Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care, Skincare

Holland and Barratt – shop

Early last month, I got some products from Holland & Barratt and have been waiting to have a chance to use them to write about what I got.

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Yes To – Sleep Mask (RRP £2.99)

  • Coconut – moisturising (RRP £1.99)
  • Tomatoes – detoxifying (RRP £1.99)
  • Grapefruit – vitamin C Boosting (RRP £1.99)
  • Cucumbers – calming (RRP £1.99)

These masks were on offer, enabling me to buy them a pound less that the usual RRP £2.99.

I bought these because I wanted a mess free and quick method to give myself a facial. These certainly lived up to the claim.

You apply the mask before bed. It feels like a thick intense moisturiser. The product dries but didn’t feel crusty, more tacky. As you sleep, you skin absorbs the product. In the morning you wash your face as normal and you can feel it coming off as it becomes slimey once you add water to your skin.

I was pleased with the product and would consider buying again. I’m keen to try the brands sheet masks and more of the detoxifying tomato range.

Yes To is an organic and cruelty free skincare brand that produce affordable products available in many high street shops.

Salt of the earth – deodorant (RRP £5.99)

This is a popular organic deodorant as it was one of the first to go mainstream. Some time ago, I got the original version in a travel size and kept it in my handbag. I always intended to buy it again and seeing this scent tempted me.

I wasn’t sure I would like the smell as I’m not a fan of Lavender but it did smell lovely and lasted all day. You ought to know, that when you first spray it on, it makes your pit wet. You do need to give it a moment to dry before getting dressed. It didn’t irritate my skin and I felt good I wasn’t putting chemicals somewhere so sensitive.

Salt of the Earth have won awards for their vegan friendly deodorant. It lasts all day, doesn’t leave white marks and is 100% natural.

Dr Organic – Tea Tree Blemish Stick (RRP £4.99)

I have tried other Dr Organic products in the past and found then to be good quality, however, I wasn’t a fan of this. It worked to some degree but it didn’t feel hygienic. I wonder if the tea tree kills any bacteria on the application roller ball… I found the thought off putting.

Dr Organic aim to use organic or natural ingredients. Their products are suitable for vegetarian (some are not vegan, i.e. honey or snail slime). They don’t use mineral oils, harsh chemicals of GMs.

Good Bubble – Body care

  • Bubble bath – Dragon Fruit (RRP £3.99)
  • Hair & Body wash – Dragon Fruit (RRP £3.69)

This was a repurchase as I’m a big fan of Good Bubbles. My son loves it and I secretly steal it. The whole range is awesome – I’ve tried it all.

Click here for my Gruffalo Prickly Pear range review.

Click here for my Dragon Fruit range review

Good Bubble is a body care brand aimed at babies and children using gentle and organic ingredients. It is cruelty free.

Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care

Review: Tropic Skincare

About Tropic Skincare

Tropic is a natural, vegan and cruelty free skincare brand.  Like Avon, the brand enables people to become reps and sell the products from the comfort of their home enabling them to earn whilst juggling other commitments like raising a young family.

I’ve been a fan of Tropic for a while and this isn’t my first or second purchase.  I’ve befriended one of the product representatives on Facebook called Sabrina Ward and follow her on Instagram (@Tropic_Luna).  This enables me to keep up with the latest offers.

What did I get?

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My husband has stolen my Skin Revive moisturizer and had the cheek to ask me to buy him some more!  I decided this was a good excuse to spoil myself with the body oil I’ve had my eye on for a while now.  I saw a free gift offer was running.

Body oil – Soothe Your Senses RRP £28

Although, Tropic do parties (like Ann Summers), I just don’t have the social circle to have one so buying this oil was a gamble as I had never sampled it.   What captured my attention was the ingredient ‘frangipani’ which was my wedding flower.

The oil has not disappointed.  It is really beautiful with a flower floating inside the bottle.  The oil smells amazing with a tropical floral scent that is very relaxing.  It rubs in quickly.

Moisturising Cream – Skin Revive Nourishing Cream Concentrate RRP £22

I originally bought this as part of a skincare set (Travel Essentials) and found it to be really good.  I then re-bought but recently I have been trying out some other moisturisers from my subscription boxes and I guess it gave my husband the change to try it.

It is a light day cream and works well under make-up.  My husband likes it because it isn’t tacky feeling.  You can read my original review of the product and the others in the travel essential kit by clicking here.

Body wash (free gift) – Wild mint, lime and pineapple RRP £10

The deal was that if you spent £50 you would get a free gift – so I had to get my oil ;)

My free gift was this wild, mint and pineapple body wash which has a lovely zesty smell that is great to use to wake you up in the morning.  My husband and I have been arguing over who the free gift belongs too (me).  It also came free with a pouf puff.

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care, Makeup, Pip Box, Skincare

Review: The Pip Box (March)

What is it?

The Pip Box is a beauty subscription box with a selection of cruelty free products.  A donation from the cost of the box goes to an animal friendly charity (This month is Animal Free Research).  The box contains a selection of five products – skincare, body care, makeup and occasionally a sweet treat too.

Cost:  £13.50 (+£3.95 P&P) subscription, UK

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The Pip Box (March) Unboxing ?

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How to get a free box?

In each box is a card encouraging consumers to share their pictures on social media.  They then choose a winner to get their next box free.  Last month, they chose my February pictures and I got my March box free.

What was in my box?

The box came with an information card to tell me all about the products inside and their value.

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Dr Botanicals:  Tropical Invigorating Cream (website RRP £29.00, Sheet lists price as £44.00)

Dr Botanicals is a London based vegan skincare brand and made from pure natural ingredients, paraben-free and no harmful preservatives.  They pride themselves on their products being kind to your skin and animals.

The cream is really light but moisturising and sinks in fast. The tropical smell isn’t strong and reminds me of grapefruit but that’s not listed as an active ingredient.  These are:

  • Elderflower:  to protect the skin from free radical damage
  • Chamomile Flower Extract: to heal and soothe irritated and damaged skin
  • Tiara Flower Extract:  to deeply nourish and purify the skin

I’m still really enjoying their day cream from last months edit too – click here to read.

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Saturated Colour:  Make Me Matt (website and sheet RRP £8.00) and Moisturising Lipstick – Naked Pink (website and sheet RRP £7.00)

This month I got two products by Saturated Colour.  This is a UK brand (Essex), cruelty free and vegan friendly.  The brand is affordable and they products have great colour and some clever ideas.

The Naked Pink lipstick is a gorgeous colour that would suit almost anyone.  It is a daytime pink and you could wear it to work.  The ‘make me matt’ is a clever product that can turn any lipstick matt.  If you have an old favourite that is the perfect shade but want it to be matt, then this is for you.  I think it is genius.

Her are some pics and swatches of the lipstick, Make It Matt and Lip Lock (another Saturated Colour product for longer lasting lip colour).

Top pic: Make it Matt (over lipstick)

Middle pic (L to R): swatch of lipstick alone, lipstick with Make it Matt, lipstick with Lip Lock, lipstick with Make it Matt & Lip Lock

Bottom pic: Naked Pink Lipstick

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Okko Skincare:  ‘Try me’ Natural foot balm stick (£21.00 RRP for 50g on the website, £3 on the sheet for 4.5g ‘try me’ size)

Okko Skincare use natural and organic ingredients in their products.  They are proud of their balms in a stick format as this enables you to throw it in your bag without the risk of spills.

I was impressed go easily the stick was to apply to my foot. It instantly turned into an oil. I used it straight out my morning shower but think this would be better before bed to allow the oil more time to penetrate. It has a nice smell and I’d be interested in trying more of their sticks.

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Raw-Ganic:  Refreshing Aloe and Green Tea Facial Wipes (£2.99 on the sheet and website)

Raw-Ganic is an English brand (Oxford).  The brand uses natural and organic ingredients that are environmentally sustainable and affordable.  It is vegan and cruelty free.

I like these wipes. I’ve used them to remove Make-up before bed and in the morning. I also tested them on removing the searches from my arm and it came off easily, even the swatches with Lip Lock. I’m thinking of putting them away in my overnight bag or next to my bed for when I’m too tired to take my makeup off with a full cleanse.

Would I recommend?

I am a regular subscriber to The Pip Box and never been disappointed by the contents.  It was really rewarding to get my box for free and goes to show that the company really do care about their customers.

I’m starting to grow a nice collection of Saturated Colour and Dr Botanics products and I am interested in buying more. I like being introduced to new brands I may not have discovered otherwise like Okko Skincare and Raw-Ganic both organic brands with great ethics.

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care, Skin Organics Box, Skincare

Review: Skin Organics Beauty Box (March)

What is it?

Skin Organics Clean Beauty is a subscription box with a selection of non-toxic, cruelty-free, organic and natural products.  These may be skincare, body care or beauty products.  Their aim is to help you discover clean, green and cruelty-free products and brands.  They dispatch on 20th of the month.

Cost:  £19.00 (+£3.95 P&P) subscription, UK

I decided to try them out since the products that they are promoting are by the sort of brands I really want to use more of.

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Unboxing my first Skin Organic Box ?

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What was in my box?

The box came with a piece of paper with ‘Rebalance’ on it.  I’m wondering if this is the theme of the box but as I’ve not had one before I’m not sure if there is always a sheet of paper with ‘Rebalance’ written on it.  On the other side, it has details about the products inside and discount codes.

Apothaka face oil

Apothaka:  Rejuvenating face oil – normal/combination skin (website RRP £19.50, Sheet lists price as £19.95)

This oil has been shortlisted for the Beauty Awards 2017 and featured in Vogue.  It arrived in a blue organza bag and a personalized card from the owner of Apothaka.  I have normal to combination skin so this oil is perfect for me.  It is very moisturizing and I’ve only tried it before bed – I’m not sure my make up will stay on it.  It reminds me of Antipodes Divine Face Oil – which is one of the best face oils I have ever used.  I really like this oil. I’m going to continue to use it and see how my skin gets on.

NK naturals cleansing balm

NKnaturals London:  Delicate – Healing Cleansing Balm (website RRP £25.00 for 60ml, Sheet lists price as £15.00 for 30ml)

This balm arrived in a black box but as soon as I saw it I was excited to use it.  It reminded me of my Moa Balm and has a similar texture and colour. However, this seems more ‘delicate’.  I have used it for removing my eye makeup and it is so gentle it hasn’t irritated my eyes at all. My skin has never felt so soft after cleansing.  I’m going to see how my skin reacts to this as I use the pot up but on first impressions, I’m won over!

It smells like honey and lemon.

The Salt Parlour Scrub

The Salt Parlour:  Calm – Salt and Sulphur Scrub (Rose and Shea Butter) (£15.00 RRP for 200g on the website, £5.90 on the sheet for 60g tin)

This tin looks lovely but as I am not a fan of scrubs I thought about giving it to my husband’s best friend who loves scrub and the anchor theme makes it a little more masculine as you think of the marines and sailors but… I don’t think he’s going to get this one.

As soon as I opened the box, the delicious scent of this scrub caught.  I had to sniff everything in the box to figure out what smelt so good.  I decided to give it a go and found that it doesn’t scratch the skin, it scrubs and melts.  It’s full of nourishing ingredient so my skin didn’t feel dry.  This scrub is for keeps!

It’s a beauty shortlist winner and the wooden spoon that came with the box is for scooping it out so you don’t need to use your fingers.  It also has tiny rose petals in it and you can see all the natural ingredients.  I’m not sure my photo has captured how beautiful this product is.

Northburn bath salts

North-burN:  Revive – Luxury Bathing Salts (Orange, Lavender and Palmarosa (£4.00 on the sheet)

I thought the wooden spoon was for the bath salts but it was for the scrub.  I haven’t had a chance to use the bath salts yet but I was looking to buy some so I am really pleased this was in my package and I will keep it ready to try in my cupboard for a special occasion.

Beauty Kubes

Beauty Kubes – Organic shampoo for normal to dry hair  (£1.00 on the sheet)

The ‘Kubes’ are about the size of a sugar cube.  You crumble them in your hand to make a powder, add water to make a paste and then rub it into your hair to form a lather.

I’m not a massive fan of products that I have to make up myself – I’m lazy.   So, I never would have bought it myself.  However, I actually found it incredibly simple, fun and it lathered up quickly.  At first, it felt a little crumbly on my head so perhaps I didn’t get the paste quite right but it soon worked into a lather and didn’t matter.

Would I recommend?

I am really pleased with the contents of the box. I can see myself using up all the products.  I am considering repurchasing the cleansing balm, facial oil and even the scrub!  The Kube was fun but I’m not sure it is my thing and I’ve not yet tried the bath salts.

All the products meet the promise of clean, green and cruelty-free – so if that’s something you desire, this is a great box for you.  I’m going to continue my subscription; I think that says it all.

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care, Uncategorized

Spring clean, Going green

I didn’t grow up with makeup and, traditionally, I would only wear mascara and tinted lip balm at the weekend. At college, I started experimenting with colours and wearing the palest foundation I could afford, but was still a tad orange for me.

A love of make up

I was twenty and in my second job when I visited a Lancome counter for the first time.  The woman did my make-up and I was amazed at the transformation.  I promptly bought as much as I could and vowed to return. Their foundation was the closest match to pale skin and their skincare felt amazing; plus, they had deals giving away free stuff with purchases or big discounts.

For years, Lancome was my counter of choice and occasionally I would try other brands like Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown or YSL.

Changing thoughts

I read an article about an ingredient in lipstick that causes cancer. I checked my tubes of Lancome and discovered it was present. I searched for reassurance that in small amounts it would cause no harm – this was the start of me questioning my products.

The next occasion was a girl at work who was very vocal on raising awareness of animal cruelty. She’d share horrific pictures and stories of what the beauty industry and meat industry does to animals. I started paying attention to whether brands I bought were cruelty-free and discovered many leading brands sell in China – they have a law enforcing products must be tested on animals. Sadly, many of my favourite brands were trading in China and I realized they must have allowed this to happen in order to sell there.

The final change was when I discovered my toddler sitting among a cracked pallet of eyeshadow by Pixi Beauty, finger holes in my Bobbi Brown foundation and a red-smeared face covered in Benefit’s Benetint (I suspect he had tried eating it). I was in a blind panic that he could be poisoned by my make up. I cleaned him up and realised it was time to clean up my beauty choices.

Hanging onto the baddies

Changing to clean beauty products wasn’t going to be an overnight transformation. On maternity pay (then returning to work on part-time hours), I didn’t have the funds to overhaul my makeup or skincare in one go. It was a slow gradual process.

To start, I held onto all my products. There was some trial and error in finding what worked for me as many brands are online so ordering them was a gamble. More brands are now offering affordable samples making it more cost effective to experiment. With my successes, my old brands started to get replace and the old products relocated to a box for emergencies – I was still scared to throw them out.

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Fresh start

We recently got our bathroom refitted. I had to clear everything out for the workmen to rip out our old suite and put in our new bathroom.

This finally gave me the push to say goodbye to my baddies that we’re gathering dust and out of date. I only put back the products I use that are cruelty-free and most are chemical free too.

Now, I open my bathroom cabinet and smile…

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care, Haircare, Uncategorized

Review: Good Bubble Gruffalo

It’s been a tough three weeks without a bathroom.  Luckily we have been able to stay overnight at my mother-in-law’s and there are people with bigger problems so I don’t want to complain.

My son has been really good about keeping out of the workers’ way and not complaining about the noise, mess or disruption – it hasn’t been easy for him.  He would have loved to have given them a hand but it was too dangerous.

I felt he deserved a treat and when I saw Good Bubble had released a new Gruffalo range, I knew it would be the perfect treat.

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He was really happy when he saw his new products sporting the Gruffalo, one of his favourite storybook characters.

The Review

Here is what I thought of the new line and the yummy fruity prickly pear scent.

  • Bubbly Gruffalo Bubble Bath (£3.99):  The bubble bath made a decent amount of bubbles and smelt delicious.  We have had the bubble bath before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
  • Grubby Gruffalo Hair & body wash (£3.69):  It was easy to get a lather and my little boy was confidently by washing himself. We have had the wash before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
  • Little Softy Moisturiser (£3.99):  This is new to the brand and an excellent addition.  My little boy loved having his first body moisturiser. At first, he thought it was a hand cream until I encouraged him that he could apply it all over.  This was easier for him to use than their Organic Coconut oil (£7.99).
  • Grizzly Mane Detangler (£3.99):  He doesn’t have long hair that tangles but he does get flyaways so I decided to give this a go to see if it helped tame the problem.  I think it has worked.  It smells really good and can be used on dry hair so we are using it to freshen up between hair washes.

Dragon Fruit was my favourite but now it is the Gruffalo prickly pear.  We will, definitely, be buying this again.

I was only able to get this range direct from their site but I’m hoping Sainsbury, Ocado and Holland & Barratt will get some in stock soon as they sell the rest of the range.

 The Good Bubble brand:

  • Organic (98% naturally derived ingredients)
  • Cruelty free
  • Recyclable packaging
  • No tears
  • Suitable for newborns and sensitive skin
  • Allergen-free
  • No nasties (Free from sulfates (except detangler), silicone, parabens, PEG, phthalates, artificial colour)
  • UK production

Click here to read my review on other Good Bubble products.

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Body Care, Makeup, Pip Box, Skincare

Review: What’s in my Pip Box – January

It’s been a busy couple of days but I’ll leave that for another post.  Due to my schedule, I did struggle to have time this week to film my Pip Box unboxing and take photos of the content.

What was in the box?

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As usual, Pip did not disappoint.  They had a good range of different products and most by brands I have not tried before.  Here is what I got:

This is  powder face mask that you mix with water to use.  The size in the box is a small sample size.  I’ve tried it before in Balm Balm’s Starter Kit (£15.50).  This was the first organic skincare brand I ever tried because I loved how affordable and effective it is and it initiated my love for organic products.

I’ve always wanted to try their Frankincense and Tea Tree range.  They also have a mother & baby range.

This is  a new brand for me.  I love the sliding tin with the lip balm and it smells delicious – vanilla is one of my favourite smells.  Their site offers free deliver on all UK Orders and they have a lot of other very desirable products that now have me tempted.

This body wash smells lush but on top of that it scores all the goodness points for being organic, vegan, cruelty free and doesn’t contain any of the bad stuff.  It’s sustainable and 100% biodegradable.  Their products uses Ayurvedic ingredients suitable for treating a range of sensitive skin conditions like Eczema and Psoriasis.

  • Medusa Make-up, Witch Lash Mascara:  RRP £25.49 (converted from US Dollars $36)

The mascara has a simple brush that is easy to use.  I’ve had no issues with this smuging or flaking  – it stays on all day.  This is a vegan cruelty free brand that have a vast range of beauty products.  I addition, the brand do their own subscription box where for about $15 you can recieve three to five full size products.  This is a great way to expand your make-up collection if you are venturing into Vegan or Cruelty Free products.  They have some beautiful metallic shades.

  • Optiat, The Hungover Coffee Scrub (Potent Peppermint):  RRP £9.99

The scrub is dark brown (almost black) in colour which surprised me – I guess its the coffee.  The minty scent was refreshing.  Sadly, this one is not for me…  I have a friend that loves body scrubs that I am going to give this him.  Scrubs just aren’t my thing.

The brand name stands for “One Persons Trash Is Another’s Treasure” and was inspired by the coffee waste filling landfills and wanting to find a solution – a natural beauty product.  If you want an environmentally friendly brand then this is a good one for you to consider.

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What is The Pip Box?

Pip is a cruelty free beauty subscription box.  The boxes contain a range of products from makeup, skincare and body care that are all not tested on animals.  In addition, they donate 50p from every box sold to an Animal Friendly Charity.

It’s a great way to discover new brands and new products in an affordable way.  The contents is always worth more than the subscription an contains a varied assortment.

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