I have a few new beauty products of the natural and organic variety which are proving keepers, so here’s a rundown of what I’m using and loving at the moment…
Overall, as you probably know, I tend to use natural and organic products and if not, then at the very least, the product needs to be parabens free, which luckily is more & more starting to become the norm these days.
*Items in this post have been gifted for review & some items are affiliate linked
My best new eye treatment – the use of which I find particularly addictive! – is a new (parabens free & doesn’t test on animals) brand for me, Kate Somerville. LA facialist to many A-listers, Kate Somerville developed her goat milk products for sensitive skin (she was bathed in goat’s milk as a child to help her exzema).
The Goat Milk Depuffing Eyebalm is wonderfully soft and nourishing and I feel like I’m layering on a barrier of protection to this delicate area. There is also a super soothing Goat Milk Moisturising Cream which feels gorgeous, especially after a day out in grimy London air, and I’ve just started using the Detox Daily Cleanser which is proving very gentle but effective.
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Next up are some incredibly scented made-in-small-batches beauty oils for stressed out skin by London based organic brand Disciple – founder Charlotte is a former psychotherapist who struggled with acne and found solutions in aromatherapy and natural skin care formulations.
I have to admit, there’s something quite magical about these products – as in, I can’t stop using them! My current face routine morning & night has become just an excuse to use the delicious and just incredibly soothing Balancing Mist. Also the act of spritzing is such a calming wind-down action and fabulous state-of-intention feeling about how you plan to proceed!
And the two face oils – Good Skin and Dreamy Skin – as well as being brilliantly named are light (but not too light!) and feel good and replenishing on the skin.
Also for every product sold, Disciple donates a cosmetics, beauty or sanitary product to The Beauty Bank – a brilliant initiative collective toiletries, fashion items and gifts to help people in need. You can find a local drop-off point here at DropIt.
Now a real favourite for over a year for their beautiful bath products (I get panicky when my Uplifting Bath Oil starts running low!) Bramley is now offering their Lemon, Mandarin & Rosemary shampoo in a 1 litre supersize container to cut down on waste and reduce plastic consumption (from 2019, Bramley will be using sugarcane instead of plastic and upgrading the pump to make it 100% recyclable). All Bramley ingredients are biodegradable and packaging recyclable.
Founder Chloe Luxton (who worked for Cowshed before moving to Wiltshire to set up gorgeous country inn Beckford Arms and develop Bramley) told me: “We have seen it with our own eyes the effect that too much plastic waste is having on the planet and I think it’s so important for us all to do our bit. We are really pleased with the response we have had to our new 1 litre bottles and will be going one step further in the new year, when all our bottles will be made out of a bio-polymer derived from sugar cane.”
Also in this lineup, you will see one of my now absolute-can’t-live-withtouts, which is the quite incredible Magnesium Arnica Gel by The Lost Explorer. I’ve had this for a few months now and actually had to go out and restock as I’ve been using every night. Basically the gel is an absolute panacea when applied to stressed, tense muscles – for me, my shoulders and neck. Using it every night before bed almost guarantees a sound night’s sleep and I’ve become completely dependant on it!
The Lost Explorer Magnesium Arnica Gel
It kinds of ties in that I’m equally obsessed with all the Cowshed products, so cleverly evoking the Soho House lifestyle with genuinely brilliant skincare. An exciting new product which is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine, is the multi-purposing Kahai Wonder Balm – this can be used as under eye balm, for lips, hot flannel facemask, on any dry spots – I’ve been using mainly on lips and my dry heels, and yes, like all Cowshed products, it smells delish.
Also pictured here is the Cowshed Pillow Mist – I’ve become scarily reliant on these for getting to sleep and always have to have one to hand! At 100ml this is the perfect travel size, so I always pop this in my toiletries bag when travelling.
Recently I’ve been trying out a couple of products from natural skincare and beauty brand NudeByNature. From Australia, the brands commits to no silicone, siloxanes, phthalates, sulphates, PEGS, triclosan, phenoxyethanol or parabens, and products do not contain carmine, talc or bismuth oxychloride. Which is fantastic, as this level of free-from can be hard to find to in makeup items.
I’m using the mascara as my everyday one at the moment – really nice to apply, not at all gloopy. A medium coverage, which is perfect for day as I don’t want my lashes to look too built up – although you can layer it up if want it to look stronger; the brush is nicely flexible, although a bit bendy when putting back in the holder!
And as I still have a bit of colour from summer hols, I’ve forgone the usual foundation for the NudeByNature Sheer Glow BB tinted cream in Soft Sand 02, which works a treat for daytime (sometimes I layer up with another light product, see below) and all I apply after is a bit of undereye concealer.
NudebyNature Sheer Glow BB cream
A few weeks ago, I received a lovely set of products from Weleda – probably one of the first natural brands I started using back in the day when there weren’t that many around. The Almond Soothing Facial Cream (pink tube in pictures further above – apologies for the faint Weleda logo bit – reflecting light gah!) for sensitive skin somehow manages to have a fluffy lightness to it, while still feeling nice and hydrating.
And I’ve been following up with the nude Beauty Balm Tinted Cream (above), which in combination with the NudeByNature BB Cream is providing just the right amount of barely there coverage (not sure this is how you’re meant to use them, but I like it my personal take on it, lol!).
Now if you’re looking for a fluoride-free toothpaste Weleda does this Salt Toothpaste, which while not the tasty mint you’re used to, is much so better for you, formulated with salt which stimulates salivation to encourage the mouth to naturally cleanse. The taste is not particularly salty, it’s quite hard to describe actually – less taste than we are used to from a toothpaste – definitely one that will take some getting used to if you like that fresh minty taste and sensation!
Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Cream
Weleda Beauty Balm Tinted Cream
And last of all, just a shout-out to one of my longterm favourite brands Pai Skincare for their super gentle, micro-bead free Kukui and Jojoba Bead Exfoliator– I usually use this once a week for a good skin polish!
And standing on its end in such beautiful packaging is something that Gus has bee using – a lovely organic soap for kids, made from shea butter & coconut oils by Enfance Paris from the ever brilliant eco-luxe beauty site A Beautiful World. The soap comes with its own wide string looped in and can also be used for the face as well as body. Love it, and there’s a shampoo too! These would make beautiful gifts as the packaging is so gorgeous too!