Best of British #1

I’ve been planning this series for a while, I wanted to celebrate the incredible and diverse beauty brands that are home grown and proudly British. There so many British brands that are sold internationally as well as many smaller lesser known brands. I have 50+ brands to share with you, I’m excited to discover some new brands and share with you quite a few brands that I love. I hope you enjoy this series of posts & let me know if you discover any brands that you didn’t know were British.

Best of British Products

The Bathory*

Launched this year by Laura out of her love of a good bath, she wanted to share that love with the world & so The Bathory a cute little British brand was born. With their HQ in London & their small factory in a barn in rural Berkshire they let you invent your own blend of bath soak. This is a luxurious way to enjoy a bath and its such an exciting concept for bath lovers everywhere. Their jars of bath soak are £18 so quite pricey but if you like to relax in the bath then these are perfect for that. From their website to the final product this brand has excellent attention to detail and I really like that.  I’m excited to see whats next from this brand.I have written a full review of them here.

Soap & Glory

This is a brand that almost all of us know and love, it was founded by the creator of Bliss Spa, Marcia Kilgore back in 2006, its eye catching packaging and tongue in cheek names are what most people notice first. Soap & Glory are a fun, fresh affordable British brand that have gone from strength to strength. They now have a product range including skincare, haircare makeup, bath & body care. We all have our favourites and mine include The Righteous ButterSugar Crush Body Scrub and Hocus Focus HighlighterThis is a brand that is now sold internationally and they always seem to be releasing something new and exciting. I’m secretly hoping they do a line of nail polish. Let me know what your favourite S&G product is. I want to try their new Make Yourself Youthful Sunshield Superfluid SPF50+as I am all about the facial SPF. 

Best of British Beauty Brands

Rimmel

Was founded in 1843 by Eugene Rimmel and was originally a perfumery on London’s famous Regent Street. They’ve always been well known for their Mascara & Rimmel actually means Mascara in many languages. Rimmel is such an iconic British Brand that is sold in more than 40 countries and is Britain’s best selling cosmetic brand. They have a great range of affordable products and are still to this day most well known for their mascaras, although I think they have added more to their range. I personally like their Wake Me Up range and their Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal are a great budget friendly eyeliner – these come in 7 shades & 5 of these shades are a staple in my makeup bag. What are your favourite Rimmel products?

Jo Malone

Was founded in 1994 by Jo Malone, ‘who began her career as a facialist, soon becoming one of London’s most sought-after skin care therapists. To thank her original 20 clients, she hand-mixed her own Nutmeg & Ginger Bath Oil. One client ordered 100 bottles as table favours for a prestigious dinner. Instantly, 86 guests wanted more. The Jo Malone London brand was born.

It’s now seen as a quintessentially British brand, their stores are a pleasure to shop in and its so hard to leave empty handed. They’re best known for their selection of fragrances  but they also have candles, skincare and body products. They package them up beautifully with a cream box and a silky black bow so if you needed a gift these are the ultimate & look luxurious. I had a candle as a leaving gift from a job & I treasured it for months. Let me know what your favourite Jo Malone scent is, mine has to be the classic Lime Basil and Mandarin and their Amber & Patchouli. I could spend hours in their stores testing them all out.

Best of British Beauty Brands

Nails Inc

Was founded in 1999 by then fashion editor Thea Green MBE (Services to Beauty Industry) she loved how easy it was in America to get a Manicure and felt there was a huge gap in the market for aUK based fashion forward nail bar, her first salon was started in London. It was famous for the 15 minute mani & demand was high. Nails iNc grew very quickly and can now be found in department stores nationwide. Nails Inc is known for their affordable, luxurious nail care, that’s catwalk inspired and gives you professional quality. True to its British roots the shades are named after London destinations like Spitalfields and Notting Hill Gate. Nails Inc has grown to be Britain’s most successful and popular nail bar chain and they employ 400 people throughout UK & Ireland.

Their products are sold internationally and you can now find Nails Inc nail bars in Sephora in the USA and Canada. I adore Nails Inc polishes & think their formula is so good, the colour range is stunning, They are always at the forefront of new effects and finishes and it is exciting every season to see what new textures and shades they come up with. Among my favourite shades are Basil Street (gorgeous subtle nude) and St James Park (pretty pink). They have an extensive selection & I need to add a few more shades to mine. Let me know what you recommend. Nails Inc not only sell nail polish but also hand-care, foot-care and false lashes.

STEAMCREAM*

Is an Anglo – Japanese brand but the product is produced in the UK. STEAMCREAM is an all in one natural moisturiser that is light and gentle enough to be used on your face, body and hands. STEAMCREAM is produced using a STEAM process, The force of the STEAM fuses the ingredients instantly – holding them together in a very gentle and loose emulsion. When it touches your skin, the naturally moisturising ingredients and pure, calming essential oils are released from the light emulsion so they can sink past the surface reaching the areas they are needed fast. Your skin will feel intensively moisturised and softer for longer’.

STEAMCREAM is also a very ethical brand with focus upon its packaging being environmentally friendly and recyclable.  It’s also Vegan Friendly, freshly handmade everyday and STEAMCREAM use a minimum amount of preservatives so that the skin’s natural balance of flora can be protected. Low preservative levels also help STEAM CREAM to biodegrade easily. I love using this multi purpose product & have a collection of their cute tins on my vanity. I have written a full review on this here.

Illamasqua

Is a British makeup brand launched in 2008, it is a brand which encourages individuality and freedom of expression. Drawing much of its inspiration from the 1920’s Berlin theatre scene and the many alternative scenes that we have seen since. It is a brand thats popular with makeup artists and beauty lovers alike, not conforming to the norm Illamasqua has a flair for the vivid, pigmented and adventurous they never shy away from pushing the boundaries of makeup. I like that it feels quite dark and edgy and that your part of a movement and not just a brand. Its quite exciting. Illamasqua are known for using colour and being bold. I have only tried a few products from them but I was pleased with the quality and their customer service, if you get chance to visit one of their shops or counters you must, their staff are very friendly, helpful and passionate about the brand. So nice to see. Please let me know what products you use & love from them.

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.

They Made The Cut

I thought I would share with you my favourite four products from the Latest in Beauty 2013 Advent Calendar*. I really liked most of the 25 products but these are the ones I have enjoyed the most so far.

Latest in Beauty Top Picks

Steamcream £12.95 – I’ve blogged about this product before (in a different tin). This is a wonderful multipurpose product. It can be used as a hand cream, body lotion or a moisturiser for your face. It is gentle and hydrating and can be used on any skin type. Its a beauty blogger favourite and I can see why. It is very good for travel, one product with many uses. If you haven’t tried it yet I recommend giving it a go. Its very hydrating and quite calming for your skin. A big plus for me is that its handmade in the UK and its 100% Vegan.

Trilogy Rosapene Night Cream £25.65 – I love their rosehip oil and was excited to see this in the calendar. It is quite a thick cream and is perfect for hydrating and soothing, you need only use a small amount as it is quite concentrated. This regenerates skin, helps it look glowing, smooth and nourished. Its a little pot of gold as far as I’m concerned. I wake up looking like a better version of me with bright fresh skin. Its wonderful.

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm For Lips £11 – Naughty name that makes my husband laugh and ask why I am using it on my lips & not my nips. Over the cold month of January this has kept my lips looking smooth and feeling soft. It is really good if you suffer from very dry lips as it’s a thick formula but not greasy and sinks in very quickly, it doesn’t just coat your lips it absorbs and hydrates. This can be used on dry skin, eczema and also good for addressing those dry cuticles. Its is fragrance free which I like.

Q The Fine Fragrance Body Spray – I’m not normally one for body sprays, they remind me of being a teenager & liberally spraying some hideous sickly sweet cheap body spray. Alas this is not like that at all, this body spray is grown up in scent and lovely to use to freshen up. I did spot these in Boots and will be buying a few more. The most surprising thing to me was finding out that it only costs £2.29 – utter bargain!

Have you tried any of my favourite products from the  2013 You Beauty Discovery Advent Calendar*

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.

Steamcream Multipurpose Moisturiser

SteamcreamSteamcream

Steamcream* is a multi purpose moisturiser that can be used for face, body and hands and is suitable for all skin types.

A multipurpose cream uniquely formulated using pure, unrefined steam for maximum absorption. STEAMCREAM has pioneered the use of a steam technique to create this unique, gentle and loosely-bound emulsion. This looseness allows each ingredient – including a moisturizing and soothing oatmeal infusion, orange flower water and healing lavender oil – to breakdown and penetrate areas of the skin that other creams find hard to reach.’

This is quite a light cream that is cooling on the skin, I found it easy to massage in to my face. I have been using this as a face cream as it is meant to be soothing and hydrating, the perfect combination for my skin. Its light texture helps it sink into the skin and leaves my face feeling smooth, moisturised but not at all greasy.

It has a subtle scent nothing herbal or floral, I can’t quite put my finger on it – apart from to say it smells clean and quite fresh. I have been using this cream for almost a month and i have hardly used any, its a little goes a long way kind of deal.

Steamcream Tin

The Steamcream tins are quite eye catching and they have so many patterns to pick from,  and often collaborations with Artists/Designers and have become quite collectable. This product has so many plus points, it is 75g so you can travel with it and it is a multi use product so takes up less space, it is Vegan, 100% Natural, produced in the UK and is handmade.

Their eco friendly tins are beautiful, limited edition and made from Aluminium (100% recyclable) they make quite a pretty addition to your dressing table. I plan on keeping mine when it is empty & putting my rings/jewellery in. My tin is called the THALIA and is dedicated to the Greek Goddess of Fertility and Nature. It is a pretty deep red floral pattern. These would make a really nice Mothers Day gift.

This multi use cream is quite a cult beauty product & I can see why, it is gentle, hydrating and very soothing on my skin. Have you tried Steamcream? Link me to your posts if you have, I’d love to see what tin your cream came in.

Steamcream – £12.95 for 75g

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.