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It’s been an interesting year for me- I made the switch to cruelty free and natural beauty and it has been the best thing I ever did!
I have discovered some amazing brands and products along the way, so what I thought I would do on the eve of the new year is to reflect on my favourite products of 2018!
I have to admit, most of these are skincare, however there are some body, hair and makeup products in there too, so hopefully something for everyone!
Skincare:
The first product that I absolutely adore is by The Ilex Wood- you may remember them from an earlier Brand Focus post! It is their Calendula Salve (Purchase this here). I initially received this in The Natural Beauty Box, but have since repurchased it (and several other items from them too!). This balm is all healing, all soothing and all purpose- I cannot think of anything it cannot do! You can use it on dry, itchy, flaky skin, Eczema and rashes. I also found that it helped with cuts and bruises (although they also have a Boo Boo Balm for that, which is also amazing!), as well as with prickly heat! An absolute must have; I won’t be without it now!
The next skincare product I have fallen in love with is by Moksa- Wild Rose Toning Mist (Purchase here). Another product I discovered thanks to the Natural Beauty Box and one I have repurchased many times since! It helps to tone oily skin, soothe sensitive skin, and repair aging skin (I know!). It contains a mild astringent to shrink the pores, remove residual dirt and oil and preparing your face for moisture and hydration. One spritz of this on my face and I feel revitalised, I could not love it more if I tried!
Another product I absolutely cannot be without is from Myroo- Skin Boost Serum with Starflower and Orange Blossom (Purchase here.) Yet another discovery from Natural Beauty Box, this has totally transformed my skin! It contains 100% plant based ingredients to help boost skin and combat the wear and tear of daily life, giving maximum nutrition to your skin, protecting and repairing the skins natural barrier, preventing water loss and helping the skin maintain its natural moisture levels. Yep, it really is a wonder product, and with the scent of Orange Blossom or the option of Fragrance free for more sensitive skin types, it really will suit everyone!
This product featured quite heavily in a lot of boxes this year, and for good reason! Dr Botanical Moroccan Rose Superfood Facial Oil (purchase here.) is amazing! It is vegan certified and packed with all kinds of vitamins and minerals that all work together to rejuvenate, renew and protect the skin! It is also rich in antioxidants, which keep your skin hydrated. It smells beautiful and is so light on the skin, with amazing benefits!
The next product is one that took me completely by surprise with how much I love it- Sknfed Chocolate Bar Face Soap with Cocoa and Vanilla (purchase here). It looks just like a bar of chocolate! It lathers up like an absolute dream and smells heavenly. It gently exfoliates and is rich in antioxidants that help to block free radicals, as well as being anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial! I absolutely adore it- so much so that I have stocked up! No wonder it is one of their best sellers!
It wouldn’t be a blog post of mine if there wasn’t some sort of face mask in there would it? I hate to disappoint, and making it onto my favourites is this beauty by Chobs- Collagen sheet mask (purchase here). Sheet masks are my absolute obsession right now, and I had been searching high and low for a natural one- enter Chobs! They have loads of different sheet masks for every skincare concern (and I mean, every!), and they all contain natural and cruelty free ingredients. I love the pampering sensation you get from using sheet masks, nothing else quite matches it!
Bodycare:
I love a good body scrub, and this year I have discovered a few that I absolutely adore!
One of them, or should I say two, is by Pure Purpose- Turmeric and Orange Coffee Scrub and Tea Tree and Peppermint Coffee Scrub (purchase here). They both exfoliate and moisturise the skin to remove dead skin cells, improve circulation and enhance elasticity. You apply them in the shower and leave on for 5 minutes to let the ingredients do their job, before rinsing off. Your skin will be amazingly soft afterwards!
Another is by KokoGlow, and is their Pink Kisses Salt Scrub (purchase here). This contains coconut oil, pink Himalayan salt, rose otto essential oil, as well as being packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants! This has such a refreshing feeling when you apply it, and leaves your skin so soft and smooth! It is also suitable for sensitive skin!
Another body care product I have totally fallen in love with is Siskyn Grapefruit and Sweet Fennel Toning Body Oil (purchase here). It contains a blend of 14 pure botanical plant oils to help tone, detoxify and deeply moisturise your skin. It absorbs super quickly, leaves a light and subtle scent and feels so luxurious to apply- plus the pump dispenser means you always get the right amount!
I totally fell in love with a body wash this year too- I have a huge stash of them! It is Greenfrog Botanics Geranium and Peppermint body wash (purchase here). It smells incredible, lathers up really well and is suitable for all skin types, including those with eczema or psoriasis. It is organic, cruelty free and vegan, as well as being sustainably sourced, environmentally friendly and biodegradable! That is a whole lot of goodness! It has Aloe Vera for added moisture, cooling peppermint, calming geranium and natural essential oils to really nourish your skin!
Haircare:
I have very long, curly and thick hair, so it takes a lot to tame it! I love looking after it and have found a few products this year that help me do that!
The first is an amazing shampoo by Freya Luna- Geranium and Ylang Ylang Gentle Shampoo (purchase here). It has had amazing benefits for my hair! It contains lemon balm extract, chamomile and lavender to calm and soothe sensitive scalps, as well as Geranium and Ylang Ylang. My hair is so soft and shiny after using this, and with continued use, it can also promote hair growth (not that I need anymore!).
A treatment I absolutely love is Evolve Organic Beauty’s Nourishing Hair Elixir (purchase here). It contains Moroccan Argan Oil, Baobab Oil and Tahitian Monoi to help control frizz and tame flyaways. It also protects your hair from environmental damage and regain lost moisture. It feels weightless in my hair and gives it a new lease of life- my curls are so bouncy and soft!
This next product is a hair mask from Valquer-Ice Hair Mask Total Repair (purchase here). I adore this, it has such a unique scent and feels so cooling on my scalp. Nothing makes my hair feel as good as this does. It contains Macadamia Oil to help unruly hair, and I am not kidding when I say that I cannot stop stroking my hair after I have used this, and the scent lasts for ages too!
Makeup:
I am not an expert on makeup by any means, but I love trying new products and learning how to get better at applying it!
I have expanded my collection of eyeshadow palettes this year, so they are going to be my main focus.
The first palette is Urban Decay Naked Cherry (purchase here). This was a new release this autumn and I adore it! The shades are so beautiful and the packaging is so luxurious as well. I daren’t use it, it is so pretty! What I love is that Urban Decay are cruelty free, meaning I can still use high end makeup knowing that no animal has had to suffer for it!
Another is Anastasia Beverley Hills Soft Glam (purchase here). The packaging is even soft to the touch! I am far too excited about that! Again, beautiful shades and cruelty free too!
I discovered Sleek this year and have a lot of their palettes now (purchase here). They are so reasonably priced and have a great range of shades in each palette, so you can create loads of different looks. It goes without saying that they are cruelty free and I love their classic and simple packaging.
I have an amazing face palette by Too Faced (purchase here) that is based on the filters on instagram- I love this idea, as who doesn’t love a good filter? There are 3 shades to choose from- a warm yellow, a bronze and a cooler purple shade to finish off your look perfectly.
Miscellaneous:
There are a couple more items that I want to mention, but they don’t particularly fit into any of the above categories.
The first is by Villiers- Floral Facial Steam (purchase here). I have so many of these because I love it so much! It contains a unique blend of 14 different key botanicals, herbs and fruit peels that have been specifically chosen for their skin soothing properties. These have been combined with rose, chamomile and lavender for a truly luxurious and relaxing experience- I feel like I am in a spa when I use this! It helps to purify the pores and deeply cleanse- I love to use it before my skincare regime to really feel the benefits!
The second is a beautiful candle from Celtic Herbal- Lime, Basil and Mandarin (purchase here). I have really gotten into my aromatherapy and scented candles this year and this one smells beautiful, comes in stylish packaging and has such an energising effect on me. It is soy wax, so totally cruelty free and ethically sourced too! It is so invigorating! They also do an amazing sleep balm too, which I swear by!
Finally, Made By Coopers Apothecary have an incredible range of atmosphere mists and my favourite so far is Happy (purchase here). It has a blend of 3 essential oils- Lime, Clementine and Basil which are designed to exhilarate and excite your senses to leave you in a state of happiness. And it sure does the trick- just one smell of this leaves me feeling much more uplifted and ready for the day ahead!
So, those are my favourites for 2018- what will make onto next year’s list? I guess we will just have to wait and see!
Happy New Year!
