Heathcote & Ivory : By The Sea Collection

Aordable bodycare from Heathcote & Ivory

#Gifted
Heathcote & Ivory have just released their charming ‘By The Sea Collection’ –  an array of luxurious vegan-friendly hand creams, washes, soaps and much more. As the name suggests, its products have a real fresh, sea breeze feel to them which helps transport you to the bracing British coastline and beautiful endless Summers. I am lucky enough to live by the sea in Cornwall and this collection captures being by the sea in every way, the scent, packaging and the products help keep your skin feeling soft, nourished and soothed. Ideal after a day of being in the salty air, windswept beaches and sunshine.

Heathcote & Ivory By The Sea

The, By The Sea Collection is classic Heathcote & Ivory, exceptional quality for a great price. From the simple, pretty, spa like packaging which is made from sustainably sourced sugarcane, to the fantastic quality of the products themselves, which are vegan, cruelty free and enriched with a seaweed complex infused with kelp and sea oak. Oh and finally the ‘By The Sea’ scent which captures the essence of the coast, both the calm and relaxing escapism as well as the energy and exhilarating strength of the ocean and coastal landscape. Using citrus and woody notes alongside, fresh violets and soft musk, you’re left feeling revived.

Heathcote Ivory By The Sea Collection

By The Sea Seaweed Complex Hand Cream Trio £16.00

I have been trying out a few products from the collection and the trio of travel sized hand creams have been a godsend, like almost everyone using hand sanitiser a lot means my hands are dry and in dire need of some TLC. So I have popped one tube in my handbag, one in my car and the other is on my desk. So I can apply it when my hands are feeling dry throughout the day. The cream is enriched with vitamin E, aloe, glycerin and a seaweed complex, leaving your hands feeling comfortable (not greasy) and protected. At the heart of this new collection is its scent, and that beautiful, calming yet energising scent lingers on our hands long after you have applied the cream. It is so nice.

Heathcote & Ivory Bodycare
New from Heathcote & Ivory
Heathcote & Ivory Product Packaging

By The Sea Body Polish £8.00

This not only has the most fresh, soothing scent, but the walnut shell and sea salt scrub helps smooth and polish your skin. The scrubbies help gently exfoliate away dull, dry skin, leaving your body feeling soft, clean and smooth. Very much needed after a day on the beach, wearing suntan lotion. It is enriched with seaweed extracts, aloe vera and extract of arnica flower. It has a rich, gel like formula has the perfect amount of scrub without being abrasive, think gentle and reviving!

Aordable bodycare from Heathcote & Ivory

By The Sea Body Wash & Body Lotion Duo £23.00

I just love the body duo, the shower gel is the perfect way to refresh your skin after a long day enjoying a coastal walk and the body lotion helps revive and nourish your skin after being out in the elements, as it is enriched with sweet almond oil, moringa oil, cocoa seed butter and a seaweed complex. Infused with the By The Sea fragrance, notes of lemon and bergamot, fresh violets and soft musk, woods, a hint of tobacco and musk. It really does make your bathroom feel like a high-end spa! Such a Summer treat for your skin.

New from Heathcote & Ivory

By The Sea bottles are made from ‘green’ plastic from sustainably sourced sugarcane. They are 100% recyclable. It’s always nice to see brands taking bigger steps to be more green and environmentally friendly.

Pop over to Heathcote & Ivory to browse the By The Sea Collection. Their products make really thoughtful gifts, or treats for yourself too! Let me know what your favourite product is from the range, I love the body duo and the body polish. For me, they are the perfect body care trio for the Summer months.

Tropic Skincare Sun Care Discovery Kit

Tropic Sun Care Products

I am sure so many of you are already aware of Tropic Skincare as a brand but just in case it has passed some of you by I just wanted to say a little about their ethics and values. Tropic is a 100% Natural, Cruelty-Free & Vegan company who base themselves out of their Surrey beauty kitchen & warehouse. They endeavour to keep as much of their processes in-house as possible, from development to manufacturing and marketing to dispatch. They produce effective products at such a reasonable price and they never, ever compromise on the quality of ingredients they use.

Tropic Sun Care Discovery Kit

I’m excited to introduce you to the Tropic Skincare 4 piece Sun Care Kit. This kit includes their mineral suncare saviours in handy travel-friendly sizes.

I was very excited to put it to the test and the UK certainly came through with the warm sunny weather!  The Sun Care Discovery Kit Includes,

Sun Soothe Cooling Aftersun Lotion 

Skin Shade Mineral Sun Protection SPF 30

Skin Shade Mineral Sun Protection SPF 50

Sun Balm SPF 50

Why is mineral sunscreen best I hear you cry! I think Tropic can explain it better than I can so here is their scientific take on mineral sunscreen:-

There are currently two types of sunscreens on the market, ‘chemical’ and ‘mineral’. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays and convert them into heat energy on the skin. Mineral sunscreens use natural actives to act as a physical barrier to UV rays. Tropic’s no-negotiations ban on harmful chemicals paved the way to developing a game-changing range of 100% mineral sun protection heroes your summer wouldn’t be complete without. Harnessing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays, as well as an abundance of skin-boosting tropical ingredients, these luxury sunscreens are summer essentials. 

Tropic Skincare Mineral Sunscreen

Tropic sunscreen is gentle on your skin as well as protecting you from the harmful UV rays (which are linked to skin cancers) so your skin is in good hands! I live in (sunny) Cornwall and spend a lot of time outside so this kit is perfect to take with us in the car & the ideal size to keep one of the sunscreens in my bag for reapplying throughout the day.

Included in this Sun Care Kit are cabin-friendly 100ml versions of Skin Shade Mineral Sun Protection in SPF 30 and 50, as well as Sun Soothe Cooling Aftersun Lotion – so it is ideal for taking with you on your upcoming travels.

Tropic Skin Shade SPF 50Tropic Skin Shade SPF 30 & 50

These smell just like the summer holidays and I love it. Despite them being mineral sunscreens and quite high factors they’re not too thick and once massaged into your skin feel smooth and lightweight on the skin. The SPF50 is a touch thicker and when applied has a slight white cast but after a couple of minutes that completely goes away. These are both broad spectrum and water-resistant so if you’re off on a beach holiday you will be set!

You can use these on both your face & body and I found them gentle on my skin, and they didn’t break me out. They also wear well under makeup. Although if you’re looking for a tinted SPF for your face then you need to try the tinted version, The Tropic Tinted Skin Shade SPF 50 – this is fantastic and a great makeup/skincare product.

• 100% mineral protection from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
• Exotic kahai and roucou oils, rich in omega fatty acids, keep skin soft and hydrated
• Extracts of antioxidant-rich Australian kakadu and illawarra plum protect the skin

Tropic Skincare Sun Balm SPF 50

Tropic Skincare Sun Balm

Sun Balm SPF 50

This is such a versatile, handy little product. I have been popping this into my handbag and taking it everywhere. It is a balm which can be applied pretty much anywhere including the ears, lips, face, feet or even your hairline. All those places that are exposed to the sun all day and are more prone to burning. I like to apply this throughout the day, or even if I’m just popping out for lunch or a quick walk I will apply this to those exposed areas. I always worry about my lips and ears burning so have been slapping this on at every opportunity.

It is a fantastic product to have to help protect against sun damage and contains natural ingredients which help soothe, heal and shield the skin from UVA, UVB and free radicals.

  • With nourishing extracts of tamanu oil, vitamin E and rosemary leaf oil
  • Zinc oxide provides broad-spectrum protection

Because this comes in a balm it won’t leak in your bag and is fuss-free and very easy to apply. It isn’t thick or tacky and you can reapply it super easily.

Tropic Skincare SPF Products

Tropic Skincare Sun Soothe

Apart from a cold shower, what feels better on the skin after a long day in the sun than a nice soothing after sun lotion!? Replenishing your skin after being out in the sunshine is almost as important as protecting yourself whilst in the sunshine.

This Sun Soothe not only relieves redness it hydrates and nourishes sun-parched skin whilst also prolonging your natural tan. It instantly cools and feels comfortable and lightweight on the skin. This is one post-sun skin saviour that will keep your skin in tip-top condition.

• Aloe vera juice and menthol help to cool skin and relieve redness
• Argan oil and vitamin E deeply nourish
• Bisabolol and eucalyptus repair and calm skin in need of TLCTropic Skincare Suncare- Kit

Tropic mineral suncare is not only kind to your skin but is also kinder to the environment too,

A recent statistic shows that 4,000 – 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers into the ocean every single year*. It’s also no secret that ingredients found in some chemical sunscreens have been linked to the bleaching of up to 10% of coral reefs across the globe, while also inhibiting the growth of baby corals*. These same ingredients have also been identified as hormone disruptors when absorbed into our bodies**, which of course, isn’t ideal when these products are applied regularly throughout the sunnier months. Tropic’s range of mineral sunscreens keeps skin protected with formulations that are truly good for you, and the environment, without compromise on efficacy.

Tropic Sun Care Discovery Kit is available online from tropicskincare.com and retails at £40 or £50 with the Sun Balm added.

Design.Me Haircare Products

Design.Me Power Dry Haircare

OK so there is a fun new haircare brand in town & it gets the prize for the most adorable, instagramable packaging, ever! It’s fun, simple and pastel coloured – I love it! Design.Me hail from North America and are an innovative, ahead of the curve brand who want to protect, enhance and keep your locks looking fabulous. I’ve been trying out a few products from their collection and they’ve become my goto Summer styling products. I’m pretty impressed by these pastel packaged hair treats! The range consists of 4 cult products:

Design.me Haircare Collection

  • PowerDRY.ME – a unique technology product to reduce blow dry time by up to 50%.
  • Fab.ME – the mother of all hair treatments, with four defence formula that will give you your youthful, fabulous hair back in a matter of seconds!
  • Puff.ME – The FIRST EVER super-volumising powder spray in a pump to pep up medium to thick hair to give you the instant volume you’ve always dreamed of.
  • Puff.ME Light – A lighter version of Puff.ME, this super-volumising powder spray is perfect for fine to medium hair.

DESIGN.ME products give hair sheen, oomph, volume, and styling speed. Plus, these high-quality products are vegan, cruelty-free and contain not one single drop of harmful sulfates, parabens or gluten.

Design.me Puff Me Haircare

FAB.ME

I have such a quick hair care routine and the fewer products I need to use each day the better. I like to keep it simple and this Fab.Me Hair Mist is described as ‘The mother of all hair treatments’ and it really is! It has so many wonderful benefits from hydrating to detangling and even protecting against heat damage caused by styling.

You lightly mist it on to clean, damp hair and it works its magic, giving you shine, preventing split ends and leaves your hair feeling manageable and silky smooth. It is such a great multi-benefit product and one that fits right into my haircare routine. I love a product that has more than one benefit and this styling mist has a whopping 18 benefits – as well as smelling amazing and looking super cute. It ticks all the boxes for me and I have been using it a lot over the Summer to lock in moisture and reduce frizz & static (so no flyaways here!)

KEY BENEFITS
Detangles & hydrates
Colour fade protection
Frizz control
Shine and lustre

PUFF.ME Light

How adorable is this little pink and white bottle?! Well, let’s just start by saying it looks cute but the packaging was a nightmare for me – this is a powder and for some reason when I took the lid off so much of it puffed out all over the place. I wouldn’t travel with this and I would say not to put the lid back on.

This product is to give your roots volume and texture and it does that in abundance. I have to say I wasn’t 100% blown away with this and it left my hair feeling weird and the powder wasn’t translucent in my hair. When I used it I 100% had to wash my hair the next day otherwise my hair felt like straw. I think I prefer to use a standard dry shampoo to achieve the same results, this product is great in theory but needs a little more tweaking.

KEY BENEFITS
Instant volume
Odour and mess free
Made for fine to medium hair
Perfect texture for updo’s & braids

Affordable Haircare Design.Me

Powerdry.ME

Say hello to my new best friend – as most of you know in the UK we have had some of the hottest weather we’ve seen in a LONG time and the last thing anyone wants to be doing in this heat is spending ages blow drying our hair (and melting in the process). So this Powerdry.Me mist has halved the time It takes me to dry my hair. This mist is wonderful if like me you have thick, unruly hair, it speeds up drying times by up to 50% and it also leaves your hair sleek, protects from damaging heat and UV. So it’s the ideal product to add to your hair care routine this Summer. I am singing its praises and have been recommending it to anyone that will listen.

KEY BENEFITS
Decreases your blowdrying time by 50%!
Frizz control
Heat and UV Protection
Smooth & conditions hair

Design.Me Styling Products

The Design.ME hair styling range is now available in Sally Beauty stores nationwide and online at www.sallybeauty.co.uk

*This post contains PR Samples

Currently in Use #8

Skin Care Products Currently In Use 9

Products Currently In Use 9

Superdrug Raspberry & Vanilla Shower & Bath Soak 

I can’t get enough of these Superdrug own brand shower gels. They have the nicest selection of scents. I picked up this Raspberry & Vanilla one and also my favourite Salted Caramel one too. They always seem to be on offer so I stock up and they last ages. This one is lovely and fruity with a touch of sweetness. This bath soak leaves my skin soft and makes my whole bathroom smell so good. Best of all is the fact they’re Vegan and cruelty-free, not to mention a complete bargain. So if you’re looking for a new shower gel (you can use them as bath soak too), I highly recommend this range. I really want to try the Rhubarb and Custard one but it is always sold out in my local Superdrug.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo – The Sleek Restorer with Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter

This is great if you find most shampoos weigh your hair down, or you find it difficult to wash it out fully. The consistency of this shampoo is like a lightweight gel, it is so easy to work through your hair and very quick to rinse out. It leaves hair feeling hydrated, looking smooth and glossy with no trace of product buildup. I have naturally wavy hair that can get super frizzy but this shampoo helps to keep it manageable and frizz-free. I really want to try the conditioner too. Oh and this smells like pure Summer in a bottle, it is gorgeous.

Compagnie de Provence Karite Liquid Marseille Soap

In my house, I enjoy having products in lovely packaging, especially items that are on display all the time like handwash. When I saw this one in a cute homeware shop in St Ives I had to get it. The soap is great & doesn’t leave my hands dry at all. It is enriched with nourishing Shea Butter which is rich in vitamins A, D, E and F.

The bottle is ceramic so when it runs out I will refill it and keep using it. I love the bold typeface used on the bottle and think the cream and black make it look very modern and not too in your face. It was £18.50 so a bit of a splurge but it is 500ml and going to last a long time, also as I said I will reuse the bottle so that makes it worthwhile.

Superdrug Vitamin E Gentle Oatmeal Exfoliator 

I have tried almost all of the Superdrug own brand skincare collections and have never been disappointed. They’re affordable, vegan and have really good ingredients. I bought this Oatmeal Exfoliator from the Vitamin E range on a whim and I have to say I love it. It isn’t abrasive but the oatmeal scrubbies are enough so they exfoliate away the dead skin without leaving skin sore. I often apply it then leave it on my skin like a facemask for a couple of minutes before massaging it over my skin then washing it off with a damp warm cloth. It reminds me of the LUSH Oatifix face mask. For under £3 this is a great exfoliator to have in your routine.

Enriched with naturally sourced Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that will help to shield your skin against environmental damage and premature skin ageing by combating the harmful effects of free radicals, The indulgent formula also contains a skin conditioning multivitamin complex comprising of vitamins A,B ,F and H, which, combined with horse chestnut extract, helps to care for dry skin.

SheaMoisture 10-in-1 Multi-Benefit Hair Masque 

I use this hair mask once a week and I try to leave it on my hair as long as possible (2-3 hours). It is a wonderful mask with so many benefits – well 10 to be exact and they are

  • Age-defying
  • Nourishing
  • Anti-stress
  • Revive body
  • Colour Protecting
  • Shine
  • Hydrating
  • Strengthening
  • Manageability
  • Softening

This is the ideal mask to add to your pamper routine, it gives your hair such a deep treatment. Once I rinse this out my hair instantly feels silky smooth and healthy. It’s a great masque if you have dry, dull hair because this will bring back the shine.

It contains some fab hair loving ingredients & the whole SuperFruit Complex range is pretty fantastic. I have tried both the shampoo & conditioner and they’re well worth investing in it is great for hydrating and nourishing dry, damaged hair.

  • Superfruit–a blend of red raspberry, ketones, goji, acai and guava extracts rich in anti-aging antioxidants
  • Marula oil–contains natural plant peptides that help support hair’s elasticity
  • Biotin–nourishes individual strands for thicker, stronger hair
  • Shea butter–deeply moisturises while conditioning hair and scalp

Let me know if you’ve tried any of the products I’m currently using – or if you have any recomendations of products I need to try.