The Amazing New L'Occitane Aromachologie Re-Balancing Range

Surprise packages are always amazing, especially when they smell as good as the new L'Occitane Aromachologie Re-Balancing Range**. As soon as I opened the black jiffy envelope I was blown away by this amazing scent and I dived straight in.

A 100% natural re-balancing scent in a new line of products to awaken the senses, help restore balance and bring well-being to body and mind. The range itself has a total of five products and today I have four of them to share with you.

Rebalancing Exfoliating Shower Gel (£14) contains five purifying essential oils (Cypress, Juniper, Lemon, Thyme, Eucalyptus which as you can imagine is just amazing first thing in a morning when you need a dig in the ribs to wake up, or to invigorate & rebalance as L'Occitane describe it so eloquently. Using olive and lemon particles within the shower gel to delicately eliminates impurities not only leaves the skin soft and smooth but smelling absolutely delightful.

Most people know how much I enjoy a long hot soak in the bath, so when Rebalancing Infusions For Bath (£15), the water was running before I had finished reading the packaging.  Inside the box are five infused sachets which you place in your bath water, or as I do over the tap so the running water soaks the sachet through and then 5 minutes before I get into the water, I leave the sachet to float about in the bath.  Made with citrus fruit peel and revitalizing salts, each sachet provides a rebalancing effect, beneficial for the senses and body and again, the scent is just amazing, it really helps you to relax, de-stress and leaves you feeling so much better.

One item which did intrigue me was the Rebalancing Black Soap (£16) which comes packaged inside this tub and was not at all what I was expecting to find.  It is designed to be used once or twice a week as treatment all over the body and it is described as being an 'olive oil based soappaste' which is enriched with eucalyptus essential oil to clean the skin and removes impurities. The formula refines skin texture and leaves it soft, nourished and silky. Again it smells absolutely incredible and on the skin it literally melts away and is not at all sticky or goey as you might expect it to be.

When I used this for the first time, I had quite a heavy cold and my nose was a nightmare, being packed with Eucalyptus Oil this soap is perfect for helping your breathing and relieving those cold symptoms. 

The final item in this quartet is the Face Mask (£20) and again it is enriched with absorbing vegetal and mineral powders to remove impurities and tighten pores. With the inclusion of Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, Thyme Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Oil and Juniper Fruit Oil, not only does this mask leave your skin feeling as though you have just spent the whole day cleansing your face, it has such a light fragrance that you forget it is on your face, until it is time to wash off after just five minutes. So this mask is perfect for one of those quick, on the go, masks which is easy to apply, it washes off with no effort and it leaves your skin feeling clean, soft and smooth.

This is another fantastic range from L'Occitane and if the smell isn't enough to tempt you in, the black soap and curiosity should do!

Are you a L'Occitane fan?

You Beauty Discovery Box - May Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February,  March and April with previous box contents.  This month my fourth box has arrived and I have said I am just as impressed.

This months box is themed "CEW(UK) Beauty Awards" and when I got my email to let me know my options for selection was now ready, I logged straight in with excitement to make my choices and I am so chuffed I got the products I really really wanted to try and surprisingly some of my choices were already sold out.

As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study

Within the magazine which comes with the box we are told that for May's box they have joined forces with CEW(UK) in celebration of the holy anticipated CEW(UK) 2014 Beauty Awards. So as a dedicated subscriber, I have been given the opportunity to try both the finalists and winning brands which included:

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer, Percy & Reed – Eau My Goodness Shine & Fragrance Spray, Oriflame – Tender Care Protecting Balm, Margaret Dabbs – Foot Hygiene Cream, Manuka Doctor – Mini Hero Kit, LOLA Make Up – Finishing Brush, L’Occitane en Provence – NEW Almond Milk Concentrate, GLAMGLOW – YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment & SUPERMUD Clearing Treatment, Fake Bake - 60 Minutes Self-Tan Liquid & Professional Mitt, Elemis – Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Dr.Organic – Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum, CHEEKY – Nail Paint in Tongue ‘n’ Cheek, Carmex – Moisturising Lip Balm, Burt’s Bees – Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract, Batiste – XXL Plumping Powder - Just how much choice is there - WOW

Again as with previous boxes, with this subscription you get some extra treats and mine came in the form of Charles Worthington - Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditioner, a sachet of Caudalie – Divine Legs and a sachet of Lizi’s – Naturally Toasted Granola in Treacle and Pecan flavour.

Then comes my actual selections.  

As soon as I saw one of them there was no doubt it was going to go in my box and it starts with Lola Make-up Finishing Brush which has the following description:

"This multi-purpose brush is designed to create a natural and airbrushed look.
It can be used to perfect and blend powder or liquid formulations.
Ideal for buffing face primers or foundations to a flawless finish".

This is obviously a full sized product which has an RRP of £17. This brush won the Best New Beauty Tool or Accessory Award.

The second choice of mine was Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum which comes with the follow description:

Produced with the finest Moroccan Argan Oil, this sumptuous but light hair treatment is instantly absorbed into the hair, resulting in a silky smooth finish with brilliant shine.

With the heavenly scent of Patchouli, Cinnamon and Rosewood and the combination of African organic extracts including Kukui, Moringa and Sacha Inchi Seed Oils, this bioactive formulation leaves hair beautifully conditioned.

This is a 100ml tube which you can purchase from places like Holland and Barratt and it has an RRP of £14.99

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £32 which is amazing value for money!

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?  What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

Next month the attention will be dedicated to Beauty Hero’s - quite excited already!

What's in the box?

This month's Glossybox has finally arrived on my desk and having seen a few posts already on what other people have had, I was in two minds as to whether or not I would like my box when it arrived.  Anyway, here it is:

So, as you can see it is all nicely packaged and the one thing I do like about Glossybox is that the box is always nicely presented and it is sturdy.

Anyway, once I had managed to locate my five items, this is what is in it:

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush - The Description - A moisturizing lip stain that tints your lips with just the right amount of juicy colour and hydrates like a balm. Apply liberally, purse and let the silky lightweight texture melt onto your lips.  Full Size: £12 for 2.5g

Nails Inc Brunton Street - I am a fan of Nails Inc, I am yet to find a colour I don't like and this one I really love.  The Description - Bruton Street, nestled in the middle of London's Mayfair and home to the likes of Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, upmarket restaurant Hakkasan, antiques dealers and contemporary art galleries.  In short: sophisticated with more than a touch of glamour. Just like the nail polish nails inc has named after the street: a dusky pink nude shade that is perfect for a cosmopolitan, everyday look!  Full Size sample £11 for 10ml

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - I have been wanting to try this forever, now I have it I am slightly disappointed that because the sample size is only 7ml, I won't really get the chance to see how well this works or whether it doesn't.  The Description - Discover the UK Beauty Editors’ favourite product for the past 7 years*. 

Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden to soothe and protect skin Eight Hour* Cream Skin Protectant was an instant and overwhelming success. Discover the skincare classic used by women worldwide - to moisturize and protect any way you choose.  Refresh jet-lagged skin. Shape brows. Revitalize shine. Soothe dry hands. Smooth cuticles and nails. No wonder Eight Hour* Cream Skin protectant is loved by makeup artists around the world. 
*Source: mymarketmonitor.com, Skincare category, number of PR mentions from 1/1/2006 - 31/12/2011.  Full Size sample £25.00 for 50ml

L'Occitane En Provence (Immortelle Precious Cream) - Not a product that has ever graced a wishlist but I do love the bright bold blueness of the pot.  The Description - Enriched with unique essential oils, Immortelle Precious Cream is a rich smooth cream that visibly corrects deep wrinkles and improves firmness, allowing skin to stay beautiful and younger for longer. Full Size sample £43 for 50ml

TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray - I have to say, I was not excited about this product at all.  I don't use hairspray and well.  Product Description - TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray offers lasting extra firm hold and all day control – whatever your style. With a fast drying professional performance formula, this hero hairspray provides all day flexible control with long lasting extra firm hold that is humidity resistant, with the ability to brush out with ease. Full size £4.69 for 500ml

And Finally... a special gift included which is clearly just for me: