Ochre Body and Skincare Range

Natural Skincare is something I am always interested in trying and one brand I have been using of late is Ochre Body and Skincare. A philosophy which states "Ochre Body and Skin is designed to care for you and our environment and to be affordable for everyday use. We avoid the use of any ingredients that could be considered harmful to your skin and minimise the amount of packaging in the product or used in delivering the product to you".

So, having been sent three products to try - Enliven Shampoo, Harmonise Conditioner and Cherish Body Lotion, each one brightly coloured and eye catching whilst sitting on my shelf in the bathroom.

Enliven Shampoo is the first product I used, in fact I enjoyed using it so much, there is just a small amount left. Described as being for frequent use this shampoo is suitable for all hair types. I tend to use it once or twice a week as a sort of in-between shampoo because I find it really gives my scalp a good cleanse, whether that was its original purpose or not, for me this is what it does. When you flip the lid and first use this shampoo, the first thing you do notice is the scent because it combines both Rosemary, which is used in many hair products to improve scalp problems and Peppermint which acts as an antiseptic, together they smell amazing. 

 There is also coconut and vitamin B5 rich panthenol included and they enhance the appearance of your hair by increasing body, suppleness and sheen plus there are sea minerals to condition, moisturise and protect. Putting all these together results in your hair feeling soft, smooth, hydrated and your scalp clean.

As someone who has dry ends and greasy roots, I tend not to put too much conditioner on my hair regularly, it doesn't like it, instead I tend to use it once a week and then at least twice a month, I use a conditioning hair mask.

Harmonise Conditioner uses arginine, which is a natural amino acid and an essential component of your hair to help your hair regain its natural thickness. Again using ingredients such as geranium and lavender oils to help regulate your hairs natural oils and stimulate the scalp, it leaves your hair feeling clean and frizz free. Also included is coconut, sweet almond oil and vitamin B5 rich Panthenol again to enhance body, suppleness and sheen. As with the Enliven Shampoo, there is also sea minerals to condition, moisturise and protect.

Once the conditioner is on your hair, if I use a small amount, my hair feels really hydrated and silky soft and being used once a week as a treat, my hair has really taken to this conditioner. Gone is the horrid straw like feeling I sometimes get. The scent is light enough that it doesn't overpower the senses but it is most definitely noticeable as you wash your hair and as your hair dries, whether naturally or with a hairdryer. What I do like is how easy the conditioner lathers as soon as it touches your hair and comes into contact with water, thus meaning you need only a small amount. I tend to use this everywhere buy my roots.

The final product from this trio is the Cherish Body Lotion. Packaged in the similar bottles to the shampoo and conditioner and like those two products it using nutrient-rich sea minerals to revitalise and renew. As a formula it is non-greasy and is really easily absorbed into the skin where upon which it is so gentle, you can use it on all body parts, though I have never used it on my face.

Ingredients wise, there is a combination of sweet almond oil which smoothens, softens and protects to help the skin retain its elasticity and suppleness. Arginine is again present and in a body lotion it is said to benefit the radiance and vitality of the skin to help it maintain its elasticity and suppleness as with the sweet almond oil. There is also Cedarwood Oil which on the skin helps to soothe itching and is great for those with oily skin, as a scent it is calming and soothing. Patchouli Oil which is very effective in helping to deal with rough, cracked and overly dehydrated skin and as a scent it is hosts grounding properties which calm and relax.

The reason I like this body lotion is because it is really hydrating, particularly after being in the shower or a hot bath. It goes onto the skin really smoothly, is quite luxurious and absorbs really quickly with a little going a very long way. It has been some time since I have had a body lotion that I have continued to use like I do with this.

  Ochre Body and Skin products are all free from sulphates, PEGs, parabens, animal ingredients, synthetic colours, synthetic fragrances and other potential irritants. So if you are a big fan of natural skincare or just want to try something new, then I cannot recommend these three products highly enough, they are an absolute delight to use and smell amazing.  You can find more information about Ochre and the rest of their product line HERE along with any other information you might need.

Area H20 Hair Care

Living in London means hard water, very hard water which at times means is a nightmare for washing my hair and getting that 'clean' feel, instead it feels weighted down, becomes a struggle to untangle and i'm just left with that feeling of dirty hair, even though it has just been washed and it drives me insane.

I was recently introduced to Area H20 Haircare** which is scientifically tailored to water type, having become quite intrigued as to how this would work, I was very kindly sent a bottle of shampoo and conditioner to try.   Developed by Patrick Lehane, a hairdresser from London and a team of biochemists, they came up with Area H20 after 4 years of hard work. Now, I have to say having used it for the past 6 weeks, I am really impressed.

Living in a hard water area, it is suggested that the left over mineral deposits is limescale, it is formed after the water has evaporated and it is those insoluble salt residues that remain on my hair after washing. So, here comes the science which even I understand. By identifying your water type, Area H20 attracts the metal ions that are present within all types of water, like a magent and it is those ions which react with your shampoo and create what are referred to as mineral deposits which cling to your hair, having got their attention, this shampoo makes it easierfor you to wash them away much more easily than before thus leaving you with cleaner, healthier looking hair.

There are many benefits of Area H20 which include:

• Scientifically tailored to water type
• Gives a more thorough and effective cleansing of the hair
• Gives an improved lather using less water
• Metal ions present on the hair prior to washing are removed
• No known scum is formed
• Hair is less flyaway and has a noticeably smoother texture
• Paraben Free
• Both Shampoo and Conditioner contain a pH of 5.5 - the bodys natural pH

The shampoo itself is like a clear gel and the only way I can describe the scent is a fresh clean smell, one which remains on the hair after washing. For me this is not a shampoo I would use every time I was my hair but one I use at least once a week to ensure my hair gets a thorough wash and deep cleanse and then with the added luxury of using the conditioner, my hair feels just like I have walked out of the salon. I also find no irritation of my scalp, no drying feeling on my hair and nor does it feel greasy and dirty, instead it feels soft, smooth and easy to manage and style.

I had expected this duo to be really expensive but was surprised to find that it is not too pricey at all, costing just £8 each for the shampoo and conditioner or £17 for the duo which you can buy on the Area H2O website or sites such as Feelunique and LookFantastic.

Have you tired this shampoo and conditioner combination?  Do you find that living in a hard water area effects you?

Klorane Nettle Shampoo

When I saw a tweet asking for bloggers if they wanted to try a new shampoo, specifically for those of us who have greasy roots, I quickly signed up.  Klorane Nettle Shampoo* 
is designed for those of us who have oily hair, and it claims to allow you to skip a day of washing due to its scalp detoxing effects. 

The description given is:

"Detox your scalp with the Klorane Nettle Shampoo, a deeply cleansing formula for those prone to oiliness.

This gentle, effective treatment shampoo gives you more time between washes, working to regularise the amount of oil your scalp produces while slowing its spread throughout the hair. The star ingredient of the shampoo is scopoletine, an extract from nettle, which restores balance to the scalp.

Hypoallergenic and extremely mild, the Nettle Shampoo enhances volume and detangles for soft and bouncy hair that lasts. After sustained use, oil secretion is regularised, enabling you to wash your hair less frequently."

Well definitely worth giving it a try which I have been doing since the middle of January because I wanted to give it a decent amount of time to test rather than using it once, claiming it is brilliant, which I don't think would be very fair.

So the shampoo itself is bright green which isn't a surprise considering it contains nettle which was chosen for its content of scopoletine, which helps regulate sebum production and restore balance to the scalp. It is also hypoallergenic and extremely mild not to mention paraben free.

When using the shampoo, I found it to be quick thick in texture, meaning you don't need to use very much.  Once it comes into contact with water it immediately lathers and there is a slight scent too it, not too plant like as I was expecting, more a fresh scent which I really like.  Easy to wash out from my hair, if I am not going anywhere I tend to let my hair dry naturally, otherwise I dry with a hairdryer.  Once my hair had dried it was really soft and whilst I have natural curls, they were no challenge for my GHDs and I could style my hair without any problems.

So how did it fair?  Well I have to admit I did and still do get that one extra day between washing if I use this shampoo, so instead of washing my hair every other day, I can leave it to be washed every two days and the greasiness is just showing rather than looking as though I have poured oil all over my head.

I think this is a fantastic product and definitely one which will remain in my bathroom for some time to come.  It is currently on offer on Escentual for £4.50 and well worth giving it a try.

Have you tried this shampoo?

Sample Sunday

This week I thought I would bring back Sample Sunday as I have been making a conscious effort to use up some of the samples of products that I have and use up the sample sized tubs, tubes and bottles of other products that have come on various trips away with me.

This is my progress:

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara which is from a Glossybox and I had two samples of it - I actually really like this mascara, though I didn't love it. The sample itself is just 1.5g and lasted for about a week, so not really enough to gage a formed opinion, but I did like the brush and you can see more detail about it HERE when the first sample appeared.

Soap & Glory Scrub Of Your Life  - One of my favourite products from Soap and Glory, I love the fact I can have travel sizes of this and take it with me when I go away. It is apparently the Ultimate soapy, super-smoothing body buffer.  I love the scent and how effective yet gentle this is on my skin.  It retails for around £3 for this travel size and it does last a long time.

Next up there are two Montagne Jeunesse Facemasks.  I am a huge lover of facemasks and love trying them out and these particular masks are just complete bargains.

The first is Chocolate Mud Pie which is an indulgent skin softening mask and it combines Cocoa and shea butter.  This mask smells good enough to eat, it is like someone pushing your face into a lovely chocolate cake and you leave it on for 15-20 minutes, it dries, you rinse it off using warm water and it leaves you with lovely soft to the touch skin, for 99p this is a total bargain and I got it from Asda.

The second is Manuka Honey Peel Off.  Now I love love love facemasks which you peel off, I know I have probably mentioned it before, but there is something so satisfying about waiting for a mask to dry on your skin and then getting to peel it off, yummy.  Anyway, this mask is described as being a famous natural cleanser and it contains Manuka Honey and Jasmin and as with the other mask, cleanse your face, apply, leave for 15-20 minutes and then peel it off.  Another fab mask for 99p

Next comes three Jenoris sachets which I got back in July from the London Blogger Meet and there are two hair masks and a shampoo within this collection.

The Keratin Shampoo, which is sodium chloride free, contains Omega 3,6 and for a healthy scalp and shiny hair.  It includes Keratin for long-term protection, moisturises the hair whilst restoring its natural gloss and vitality.  I actually quite liked this sample, it smells quite nice in that it has the clean smell and it didn't irritate my scalp and my hair was lovely and soft after using.

The Pistachio Hair Mask is described as being ideal for treating split ends, dry, coloured or lightened hair and as with the Keratin Shampoo it contains Omega 3,6 and 9.  With this mask you apply to your hair after washing and leave on for just 3-5 minutes before rinishing it off but if your hair is in a bit of a state, you can leave it for up to 12 minutes for a more intensive treatment.  I am not too sure this mask did anything for my hair in all honesty, it smells lovely and is easy to use but my hair didn't feel any different after using.

The Keratin Hair Mask is again sodium chloride free and is enriched with Omega 3,6 and 9 as well as Pistachio and borage oils as well as keratin to moisturise and give long term protection to your hair.  After using it claims to leave your hair with perfect softness, shine and glamour.  I preferred this hair mask to the pistachio one but again, I didn't really feel too many benefits of using the mask, it would make a much better conditioner in my opinion.

Apivita express beauty with Apricot - this is a gentle exfoliating gel with apricot and I got the sachet from the London Blogger Meet.  This was my first introduction to Aprivita and I loved this gel.  It smells divine, as though someone has just squeezed the life out of some apricots and put them into this sachet.  It is a gentle but effective exfoliator and it leaves your skin feeling super soft after using.  This is a brand I want to explore further.

Elemis Fresh Skin Skin Glow - Put simply, I am a big big fan of this product and I did a whole review of it which you can find HERE and it is a product I would buy again.

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm - This product has quite a few mentions on my blog and has its own review which you can read HERE.  Before I got it in a Glossybox I had heard so many people compare it to Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream which I dislike, I fully expected to dislike this product as well... WRONG... I love it and am sad it has run out, though I fully intend to purchase a full size version.  it has been an absolute lifesaver in this cold weather, I smother my lips in it before bed and it also makes a great base before applying lipstick.

So those are my empty samples for this month and I think I have done quite well in using them up and remembering to keep them for this post.  Have you ever tried any of these products, are you a fan of any of them?

Project Shoebox - needs YOUR help!

So I have Grace from AllThatSlap to thank for alerting me to this amazing cause that I too had to share with you.

Project Shoebox was an idea brought to life by a lady called Kate just 6 weeks ago and she, like many of us Beauty Bloggers has a bit of an addiction to buying beauty products and then a few weeks later realising we have so many that there are not enough hours in the day to not only use them or review them but we forget about them too. Kate took it upon herself to ring her local shelter for woman to see if they could make some use of the product she did really need. Many of these women are victims of domestic violence, who have been traumatized and often have to leave their homes with absolutely nothing, just the clothes they are wearing.

The appeal itself is asking for any unwanted beauty products to give to these women at a shelter who have been through a lot during this year, and Christmas may not be something they are looking forward to or have any presents to either give or receive.

I am the first to admit that I could probably fill more than one shoebox and I am guilty of having products sat around that I bought and didn't like so just leave them there until I eventually throw them out.  But rather than throwing them out, this year I am giving them to this fantastic cause and I hope some of you will be doing the same too.   This is just some of the stuff that has been sent to support this project to date:

All of these photos have been kindly given to me by Katie herself and feature her baby son. As you can see, there has been a lot of generosity so far, but still more is needed. Below you will find a list of what are deemed accepted products, naturally they are preferable unused:

*The Basics List*

Toothbrush and paste
Shower gel
Shampoo
Some sort of moisturiser
Tampons/towels

*Luxury List*

Hair conditioner
Hair products - spray, mousse, gel, etc
Body lotion, cream
Hand/Foot cream
Facial wash/cleanser, toner, moisturiser
Body scrub/loofah
Make up remover
Make up - unused mascara, lippy, etc
Cosmetics
Razors
Hairbrush/comb

If you think it a worthy cause, please give what you can. Simply go to the Facebook page which you can find by clicking here, send them a note with your postcode and a paid label to simply print off, as well as a list of local shops for you to drop your goodies off to will be given to you as quick as that.  It really couldn't be easier.

So get rooting through those drawes, cupboards,boxes, bags, sacks and anywhere else you hide your stash and give it to someone who needs it much more than you do! 

label.m Therapy Age-Defying haircare range

My hair can be the bane of my life.  I suffer from greasy roots and dry ends which mean I feel as though I have to wash my hair every other day and my life has been saved by my own discovery of Dry Shampoo.  I also have thin hair but a lot of it and when I am stressed it leads to a flaky scalp and as yet I have not found a product that can cure all of this, I doubt I ever will, but I have found products that can deal with one part of it.  I spend quite a lot on hair products and usually at my Salon’s request, stick with their offerings.  Until now!

I was recently sent a lovely gift package from the lovely people at Label.m and in that package was a shampoo and conditioner from their Age Defying Range.  Both items are packaged inside lovely purple/plum coloured bottles and both feature a pump action dispenser, to dispense the shampoo and the conditioner.  The bottles themselves are quite classy looking in design and wouldn’t look out of place in a top boutique hotel or hair salon, they are readily available online with the shampoo for a 200ml bottle is £13.95 and the conditioner is either £16.95 for a 150ml bottle.

What they say about the Shampoo

The label.m Therapy Age-Defying Shampoo has an ultra cleansing formula that is perfect to restore and replenish dull and weak hair and leave it feeling beautifully soft and full of life.

The Label.m Therapy Age-Defying Shampoo comes from the gorgeous range formulated with 8 ultra caring and technologically advanced ingredients to reverse the visible signs of ageing so you can enjoy hair that is left looking and feeling strong, radiant and beautifully youthful.  This sulphate-free shampoo will restore, replenish and rejuvenate. Designed to quickly transform weak, dull, aged hair into strong, radiant and youthful looking hair.

The first thing I noticed when I came to use this shampoo was how easy it was so dispense, even with wet hands, two pumps of the dispenser and I had more than enough shampoo to cover my head of hair, The shampoo itself has an almost peal-esque colour to it which shimmers in the light, but what caught my attention the most was the sweet aroma that came alive.  As soon as the shampoo is massaged into your hair and scalp, it lathers immediately where again the sweet smell that I instantly loved came alive.  As you wash away the lather, ensuring you have nothing left behind, my hair was already feeling soft and smooth and I was yet to try the conditioner.

What they say about the Conditioner

The Label.m Therapy Age-Defying Conditioner is a gorgeous sulphate free conditioner that has been formulated to restore, replenish and transform weak, dull and aged hair leaving it strong, radiant and youthful.

The Label.m Therapy Age-Defying Conditioner comes from the gorgeous range formulated with 8 ultra caring and technologically advanced ingredients to reverse the visible signs of ageing so you can enjoy hair that is left looking and feeling strong, radiant and beautifully youthful.

When it came to the conditioner, again, same classy design for the bottle and same dispensing action for the product.  With this conditioner are simple instructions -

“Apply to freshly shampooed hair, combing through from roots to ends. For extra conditioning benefits, leave in hair for 2-3 minutes before rinsing out”  

I don’t use conditioner every time I shampoo my hair because I have found it makes my hair greasier much quicker, but whenever I do use a conditioner I do leave it on for a few minutes to give it time to work and I always brush it through using my Tangle Teezer.  Then once I had washed the conditioner our of my hair, again the super soft feel was more evident than it was before, only this time the lovely sweet aroma more noticeable.

Looking closer at both products Sugar Cane extract which is quite possibly where the sweet smell comes from and as you can see from the photographs, there are a huge amount of ingredients which will ensure both of these products are good for your hair and naturally they are sulphate free too.

For me, my problem has always been one of three things.  My hair is either greasier after using a product, my hair becomes too dry after using a product or my hair feels lank and lifeless.  Having used these products for the last 5 weeks, my hair is none of those things, infact I am washing my hair every 3 days instead of every other day, my hair is soft and smooth with a natural shine and it is an absolute pleasure to style with my GHD’s, they glide through my hair.  Quite a few people have commented on how lovely my hair smells, one lady sat next to me on a bus assumed it was my perfume, only to my told it was actually my shampoo and conditioner that left the sweet smell that she was referring too, thankfully she stopped short of actually smelling my hair in public, but the aroma does last for a good 24 hours before it begins to fade.

The downside to these products? My husband likes them and I fear they will run out quicker than I hoped.

I have become a huge fan of Label.m products; I adore this shampoo and conditioner. Infact I love everything about it - the ease of use with the dispenser, the bottle design, the fragrance of both, how my hair feels after using and how my hair looks, it has a bit of life back into it.  If you have never tried these products, I would urge you to do so!

Lush Soak and Float Shampoo Bar

My current Lush shampoo bar goes by the name of Soak and Float and the first thing you notice about this shampoo bar is that it isn't the prettiest thing on the shelf, infact to look at (see below), it reminded me of one of those Coir discs that I use to plant seeds in my propagator and it has stringy bits coming off it at all angles, it's a brown colour with bits in it and its of a circle shape.

So why did I buy it? Well it is on the shelf next to all the other products Lush have in this range and I spotted it because it was the only one which wasn't a bright pretty colour not only that but there was a small blackboard which said "Don't struggle with Itchy and Scratchy" and it promised to 'bring calm to my scalp' whilst being designed especially for sore, itchy scalps and dandruff. It retails at £5.25 for a 55g bar.

As I said, this shampoo bar isn't pretty to look at, but it is full of fantastic ingredients to tackle those scalp problems. Starting with:

• Rose Petals which are said to soften the scalp and help calm a sore scalp. 
• Marigold Petals come next and they help calm redness, for anyone who suffers from an itchy scalp, the urge to itch can be quite strong and whilst it is easy to say resist the urge at all costs, sometimes you just cannot and this is why you end up with a sore scalp. For me the problem arises if I do use high street shampoos, anything like Pantene or Dove leave me simply in agony, so to know that Marigold Petals will soothe my scalp is a godsend. 
• Lavender Oil comes next and I was pleased to see this as an ingredient because I love Lavender, though it isn't the dominant smell. Lavender Oil does aid sleep and relax me but for the hair it is used for its soothing and cleansing properties. 
• The main ingredient is Cade Oil, not something I have come across before but it is interesting. Cade Oil which is also known as Juniper Tar (thanks Google) is used primarily as an antiseptic and in a product such as this it is said to have the ability to help alleviate the symptoms associated with itchy scalp conditions and dandruff. Well that is exactly what I am looking for, something to stop my scalp itching, something soothing and something that isn't going to make the problem worse. Cade oil is described as follows "The cade oil in here may smell of creosote, but that is because it has natural constituents of creosol, guaiacol, cadinene and terpenes. All of which might sound a bit scary, but in fact it makes this a natural antiseptic and antimicrobial, perfect for treating many skin complaints" and it wasn't until I read this bit on the Lush website after using the shampoo bar that I figured what the aroma was, it is a cross between creosote, which I love, and T-Gel, which I sometimes use when I am getting a bit desperate as a quick fix. Cade Oil is also said to soothe other skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. 

My problem came about because I had run out of my usual shampoo and life at work was pretty manic, so in a morning I grabbed the nearest shampoo I could to wash my hair and the effects of doing so left me wit a dry, itchy scalp. One day I will learn my lesson, but for now, I had to fix the problem.

If you have never used a shampoo bar before, I promise you they are fascinating and easy to use. All you do is make sure your hands are wet, whether you are in the bath or the shower and then simply mimic the actions of using a bar of soap by rubbing the shampoo bar between your hands to form a lather and then as you would with your shampoo put it in your hair and gently rub and massage your scalp ensuring the lather covers every inch of your hair. Once you have covered your hair with the lather the smell is now very obvious and I think it will be an aroma that is one of personal choice, you will either love it or hate it and I am in the love it camp. Anyway, once you have massaged your scalp for a few minutes, you need to use warm water to wash it out and make sure that you removed all traces of this stuff from your hair and scalp, so the water runs clear essentially and then towel dry your hair as you would normally do. 

After using, the fragrance does remain on your hair for a day or so, if you like the smell that won't matter, if you don't then you will mind. Basically this is one product I would recommend you smell before buying in Lush. For me it was and is fantastic, I loved it. I could feel an immediate difference in that my scalp was no longer sore, I was immediately itching and my hair felt soft and smooth to the touch. Once completely dry my hair did have a shine to it, not so much that it looked greasy, but it was more of a natural shine.

I have now been using this shampoo bar twice a week and my problem is now remedied I am happy to say, it really has been a lifesaver. Because I don't use it everyday, the one thing I did invest in was a shampoo tin from Lush a few years ago and I paid around £4 for it. it's a metal tin with a tight closing lid and whenever you are not using your shampoo bar, I would suggest keeping it in this tin because not only does it keep it cool, it keeps the fragrance really fresh and after all the one thing Lush are known for are their smelly bits! I would estimate the life expectancy of this shampoo bar a being between three and four months at least, obviously if it was used more frequently this would be less, for me it is my miracle cure.