Making Future Plans

I had previously said in my post about being a SAHM (Becoming a Stay At Home Mum) that it wasn't going to be forever. This year would of been 13 years since I qualified as an aromatherapist, followed by my other qualifications up to my BTEC in Make Up Artistry. I had invested hundreds of pounds in my training and I feel that I am wasting those years of training away. Trying to find work that also fits around looking after Beth is so rare it could be classed as gold dust.

This brings me round to what I am currently putting research in and require your help. I am planning to start a aromatherapy based beauty and massage company. To find if I am along the right lines with my thinking I am asking anyone and everyone with a few minutes to spend to help me by filling in a questionnaire.

Follow the link to the form here

As Yet I am still in the early stages of planning and researching but am excited. I briefly ran my own company a few years back (it was also ones of reasons I started the blog), but that was closed down last year after it wasn't successful, it was a great learning experience and this time I am using all the lessons I've taken and applying them for this.

Thank you to everyone who's taking the time to fill it in, and hopefully in the next few months I can give you some great news.

Febreze Sleep Easy Range #Sleephappy

I've just completed 6 weeks of using Febreze Sleep Serenity on behalf of Super Savvy Me testing board. I got given a kit with some money off vouchers as well as a bottle of each scent to try out over the weeks before going to bed.

As being a new Mum sleep is not only vital but also it is broken up as we care for our babies. I was sleeping OK but finding it hard to switch off and fall asleep as I reel off lists of things that need to be done or worrying that Beth is not breathing etc. I was eager to try these out and see if they could give me more of a restful sleep.

They come in three fragrances:

• Moonlit Lavender - Famous for it soothing and relaxing properties.
• Quiet Jasmine -Is an anti depressant and relaxes jangled nerves.
• Warm Milk and Honey - A hug in the spray, deeply comforting.

They also contain the Febreze technology that eliminates odours so all you can smell is the fragrance.

Working with the National Sleep Foundation to offer all the partakers advice on how to improve their nights sleep. We need sleep to recharge our brain, improve our mood and be creative and we should be looking at between 6-8 hours a night. It is recommended for this to to have a routine to wind down for the evenings rest. This can be from reading to taking a bath, but it is recommended that you avoid technology an hour before bed because of the light emitted from it can mimic daylight and keep you awake.

With this in mind, I changed the sheets (fresher sheets always feel better) and sprayed different ones each week to see what worked as well as what was preferred. I also sprayed it on the far side of the room before settling Bethany to sleep to also see if it would settle her down.

I tried to keep to the same bedtimes as possible, Hubby and I agreed that an hour before bed we spend some time together winding down and worked a routine that would help me wind down. A hour before Beth's bedtime I work spray the room and it would still be there when we went to bed a few hours later. I did on the whole sleep a lot more soundly and found it easier to fall asleep.

Out of the scents I tried so far I liked this range the most, Hubby preferred Milk and Honey, I liked Quiet Jasmine and Beth slept better with the Moonlit Lavender. As well as the sprays there is plug in and reed diffusers, all available at your local supermarket.

Steamcream Moisturser - My new Skin Love

I fell in love with Steamcream before I got my hands on it, I love the limited edition design concepts of the packaging. I know from training and experience that the product can come second to packaging, modern, sleek designs that can suit every taste. I do not want to take anything away from anything that is inside the tin, that is something of a beauty in itself.

Steamcream have a simple concept, use high-quality, natural ingredients that are bought together using steam. This leaves a light weight but super nourishing cream to apply to the skin. My nose instantly brought out lavender, a soothing anti inflammatory alongside chamomile, these also calm fraught nerves and help unwind for sleep (or applying like I do in the morning a fraught night feed). Jojoba Oil is an emollient so it stops moisture escaping, cocoa butter and sweet almond oil are skin softeners, Oatmeal infusion is high minerals that brighten and even skin tone. You also have orange flower water and blossom oil which will balance out skins sebum production and lift your mood. To complete you then have Neroli and Rose Absolute oil to help skin elasticity for the more maturer skins. They do make sure that in one tin you have all skin tones/needs complete.

For me I like the keep it simple concept, using unadulterated ingredients to provide a product that hit all the needs that your skin will need at one point or another. I know in the past year my skin has needed balancing, nourishing as well as brightening. It's also lightweight that it doesn't cause a grease film over my nose and forehead, which is the problem trying to use a product that covers my T-zone successfully. I also love the scent as it reminds of my aromatherapy training when I used to turn into George from Roald Dahl's George's Marvelous Medicine.

Steamcream does say you can use it over the body, I wouldn't use it as all over body moisturiser as you race through tins, more on the areas that need a little extra like knees and elbows. I also rub the excess into my hands to give them a dose as well. I do also like that it works alongside my facial oil rather than clashes as some high street moisturisers do. At £12.95 for one tin (they do run 2 for £20 offers too) I think it's competitive to somewhere like Lush, as well as the high street. I won mine in a blogger competition but would be more than happy to replace once it runs out.

www.steamcream.com

Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser

I got this is British Beauty Bloggers first beauty box and was interested to try it as it was recommended.

Now, me thinking it was a cleanser, used it as I thought a lotion cleanser should be used, massage over face and wipe off. What I didn't know that it was a foaming cleanser and couldn't be wiped off using cotton wool. I had to put a SOS over Twitter to find out how to use it as the website, to me, wasn't very clear on the website (which is now updated) and even on the bottle.

Once that got cleared up and I worked out how to use it, I did start to enjoy using it. I use a lotion/cream cleanser if I have been wearing makeup before using a foam cleanser to feel more clean, or on make up free days I just use this straight away so I cannot comment on how it removes makeup or eye makeup. Through experience I have not found any foaming replacement for taking makeup off.

The first thing that hits me about this is the scent, Rosewood and Sandalwood,  this gave musky, woody tones that could work for both male and female. The foam base also has carrot and  coconut oil to nourish the skin. I use this 1-2 times a day, the size of 5p piece (I know it says 20p on the website but I felt that was just too much and found that the size I use preforms just as well) with warm water and a face cloth.

It does clean the skin, so this gives a brighter appearance as you clean off the dead skin cells and dirt. For me it didn't flair any of my sensitive parts on the cheeks and after a few days also reduced the appearance of spots that I had been having over my chin. I think value wise it is very as well, at £17.50 for 240ml (there is a smaller and larger size) it works out at £ per a ml. The bottle I have (30ml) has lasted me about 5 months so far to put this into some prospective.

I would buy this again, for the results but importantly for the value for money I get from it.

Neom Complete Bliss Hand Cream

As a new Mum you wash your hands several times a day, before/after feeds, before/after bathroom breaks (to prevent cross infection), as well as hot soapy water to wash feeding bottle. Your hands really do suffer, they get drier, itchy and all the cuticles get cracked. My gorgeous pregnancy nails were a thing of the past (pictured here with Essie's For The Twill of It on), I was left with short flakey below par nails.

I had got this 50ml size in one of British Beauty Blogger's infamous blog boxes, and have been using it an intense evening treatment. Neom is more known for it candle ranges and me being naive, was surpised that they did more than that in their range.

Complete Bliss main ingrediant is Moroccan Rose, which is aromatherapy is used for drier skins as well as soothing, it also contains vitamin A&E packed Shea Butter, Macadamia Nut Oil, Rosemary Leaf & Pomegranate for noisturent. Pnnk pepper and lime give the scent an uplifting, fresher tone that stops the rose from over powering the product. The constitancy is rich but still sinks in without resdue.

Neom only sell this in a 250ml pump bottle for £18.00 (this is 7p per a 1 ml) through their website. However I have spotted some going for £13.00 so its worth having a search for. This would make a luxury present for a new mum and like me I'm sure they would appreciate a little luxury after a long day with a newborn.

Antipodes Organic Avocado Oil & Rosehip

After trying the Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ and falling in love with it, I was determined to try and investigate facial oils more. I had always dismissed them as I think, like others, that if you add oil to oily skin it would make it oiler. I was very wrong, after trying Trilogy out for a week it improved my skin without adding any other oil to it.

How did I come to Antipodes? That would be the influence of other beauty bloggers, there are bevy of them who adore good skin care and this product came up time and time again.

I took to Google and searched out the product online, the first thing I was impressed with was the price £19 compared to Triogy's £29 for the same amount, and second was the ingredients list that got my aromatherapy side twitching. Base oils of Avocado, Macadamia Nut, Jojoba and Rosehip oil - all filled with fatty acids (great for scar healing), vitamin A, B1, B2, C and D as well as Omegas 3 and 9. These will help skin healing, neutralize free radicals that lead to aging, and helps skin look less stressed. Essentials oils of Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood and Jasmine give a delicate fragrance but contribute to the psychological effect of feeling less stressed and soothes rattled nerves.

I got my bottle when I went to the London Bloggers Meet Up in April from Selfridges, and every blogger that saw in my bag said it was the best purchase I could of made that day. I got this just as the right time because my normal moisturiser has just ran out, I patted 3 drops over my face with the option of putting a cream over the top if you feel you need a bit more moisture to the skin. After a week the redness I have on my sensitive cheeks has reduced, my skin did look a lot smoother and more refreshed. When my skin started to get more blemishes (which I didn't realise at the time where the result of my pregnancy), it even helped with the healing of these.

Do I love this? A whole hearted yes, and I recommend it to everyone who wants a good value facial oil that still delivers the results of the higher value. I am already eyeing the skin masks in the range, which is great timing as one of my favourite natural websites Nature's Healthbox have announced they are stocking it so I do not have to wait for my next Selfridges trip.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+

I do have really sensitive skin, on my cheeks they are very dry and always seemed red (it does however save me on buying blushers). I had mentioned recently that my skin has also been full of blemishes which is now, thankfully under control.

I had noticed this appear on other bloggers site saying how great it was, I did a little research on the ingredients and well it sounded like a dream for my skin. I ordered this 7 day sample from latestinbeauty.com for £1.50 (excluding P&P). I managed to stretch this out to about 9 days morning and evening, as I used about dropper full patted over the face each day.

For me straight away the more notable thing is that the redness in my cheeks had gone down to a soft pink. I could foundation on and actually have a blank canvas to work with rather than having to correct the colouring. Secondly, foundation also went on smoother and looked a lot more even.

The rosehip is full of antioxidants and fatty acids that help the skin heal and fight against the signs of ageing. You use it on it's own or alongside another moisturiser, I preferred it on it's on as it seemed to be working with my dry/combination without much more help.

It retails for a 30ml at between £23 - £30 and it would be repurchase if I hadn't already fallen for another oil, Antipodes Avocado and Rosehip at the same size but for £19.



Say 'Hello' to Nature's Healthbox

Part of being of holistic therapist that specialises in Aromatherapy, you do get frustrated with companies that use the term very loosely and have products that really don't hold the values of aromatherapy truly (That is a rant for another blog entry!).

I approached Nature's Healthbox when they asked people to help review items from their shop, after reading their email I was more than eager to help a like minded company. It was started by three colleagues who worked in the pharmacy industry, but all have a passion and experience in using products that are as stripped back to their natural roots as possible.

They road test as many products as possible (as well as roping in friends and family), as well as research that each of their range is eco-friendly and organic (each product has the percentage of organic materials in the descriptions) but does the job.

Saying I had more of an interest in Beauty, I was sent Weleda's Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash 200ml (£8.99) and Weleda's Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil 100ml (£19.89). The cream wash is thick and moisturising as it has sunflower and sesame seed oil in. The body oil is a blended (Jojoba, sesame, wheatgerm and sunflower) oil that is moisturising without being heavy on the skin, it actually has opposite effect and my skin seems to drink it.

An extra positive is that the oil comes in a a dark bottle with a dropper dispenser, the dark bottle ensurers that oils are kept in the best condition and protected from deterioration. The droppers means that when you pour the oil out it controls the amount does not flow too quickly.

 

From the delivery time of a few days to the friendly and helpful staff, I have been really impressed. You can also give them a tweet to say hello, they like that too!

 

After browsing, for maybe a bit too long, on the newly launched Nature's Healthbox website. The following wish list has emerged;

 

 

1. Burt's Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream £8.99

2. Avalon Organics Shine Ylang Ylang Shampoo and conditioner £5.99 each

3. Badger Balm Stress Soother £6.09

4. Weleda Lavender Creamy Body wash 200ml £7.89

5. Green People Eco Lipstick Cherry 4.5g £10.99

6. Teapigs Chocolate Flake Tea 15 Temples £3.99 - Chocolate tea!

 

From Monday 14th to the end January use the code BLOGTASTIC2013 at the checkout and get 10% of any purchases and can be used in conjunction with these offers:

25% off Salcura (amazing treatments for eczema, psoriasis, dry and irritable skin)
15% off A.Vogel (a vast range of remedies and tinctures extracted from plants- I cannot recommend the echinacea products highly enough)
20% off Amy's Kitchen (Seriously delicious soups with no nasties)

 

Natures Healthbox launches today www.natureshealthbox.co.uk and I wish them all the best in their new adventure. I'll be putting my next order in soon.

"Wear it where you want to be kissed" - Chanel No.5

Chanel No.5 is iconic in the fragrance world. It evokes legend and fantasy to any perfume lover.

The legend is that Coco Chanel has a choice of sample bottles labelled 1-5 and 20-24, she said to her perfumer Earnst Beaux,  "I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already, it will bring good luck." Her official launch day of Chanel No.5 was May 5th 1921.

Coco Chanel 1937

This Floral-aldehydic blend of rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood (as well as 80 other ingredients), went on sale in 1921 in tiny vials only to exclusive clientele in Chanel rue Cambon boutique. The bottle we know today has only slightly evolved over time, however from 1924 the hand blown glass perfume bottle has stayed the same (while Eau de Toilette and Eau de Perfume bottles are mass produced).

Chanel have and always will be luxury and glamorous. There is something about owning a bottle of Chanel that lets you buy into a small part of the history of the perfume and the brand. I personally like No.5, it reminds me of a time that seems very lost to the past.

I also like this time of year where every two years the next No.5 campaign is launched, this year is another first with a man, Brad Pitt being the face of it. I'm still out whether I like it, so I shall leave you with my favourite, 2003/2004 with Nicole Kidman, I still get goosebumps with the final line....




 "Number five. Yes," Chanel said later, "that is what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman’s perfume, with the scent of a woman".

Masterclass - Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the understanding of using essentials oils from plants can affect the physical and psychological of the client. The first record of use was ancient Egypt that used these extracts in embalming their dead (and also making them smell a little more pleasant). The Greeks also used an early kind of aromatherapy to treat aliments, including Hipprociates, the starter of medicine.

The term 'aromatherapy' was first coined by french alchemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in 1910. Gattefosse burnt his hand after an experiment went wrong; he then plunged his hand in the nearest liquid - a vat of lavender oil and realise that this oil had increased the healing time. His first work, "Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles Hormones Végétales" (1937) is what modern aromatherapy is based on today.

Essential oils is a term that is form the liquid that is extracted from plants, which can be the flowers, leaves, stem, and/or wood. These are distilled from then using different methods like steaming and pressing, until the oil comes out. They are highly scented and should not be put direct onto the skin, they should be diluted into a base oil or water before use.

The most popular essentials oils are tea tree (Latin: Melaleuca alternifolia), a fresh, zingy oil that is anti-septic, anti-fungal and anti-viral; and Lavender (Latin: Lavandula angustifolia), a woody floral that is anti-stress, soothes and calms frayed nerves. There are thousands of different oils, I have spent many an afternoon smelling scents and mixing my own blends. All true essentials oils should have their Latin name of the plant they came from on the label so you know its origin, unfortunately in this instance the manufactures ones are not up to standard.

Base oils (can be known as carrier oils as they 'carry' the essential oils) are slightly thicker than essentials oils, these contain nutrients for the skin. These are mostly pressed from nuts, seeds and fruit. The most popular in these are Almond oil, Grapeseed and Evening Primrose oil. Each have their own different nutrient value and are just as fun to mix up as essentials oil to produce the perfect treatment.

The way a treatment should be is that you will have a conversation with your therapist, and this can include how you are feeling as well as general medical issues. The therapist should then select a blend to you to smell, this is your blend (as they mixed together) as well as discuss how you are continuing your treatment. I found the best way to have a massage, the movements are flowing soothing and you come away floating away. As a therapist I also like giving a massage not only for the effect on the client but also on myself as I receive the benefits!

I got into aromatherapy just over 10 years ago now and love it. You do not know how much it touches your everyday life. I love scents and smells, this lead onto my job for Boots as a Fragrance Consultant for 3 and half years. It is a fascinating subject that infuses chemistry, biology and phsyicology, that not only takes in the body but the whole well being of the client.

Next week: My next qualification - Indian Head Massage