Introducing: Nature's Notes Handmade Soaps #PlasticFree

Last month, I was introduced to Nature's Notes, an independent natural skincare company that's based in London. Founded by Amina, Nature's Notes specialises in beautiful handmade soaps and I don't know about you, but these days you can't ever have enough soaps in your home!

As a fellow music lover, Nature's Notes marries together two of Amina's great passions in life; music and natural skincare, and her handmade soaps are such a pleasure to use. They're free from synthetic ingredients and Palm Oil, and they're also free from Coconut Oil too as many people find it too drying for their skin. Instead, these soaps are blended with super moisturising Babassu Oil and a specially selected range of essential oils for natural fragrance.

Nature's Notes have around 13 different scents available which you can find on their Etsy shop and all of the packaging is wonderfully plastic-free so I do recommend checking them out if you're zero waste or cutting down on your plastic usage.

Amina was kind enough to send me two of her soaps to try out with a theme of Citrus so I received the Sweet Orange, Patchouli & Ginger and Bergamot & Lavender scents. Each soap is 120g and they have been handmade in a ridged mould which gives you some extra grip when you use them - I don't see this used often on soaps that I buy but it makes so much sense, especially if you use them in the bath or shower!

Both of these soaps feature a natural base formula of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Babassu Oil, Shea Butter and Distilled Water, plus the different essential oils for each fragrance. They are very moisturising as expected and they smell beautiful - not too overpowering but with enough of each scent so that you feel (and smell) perfectly fresh and clean. If you need some new soaps in your life, be sure to check out this lovely range from Nature's Notes.

Shop online at Etsy - NaturesNotesLondon 

 

Do you use plastic-free soaps?

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Green Beauty: LoveLula Beauty Box - August 2020 review

Like a Christmas gift to yourself every month, beauty subscription boxes continue to be popular and if you're looking for one that's cruelty-free and full of natural and organic beauty products, why not give LoveLula a try?

This month's LoveLula Beauty Box is worth a whopping £70 which makes it one of the best value-for-money beauty boxes that I've seen online throughout August! Here's a rundown of what's inside:-

Madara Plant Stem Cell Age-Defying Sunscreen SPF 30 (10ml sample, full-size RRP £29)

I love trying out different sunscreens and I'm very excited to test out this Plant Stem Cell Age-Defying Sunscreen SPF 30 from Madara as I love their skincare range. This is a really interesting sunscreen as it has some cellular biology/science research behind it which uses plant-based stem cells to help protect the skin from premature ageing. The broad-spectrum protection and the 'invisible' finish make it even more appealing.

FOM London Anti Pollution Face Cleansing Cream (30ml travel size)

Another high-end natural skincare product that I'm excited to see in the box is the FOM London Anti Pollution Face Cleansing Cream as I've used the serum from this particular range in the past and I loved that. This is a hydrating cream formula which helps to remove pollution and impurities from the skin, and it also takes off makeup and gently exfoliates at the same time. It's great to see a travel size product like this in a glass bottle as well.

Laidbare Glow Facial Self Tanner (RRP £12)

You just can't go wrong with anything from Laidbare and I've had the pleasure of trying their Glow Facial Self Tanner in the past with great results. Suitable for all skin types, it gives a lovely sunkissed and very natural looking finish to the skin, without any scary orange tones and it's easy to apply as it goes on like a regular facial moisturiser. Top tip - if you have a light olive complexion like mine, you'll probably want to follow up with a second application 24 hours later for a slightly darker tan finish.

INIKA Pure Perfection Primer (RRP £35)

Last but not least, the star of this month's box (well for me personally!), is this full-size Pure Perfection Primer from the high-end Australian natural and organic brand INIKA. If you've been following my blog for a while now, you'll no doubt know that I'm a huge fan of INIKA and regularly use their mineral makeup. Their Pure Perfection Primer is one of the best natural primers that I've used and it has 83% organic ingredients which is pretty impressive to say the least! It's very nourishing thanks to skin-friendly ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid and Jojoba Oil, plus it features the interesting Kangaroo Paw extract which is a natural plant-based active that's been clinically proven in studies to improve the overall texture of the skin.

LoveLula Beauty Box* is a monthly subscription box priced at £13.95 with free postage in the UK. Visit lovelula.com to find out more.

Have you subscribed to LoveLula's Beauty Box?

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Health & Lifestyle: Bioglan Superfoods Digestive Boost review #GutHealth

 

A new release from Bioglan Superfoods, Digestive Boost is an easy to use daily supplement that you can use to boost your gut health, whilst also giving your immune system a helping hand.

Busy modern lifestyles, stress, a poor diet and a lack of exercise can all have a negative impact on your gut health, and as we learn more about our 'second brain', it becomes clearer that we need to look after our gut to benefit both our physical and mental health. 

Digestive supplements can be a useful addition, but if you're not a fan of swallowing capsules, why not try a powder product instead? 

What Is It?

Bioglan Superfoods Digestive Boost is a superfood powdered blend that's full of microbiome-friendly ingredients to benefit and support your gut health. Each 5g serving contains 500 million live cultures in addition to carefully selected plant-derived ingredients, which are each chosen for their unique health properties. It's also high in fibre, high in calcium and high in Vitamin B12 so it's especially useful for vegans as an alternative way for them to get that all-important B12 into their diet (each serving contains 400% NRV Vitamin B12 and 306% NRV Calcium).

What are the key ingredients?

Digestive Boost contains key ingredients of Inulin (a fibre found naturally in vegetables such as chicory), Psyllium Husk, Turmeric, Ginger, Dandelion Root, Nettle Leaf extract, a Multi-Enzyme blend, and added Calcium and Vitamin B12. Sweetener (in the form of Sucralose) and natural flavouring is also added to make it more palatable.

Who Can Use It?

Any adults who want to give their digestive and immune systems a boost can use it, but do check with your GP if you have any concerns that may need to be addressed. It's completely plant-based so it's suitable for vegans and there are none of the 14 common allergens in the blend.

How Do I Use It?

I found the Digestive Boost really easy to incorporate into my daily routine and the recommended serving is 5g per day - each pack contains 14 servings. Being a powdered blend means that you can easily add it to drinks such as juices and smoothies (I made a delicious Mango & Banana Smoothie above), or you can stir it into yoghurts and cereal. You can add it to basically anything that isn't hot as hot temperatures can destroy the enzymes in the blend. On the back of the packet is a recipe for No-Bake Vanilla Cookie Balls which I can't wait to try!  

What Does It Taste Like?

Although there's some natural Vanilla flavouring added to this product, I'd say that the flavour of Turmeric comes through the strongest, with more of a hint of sweet Vanilla following afterwards. You can't really taste it once it's blended into a juice or smoothie drink though.

Overall Thoughts

As mentioned earlier, looking after your digestive health is vitally important for your overall wellbeing and it's essential for both your physical and mental health so a supplement like this will certainly benefit many people, especially those who struggle to eat enough fibre which is most of us. Vegans will do well with this as it contains more than their daily requirements for both Calcium and Vitamin B12. The addition of antioxidants such as Turmeric, Ginger and Nettle help to support a healthy immune system which is also important as we head into the colder months. I enjoyed how easy it was to add to my breakfast routine too so it gets a thumbs up from me!

Bioglan Superfoods Digestive Boost* (70g - 14 servings, £12.99, link)

Do you take any digestive supplements?

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Mid-Week Pamper Treat: Biovène Barcelona Hair Wrap Treatment review

With many of us trying to squeeze in a last-minute summer holiday before school/work-life resumes, it's no surprise that I've seen an increase in search results for travel-friendly beauty essentials. An affordable option that has caught my eye recently are these handy Hair Wrap Treatments from Biovène Barcelona which I've been putting to the test.

Biovène Barcelona is a cruelty-free, natural beauty brand whose products are made without any of the main 'nasties' that most consumers are looking to avoid these days; so their formulas are free from all sulfates, SLS, SLES, Parabens, Formaldehyde, Phthalates, Mineral Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Oxybenzone, Hydroquinone, Triclosan, Triclocarban and they have less than 1% of synthetic fragrances. 

Their speciality is haircare and back in February, I reviewed Biovène's Moisture Volume Solid Shampoo & Conditioner Bars, and this time around I've been trying out the brand's Hair Wrap Treatments which are vegan, cruelty-free and suitable for all hair types.

Available in three varieties, there's an Oil Replacement Treatment (for dry and thinning hair), Thermal Repair Treatment (for sensitive and dandruff prone scalps), and the Hydrate Protect Treatment (for dry and damaged hair). 

Each Hair Wrap Treatment is a single-use product which is basically like a sheet mask for your hair. Depending on which treatment you opt for, you'll find the 'wrap' element to be the same in a pale pink colour and each one comes infused with its targeted formula to address your hair concerns - they range from 95.4% natural ingredients (Hydrate Protect Treatment) to 99% natural (Thermal Repair Treatment).

How To Use

You simply shampoo your hair as normal and then partially dry it with a towel so it's damp but not soaking wet. Open the sachet and unfold the hair wrap - now here's the tricky part. If your hair is shoulder length or longer, you'll need to gather your locks together and scoop them up into the wrap, before folding over the sticky part which keeps everything together. It took me about 5-10 minutes to get the wrap properly applied and my hair is quite fine!

Once wrapped up, massage your head gently to 'infuse' the treatment and leave on for 20 minutes. I'd recommend using this when you're having a bath for the best pampering experience. After the time's finished, rinse thoroughly and dry/style as usual.

Overall thoughts

Having tested out all three treatments, I found the Thermal Repair Treatment to be my favourite by a long shot as it really helped to soothe my irritated scalp and it left my hair lovely and soft afterwards. The Oil Replacement Treatment was a little too rich for my fine hair so if you have thicker and longer hair than mine, I think you'll love it, whereas I didn't notice much of a difference from using the Hydrate Protect Treatment in all honesty.

Although single-use products are something that we should all be using less of for environmental reasons, if you are travelling abroad and need a one-off hair treatment that fits into those stingy liquids allowance bags, Biovène Barcelona's Hair Wrap Treatments are certainly an affordable option for those who are looking for a cruelty-free and vegan-friendly alternative.

Biovène Barcelona Hair Wrap Treatments* (£3 each) are available from LoveLula.com

Are you taking any last-minute Summer holidays abroad this year?

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