Best of British

Daycol Derma Face Polish

- Vicki Leave a comment
daycol face scrub

I love trying new skincare and there is nothing more satisfying than discovering a small, more indie brand which really blows you away and that is how I feel about daycol. This is a brand that a friend of mine introduced me too and she has incredible skin so I was excited to see how it would fit into my skincare regime.

Daycol are a British skincare brand founded by Annette Heard and she has developed a range that focuses on using lovely organic ingredients to ensure our skin is well taken care of.

“There’s nothing more precious than our skin. Its condition affects our mood, feeling of wellbeing and emotions. I have created a range with natural organic ingredients, free from sulphate, paraben and alcohol to help you look great. And when we look great, we feel great.”

Daycol Derma Face Polish

daycol Derma Face Polish £25

I have been using the daycol Derma Face Polish for a few months now and I’m quite tough when it comes to reviewing face scrubs because they’re my favourite step in my routine. I like how a scrub can leave the skin feeling smooth and give it a healthy radiance but that said I also hate a scrub that is unnecessarily abrasive so this product had a whole checklist it had to meet.

daycol skincare

This face polish has a cream-like consistency and the scrubbies are tiny pieces of Volcanic Rock which are fine enough to exfoliate away those dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling smooth and promote a healthy radiance. I like that it’s not at all rough or abrasive on the skin (so it well and truly ticks that box).

Formulated with daycol’s own infusion of Bioderma3 Complex to include;

  • Apricot Kernel Oil- Apricot Kernel Oil is also high in vitamins B1, B2, B6 and beta-carotene. It has a luxuriously rich texture and is used to soften delicate and dry skin
  • Coconut Oil – Naturally high in vitamins A and E coconut oil will protect against the harmful effects of free radicals.
  • Avocado Oil – A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (similar to those found in fish oil) it is also high in sterolin which has been shown soften skin and help prevent age spots. Avocado oil is also rich in the antioxidants vitamins A, D and E, making it useful for healing sun-damaged skin and lecithin and potassium.

daycol face scrub

So this lovely creamy face scrub feels really luxurious and after using it my skin is soft and radiant. It really feels like it makes light work of removing dead skin and you do not need to scrub your face – just gently massage into your skin allowing all the cocktail of skin loving ingredients work to their magic.

I am so pleased to have discovered a brand I haven’t heard many people talking about. Daycol has a small but well-rounded selection of products and next on my must-try list is their Ultra Rich Marine Collagen Moisturiser which sounds wonderful.

Let me know what smaller brands you have been loving.

Limited Edition Balance Basket from BalanceMe

- Vicki Leave a comment
limited edition balance basket

limited edition balanceMe basket

Limited Edition Balance Basket £30

This Summer BalanceMe have been inspired by British Summertime and created this beautiful Balance embroidered straw basket with leather straps, which would make a lovely holiday bag, whether you’re having a staycation or a vacation! It is incredible quality and is large enough to fit all your poolside / beach essentials.

Living in Cornwall I tend to spend many a day at the beach and this Balance Basket will be perfect for carrying everything I need from my SPF to a good book, oh and not forgetting a few snacks and a cheeky bottle of wine. The leather straps are long enough so you can carry this comfortably over your shoulder and nothing says Summer quite like a cute straw basket!

balanceMe Skincare

BalanceMe Summer Basket

BalanceMe also kindly sent me a few of their Summer essentials to try out and I was very excited to see one of my favourite products amongst them, that being their:-

Natural Protection Moisturiser SPF25

This is a very lightweight daily moisturiser with SPF25, it gives you broad spectrum protection using Titanium Dioxide (this filter physically reflects the sun’s rays) based natural mineral filter to shield skin from UVA & UVB rays. As well as being a very effective SPF it is also really good moisturiser and contains Hyluronic Acid to help keep skin hydrated, smooth and plump as well as Kukui Seed Oil which contains vitamins A, C, and E, which are antioxidants known to protect the skin and prevent free-radical damage. So you skin is in really good hands. I’m so pleased to have a new tube ready to use and it is going to stay in my beach basket so I never forget it!

BalanceMe Pure Skin Face Wash

I have never tried this cleanser but it is sulphate free and formulated for sensitive skin so that means it will be a nice gentle cleanser for washing off my SPF after long days at the beach. Its key ingredients include, Spruce Knot which is a purifying anti oxidant, rich in Vitamin E and renowned for its balancing skin regulating properties. Rice Brand Oil this botanical oil helps to balance the skins natural protective barrier and Moringa Oil is great at rejuvenating your complexion and soothing redness and inflammation. So a really good cleanser to use after being outside all day, it will nourish, sooth and give your skin a natural radiance.

Holiday Skincare from BalanceMe

BalanceMe Super Moisturising Body Oil and Body Wash

I have tried the Rose Otto versions of these and they were so luxurious. This Super Moisturising duo have the most beautiful scent, I can pick out the patchouli which is one of my absolute favourite notes. Both of these products are gentle and perfect for both dry and normal skin. I use the body wash as hand wash because it doesn’t strip my hands and the scent lingers for such a long time, the fact that it has a pump dispenser also makes it very practical as a handwash.

    • Dry skin: Softening Benzoin, calming Yarrow and Patchouli, plus hydrating Shea Butter work together to gently soften and repair flaky, dry skin and dry patches
    • Normal skin: Sulphate-free formula doesn’t strip skin of its natural oils and is so hydrating that skin will not need moisturising after showering!

The body oil is such a pampering product and lovely for keeping your skin looking its best and feeling so soft. If you have dry skin it is going to help keep that dry skin at bay

  • Healing Neroli, rejuvenating Rosehip and Jojoba this oil will help to maintain hydration levels and reduce outbreaks of dry, flaky skin that can be prone to irritation
  • Packed full of essential fatty acids, anti-oxidants and vitamins, this body oil is perfect for increasing skins elasticity and the high percentage of Coconut Oil used in this hi-tech formulation allows this body oil to naturally tackle, prevent and reduce stretch marks.

The beautiful limited edition Balance Baskets are all handmade and available now for £30. Please note that the products do not come with the basket. The basket is available online at balanceme.co.uk for a limited time only.

BalanceMe are a Cruelty Free brand and Balance Meproducts are free from parabens, dea, mineral oils, sulphates, pegs, petroleum, silicones, propylene glycol, microbeads, artificial fragrances and colours.

  • This post contains PR Samples

 

Baylis & Harding Gift Ideas

- Vicki Leave a comment
baylis Harding Gift Ideas

Baylis & Harding Gift Ideas

Even if you’re shopping at the very last minute for Mother’s Day gifts, don’t worry that’s the fantastic thing about Baylis & Harding it’s readily available in most supermarkets. So if you’re still looking for a lovely gift or something else to add to your Mother’s Day surprise when you can still pop in and grab one of the gorgeous Baylis & Harding Gift Sets. They have quite a few to choose from this year, the two I am featuring are from the La Maison Linen Rose & Cotton Collection.

Baylis & Harding are a British family run business that specialises in stylish, designer-quality, luxury bath and body products that are affordable for everyone. Their products always make lovely, thoughtful gifts and I like that they’re available at a number of retailers. They make finding a gift for someone just that much easier.

Baylis Harding Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Baylis & Harding La Maison Linen Rose & Cotton Heart Gift Box

The first thing you notice about this set is that it comes packaged in the prettiest pale pink & silver heart shaped box, it looks super luxurious and feminine. This gift set comes with two pampering treats including a body cleanser & massage body balm lotion. This gift would be lovely for any Mum or loved one that likes to take a moment to themselves to relax and pamper. They have a pretty floral scent but the fresh cotton gives it a relaxing, fresh twist.

BAYLIS & HARDING MOTHERS DAY GIFTS]

BAYLIS AND HARDING LINEN ROSE AND COTTON

Baylis & Harding Linen Rose & Cotton Luxury Candles

This is a pretty set of three candles are infused with a subtle linen, rose and cotton scent. It is the perfect fresh but floral scent for Spring and this trio of candles come housed in a silver, pale pink and cream jars inside in a beautiful gift box. What a lovely way to treat your Mum this Sunday

Baylis & Harding have a huge selection of gifts available this Mother’s Day & they’re available in Tesco, Asda, Argos, House of Fraser, Superdrug and Amazon!

Molton Brown: The Patisserie Parlour Gourmand Collection

- Vicki Leave a comment
Limited Edition Molton Brown Gourmand Collections

Limited Edition Molton Brown Gourmand Collections

London’s fragrance experts Molton Brown have released a beautiful limited edition collection just in time for Mother’s Day. The Patisserie Parlour is made up of three Gourmand scents, including

  • Exquisite Vanilla and Violet Flower
  • Delicious Rhubarb and Rose
  • Comice Pear and Wild Honey

All three scents have been expertly crafted with the very best seasonal ingredients sourced from the English countryside, celebrating the brand’s proud British heritage.

Molton Brown The Patisserie Parlour Collection

I’ve been trying out the trio of hand creams from the Gourmand Collections that are available in a beautiful Spring Indulgences Hand Cream Gift Set* £25. All three hand creams smell incredible and are perfect for Spring / Summer. This non-greasy formula feels very hydrating and leaves your hands feeling soft, smooth and comfortable. These 40ml sized tubes are an ideal size and will mean you will be able to leave one on your desk, by your bed and of course in your handbag.

So let Molton Brown take you on a journey through the English countryside this Spring.

Comice Pear & Wild Honey / London via Gloucestershire

‘An Orchard of pear trees, ripe with plump fruit. Rambling wildflowers scattered in the grass. The charming hum of honey bees. Melt into the warmth of sun-drenched English meadows.’

This has such a sweet, crisp scent and it very much reminds me of warm Summer evenings.

The fragrance opens with green leaves refreshed by hints of bergamot and layered with petals of gardenia. The heart reveals a juicy pear embellished by jasmine and lily of the valley, evolving into a base of mouth-watering honey, caramel and biscuit.

Molton Brown Hand Creams

Delicious Rhubarb and Rose / London via Yorkshire

‘A crimson summer tart. Freshly picked roses. Bowls of sugar, spice and all things nice. Treat your hands to a recipe of tart rhubarb with a citrus twist.’

This has a richly floral scent with a lovely zesty layer.

‘Rhubarb spikes a bitter top note assty fruits fizz with a citrus twist. These contrast with the sweetness of sugary tart in the base while gentle rose extract and vanilla bring to life the buttery pastry of dessert.’

Molton Brown The Patisserie Parlour Gourmand Collection

Lily of the Valley & Star Anise Hand Cream / London via Cornwall

‘A luxurious moisturising hand cream blended with white truffle extract and scented with floral notes of lily of the valley and magnolia.’

I live in Cornwall so I feel like this is the scent for me, it’s a pretty mix of Spring floral notes that are quite light but have a classic timelessness about them. This is going straight into my handbag.

This indulgent fragrance is blended with lily of the valley and star anise, enhanced by floral notes of magnolia and ylang-ylang for instant hydration. 

Why not Indulge your Mum with something from this limited edition Gourmand Collection, featuring a hand wash £18, hand lotion £23, hand cream £10 and a fantastic selection of gift sets available now at Molton Brown

Molton Brown is also stocked at John Lewis and larger Boots stores

•This post contains PR Samples.