Purity Skincare

Recently I was very lucky to receive a few products from Purity skin care to try out. I hadn't heard anything about the brand before so was quite interested in seeing what their range was like.

A little about Purity skin care:

'Intelligent Ingredients, few in numbers and highly effective, a combination which results in beautiful skin and is kind to the earth.

Less is more in beauty. Purity Organic Skincare is efficacious, using hard-working, sustainably-grown ingredients, few in number and cleverly combined to encourage skin to work as it should. Purity Organic Skincare is a British brand, conceived and created to bring intelligent, sustainable and organic beauty to each and every one of us.'

So what did I think? 
  

Cleanser - This cleanser is nice I cant fault it but it lacks a bit of wow factor. I would say it would make a good staple to have in your bathroom, it cleanses the skin well with no fuss.
Note: The packaging of this really confused me as I wasn't completely sure how to open it - it looks like it should be a pump but isn't. I've been opening the top and then squeezing the body of the packaging to get the product out - if anyone knows how this is meant to work please let me know because I'm very confused!

Facial exfoliator - This facial scrub has the barest of scents which presumably is from the base ingredients (since the whole range is fragrance free) its a little plastically but its soo light its barely noticeable. I really like the consistency its really creamy with very small bits of coconut shell, in fact in the ingredients its listed as coconut shell powder which shows how small the particles are. I think that the smaller size works really well, there's enough exfoliating to feel thats it working but its not harsh and doesn't leave my skin red after use which I have previously found with some exfoliators - basically its a great everyday exfoliator.

Regenerating overnight moisturiser - I wasn't sure I was going to like this but I have actually become quite taken with it, its incredibly rich and creamy. I personally like this in an night cream as I feel like I'm really treating my skin. Although its thick it doesn't take long to sink in, a little light massaging and its done. It has a plastically scent like the exfolitor but its a little stronger, its not an unpleasant smell just a bit odd. After use in the morning my skin looks hydrated, soft and almost plumped up. The other good thing about this is that just a little bit goes a really long way, several times I've managed to take out far to much but have found that it works perfectly well on my neck and décolletage as well!

Note: This was becoming an unbelievably long post so I have decided to split it into two...take a break ...have a cup of tea more Purity fun to follow :) .... 

Guest Bloggers

 I am going on a short holiday soon which I hope will be a lot of fun and may include a little bit of sunshine yay ...however over this time I wont be able to do any blogging - I'm going on a sailing holiday and I'm pretty sure that there will not be any internet which means no posting etc ...therefore I am looking for a few guest bloggers to help me cover this time.

Picture from google - My boat will be a tinsy bit bigger :)

If your interested get in touch via email (email is available on my profile :)) or twitter...I have no preferences to the content all ideas are welcome food / fashion / beauty / lifestyle as long as its a good read :)

Purely Natural

This is the acne cleanser from Purely Natural. I’ve recently been really enjoying finding / exploring natural and free from companies and products and Purely Natural as you may have guessed from the name very much falls into this category.

 About the company: 

Purely Natural Skin Ltd started in 2011 by the owner Dean. In 2011 Dean began the pursuit of his long term ambition to improve the poor products & information available to people with skin conditions. He wanted to take a honest approach that is realistic. He states “you need good quality skin care products and changes to your diet & lifestyle to stay clear in the long run.” Purely Natural provides skin care that is 100% natural, affordable and personalised for each and every individual. We have taken natural skin care to a new level and our products are as pure & natural as skin care gets.

This is probably the oddest cleanser I have ever used and surprisingly every time I use it I end up thinking about food! It smells very similar to Madeira cake and looks and kinda feels like cookie dough.

Appearance after about 2 weeks use

To use it you break off a small bit and crumble it into the palm of your hand, slowly blend with water until you achieve a consistency your happy with. The first few times I tried this I added far too much water but I found that likening it to hot chocolate (sorry another food reference) helped – when you add hot chocolate powder to a cup and then add water to make a paste - its exactly like that. Once you’ve made your paste you use it like any other cleanser massage into the skin and then wash off with warm water.

It can be quite bitty there are small pieces of plant material (that may be lavender) which obviously don’t melt away during use, but although being a little weird they don’t negatively affect the overall feel of the cleanser.
It leaves my skin feeling cleansed and fresh while also being quite moisturising which for me was quite unexpected from a cleanser designed for acne. Usually products for acne can by quite drying and in some cases harsh on the skin this makes for a nice change.

Effect on my blemishes

I don’t have masses of acne but I do get the usual monthly breakout and generally have a blemish somewhere on my face. I thought I would grow out of this, sadly this doesn’t seem to have happened!

I found that it didn’t get rid of all of my blemishes but I have noticed a reduction while using it. The main difference that I've noticed is that my blemishes clear up a lot quicker and don’t seem as bad (inflamed etc) as before I started using this (Which is great!).
Another thing that I like was that the cleanser arrived with a little note which had top tips for fighting acne including: exercise, cutting down on dairy, cleansing everyday etc. I like this because acne is not only about what cleanser you use - it can be due to a whole host of different things - I thought that it was good for a company to show a more holistic view.

So all in all although it’s a little odd I have really enjoyed using this cleanser and I do believe that it has helped my with my skin.

It is available here from the Purely Natural website and is priced at £7.95 which I think is pretty reasonable.

I was lucky enough to receive this as a PR sample but as always my opinions are my own.  

Green People

I was perusing one of my local shops when I spotted a selection of Green People products - I hadn't heard of them before but after a quick chat and a recommendation from the sales assistant I ended up purchasing their day solution hydrating balancing day cream.  

About the Green People:

Green People are committed to offering products that are natural, gentle, organic and highly effective. None of our formulations or products are or ever have been tested on animals and most of our products are registered by the Vegan Society. We believe that you have a fundamental right to know exactly what is contained in the products you are buying and therefore give full ingredient disclosure on all of our products. 

This was slightly more expensive than my usual day cream at £13.95 but I was won over by the ideas behind the company, the fact that they are a British brand and wanted to see if it was as good as it sounded.

Its another Geranium smelling product which I love but has quite lemony / rose undertones and is very refreshing.

It has a really light consistency and sinks in amazingly quickly, perfect for rushed mornings! Although its light it still leaves my skin feeling hydrated, calmed and amazingly soft, and also makes a perfect base for under make up. 

I've become a big fan of this day cream and I am excited to see what else the Green People have in their range I believe it includes make up which I find very exciting!

See their website here.

Have you tried anything from the Green People? Let me know below :)

Alison Claire

I've had the opportunity to try out a shower gel and body lotion from the company Alison Claire. I really like the ethos of this company its all about being aware of what your putting on your skin and what's in the products you use on a day to day basis.

Company blurb - 'The Alison Claire range was born in response to increased public awareness of the potential exposure to irritant chemicals in beauty products. None of the products in the Alison Claire So Remarkable range are tested on animals, they are all vegan friendly and free from parabens, PEGs, and phenoxyethanol.'

Bergamot & Black Pepper Shower gel

Enticing bergamot combines with pungent black pepper and natural cleansing ingredients to invigorate and thoroughly cleanse your skin. Lactic acid boosts ceramides and supports the skin’s own natural protective barrier and citric acids help to keep the pH balanced. 

When I first opened the bottle I could really smell the bergamot but once its lathered up (which it does nicely) it has a really punchy pepper scent unfortunately I'm not a massive fan of pepper! However I passed it over to my boyfriend who really was quite taken by it. It does leave your skin feeling clean and fresh but I was a little underwhelmed by it as a product overall. 

Rose Geranium Body Lotion
'Charmingly fragrant and pampering. The moisturising power of this lotion lies in its succulent selection of vegetable and fruit-derived emollients.'

The lotion is slightly thinner in consistency than my usual moisturisers but this was in no way a bad thing, it sinks into the skin easily leaving it feeling silky and noticeably smoother. I love the scent of the lotion, I have always felt that rose is a really feminine scent and this is also wonderfully delicate, leaving the skin with a gentle hint of rose. 

I enjoyed using both products and I think I may have enjoyed the shower gel more if it had been a different scent. 
They are a little pricey with both the body lotion and the shower gel retailing for £12 available from the website here. However if you do indulge you can be assured that they are made using high quality ingredients and contain no nasty chemicals or preservatives.  

*I was lucky enough to receive these as PR samples however my opinions are still my own.  

Honeycomb Ice Cream

Bit of a random post today but I went to a friends BBQ at the weekend and helped make some wonderful ice cream. I was amazed at how easy it was to make so thought I would share - it is possibly the most unhealthy recipe ever but it tastes delicious...and that's all that matters really!

For the Honeycomb

2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

5 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon Bicarbonate of soda

Lightly oil a baking tray

Melt the syrup and the sugar together and then boil for 4 mins.

Take off the heat and immediately add the bicarbonate - it should expand impressively.

Pour into the oiled tray and leave to cool. 

I unfortunately I managed to lose the photos for the above section but once the honeycomb is cooling it should look something like below :)

Then break the honeycomb into small pieces.

To make the ice cream

1 Tin condensed milk

1 Pint Whipping Cream

Whisk the cream lightly (it should not be stiff just thick)

Fold in the condensed milk

Add the honeycomb to the mixture and gently stir in.

Then transfer to a suitable container and put in the freezer, it should set after about 3 hours but its better to leave it over night... and that's it ...Tada really easy and very yummy ice cream :) 

In other news I've been really busy lately and have been finding it hard to find time for blogging but I should be more free and posting more regularly soon. In the mean time please enjoy some fabby ice cream :)

Di Palomo Hand Cream

I was initially received this hand cream as a birthday present and I immediately loved it - I think it has something to do with the scent. Its a bitter orange with something else which I guess would be the olive coming through? Its hard to describe but I really love it. It seems like quite a grown up and sophisticated scent - don't get me wrong I'm a fan of the sweet and fruity smells (e.g. Soap and Glory Hand Food etc) but this makes a lovely change.

Blurb: An enriching and luxurious Hand and Nail Cream blended with olive oil, honey and orange blossom extract which are known for their soothing and nourishing properties. Also rich in Grape-seed Oil to leave your hands soft, smooth and nourished.

Its quite a light moisturiser - sinking in quickly leaving my hands soft but not greasy or sticky - I think if you have seriously dry hands you might need something a bit richer but this makes a perfect everyday hand cream. This is my second tube and I will definitely be buying more!


It retails for £7 and you can find it here.

I have a bit of a thing for hand creams so if you have any recommends let me know :)