Earthzest Organics Chocolate Orange Lip Balm Review

Today I would like to introduce you to Earthzest Organics. A recently launched family-based company in Southend-on-Sea run by Jackie Callow. She is committed to providing affordable, cruelty-free, totally organic skincare products to suit all skin types, even those with sensitive skin. The products range from moisturisers, body butters, cleansers, toners, bath salts, lip balms and many more!

I first found out about Earthzest on ebay a few weeks ago while searching for organic lip balms. I came across Jackie's ebay shop and from there found this little treasure of a lip balm.

Chocolate Orange Lip Balm 15ml - Retails for £7

Vegetarian, Vegan, 100% Organic & synthetic-free!

A mouth-watering chocolate orange scent - really does smell like Terry's choc orange! I love the texture of this lip balm. A solid balm which instantly melts in to an oil like substance upon contact with the skin, resulting in a glossy look on the lips without being sticky. My lips felt moisturised and hydrated after using.

This lip balm contains only the following ingredients: Cold-pressed Cocoa Butter, Carnauba Wax, Shea butter, cold-pressed Jojoba Oil, cold-pressed Sweet Almond Oil & Sweet Orange Essential Oil. 

All of these ingredients are Soil Association certified organics plus the Cocoa & Shea butters are also Fair Trade certified. 

As and added little treat Jackie included samples of Shea & Lavender Hand & Body Butter & 

Moisturising Serum For Dry & Mature Skin. I'm in love with the hand butter - it smells so amazing and has similar consistency as the lip balm.

Earthzest also have a Peppermint Lip Balm which is next on my to buy list, along with the Argan & Coconut Hair Conditioning Cream - ooh I do love my hair treaments!

S/S Green Beauty Swap

A few weeks ago Ria at NatuRiaBeauty organised a Spring/Summer Green Beauty Swap. I was paired up with the lovely Sandra at Beauty Balm. We chatted a little over email about likes/dislikes and agreed on a budget. My parcel arrived yesterday and I love everything she has chosen for me! I'm still in shock over how much products she has given me! Lots of WOW's and OMG's when opening. You can see what I sent Sandra HERE.

(Warning - photo heavy post)

My box of goodies.

 So many little parcels! Its like Christmas all over again!

 I just love how beautifully wrapped these are.

Wow is all I can say!

Dr. Organics Manuka Honey Cuticle & Nail Solution &  Dr. Organics Rose Otto Lip Serum - 

I love Dr.Organics so was very pleased to see some products from this brand. I've never tried the Manuka Honey range but it smells great, my nails are definitely in need of some TLC. I was pleasantly surprised by the Rose Otto Lip Serum. Rose scents are not high on my list of things to buy, however this doesn't smell of rose at all, more of raspberry scent which is very nice - good call Sandra! 

I'm a huge Pure Thoughts fan, can't wait to try these. Green Clay & Tree Tea Natural Facial Soap, Honey & Oats Natural Handmade Soap and Tangerine & Jojoba Whipped Shea Body Butter. I also gave Sandra the body butter, this one is so lovely I wanted to keep it for myself, I'm glad I received one too :)

This was actually the first thing I opened and was taken away by how gorgeous it smells. Amazing is not a strong enough word. Sea Salt, Apple & Elderflower Tealights and a lovely handmade glass candle holder from LSA International.

I love love love white chocolate! Berry Scrumptions! are a husband & wife team based on an Aberdeenshire farm that grow their own Strawberries & Raspberries for their chocolate. Glen Ample Raspberries with White Belgian Chocolate tastes so good, will definitely be looking into buying more of their products. 

Fairtrade's Divine White Chocolate bar - always a fan of Fairtrade products.

I recently bought the full size Urban Veda Purifying Day Cream after trying a sample. It is great to have the Daily Purifying Facial Wash & Purifying Exfoliating Facial Polish to use along side the day cream. 

A'Kin Lavender & Anthyliss Leave-In Conditioner - I've never tried anything from A'kin before, excited to try this conditioner. I really like leave ins. I can see this bottle lasting a while - a little goes a long way.

Kintyre Honey and Sea Salt Soap by ZingOrganics smell heavenly. These little soaps are so cute I don't want to use them, just too cute! 

Deep Steep Foot Stick in Candy Mint - Love foot products. This is going to be really handy for my tired feet after a long day at work.

Weleda Skin Food - Really liking Weleda right now, this is perfect for my dry hands.

Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Facial Mask - A brand I've not used before. Looking forward to some pampering with this.

Le Soft Perfume 'Zazou' is a solid perfume stick with a lovely soft citrus fragrance. I'm in love with this! I really am... can't stop smelling it. Even the packaging is lovely.

Lucy Annabella Argan & Bergamot Treatment Oil - Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow is what I kept saying over and over when I opened this! I love argan oils and Lucy Annabella Organics is a brands I have yet to try but have wanted to for ages!

Coco Lip Balm by SW Basics - made with only 3 ingredients, Cocoa Butter, Coconut oil & Beeswax.  This lip balm is very moisturising. Will be looking into buying more from this brand.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in 'Watermelon' - who doesn't love Burt's Bees? A lovely flavour and really like the colour on my lips.

Lots & lots of samples!

Collagen Mask Pack 100% cotton face mask - I've seen these on a few blog post, looking forward to trying this (such a cool invention)

Nourish Balance Essential Moisturiser - I tried the Golden Glow Face Shimmer by Nourish in a box from Lastest in Beauty in January which I really enjoyed using. Excited to try out the moisturiser.

Love love love hair care products! - John Masters Organics - Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner & Citrus & Neroli Detangler.  Love John Masters hair care.

Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Care - 2Chic Ultra-Moist Conditioner, Deep Deep Moisture Hair Mask & Leave-in Conditioning & Styling Elixir. Never heard of this brand, my hair is going to look stunning after using these.

Aurelia - Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser & Night Moisturiser - Wow really love the look of these samples, going to try them out soon.

Kimberly Sayer - Light Cleansing Lotion - Great for my skin type.

Madara Moon Flower Rose Beige Tinting Fluid - A perfect shade for my light skintone.

Caudalie Overnight Detox Oil - Love Caudalie, and love overnight face products!

Pai Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream - smells amazing!

Last but not least a lovely Heart Keyring, and a packet of Pedigree Cheesy Bites for my doggies! Will need to keep these well hidden from Willow - She managed to get hold of a box of Gravy Bones Yesterday! Cheeky Doggie.

Sandra I have to say you are amazing! Clearly gone way over budget. I absolutely LOVE everything you have chosen for me. Can't wait to try all these out. There is a few brands I've never used before so it's great to be able to test them out. I can see me having a lot of fun the next few days trying everything - pamper sessions here I come!

That's an understatement!

Graze Kid's Goody Box Review

Who says only kids can get a goodie box of treats? The 'Graze Goody Box' is specially created for kids (suitable for kids aged three and up) but I decided to try it out for myself. Why not right? I've previously tried other boxes from graze and always enjoyed the yummy things I've received.

Graze offer a variety of tasty snacks which are delivered straight to your door (or workplace) and easily fit through most letterboxes so you don't even have to be home to accept delivery.

As well as the kid's goody box, Graze also do a breakfast box with a range of granola's, porridge and muesli or you can try their original box which gives you a wider range of snacks such as little puddings, flapjacks, popcorn, dried fruit, nuts and seeds just to name a few. Once you've chosen which box you want you can then personalise it to your likes/dislikes. You rate which foods you 'Love', 'Like', want to 'Try' or want to 'Bin'. Graze will never send anything in your 'Bin' list.

Their site is so easy to use, and you can choose how often you want your boxes delivered (twice weekly, weekly, fortnightly etc) There is also the option to book a holiday if your not going to be home for your normal delivery and of course its easy to cancel if you don't want to continue deliveries.

Here is what I got in my box

 Each snack comes in it's own little box - very handy for popping in your bag for a treat on the go.

Treasure Chest - peach fruit strings, orange chocolate raisins and cranberries.

Very Berry Blast - yoghurt coated strawberry pieces, raspberry fruit strings, cherry infused raisins and cranberries.

Summer Berry Flapjacks - rustic rolled oat flapjack with berry-infused cranberries.

Crunch Bunch- corn chips and poppyseed pretzels.

To be honest the contents are very similar to what I could of got in the ordinary box, but the names are more exciting and fun for kids to encourage them to eat more fruits & nuts and try different foods. I'm a child at heart so even I find the names fun, and I just love those little fruit strings :)

If you'd like to sign up to Graze, whether it be for yourself or your little one, 

you can get your first box for FREE! 

Normal box price is £3.99. Just click the banner below (new customers only) 

British Beauty Blogger & Latest In Beauty Collaboration - The Dream Box

When I saw that Jane from British Beauty Blogger was teaming up with Latest In Beauty to create The Dream Box - a fab box of beauty goodies I bought it without hesitation. I had missed out on previous boxes from BBB which have been so popular they have sold out in a mater of hours! Unfortunately this box is now out of stock but if you've missed out then head over to Latest in Beauty HERE to enter their giveaway for your chance to win 1 of 5 boxes.

The Dream box cost £19.95 with free p&p and has contents worth £100, so its little wonder it sold out so quickly.

My box arrived yesterday which was my birthday, so it was like a little birthday treat to myself :)

Here is the box. As you can see it is jam packed full of lovely products.

Benefit It’s Potent Eye Cream 3.0g (RRP £4.90)

I've used various products from Benefit but never tried the eye cream before, this little pot will go a long way!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Full Size (RRP £19)

A great mascara to add to my collection, I love the packaging. This item alone is almost the same cost as the entire box!

Elemis Treat Your Feet 20ml (£5.60)

Loving foot creams right now. The perfect time to get my feet ready for summer sandals.

L’Occitane Lotion Divine 50ml (£10)

I've been tempted by this lotion for some time now and have been eyeing up a 3ml sample on Latest In Beauty's Luxury Sample collection, which I was so close to buying just last week. Glad I now own a 50ml.

Essie Spring Collection Nail Lacquer Full Size in 'Style Hunter' (RRP £7.99)

This pinky colour is not my style, a nice blue colour would of been preferrable. This will go in the swaps collection.

Ren Satin Perfection BB Cream 3ml (RRP £1.56)

Nice to see a product from Ren in the box. A good little trial size.

Charlotte Tilbury Kiss in 'Marilyn'

I have never come across anything quite as unique as this little envelope. I love it,  so handy for carrying in my bag and colour lasts well into the night.

La Roche-Posay Eau Thermal 50ml (RRP £3.50)

A handy product to have in hot summer months when in need of a little something to help cool down.

Roger & Gallet Gingimbre Rouge 1.5ml (80p)

A lovely subtle fruity scent.

Janjira Art of Siam Hand Wash 50ml in 'Argan Oil' (RRP £3.50)

A handy product to have, I always forget to buy hand washs when at the supermarket. This one looks very luxourious.

Lola Kabuki Brush (RRP £19)

I have never owned a Kabuki brush before so pleased to have this one. Already own a couple brushes from the Lola range.

Makeup Revolution Palette Full Size in 'Sticks & Stones' (RRP £4)

I love the colours in this patette. I already own a few products from Makeup Revolution. See my haul post HERE.

Bourjois Creme Blush Full Size in shade 03 (RRP £7.99)

Bourjois is a brand I love. I have used the baked powder blush in the past but yet to try the cream blush. I am happy with this shade which is 'Rose Tender'.

KNEIPP Herbal Bath Full Size in 'Mandarin Orange' 100ml (RRP £7.95)

This comes in a posh glass bottle. I don't have a bath in my flat I'm not sure I can use this for its intended purpose, but may just try it as a shower gel and see how it goes as it is a lovely orange scent. 

Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint Cleansing Water Full Size 100ml (RRP £10)

Lastly a product from a company many bloggers have been raving about recently. I'm looking forward to trying this cleansing water and will be purchasing some more products from Bee Good with my birthday money.

Overall I'm very pleased with everything in this box. Did you manage to get your hands on the Dream Box? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Souk Souk May 2014 - Little Green Beauty Box - Unboxing

I'm a little bit late with this post as I have been away for a few days visiting family. Was a lovely surprise to come home and find my Souk Souk box waiting for me. This is my second box out of my 3 month subscription, you can see my first box here. As much as I like the little green beauty boxes every month, I don't think I will renew once my subscription ends. I'd much prefer to get one of the small bespoke beauty boxes SoukSouk offer, every couple of months. Although knowing me I will probably subscribe again at some point. Addicted to beauty boxes!

Anyway on to what I received this month - I apologize for the bad pictures, bad lighting and mobile phone camera don't mix well - Get my new digital camera tomorrow!

First up I have a lovely Petit French Soap by Mistral Verbena. A cute little soap fragranced with mint, lime, marjoram and jasmine. RRP £3.50 for 50g.

Second item also from the brand Mistral Verbena. The Extra Rich Body Lotion reminds me of something you'd find in the bathroom of a posh hotel suite, it has that elegance about it. Combines shea butter, olive oil, honey, sesame, calendula and arnica montana to create a beautifully scented lotion. 

RRP £4.75 for 60ml.

SpaRitual Nail Lacquer in colour 'Eye of the Beholder' I've heard good things about this brand which is Vegan and free from nasties, but I'm not a huge nail polish fan (I'm slowly converting) and not overly keen on this colour, kind of a lime green. Although its summery I would of preferred a blue polish. RRP £9.75 for 15ml

I like that Souksouk give more than one item from the same brand in their boxes as it really lets us see what different products each brand has to offer. Next up is SpaRitual Handprint Hand Serum. I don't think I've used a hand serum before, it's always been creams/balms so this will be interesting to try. This is an anti-aging serum RRP £2 for 7.4ml.

Last is a product from the only brand I've tried before in this box. Essential Care Organic Avocado Replenishing Cream. A light cream which can be used for day or night. Made with cold-pressed avocado, olive oils, shea butter and nettle herbs to moisturise and restore and essential oils of frankincense, bergamot and lavender to nourish and protect. RRP £7.50 for 15ml.

A nice selection of products this month with an overall value of £27.50.

Glossybox May 2014 Unboxing

This month Glossybox have done a collaboration with Superdrug to celebrate 50 years of Superdrug! I'm still in two minds about whether or not I like my products this month, some I will definitely use and other I'm thinking meh.

Heres a look at whats inside my box.

First I must mention a little extra in this months box. Ghost is my all time favourite perfume so I was thrilled to see a sample in my box. Eclipse is actually a scent a haven't tried yet as it has just recently been released. I love it and will be adding a full size bottle to my collection soon! £33 for 50ml. (sample worth £1.32)

The second extra is a 10ml sachet sample of Garnier Oil Beauty Lotion. Infused with argan, macademia, almond & rose oil. A good little sample to have for a weekend away. Full size retails for £4.99 for 250ml. (Sample worth 20p)

Other than the extras above I received 4 full size and 1 travel size product in my box this month.

First full size is unfortunately a product I will not be using. 2true PRO - 3D Candy Nail Art Noir. I don't wear nail varnish much so won't have much use for nail art either I'm afraid. Retails for £3.

Next product is from a brand I like Maybelline. Their Dream Matte Mousse is my go to foundation. I already own a few of their mascaras (some still in packaging) so this one is going to someone else. Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara - Very Black retails for £4.99.

I do wonder if glossybox take the beauty profiles into account when picking products for the boxes as I have lipgloss as a like but haven't liked lipstick. Some others recieved a lipgloss in their box which I would have preferred. However B.Sheer Condioning Lipstick in shade Merlot is a lovely shade of red and adds a nice little touch of glitter to lips when applied. Retails for £6.99

Last of the full sized products this month is Spray & Go CoCo Body Moisturiser by Vaseline. I have to admit I was a bit letdown to see a Vaseline product. The only Vaseline product I would normally use is the lip therapy. I would rarely buy their products. Having said that after trying this moisturiser I feel I may have judged too soon. I love the cocoa butter scent and the spray bottle means less mess than if it were a in a tub. Retails £4.99 for 190ml.

The last product is a 50ml travel size Blow Up Daily Volumizing Conditioner by BlowPro. I love getting hair products but my hair is quite thick anyway so not sure how well this will work for me - I don't want huge hair!  Full size is £9.99 for 235ml making this sample worth £2.12.

Overall an ok box - could have been better. This is the lowest value box I've had from glossybox coming in at £23.61 but still worth the £10 + p&p paid. I have seen other boxes this month with a value of £40, which is a big difference.

Birchbox Points E-shop Haul

I finally decided to make some purchases from the e-shop using my Birchbox points. I noticed Birchbox had reached 1 Million fans on their Facebook page and were offering £10 off when you spend £50 in the e-shop. I had some points saved up so thought now would be a good time to use some of them up. This bundle came to £60 exactly to the penny (funny how that worked out) and with the £10 off code I only paid £50 worth of points.

I placed my order late in the evening on 8th may and it arrived yesterday 12th so that's really quick delivery! Here is what I ordered.

Urban Veda Purifying Day Cream 50ml £14.99 - I tried this day cream through a sample I purchased from Latest in Beauty and loved it so much I had to buy the full size.

Weleda Mini Body Wash Pack 5 x 20ml £9.95 - I've only ever used the Weleda shampoo but as I was in need of some new shower gels I figured it was a good time to put these to the test. Includes Citrus Creamy Body Wash, Lavender Creamy Body Wash, Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash,Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash & Wild Rose Creamy Body Wash.

Philip Kingsley Happy Hair Days Kit 10 x 20ml £19.99 - Currently I own samples of Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer, and Moisture Balancing Shampoo. I wanted to buy a conditioner to try out alongside the shampoo but didn't want to buy a full size so instead opted for some more minis.

Included in this set is: I WANT VOLUME DAYS, a Body Building Shampoo and Conditioner; BODY & SHINE DAYS, a Body Building Shampoo and Moisture Balancing Conditioner; I WANT MORE MOISTURE DAYS, a Moisture Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner and FLAKE FREE DAYS, a Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo and Moisture Balancing Conditioner.

TommyGuns Pomegranate, Orange Flower & Hemp Conditioner 250ml £5.50 - As above I wanted to try out the TommyGuns Shampoo (also full size 250ml) that I received in last months Birchbox alongside the conditioner, so I bought the conditioner in the same scent as the shampoo - makes sense I know. Can you tell I love hair products :)

Balmi Lip Balm - Mint 7g £4.99 - I own the strawberry Balmi and really like the texture and moisture it gives. I went for Mint but its a shame birchbox don't sell the Blackcurrant any more.

Green & Black’s White 100g Bar & Green & Black’s Butterscotch 100g Bar £2.29 each - I couldn't make an order without some little sweet treats. My favourite chocolate is white so it was a no brainer to pick the Green & Black's White Bar. Butterscotch sounded very appealing too so I added that to make up the order to a round figure.

Overall a great haul. Diet starts on Monday so I best be off now to eat all the chocolate ;)

If you would like to sign up to Birchbox I'd appreciate it if you use my referral link http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=30654 and we will both be awarded with 50 points worth £5 to spend in the e-shop.