Apodea Propolis Geranium deodorant

Apodea is an Italian brand that has recently hit the UK with its range of  natural skincare and haircare products that contain propolis sourced using biodynamic beekeeping at the founders' farm in Umbria, Italy. One of their products is the Propolis Geranium deodorant.

The Propolis Geranium deodorant is an all-natural roll-on deodorant made from 96% organic ingredients:

hyssopus officinalis water*, mentha piperita (peppermint) water, melissa officinalis (lemon balm) water*, potassium alum (natural rock alum), propolis* (extracted in 1:1 organic alcohol, where alcohol is evaporated), xantan gum, pelargonium asperum juglans regia extract*

*Demeter certified

It has a beautiful rose smell but also has a creamy smell too like a moisturiser.

Unlike other deodorants, I didn't have a problem using this after shaving. It doesn't sting and irritate at all so I can put this on right after having a shower.

By the end of the day, my underarms feel completely dry. In warmer days they don't feel completely dry as it is not an anti-perspirant. Our underarms are supposed to breathe and let out toxins so this is a good thing. However, the great thing about this deodorant is that my underarms don't feel sticky or 'creamy' as other deodorants leave them feeling.

I was worried that this deodorant wouldn't be strong enough to prevent odours as I used to use an unscented alum crystal deodorant, which worked great at times and not so great at other times. Fortunately, this one leaves me 100% odour-free, which is the most important thing for me.

Overall, I love love LOVE this product. The ingredients are organic and it works amazingly well without leaving my underarms feeling icky. The only thing I don't like is the price as it's a bit steep at £12. But if price isn't a concern for you, then you'll love this product too.

Find the Propolis Geranium deodorant and more at Apodea's online store.

xx

Soy Candle Collection Review

Most candles on the market are made from paraffin wax - not something I want to be breathing in! So I was happy when Soy Candle Collection kindly wrote to me asking if I'd love to try some of their products.

I was even happier to open the parcel to find two of my favourite scents from their collection: Sandalwood & Vanilla and Coconut & Lime Verbena.. yummm!

The candles come in recyclable packaging but I think I'll reuse them after they're finished. The tin makes a lovely trinket holder and the glass pots make a cute little tea light holder.

Before burning the candles, I took a long smell of these and they smell amazing. Sandalwood & Vanilla smells like expensive perfume and Coconut & Lime Verbena doesn't smell much like either coconut or lime to me but very pleasantly has a lovely refreshing and cool smell. Reminds me of holidays.

When the candles are being burned, the scents don't let out much fragrance and I find that the same with many candles. However, the smell of the Sandalwood & Vanilla candle lingers for a while after I blow it out and I love smelling it as I drift to sleep at night.

In terms of the burning time.. wow! I actually forgot the Coconut & Lime Verbena candle lit in my bedroom for over 5 hours (!!) I'm lucky the house didn't burn down! But it was still lit when I got back.

Overall, the smells are lovely but just like many candles, don't have much fragrance when lit. However, they burn forever. OK maybe not forever but I've had them on for hours and they're still pretty much full.

Find these candles at SoyCandleCollection.co.uk.

xx

Lulu & Boo Organics Calendula Cleansing Milk Review

Lulu & Boo Organics is an award winning certified organic skincare range. They also have a range specifically formulated for mothers and babies.

I was kindly sent the Calendula Cleansing Milk to review.

The Calendula Cleansing Milk is described as a light and creamy cleansing milk that purifies and softens skin, removes make up and dirt gently and is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. It contains many oils such as sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and castor oil as well as calendula extract and camomile extract, to name a few.

To use this product, you spread it on your face, wipe it off with a damp cloth or some cotton then rinse your face with water. The consistency is quite thin and it is easily spread around the face as it melts into an oily texture. When wiping off the cleanser with a wet facial sponge, the make up was removed very gently and quickly. It did break down my eye make up making it easier to remove but it took a while to get it all off as it has a thin consistency unlike heavier make up removing lotions.

After rinsing my face, it left my skin feeling moisturised. I normally have combination skin (normal, dry and oily) and do not go for cleansers that leave an oily film on my face no matter how light it is as I prefer my skin to feel completely oil-free. But I have been using a microdermabrasion system recently (more about this in the future) which left my skin feeling sensitive and in need of moisture. I've been using this cleanser both before and after the microdermabrasion treatment so I can now see how well suited this product is for different skin types. I wouldn't recommend this cleanser for oily, normal or combination skin,  however I would recommend it for sensitive, dry and flaky skin types as this may help cleanse your face gently while moisturising it.

My favourite things about this product are:

• How light and gentle it is. Even when I get it in my eye it doesn't feel irritating at all.
• I'm a sucker for nice packaging and think the bottle is just adorable.
• I love the lovely yellowy-limey colour of the cleanser.
• If you have dry skin you will enjoy the moisturising properties.
• It's 97% organic
• You only need a small amount. A little goes a long way.

The lovely colour of the cleansing milk

My not-so-favourite things about this product are:

• I don't like the smell that much. I can't quite describe it but I'm guessing it's either the camomile or the calendula. Not the kind of smell I prefer but it is bearable.
• I don't think it is suitable for every skin type as it is oily

Overall, if you are looking for a light moisturising cleanser, this is a great product. It removes dirt and make up quickly and gently and the natural oils moisturise your face.

The cleanser costs £15.95 for 100ml, which is most than a lot of cleansers but it is full of organic products, which justifies the price.

Check out Luluandboo.com to see more of their organic range.

xx

Spot-free the natural way

I've been getting so many spots the past few months. I assumed that they were stress-related as I had so many assignment deadlines but they went on for months and months. On top of that, I was using a lot of natural products on my face, which tend to contain lots of oils, so that might have been another contributing factor. It was only when I started using tea-tree oil, which is anti-bacterial, that I've realised that the cause may be bacteria clogging my pores. 

I was unsure whether tea tree oil would do anything but I thought I might as well give it a go. Within a few days, the amount of spots has drastically reduced. I simply add a few drops of tea-tree oil to a damp facial sponge and wipe it across my face, especially the most spotty areas, after cleansing my face. I lightly pat my face dry so to not wipe off the tea tree oil. It has now become a crucial stage of my skincare routine.

I expected it to have a fresh smell like mint or menthol for some reason. But it has a strong smell quite like tarmac perhaps? It's really weird.

The one I use is by Absolute Aromas, which I got from my local Revital store. I use the organic one, which is £4.95 - only 45p more than the non-organic. You could use a toner which contains tea tree oil but I think many toners are just diluted tea tree oil and more expensive too.

There are different causes of spots so if you suspect that it could be bacteria-related, try this out. It definitely works for me.

xx

Trek Review

Hello Angels!

Remember those tasty raw fruit snack bars by Nakd that I reviewed a little while ago? Well they also have a similar product range called Trek. Trek are a range of energy bars made of only raw fruit, grains, nuts, soya crispies, ginseng extract, ginko extract and some products also contain cocoa. They are full of energy and protein so they're great and very convenient for long hikes, weight training, running or any physical activity really.

I'll be honest.. I'm not the most active person. However, I did find these bars so convenient when I have a long day ahead of me but no time for breakfast. A much wiser choice than picking up a latte and doughnut on my way to university, I'll tell you that!

Trek bars have about twice the amount of calories than Nakd bars so I wouldn't advice to have these as a snack unless you are very active. They make a healthy meal replacement bar if you have no time to eat. They are almost twice the size of the Nakd bars so they're quite filling.

I was sent the Cocoa Brownie and Peanut & Oat to try.

The taste and texture of both bars are a little similar to the Nakd bars. I found them a little drier, less sweet and less tasty though to be honest. But that's not to say that I didn't like them. Just like the Nakd bars, I love the combination of fruit and nuts which give them a lovely flavour and texture. I also like the little soya crispies which are like tiny puffs of rice.

Cocoa Brownie

Ingredients:

Dates (40%),Soya Crispies (15%), Raisins (13%), Peanuts (8%), Cocoa (4%), Oats, Apple Juice,

Ginseng Extract, Ginko Extract.

Calories (per 56g bar): 216

Protein (per 56g bar): 11g

I was excited to try this as I thought it would be nice and chocolately, just like an actual brownie. I couldn't taste the cocoa in the Cocoa Brownie at all :( But I still enjoyed it as it's very similar to Nakd bars in that it's full of yummy dates and raisins. If you don't like raisins, just like I said in my Nakd review, the raisins are minced up so you get the lovely flavour without the raisin texture.

Peanut & Oats

Ingredients:

Dates (38%), Raisins (12%), Peanuts (12%), Soya Crispies (10%), Peanut butter (7%), Apple Juice, Oats,

Ginseng Extract, Ginko Extract.

Calories (per 56g bar): 239 kcal

Protein (per 56g bar): 11g

This has to be my favourite out of the two bars. It's a little drier than Cocoa Brownie, probably due to the oats, but it has a lot more flavour and texture because of the peanuts and I love peanuts! Just like the Cocoa Brownie, it is full of dates and raisins, which give it lots of flavour and takes away some of the dryness.

Overall, I quite like these bars. My only disappointment is that they are a little dry and lack any interesting flavours but they still taste very nice. However, as an energy/ protein bar and not necessarily something to 'indulge' in, they are quite satisfying and very healthy too.

I would recommend Trek to anyone active looking for a natural alternative to all the energy and protein bars out there and also if you are always busy and have little time for breakfast or lunch.

Find Trek bars at Naturalbalancefoods.co.uk.

xx

Thai Taste Easy Pad Thai Meal Kit Review

If you're ever too lazy or too tired to cook what ever you do, don't reach for the ever so convenient but unhealthy noodles in a pot. You know which one I'm talking about. Because I've found a meal kit that takes very little time to prepare plus it's healthy and tastes SO good!

Thai Taste have meal kits that let you prepare a delicious noodle dish in no time. There are three to choose from:

• Easy Thai Green Curry Kit
• Easy Thai Red Curry Kit
• Easy Pad Thai Meal Kit

I was kindly sent the Easy Pad Thai Meal Kit to try and let me tell ya, it taste delicious. Unlike ready meals or semi-prepared meals, it tastes fresh (you could fool someone into thinking you cooked it from scratch!) and you probably won't believe me but it's as good as Wagamama at a fraction of the price. So why eat out when you can eat in!

The kit contains noodles, Pad Thai sauce and a peanut mix. That's everything you'll need, unlike many kits out there that give you half of the ingredients and you have to fork out and buy some many other things. But you are free to add anything else to the dish. The peanut mix has some dried onion and carrots in there but not much so I recommend adding chopped vegetables to your dish.

It's all very simple. Just boil the noodles and stir fry with the rest of the ingredients and anything else you want to add. I could only find prawns but you can add chicken or veggies. Then relax and enjoy the meal.

I ate so much of this and there was still enough for the rest of the family to eat and they enjoyed it very much too. I think this would be enough to serve a small family or a group of friends especially if you add more ingredients to it.

I think this meal kit is convenient and super tasty. It's also affordable at £1.99 (prices vary) per kit which supposedly makes two servings though I'd say you can get more servings out of it. The only thing I don't like is that it contains a lot of sugar so I wouldn't eat this regularly but then again why would I eat the same thing regularly no matter how good it tastes. It makes a nice occasional treat. I also don't like all the plastic packaging but the outer plastic case and card sleeve are recyclable.

If you wanna give this a try, see the list of stockists here.

Enjoy!

xx

Busy Busy Busy Bee

I have been so busy these days with uni that, as much as I would love to spend my entire days blogging, I don't have as much time as I used to. But I'm still going to keep blogging because I love it. That's the main reason why I blog. It's just something that makes me happy. That and to give honest opinions on products to help you choose the right products for you. I just won't be blogging as much as I used to.

So here what's to expect from me in the near future, not in any order:

• Lulu & Boo Organics cleanser
• Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion
• Thai Taste Easy Pad Thai meal kit
• How to cook less and use up leftovers
• Trek review
• Soy Candle Collection review
• Burt's Bees radiance lip balm
• Benjoy review
• A bunch of Nakd product reviews
• Some Balance Me reviews
• Burt's Bees body wash
• Oskia London Get Up & Glow review
• Origins cleanser
• Eco-friendly laundry
• Nature's response chocolate soap
• Gogo Guarana review
• Pit Rok crystal deodorant review
• My spot-free solution
• Green People make up reviews/ swatches
• Sia Soy Candle review
• Thea face cleanser and moisturiser review
• Apodea deodorant review

And possibly lots more! I have a bunch of new stuff that probably won't be used for a while because I already have a lot of opened products that I want to use up first.

So if there's anything you would prefer me to review, just let me know and I'll get it done soon.

xx

Nakd Infused Raisins

I try to eat healthily but one thing I really need to change about my diet is to eat more fruit. I just don't enjoy the stuff. I love raisins but they do get boring after a while. I have a huge bag of raisins in the cupboard that I bought intending to eat them more often but that never happens. So I was excited to try Nakd infused raisins, especially as they come in such interesting flavours like Crazy Cola and Tangy Lime, to name a few.

Crazy Cola tastes exactly like... cola. I know that's obvious but how many times do you find a healthy product claiming to taste like something not-so-healthy but it actually tastes completely wrong? I didn't think I would like these because raisins and cola are quite a combination! But I enjoyed them A LOT!

Tangy Lime is my favourite out of the two. They taste like sweets. Kind of like Lime flavoured Starburst. Very fruity! Just like Crazy Cola and the rest of the Nakd range, they're 100% natural. So no dodgy additives in these babies.

I enjoyed both of these flavours and can't wait to try the rest like Cherry infused raisins and Pineapple infused raisins. Definitely something to stock up on. They're great to keep in the handbag for when I'm out and get a bit peckish or for long journeys.

So if you're trying to get your kids to eat more fruit, or even if trying to get yourself to eat more fruit, I recommend these raisins 100%.

Get them from Naturalbalancefoods.co.uk.

xx

Betty Hula Review

Aloha!

I'm not in sunny Hawaii, sadly, but the Betty Hula products I've been testing have put me in a sunny mood on this damp autumn's day. 

If you haven't heard of Betty Hula, it is a range of handmade skincare products made up of natural and fair trade ingredients. They have three moisturisers and a body oil so far and they will be widening their range to include lip balms, gift sets and body scrubs too.

I heard about Betty Hula a while ago and I've always thought that their jars look so beautiful and colourful but I've never had the chance to try what's inside them. They kindly sent me some samples to try of some of their moisturisers and The Secret body oil.

Moisturisers

The moisturisers I received are Champagne & Spice and Rum & Blackcurrant.

The ingredients* are: Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E.

As you can see from the ingredients list, it is full of natural moisturising, anti-inflammatory and healing ingredients so you can use it for different reasons whether you want to use it for your eczema or as an aftersun cream. I'm surprised that fragrance isn't on the list because there is definitely fragrance in there! I've been told that the fragrance is natural but it undergoes a manmade process so they would describe the product as being 99% natural.

I imagined the consistency of the moisturisers to be like whipped shea butter but they're more like a heavy lotion (or a light cream) as you can see in the picture below.

Unlike some of the other creams I've reviewed previously, this product doesn't melt into an oil once it touches the skin. It's pretty much like most creams and lotions in that way. But it is still absored very quickly into the skin and doesn't leave my hands sticky.

I was also very curious how the creams would smell as they sound very unique and like nothing I have tried before. I actually imagined them to have a boozey smell but, thankfully, they don't smell like that at all!

Champagne & Spice has a sweet smell. It is very difficult to describe as it isn't like anything I've smelled before. It does smell familiar though. Like perfume except not overpowering. Do you know how some perfumes have a spicy smell? Kinda like that.

Rum & Blackcurrant is quite similar to Champagne & Spice in that it is also very sweet. It has a lovely fruity smell, which I quite like.

I really wish I could describe these scents better. They're just too unique to compare to anything. Overall, very nice smells. A little too strong first thing in the morning or at bedtime for me though, especially the Champagne & Spice, but it makes a nice evening treat after a bath. I love using it when I'm out as the smell is very comforting. Out of the two, I think I prefer Rum & Blackcurrant as I don't like the spiciness of the Champagne & Spice.

I haven't been using them long enough on my body to comment on how well they work but I'm happy with using it as a hand cream. My hands feel soft and hydrated.

I quite like the creams and would buy them if they were a little cheaper. Until I find them on offer, they're going on the (never-ending) wish list. I think it's great that there is a natural cream that has a fun smell as many brands tend to follow the fragrance-free path, which isn't very exciting. There is also a Kiwi & Lime scented one that sounds delicious.

RRP £14.99 for 120ml

The Secret

The Secret is a body oil that is described to be moisturising, repairing and anti-ageing. The ingredients* are: Grapeseed Oil, Apricot Kemel, Avocado Oil, Hemp Oil, Vitamin E, Rose Absolute, Jojoba Oil.

I love that they use a range of different oils that are known to have anti-ageing properties so the skin benefits from them all. I don't have any wrinkles or scars but I have been getting stretch marks. I haven't been using it much though as I keep forgetting to but I'll try to use it more often and report back if I can. Again, it has a lovely smell that is 100% natural and I won't even attempt to describe it.

Whether it works for me or not, I would rather buy rosehip oil, which is less than half the price of this and I've read numerous recommendations for it. But if you're looking for a fun smelling alternative to rosehip oil or a luxurious yet useful gift for a mamma-to-be, this seems like a great product.

RRP £15.99 for 50ml

Sounds tempting? Betty Hula is available at Bettyhula.co.uk and selected Sainsbury's stores. Get 15% off at Bettyhula.co.uk with the code BHB15. Plus free shipping!

*EDIT: I am unsure about the full ingredients list. The ingredients list on the Sainsbury's website differ.

xx

Rawganic 3-in-1 Facial Wipes Review

You come home and just feel like going straight to bed... but you need to remove your make up. It happens all the time. I have always made the effort to cleanse my face as the thought of sleeping with my make up on terrifies me. But using cleansing wipes makes things so much easier. With Rawganic Organic 3-in-1 facial wipes you can cleanse, tone and moisturise with just one wipe so you can kill three birds with one stone (not my favourite idiom).

I was sent a pack of these to try by Rawganic and I was so happy to give them a go as it isn't easy finding wipes made from only natural ingredients.

The ingredients of this product (96% of which are organic) are:

Aqua, Cotton*, Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) leaf juice powder*, Benzyl alcohol, Maltodextrin*, Coco-Glucoside, Betaine, Dehydroxyacetic acid, Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) leaf extract, Sodium hydroxide, Citric acid.

*Indicates certified organically produced ingredients.

The first thing I noticed about these wipes is the two holes punched in the middle of the wipes. I thought maybe they help split the wipe into two smaller ones. *attempts to rip the two parts apart* Nope! I have nothing against holes but I'm curious to know why they're there so if anyone has any idea, let me know.

The scent of the wipes is barely there. It has a clean smell like baby lotion. I quite like it.

Now for the most important part.. how well do they work? Extremely well actually. Just one wipe of this across my face and all traces of make up, heavy eyeliner and mascara included, are vanished. You wouldn't think it with how light and gentle these wipes are.

After my face is cleansed, my face feels a little damp. Hydrated rather than oily. Within a minute or so, the 'stuff' is all absorbed into my skin and it feels clean and soft.

So I'm very happy with these wipes and would recommend them.

The wipes cost £3.30 for 25. Available from Naturismo.com.

xx