheaply process, all natural and just bloody lovely!!

Korres Skincare

Hi everybody! Today I will be doing a post on Korres, a Greek brand that is doing everything right! Back at Christmas I bought these two gift sets as they were an absolute bargain and I thought the travel sizes would be perfect for my travelling toiletry bag. 

I'll do a separate review on the lovely body care set, but today I am going to focus on the Rose collection.

If you've read my blog before then you will know that I'm a big fan of natural skincare. Korres is a natural brand that keeps out all chemicals and nasty ingredients that damage the skin. Rose is probably one of the best natural ingredients for your skin, as it helps hydrate, reduce redness, and just generally look after your skin.

Another bonus of Rose is the lovely smell you get in all your products. The Japanese Rose body care smells of roses, but on a whole new sophisticated level. The shower gel and body lotion have lasted me an absolute age, and have been on my round the world trip with me up until recently. They have been the perfect duo to transport me back into the world of luxury when I've needed my creature comforts whilst travelling.

The other two items I got in the set have been equally as luxurious but also handy. The rose moisturiser has been the perfect lightweight moisturiser to wear everyday, and the added SPF 6 gives me slight protection whilst adding a summery faint sun cream smell to my moisturiser. 

As well as this, the brightening mask has been another luxury to add into my routine making me one of the most pampered travellers people have come across. This brightening mask just helps brighten the complexion when I've been tired from over travelling, or had some late nights.

As I said, these products have lasted me about 3 months which is fantastic for these sizes. The Korres range is one I really want to try more as their skin care looks beautiful. Keep your eyes peeled for the post on the body care set!

September Birchbox

The theme for the September Birchbox was 'Happy Days', which I thought was a nice way to get nostalgic on the now faded summer. The box aims to make you collect photos and use your boxes as a innovative photo frame.

The Birchbox added extra was a little crocodile clip photo holder, and I put in a picture of myself and my boyfriend at Benicassim festival in 2012. It was the first festival I had ever been too and I honestly thought life couldn't get any better than that! It doesn't get much better than being at the beach all day in the sun, and then watching some live music with your friends and cheap sangria in the evenings. I have some of my favourite memories from that trip there so felt it appropriate to go in my 'Happy Days' photo holder!

The other random product I got was this 'Urban Fruit' packet of dried mango. I usually love the food I get in Birchbox and I liked the idea of this but I won't lie, they were pretty rank. The taste wasn't so bad but the texture of the fruit pieces reminded me of dead human flesh. Sorry to be graphic, but it was just a bit chewy but still slightly fleshy and once I got the flesh image in my head that was it, the pack went in the bin.

On a lighter note, lets talk about the cosmetics!

Korres Citrus Shower Gel

Funnily enough you may have seen I did a post on a Korres shower gel I got from my holiday, and I raved about how I wanted to try more of the products. Well lo and behold I got this in my box just a few days after my post so it was like fate. I also got the matching citrus body lotion in a box a few months ago, so now I have the perfect body routine which I am absolutely loving. I'm one of these people who has to have the matching pair like the same shampoo and matching conditioner, so having the same shower gel and body lotion in this citrusy scent has made me very happy, as its a really fresh smell and not to zesty.

Agave Hair Oil

I absolutely love a hair oil and this one is no exception! The smell is so lovely and is kind of coconutty. It would be perfect to take on holiday when your hair is slightly frazzled from the sun, but I really love the intensity of this oil, I didn't need to much.

Model Co Lip Gloss

I am usually not a fan of lipglosses as I find them a bit sticky and overly shiny, but I really like this one from Model Co. The colour is really subtle and gives the lips a really pretty natural finish, and the taste is divine! I could eat this stuff it's so fruity! 

Makeup Sponge

I have wanted to try this sponge for ages and Birchbox gave them out a while ago but I didn't receive one and was so gutted! When I opened my box and saw this I was over the moon. These sponges are to be wetted first, and then you apply your makeup with the handy little egg. I must admit going to the bathroom to wet it is a bit annoying in the morning, but I have tried without wetting it and it just doesn't have the same effect. With the sponge damp, it doesn't absorb all the product and it gives a refeshing feel to the skin when applying. It also makes my face feel, and look flawless (I've been told by friends). I have no idea why but by wetting it it goes on so evenly and it makes the rest of my makeup go on seamlessly as well. I really like this sponge its a little wonder addition to my makeup bag.

Greek Cosmetics

Whilst travelling around, some people like to explore the culture, learn the language and get emersed with the country they are in. I like to do all these things, but as a beauty enthusiast, I also like to dabble with the cosmetics that are used in that place. If you think about it, there are so many different wives tales, ingrediants and methods that are used all over the world, and I just think there is something really interesting about seeing where we differ.

For example, I saw a lot of Olive Oil being used in Greek cosmetics, which isn't something you see much over here in the UK.

Whilst walking along down the main street in Iposos, Corfu, my eyes lit up as I saw the words 'Natural and Organic Cosmetics' and I absolutely knew I would have to go in at some point during my trip, especially as I do love my natural products. On my last day, I eventually went in and spent a long time absorbing all the new and exciting brands I'd never heard of before. I took ages deliberating over what products to go for. Should I splurge and go for a new serum? Or should I get a gift set so I have lots of stuff to try? I was tempted with a facial soap but I still have a bit of an irk about using soap on my face. In the end, I decided that I really needed a new foaming cleanser, and that I couldn't go wrong with a face mask. I didn't purchase my Korres shower gel until later so I'll talk more about that in a bit.

The foaming cleanser and face mask were from a range called Aromaesti. I was instantly drawn to it because of its beautiful packaging, as it looked sophisticated and luxurious. It was only a small range with lots of face creams, serums and moisturisers, but they all sounded absolutely delectable!

Aromaesti Cleansing Foam

This face wash is really nice to use in the morning or as a second cleanser. It doesn't remove makeup but it has a really refreshing feel and smell. The scent is almost bitter and a bit sweet at once, but it is a really clean smell. This leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft, and is a really nice addition to my cleansing routine.

Aromaesti face mask

Getting it out of the tube was real hard work! The second ingredient I noticed on the back in the mask was talc, which is an unusual ingredient for a natural product, and also probably contributed to the thickness.  The consistency was like a thick white clay which surprised me as it said it would be a moisturising 'film' so I expected something like my clear aromatherapy Associates hydrating mask. Once I squeezed enough into the palm of my hand, it spread onto my face like a lightweight moose which was strange. The smell was really sweet which I believe is the Argan oil. 

Once on, the 'clay' semi hardened on my face it washed of leaving my skin feeling soft, however I think the talc ingredient dried my skin out a little, as I did need a moisturiser after using it. As it is a hydrating mask this isn't an ideal result. For all the effort it took to get it out of the tube, I probably wouldn't use this product much again, but it was nice to try!

Korres Mango Shower Gel

There's not a lot you can say about a shower gel but this one smells SO amazing! Korres is a more international brand so I didn't buy as much from Korres as it is easily accesible I bought this in the duty free on the way home, for the bargain price of  4 euros. There was a large selection of products, but I kind of regret not getting more skincare. We are actually getting Korres in where I work but I have recently been informed it is only the bathing bits so I missed out slightly there! I am certainly going to look into getting my hands on some though as the brand is exactly the sort of thing I like! It is a natural brand, and from a sales persons point of view, having the list of what the product does, and doesn't contain is really useful. It is also a really good price point for a natural brand too. In England this shower gel retails at £8.00 and the matching body creams are £10.00.

The smell of this is so lovely and for a natural shower gel, the smell actually stays on your skin for a while. Next I want to try the matching body creams, particularly in the scent Bergamot Pear or Santorini, They're very holiday smells and I love them. 

Excuse the facebook screen shot, but this is one of the products that popped up on my news feed that I am desperate to try. A pomegranate toner sounds so hydrating and tasty!

Overall, two out of three products got my thumbs up. Would you try any of these products? And have you ever tried any products from abroad, I would love to know!

March Birchbox

As we reach the start of May it is about time I should review my March Birchbox I received.

Korres Body Lotion

Korres is a brand that I regularly hear asked after in the beauty department in which I work. Unfortunately we do not stock this range, but I was over joyed to see a large product of theirs in my Birchbox. The product is a citrus body milk, and I really really like it! The milk itself is really light and easily absorbed, and my skin feels moisturised all day long, even when I'm having my evening shower, I can still feel that my skin is moisturised. The smell is really nice and not overpoweringly citrus-y, and has a bit of a woody undertone which is subtly sophisticated. A little bit really goes a long way and I am still using this product after a couple of months!

Dr. Brandt Pore Refiner

This product is very similar to the Benefit 'Pore-fessional' I received in my last box. It is a coloured primer that covers the appearance of pores. I don't really suffer from large pores, but it is a really good makeup base that lasts all day. It can be applied over makeup but I prefer to just use it underneath.

Benefit 'Stay don't stray' eye shadow base

Speaking of Benefit, this concealer and eye shadow primer was a really good product. It has a light colour to it, and is applied underneath and on top of the eye. It makes your eye shadow and concealer really stick, and it lasted all day for me! I even had a bit of trouble getting my makeup off in the evening, so this is a really good product for keeping makeup on. 

Molten Brown Rhubarb & Rose Hand Cream

The rhubarb and rose hand cream is the latest scent to come from Molten Brown. We have a Molten Brown counter at the department store I work in and they let everyone have a try of it when it first came in so I already new about this product. The smell is so yummy and smells like rhubarb and custard sweets.

Christopher Wicks No7 perfume

This fragrance is slightly spicy and zesty but has floral undertones. Its very feminine and summery but not too strong.

Finally the theme of the box was LuLu Guinness, so this stick of rock was the influence on the box, a little strange as it hasn't got much to do with the brand, but the little Birchbox booklet had a lot of interviews with her. I don't like rock so this was a bit wasted on me!