Neals Yard Remedies Garden Mint & Bergamot Hand Cream

This was a total impulse buy when I was shopping in the Kings Road just before Christmas on a cheeky day off but I didn't regret it then, and I don't regret it now!

I've never before tried any Neals Yard skin care, in fact I didn't even realise they had a range until recently... last time I'd been in a Neal's Yard was to buy scented oils for a burner probably about 7 years ago, so boy was I surprised by the mass of products available. Incidentally, the Kings Road store also has therapy rooms which looked nice and there was a queue of people waiting when I was in there.

But anyways, on to the hand cream, I was very pleasantly surprised. My hand cream of choice is typically Liz Earl Hand Repair as it has all the qualities I want from a hand cream... economical, sinks in fast, pleasant scent... The Neal's Yard hand cream does all this but has the added benefit of being available in three scents - Geranium & Orange, Mint & Bergamot and Wild Rose (the company also makes other hand creams but these three are branded the same). I opted for Mint & Bergamot eventually but it was a hard choice in the store, they all smelled beautiful. I think scent wise, they exceed Liz Earle's. I went for Mint & Bergamot as I was looking for a cream to keep in my bag for daily use and this had a very fresh wide-awake scent to it. For just before bed, I probably would have opted for one of the other two.

I probably should have realised from the price, which is higher end, that I wouldn't need a lot of the product, but on first application I squeezed out a ton and immediately found I'd made a booboo. You only need around a pea sized amount to work wonders on your hands which makes the product extremely economical, so don't be put off by price. In texture it is very thick and luxurious feeling.

Ultimately the product leaves your skin soft and feeling protected. It's an odd one in that I feel like it has sinks in very quickly and I can go on about my business, yet the next time you wash your hands, you do get that slick feeling that you're washing the cream off as well suggesting maybe it doesn't sink in as well as you think. I figure as long as my hands aren't still feeling sticky minutes after use this isn't an issue for me.

All in all, you can't go wrong with this luxurious hand cream.

Rating out of 10: 9

The Good: Thick high quality hand cream without stickiness, range of pleasant scents to choose from. Small amounts will take you far.

The Bad: Some may find this an expensive option.

The Ugly: £9.50 for 50ml from Neals Yard Remedies stores or online at

Lily Lolo All Natural Lip Slick

I think I found my new favourite lip gloss! Lily Lolo have somehow managed what I thought was impossible, a lip product that truly is non-sticky, a lovely smooth texture, a small but perfect selection of colours to choose from and a delicious chocolaty scent.

At just six colours, some might say the options were somewhat limited, but for me as someone with very pale complexion, I can say that every single one of the colours available I could wear day to day. This doesn’t however mean they are boring nude colours – with colours like English Rose (dusky nude pink) and Scandalips (bright pink with shimmer), this collection can easily take you from day to night.

The scent knocked me for six when I first bought one, a delicious cocoa fragrance which really adds an extra thrill when applying, but also fades promptly so you’re not going to get sick of the smell.

I’ve never found a lip gloss that truly seems to be nourishing my lips as well as providing colour and gloss. With vitamin E and jojoba, I find myself reaching for Lily Lolo’s lip slick when my lips are feeling dry, not just when completing my make-up routine. I feel it is doing as good a job as my favourite lipbalm stick (Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF15) but with the added benefit of colour.

Rating out of 10: 9

The Good: super nourishing action alongside colour and gloss, beautiful chocolate scent, non-sticky easy application

The Bad: Small range of colours currently available which some might find off-putting

The Ugly: £7.29 for 6ml available from www.lilylolo.co.uk

March Wantlist

So I’ve recently moved house and so have been saving like crazy to pay deposits fees etc. Hence not much updating has been going on recently, I wasn’t buying anything new to try!

So here’s a pretty picture of all the things I’ve been ogling over the last couple of months but didn’t have the money to buy... Hopefully I will in the near future :D

First up is Rimmel’s new Wake Me Up Foundation – I got a sample of this in a magazine and really loved it. It reminds me of the Maybelline Dream Matt Mousse but in a liquid o.O really silky to put on, easy to blend in and really good coverage throughout the day.

Second is Swarovski’s new Stitch creation. I LOVE Lilo and Stitch and despite the rest of my collection being Swarovski’s regular animal creations, I really do want this Disney character :} He looks awesome in crystal form!

Next up is Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Eclat Luminous Radiance Radiant Touch Concealer. Every beauty blog or article I read seems to absolutely love this concealer pen so there’s gotta be something in it! I could especially do with it at the moment as I’m looking a bit tired around the eyes from moving house!

The Celestial Dragon pet in World of Warcraft... lately when I’ve been playing I’ve been focussing on increasing my collection of pets, ever since I saw another player with this one. You get it once your collection reaches 150 unique pets. I’m at about 105. Long way to go :{

I saw a review of Benefits High Beam on Peachfizzz’s blog and really thought I’d like to try it. It’s a highlighter so will look great above cheek bones. It looks like it’ll be the perfect shade for me too but for those with more yellow tones to their complexion, there’s also Benefits Moon Beam.

“A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness – all the book bloggers are raving about this and Ness was even invited onto morning TV to talk about the book... it was sold out on Amazon at one point too I believe... really want to read it, but it seems expensive in both paperback and kindle edition at the moment! C’mon Kindle Daily Deal......! Also, Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy was awesome.

I got a sample bottle of Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment Oil in my most recent Glossybox and really really loved it. The smell is subtle but nice and the results on my hair were awesome – super silky and soft.

A BBQ... not particularly this one, just A BBQ! My new house has a garden so I really want to make the most of Spring/Summer with some outdoor grillin’!

I *SO* want Swarovski’s Rosette Bangle. I have the long and short necklaces and wear them all the time so really want the bangle to match. I’m hoping it’ll be in a sale at some point.

Lastly, Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon. You can blend this into cheeks or lips to add some waterproof colour! Some people received this in their February Glossybox and I was really jealous (although my own box had some equally great products in!). I’m a little worried the colour might be a bit too bright for my skin tone but still want to give it a try.