Caudalie New Vine [Activ] Range

I think it is safe to say that Caudalie is one of, if not my very favourite brands of skincare. I think there is nothing else like it out there on the market, and the simplicity and freshness of the brand makes it such a pleasure to use. 

The newest addition to the brand is their new and improved anti ageing range. The Vine [Activ] range has been repackaged and improved, as well as the actual products having a bit of an update too. The range contains vitamin C, to help add radiance and brightness to the skin. A lot of people don't know when to start using anti ageing products, and to be honest, there is no specific age. Someone once told me that when it starts to become a concern for you, that is when you should start using them. I am now 26 and would say it is starting to play on my mind, so I may start to look at more anti ageing products. Starting early won't do any damage!

I managed to get a little sample box of the new stuff to show you!

To start the routine I use this energizing and smoothing eye cream £27.50.The consistency of this cream is light so it doesn't block the pores around the eye as it is very delicate skin. This cream can also go around the lip area (not the actual lips) to help firm around the mouth. As the name suggests, it really cools the eye area, eliminating dark circles and hydrating skin to banish fine lines

 Next is the glow activating anti-wrinkle defense serum, £36 which has that beautiful fresh smell that I love so much from Caudalie. It sinks into the skin really well and hydrates and prepares the deeper layers of skin for when they are ready to surface. 

Next is the 3 in 1 moisturiser £32 which is anti-pollution, anti wrinkle, and glow activating which is achieved by the vitamin C in to brighten your complexion. It also has a slight smell or oranges which is really fresh. Again, it absorbs into the skin really quickly, and my skin feels instantly hydrated and fresh as soon as it is on.

 Finally the over night detox oil £30. My only complaint with this little size was that it was hard to get out and there wasn't enough! I really wanted to gorge on the stuff! The real product will obviously have enough in it though, but this overnight oil is a dry oil meaning it won't leave your face greasy or shiny. It absorbs into the skin really well and leaves your skin really smooth and soft. It repairs your skin from the pollution, stress and UV rays you are exposed to in the day and it detoxifies your skin ready for the next day. Infused with anti-oxidant grape-seed, regenerating rose hip, purifying neroli, soothing lavender and detoxifying carrot oils, this 100% plant-based formula promotes cellular renewal & toxin elimination.

I really love this range and think I think it is a great option for starting an anti ageing journey, as Caudalie products are really gentle, and the fact they also hydrate and add radiance is a bonus. One thing I really love about it are the words used to describe the products. Glow activation, energizing, smoothing and detoxifying all sound like such strong and protective words. It maybe a mental thing, but those words make me feel a lot more confident about the products I am using.

My skin is always the absolute best it can be when I use Caudalie products, and it is a brand I always come back too. Caudalie is a natural brand that contains no parabens or mineral oils, so overall, this range really ticks all the boxes for me!

The best part? Caudalie are offering 20% off this bank holiday weekend, so get online now and stock up!

Soaper Duper

I am so excited to finally be able to write about this brand!

If you have been keeping up with my blog then you may have seen that I have been interning at a Beauty PR company (if you want to read the post then click here). Since I've been there, this brand has been bubbling into the success that it has become, and I have been able to see the whole process!

Having been sworn to secrecy in it's infancy, it is now out there loud and proud in the beauty world, and I am so glad it has been so well received.

Soaper Duper was created by Marcia Kilgore, creator of Bliss, Soap & Glory, and Fit Flop.

Her new brand is all about natural and green ingredients which I am such a huge fan of. At the moment, the range has 3 fragrances, Zesty Lemon , Zingy Ginger and Fruity Tuberose. There is a body wash in each range, and then various little extras.

The Lemon is the largest range so far, with a body wash, body lotion, hand wash and hand cream. As the name suggests, it really does have a zingy scent but not too much to make you smell like a lemoncello, as it has a verbena note to bring it down but also nuetralise and sweeten it. I have been using the hand wash, and I find it leaves my skin soft and clean, and without that stripped feeling a lot of foamy washes can leave. The gel like formula lathers up nicely, and leaves your hands softly scented. 

The next fragrance is fruity Tuberose and I have this in the body lotion. Tuberose is a love/hate scent, and unfortunately it is just one I can't seem to enjoy. Some people smell floaty and floral, and I seem to get rubbery undertones from the fragrance.

That said, this body lotion fragrance is one of the best Tuberose I have smelt. I think the pineapple really lifts it and gives it that light edge as like the lemon, it is very soft, and really doesn't have that rubbery smell. I don't think I could cover my whole body in it as I'd find it overpowering, but it really is fruity and light. This fragrance comes in this body lotion and a matching body wash.

Finally, my favourite scent is the Zingy Ginger. This comes in a body wash and a body butter, which is a thicker consistency to the lotions. I like this kind of thick butter during the colder months as it really helps hydrate dry skin. The zingy Ginger fragrance is like Christmas at first, very sweet and almost slightly cinnamon-y, and then as it is rubbed into the skin, you get a really earthy tone, and it just smells scrumptious! The mix of almond oil, eucalyptus and shea butter really nourishes the skin, and the twist of lime and grapefruit extract adds a fresh zing.

The whole brand is green, in terms of packaging and ingredients, and things like SLS, parabens, mineral oils, microbeads and other nasty chemicals will not be found in any of these products. 

Another thing worth mentioning is the price point of this brand. Usually natural brands have to charge more due to the expense of growing all the natural ingredients needed in the products, but this is really reasonably priced for a green brand, with the most expensive product being the body butter at £11.00.

 I can't wait to see this brand grow more, and expand to be a really accessible, green brand. They also support water aid so are just completely faultless! At the moment, Soaper Duper is only available in Liberty London, or alternatively be bought online.

Ren Hydro Boost

As a huge fan of Ren products, when I saw that they needed testers for their new product that was under wraps, I knew I wanted to get a sneak peak of what they had in store. I had to email them telling them which products I used and why I loved them so much. While a one product answer would have sufficed, I think I wrote a five page essay on the tens of products I had tried, and how they had dramatically changed my skin.

Sure enough, a few days later, a package turned up and my door, and there wrapped in cute sparkly blue paper was the Ren Hydro Boost, a never before seen full sized product just for me! I thought I would get a small sample size so was delighted that I had the product as it would appear on shelves.

Although the product can be used by all skin types, I was really happy that the product targeted skin's hydration, as mine has been particularly parched recently with all the sun we've been having.

The flash hydro boost goes on after cleansing and before your usual skin care. You rub the cream onto the skin and then wet your finger tips and massage to activate the hydro boost. The first thing to mention about this product is the amazing smell. It smells clean, and purifying which is exactly the ethos of Ren.

I find the product soaks in really quickly, and makes my skin feel instantly plumper and more comfortable. I find my makeup goes on nicely afterwards due to the soft and plumpness to my skin, and the long term effects mean I have been seeing less fine lines.

I read in the Guardian the other day that Sali Hughes was a little let down by the product. She said it "throws a chalky cast over the skin (I don't even need to experiment to know that on a woman of colour it would be a disaster)" because of this chalky residue. 

I can honestly say I haven't found that at all, and that the product completely soaks in so long as enough water is added to the fingertips when massaging in, therefore anyone of any skin tone could use this product as it almost turns to water which is absorbed instantly. I can only think that she hadn't used enough water to activate the cream to water consistency needed to make the product work at its absolute best.

I have loved adding this new step into my cleansing and moisturing routine, and think that this will have to become a permanent product in day to day life. This product is £34.00 however you only need one pump of the product for it to work it's magic and after a couple of months it is still going strong!

My Current Shower Routine

Hi guys! It's been a while since I last did a product review as it's mostly been nail art since I got my mojo back, so I thought I would do a new shower routine as I am using new products I have not talked about before.

My first product isn't actually for in the shower but more of a prep. I am a person who showers in the evening, as I would rather go to bed feeling clean and have an extra few minutes in bed in the morning!

My boyfriend and I have the "should you shower in the morning or afternoon" debate quite a lot, as he loves to wake up and have a shower to wake him up. 

I have actually read somewhere that if you have drier skin like myself, then showering in the evening is better for you, and if you have more oily skin then showering in the morning is better for you as you tend to sweat more at night!

That seems to suit myself and Tom but who knows if its true or not!

Anyway! As I tend to shower in the evening I usually have makeup on so use my first product to remove all traces of make up before I cleanse.

Since some one stole my Ren Rose Balm (RIP) I don't have a face wash that removes makeup so I am currently using this 'Micellar Cleansing Water' by ' Sukin' which is an Australian natural skin care brand.

I had never heard of this brand before I came to Australia but it quite a large brand that can be found in Priceline stores which are the equivilent to Boots or Superdrug. They are a fairly new family owned brand which use completely natural ingredients! Yey! It has a large range from body and hair care, and they are really inexpensive too!

I love this cleansing water as it really cools my skin after the hot weather, and also removes all traces of my eye makeup without irritating my eyes.

This leads onto my next product which is also from Sukin, and is the first product I bought from the range.

I didn't actually realise until I looked more into the range that I bought the Derma Sukin wash which is for more problem skin, so this is probably not as simple as I need it to be, but nevertheless this hydrating face wash makes my skin feel really fresh, without that horrible dry feeling afterwards.

The consistency is like a very thin gel which I'm not usually a fan of, but in this case I don't mind it so much.

So next is onto hair care, and I have been using some more Australian natural products that are working wonders for me.

Organic Care is an amazing brand, dedicated to helping the environment as well as charities across the globe. They have lots of different cleaning products for the household as well as personal use to ensure we are using the best organic resources available.

They have lots of other hair ranges to tailor to different hair types, but I find this normal balancing shampoo and conditioner works perfectly for me.

The smell is so fresh and clean, and my hair has been the healthiest it has been ever! Again, this brand is so affordable! With the shampoo and conditioners each being about $3 in super markets!

The next product is one you may have seen on my Instagram a few weeks back. I have tried 'Original Source' shower gels before but never in this scent. The zesty lime and awakening mint are still up there as some good gels, but when I saw YouTuber and beauty enthusiast Shaaanxo feature this in a video I knew I wanted to try it.

I love the packaging and how it tells you a little fact about the ingredients that go into the shower gel and therefore coming straight from the 'Original Source' get it... see what they did there...kudos marketing team... good job.

The smell is incredible!! Like strawberry milkshake and I am obsessed with it! I honestly don't think I will use another shower gel ever again. AND Once again original source is a natural brand! and it is so cheap too! 

The next product is a fairly new idea on the showering market, as it is a body conditioner. As you would imagine, the idea is to condition you skin after washing like you would a normal hair conditioner.

I know Zoella made a video on a Lush one the other day, and expressed her opinion that anyone who says they enjoy moisturising their body is lying. And I completely agree! You just want to get on with your day and not have to wait 5 minutes to put on your clothes.

Cue the idea of an in shower body moisturiser. 

This Nivea one I have been using is made with Shea butter and has a really comforting smell. I use this after my shower gel (which is sometimes masks the milkshake smell :( ) but it does make my skin feel soft afterwards and I feel as if I've done a good deed for my body that day.

As I am living under the sun at the moment though, I do also use this Vaseline Aloe Vera moisturiser if I have been out in the sun as it is amazing at cooling any sun burn!

I love the fresh smell and even after some severe sun burns this has been my go to product as it is a miracle worker!

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So there you have my new regime!

 As you can see my love for natural products has not gone anywhere, and I am pleased to say that my love hasn't been an expensive venture as I though it would have been to uphold. I didn't even mean to venture out and continue my love of natural products out here in Aus but it has just somehow managed to happen, and it's proven to me that it is not an expensive luxury after all!

Let me know if you have tried any of these or heard of them at all! I also want to hear about any other Australian products you think I should try so let me know!

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!

Hello Hair Hydrating Hair Mask

Sorry it has been a while again guys! TOMORROW, I embark on the exciting new leg of my travels to Australia. I'll be settling down to work there for a little while so will hopefully be able to be more regular with my posts!

In prep for Australia, long ago now before I set off in March, I purchased the Hello Hair Hydrating Mask, a natural hair mask for dehydrated hair, loved by Aussies and  loved even more by Instagram. Instagram is fast becoming another means of advertisement for smaller brands, and I'm starting to find lots of products I want to try from it.

The mask was $15 (£8.00) which I think is really good for a natural product, plus I've had many uses out of my sachet, I'd say probably about 10. I seem to remember the postage to England being about the same as the product though, but whilst I'm in Aus that won't be a problem :)

The product itself is actually incredibly similar to the coconut oil I bought in Fiji, which was the last thing I posted about. It contains some of hairs favourite ingredients, coconut oil and argan oils, which helps strengthen hair to make it grow faster, and also prevents breakage. It also contains almond oil which helps hair retain its colour, and olive oil which smooths hair. You can also use the mask in the roots of you hair as the olive leaf extract is anti bacterial, and the castor oil stimulates the root to help growth.

I've used this mask at least three times now, and it's worked wonders on the dry ends of hair I've had from exposure to the sun and lack of brushing! Whenever I've started getting the larger knots in my hair, I use this for 20 minutes and it restores my hair completely. As my hair is really thick, I always go over board with the mask but it actually penetrates through the hair so well I could be using half the amount I usually do. After washing it out, I'll sometimes go for another shampoo just to make sure it's all out at the scalp, however l leave as much residue in the ends for prolonged protection.

Since using it I have also found my hair has grown really fast! Here is a picture of me 3 months ago in Rio and then a picture now.

In the 3 months my hair has grown at from below shoulder to more boob level, and it's not as frizzy either.

With the ingredients it contains, it's needless to say it smells incredible, and it  leaves your hair smelling great for days. It's a completely vegan product as it is all plant and nut extract, however they now have a new addition without nuts, so those with nut allergies can use it. 

I love the simplicity of this product, and will certainly be picking more up when I get to Australia. It's also worth having a look at their Instagram page. I love the easy wavy beachy Australian look when it comes to hair, and they post pictures of gorgeous boho hair styles, perfect for the up and coming summer months and great for festivals! 

Ren Glycolactic Mask

Ren's radiance range biggest seller is this Glycolactic renewal mask. It contains the natural citrus of fruits to exfoliate and invigorate the skin, helping remove the dead skin cells from the surface, and to reveal soft, bright skin underneath with reduced wrinkles.

I used this product a couple of years ago and found it gave me a slight rash where my skin was more sensitive. But as I said in my last post, my skin has now normalised so I'd like to focus more on brightening the look of my skin. I used this mask for 10 minutes and had no problem this time. As it's quite an active mask, I wouldn't recommend this for skin that is undergoing treatment or is sensitive. I found this time round, my skin looked a lot more luminous, and it felt really soft afterwards.

This is fairly similar to the 1 minute facial they have recently launched, but this is more of a luxury treatment than a quick fix. I would highly recommend this mask for anyone who wants more luminosity to the skin whether it's for an occasion, or just for general maintenance.

Virgin Coconut Oil

Sorry it's been a long time since a post! I've finally finished the South America leg to my trip, and have been having a nice relax in Fiji before I start another hectic trip around New Zealand.

Whilst in Fiji, I was wandering an island where I came across a local lady selling handmade necklaces and bracelets. Along with this, she was selling bottles of pure coconut oil which she had prepared herself. Obviously in Fiji, coconuts are very easy to come by so preparing the oil is very easy. 

Pure Virgin coconut oil can be fairly expensive in the UK, so when she said it was 50 Fijian dollars, which is about £16 I was tempted to buy some. When I realised I'd misheard and she was selling it for 15 Fijian dollars, I could have kissed her and bought 12. I decided one was enough though, and walked of very smug that I got it for just £5.

She explained that some oil is for cooking with and then the rest is left in the sun for 8 hours so it can be at its best, and then that's that! No chemicals or preservatives, just pure natural coconut oil.

 

The benefits of coconut oil are endless. After spilling a majority of it on the floor (which I knew I'd do) I put it in my hair and all over my body. It's great for skin that's been in the sun all day, and also for hair that's been frazzled and gone crispy  by the sea like mine has been. Leaving it in your hair can make it look greasy, so I find putting it in for 20 minutes before washing your hair will give it an intense condition, without the greasy look afterwards. I've used it as a body moisturiser which absorbs quickly, and even used some for cooking when Cooking oil hasn't been available

 I love this stuff and am so happy I picked some up! If you can get a hold of it then do because the smell is incredible, and you can use it for pretty much anything! Will check in again soon! Thank you for your patience 

Botanical Gardens: Rio de Janerio

As you probably know by now, I am in Rio De Janerio at the moment, on the first leg of my travels. Yesterday we went to Rio's large botanical gardens in the centre of the city. I love Rio because the city was built AROUND the forest, and has hardly been developed on. Carioca people are very respectful and thankful for the rainforest ,as it means minimal pollution. As a great lover of natural skincare, I took great delight at stumbling across the Botanical Gardens 'Medicinal Plant Collection' where they store and harvest plants. 

Having worked with natural skincare for nearly two and a half years, I instantly recognised a lot of the plants they were harvesting, and found it really interesting!

I have never seen a natural Aloe Vera plant grow this big, and as the soothing sap that comes from the plant is in a majority of our skincare, it was really good to see one thriving.

Patchouli again, is in a lot of skincare products I use, and I have never actually seen it in its natural form, like a lot of the other plants I saw. The names under each plant were all written in Portugese, but I could vaguely translate some into the ingredients I used to see every day at work.

This little hut had more information about the way they use the plants and transform the ingredients into medicines and skin care. It was really interesting to see, I wish I could have read the Portugese to get a better insight.

I didn't intentionally go in a flowery dress

Whilst we were there, the staff were actually harvesting some of the crops to be used! 

There was also a Rose garden which is another plant that is great for skincare, however it was looking a little worse for wear so I didn't take any pictures. The park was stunning though, and was a really interesting insight into the Brazilian wild life and natural world!

If you want to read more about my travels, my boyfriend and I are writing a travel blog. 

you will find it at

blogrigado.blogspot.com.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps

I have had the Kiehl's Soy milk and Honey body cream for about a year now. I was love at first scent for me, and I bought it purely because the smell was so comforting to me. After actually using the product, I realised it is actually a really lovely body cream.

Apparently all the Victoria's secrets models use this air whipped butter on the runway, as it is light and easily absorbed but gives the skin an instant smooth, soft feel and a supple look. When applied onto the skin, it has that rich and buttery feel to it, that makes you feel like your getting really good moisturisation, but the air whipped formula means that in seconds the product is absorbed and your left with touchably soft skin. I love to use this in the Winter or if I'm feeling ill, as I said earlier, the secent just makes me feel really comforted and like I'm being looked after. I also use it before bed if I feel a little dry.

As I have mentioned, I absolutely love the smell, the milky honey-ness is one of my favourite smells ever, but some people aren't keen. My sister thinking it smells like mouldy milk, but I strongly disagree!

My large tub was £45.00 which is a bit pricey, but Kiehl's are renowned for being very generous with their samples so if you go to a counter or store near you then you can go and try a sample!