Naturisimo Skin Radiance Box

Natural skincare is something I've been dabbling in for a while now, ever since my mum started her nutrition course I've been taking a newfound interest in all things natural. I've gotten into the habit of lunchtime perusals of the Naturisimo site, and in the interest of dipping my toes into natural waters, ordered the Skin Radiance Discovery Box. 

This box is curated by the Naturisimo team month by month, and the cost varies depending on the contents, although you're always getting a good deal. This month's box was £12.95 and there's no subscription or commitment to make, you just order one single box! 

So, what's in the box? 

Elemental Herbology Vital Glow Overnight Resurfacing Cream: Marketed as an intensive overnight treatment that will help stimulate cell turnover for a healthy glow, I'm excited to give this a go on evenings when my skin feels a little lacklustre. The full size product is worth £16, so not too pricey if I fall in love with this 15ml sample! 

Caudalie Resvertrol Lift Firming Serum: This oil free serum is formulated Revertrol and Hyaluronic Acids to help lift the skin for a more youthful look. I'm hoping I can get past the weird gone off yoghurt smell because I'm super intrigued by this. 

Aurelia Probiotic Miracle Cleanser: A creamy natural cleanser that can be used to remove makeup. It's gentle and a good sized sample for travelling! It comes with a dinky muslin cloth too, which is a nice touch! 

Argentum La Potion Infinie: An ultra hydrating, lightweight face cream that helps target wrinkles, dullness and skin stress. Sounds right up my street! I've used this twice already and I really like it! 

The Organic Pharmacy Lifting Serum: At £190 for the full size, here's hoping I don't like this one! This serum supposedly uses gene mapping to restore skin cells, giving radiant & luminous skin! 

Kae Creme Argaroyale: An anti aging day cream formulated with Royal Jelly, I've been intrigued by the use of Royal Jelly in skincare, so I'm looking forward to trying this! 

Tata Harper Moisturising Mask: A rich moisture boosting skin treatment. A useful product to have around right now in the awful cold weather!

This month's box is sold out, but it's worth keeping your eyes peeled on the Naturisimo website for next month's box, as I was super impressed with this one! 

Have you tried much in the way of natural skincare?

My Top 8 Tips for Happy Skin

Having had problem skin throughout most of my teenage years, I totally understand the importance of good skin. When your skin is acting up it can really affect your confidence, and nobody wants that. I'm a firm believer in good skin and a good skincare routine being more important that makeup, so I'm sharing my top tips for happy skin!

1. Cleanse more than you think is necessary. I cleanse in the morning, when I take my makeup off, and before bed. I love the Origins Checks and Balances  and Philosophy Purity Cleansers, because they're gentle but effective. 

2. Cut out fizzy drinks. I have the occasional cup of tea or coffee, but aside from that, all I drink is water. The difference I notice in my skin if I don't get in my usual four pints of water in a day is utterly astounding. 

3. Serums, serums, serums. Serums are basically the holy grail of the skincare world, whatever your skincare concern, there's guaranteed to be a kick ass serum to combat the issue. Right now I love the Trilogy Very Gentle Calming Serum, which keeps my skin mellow and happy.

4. Avocados and Beetroot are a must. For happy, clear, plump skin, you want as many of these bad boys in your diet as possible. 

5. Oils are not just for dry skin. Oils can do wonders for the skin, and are not something to be afraid of if you're an oily gal. Start by mixing a drop or two of something like the Trilogy Rosehip Oil into your evening moisturiser - it's a great one for getting rid of redness and helping breakouts heal faster.

6. Have a contingency plan. Hormones and poor diet choices can override even the best skincare routine, so have a plan of action for when things aren't looking so hot. For me, that means a hot shower, a go over with an acid exfoliant, 10 minutes with the Origins Clear Improvement mask, La Roche Posay Effeclar A.I. on any spots, and an early night.

7. Cut out dairy. I can never understand people who complain about their skin, or take harsh drugs like Roaccutane to clear their skin, when their diet is still heavy in dairy. Cutting out dairy will improve everything from acne to little breakouts to eczema.

8. Look into acid exfoliants. They're less harsh on the skin than gritty scrubs, and help keep your skin looking clear and fresh.

What are your top tips for happy skin?

Winter Skin Loving

Winter has stolen every drop of moisture from my skin, and I've been trying every trick in the book to combat the dreaded dry skin.

I've resorted to a three step pre-bedtime routine that seems to be doing the trick for now, but does anyone else's skin seem to become to immune to products after a while? I have to keep a rotation going to prevent my skin becoming resistant! This is what the current rotation looks like anyways.

Lips are being handled by the Kiehls Lip Balm #1 in Pear, a thick and oily lip balm that stops my lips from feeling like they've been attacked with a cheese grater. This stuff sinks in pretty quickly and provides almost immediate relief from sore, chapped skin. And it smells delicious. 

I've been using the Nuxe Masque Créme Fraiche as an ersatz evening moisturiser, massaging it into my skin and letting it absorb overnight instead of washing it off. Once I got past the herby smell, I really like this, and I wake up in the morning with soft, hydrated skin that doesn't feel oily or greasy. 

And lastly, I've been treating my limbs to the luxurious Laura Mercier Body Souffle in Ambre Vanilla. I never really understood why people spent so much money on this until I tried it myself, but my word this stuff is amazing. It's thick and luxurious, but the whipped texture means it absorbs really quickly into the skin. It smells bloody amazing too, like sexy biscuits, if there even is such a thing.

Have you been suffering with dreaded winter skin? What are your favourite skincare treats?

Friday Night Facial

By the end of last week my skin was feeling a little worse for wear, congested, tight, and dehydrated. I gave myself a mini facial and my skin just drank it up, and felt AMAZING the next day!

I started by giving my skin a deep cleanse with The Body Shop's Camomile Cleansing Butter, I used this twice to make sure my skin was thoroughly cleansed. I used my Lush Santa's Lip Scrub to give my poor chapped lips a little TLC, this stuff tastes like cola bottles, it's delicious! I then went in with the Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed mask, which works double duty as a scrub and warming deep cleansing mask. I used a thick soft flannel to get every scrap of this off.

I spritzed my skin with the La Roche Posay Serozinc, and then once it all absorbed, I applied a liberal layer of the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask, which my skin just adores. It smells like orange peel, and gives my skin the most intense boost of hydration I can imagine.

My skin felt so good the next day, I had to stop myself from repeating this routine every night! 

When was the last time you gave your skin a pamper?

Getting Scrubby

I love a good scrubbing sesh, I love the way my skin feels post-scrub down, like it's made of silk. I'm not normally too fussy when it comes to scrubs, but right now I've got a three step scrub routine which is making me really rather happy. And soft. 

The Arran Aromatics Seaweed and Mineral Salt Scrub is a good mix of coarse chunky scrub, finely milled gritty scrub, and hydrating oils. It's got an incredibly fresh scent and a little goes a long way, which is handy when you're five foot ten like me and have legs that go on for days. This stuff feels like something you'd use in a spa, from the texture down to the smell, and it looks pretty good on the side of my bath.

The Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser can be used on the body as well as the face, but I prefer it for the face. It's an incredibly gentle, finely milled scrub, that smells incredibly of sweet toffee popcorn. This stuff is the perfect manual exfoliant, it's scrubby enough to get rid of dead skin, but also gentle and hydrating enough to not strip the skin or leave it feeling sore or aggravated.

I always thought lip scrubs were a bit of a con, until last year when my lips pretty much fell apart in the bitter November cold. Now I always stock up on the Lush Santa's Lip Scrub when Christmas rolls around, so I can have super soft lips that taste of Cola Bottles.

What are your go to scrubs?