N-SPA Mum-to-be Range

 



I wouldn't of have had this in my life without Danielle from Beauty in Japan pointing them in my direction when they were looking for a pregnant beauty blogger to work with (my huge thanks to  everyone who has done this, I have found some amazing hidden gems thanks to this).

N-PSA in using professional spa inspired formulations but that are affordable for the high street. I know this brand has cause ripples since hitting the beauty blogger scene and I am not honestly surprised. Let's break it down.

Relaxing Bath & Shower Crème £3.50

Rosehip oil, Vitamin E, Shea butter and sweet almond oil are combined to give skin that is soft, clean and delicately fragranced. The best way I can describe the fragrance is a gentle powder scent that doesn't over power which is great when scents make your stomach swirl.

Nourishing Stretch Mark Oil £6.00

This has a combination of Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil Vitamin A and E. It is a lightweight oil that I have found sinks in quickly and leaves no residue behind. I use this twice a day, morning and night, all over bump, bust and thighs. At the moment at week 26, I have had no marks on my skin (this in combination that I have made sure that weight I have put on is steady) for the price I'm impressed by this the most.

Moisturising Bump Butter £6.00

Shea Butter, Rosehip Oil, and vitamin E in a thick butter, I use this once a day in the evening after the Noursing Stretch Mark Oil. Smells like white chocolate which is great when I'm having my chocolate craving. My skin drinks it in, leaving it really soft and more elasticated.

Cooling Leg and Foot Gel £4.00

Peppermint in a Aloe Vera base that soothes hot legs and feet. This was my saviour over the Summer months, as well as having my feet in the air I had this smoothed over my legs/feet. The combination of the two was the biggest relief, and now as I head towards third trimester I'm digging it back out as the swelling has retuned.

I really like this range not only for the price point but because it smells beautiful without making my stomach swirl (certain smells in pregnancy can do that, there have been certain products I've had to giveaway just because the smell was too much). There has not been a range in a while that has lived up to hype around it but is also affordable. I now want to try the rest of the skin care especially the Melting Cleansing Gel.

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