Bedside Table Essential: Conscious Skincare Soothing Hand Cream For Hard Working Hands

Lovers of rich, intense, almost balmy hand creams look no further, Conscious Skincare's got your back with this organic beauty which recently featured in the Daily Mail and was shortlisted in the 2013 FreeFrom Skincare Awards. I've reviewed a couple of products from Conscious Skincare, you can see those posts here and here where I go into more detail about the brand.

Conscious Skincare Soothing Hand Cream For Hard Working Hands* may be great for gardener's but it's also the perfect addition to your bedside table. I slather it on during the day when I know I have an hour or so were I won't need to use my hands much. The texture is incredibly rich, it turns into an oil once in contact with the skin which is why for me it makes a brilliant night time hand treatment. The dinky EPA lined aluminium jar holds 50ml of product and judging from how little I've used so far, it'll last me a long time. The hand Cream contains organic avocado oil to nourish the skin and add lustre. It really does make the skin look healthier from the first use and unlike some hand creams, I don't feel the need to keep reapplying more apart from after washing my hands. 

What are some of your bedside table essentials?

Soothing Hand Cream For Hard Working Hands, 14.99 from www.conscious-skincare.com

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*PR sample

Review: Nourish Relax Hydrating Peptide Serum

Nourish Relax Hydrating Peptide Serum*

Over the last month I have been trying out this serum from Nourish and urge anyone with sensitive skin to give it a try. I'll explain why - Most serums I've tried have left my skin in better condition than if I only use moisturiser but, and it's a big but, they often aggravate my skin causing my cheeks to go bright red, itchy, covered in hive's. You name it, it happens! They overstimulate my skin in the way some anti-ageing moisturisers can and are often really oily making it impossible for me to use them during the day so for a few months I didn't use one at all.

The Relax range from Nourish is designed for sensitive skin and contains bisabolol and tripeptides to stimulate collagen production. The scent of the serum is barely there and the texture is a lightweight fluid gel that sinks into the skin in a matter of seconds never leaving a tacky feeling behind and most importantly, it doesn't roll off or go 'bitty' when you layer another product on top. Just like the body butter I tried from the same range (link), it minimises redness and has improved the texture of my skin to the point that my foundation applies smoother, looks less cakey and lasts longer. The dehydration lines/stretched pores on my cheeks are barely noticeable thanks to the hyluronic acid. My skin looks fresher, feels smoother and I now have a serum I can use both morning and night. If I go even just one day without using this I can see such a difference!

I don't have a bad word to say, even the price is reasonable when you compare it to the eye watering prices out there. It's 85% organic and is housed in a frosted glass bottle with hygienic pump. Lovely product.

Have you tried anything from the Nourish Relax range?

What are some of your favourite products for sensitive skin?

Nourish Relax Peptide Serum £16.95 from www.nourishskinrange.com

*PR sample

REN Shower Trio Gift Set.

Moroccan Rose Otto | Seaweed and Sage | Neroli and Grapefruit

Over the last few months REN products have been popping up all over the blogosphere. I was lucky enough to try out some samples around Christmas time and was really impressed by the Hydra Calm Day Cream. Its probably my favourite moituriser to use under foundation and I've been eeking out the tiny sample ever since. However, Red magazine have a brilliant REN trio freebie this month and included is a 15ml sample of Hydra Calm. :)

 I wanted to try some of the shower products as I've heard great things about the Rose Otto shower gel but the price always puts me off - £17 for a shower gel is just too much. After browsing the ASOS sale I noticed a few REN gift sets reduced but the one that caught my eye was the Shower Trio Gift Set. The set usually retails at £40 which is still expensive even though you're making a saving compared to purchasing them separately but I managed to get them in the sale for £28 :) I snapped them up straight away and have been stalking the postman since I placed my order.

They arrived today and the gift box is gorgeous! REN has collaborated with de Gournay, the designs are taken from the Japanese and Korean collection of de Gournays hand-painted wallpaper designs.

All REN products are free from parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance, synthetic colours, TEA, DEA, glycols, PEGs and silicones.

If you're interested in this gift set you can pick it up from ASOS for £28.

Green & Spring: Refreshing Eye Cream and Restoring Face Serum.

Refreshing Eye Cream | Restoring Face Serum

Last week I posted about Green & Spring, a brand which is new to me (link) I explained about the ingredients they avoid using in all skin care products so if you would like to know more just have a wee read.

Refreshing Eye Cream* £32: First of all I couldnt get over the size of this eye cream! Most full sized eye creams are 15ml but this is 30ml. Most eye creams are designed to target wrinkles so I was pleased to see this claims to 'reduce puffiness and dark circles whilst refreshing and lifting the delicate skin around the eyes'. I get terrible puffiness and I dont sleep well so am always looking for products to reduce dark circles. The packaging is glass although not transparent and has a pump you can lock after each use. The design of all Green & Spring packaging is brilliant but the only thing I will say is with the Refreshing Eye Cream way too much product comes out. With the first two or three uses I was pressing out enough product to cover my whole face and neck but pressing the pump slowly ensures this doesnt happen.

The cream is thick and rich but without being heavy and as far as I can tell it isnt scented which is great for me as eye creams I've used in the past have caused my eyes to stream with tears and just feel really uncomfortable. Refreshing Eye Cream keeps my eye area well moisturised and works well under makeup. I havent noticed a huge difference concerning my dark circles but it definitely helps to depuff my eyes and make me feel more awake. You can also apply it to your eyelids which is rare for an eye cream and I find it helps act as a base for eyeshadow. Ingredients include lavender, soothing chamomile, aloe vera, cucumber and witch hazel to cool, soothe and renew elasticity.

Restoring Face Serum* £38: The packaging is exactly the same as above. Most serums I've used before either have a cream, watery or gel like texture but Restoring Face Serum is more of an oil, orange in colour and helps minimize any dry areas on the face. I always seem to get a dry patch on the left side of my head and under my chin, the areas arent flaky but feel dry to the touch and this serum instantly takes away the roughness. Restoring Face Serum is a rejuvenating facial treatment packed with essential oils, extracts and active ingredients that ensure maximum penetration and absorbtion. Ingredients include Rose Geranium and chamomile to balance, repair and rejuvenate. Sunflower and carrot oil, Vitamins A, E and D and evening primrose to help plump the skin reducing and refining wrinkles.

I've been using this every other night, after toning and before moisturiser. When I wake up the next morning my skin looks as if I've just had a facial, the skin is smooth, plump and almost has a glow. There is a little bit of shine because its an oil but this doesnt bother me as I only use it at night

All Green & Spring products can be found here and are free from parabens, SLS, SLES, PEGS, glycols, petrochemicals, synthetic colours and fragrances.

*PR sample

May Amarya Beauty Box.

Amarya Beauty Box - £10 plus p&p

This is my first ever box from Amarya and I'm pleased to say I'll use everything! :) As I'm sure you all know by now, all products included in the Armarya box are natural and organic.

Full Sized Lavera All Round Cream - £6.95

Full Sized Terre d'Oc Sublime Shine Gloss - £14.95

5ml sample of AD Skin Synergy Nourish Night Treatment Face Oil. Full Size costs £38

Tous H2O Sample

I'm not into lipgloss at all and the shade I received looks way too dark but its actually not far off my natural lip colour, I really like it. I've wanted to try the AD Skin Synergy Oil for a while now so I'm pleased with the 5ml sample and everything else I received will get used up too. :)

Are you subscribed to the Amarya Beauty Box?



Current Moisturiser | Rosa Fina Radiance Day Cream

Yet another brilliant product from Barefoot Botanicals Rosa Fina range has made its way into my skin care routine.




Rosa Fina Radiance Day Cream*

RFRDC is housed inside a weighty, frosted  glass pot and on first glance I thought it was going to be way too heavy and rich for my skin. The texture is somewhere between a gel and a cream and on application it feels as if far too much product has been applied but within a few seconds it takes on an almost watery feel and sinks in completely. RFRDC is an anti ageing day cream but dont be put off by that,  it also covers almost every other skin type and concern, plus it has a texture that I feel would suit most skin types.

Rosa Fina Radiance Day Cream helps to: maintain smooth, plump, heathy skin | Blur wrinkles and fine lines, leaving skin younger looking | Repair skin damage caused by UV rays/sunbeds | Reduce rosacea, blemishes and scarring | Prep skin for foundation.

Suitable for the following skin types: Combination | Acne | Oily | Blemished | Matured | Scarred | Rosacea | Pigmentation.

It's rare that an anti-ageing moisturiser will be light enough to be used on oily, acne prone skin. Often anti-ageing products will cause oil overload which results in spot city growing smack bang in the middle of your face. If this is something you've suffered with in the past then RFRDC might just be your new best friend.

Rosa Fina Radiance Day Cream £23.95 (currently on sale for £18.95)

*PR sample

Review | Evolve Organic Beauty Protein Build Conditioner

The first thing I notice about hair care (apart from the packaging) is the scent. I love products to smell good, especially when I'm using them on my hair. Evolve Organic Beauty Protein Build Conditioner* smells, quite simply, amazing! Its not the type of fragrance you would expect from a conditioner, its like cupcakes, chocolate, cocoa butter and all that other good stuff. Its a body butter type scent :]

 Ok, I'm going to call it 'EOBPBC' to save me typing out the full name.

The Good Stuff: Free From - Parabens | SLS/SLES | PEGs | DEA | Mineral Oil | Silicone | Propylene Glycol | GMO or synthetic fragrances.

If you've been following my blog for a while now then you'll know that everything listed above is everything I try to avoid in hair care. EOBPBC is a protein rich conditioner for dry/damaged hair. Wheat & Almond Proteins deeply penetrate the hair shaft to moisturise, strengthen and repair the hair from within whilst Amazonian Pracaxi Oil adds a lusturous shine and softness to hair.

My hair is very damaged from years of abuse, very few conditioners actually make a difference to my hair and while EOBPBC doesnt leave my hair completely tangle free, it does make my hair feel so much stronger. Usually if a conditioner doesnt detangle my hair the best I'll write it off straight away but this is definately helping my hair in some way. The only way I can describe it is as similar to how Philip Kingsley Elasticizer makes my hair feel.

For best results EOBPBC should be left on the hair for around 2 minutes to absorb then rinsed, I then follow with a tiny amount of Davines Moisturising Balm just to make my hair more manageable.

All Evolve Organic Beauty products can be found here, and at Tesco! I'll be keeping an eye out next time I'm there. Protein Build Conditioner retails at £11.99 for 200ml

*PR sample

And instead of doing a seperate post, I'll just announce the winner of my giveaway here. Congrats es-jay, I'll send you an email shortly lovely! :]

Green People Firming Cooling Soothing Eye Gel

This eye gel from Green People was a Green Beauty Bible Award Winner 2009/2010 so I was really excited to try it. The eye gel comes in a squeeze up tube not unlike a lipgloss, and is a transparent gel designed to be used during the day. The tube contains 10ml of product which might seem tiny (most eye creams are around 15ml) but I've been using it for around 2 months now and still havent made a dent.

'Wrinkle reducing eye gel for tired eyes in need of a lift' - I loved that I wasnt blinded by percentages and crazy statements claiming that I'll have the eye area of a 12 year old after using this. My eyes often feel tired and bleh so this sounded perfect for me plus anything with 'cooling' in its name draws me in. I keep my eye gel in the fridge usually and gently pat some on after I cleanse and tone (eye cream/gel should always go on before moisturiser, I'm sure most people know this already but I'm just throwing it out there). It is seriously cooling, even if not kept in the fridge. My under eye area would marry this eye gel in a flash, I just know it.

As the gel starts to dry you can feel an instant tightening effect, not uncomfortable in any way, shape or form. It instantly makes me feel wide awake and is a great concealer base, theres no 'roll off' like you get with some gel products. If you suffer from skin dryer than the sahara under your eyes then I would say this probably wont be moisturising enough for you, you might need something more intensive.

Eye creams/gels are expensive so when I found out this was only £8.50 I was a happy bunny. Its not going to break the bank and lasts a loooooong time. Green people also do a night version which is a cream and is the same price.

Green People really got it spot on with this eye gel and as usual, theres no nasties in any of the products.

PR sample

Essential Care Organic Coconut Candy Scrub.

I've been trying out this scrub for over a month now and thought it was about time I reviewed it. Coconut Candy Scrub is one of Essential Care's hero products, it has won numerous awards and as far as I'm concerned, it fully deserves each and every one of them.

An exqusite, luxurious body scrub, with gently exfoliating sugar cane crystals, rich in Glycolic Acid to rejuvenate tired skin, delicately blended with deliciously fragrant virgin coconut oil and cocoa butter to leave skin silky smooth and moisturised, as claimed by 100% of the testing panel.

The scrub is solid as it is coconut oil (you need to keep it at room temp, it melts at 25c) and hurrah for a spatula being included, theres nothing worse than having to dig your fingers into a scrub and ending up with most under your nails! The scrub is packed with sugar crystals and slightly larger/darker 'scrubby bits'.

I'm so fussy when it comes to body scrubs:

They cant be too rough but they cant be too gentle either or else whats the point of using it. The 'scrubby bits' cant be too big, small or sharp and most importantly - they must not dissolve straight away or just completely fall off the skin before you get a chance to give yourself a good scrub.

Coconut Candy Scrub manages to stay clear of all those things and instead, delivers everything I look for in a body scrub. Because its a solid oil it leaves a coating on your skin but after a quick wash with a scrunchie you're left with skin that feels perfectly smooth and conditioned. A little really does go a long way, the solid oil is absolutely jam packed with sugar crystals so you wont ever feel like you're chasing one 'scrubby bit' around your body.

Now, the price - £28. Seems steep, eek! I've never paid more than £10 for a body scrub which is why I really wanted to make sure this scrub was worth its price tag before doing my review. So is it? Yes, definately, theres so many pros for this product but I cant think of one single con (unless you include the price).

Coconut Candy Scrub is Soil Association Certified. I love this companys attitude toward ingredients - 'If in doubt, leave it out'. All Essential Care products are tested on willing human volunteers and NEVER on animals. They also make sure that their raw materials suppliers follow the same policy.

Coconut Candy Scrub can be purchased  here.

PR sample

Review: Simply Soaps.

I was sent 3 products to try from Simply Soaps from their 3 brands, I've been using them for a few weeks now so thought I'd review them for you. First up is Neroli Handmade Soap.

I dont think I've held a bar of soap in about 20yrs, which might sound crazy but my mum always told me how soap was bad for your skin etc and she was right, my only experience with soap was a bad one! The great thing about Simply Soaps is that they're natural and organic, theres no synthetic ingredients, and most importantly for me, no parabens or SLS. I should also mention the products are suitable for vegans :] The scent is described as 'A walk through an orange grove' and I'd have to agree.. Tiz lovely.

I've been really into handcreams lately but noticed that hand-wash was completely drying out my hands so decided to trade it in for this chunk of lovelyness and it has made such a huge difference, I dont even get itchy hands anymore! The price is reasonable - £2.85 for 100g so I have a feeling these soaps will be replacing hand-wash in my house, permanently.

The next product is Geranium Moisture Cream from SimplySkinFood.

The texture is like a mousse/balm/cream, sounds weird but its a white balm that feels kinda like mousse to me. Again, its paraben free and the price? £9.95 for 50ml, how good is that! 'Geranium Moisture Cream - uplifing and balancing for the skin. Good for combination skin and can help psoriasis. Geranium oil is gentle and healing, will not dry the skin, it will harmonise the body's natural oils' The site also states that it can be soothing for Psoriasis sufferers.

I have combination skin, it changes from day to day so I find that this cream works best for me as a night cream but anyone with really dry skin could easily use this during the day. My skin is also sensitive but I havent had any problems. Geranium Moisture Cream will last such a long time, a little goes a long way and I've barely made a dent.

Queen Of Sheba Spa Salt & Bath Milk £4.95 from Hedgerow herbals. I love bath bombs, bubble bars and everything else but bath salts have never appealed to me, I dont think I've ever bought myself salts and I have no idea why.

'Nefertiti, the Queen of Sheba and Cleopatra allegedly contributed to their beauty by bathing in camels or asses milk and rose petals. They were also recorded as visiting the Dead Sea for mineral baths. We have created this skin softening luxury with goat's milk and Dead Sea salts, delicately scented with rose geranium essential oil. Well, if they shone like the stars of today without chemicals…so can you!'

You only need a spoonful of salt for each bath, the bag contains 100g so imagine how many baths that is. My bath water felt like silk and my skin was lovely and smooth after.

I cant get over the prices, the value is brilliant but so is the quality. I NEVER thought I'd be using soap but my hands love it and I plan to try some more. Heres the link for anyone who wants to have a nosey through the products http://www.simplysoaps.com/default.aspx

Products sent for review.

Review: GREENPEOPLE Gentle Cleanse Make Up Remover & Cleanser.

GREENPEOPLE Gentle Cleanse Make Up Remover & Cleanser £16.95, 200ml. Made with 93.77% organically grown ingredients.

I've been really interested in skincare ingredients for the last year or so, I've tried to educate myself a bit on what the mumbo jumbo on the back of packaging really means and as a result, I try to go organic wherever possible. I was sent Gentle Cleanse to try so I'll list what GreenPeople products dont contain rather than what they do.

Naturally made without: Parabens, lanolin, alcohol (ethanol, ethyl, alcohol), sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate, PEG's, phythalates, propylene glycol, petrochemicals, colourants, DEA, TEA, PABA sunscreen or any other harsh additives.

Gentle Cleanse is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, fairly traded, never tested on animals and the winner of Natural Health magazine beauty awards 2011. I received the 50ml size which comes in a simple pump dispenser. I really love products with pumps, its more hygenic, stops the product drying out and stops me being heavy handed and squeezing double the amount out.

The texture is a light cream and suitable for all skin-types. 'Formulated to balance, nourish and moisturise. Anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties. Rich, sensual aroma from pure plant sources. Suitable for areas of sensitive skin and safely removes eye make-up (including waterproof mascara)'

The scent reminds me of the Figs & Rouge Geranium Balm from Decembers FeelUnique Beauty Box but nowhere near as strong, thankfully.

Directions: Apply in small circular movements. Remove with either tissue, cotton wool or remove with lukewarm water and then a splash of cold. (I use a muslin cloth or flannel mitt). Because the cream is light, its easy to remove and doesnt leave a film over the skin like some cleansers can. Removes makeup quickly and easily and didnt break me out at all.

Greenpeople do a whole range of different products including an unscented line which I'm tempted to try. If anyone has tried any other products from this brand I'd love to know what you think and what you would recommend.

I should mention that at the mo theres a 25% off everything sale and free delivery untill the end of the month. http://www.greenpeople.co.uk/ 

xo

Products sent for review.