Review: Nura Skincare

Way back in August I tried Nura Skincare's Mini-Me Skin Essentials an exquisitely packaged sample set. I've been trying a few more product from the range which the founder and formulator, Julia very kindly sent me.

The products are beautifully presented (I just love the ribbon embellishments) and they'd make perfect Christmas gifts. 

See the beautiful gift sets available HERE. 

Pure Nutri Lip Balm (£4.50 - 4.5g)* would make the ideal small gift/secret santa present. It deeply nourishes and soothes the lips. With no added fragrances it's suitable for both men and women.

To use: apply to the lips as often as required.

Soothing Dry Body Oil with Calendula Flower Oil (£14 - 100ml)* is an aromatic treat for both the skin and senses. It's a luxurious skin loving blend scented with Lavender, Bergamot, Rose Geranium and Ylang Ylang. It absorbs quickly leaving the skin delicately scented and deeply nourished.

To use: massage over damp skin after your bath or shower.

Nourishing Hand Cream with Vitamin B3 & Calendula Flower Oil  (£9 - 50ml)* which is a real treat for the hands. It deeply nourishes and cares for the hands and nails.  Skin tone and pigmentation issues improves with extended use and the cream is scented with Rose Geranium, Frankincense and Petitgrain.

To use: apply as often as needed paying particular attention to the backs of your hands.

Have you tried any products from the range? I've been really impressed with all three products. Pick yours up HERE.

*complimentary

Moroccan Shine Argan Oil

I've had the real pleasure of trying Moroccan Shine Argan Oil (30ml)* £12.99 (there are Black Friday deals with 20% off at the moment - just send a message on the Facebook group to find out more) All orders are beautifully gift wrapped and the oil is made in Morocco and Moroccan Shine is a Scottish company.

The Argan Oil is presented in a glass spray bottle, is 100% Organic, Vegan and certified by ECOCERT and USDA. I've tried a lot of Argan Oils and this one has a light and nutty scent, absorbs quickly and is a great multi-tasker.

Use it on the face and body including face and neck, body skin, hair as a deep treatment before washing or to tame flyaways, on hands and feet including cuticles, for massage and it also works as a great beard oil - I love a multi-use product.

Have you tried Moroccan Shine?

*complimentary

My Top Reads - January - June 2018

And....breathe...I've completed my 100 book challenge on Goodreads, while it's not going to stop me reading for the rest of the year it does take the pressure off! In the January - June period I read 57 books and chose my top 16:

January:

Follow the Dead - Rhona Macleod #12 by Linn Anderson - I absolutely adore this series and have book #13 nestling on my kindle right now. 

Dark Game - DI Kelly Porter #1 by Rachel Lynch - oh this new series with feisty Kelly Porter is just fabulous. See my review in January book round up HERE.

February:

Everything Love Is by Claire King - so loved this sensitively written tale which has so stayed with me all these months later.

Anna - One Love, Two Stories by Amanda Prowse - oh I just loved lovely Anna. A great start to an amazing series.

Bring Me Back by B A Paris - I just loved this story (and still think of it now). I was given the chance to read an alternative ending but the one chosen for the book suits me just fine.

The Missing Ones - DI Lottie Parker #1 by Patrica Gibney - I just adore this series and Lottie Parker.  See my February reviews HERE.

March:

Star of the North by D B John - I read this amazing book in March but reviewed it when it was published in May - it was interesting and fascinating at the same time. Highly recommend.

Deadly Secrets - Detective Erika Foster #6 by Robert Bryndza - this again was not published until later and I reviewed it in my April book round-up (it's fantastic). See my March book round-up HERE.

April:

Mark of the Devil (Inspector Jim Carruthers #3) by Tana Collins - this series just keeps getting better and better. Roll on book #4.

Restless Coffins - Detective J T Ellington #3 by M P Wright - Ever since I read Heartman (the first in the series) way back in November 2014 I've had a good friendly relationship with Mark - he always sends me first proofs and I get a mention in his books (makes my heart sing!) See my April round-up HERE.

May:

Absent - DS Coupland Four by Emma Salisbury - I absolutely adore this series and was made up to be invited to Emma's book launch along with Joanne and Kelly in North Berwick.

Songs by Dead Girls (HET #2) by Lesley Kelly - I can honestly say I'm chuffed to know Lesley also in real life. This series is absolutely brilliant and I highly recommend it. I also loved The Art of Not Being Dead (A Health of Strangers Short Story) which featured in my March book roundup.

Dying Truth - DI Kim Stone #8 by Angela Marsons - I just adore this series. This one has an almighty twist which I wasn't sure there would be any coming back from!

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan - I loved this carefully researched and painstakingly drawn book (in fact I could quite easily call it my book of '18 - that's how much I loved it). See my May book round-up HERE.

June:

Tubing by K A McKeagney - a brilliant debut novel which had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Looking forward already to Kerry's second novel.

The Quaker - Duncan McCormack #1 by Liam McIllvanney - a great new series which I loved. See my June book round-up HERE.

Have you read any of these? Do we share any favourites?

Free with Elle Magazine - Bella Freud Close to my Heart EdP

You'll know how much I love a magazine freebie ooh and a perfume freebie - bring it on! I just picked up Elle Magazine (in a double pack with Cosmo) for £4.99. The freebie this month is Bella Freud's Close to my Heart EdP (10ml - worth £19) (the link is for the full size bottle - 50ml - £95).

The perfume is absolutely stunning and would make a great Christmas or Secret Santa gift if you can bear to part with it (buy 2!)

The scent is "oriential" and has a sensual heart of tuberose with neroli, rose de mai and jasmine. It's a really beautiful feminine scent and can be used both in daytime and into the evening and it was created with her long-time friend and perfumer, Azzi Glasser.

To use: apply to pulse points or spritz a cloud in front of you and walk into it to be enveloped in a delicate veil of scent

I adore Tuberose and Neroli so think this perfume is absolutely beautiful. It has powdery top notes which mellow into creamy florals with woody and musky base notes.  It's a beaut! And a keeper. Do you think you'll pick it up?

Blog Tour: Settlement by Anne Stormont

Today I'm on the blog tour for Settlement by Anne Stormont* with #LoveBooksGroupTours which is a fantastic read. I recently read the first in the series (although both books can be read as standalones - see my review of Displacement in my book round up last month HERE).

Can love truly heal old wounds? Can the past ever be put peacefully to rest? If you like a complex, grown-up romance with lots of raw emotion, dramatic and exotic settings, all mixed in with some international politics and laced with elements of a crime thriller, then this is the book for you. 

Falling in love is the easy bit. Happy ever after requires work, commitment and honesty. 

She wants him to be her friend and lover. He wants her as his wife. Can a compromise be reached? Or are things truly over between them? 

When former Edinburgh policeman Jack Baxter met crofter and author Rachel Campbell at her home on the Scottish island of Skye, they fell in love. It was a second chance at happiness for them both. 

But after Jack proposes marriage, it becomes clear they want different things. 

Then, as Rachel prepares to return to the Middle East to work on a peacemaking project that's close to her heart, and as Jack's past catches up with him, it seems their relationship is doomed. 

Can Rachel compromise on her need to maintain her hard-won independence? 

Can Jack survive the life-threatening situation in which he finds himself? 

Will they get the chance to put things right between them? 

Settlement is the sequel to literary romance novel, Displacement, but it can be read as a stand-alone. 

My thoughts?

Oh wow oh wow I just loved this! It was great to catch up with well loved characters and see where their lives were taking them.

Rachel is pleased to be with Jack but still wants her freedom to do what she pleases which he doesn't understand. There are things from the past Jack needs to work through but he doesn't want to tell or worry Rachel (and there is a good and loyal friend waiting in the wings for him, Morag's hubby, Alasdair).

She hopes she'll be able to reach her daughter and work through her feelings for her son. There's even signs that she can move on and forgive her ex-husband. 

When she heads back to Israel, Jack is beside himself as he thinks she'll want to have a relationship with charming and attractive Eitan, her brother's friend.  To take his mind off things he takes a investigator job with Police Scotland working on unsolved crimes. Rachel comes back to Scotland and her life on Skye and it seems like Jack's past has finally caught up with him...

An absolute brilliant read which I adored (I'm hoping against hope there will be a book #3).

*I received a complimentary e-copy for taking part in the blog tour

Organic House Skincare: Relax & Sleep Body Oil 30ml

Relax & Sleep Body Oil 30ml* from Organic House is part of the Relax & Sleep Gift Set* ( 2 x 30ml - Relax & Sleep Body Oil and Relax & Sleep Room Spray  (see my review of the room spray HERE) (£32).

The blend is rich and luxurious with a sleep inducing blend of oils - lavender, marjoram and vetivert which helps you to relax and unwind, while hazelnut and baobab oils soothe and soften the skin.

To use: apply after your bath or shower in the evening massaging into neck shoulders and arms to encourage restful sleep.

What's your favourite product from Organic House Skincare?

*complimentary

Review: Awake Organics Sea Quartz Crystal+Algae Cleanser

I've had the real pleasure of trying one of Awake Organics latest launches - their amazing Sea Quartz Crystal+Algae Cleanser* (you can buy this as a 6g sample or full size at 40g (£2.70/£31.80). Look how beautiful the packaging is!

"Amplify your daily cleanse with the power of clear quartz crystal, spirulina and hemp".

Isn't it a gorgeous colour! The Vegan blend slough dead skin cells, brightening and refining the skin. You can use daily or a couple of times a week (I use it two to three times a week).

Formulated with ingredients such as organic turmeric and brown rice each full size pot contains a carat of artisan milled clear quartz powder which infuses the product with positive energy.

It's ideal for all skin type although those with oily or very sensitive skin should use it once or twice a week. 

The gentle scrub cleanser has a sweet scent. Inside is organic blue chamomile, sweet orange, cannabis sativa oil and coconut milk.

To use: add a small amount to damp face and neck gently massaging onto the skin. Activate the milkiness by adding a few splashes of water. Rinse.

My skin looks great after use - bright, glowy and healthy.  It's definitely a keeper! Have you tried it yet?

*complimentary

Love Lula: Beauty Box: November 2018

It's always an exciting day when my Love Lula Beauty Box* arrives! This month there are 3 full size products and 2 generous trial sizes. The box is worth a huge £66 this month. So what's inside..

From Alteya Organics is their Organic Rosehip Seed Oil 20ml (£8.75) which is lovely. The 100% certified organic cold pressed Rosehip Seed Oil is rich in essential fatty acids. I'm looking forward to testing this out properly but loved it on first try. 

A little bit controversial is The Perfect V Gentle Exfoliator 50ml (£31) which is a range created for the bikini area - use it before or after shaving to help prevent in-grown hairs and redness. The packaging is beautiful and very luxurious but it's not a product I'd use (I've passed it onto someone I know will use and appreciate it!)

From Urban Veda we have their Purifying Exfoliating Facial Polish 125ml (£12.99) which has been recently reformulated. The creamy polish seems to have the perfect amount of scrubbiness (natural pumice) and has a zingy spearmint scent. It helps to remove impurities and blackheads. Looking forward to trying this brand out again.

The two trial sizes are: REN's Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask 15ml which helps leave the skin looking radiant while reducing fine lines and improving skin tone and Natura Siberica's Oblepikha Hand Cream 30ml which I've used before and loved.

What do you think of this month's box?

*sent to me as part of the Love Lula Accredited Blogger Program

Ere Perez Oat Milk Cream Foundation

I've been trying Ere Perez Oat Milk Cream Foundation* (£29 - 30ml) which are available to buy in the UK at places like Love Lula, Naturismo and Content Beauty & Wellbeing.

The cream foundations are easy to apply with fingers or a brush layering up for more coverage. You can also use sparingly for a lighter application just touching on areas which need a little coverage.

I've been trying 2 shades - top - Chai* for light to medium skins and bottom - Honey* for lighter skin tones. I've been able to use both and have found Chai to be more suited to my skin when it's lightly tanned.

top - chai, bottom - honey

Top - honey, Bottom - chai

The shades are long lasting and very hydrating and easy to blend onto the skin with fingertips or brush. The formulations are unique - they allow the skin to breathe and don't clog the pores.  The finish is dewy and the skin looks radiant.

As you'll see my tubes are nearly finished. This is a foundation I will be replenishing. What's your favourite product from Ere Perez?

*complimentary

Eden Days Hawaiian Haven Whipped Body Butter

I received Eden Days's Hawaiian Haven 100% Natural Body Butter (60ml - £5) in my August Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box. It really is a pot of magic! As well as smelling divine it deeply nourishes the skin - use it on your body, face, feet and hands and it can also be used as a cleansing balm - I adore a multi-purpose product!

The range is made by a mother and daughter team and they create and formulate a beautiful range of soaps, butters, a mask and scrub, men's products, gift sets and a selection of soap dishes. See the whole range HERE.

The products are handcrafted in small batches and are 100% natural. Finest oils, butters and botanicals are used with no chemical preservatives.

Inside best selling Hawaiian Haven is exotic Ylang Ylang which helps to regulate sebum and has antimicrobial properties as well as being nourishing and moisturising. Neroli is uplifting and can help with stretch marks and broken capillaries and is regenerating and soothing. Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and calming Lavender soothes and calms while Geranium soothes and calms both the skin and mind. The blend is complimented by Organic Green Tea, Aloe Vera Butter, Virgin Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Grapeseed & Jojoba Oils and Vitamin E.

To use: apply to the skin using your fingertips. The butter melts on contact with warm skin. 

I think it's absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to try more from Eden Days. What's your favourite product from the range?

Sandwick Bay Candles: Subscription Corner: November: Salted Caramel

I picked up my Sandwick Bay Candle subscription from my neighbours the other day. This month our Subscription Corner treat is Salted Caramel (and honestly the candle is good enough to eat - though Megan warns us not to!) A rolling subscription costs £22 a month and inside is a 260gm candle and an extra treat which corresponds with the candle scent.

I love the attention to detail and the gorgeous packaging - your own personalised box (your name is on the top - see my photo last month).

The salted caramel bar was totally scrumptious and didn't last long! I did however keep a little bit for hubby! It was the perfect addition to this month's box - rich, delicious, sweet and creamy with a delicious crunchy salt note - see the ranges available at Cocoa Mester HERE - I'll definitely be making a purchase soon!

The candle itself is simply stunning - rich, sweet and almost edible with a sliver of saltiness (I burned it for the first time on Saturday night) and now while writing this post on Sunday evening can still smell the delicious carmel sweetness.

It really is perfection and I can't wait to see what December brings! Sign up HERE - you can also buy a 3 month subscription for £63, 6 months for £120 or a whole year of candles for £209. A subscription would be the perfect Christmas or Birthday gift for any candle lover.

Bodhi & Birch: Superfoods Series: Mini Discovery

You just know there is going to be something special nestled inside this Bodhi & Birch gift box! I treated myself to the new Superfood Series Mini Discovery (£50) which includes the full Superfoods Series and a generously sized and luxurious Hand Crocheted Organic Cotton Cleansing Cloth (which comes in its own drawstring bag - it's the little things!)

The essential oil free products are designed to be mixed to your own requirements, are multi-use and gorgeous!

The products themselves come in a black organza bag and inside is:

Avo Bao Cleansing Balm 15g (probably my favourite product from the range) which smells almost edible. A gently emulsifying balm cleanser with nutrient-rich superfoods. It easily makes short work of make up and daily grime leaving the skin feeling clean, nourished and refreshed.

Tomato Seed Ceansing Oil 15ml gently removes make up and daily grime while protecting the skin from environmental aggressors. The skin is left soft, fresh and radiant.

Lemon Water Hydrosol Tonic 15ml (I love this one too) It's a blend of uplifting hydrosols, humectants and fruit enzymes to boost skin health, tone and strengthen skin while keeping it hydrated.

Renshen Root Exfoliant & Mask 12g an innovative product which can be used as an exfoliant or mask. Adaptogens purify and replenish the skin's vital energy. Skin is left clarified, glowy and healthy looking.

Super25 Botanical Serum 5ml which is gorgeous! A luxurious serum formulated with a huge array of skin loving and nutrient dense superfood oils which feed the skin. The serum targets the principal signs of skin degradation and ageing.

Cleansing Cloth (super luxe) which is huge! Hand-crocheted organic cotton for "the Superfoods Series cleansing ritual".

See my review of the range HERE.

The products can be used as they are or mixed to create your own personal skincare:

Add Lemon Water Hydrosol Toner to Renshen Root Exfoliant & Mask and blend to a creamy paste (I sometimes add a couple of drops of Super25 Botanical Serum to my blend). You can also add Renshen Root Exfoliant & Mask to the Avo Bao Cleansing Balm to create a rich and nourishing mask or scrub or you could add honey or yogurt to the mix.

Mix Tomato Seed Cleansing Oil with Avo Bao Cleansing Balm to create and emulsifying milk. The Cleansing Oil can also be used on the body or face (I love a multi-use product!)

Add a couple of drops of Super25 Botanical Serum to your daily moisturiser for a super nutrient boost.

It's the ideal gift whether for Christmas, Birthday, for travel or just because. Pick yours up HERE (you can also upgrade and get a Super Collection - which is all five products full size).

Christmas Stocking Gift Ideas

Here's some Christmas gift ideas (there's just so many amazing gifts out there this year!) These ones are ideal for stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts and are £15 or under.

Kure Bazaar Nail Polish in Glitter Pigalle (isn't it beautiful!) 10ml (£15). The polish is clear with flecks of red glitter making it perfect for Christmas parties! This Limited Edition polish is formulated with 85% natural ingredients making it the eco-friendly polish of choice.

I had the pleasure of trying beatitude's gorgeous Christmas Crackers last year which are £10 each and include a 10ml size of one of the three bath oils - Joy (my fav), Patience or Peace. See my review HERE.

I love all the Christmassy crackers and this Hand Care Cracker from Cowshed (£12) contains Cowshed Cow Herb Restoring Hand Cream 50ml and Cowshed Apricot Nourishing Cuticle Oil 11ml which will help restore and groom the hands and nails.

AA Skincare Vitamin Boost Face Kit (£12.60) contains 100ml Sandalwood & Palmarosa Cleansing Face Gel and 100ml Sandalwood & Palmarosa Moisturising Face Lotion. This is such a great value set! (and would make an excellent Christmas gift as well as a stocking filler!)

This is a great value Apricot & Elderflower Gift Set from Benecos (£10.95) which contains mini sizes of Apricot & Elderflower Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Hand Cream.

Content Beauty & Wellbeing have some lovely small gifts including this cutely packaged Therapi Honey Lip Nectar (£9.50 - 5ml). I'd love to find this in my Christmas stocking!

Yellow Gorse have some beautiful products which would make excellent stocking fillers. I reviewed a few of their items recently - see HERE (the ones I chose were in the £3.50 - £6.80 price range and are perfect).

Do any of these make it onto your Christmas wishlist?