The Pip Box

Subscription Beauty Boxes

I've always loved the idea of subscription beauty boxes. They enable you to try a variety of products at an unbeatable discount.  However, many of the companies have products that don't meet my ethics or the shipping costs are too high.

I was incredibly excited when I heard of The Pip Box.  They are a cruelty free, UK based company and many of the brands are organic.  In addition, 50p from the sale of every box is donated to an animal friendly charity. 

It is named after the founders dog, Pippa.  Their goal is to end cosmetic testing on animals. 

The Pip Box

At the start of February, I ordered my first Pip Box.  They don't dispatch the orders until 20th of the month.  The wait felt incredibly long.  It wasn't until the 27th February 2017 that it finally arrived. 

How exciting! My Pip Box arrived... I wonder what's inside?

A post shared by Alison Aldridge (@redfae) on Feb 22, 2017 at 8:46am PST

The Pip Box was packaged suitably.  The items were wrapped in blue tissue paper.  Inside the tissue paper was a pink cotton bag with the items.

A post shared by Alison Aldridge (@redfae) on Feb 22, 2017 at 8:47am PST

Each box, you are guaranteed at least 5 products with an average value of £35. The box contains information about the 5 products.  The products will often be full size (no sample or sachets).  The type of products are organic and natural make-up, skincare and haircare products.

What did I get?

It all looks great :) Feeling happy x

A post shared by Alison Aldridge (@redfae) on Feb 22, 2017 at 8:51am PST

The five items I received were:

• PHB Ethical Beauty - Natural and organic eyeliner (nearly black)
• PHB Ethical Beauty - Natural and organic water resistant mascara (black)
• Saturated Colour Lip Vinyl (Frisky Fuchsia)
• Akamuti Green Clay Face Mask
• Bloomtown Botanicals The Rose Garden soap

The box cost me £13.50 (+£3.99 P&P) but the goods are valued at £38.25 - and that's not including P&P!  That is incredible value.

PHB Ethical Beauty - Natural and organic eyeliner (black):  £8.95 RRP

I am so pleased with every single item.  The eyeliner is perfect.  It doesn't smudge and lasts all day.

PHB Ethical Beauty - Natural and organic water resistant mascara (black): £15.95 RRP

When I first saw the mascara brush, I thought it looked so basic and had no faith in its ability.  But, I gave it a go and it is the best I have ever used.  My lashes have never looked better.  However, water resistant is very different to waterproof as I discovered with panda eyes at the swimming pool.

Saturated Colour Lip Vinyl (Frisky Fuchsia):  £7.00 RRP 

The Lip Vinyl is a vibrant pop of glossy colour.  It is not sticky and lasts all day.  It you blot it, it becomes a lip stain.  The colour is very bright and vivid - I wouldn't class it as a day lipstick.

Akamuti Green Clay Face Mask:  £4.95 RRP

The green clay mask is a powder and you mix it with water to produce a paste.  You can apply it to trouble areas or all over as a full mask.  I used it as a full mask and was really pleased with how soft my skin felt afterwards.  I was also surprised at how it wasn't messy - I've used other powder masks and been put off by the mess.

Bloomtown Botanicals The Rose Garden soap:  £1.40 RRP

I have used the soap to wash my face for the past week and I think my skin is looking better as a result.  The soap has a gentle pleasant floral scent that is uplifting in a subtle way.

Verdict

If I hadn't been made redundant on 13 Feb, I would subscribe to this box without hesitation. It is exceptional value. 

All the products were top quality and items I may never  have ventured if it had not been for this box.  I'm a fan and will rebuy all the items when they run out. 

The first things I will do when I find a new job, is subscribe to The Pip Box!

Link:  http://www.thepipbox.co.uk/

Curtis Brown - Start Writing Your Novel

I've been subscribed to Curtis Brown's newsletter for a number of years and lusted over doing a course with them for a long time but never could afford it.  As an early birthday present, I got my husband to treat me.

• Course:  Starting Writing Your Novel
• Tutor:  Anna Davis
• Location:  Online
• Date:  Wednesday 5 October 2016
• Duration:  6 weeks
• Fee:  £200
• Link:  http://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/writing-school/

Who is it for?

This introductory course is an excellent opportunity to get a feel of how the online courses run and see if it is right with you with out the expense or commitment of a full time course.

It is run by Curtis Brown a leading Literacy Agency and they share tips on what they are looking for and what makes a submission stand out.  You will cringe when they tell you the things writers repeatedly do that fails to impress.

Who shouldn't apply?

If you want feedback by the tutor on your writing, you will need to pay for one of the longer courses.

How is it run?

The course is easy to follow with support material in the format of a video and an article based on the transcript.  Following on from the support material there is an activity and the resources you need to accompany it.  Each week is split into two subject areas, with a related exercise for each.

This gives you the opportunity to consider what you have learnt and put it into practice.  You post your work to the forum for other students to comment on.  In return, you should comment on their work.

What does it cover?

The course covers an introduction to subjects to help you get started writing your novel e.g. reading as a writer, sources of inspiration and structuring your novel.  For such a short course, it cover a lot!
They are simple subjects that every writer should know but it never hurts to reinforce your foundations.   One of the subjects was the importance of getting into the habit of writing and making time for it - This is so obvious but a constant challenge for me and I valued the advice to overcome the obstacles.

During the course we were encouraged to come up with an idea for a story, the exercises got us to consider the pitch, plotting and planning, starting point, time, POV, character development, first page and chapter.  The exercises will challenge you to rethink the way you write and turn ideas I their head. 

What did I get out of it?

It got me to rethink the opening chapter of my novel, Angel.  It is now a prologue, written in 2nd POV and narrated by the demon - I never would have dared attempt to do this.  I also can see the plot holes in this novel before getting two involved in it and having a massive restructure later on. 

In addition, I took many of the points into consideration whilst editing Drift and transformed the first three chapters into something I feel confident in - a new feeling (as I'm incredibly critical of my work). 

Any problems?

The only issue I had with the course was that I assumed we had a week to complete the assignments.  About week 5, I discovered we were meant to post by Sunday so there was ample time for our work to be read.

In addition, I often wasn't able to comment on other peoples work and nobody ever commented on mine.  I could see other students commenting on each others work without any issue so I'm not sure why I could not.

Would I recommend it?

Overall, I would recommend this course. 

This post is my personal opinion and experience on the course - I have not received any incentive to write my review other than that I enjoy being informative and helpful to other writers. 

Caudalie Gift Sets

I've been spoilt with Caudalie and will be reviewing these products soon. 

Back row - set 2 and set 3

Front row - set 1

SET 1 - Beauty Grows Here 

My sister bought me for Christmas the Caudalie gift set with travel size products.    This set contains:

*  Gentle Cleansing Milk (30ml)

*  Vinosource - Moisturising Sorbet (10ml)

*  Divine Oil (15ml)

*  The Des Vignes - Shower Gel (30ml)

I tried the oil and fell in love.  It truly smells divine.  They have a perfume in the same scent that's now high up on my wish list along with the oil j promptly used up.  

The other products in the set are being saved for a vacation away in May.  

Set 2 & 3

I told my husband to not get me anything for Valentines Day because I'm indulging in the January Sales.  I had to wait until the end of the month to treat myself but it gave me plenty of time to find some bargains.

Set 2 - Vine body luxury set 

£16.50 @ Bath & Unwind

This contains:

* Vine body butter (225ml)

* Hand & nail cream (50ml)

* Lip conditioner (4.5g)

I'm holding fire or trying these products as I still have my Figs & Rouge hand cream & lip balm and I recently bought the Alba nut body oil & leave in conditioner (reviews to come). 

Set 3 - Moisture essentials set 

£23 @ Bath & Unwind

This contains: 

* Vinosource moisturising sorbet (40ml)

* EAU Micellaire cleansing water (100ml)

* Lip Conditioner (4.5g)

I'm going to use this skincare set exclusively throughout February and then review.  I'm hoping it will be a moisturising as the sets band suggests.  

BATH & UNWIND

This online shop offers free P&P for orders over £40.  I was about 50p short. Instead of being charged £3.99 I threw in a sample size bottle of Trilogy Rosehop Oil which I've always wanted to try.  This bumped up my order sufficiently.  

I placed my order on 27 Jan.  Estimated delivery was 2 Feb but it arrived early on 29 Jan.  Early is generally a good thing. 

The items were well packaged.  I would definitely use their site again to purchase products. 

The only thing that would hold me back is the hefty minimum spend got free P&P.  If I was only buying something small for £5 or under then adding £4 to it makes it almost twice the price.   

Summary for 2015 - Cosmetics

<this post has been written on my mobile and will be formatted better when I get to my PC>

I love make up.  I enjoy playing with colours and the way it makes me feel good.  Last year, I tried to make more ethical choices with my cosmetics.  With a tight budget it was difficult to choose what to try as nowhere locally stocks these products to see before you buy.  

JANE IREDALE 

Thanks to Skin Maze I was able to buy samples of the products to see what I though before buying a full size.  I haven't been disappointed by anything I have tried.  

I have tried: 

* Glow Time BB cream (shade 1 & 3) 

* Pure Pressed Bare Mineral (shade Ivory) 

* Just Kissed Cheek & Lip stain (shade Forever Pink, Forever Peach, Forever Red)

* Honey Bronze 

Glow Time is my main foundation now.  Sometimes I use a little as concealer or a full face.  I did find my shade is right between 1 & 3 but they don't do a number 2 so I mix them both together in an old Lily Lolo foundation pot.  

I love the lip & cheek stain.  I was looking for something to replace my Benefit Benetint and this is even better.  This stain is hydrating, lasts well (no reapplying) and gives a gorgeous soft shade that is unique to you.  Peach is my favourite and once I've bought more ill do a full review on all three shades.  

LILY LOLO

Lily Lolo was the first mineral foundation I bought and first natural cosmetic brand.  

I have tried: 

* Mineral Foundation (shade Porecelain) 

* Finishing Powder (shade Flawless Matt)

This brand is so affordable.  The pots have screw top lids so they won't leak when travelling. The pots are reusable.  I've used them to mix my Jane Iredale BB shades, to store a lock of my sons hair and for stashing some hair accessories.  You can buy samples of shades from them direct or from Lucy Rose.  

I'm hoping to try their BB cream as I found the powder a bit drying for me.  The also have two eye shadow pallette stage I've been eyeing up for months.  

ERE PEREZ 

After my terrible experience with BWC I was determind to find a good organic waterproof mascara.  My search took me to Australia.  

I tried: 

* volumizing Waterproof mascara (black) 

* Natural Almond Oil mascara (black)

* Rich Olive Oil lipstick (high tea) 

* Oat Milk foundation (light)

* Oat Milk foundation (medium) 

The waterproof mascara has been great and I use it every week when I go swimming with my son.  It also survived the tears at my Gran's funeral.  I've been using it for 6 months without irritation.  I have found that it can smudge if I'm wearing my BB cream without powder so I usually add a bit of powder around my eyes if I'm wearing that. I wouldn't say I noticed it adding much volume but I bought it more for its underwater effectiveness.  

The other mascara was actually a gift for my best friend who has very sensitive eyes and can't wear mascara.  She was really pleased with it and now wears it for nights out and dates.  

The lipstick was a free sample.  At first I wasn't keen and found it drying as i usually wear balms but I have grown to like it and it's a really good neutral day colour.  

The foundation was a sample I purchased from Flora & Fauna as I loved what I read about it.  However, their idea of light was too dark for me. So, I didn't even need to try medium.  

ZOYA 

I wanted to try an organic nail varnish and this brand had good reviews and was a reasonable price.

I have tried:

* Nail Polish (shade Elodie) 

I was impressed how nice this looked and lasted without a base or top coat.  It didn't chip for about 3 days.  

I'm encouraged to try more natural polishes as they are just as good as conventional polishes but without the nasties.  I bought mine from Naturismo.

I have Sparituals protein basecoat and some shades on my Lucy Rose wish list.

100 PERCENT PURE

I took advantage of its Black Friday deal to get two lip and cheek tints for just £7.  I liked the idea of the products using fruit extracts but couldn't find many reviews.  

I tried: 

* lip & cheek stain (cranberry glow) 

* lip & cheek stain (pink grapefruit) 

I kept the cranberry one and gifted the grapefruit to a friend.  

The chubby stick is too big to apply directly to your lips so I ended up rubbing it onto my finger and then onto my lips.  My cheeks I applied it to directly and then smudged with my finger.  The product lasted a good while and wasn't too drying.  

The cranberry gives that flushed cherry colour you get when you've just been kissed or come in from outdoors after a brisk walk on a cold winters day.  

I wasn't in love with this product enough to purchase again at full price but the brand is good quality and I'd be interested in trying more.  They have beauty sets where you can get a lot of products to create a look at a subsidised price.  

FIGS & ROUGE

I discovered this brand when hunting for a good hand cream for my dry winter hands.  On Naturismo, I spotted their lip balm on sale.  I bought the hand cream from Feel Unique. 

I tried: 

* Tinted lip balm (mocha orange) 

* hand cream (vanilla) 

The lip balm squeezes out the tube like a gel tooth paste.  You can't apply it directly to your lips.  You need to use your finger to smudge it in which then leaves you with a sticky finger.  It does have a lovely subtle orange taste and sparkle.  

The hand cream is very moisturising.  It feels like my skin is drinking water.  It's refreshing but not wet.  It dries quickly but doesn't dry out my skin.  The product is amazing.  My only gripe is that the scent is too sweet.  I love vanilla but this is too sweet like ice cream and makes me crazy hungry.  

Performance wise both products have rescued my dry hands and lips from the cold and made my winter much more enjoyable.  I will buy both again but I'll try a different scent...

PIXI

This is not an organic brand and I bought it believing it was - whoops, I strayed. 

I have tried: 

* concealing concerntrate (shade Adaptable Beige) 

*. Mesmerising mineral pallette (shade Emerald Gold)

* endless silly eye pen (shade black noir)

* tinted brilliance balm (shade rosy red, unique pink) 

I bought the pallette and rosy red balm myself but the other products were a free gift from either Cult Beauty or Beauty Bay.  

The eye shadows are perfect colours for redheads.  The unique pink was a gorgeous colour that was individual to each person but sadly no longer appears on their website.  The concealer was too orange for my pale skin.  I love the eye liner, it was so soft and creamy.  The rosy red was a lovely bright red, not a natural shade.  

BEAUTY WITHOUT CRUELTY 

I ordered this brand because I was looking for a waterproof mascara and a concealer.  The make up was very affordable and I purchased it from Animal Aid so got to support a good cause too.  

I tried:

* waterproof mascara (black)

* liquid foundation (sheer)

NOT IN STOCK:

* concealer - chubby pencil (fair)

Sadly, the chubby pencil was out of stock but Animal Aid had excellent communication and customer service and my money was promptly refunded.  

The mascara was in a cellophane wrapper and I had to break the seal to open it so I could tell it had not been opened before.  Unfortunately the fluid had dried up and it was like applying crumbly dust to my lashes.  I was so disappointed.  My much didn't improve with the foundation - the shade sheer lived up to its name.  It should be called tinted moisturiser because it had no effect at all at evening my skin tone - it looked as if I was wearing nothing and not in a beautifully natural flawless way. 

Since my dissappointing experience with this brand I have not bought any more product from them and have no wish to do so. 

VERDICT

At first organic products seemed like a gamble because there is no way to test them out but I've found some helpful online companies that have helped me identify the products that are right for me.  I shall do a post soon reviewing the online shops I have used.  

At first I thought the change would be expensive but I've replaced things gradually and done my research and mostly I've been impressed with what I've found.  

Here comes the long lust list for cosmetics for 2016:

This year, I hope to try more Jane Iredale and have my eye on their spf face powder and facial mists.  I really would like to get some organic eye shadows and like the look of both the Lily Lolo palletes and their shade witchypoo.  I like the Bellapiere palletes on Naturismo too. I have long list of products I want by brand Pacifica - I may have to get one of their collections but currently they only seem to be available on their American website.  I will probably start with their waterproof mascara and eyeliner and see if it beats importing Ere Perez (it's a long wait to be shipped in from Australia). I need to get better at doing my nails so I'm desperate to buy the Sparitual protein top & base coat and some pretty polish colours but I struggle to choose shades. I also liked Kure but they are very expensive so keeping my eye out for a sale.  RMS illuminzer is £30 so it's always in my basket but never makes it to checkout because I that's my whole budget gone on one item.  I've tried lots of Vapour samples and never been disappointed - their primer, foundationd and concealer were a close second to Jane Iredales BB Cream.  Ilia has some lovely looking kits for lips and eyes that I'm hoping to treat myself to, one day...

<this post has been written on my mobile and will be formatted better when I get to my PC>

Summary for 2015 - Skincare.

Over the course of 2015, I have tried to convert to more ethical beauty products, mainly trying to switch to more organic and natural brands.  Here is a very brief rundown on the brands that I tried.

I have ranked them in order of my favourite, with number 1 being the top spot.

1. Moa:  http://www.moa.london/
2. Antipodes:  http://www.antipodesnature.us/
3. Lyonsleaf:  http://www.lyonsleaf.co.uk/
4. Balm Balm:  http://balmbalm.com/
5. Balmology:  http://balmology.co.uk/
6. Organic Surge:  http://www.organicsurge.com/
7. 100% Pure:  https://www.100percentpure.com/
8. Evolve Beauty:  http://www.evolvebeauty.co.uk/
9. Trevano:  http://www.trevarnoskincare.co.uk/
10. Pixi:  http://www.pixibeauty.com/

I have awarded them hearts based on the following.  However, some of these brands also donate to charities too, so buy purchasing their products you are supporting a worthy cause - wow!

• Red:  Great British brand
• Green:  Organic/Natural
• Blue:  Cruelty free
• Yellow:  Purse friendly
• Purple:  Effective

1.  MOA - Magic Organic Apothecary

Products used:

• The Green Balm

I got the little 15ml pot for £4.99 to try it.  I used it as a cleanser and it had a lovely earthy natural
smell that would be suitable for men and women.  As this can also be used as a moisturiser, I never was too worried whether I got every trace off.  When I was using this product I was moisturising with antipodes as part of my skincare routine.  My skin looked it best.

My son cut his thumb pretty bad.  Once his bandage was off and the hospital said he no longer needed a dressing or a plaster, I would apply this balm to his wound as it can be used for that too.  My son loved the special green healing balm and his cut healed lovely and he felt loved. 

I must buy some more of this EVERYTHING miracle balm in 2016!  They also have a facial oil that looks promising but is more on the pricey side. 

 2.  Antipodes

Products used:

• Divine Face Oil Organic Avacado Oil & Rosehip
• Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream
• Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replensih Serum
• Avacado Pear Nourishing Night Cream

These were travel sizes in their Anti Aging Minis (night) set and Moisture Boost Minis (day) set.  Brilliant sizes to trial the products and lasted me about a monthfter a bad experience with Glow Tonic I needed a major moisture boost and abandoned my gentle Organic Surge. 

At the time I was started cleansing with MOA.  My skin improved drastically.  It kept getting better and better.  It had never looked so good.  I wanted to buy the full size but each product is about £20 and I couldn't afford all four at once and I couldn't decide.  It has inspired me to include a serum in my skincare routine as I suspect that is the secret to the power of this bundle. 

I would love to try their kiwi eye cream and their immortal (spf) moisturiser.  I would love to try this cleansing balm.  The whole range looks amazing and very high quality. It is worth the price tag.  This brand deserves its cult following. 

3.  Lyonsleaf

Products used:

• Beauty Balm
• Calendula cream
• Body Butter

The beauty balm can be used to moisturise, exfoliate and moisturise.  I really enjoyed it.  It was slightly firmer than MOA.  Again, I loved how I wasn't worried that it would irritate my skin if traces remained after cleansing.  It can even treat acne. 

This beauty balm is right up there with MOA due to its versatility.  The Calendula cream was really moisturising, I used it as an eye cream and to heal acne. 

The body butter was the only one that really didn't float my boat.  It was nice but I found it tricky to apply, but I prefer an oil for my body so this could just be personal preference. 

These products are great value and high quality.  The sample tins are suitable for travel.  The scent is unisex but sweeter than MOA. 

You can see my full review of here:  http://allyaldridge.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/lyonsleaf.html

4.  Balm Balm

Products used:

• Coconut Cleanser
• Muslin Face Cloth
• Hibiscus Face Mask
• Little Miracle Rosehip Serum
• Witch Hazel Toner

I got this as a gift set (for myself) in the January sale before I tried Organic Surge.  The mini facial set of travel size products came to a grand total of £13.25.  That's an absolute steal if you ask me!

I really enjoyed the cleanser.  The muslin cloth wasn't anything special.  The Toner went really fast and was really good.  The face mask didn't work because it is a powder and I mixed too much water - whoops!  The rosehip serum was really good.  The set lasted about two weeks.

I easily could have bought full size of these products. I wanted to try other brands rather than settling for the first one I tried.

5.  Balmology

Products used:

• Neroli & Sweet Neroli Cleansing Balm
• Calendula & Chamomile Comfort Balm
• Neroli & Frankinscense Beauty Balm

I ordered samples from Naturismo to see how I got on with these.  Samples are a great way to test if a product suits you without having to spend a lot of money on a full size that might need to be thrown away.  The samples were £1.50 a pot and lasted me a couple of weeks whereas a full size would have cost over £20 each. 

The hot cloth cleansing balm was lovely and smells beautiful.  It was a little harder than MOA so I had to warm it up first.  I was aware that I needed to make sure I washed it all off .  The beauty balm was nice to put on before bed.  I found I didn't use the comfort balm very much - I still have some of this left.

6.  Organic Surge

Products used:

• Daily Care Refreshing Face Wash
• Eye Gel
• Orange Flower Toner
• Blissful Daily Moisturiser
• Overnight Sensation Night Cream
• Perfecting Face Polish

This was the first brand I bought full size products because it is so affordable. They do bundles so you can bulk buy your products at an even cheaper rate.  I bought one of their mystery bundles which is great value for money and encourages you to try products you wouldn't ordinarily try. You do get a lot for your money. 

This brand is ideal for sensitive skin as it is very gentle.  Unfortunately, I felt I needed something more moisturising as I have quite dry skin.  I loved the Orange Toner and it was the first product to run out.  I wasn't a fan of the face polish but I'm not a face scrub type of girl.

7.  100% Pure 

Products used:

• Organic Cucumber Juice Facial Cleansing Foam
• Charcoal Konjac sponge

I got the pair in a Black Friday deal for £7 (RRP £27).  It is really nice how the cleanser comes out already foamed.  The cucumber scent is quite refreshing.  I have been using it to remove my Evolve cleanser.  I also really like the little sponge, its firm but gentle against the skin. 

The cleanser is very mild and I think it would struggle to remove waterproof or long wear make-up.  My son usually washes his face with just water but over Christmas I have let him squirt some of this foam on his flannel and it has helped him feel whether he has done both cheeks and his nose and mouth.  It is gentle enough for a toddlers skin and he finds it fun to use.  I'm going to have to look for a cheaper organic alternative for him when it runs out. 

8.  Evolve Beauty

Products used:

• Gentle Cleansing Melt
• Multi Action Double Cream

I got these full size in a sale (both for £10).  Sadly, I'm not in love with the products at all and now I am stuck using them until they are used up.  It is good at removing long wear/waterproof make up. 

The cleansing melt smells gorgeous but I struggle to remove all of the product from my face and end up with more blackheads than I've ever experienced in my life.  The double cream is the least moisturising moisturiser that I have ever used.  However, the products I bought were in a purple candy coloured tub.  The melt looks like a put you'd by a Body Shop body butter in. 

However, when you visit Evolve's website, their products are in their scientific looking brown bottles.  I wonder if I have got an out of date product that isn't cutting the mustard like a brand new fresh designed version.  Their website have got some travel size versions of their products available enabling you to buy them for as little as £3 to try out.

9.  Trevarno

Products used:

• Rose & Jojoba Cleanser
• Rosewater & Camomile Skin Toner (ingredients include lavender) 
• Rose & Jojoba Moisturiser (ingredients include lavender) 
• Overnight Replenishing Cream (ingredients include lavender) 
• Organic Revitalising Facial Oil

The cleanser toner and moisturisers all came in a Skin Starter Set.  I added the facial oil due to my positive experience with the Anitpodes. 

I should start with a positive note which is how immediately you will identify how aesthetically pleasing the products look.  Everything I received was in frosted purple glass bottles and looked beautiful. 

I kept the oil, despite my frustration with the poorly designed bottled.  Anitpodes has a droppler that enables you to suck the oil out of the bottle and then apply to your face.  Trevarno have a vinegar bottle style stopper that is designed to let next to nothing out.  I was shaking that bottle like a frustrated teenage boy who didn't get laid on prom night.  Eventually, I pulled the stopper out and I have to very carefully pour the oil into my hand and apply to my face.  Forgetting the poorly designed bottle, the actual product is amazing.  The oil smells divine and feels good on my skin. 

The other products I had to give away to my best friend.  The names of the products is not clear that they are going to have a strong lavender smell.  My friend fortunately loves the smell of lavender whilst I on the other hand hate it.  It made me feel like I was being suffocated by an old lady in my sleep.  I very rarely refuse to use up a product as I can't stand wasting money. 

I made the mistake of buying Pixi Glow Tonic.  It had amazing reviews and a huge cult following.  This product has AHA which it does warn can make you more sensitive to the sun and as a redhead I should have known better than to apply this to my face and go out without sun protection, in the summer!  My nose got vert dry and crusty and looked terrifyingly like skin cancer!  I stopped using it and ordered some high moisturising products (hello antipodes to the rescue).

   

10.  Pixi

This is not an organic/natural product

Products used:

• Glow Tonic

I made the mistake of buying Pixi Glow Tonic.  It had amazing reviews and a huge cult following.  This product has AHA which it does warn can make you more sensitive to the sun and as a redhead I should have known better than to apply this to my face and go out without sun protection, in the summer!  My nose got very dry and crusty and looked terrifyingly like skin cancer!  I stopped using it and ordered some high moisturising products (hello MOA/antipodes to the rescue).

I love how this product can get every last grime of dirt off your skin.  It was addictive and I was using it every morning and evening.  Little did I realise that I was striping my skin of its natural protection.  If you have sun sensitive skin like me then it is probably best to use this as an evening treatment and perhaps only once or twice a week.  If you use it in the morning, be sure to team it with spf protection. 

I have tried some of their make-up products which I do love. 

Wish list for 2016

I definitely want to buy MOA cleaner and Lyonsleaf beauty balm again.  I want to try more Anitpodes as well as purchasing those golden products that saved my skin.

I received Caudalie for Christmas and I'm looking forward to trying their cleanser, moisturiser, shower gel and divine oil.  I'm going away in May so may save them for then... but the oil smells so good, I just don't know if I can wait.

The top three brands on my "wish to try" list are:

• Speiza
• Aurelia Probiotic Skincare
• Alba Botanics 

I also am tempted to try A'Kin, Grown Alchemist, Lavera Skincare, Jason Naturals, Juice Beauty and Jurlique.  If I saw them on offer they might take precedent over the top three on my "wish to try" list. 

Sept Beauty Buys (MOA and Acorelle)

I bought some treats and samples from Naturismo which has to be my top online organic store.  The site is easy to use and find what you want and I like their offers.  All orders get free shipping! 

I bought: 

*  Acorelle Balance set £15

*  MOA green Balm £4.99 

ACORELLE BALANCE SET 

The set comes with three 10ml bottles of scents with armotherapthy benefits to balance you.  

*  Silky Rose:  my signature perfume is Chloe but I've found that other Rose perfumes just can match it.  However, this was a lovely sweet uplifting floral scent and I've found myself wearing it everyday.  

*  Vanilla Blossom:  this was the scent I was most excited to try but was disgusted.  Scent is a personal taste and some may like it.  On me it smelt like old lady and moth balls.  I hate being wasteful but I really hate the smell.  

*  Absolu Tiare:  this was the scent I would never have bought if it were not part of the set. It's pleasant.  I've thrown it in my handbag as an emergency perfume.  

ACORELLE VERDICT:  you get a good variety in the box and they are decent sizes to really try them out or use on the go (holiday).  I'm glad I tried them before buying full sizes as I almost bought the vanilla one.  The Rose is going on my xmas gift wish list.  It isn't long lasting and it's very subtle but since wearing it my mood has been on a constant hight - perhaps the aromatic effects.  

MOA GREEN BALM 

This is an everything balm.  

I bought it for my son's cut finger to help it heal.  He's a toddler so he's constantly finding new dangers to get bumps and scuffs.  My plan was with mummy's kisses, cuddles and magic balm, boo boos will be gone.  

Noah isn't that bothered by it. 

I on the other hand was suffering with some dry skin on my nose - I think it was caused by Glow Tonic which I stopped immediately and read scary reports about skin cancer.  I decided I needed a more moisturising cleanser for my skin and decided to give MOA a go as it was sitting on my shelf.  

Like coconut oil you need to warm this up into an oil.  It is softer though, more like butter.  I massaged it onto my face then pressed a warm flannel onto my face - to open the pores and let it enjoy the balm.  Then, I washed it off.  Next, I rinsed my flannel under the cold tap and pressed it against my skin to close the pores.  My face felt clean but moisturised.  I wasn't worried about using a toner to remove the last traces because this product can be used as a moisturiser.  My skin loved it.  

I had a sample of another balm cleanser that just didn't live up to the joy I had with MOA.  

MOA VERDICT:  I wish I'd bought a larger pot!  This is affordable and so versatile.  It is an amazing product.  I'll be getting the bigger size come pay day. 

Link: www.naturismo.com 

SAMPLES 

With every order you can buy up to 5 samples.  There is also usually a 7 free samples offer if you spend over £25. 

I choose: 

* Cauldaline - Divine oil 

* Aurelia - miracle cleanser 

* Vapour -highlighter in trick stick 

* Balmology - nourish beauty balm 

* Balmology - cleanse cleansing balm 

They threw in: 

Sept Beauty Buys (Antipodes kits)

After spending NO money in August I couldn't wait until pay day.  Sadly my budget hadn't doubled. 

From Amazon I bought: 

* Antipodes Moisture Boost Minis set

* Antipodes Anti-Aging Minis set

ANTI-AGING MINIS SET £13.48 

This set contains 

*  Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replenish Serum 10ml 

*  Avacado Pear Nourishing Night Cream 15ml 

It arrived at the end of August (does that technically fall into the Aug budget?).  

The serum comes in a bottle with a pippet. I dosed two drops onto my fingers and massaged it into my face, neck and de collage.  Then I apply the cream.  I use a generous pea size amount.  

The serum is full of berry oil so I expected a fruity smell and the cream has pear so I thought it would be sweet.  However both of them have a mild earthy smell that is unisex.  

The condition of my skin improved quite quickly.  I'm suffering with less breakouts and less dry patches of skin.  The only downside is that the oil gets in my hair when I sleep and I wake up with unglamorous sleek hair.  

MOISTURE BOOST MINIS SET £11.97 

This set arrived on 1st September and I've used it everyday since.  It contains: 

*  Divine Face Oil Avacado Oil & Rosehip 10ml 

*  Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream 

Again, both products are very lightly fragrances and have a very natural earthy smell.  The vanilla cream has been in my wish list for ages because I love the smell of vanilla so I was a tad disappointed that  it didn't smell like ice cream.  It's still sweet but more subtle. 

I applied it using the same method I used with the anti-aging set. Again, I've loved the results with my skin.  However, it takes a while to dry and I'm often in a rush so end up applying my BB cream and mascara and the combination results in panda eyes - I know, I need to be more patient.  

ANTIPODES VERDICT:  both kits are great to try out the products.  It's been over 2 weeks and I still have plenty left to use.  I love the result on my skin and have learnt to use less oil.  I really want to buy the full size products but they aren't cheap, with RRP starting at £18 for the serum up to £30 for the night cream.  To buy all four would blow my monthly budget for a few months! 

Dr Organic Snail Gel Cream

For June, I ordered Dr Organic Snail Gel Cream and 4 Snail Gel face masks from Holland and Barrett.  H&B had a sale on  "Buy 2 or more get 25% off.  Buy 5 or more get 50% off all Dr.Organic."  Therefore, my order came to a grand total of £13.97 (£15.96 to include £1.99 postage).

I haven't tried the face mask yet but as soon as the cream arrived I used it right away.

The cream is thick and white and smells of lemons.  It's a lot more pleasant than the thought of how it was made.  My 18 month son was interested so I allowed him to sample some too and it caused no adverse reaction to his young skin.

I have been using this cream morning and night.  To start there were no obvious "wow" benefits from using it but my pre-existing blemishes appeared to be healing and no new spots erupted in response to changing my regime.  One night, I went to bed and didn't use it, my skin flared up.  This happened again today - last night, I went to bed last night without using it (I used my Surge Organic night cream instead) and today, I have a massive spot on my chin.

Now, I am terrified that my snail slime will run out and anger my skin angry from with drawl.  As a result, this cream is likely to become a staple in my skincare regime.

Writers iPhone4

<This was originally posted in January 2012 - when I added labels it updated the date.  I plan on writing a more current post regarding the apps I use now and most often>

I've had an iPhone now for just over a year. Before that my previous mobile allowed me to make and take calls and send and recieve text messages. The iPhone was a long over due upgrade. I always said I couldn't see point of buying an expensive mobile that didn't do everything I wanted but the iPhone4 sounded like the handheld PC that I'd always dreams of. My passion is my writing so I really hoped I could get an app on my phone for writing and this brief list are some of my favourites: Dictionary.com This app comes with word of the day. Today's word in Profluent (flowing smoothly or abundently forth). You can email, twitter of facebook the word if you like or star it to add to your favourites. There are other daily news articles about the English language. Then there is the whole point I downloaded this app in the first place - the dictonary (gives the meaning of the word and how to pronouce it). It also has a Theasauraus that suggest more words for you. Wikipedia Basically, exactly the same as the website. The app has a daily featured article. Today's article is The Battle of Barrosa. This app is handy for research or inspiration. My Writing Allows you to colour code writing projects and edit chapters. The work is backed up online so you can work from your PC or your mobile. It has a very plain enterface, however, it is free. SkyDrive If you have a hotmail or live account, then you can upload documents to your skydrive to work on at another PC. Having the app on your iPhone only allows you to read and email the document as an attachment - you cannot edit on your phone. Maybe if I bought the Microsft Word for iPhone package I would be able to but its quite pricey and I worried it would take up to much room on my phone.