Isle of Wight Natural Candle Company - plus reader offer!

Autumn here and the candles are burning quicker than they do all year round and I always seem to run my selection right down during the autumn months, even though I burn candles all year round.

Anyway, today I want to introduce you to some new candles called Isle of Wight Natural candle company and each candle is lovingly hand poured in the Garden Workshop.  Each candle has the highest quality soy wax to ensure they deliver a perfect, cool, even burn, with no toxic chemicals in sight such as petrochemicals! One of the aims of the IWNC.Co is to make paraffin wax a thing of the past, and introduce the clean, tunnel free burn that all candle fans deserve!

I was very kindly sent a Lavender and Lavender & Bergamot scented candles and as soon as I opened the box, the scent was absolutely amazing. If like me you are a big fan of Lavender, then you will love this, it is just as though you have been walking through the Lavender fields, the scent is that fresh.  As soon as you place the candles in a room or within two different rooms as I have done, even after a few minutes the scent is really noticeable and that is before they are alight.

The Lavender and Beragmot candle is described as being one that will "instantly restores a sense of calm and balance. The cleansing fragrance of Lavender has been celebrated for centuries, and is said to relieve tension and headaches; paired with the fresh and uplifting notes of Bergamot it provides the perfect indulgence for any time of day".

The Lavender candle is describe as being one that will "melt away the tension and strains of the day melt away as you drift off to a deeply relaxing place. The aromatherapeutic benefits of Lavender have stood the test of time, restoring a sense of wellbeing for many".

These candles come in three different sizes and three different prices and I was quite surprised at how good value they are.  A small candle which will burn for approximately 19 hours costs just £5.50.  A medium sized candle which will burn for around 36 hours is only £10.50 and the biggest candle which burns for around 45 hours is an absolute bargain at £13.50, details of which you can find on the homepage linked above.

All I can say about these candles is that they smell every bit as wonderful as you can imagine from their description.  Both are extremely relaxing, both leave a lovely scent to flow throughout the hour and if burned together, really compliment one another well. 

If you would like to try one of these candles, I have a discount code just for you, simply type in BEAUTYQUEEN15** at the checkout for a lovely little discount and it covers all sized candles, but do it quick because it expires on 7th November!

Do these sound like the type of candles you would enjoy?

***Enter promo code at the check out. Discount code not to be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Offer expires 31/10/14

Sleeping Beauty Blogger Challenge

A few months ago I was asked to take part in the Sleeping Beauty Blogger challenge with Time4sleep and life has been rather hectic since then, so I haven't kept up my side of the bargain like I should have done.  For this challenge I was sent a lovely box of products to try.

That said, my sleep pattern has been somewhat chaotic and I have either fallen asleep and then constantly woken up on what feels like every hour, had trouble falling asleep or had no problem at all. You know what it is like when you have a busy day ahead so you go to bed early to get a good nights sleep so you are firing on all cylinders and hours later you are still laid there wide awake, even counting sheep doesn't help.

So what do I do when I can't sleep? It is said that you shouldn't do anything that keeps your mind racing around half an hour before bed, such as watching television or being on the computer.  I always complete my nighttime routine of cleanse, tone and moisturise, though in my case it is double cleanse, my new found love.  Then I apply my eye-cream and lip balm and my skin is ready to sleep as am I.

Once in bed if I am not yet sleepy, I do more often than not read, using my Kindle Fire HD for around 30-40 minutes, I have a rule that it is switched off by 11pm on weeknights and then position my sleep mask and wait for sleep to come.  Sleep usually comes in stages which you can read about HERE.

If I have been restless for a few nights in a row, I will ensure I have a relaxing bath before bed, usually something with Lavender, which is something I find really relaxing.

This eye mask has been working wonders for me.  Fragranced with Lavender seeds it is soft, silky and smooth once into position and does a fabulous job at shutting out the light.  For me to drift peacefully off to sleep, it needs to be dark, pitch black in fact, any cracks in the curtains, winds me up and I am in and out of bed to make sure every little bit of light is shut out, adding an eyemask to my sleep time routine, perfect and this one stays in place.

The following morning, we have all done it, woken up with what resembles suitcases under our eyes through lack of sleep and the first thing you grab is concealer.  For the past few weeks I have been using a combination of Dr Organic Aloe Vera Eye Gel and Bourjois Healthy Mix Conclealer in shade Apricot.

The Dr Organic Eye Gel which is infused with Cucumber, Eyebright and Witch Hazel is said to be soothing, restoring, refreshing and anti-aging.   Each ingredient works together to reduce eye puffiness, refresh tired eyes, reduce dark circles and help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.  I keep this product in the fridge (and there is a full review of it coming in another post) and when applied to the eyes it does feel instantly soothing and does help reduce the puffiness but doesn't get rid of it altogether.  Instead having used something like this, I find it is then much easier to apply my concealer and the Bourjois option is much better than I thought it would be.  It glides on under the eye, and I massage it into the skin using my third finger (ring finger if you prefer) and it goes some way towards concleaing those dark circles making me feel and look almost human again.

Aside from those two products, you can always use cucumber slices if you have time in the morning.  Cut two medium sized thick slices, pop them into the freezer whilst you shower, then once you have finished, take just 3-4 minutes of your time to use the cucumber to cool your under-eye and help reduce puffiness, again it doesn't eradicate but it does make a visual difference.

What are you top tips for getting a good nights sleep? Do you have a routine which you follow?

Lush Moon and Sun Steamer Tab

Within the Lush range that I am quite taken with are the toner and steamer tabs which can be found in the 'face' section on the website or in my local Lush shop, they can be found next to the moisturising creams. 

Toner tabs

A toner tab is designed to give the skin on your face a little more TLC and when the weather is this cold and this icy, my skin definitely needs a little something extra to keep it in tip top condition, more so when I am have just got over a really bad cold and I feel like my skin is very dull and lifeless and in need of something extra and instead of using a facemask, I decided to use the Moon and Sun steamer tab which I purchased online with a few other bits.

The Moon and Sun steamer Tab, although not an exciting name by Lush standards is smaller than a 10p in size and is a bright white coloured tablet with some lavender flowers placed on the top. Each Tab you buy is £2.50 and for that you get a 7g tab which you only get one use out of. The last time I bought a product from this range it cost 75p so there has been a bit of a price increase for these products, that said the price didn't put me off.

Lush Moon and Sun Tab

So what exactly is a steamer tab and more to the point what does it do? When I purchased my first ever tab I was slightly perplexed as to what to do with it and had to look online for a bit of help. This tab is sold as being "A blend of oils for both mind and skin, skilfully presented in an easy to use tab. Steam clean your face whilst you inhale the mood-adjusting essential oils" which is exactly what I feel I need. Although I cleanse and moisturise my skin every day and use a mask at least once a week, I live in London and commute every day too and from work using either a bus or the tube, that mean pollution and it can leave your skin feeling dry, dirty and every now and again really horrible, so I try and do all I can to ensure that no dirt and grime has the chance to cause any damage to my skin. 

Old Skooling it

For anyone who has ever had a cold, I am sure you will have put a teaspoon of Vicks Vapour-rub into a hot steaming bowl of water from your table, thrown a towel over your head and inhaled until your eyes were stinging right? Well it is sort of like doing that with this product.

So to use this tab, you simply drop it into a bowl of steaming hot water and the two things that are a must - the water has to be steaming hot from the kettle, so take extra care with your bowl and you will also need a fairly large towel to go over your head. The water needs to be steaming hot because through the steam the essential oils are released and are able to work their magic. Once you place the Tab into the water, it mimics the actions of a Bath Ballistic in that it fizzes around in the water and this once again is due to Sodium Bicarbonate which helps to soften the water, which for me is helpful as I live in a hard water area, making the products kinder to your skin.

Lush showing how it is done

For me, one of the good things about these tabs is that you don't need a lot of water to make them work, if you use too much water you are at risk of drowning out the fragrance. So, taking the advice I was given, I used a pint and a half of steaming hot water from my kettle and put it into my bowl and not the bowl that I use to wash up with I might add, then dropping in the tab and letting it whiz about for all of 30 seconds, put the towel over my head to keep the steam in one place and then I put my head over the bowl and allowed the steam to give my face a sauna. Now because the steam and the contents within the bowl are hot, you might need to give yourself a break after about 5 minutes and ensure that the bowl is on a hard surface and not resting on your lap. After about 15 minutes I felt I had had enough and I did have a break and then after a few minutes I repeated the process again which you can keep on doing until you feel the fragrance is no longer there.  As I haven't uploaded a video to youtube, there is one from Lush which you can see HERE and it shows you all you need to know.

Once you have finished with your facial sauna, it is suggested that you need a cotton wool ball or pad to draw up some water from the bowl which will act as a toner whilst at the same time remove any bits of grime and dirt which have been pushed to the surface of your skin from the facial sauna, as you wipe your face with said cotton wool you might be surprised at how dirty it turns with dirt, I certainly was especially as I cleanse and moisturise daily. So for me this is another reason why I am quite fond of these tabs, you have two different products in one tiny tablet. 

The Lush explanation of usage

Bit smelly?

The Moon and Sun Steamer Tab smells of lavender, a fragrance which I really like and it is fresh smelling lavender that you will find, as though you have just walked through some lavender fields. Lavender which is soothing for the skin is also soothing and calming on the nerves, helps by relieving tension, helps with depression and irritability and in general it is effective for headaches, migraines and for those people who suffer from insomnia. Neroli Oil comes next and it hosts similar properties to Lavender in that it is soothing, calming and helps relieve stress and tension when used in this way. Finally comes Geraniol which is an uplifting essential oil which again helps to relieve stress, tension, anxiety and tension. It is also kind to the skin in that it helps to create a balance between oily and dry skin ensuring that excess oil is removed but the skin remains moisturised.

All of these ingredients together also promote a calming effect leaving you feeling at ease and stress free. For further ingredients contained within this product you will find them available on the Lush Website. 

Afterwards...

After using this product I was left feeling refreshed and de-stressed and as your face cools down from the hot steam, your skin initially begins to tighten and is soft to the touch. My skin was definitely moisturised and felt much fresher and cleaner than it had done in a very long time, despite using cleansers and toners on a daily basis, I was quite shocked at how much dirt was removed from deep within my pores when I wiped my skin with a cotton wool pad using the water from the bowl. Once you have patted your skin dry there is definitely no need to add any moisturising cream like you would need to with a face mask for example, because your skin is soft and smooth to the touch and it was noted that the floral smell I mentioned earlier was still evident a few hours after use.

So would I recommend this product? Yes I definitely do because it is absolutely brilliant, I loved using it and it was easy to use. I am someone who likes to pamper herself and this is definitely a product which allows me to do just that with minimal effort and fuss.

Don't forget to enter my TWO giveaways which you can find HERE and HERE