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.

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.

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