Pamper Night In with Drunk Elephant

I make no secret about ensuring I find one whole hour a week to spend on myself.  I have an incredibly busy and very stressful job outside of blogging and there are times when I don't want to interact with anyone and I simply want to be in a room on my own - usually the bathroom, my favourite place to be.  The lovely people over at Drunk Elephant kindly sent over a Pamper Night in Kit which features the most beautifully fluffy pair of socks and two of their products, I hadn't, until now, tried.

The first product I had tried from Drunk Elephant was the Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser and it was love at first use. The brand was founded by Tiffany Masterson who said she wanted a clean from toxins and the 'Suspicious 6' namely essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical screens, fragrance/dyes and SLSs, all ingredients we hear a lot about being bad for you, bad for your skin and so on.

This pamper kit features the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and the T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, two products which really do help to create that pamper night in.  The first product that intrigued with and one you cannot miss with its bright yellow banding and one which is described as being a hero product.

Sitting within Drunk Elephant's pH-balancing range, this Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil is not only rich in antioxidants but it is also without the artificial chemicals or fragrances. This oil is incredibly lightweight on the skin when applied and it leaves no greasy film on the skin, which when using a facial oil, is an absolute must for me. 

Drunk Elephant states that this oil is like rehab for your skin and this wonder-working, luxury facial oil uses a blend of vitamin E, flavonoids and omegas 6 and 9 which come together to deliver moisture and support a firmer, more luminous appearance as well as working to soothe the skin, relieving redness, blemishes and blotchiness. 

To use this oil, you only need a minimum of two or three drops of the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil on the face, hands, chest or even on your arms to help soothe dry, tight skin. You can also use this oil under the eyes to soften the appearance of fine lines.

The second product is one I absolutely couldn't wait to try was the T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum.

Described as being an AHA/BHA night serum that refines and resurfaces skin to reveal a smoother and more radiant complexion. T.L.C. Framboos™ enhances the performance of other products by clearing the way for maximum absorption.

I am a huge fan of Glycolic in my skincare and this product gives me that as well as lactic, tartaric, citric and salicylic acids, which come together to work to penetrate pores to remove impurities while gently exfoliating dead, dulling cells. Blended with raspberry extract (a.k.a. ‘Framboos’), horse chestnut and white tea, the formula soothes as it exfoliates, avoiding harsh side effects like dryness and sensitisation.   

I have only used T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Serum a few times a few rather than every evening, one thing I learnt early on in my switching to acids, is to use them in moderation rather than slapping them on, for that my skin thanks me.  I have combination/oily skin, so anything that helps to rebalance the dryness and the oiliness is always going to be a winner with me and I love that this serum leaves no residue on my skin, it absorbs with minimal massaging onto the skin and whilst my skin, which isn't sensitive, I have had no issues at all when using this, in fact, what I have noticed is that the morning after, my skin feels so much better to the touch.

So, I am now three products into the Drunk Elephant range and so far so good, I have loved using both of these products and I love that they are as good as a pair as they are individuals.  Both of these products are widely available online and Cult Beauty* has got some pretty cute giftsets which feature both of these!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

London Bathers Soaking Salts

Having spent a good 7 weeks without a fully functioning bathroom, because we have had a complete makeover (review coming soon), being able to do the simplest of tasks, such as brushing my teeth in front of a mirror, is an absolute dream.

The thing I was most looking forward too was laying in a bath of bubbles or salts to relax in and the lovely people over at London Bathers spoilt me with these three absolutely stunning jars of soaking salts. Anyone who knows me will know that bath salts are an absolute must-have for my bathroom and as far as I am concerned, they are very much an underrated product.

The London Bathers is an independent, family-run company on a mission to offer high quality, low impact bathroom products and accessories. They favour refilling what we have over using then throwing away and believe in taking responsibility for our own recycling. It’s about making choices that lead to a cleaner life. What I love about this company is that their products are

• wrapped and packed in 100% recyclable papers or cardboard
• Come packaged in reusable glass bottles and jars
• Have letterbox friendly packing wherever possible
• Plus there is a pouch recycling programme

As we all become much more aware of just how much waste there is within the beauty industry, I am always thankful when brands take a sensible approach to what they have to offer.

The three jars of Soaking Salts that I have been kindly gifted are all just beautiful, I have really enjoyed using them all and would struggle to pick a favourite.  The first Soaking Salts that I used in my brand new bath was the Himalayan Pink Soaking Salts and then over the course of the following few weeks, I used the Dead Sea Green Soaking Salts and then finally the Dead Sea White Soaking Salts and each one of them comes with a different scent and for me, they each have a completely different aroma and one is more relaxing than the other two.

It has been said that Dead Sea Salts have been used for their health benefits for thousands of years with its usage going right to Cleopatra, whom it was said went to great lengths to secure exclusive reign over the Dead Sea and that she attributed her great beauty and complexion to the secrets of the sea and its salts. 

Dead Sea Salt contains ten times more minerals than normal sea salt and these minerals help with cleansing, detoxifying, and restoring a healthy status quo to the body, especially the skin and muscles. The minerals you will find within Dead Sea Salts include:

• Magnesium - Which is great for detoxifying and cleansing the epidermis. It also helps heal damaged or inflamed skin.
• Calcium - Which promotes skin growth and regeneration as well as moisture retention through the production of sebum, and stimulates the production of antioxidants.
• Sodium - Which helps cleanse and exfoliate the skin, neutralise free radicals and relieve sore muscles.
• Zinc - Which helps heal and rejuvenate skin
• Potassium - Which is great for helping to keep the skin moist and plump as well as helping to reduce puffiness.
• Sulphur - Which helps decongest pores, but it also has powerful healing, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties.

Dead sea salts also help to exfoliate the skin and are gentle enough not to scratch the surface of the skin when dissolved in water.

The Himalaya Pink Soaking Salts are described as being mineral-rich, detoxifying and soothing, our Himalayan Pink Soaking Salts are the perfect way to relax, de-stress and soak away aches. 

Enriched with Himalayan pink salt, jasmine & geranium essential oils, as well as Australian pink clay, these salts, when mixed with the hot running bath water, create quite the most amazing floral scent which fills the room and as jasmine is one of my all-time favourite scents, I couldn't help but love these salts.

The Dead Sea Green Soaking Salts are described as being packed with ocean minerals. Dead Sea salt is renowned for its healing and therapeutic qualities and within this jar, the Dead Sea salt is infused with French green clay, tea tree and rosemary essential oils which are designed to create a pure, relaxing addition to your bath.

Anything with tea tree as an ingredient is always going to be recognisable and it is a scent you either love or hate. I had the most horrendous head cold a few weeks ago and having run out of Support Breathe, a product I swear by in times of need, I decided to give these salts a try, in the hope the tea tree would unblock my sinuses and what I found was I was so relaxed in the bath, my headache which had been hanging around for a few days disappeared and it was such a relief. The addition of Rosemary into the mix does go a long way to really making the bathing experience so relaxing.

The final jar is the Dead Sea White Soaking Salts and as with the other two products, they are packed with ocean minerals and Dead Sea Salt. Within this jar, the Dead Sea Salt is infused with Bergamot and Mandarin essential oils which are incredibly uplifting and revitalising for your mood.

For me, these bath salts are the best ones to use when you are not quite feeling yourself, are in a low mood and need a bit of a pick me up because those citrusy scents when mixed with the steam vapour from the water are just magical.

These bath soaking salts retail at £12 per jar or are available as a trio for just £25 (usually £30) which is an absolute bargain.  If like me, you happen to just adore them, then the London Bathers have an incredible subscription service that you can sign up to and for just £14 a month you will be sent a different mix each month, revolving between the four current blends. Each refill contains enough salt to fill your London Bathers glass jar twice and it can be cancelled any time you wish. 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

The A-Z of Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream

Based on the same ancient Egyptian formula that Cleopatra used to keep her skin looking radiant and glowing, the Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream.  

I am a huge fan of this cream and have featured it on my blog a few times now, but this post gives you a little more information as to what it is, what it does and the team behind the brand has created a really fun A to Z. 

For me, this cream is more of a balm given its texture and unlike a cream, this is quite thick when you first dig it out from the tub and as it begins to melt, using your own body heat, the formula then becomes an oil making it easy to dispense and spread. As you can see from the guide above, it does come with a whole list of suggested used and they include being:

• a moisturiser
• an overnight mask,
• a shaving balm,
• a hair mask,
• sunburn soother,
• cuticle softener,
• for sore chapped hands,
• scar and stretch mark healing treatment,
• eye cream, ingrowing hairs,
• cream for babies,
• heel and elbow softener,
• lubricant,
• massage oil,
• tattoo aftercare,
• eyebrow and hair tamer,
• makeup primer
• and a spot treatment.

If that list doesn't make you want to rush out and buy it, this magic formula can also be used to treat skin irritations, redness, eczema, and it also works well as a wound and burn relief, the latter I have used it for when I burnt my arm on the cooker, instantly soothing and not a scar left behind.

A pot of Egyptian Magic is one of those products which is most definitely handy to keep in your bathroom cabinet and it can be found via Boots and LookFantastic to name a few stores and prices start at £4.79 for a small pot rising to £29 for a bigger pot.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Hersey & Son London Silversmith Zodiac Necklace

There are a lot of things I love about jewellery and if you give me the chance to create something, I am absolutely in my element. 

M. C. Hersey & Son Ltd is a Silversmiths workshop based in London manufacturing sterling silver tableware as well as jewellery and silver gifts. The founder of the company, Michael Hersey, established the business in 1971 having served 16 years as a silver spinner in Soho and Clerkenwell, starting as an apprentice at William Comyn's workshop in 1955. His son, Stewart, joined him in 1981 after training as a silversmith at The Sir John Cass School of Art, now part of London Guildhall University and at Grant Macdonald's workshop in Southwark.

When Hersey & Son Ltd got in contact to ask if I would like to create my own personalised necklace I jumped at the chance, anything that is personalised to me is always a winning and the combination of including my Zodiac sign makes it all the more special.  As I am a July baby, my starsign is Cancerian and if you are very much into reading your horoscopes and finding out what you are like, your personality traits and so on, I am very much the typical Cancerian.  

Cancer, the crab symbol, is the Zodiac for people born between 21 June - 22 July. The nurturers of the Zodiac, Cancer's are tenaciously loyal and loving, nurturing and protective.

For my necklace I chose the Cancerian starsign which is the crab and with it the initial R for my first name followed by a ruby gemstone.

My necklace came beautifully wrapped in a monogrammed box, with an accompanying cleaning cloth, something a lot of jewellery brands should take note of, because they are important and handy things to have.

Wear your Zodiac, Initial and Birthstone, or those of your loved ones; choose your favourite colour gemstone and match with an engraved locket; pick a moon or star pendant and pair it with the initials of your children and Zodiac of your husband. Sitting elegantly alongside each other, these pendants have been designed to fit together in a myriad of ways, so you can create your own story. A covetable gift that will be treasured for years to come.

This necklace is described as being designed in London and hand cast in Birmingham, these tactile sterling silver Zodiac pendants have a beaded edge and a Zodiac symbol intricately carved in relief. The back of the pendant is flat and suitable for engraving up to 25 characters, making these silver pendants a perfect gift.  The route to designing your perfect Zodiac pendant is incredibly easy with a guide to help through each step - choosing your chain length and then working through choosing your zodiac sign, whether or not you would like a birthstone and the charm being engraved and finally the choice of adding an initial to really make it personal.

The whole necklace from the chain to the charm and even the initial is just stunning, it sits nice and flat against my chest, it isn't too too short, it is very shiny, the crab is almost 3D and when the necklace is worn, it stands on from the disc, the R initial isn't too big that it dominates the jewellery piece and I love the Ruby gemstone, something I don't have much of.

If you are looking for a gift this Christmas and want to add a personal touch, then I cannot recommend Hersey & Son London Silversmiths enough, whether the gift is for a child, a loved one, a friend or even a little gift for yourself, it is worth absolutely every penny.  

Do you have any jewellery with your starsign featured on it?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.