Cornwall Week #5

White Wash Cornish Cottages

Sunrise in Cornwall Lighthouse at Mevagissey

Aquarium in Mevagissey

Mevagissey Harbour

Newquay Coastline

The Red Lion Pub

Charlies Coffee Shop Charlestown

This week has been quiet and I think we have found our rhythm into rural life. Daily coffee shop visits & buying our fruit & veg from little stalls at the road side & paying into an honesty box – I Iove that! It has been so warm & feels nothing like October / November its so bright and feels more like Spring. I’m sure the colder weather is on its way.

We are driving up to Manchester & then on to Scotland at the end of the month so we are trying to get all our work up to date so we can enjoy spending time with family & friends. We are spending Christmas back here in Cornwall which will be our first Christmas just the two of us in 15 years. We are usually the ones driving up the motorway on Christmas Eve / Boxing Day on a 600 mile round trip to visit family and this year we want a quiet low key Christmas just the two of us in our own home. Bliss.

Arran Aromatics

Arran Aromatics Products

I have recently been introduced to a lovely Scottish brand called Arran Aromatics, which started back in 1989 on the beautiful Isle of Arran by a husband & wife (there is something quite romantic about that). Over the past 20 years the brand has gone from strength to strength and is dedicated to producing affordable quality products. I have been trying out two products from their incredible range and I’ve been blown away with how effective and luxurious they’ve been.

After The Rain Bath Salts*

These bath salts come beautifully packaged and look lovely out in your bathroom. I wasn’t prepared for just how incredible they would smell. I emptied a good amount into my running bath, closed the door & pottered about for a couple of minutes whilst they dissolved in the water and by the time I went back into the bathroom the whole room smelt of the most soothing and calming scent. Even my husband commented on how good they smelt.

So these bath salts are part of the After The Rain collection and the scent is an Arran Aromatics best seller, its easy to see why. After the Rain fragrance blends citrus top notes of lemon, and essential oils of lime and mandarin with rose, musk and precious woods to form the heart and base notes of the fragrance. I like that its a combination of floral, citrus and more masculine musk and woods, its such a wonderful blend. I love the scent that much that I will be purchasing the candle and the body lotion. The scent was so soothing and I felt relaxed after my bath.

The After The Rain Collection has something for everyone from bath salts to perfume so make sure you take a look.

Sea Mud Cleansing Mask*

This mask is from Arran Aromatics Feel Good Formulas which is an everyday body care range with natural-inspired traditional ingredients, extracts and essential oils, which are centuries old – yet bang up-to-date, allowing you to enjoy positive benefits from head to toe! This Mud Mask is a great way to pamper the skin and draw out impurities and balance oils leaving your skin looking radiant and feeling clean. Its like your traditional Mud Mask and you apply a generous amount to clean skin & leave it on for about 10 minutes, I never let my mud mask dry completely I like to wash it off just as it starts to set, that way my skin never feels dry and tight when I wash it off. I remove it using a warm damp cloth & I love how smooth and soothed my skin feels after using this.

This Sea Mud Mask contains natural Kaolin to draw out impurities and replaces lost minerals, whilst essential oils of Bergamot and Mint act to tone and revitalise, protecting against oiliness and spots, leaving your skin clean and conditioned. So your skin is in good hands!

What products have you tried from Arran Aromatics? I’d love to hear your suggestions. Oh and they have a lovely selection of Christmas gifts including an advent calendar filled with 24 luxurious treats from candles to shower gels and much more. I am very very tempted by this!

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Products For In Between Hair Washes

products for dry hair

Hair products for in between washes

Since having my hair cut shorter last year Into a mess cropped bob I find I don’t need to wash it as often & so I have been using a lot more products in between washes & I thought I would share with you a few of my favourites.

Macadamia Professional Anti Humidity Finishing Spray*

This is a product for all those people who need help fighting the dreaded frizz. I normally wear my hair curly which is how it dries naturally & there is a fine line for me from curly to out right frizzy. Whether its the damp or humidity my hair will go instantly frizzy in these conditions & it’s such a pain. This product is lightweight and shields hair from moisture and humidity, you spray it on to dry hair and it gives a slight hold to your hair but not like a hairspray. It’s not tacky and it doesn’t leave your hair feeling weighed down at all. It helps maintain your style without leaving your hair feeling like it has a lot of product in. This also has a number of benefits for your hair too,

  • Macadamia Oil – Omega 7,5 and 3 fatty acids provide weightless moisture
  • Argan Oil – Omega 9 fatty acid repairs and strengthens
  • Proprietary Copolymer Blend – A water resistant film-forming barrier that protects the hair from weather and humidity
  • Vitamin E – Offers antioxidant protection against environmental aggressors and helps to maintain healthy, shiny hair
  • Hydrolized Soy Protein – Strengthens hair fibre; adds shine and smooths hair

So your hair is in good hands. This would be a great product to use when you have an important date or event! Maintain your style for longer.

OGX Hydrating Macadamia Oil Dry Styling Oil

This a dry styling oil from OGX and this is so hydrating and keeps my curls looking bouncy and healthy. You need so little product which is great & this is a product you put on damp hair but I also use this on dry hair to revive my hair, especially when it’s looking a little dry. I only put it through the length & ends of my hair and it stops the annoying flyaway hairs, it never makes my hair looks greasy or weigh it down. For an oil it’s quite lightweight but just remember less is more.

  • Macadamia Oil – Hydrates and smooths dry hair
  • Sugar Cane Extract & Bamboo Extract – Soften and helps reduce the appearance of split ends

Colab Luxe Shine*

This is a party season must have. It’s a finishing spray that will leave your hair looking silky soft and glossy.This is such a great product, especially if like me you don’t wash your hair daily & want it to still look fresh. So I like to use it on 2nd and even 3rd day hair almost like a dry conditioner & it revives my dull locks. This luxe shine spray is infused with a nourishing blend of precious oils, silk extracts & shimmering diamond dust, so perfect for achieving the perfect party hair look! Oh & this smells incredible. This is the newest addition to Ruth Crilly’s Colab range & I love it.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

Such a popular product & a lazy girl’s best friend. Gone are the days when 2nd-day hair meant greasy unmanageable locks. I use Batiste so much & find that if I put a little in my hair overnight I wake up with hair that looks clean and has body. I have purchased this countless times & always have a few cans on the go. I don’t really have a preference as to what scent I buy I tend to get the one that is on offer.

Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray

I have had this for a while now but I tend to use it to give texture to my wavy hair without making it feel crusty or dry. I find sea salt sprays much of a muchness, to be honest, & don’t want to pay a fortune so this travel size one has lasted me a good couple of months. It’s nice sometimes to have a bit of texture and wear my hair less sleek & polished looking but I do find if I use this I will have to wash my hair the next day so I tend to use this when I know my hair needs washing.

So what products do you use in between washing your hair, either to revive greasy hair or add a little texture or shine to your locks? Let me know in the comments what products you would recommend.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Cornwall Week #4

There hasn’t been too much time for exploring this past week but we did manage to head a couple of miles up the road to visit Lostwithiel which is a really small village with so many antique shops. My dad would love it there. The weather wasn’t that good but we still managed to have a good look and I’m now lusting after so many antique dressers and kitchen tables, it might develop into an expensive addiction

Duchy Coffee Shop Cornwall

Beautiful Cornish Village

Autumn in Cornwall

Cornish Cottages

Antique Shopping Cornwall

Sunnyside Cottage Charlestown

Harbourside in Charlestown

Seaside Sunset

The shops down here are limited to say the least, well I am used to shopping in Manchester so I’m becoming quite the online shopping master. Although my postman isn’t as impressed with my skills!

I’m really enjoying exploring Cornwall and if you have any suggestions of places I must see then let me know.