Mandara Spa Oriental Retreat Collection

The latest bathing collection from Mandara Spa puts the treat into retreat. Called Oriental Retreat , it's the most delicious smelling range - with Cedarwood and Sweet Orange, it really is the most perfect blend of sweet and spice. Personally I find it to be quite a unisex scent and the husband happily agrees with me.

Mandara Spa are renowned for bringing the spa experience into your home and this new collection does not disappoint, it feels and smells far more luxurious than the price tag suggests. Oriental Retreat transports your mind and body to exotic Eastern Climes, a gorgeously sensual experience, the scent is warming, sweet and calming. All the range has been created to pamper, relax and unwind.

The Shower Gel £4 200ml  

is gentle and leaves skin feeling soft and smelling of the delicious scent inside the tube. Containing soothing aloe vera, indulgent Oriental orchid extract, and fragrant cedarwood oil, sweet orange and cumin.

The Honey Bath £10 500ml

smells slightly sweeter than the shower gel thanks to the inclusion of the honey, is really conditioning on the skin and imparts the scent across the bathroom so giving your senses the Oriental experience too. You won't want to leave the bath once you have immersed yourself in the warm, bubble filled water! Contains Moisturising acacia honey, softening rice oil, indulgent Oriental orchid extract, and fragrant cedarwood oil, sweet orange and cumin.

The Beauty Oil £7.50ml

is a multi-purpose body oil with the same delicious scent, the scent is long lasting, the oil fast drying. Can be used as a moisturiser, massage oil or bath oil for silky smooth skin. For nourished, shiny hair apply to ends of hair overnight, shampoo and rinse. I haven't yet tried to use it on my hair, but I will be.
Contains wonderful ingredients of moisturising sweet almond oil, softening macadamia nut oil, indulgent Oriental orchid extract, nourishing rosehip oil and fragrant cedarwood oil, sweet orange and cumin.

A lovely way to end a day.

Mandara Spa products are available to purchase in Sainsbury's stores.

*PR Samples

Prismologie Skincare Reviewed

What a real treat it has been trying out and experiencing luxury skincare brand Prismologie. Created to inspire people to embrace the mood enhancing powers of colours, through six distinctive colours chosen for their unique qualities. I know it enhanced my mood when this splash of colour arrived through my letterbox!

The six colours are - White for Clarity, Yellow for Confidence, Pink for Comfort, Green for Serenity, Red for Vigour and Indigo for Stillness. Diamonds, Citrines, Rose Quartz, Jades, Rubies and Sapphires are crushed into the formulations for their wellbeing properties. Working with leading Perfumers they created fragrances that unfold to complement the colours - Neroli for Clarity, Bergamot for Confidence, Rose for Comfort, Vetiver for Serenity, Cedarwood for Vigour and Oud for Stillness. The result is some really quite stunning scents for the products.

But do they work?

I was sent the above products to try out and below are my thoughts

Prismologie Jade & Vetiver Hand Exfoliant 75ml £35

Prismologie say - A creamy gel, enriched with moisturising oils, fine exfoliants, jade micro-crystals and the serene scent of vetiver to cleanse, restore and refine working hands.

My thoughts 

This is a really gentle exfoliator that leaves hands feeling nourished (from the moisturising oils) super smooth and soft and beautifully cleansed. The scent is lovely and warming. Just gorgeous and a perfect base to apply your hand cream.

Prismologie Citrine and Bergamot Shower Gel 200ml £30 & Body Lotion £30

Prismologie say 

Shower Gel - A foaming gel with brightening mineral and botanical extracts, citrine micro-crystals and the refreshing scent of Bergamot to leave you feeling thoroughly cleansed and good to glow.

Body Lotion - A silky lotion infused with botanical oils, citrine extract and Bergamot fragrance to hydrate and awaken skin for a thoroughly radiant you.

My thoughts 

If you are looking for a bright and uplifting start to your morning then you will adore this sunny combination of Shower Gel and matching Body Lotion. The shower gel is just how you expect a shower gel to be and the Body Lotion is wonderfully light so it absorbs instantly leaving wonderfully soft skin. As ever the scent is fantastic, zesty but not overpowering.

Prismologie Hand and Cuticle Cream with Rose and Rose Quartz 75ml £30 

Prismologie say  - A sensuous cream enriched with botanical extracts, Rose Quartz micro-crystals and Rose fragrance to soothe and moisturise stressed hands

My thoughts 

I really like rose scented products but I am fussy, they cannot be that old lady rose scent that I think most people deplore, it has to be like a delicate flower. Happily for me this hand cream has a beautifully light and fresh rose scent that is just the perfect pick me up, it's more a like a hint of rose which I think will appeal to most people. The lotion is once again light but does the job of softening hands with just a small amount of product. 75ml will last you ages.

Prismologie Foot Cream with Oud and Sapphire 75ml £28

Prismologie say - A deeply moisturising cream with antioxidants, mood enhancing actives, Sapphire micro-crystals and Oud fragrance to help soothe your tired feet and leave skin soft and supple

My thoughts 

This is my favourite product in the whole range. Quite frankly the best smelling footcare product I have ever used. Usually foot creams are fragranced with lavender which is not a scent that personally appeals to me much, this product pleasingly does not contain it, hurrah!

I apply this as I go to bed and it gets to work. Moisturising for truly soft feet and calming, relaxing my mind, aiding sleep with its warm and musky Oud scent. Sublime.

Skin Care for mind & body, I love it!

For more details visit www.prismologie.com

Weleda Arnica Sports Shower Gel and Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash

I call these 'his and hers' shower gels but obviously they are entirely gender neutral offerings from Weleda and gorgeous to boot.

From the bright and sunny orange packaging,  which instantly zings up the morning shower experience and starts the day in the most perfect way possible,  to the wonderful scents you cannot fail to love these washes.

Arnica Sports Shower Gel £7.95 200ml 

Weleda say 

Weleda Arnica Sports Shower Gel is a perfect exercise partner – the kind that complements your efforts and treats you with satisfaction. Refreshing and energizing essentials oils of rosemary and lavender are perfectly balanced to calm your mind and energize your body. 100% of our surfactants are bio-degradable.

My thoughts 

This is one of the latest product additions to the Weleda family.

Ideal for that morning shower or to add to your sports bag for your post workout shower the Arnica Sports Shower Gel is an ideal companion. The blend of rosemary and lavender is not at all feminine which is why my husband nabbed this as his and soon as he spotted it in the bathroom (lesson learned). Of course those of you who are regular readers of BeautySwot.com will know when it comes to shower gels he is a lather fiend. Therefore I was surprised when he declared his adoration for this one for it has a noticeable absence of SLS, this made me happy thought as I am always telling him how it is drying out his skin. 

The Arnica Sports Shower Gel doesn't just feel like it is doing good to your skin, it IS, wakes you up with its energising scent and leaves skin feeling soft and moisturised.  Big thumbs up from this household. 

Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash £7.95 200ml

Weleda say 

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Wash is a revitalising shower cream which is a delicate composition of antioxidant-rich biodynamic Sea Buckthorn Oil, blended with the fresh aroma of sun-blessed oranges, mandarins and grapefruit from pure essential oils. A revitalising fruity fragrance for shower or bath.

My thoughts 

I am a big fan of SLS free body washes as unlike my husband I don't believe more bubbles mean extra clean skin! 

I have to be completely honest, during my early pregnancy days I really struggled with scents and fragrances in practically everything. Luckily the only thing that I found bearable was citrus scents and happily I was able to use the Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash. It features a wonderful citrus orange scent that is really most pleasant. The creamy wash feels so gentle on the skin and leaves it super soft. Of course the major bonus is all its wonderful natural ingredients. 

* In the Summer I was fortunate to visit the Weleda Gardens. I saw where they grow all the wonderful plants used in the Weleda products and I witnessed just how passionate the staff really are about this fantastic natural brand.

Have you discovered Weleda yet? 

*PR Samples 

LUSH Easter Treats

I have been enjoying a LUSH Easter this past week with these LUSH skincare goodies... Part of the limited edition Easter Collection I have been trying out a few of the range.

First up is the Hoppity Poppity Bath Bomb £2.50 each

This fizzy bunny boasts fresh violet leaf and lavender, the scent is refreshing and leaves the bathroom smelling all herbal. It fizzed around the bath but there were no bubbles.

Golden Egg Bath Bomb Melt £3.75 each 

I loved this golden egg, be careful though as it is messy and leaves everything it touches with a molten golden lustre...that said once in contact with water it rolls around the bath imparting an abundance of bubbles and turning the water yellow! It smells toffee sweet and delicious and leaves skin feeling incredibly soft. Big thumbs up from me. Packed with cocoa butter, olive oil, bergamot and orange oil, a soak in the bath with this is a real treat. Big thumbs up from me.

Finally - Pot O'Gold Shower Jelly £3.50 

Lush say - 

At the end of every rainbow lies sweet, decadently-scented jelly. Lather up with this caramel-scented solid shower gel, made with orange peel decoction and fresh pineapple juice to brighten your skin and your mood. Just in case that wasn't enough, we've added some shimmer to the rich carrageenan seaweed base for an extra touch of magic. You've really struck gold with this one.
My thoughts 

I have never tried a shower jelly before so I was a little baffled as to how to use this product... I should have hit the Lush website where all is revealed. Anyway the correct thing to do is take out all the jelly and just roll it over your wet body, mixing it with water creates the creamy lather. I had tried to dig out a bit which was a massive fail!
This is a lot of fun as it is is so slippery and I spent a fair amount of time trying to prevent it from slipping out of my hands or picking it up when I had failed to keep hold of it. Amusing.
The scent is unusual but gorgeously addictive and the jelly is golden pretty.

*PR Samples

L'Occitane au Bresil Jenipapo Shower Oil & Body Lotion

With the World Cup being held in Brazil this year it is no surprise that many brands have Brazil inspired offerings.

One of my favourite skincare brands L' Occitane have created a delightful limited collection of bath and body products inspired by and made from Brazilian ingredients. Two plants are featured in the range - Jenipapo - a citrus tree from the Cerrago region, it seeks the sun and soaks up energy and Vitoria Regia - a water lily from the Amazon that falls asleep at dawn and blooms when night falls. In addition the artwork for the packaging was created in colloboration with local, talented illustrators.

The results, a bright and colourful collection with suitably inspiring scents.

Today I feature two items from the Jenipapo bath and body collection but later this week there will be more....

Jenipapo range -

Jenipapo flowers contain a scent with green, floral, fruity notes. Notes of citrus , watermelon and pina coloda follow with lily of the valley and frangipani trees. Finally, the scent rests with a blend of musk, sandalwood and vanilla.

The result is a delicious and sparkling fruity floral scent that explodes with the sweet smell of Summer.

Jenipapo Shower Oil 250ml £14

It is no secret that the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil is my holy grail bath product and this is a similar product. A shower oil that emulsifies in contact with water to become a milky liquid that cleanses and softens skin whilst leaving skin with a most wonderful fruity scent.

Summer in a bottle.

Jenipapo Body Lotion 250ml £20

The body lotion also contains the same scent so is ideal for layering. It is a really light lotion that absorbs pretty much instantly.

L'Occitane au Bresil range is available now 

*PR Sample

Rituals T'ai Chi White Lotus & Green Tea Shower Foam

Rituals T'ai Chi White Lotus & Green Tea Foaming Shower Gel is a gel to foam body wash. Just a little spray of the pump starts a chain of humongous foam, so do it carefully! It has a gorgeous fresh scent and leaves skin feeling silky soft without drying it out. Soft and gentle, I love this body wash for its delicious green tea scent. Just reading the ingredients makes me feel healthy. A great way to start 2014 :)

Rituals T'a Chi Shower Form costs £8.50 for 250ml

Melvita Rose Shower Cream

Melvita say 

This Rose Shower Cream offers a smooth lather and a delicious natural fragrance without drying the skin, preserving the balance of even the most delicate skins.
Combining an extra-gentle, soap-free washing base with a subtle cocktail of Rose seed milk, Musk Rose oil and floral water, it makes your skin feel softer and more comfortable.

My thoughts 

This shower cream feels soft and silky as it glides across the skin. It has a wonderful light rose fragrance (I am a huge fan of rose scents) that is nothing like the old fashioned heavy Rose scent that a lot of people find overbearing, using this whilst shaving my legs I found it to be non irritating. Gentle, comforting and skin smoothing. Provides a pleasurable bathing experience. Skin is left feeling wonderfully soft. A lovely natural skincare product.

Melvita Rose Shower Cream 200ml costs £10 but I have noticed it on their website for a rather bargainous £5 right now!

*PR Sample

The Joyful Gingerbread House - The Body Shop Christmas

How cute is this Christmas Gift from The Body Shop ?

The Joyful Gingerbread House features two festive scents - Cranberry Joy and Ginger Sparkle and contains 2 x 60ml Shower Gels,  2 x 50ml Body Butters and a cream crinkle shower puff.

Both scents are utterly gorgeous and exactly what you would expect from The Body Shop - a real Christmas treat.

Cranberry Joy is sweet and fruity.

Ginger Sparkle is a little bit spicy and yet fresh (my favourite and I normally hate anything Ginger!!)

The Gingerbread School House Gift Box is a Community Fair Trade Box handmade by Get Paper Industries in Nepal and by purchasing this gift (along with many others this Christmas) you will be helping to raise money for The School Project. £200,000 from the sale of gifts will go towards building 5 schools for the Fair Trade Partners. A worthy cause.

The Joyful Gingerbread House costs £17 and is available from The Body Shop

*PR Sample

Woods Of Windsor Blue Orchid & Water Lily Moisturising Bath & Shower Gel

Woods of Windsor describes itself as 'Natural beauty from the garden of England'. The story behind the brand is really rather wonderful. Originating from a small apothecary located in the shadow of Windsor as far back as 1770, This local apothecary served not only the townsfolk of Windsor, but also the Royal family and its distinguished visitor.

In the Spring of 2013 the brand underwent an entire relaunch of its offering with new packaging, bigger and better value products, in addition it added three new contemporary scents to the range of which Blue Orchid & Water Lily is one.

Woods of Windsor say 

Contains vitamin E to help protect the skin and leave it soft, smooth and protected. The soft, luxurious lather is delicately fragranced with a light clean, fresh Blue Orchid & Water Lily scent, a mix of exotic fruits, bluebell and vanilla.

My thoughts

This bath & shower gel has a pleasant, delicate scent that is quite fresh. Foaming nicely it feels lovely on the skin and it rinses off without leaving any residue. Result - soft skin that feels nourished and the delicate scent lingers. I am not a huge fan of many scents when bathing but this is definitely one I make an exception for

Woods Of Windsor Blue Orchid & Water Lily Moisturising Bath & Shower Gel 350ml costs £8.50

Visit www.woodsofwindsor.co.uk to see the whole range.

*PR Sample

Lush The Olive Branch and Grass Shower Gels Review - Travel Size

The Olive Branch 100g £4.45

Featuring Fair Trade Olive Oil, Fresh Mandarins, Bergamot Oil and Vine Leaves. Lush describe this Shower Gel as the Med crammed into a bottle!

My thoughts 

As it contains Olive Oil the product separates so you have to shake before use. The oils in the product make it  feel nourishing and moisturising on the skin resulting in soft skin and as expected The Olive Branch has a divine citrus smell but it is not zesty. Great for a pamper.

Grass 100g £4.75

Containing Fresh Wheatgrass Juice, Sandalwood Oil, Bergamot Oil and Neroli Oil. Lush describe this as a green and fresh Shower Gel that is like a roll in the hay, or a walk through a morning Summer wood.

My thoughts

This smells exactly like cut grass, and is very refreshing to use. The perfect morning wash. Leaves skin feeling super clean and it lathers up nicely (much to the delight of my husband, who really liked Grass) Unfortunately for me it made me sneeze..  this was just a bit too real for me...hay fever!

Both these shower gels are suitable for use on hair and body. Oh and these bottles are perfectly sized for travel.

*PR Samples

Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel

I have been really enjoying taking a shower/bath recently and the reason is all down to the bees - This is a real product rave, bathing is a real pleasure when using this shower gel that this product has made it onto my beauty essentials page which as you will know..a product has to be pretty special and highly rated to feature here!

Bee Lovely To Your Body Bath & Shower Gel

Neal's Yard Remedies say  

Moisturising organic honey is blended with energising organic orange and mandarin essential oils for an uplifting bath or shower.

NYR state on the bottle that is it for all the family on the front and on the back clarify this and state that it is gentle enough for the whole hive aged 3 years and over.

My thoughts 

 A smart and stylish dark blue bottle with a yellow honeycomb print wrap around label, handy pump action bottle made this a winner before I had even used it. Of course I was delighted to find that inside contains one of the nicest scents in a bathing product and as reader's of BeautySwot.com know, how a product smells is all important to me.

I can only describe the scent as sweet and delicious, to me the fragrance is identical to those lovely orange creme chocolates that are found in a box of Quality Street or those tasty orange jellies enveloped in dark chocolate. Very, very nice indeed!

The product comes out as a clear gel and creams nicely, it is rich and incredibly moisturising. My skin is left with its gorgeous scent and I don't feel like I need to use a separate moisturiser after as my body is so incredibly soft to touch.

The Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel has the added bonus of containing organic ingredients and being SLS free, paraben free with no synthetic fragrances or colours.

Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel costs £14 for 295ml

NYR are donating 5% of the RRP of every Bee Lovely product to a bee lovely charity or good cause. You can find out more in this post.

*PR Sample

Liz Earle Special Offer - Everyday Favourites Kit!

Liz Earle fans will not want to miss this fab online only offer!

The Everyday Favourites kit features some of my favourite products - the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 200ml and two pure muslin cloths, Botanical Shine Shampoo 200ml and your choice of Botanical Shine Conditioner 200ml (choose between Normal, Dry or Damaged, or Fine or Oily), as well as your choice of either the Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash 200ml or Men's Face and Body Wash 200ml.

In addition, when purchasing this offer, you'll be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a luxury family trip to the Isle of Wight.

This offer will be available for just seven days at a special price of £39.50 - that's a total saving of £14.50!

Offer available until 9am 20th August 2012

www.uk.lizearle.com

Liz Earle Energising Body Wash Review

With no sign of these April showers abating I thought it would be rather a good time to write a review of  the Energising Body Wash from Liz Earle, one that I have been enjoying using whilst showering.

With ingredients of Damask Rose Flower Water and 8 pure essential oils of sweet orange, grapefruit, geranium, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, pine, petitgrain and patchouli and natural Vitamin E this is a real treat for your skin and senses. Scent wise I was a little concerned when I smelt it out of the bottle as I wasn't entirely sure I was going to like it. Bizarrely I really didn't like the scent of the Energising Body Lotion from the bottle or on my skin at all, so was wondering how similar this was going to be.

I needn't have worried though, once mixed with water on my skin it was wonderful, the ingredients fused together beautifully to provide a really nice blend with the strongest scent being the rose, but still quite light and delicate.

Texture wise the wash is quite thick and gloopy but this means it lathers quite nicely and doesn't run down your body and get wasted!

I found it refreshing and invigorating and it really has lifted my spirits on these dreary wet days. A great start to the morning.

This product is SLS and paraben free.

Liz Earle Energising Body Wash costs £11.50 for 200ml


*PR Sample

Ooh La La Naked - Coco De Mer Body Wash - Review

Naked is a brand that has appeared on BeautySwot before, I really like their Up Tone Girl Gentle Toner and my son uses the products created for kids.

I was recently sent a few more products from their range to review and first up is the Ooh La La Coco De Mer Body Wash.


Naked say -

Moisturising coconut derivatives and passion flower extract produce a creamy lather leaving your naked skin irresistible to touch.

My thoughts -

Ooh La La is a rich and creamy body wash, coming out in a soft pink tinged shimmer. It has a pleasant sweet scent, with a subtle hint of coconut. Lathering nicely it feels nice and luxurious, leaving skin feeling wonderfully soft after bathing and smelling good.

All in all, this provides a pleasurable bathing experience.

I always judge a product on whether I reach out to use it again and with Ooh La La, I want to use it again and again. This won't be left on the bathroom shelf.

Naked products are 97% natural, free of sulphates, parabens or petrochemicals.

I have yet to try a Naked product I haven't liked, if you haven't tried this brand, I recommend that you do!

Ooh La La Naked - Coco De Mer Body Wash costs £3.99 for 250ml 

March 2012 GlossyBox - The Harrods Edition

I was so excited when the postman knocked on my door with this month's GlossyBox. The March box was to be a collaboration with Harrods no less! There were a few hints of what might appear in the boxes from GlossyBox Ambassador's but the products could have been any combination of 5 products from a selection of 15..

Inside 

I have to say when I opened this box up it probably elicited the most favourable response since the first box I received and admittedly it was all down to the tiny box at the top of the photo... The Burberry Lipstick. Now I don't really ever squeal but this made me happy, very happy indeed. I have been wanting to try Burberry makeup for so long now but not yet managed to get to Harrods. The inclusion of the Lip Cover was a perfect representation of the GlossyBox and Harrods Special Edition and just oozed luxury to me.

The products 


Narciso Rodriguez - For Her Eau De Parfum 1ml - I LOVE this perfume, smells incredibly grown up and sensuous, just a real shame it was so tiny!

Molton Brown - Heavenly Ginger-Lily Moisture Bath & Shower 50ml - I have been using Molton Brown for many years now, this is not my favourite scent of theirs but it will get used and it is a nice generous sized sample.

YSL - Forever Youth Liberator Serum 5ml - I am at the age when I am using serums as well as facial moisturisers and I am really looking forward to trying this particular one from YSL. The sample comes with a dropper lid. With promises of improved radiance, plumping and anti-wrinkle lift, I will let you know how I get on with it.

Clarins - Extra-Firming Body Cream 30ml - This is a beautiful, instantly absorbing cream. This smells gorgeous and refreshing, like watermelon. I like the inclusion of Clarins products, they are not overly expensive but neither are they that cheap. I for one, definitely like to try before I buy and this is a perfect way to do so with a good sized tube.

The Piece de Resistance 

Burberry Beauty - Miniature Lip Cover Rosewood No4


An object of beauty doesn't quite cover it, this is one of the cutest miniatures I have ever owned, a perfect replica of the actual item. It is really funny actually as my hands are quite small, the lip cover doesn't look that small in the photo above but placed against the perfume sample and you get an idea of the actual size.

Soft, with a satin sheen this feels so moist on the lips. Rosewood is a very wearable warm shade.

The Burberry Lip Cover warrants a lips of the day post so keep reading!

To sum up, I was immensely happy with the GlossyBox sent out to me this month. No, there wasn't a full size product in there but all of the products I would use.

*PR Sample

Love For Her And Love For Him From Bodhi

If you are looking for something different to treat your partner with this Valentine's Day you may like these gift sets from Eco luxury skincare brand Bodhi.

Love For Her Gift Set  - £25
Gift set contains:
Ylang-Ylang Incensa Sensual Bath and Shower Therapy

Ylang-Ylang Incensa Sensual Body Moisturiser

This is a heady and intoxicating blend of Ylang-Ylang and Patchouli.. It also contains Honeysuckle, Neroli and Pink Peppercorn.

I have been using it as a shower gel but also by just putting it directly into a warm bath as I would a bath oil and have it take over my senses. With a hint of spice, it is rather addictive. The moisturiser has the same heady scent, leaving the skin feeling soft and comfortable. A sensual combination.

Love For Him Gift Set - £25
Gift set contains:
Pep Noir Energising Bath & Shower Therapy 250ml
Pep Noir Energising Body Moisturiser 40ml

Pep Noir is a wonderfully potent infusion of Black Pepper, White Thyme and Bergamot which apparently is designed to be energizing and confidence boosting.

This smells warm and peppery. It is strong, manly and incredibly sexy. Pep Noir left the right amount of subtle scent on my husband's skin and he commented that he liked the design of the packaging, which he would happily have on display in the bathroom. Bath and Shower Therapy can be used as a shower gel or poured into a warm bath as an oil.

Bodhi products are free from harsh synthetic ingredients like parabens or sulphates.

Bodhi Products are available online at www.bodhi.uk.com, branches of Harvey Nichols and other selected stockists

*PR Samples

Valentine's Gift Suggestion - Lush PS I Love You

I love this Valentine's Day Gift box from Lush, from the contents to the beautiful, reusable box.

PS I Love You - contains the following items :

Silky Underwear dusting powder - Jasmine fragranced

Sweetheart soap (100g mini heart shape) - Jasmine, mandarin and vanilla scented soap

It’s Raining Men shower gel (100g) - rich honey-toffee fragrance shower gel

Soft Coeur massage bar - Soft centred massage bar with cocoa powder and honey that you can both enjoy

This really is a box full of romantic treats. Inspired by the bygone act of writing love letters, the box is adorned with amorous messages and is ideal to reuse as a memory box after. I think this is an ideal gift to give or receive.

PS I Love You costs £16.95 and is available at Lush stores or online

Bathing Beauties - L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil and Almond Firming and Beautifying Milk Veil

I think I have found my holy grail of bathing products. I do not use those words lightly as I have used many, many bath/shower products over the years and nothing has come close to how wonderful these are.  I have never been so excited to share my favourite products as this combination has made a real difference to my skin and is so utterly pleasurable to use.

Almond is known for its softening, firming and toning properties.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil - 250ml - £16


Pictured above is the 500ml version which was available in the L'Occitane Delightful Almond Collection (Ltd Edition) - £46 Christmas Box.

I was a little worried that almond would equal smelling like marzipan but this really is THE nicest shower product I have ever used. It has the colour of olive oil, a thick gloopy texture but when it touches water transforms into a lovely runny milky texture. It doesn't foam or froth but that doesn't bother me at all. It is fantastic used as a shaving cream as the razor just glides across the skin and leaves my skin feeling satin smooth and incredibly soft. The scent is a gorgeously light almond scent that I just love smelling on my skin ALL day.

L'Occitane Almond Firming and Beautifying Milk Veil - 250ml - £27

L'Occitane say - Formulated with almond oil and milk to soften and supple, almond proteins and silicium to smooth and firm, this body veil melts into the skin leaving the skin soft, smooth, firm and deliciously perfumed. Its formula contains micro-pearls that illuminate and visually smooth the skin.

I find the task of applying a body moisturiser quite often time consuming and laborious which means that I tend to skip it. The Almond Milk Veil actually makes the task so easy that since I have started to use it I have never been tempted to skip. As it is a runny milk texture there is no rubbing it in to ensure it has been absorbed. It sinks into the skin with so little effort it is amazing. There is no greasiness or tackiness so you can dress immediately. It does contain a very slight shimmer to it which gives the skin a gentle glow but this is very slight, there is no disco ball effect. The scent matches that of the Almond Shower Oil, utterly delectable.

Both products leave my skin smelling wonderful, feeling healthy, hydrated and incredibly soft and smooth all day. I honestly cannot ask for anything more.

*PR Samples 

What's Inside My December GlossyBox

The postman knocked again this month with a delivery of the December GLOSSYBOX.  The first thing to note is the festive red box, very nice!

As this was the Christmas edition box it was supposed to contain products to get you in the mood for a party and a few. I have got to say I really liked the December box. Here is what was inside

A full size Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel - Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil - £6.50/200ml


I haven't tried Rituals products yet but did spot one of their shops when out shopping recently and had planned to go in and pick something up so this is great, it smells incredible too.

Deborah Lippman Mini Nail Varnish in Razzle Dazzle and a Stripped To Go Sachet - A full size bottle would cost £14.


I have tried a few Deborah Lippman Varnishes so it is not a new brand to me, nevertheless the brand does induce excitement.
Razzle Dazzle is ideal for parties, a pretty glittery shade of dark red, almost wine in colour with flashes of brighter flecks.  I am not a huge glitter fan (I save it for special occasions as I hate removing it) so this mini size is perfect. I love that included in the box is a nail polish remover. I hope it removes the glitter with ease!

Cargo Cosmetics Classic Lip Gloss (mini) in shade Morocco - Full Size £10

As a lip gloss fanatic I loved the inclusion of a gloss in the box, I haven't tried Cargo either so that was an added bonus. I really like the shade which is a pinky/brown with a slight sparkle. I have worn it a few times, there is no stickiness either. As it is so tiny I have nearly finished it.

BLINK+GO Eyeshadow and Blush Palette - Full Size £14.95

I have not heard of Blink+Go so this is a new brand to discover. I love the concept of this palette but I am pretty certain that I would never have chosen this particular combination as the colours look so bright. However on swatching they are actually nice and not as scary as they look in the palette, and I am looking forward to experimenting with a bit of colour on my eyes. The gold and green in particular stand out.
As I am also a bit of a blush addict, the addition of blush is very welcome..

The final product in the box is a small pot of Bionova Eye Wrinkle Treatment. A full size pot of eye cream costs £43.


Bionova are another brand that I have yet to discover, GlossyBox are doing a fab job in searching out products for its subscribers to try. I look forward to trying this premium eye cream out, it seems from reading that it is tailored to my age bracket, so here is hoping it works for me!

Cargo Lip Gloss Morocco Swatch

Deborah Lippman Razzle Dazzle Nail Varnish

Contents of Glossybox Opened

The eye shadow shades revealed

The blushes

A few different boxes went out this month, overall I am really pleased with the contents of mine.

If you are reading BeautySwot for the first time and want to know more about Glossybox and how it works please click here. Note that GlossyBox now costs £10 and £2.95 for P+P.

GlossyBox are now offering gift subscriptions For £30 (+P&P) you can give a three month subscription, for £60 (+P&P) a six month subscription and for £110 (+P&P) a 12 month subscription where you will get one box free!

*PR Sample

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash - Review

I got the Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash free with September's issue of Red magazine. Avid readers will know that I am a massive fan of rose products so found this offer too good to pass up and I also discovered that Red magazine was a really good read.

The claims 


'Our gently foaming, sulphate free body wash is heavenly scented, luxuriously moisturising and deeply soothing thanks to our bespoke blend of skin-quenching rose otto, palma rose and mood balancing rose geranium oils. Even the most sensitive skin can soak up softness, leaving it feeling supplier and smoother'

Balance Me claims that this wash is perfect for the very sensitive skins, I don't have sensitive skin to be able to substantiate these claims but they also claim that it is perfect for the rose connoisseurs and that is something that I certainly am.

The reality

This is a heavily rose scented wash that smells of delicious Turkish delight. I adore the scent but it doesn't linger on the skin. Despite it being scented I didn't have any irritation from it and I did find it to be gentle to use. The actual product is very runny, so you have to move fast so that you don't waste the product as it literally pours out of the tube on its own. I have found this happens with a lot of natural bathing products though. The wash does have a gentle foam which is pleasant for those that like to see some bubbles! My skin is left feeling soft and comfortable and if I forget/run out of time to use a moisturiser, my skin is not left feeling the need for anything extra.

As a product that contains no parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones etc I think that it is really rather appealing. If you like rose scented products then you will love this.

Have you tried this product?

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash retails for £8 for 125ml