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With ‘green’ and organic beauty, there is often the misconception that these products won’t perform as well as their standard non-natural counterparts. This simply isn’t true anymore. With new research, development and money going into this niche market, there are more high-end brands and complex formulas than ever before.

The latest Naturisimo box embodies this with its curated selection of 8 luxury products that make use of cutting edge technology for their all-natural ingredients.
The box is worth £67 but costs just £13.95 – a great price to try some very expensive products. The Skin & Tonic Brit Beauty Oil sample costs £13 on its own if you were to buy it from the sample section!

Inside the box:
Madara Cellular Repair Serum, 15ml.
Skin & Tonic Brit Beauty Oil, 10ml.
Aurelia Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser, 10ml.
Dr. Hauschka Tinted Day Cream, 5ml.
Caudalie Resveratrol Eye Lifting Balm, 5ml.
Bloom & Blossom Rejuvenating Spritz, 40ml.
Jurlique Nutri-Define Rejuvenating Overnight Cream, 1ml.
Kae Argaroyale Serum, 2ml.

I was most excited about finally getting to try Skin & Tonic! The Brit Beauty Oil is a blend of just 5 oils to hydrate and smooth. The oils (thistle, chia, borage) are ones that you don’t commonly see in facial oils, so I feel like this is unique enough to have a place in my skincare collection.
The Dr. Hauschka day cream is a cult product that I’ve always wanted to try and now I finally can, I hope it lives up to expectations as I’ve loved other products I’ve tried from the brand. I’m also going to save the very generously sized Aurelia moisturiser for winter when I will need that extra cushy layer of cream for drier skin. I know it’s dreamy.
Lastly, after not paying it much attention at first, I’m all for Madara lately. Affordable, effective and simply elegant. I have loved their peel mask and micellar water so I’m really interested in this serum which claims to ‘dramatically boost the cellular renewal cycle to visably improve skin’ … It’s more for wrinkles, but it can’t hurt to see how it works for me 😉

Dont miss out and get the box here, it’s a good’un!

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Another year, another gift guide! My little selection this year is pretty darn good if I do say so myself, with a nice mix of skin, makeup and body – though no haircare I’ve just realised, but I guess that’s okay.

Makeup & Nails.

ILIA Mini Trio of Lip Conditioners – I picked this actual set up in America, but can’t seem to find it online without the rose gold purse so I had to link to that. However, I do suppose the purse with the dinky adorable lipsticks makes an even better gift! (Remember to take 15% off with the code ‘Annabel15’ at Alyaka). The set contains Blossom Lady (nude pink) Bang Bang (red) and Arabian Knights (My fave deep berry red).

RMS Beauty Vixen Nail Polish Set – One of my favourite launches of the year – RMS’s polishes – come in a pretty cute set for Christmas! And nothing says Christmas like red and silver nails tbh.

Jane Iredale Champagne On Ice Set – It’s true that miniature makeup is pretty much always better than full-size makeup, and this Jane Iredale lip gloss kit is another cutie! Perfect for anyone who’s a fan of a little shimmer. It comes with a glittering sheer gold, clear iridescent and shimmering fuschia red.

Skincare.

Hayo’u Jade Gua Sha Tool – For the beauty addict that’s got every product going – they probably don’t have one of these! This incredible tool takes facial massage to a whole new level. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and have been amazed with the results!

Deliciously Ella x Neals Yard Cleanser & Moisturiser – For any Ella fans, or healthy foodies that are difficult to buy for. This collaboration was spot on and doesn’t disappoint, designed for all skin types for an annoyingly healthy yoga-and-all-the-acai-bowls glow.

Pai Instant Radiance Collection – I love that Pai consistently release killer gift sets every year, and they also release fab mini sets for getting a good feel of something you may not have tried yet. This beyond adorable little duo of their best-selling rosehip oil and exfoliator is a perfect last minute gift for anyone you may have forgotten about, or as another affordable little stocking filler.

Samaya Ayurvedic Skincare – Something a little more luxurious with a gorgeous face oil. This is a new brand to me that I haven’t fully explored yet, but I’m definitely interested in learning more about Ayurveda in skincare as I keep seeing it pop up with new brands more and more! Samaya have a nifty test you can take to determine your dosha and find the right products for you, too! I got a pretty even balance between Kapha and Vata, with just a tiny bit of Pitta in the mix.

Bath, Body & Other!

Pinch Provisions Mini Emergency Kit – I picked this up in a Sephora when in America as a cute extra for my little Sister for Christmas. I hadn’t heard of Pinch Provisions before but this adorable tiny bag contains 17 items for any occasion; from plasters, safety pins and clear nail varnish, to bobby pins, earring backs and pain killers. I think they make a pretty cool stocking filler.

Botanicals Bath Salts – You can’t go wrong with bath salts, everyone likes a soak in the tub every now and again. The Botanicals bath salts use Pink Himalayan salts and organic essential oils for an other-worldly bath experience.

Hayo-u De-Stress Shower Minerals – Lastly we have this unique number from Hayo-u. These Shower Minerals appear at first glance to be a fancy body wash, but oh no, they’re designed to be used before the shower on dry skin as part a full body massage (preferably with a larger sized gua sha tool). Packed full of pink salt and magnesium to draw out tension and a blend of exotic essentials oils to lift the spirit and calm. This seems to be another unique gift for the beauty addict who’s tried it all!

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Lots of new beauty releases lately, and a few new beauty bits that I’ve been trying too! Let me know what new releases or purchases you’re excited about below…

Moss Obsessed

I made my second ever Moss order the other week, I couldn’t help it! There was an amazing flash sale of 33% off to celebrate Celestyna’s Birthday (I tweeted about it so maybe give me a follow so you don’t miss out next time?). Plus I had a free shipping coupon so it would have been rude not to really. I picked up Equilibrium, a balancing serum for acne-prone skin that also hydrates and helps cells renew quicker. I’m hoping it will be a good medium for helping both dermatitis and acne. I also got a mini sized Salvation balm, full of rare butters that are incredible for healing, and the Bacio Di Miele lip balm, which I’m utterly obsessed with. I will review the lip balm and my Zen Physic treatment oil soon if you like? (the other two need longer testing).

All the new launches…

First up we have the Kahina Beldi Soap & La Belle Lune launching on Content Beauty. The Kahina soap has already sold out but any Kahina purchases over £30 receive a travel sachet of the soap (I recommend the argan oil always! or the fez hand balm) I’m really curious about this soap and must try and get a travel size soon. The La Belle Lune Night Elixir is a nutrient rich oil with specifically chosen oils to heal and nourish skin overnight and is handmade in London. I’ve followed this brand on instagram for awhile so it’s nice to see them now stocking in my favourite store.

You may have heard of the Treat Collection nail polishes, but they recently expanded their range to include lipsticks. There wasn’t a huge fanfare, which is crazy because the collection is huge and really well done in my opinion. There are 32 (yep, really!) shades in a couple of different finishes, all of the colours look lovely, there’s really something for everyone, plus the gold packaging will look quite the part in your makeup bag. Shop here.

A limited edition set for valentines has just been released from Mahalo Care. If you follow any green bloggers on Instagram you will have probably seen their pictures of the set and plenty of mask selfies already. The set contains a full size pre-release of The Petal mask, a honey and rose hydrating and brightening mask (100ml), plus an exclusive-to-this-set mask named The Bean (50ml), so called because of its cocoa bean, coffee bean and vanilla bean ingredients. Designed to be a companion to The Petal, The Bean is antioxidant rich and tones and firms skin. Finally, the Attar Onaona perfume oil completes the set. Pink and white lotus, rose, vanilla and patchouli are just a few of the blended oils to create a unique and seductive aroma. Pick up the limited edition You Are Loved set here.

We have to take a quick minute to talk about the eagerly anticipated RMS Master Mixer too, a rose gold(!!) sister to the cult Living Luminizer. Designed to be worn alone or mixed with any of your current makeup wardrobe, the Master Mixer mixes with creams and powders and can be applied on the eyes, lips, cheeks… anywhere at all to add a warm rose glow. I can’t wait to try this out.

New Fave Scrub.

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It’s that time again! I am still so excited to receive my Beauty Heroes box each month, this is without a doubt the best subscription box I’ve ever tried, there’s nothing I’ve received so far that’s going unloved or unused and February’s box is no exception, introducing me to a new brand, one that’s impossible to get in Europe & the UK, for an incredible price.

This month’s box contains two full-size products from the brand Beauty Counter, the hero of the month being the beautiful Rose & Neroli Body Oil ($73) whilst the sidekick/extra item included is a Lip Sheer in the shade Petal ($30).

Haven’t heard of Beauty Counter? Let me fill you in…

If you are completely unfamiliar with the brand a quick way to describe it would be like an all-natural Avon in America. With over 11,000 consultants in their three year life span I’m curious as to why I don’t hear more about the brand. The packaging is sleek (I mean. just look at that gold lipstick, it’s now the prettiest one I own) and their commitment to safer beauty is commendable.

The USA is highly different from Europe and has next to no laws in place for ingredient safety, Beauty Counter founder Gregg Renfrew spends much of her time working to try and update these laws and has funded partnerships with universities to test and screen chemicals (never on animals obviously) to better understand them and their effects on our health. Beauty Counter have an extensive ‘never list’ of ingredients we won’t find in their products and the ingredients that do are all listed in their ingredient glossary so you can understand what they do if you’re unfamiliar.

Petal Lip Sheer.

As well as always getting a full-size product, Beauty Heroes like to include the hero’s sidekick too, because who’s Batman without Robin? This month our sidekick just happens to be a full-size product to, aaaaand it just might be my favourite of the two.
The Petal Lip Sheer is worth $30 and very nearly pays for the cost of the box itself ($39). Housed in luxe gold packaging, it’s easy to see why this is a Beauty Counter best seller, the formula is silky smooth and glides onto lips like lip balm, but leaves a wash of colour that’s universally flattering. I’m normally wary of pale shades + pale skin, but this suits me just fine for a hint of pink.

Makeup is a tricky one to get right in a beauty box, but I think Beauty Heroes have nailed this one with such a perfect colour, pink on some, nude on others, sheer enough to suit all. Beauty Heroes have listened to their subscribers wishes to include makeup, but also won’t have more than two boxes a year with it in, so you don’t need to worry about filling up your makeup bag with unsuitable products.

Rose Neroli Body Oil.

All about the box.

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