Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts

Saturday, 17 August 2013

Organic Surge sale splurge


A while ago Organic Surge had a massive up to 70% off sale and I took thorough advantage of it! Their products are truly organic and chemical-free ( no sulphates or parabens). They also don't test on animals, always a bonus.
 Sorry this post isn't actually during the sale but I wanted to trial the products so I could actually give my thoughts and skincare products take a good few weeks of testing. This way I can let you know if it's worth the full price and inform you of my savings. 


 Left to right: Brown sugar body polish, super intensive daily moisturiser, blissful daily moisturiser and gentle cleansing lotion



Gentle Cleansing Lotion 
RRP: £5.99 
Sale price: £1.50

For the price I just couldn't resist this cleansing lotion. It promises to be gentle on the skin and suitable for even the most sensitive skin. I agree it is certainly extremelyy gentle. It isn't however completely fragrance-free. It contains lemon essential oils and rosemary which you can definitely smell during use. It isn't an overpowering scent but a required taste none the less. I quite like it myself and find it almost therapeutic.
In consistency it's quite a runny lotion and I generally use it in the morning due to its' light texture.
The instructions on the back tell you to use it on a cotton pad and swipe it over the face. I use it differently by massaging it in and using a hot cloth to wipe it off. I only feel my skin is truly clean when I use water - just my preference!  

Would I recommend it? Yes, although I'm not screaming its' praises at the top of my lungs. It is pretty  basic but enjoyable to use! You can't complain too much for £6 though, a purse friendly option. 


Blissful daily moisturiser
RRP: £8.49
Sale price: £2.12

Super-intensive daily moisturiser
RRP: £8.99
Sale price: £2.25

 I really fell in love with these moisturisers. I use the non-intensive moisturiser in the morning and the souped up version at night to inject extra moisture. The blissful daily moisturiser is made for normal/combo skin and it is so light. I love it! it absorbs into the skin quicker than anything I've used before which is exactly what I want in the mornings. It trumps the £18 Liz Earle moisturiser I was using previously. Again the scent is light and pleasant. The super-intensive version has a faint rose/floral scent which you won't like if you don't enjoy that sort of thing. It is much thicker in texture as you'd imagine and almost feels a tad 'balmy'. The blissful one is more on the herbal side. 

Would I recommend it? Definitely, they cater to different skin types and just a good all-round solid moisturiser which is pleasant to use and well priced. 




Million Dollar Brown Sugar Body Scrub
RRP: £32
Sale Price: £8.00 

This was the only 'luxury' product I purchased purely because it was on sale and I fancied a treat! I have to point out I think I'd only ever buy this if it was on sale because for me £32 is just too pricey for a body scrub.. especially when half of it ends up down the drain. That doesn't mean I didn't absolutely love it because I really did. As you can see from the photo above the oil in the scrub settles so you have to give it a good stir before using it. It smells mega strongly of orange to me.. In my opinion it isn't the best scent in the world but it's not offensive. The actual use of the product is what puts it in my good books. It leaves skin so so unbelievably soft and supple and exfoliated.

Would I recommend it? For the price tag, probably not. But if it was on sale definitely worth a try because the results are gorgeous and I'll be trying to find something similar.. 


What it should of cost:  £55.47
What I paid:£16.82 (incl delivery)
Total Savings: £41.60

A massive bargain i'm sure you'd agree! So have any of you tried any Organic Surge products? 


Much love, 
                          Natalie x

Monday, 11 March 2013

Boots Botanics - A mixed bag

Hello there! I recently decided to delve into the Boots 'Botanics' range.
I think the general ethos is that it's all to do with the 'power of plants' and this intrigued me.
The line is totally reasonably priced across the board and if you're looking for low-cost, but totally natural, skincare this could be for you. The line is broken down into a number of categories: 

- All Bright (Brightens all skin types)
- Radiant Youth (Protects all skin types)
-Organic (Nourishes all skin types)
-Ultra Calm (Soothes sensitive skin)
-Shine Away (Mattifies oily skin)
-Hand and Body (Intensively moisturises)

I only sampled two things; one from the 'All Bright' range and one from the 'Organic' so I can't advise you on everything!

*Please excuse the shoddy camera work in this post.*

I tried out the Soothing Eye Make Up Remover (£3.99) and the Rosewater Toning Spritz (£4.99)
As you can see they're both reasonably priced. But one outshone the other rather drastically...



 Firstly, the least impressive (and that's putting it politely), of the two. The Soothing Eye Make Up Remover. The packaging  reads: "The clear oil phase effectively sweeps away impurities and make-up, including waterproof formulations. The aqueous phase is given it's colour by hibiscus, and helps to soothe the eye area and condition lashes"

As you can see from the description and the picture below the product is by-phase, so you have to shake it really well to mix both the oil and water layers and then it's good to go. 


My main problems with this product are the promises it simply doesn't live up to. I have to scrub at my eyes with the cotton pad to get it to break down the makeup effectively - something I thought would come with ease due to the oil. The oil leaves my entire eye area feeling particularly greasy and unpleasant. The smell is also VERY off-putting. It's hard to describe but it smells slightly medicinal and just horrible..
The hibiscus is supposed to act as a natural brightener but I can't say I've seen any difference at all. 
Something which also caught me off guard was how much it stings if you get it in your eye... god it packs a punch. I know you're not supposed to get it in your eye but it happens!
I flapped around my bathroom fearing I'd lost my eyesight for a good 2 minutes.
I ended up going back in with a face wipe straight after I used this anyway so I thought to myself, "What's the point?". 
I VERY rarely actually decide to stop using something after I've paid good money for it (I'm stubborn like that). But this I will not be picking up again.


Secondly was the rose toning spray and I was pleasantly surprised by this product!


The packaging reads: "Enliven your sense and refresh your skin with this revitalizing organic Rosewater Toner. Spritz generously after cleansing to visibly tighten pores and remove the last traces of make-up. Skin feels smoother, fresher and prepared for moisturising."

I bloomin' love this toner. Now I will confess I do not actually use this for its intended purpose. 
In my skincare routine post I made clear my love for the Liz Earle Instant boost tonic toner and I remain faithful to that for my day and night use. However.. for refreshing and perking up my skin throughout the day this is wonderful. I find myself grabbing it when I walk past and giving my skin a nice spritz. 
The liquid mists out as opposed to just soaking your entire face which is lovely. It's cooling and smells absolutely divine (if you're a lover of rose scents like I am). 
I have also noticed that, like it promises on the bottle, my skin does infact feel smoother since I started using this. This gets a definite 'thumbs up' from me! :) 



Have you guys tried anything from this range? impressed or not impressed?
 let me know in the comments bellow! 

Thanks for reading as always :)

Much love, 
                          Natalie xxx

L