How I wish I could visit my 15-year old self and tell her everything I have learnt about acne and have to treat it.
I would have told myself to bin all the harsh chemically laden lotions and instead use a light natural face oil all over the face and neck and then the amazing Manuka Honey Gel from Living Nature straight on the spots to reduce the inflammation and redness.
(This gel is also excellent for sun burn and shaving burn.)
XX Lisa
A very Good Monday Morning!
I’m hellbent on finding a of couple shampoos without SLS, phalates and parabens that I can alternate between without having to come back to the Kerastase shampoo that always delivers, but contains chemicals I try to avoid.
So far I’m VERY impressed with california brand Giovanni.
I have used the 50/50 Balanced Hydrating-Clarifying for normal to dry hair for awhile.
I don’t have dry hair as such, except my ends which are exceedingly dry at the moment, (haircut is way overdue!!) but this one really works for me.
It keeps my hair cleaner for a day longer than most other shampoos (isn’t washing your hair the most tedious thing to do?) and I like the bottle, the eco chic branding and it’s not expensive at £8.00.
XX Lisa
Uplifting yellow on a rainy grey day in London.
X L
Bag by Marni
A new Swedish body brand has found its way to our shores.
It’s called L:A Bruket (Lilla Bruket) which loosely translates as Little Mill.
The products are hand-made in Varberg (a very small town on the west Coast of Sweden) and almost all the ingredients are certified organic.
I bought the Black Pepper and Geranium Body Lotion and I’m liking it!
It keeps my skin soft and moisturized without feeling greasy and the smell is not overwhelming.
Geranium is not my favorite scent in the world but I was not bothered about it at all.
L:A bruket has a lot of different lotions and potions that I’m interested in trying out, like their seaweed bath and 6! different liquid soaps.
What I also really like about the brand is that the bottles look stylish on your bathroom shelf. And it completely make sense that they were nominated for The Swedish Design Award, twice!
I bought my bodylotion at & Other Stories on Regent Street in London.
XX Lisa
This is my new fave body wash.
It’s green and clean and smells sublime!
Yes, its rose again 
X Lisa
It was time for a new Mascara again and I decided to try Organic Glam’s mascara in Jet Black.
I’m always on the look out for non-toxic make up, but I am adamant it should also deliver.
I’m to vain to use something that is safe but simply not up to the job.
This mascara is on the blog because it’s super great!!!
The colour is very black, it gives long long dark lashes.
It’s up there with the creme de la creme of the best conventional mascaras, but instead of applying toxic chemicals around your eyes this one nourishes your lashes with aloe, beeswax, vitamin A, E and C.
The formula is 60% organic and free from artificial colours, preservatives and fragrances.
Win, win!
Happy Valentines day everyone!!
X Lisa
The heating is on full blast again and my hair is beyond limp and frizzy.
I decided to give it a bit of TLC and bought, what I thought was a new shampoo and a repair conditioner.
But because I’m in desperate need of some specs, (have been looking for a year, can’t find anything I like) what I thought said Shampoo For Coloured Hair was on closer inspection actually Dry Hair Conditioner.
Hmmm, I have never ever had dry hair…well exept for the ends of course, but my scalp should stay well clear of anything that makes it greasy.
The conditioner for dry hair is actually not so heavy, so I will continue using it, but I’m completely in love with the Intensive Repair Treatment. It really moisturizes the hair, leaving if soft and a bit swishy. Ten out of ten!
I have written about Sacha Juan’s shampoos before HERE.
I’m so incredible fussy when it comes to perfumes. It takes me forever to find one that I love and I almost never ever buy the same one twice.
For me scents are so linked to a special time in my life, it feels utterly wrong not to move on, if that makes sense.
There’s been a few exceptions though: I bought several bottles of Calvin Klein’s Escape in the early 90′s, just because my new love asked me to and I’ve gone through 2 bottles of Annick Goutals Ninfeo Nio.
I’ve been looking for a new fragrance for a couple of months and I had my eyes set on one from Byredo and perhaps one by Agonist, both swedish perfume houses, and I thought I would get them whilst in Stockholm (a bit cheaper than in London).
But I think I got a complete overload of simplicity, minimalism and functionality after 2 weeks in Stockholm, and when I saw the above bottle: Essence by Reminiscence by french perfume house Reminiscence, it was love at first sight!
Thank heavens the smell matched the packaging!
It’s oriental, woody, soft spiced and vanillay (can’t do flower scents at the mo)
Top notes are bergamot, star anise, paprika and marigold;
middle notes are jasmine, nutmeg and floral notes;
base notes are french labdanum, sandalwood, patchouli, virginia cedar, vanille and pine.
And the extravagant, decadent bottle makes me very happy!
I have wanted to try the swedish skin, body and baby care range Estelle & Thild since I first saw it on the shelves at Selfridges a month or two ago.
But my lotions and potions cupboard is a bit over stuffed at the moment so I decided to wait until I got to Stockholm this Christmas.
I had forgotten to pack my body oil and body wash and I also needed a new shampoo for the kids, so that’s what I got.
Estelle & Thild offers organic skin care without any nasties like parabens, mineral oils, SLS, synthetic emulsifiers etc.
The company was founded by Pernilla Rönnberg. a Swedish mum who wanted organic, clean and effective products without any harmful chemicals for her two daughters Estelle and Mathilde.
The range started as a baby range and grow from there.
So the verdict: I really liked the products they are clean and simple, with no fuss.
I tried the Body Oil with Neroli and Bergamot.
I like body oils very much and this one is really good, it leaves the skin soft and slightly shiny, but not to oily so I can defiantly use it in the summer as well. It smells nice, not to strong and it’s quite a uni-sex smell, so not just for girls.
I will buy it again when I run out. It will set me back £25 for 150ml which I think is really reasonable for a product with no cheap fillers.
I also tried the bergamot Body Wash: It cleanses very well, almost to well, I myself prefer when the wash leaves a bit of moisture on the skin.
It smells lovely of bergamot though. If my kids were a bit older ie teens I would get it for them.
And the third product I tried was the Shampoo for Baby and Child: Loved it! The kids tried it and I tried it too when I couldn’t find my own shampoo. It’s not ideal for me perhaps with my coloured, super fine hair.. but it wasn’t bad in any way. For the kids its perfect! It’s gentle and leaves the hair clean and soft. And I will not freak out when my 9 year old don’t rinse it all out. I will get it again for sure!
Hi, this video is about how you can make a super efficient, super cheap and super clean facial scrub from stuff you probably have in your cupboard already.
Say hello to happy glowing skin
♥
