Akoma- Posh Shea Butter

Akoma Shea Million is probably best described as posh shea butter. I received a tin in my September Glowwbox and it was one of the first things I wanted to try.

Agese Oils - Skin Silk

I love the story of this brand. It was created by Emma Agese who wanted to give women hair and skin products which were free from chemicals which could be potentially damaging to them and the environment. Nuff said, I'm in, so I was pretty happy to find a sample of their Skin Silk body in my August Bebox.

Dr Bronner's Haul

After using coconut oil as a body moisturiser for the last month, I starting looking into other ways to remove a few more chemicals from my daily routine. Dr Bronner's is a brand which makes a  range of natural soaps and body care products and has made waves recently due on of their products appearing in the twitter pic of a certain Ms Gaga. 

I really like the fact that the ingredients are listed on the front of the packets in big bold letters. The brand are clearly proud of the fact that their ingredients are totally natural. The only chemical used in the process is there to turn the natural ingredients into a soap i.e. something lathers. When this process is complete, the chemicals are no longer present in the product so what you're left with is a totally natural soap.

18 in 1 Hemp Citrus Liquid Soap

They say that this soap has 18 uses including everything form brushing your teeth to washing the floors. I'm not brave enough to put this in my mouth so I've only been using it as a shower gel, it lathers really well and smells amazing - really powerful and citrusy. The only thing to be wary of is the fact that it is a liquid, so it takes a bit of getting used to when pouring it out. On my first attempt, I lost a fair amount down the drain. Whoops!

Orange and Lavender Organic Body Balm

This is the star product for me. It's an all over body balm which now lives in my bag and comes with me everywhere. So far I've used it on my hands and lips and it's been great. The lavender in the product comes through more than the orange so it's a nice relaxing scent to have around you. The tin is the same kind of size as a Vaseline tin (different shape obviously) and the balm itself is quite solid, but quickly melts on contact.

Dr Bronner's - From £3.99

Gorilla Perfume

I wouldn't usually do a perfume post as you can't really tell if you'll like a scent until you whiff it. But this shop is so cool, I had to write about it.

Gorilla Perfume create hand made scents using proper ingredients.  The brand focus on scents and scents alone. There are no celebrity endorsements, no over the top bottles and no fashion houses sticking their name on a bottle to make a quick buck. The perfumes don't even come in boxes, the just get popped into a little brown bag and you're one your way.

I picked up a perfume oil called inhale which can be used on the body, in a oil burner, in a bath - pretty much anywhere you like. It's a citrusy, heady, smoky, hippy scent that makes you want to breath in deep and relax.

I also grabbed 25:43, another citrusy scent full of lime and lemongrass with an undertone of vanilla and tonka (I have no idea what tonka is but it smells amazing). It's starts off quite sharp, so it's good for keeping me awake on the morning commute, then ends with a sweeter note as the vanilla comes through.

The prices are surprisingly good too, the perfume oil cost around £18.00 whilst the perfume was approx £26.00  for 30ml - I can't remember the exact prices and I've thrown away the receipt - sorry!

I probably picked two of the most boring bottles in the shop, however many of their ranges come in simple bottles with really cool comic strip style labels. Here's a snap of one of my fave label  it's a cute doodle of the sun as a lollipop - just a shame I wasn't in love with the scent.

You can buy some of their products in some Lush shops, but I'd definitely recommend paying the shop on Rivington St, London a visit it you get the chance. They've got a wider range there and the staff really know what they're talking about so take their time in finding you your perfect scent.

How To Use Coconut Oil

Every now and then I have an ever so small panic about all the chemicals we put in and onto our bodies on a daily basis. Whether, it's moisturisers, cosmetics, hair products or perfume, we all probably dowse ourselves in a lot of chemical action before we even leave the house.

In my latest 'episode' I had a little think about the moisturisers which I slather on head to toe, everyday and thought there may be a better way to do it. Enter coconut oil for skin.

I ordered Fushi's pure organic (Soil Association approved), unrefined, cold pressed coconut oil from Feel Unique. On first inspection the oil looks pretty solid, however it melts on contact with skin, quickly turning into the oil you expect. The pics below were taken over around 30 secs

It absorbs into the skin after a few moments, so you're not left with that super high gloss finish you get with some oils. The benefits of coconut oil for me are all day moisture and a bit of piece of mind that I'm using something totally natural, unrefined and organic. The smell as you apply it is pretty nice too.

Warning - If you're a fan of the lovely sweet coco-nutty scent you get in hair products and other moisturisers, this is not it. This is a pure I just cracked open a coconut kinda scent which is lovely, but made me realised just how distorted my view of coconut really was. Shame on me. However the scent only lasts an our or so.

Top Uses For Coconut Oil
If you want a multi-purpose coconut oil for internal and external use, make sure you get something that is unrefined and ideally cold pressed. Fushi's oil ticks these boxes but I'm sure other ranges do too. Here's what you can do with it:-

Sealing Hair Ends - Lock moisture into dry ends with a small amount of oil

Scalp Treatment - Promotes a healthy scalp
Facial Moisturiser - Sinks in quickly, however may be risky for those prone to oily skin
Cooking - As a cooking oil
Supplement - Thought to kick start the metabolism, some people take a small amount orally a few times a week.
Massage Oil - Great for a smooth relaxing massage
Make Up Remover - The oil breaks down waxy make-up pretty well

I was hoping this would last me a while, but Mr BB (who never usually moisturises btw) has also taken a particular shine to this product. It's definitely a keeper.

Sure Compressed Deodorant

I always keep a mini bottle of deodorant in my bag for emergencies. But to be honest it's always annoyed me how much they cost. A miniature bottle of Dove original deodorant for example, can set you back over £1.00 which I crazy when you can get a full sized bottle for the same price. (especially if you frequent the pound shop as much as I do).

I am definitely loving these Sure compressed deodorants. The standard 150ml bottle (large bottle in the pic) has been compressed into a 75ml bottle. by the powers of science the contents of the compressed bottle will last you just as long as it's bigger counter part.

These handbag sized bottles are perfect for carrying around all day and are more purse friendly than buying a stream of travel sized cans. Money saving, space saving, everyone's a winner!

Sure Compressed Deodorants - from £1.39

Products supplied by Buzz Campaigns

Smooth Operator - Alison Claire Review

Another little treat from the November Glossybox was this Alison Claire Mango Body Butter.

Alison Claire is a range created for people with sensitive skin and those who just don't like the idea of lathering a load of chemicals onto their body every morning. Made with hypo-allergenic ingredients and natural fragrances their products are all dermatologically tested.

This body butter is pretty thick and can take a while to work into the skin, but it does eventually absorb and does the trick of keeping me moisturised all day. It smelled quite nice, more like mango cream than pure mango itself. I imagine that if Campino were to come back and make a mango and cream sweet, it would smell pretty much like this. The scent isn't overpowering though and does fade by lunch time.

If if you've got sensitive skin but are fed up with using scentless boring products, this brand may give you the little bit of luxury you're looking for.

Available from Alison Claire - £15.00 200ml