The Weekly Selection

The Body Shop Vitamin C Face Spritz  //  Apivita Face Mask with Pomegranate  //  Benefit They're Real Mascara  //  Benefit Gimme Brow

Hi everyone, hope you've all had a fabulous weekend and have been enjoying all this sunshine we've been having. I definitely have, squeezing two barbecues, a boat trip and plenty of sunbathing into the past couple of days, and I'll be posting some photos shortly. For now,  it's that time of the week again, so here are my weekly favourites.

I love a good facial spritz at the best of times, but in the summer months, all the more so, and I find myself readily spraying away at every given opportunity. The Body Shop Vitamin C Face Spritz is my number one wake-me-up weapon at the moment, with a zingy citrus scent to refresh and invigorate. It gives my skin a boost, but it also targets my senses - definitely an added bonus, and an all-round winner.

I love a nice radiance-boosting mask in the springtime, and I really feel that my skin benefits from a bi-weekly boost in the form of the Apivita Face Mask with Pomegranate, which I reviewed earlier this week. It's one of those unexpected winners, where it doesn't seem to be anything special, but on giving it a try it is pleasantly surprising. If you're interested in knowing more, then I'll let you go and read my post on it.

Also on my hit list this week have been two absolute treats from Benefit. If  I remember rightly, the They're Real Mascara featured in my last favourites post - but hey, I'm breaking all the rules, and it's in here again. Personally, I see now problem with repeat appearances in these sorts of things, as it only serves to prove that they really are well loved. I'd rather that than choose something I wasn't all that enthralled with just to fill the space - that wouldn't be honest, and it wouldn't get any of us anywhere.

Anyway, as I would have mentioned previously, this is a mascara I was reluctant to try - or should I say, buy -  as I wasn't willing to believe that any mascara could warrant an £18-odd price tag. However, I was forced to eat my words on receiving this as part of a birthday present, because actually it is pretty wonderful, and I'm keeping a tight hold.

Last up is Benefit Gimme Brow - another item included in my Benefit birthday bundle of goodies. I love brow products, and never go a day without reaching for a gel, powder or wax to give mine some sort of shape. Thanks to the dreaded over-plucking as a teenager (thanks, sis), they are now a bit on the..well, wonky side, so although they are fairly thick and full, they can always do with a bit of extra help.

Gimme Brow is a two in one product, as it serves as a setting gel but is also tinted. I use this to shape and fill my brows all in one go, but I do still reach for a powder to fill in the tails as I find it easier to get a precise finish.

Those are my lot for this week, but already I can feel some more products making their way up in my mental favourites list, so expect lots of enthusiasm over the next few weeks!

What have been your favourite products lately?

xx

Suti Peppermint Water Organic Facial Toner: Review

After the rip-roaring success of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, I was really excited to try this spray toner, which I was lucky enough to win in the lovely Product Pixie's fantastic skincare giveaway a couple of months ago.

I had never really seen much point in toners in the past, in that I was never really sure if they were actually doing the job for which they were designed. But I've always enjoyed using them all the same, as I feel that, when applied to cotton wool pads and swiped over the face, they do leave my skin feeling refreshed as well as removing any last traces of grime after cleansing.

But it was when I tried the Caudalie Beauty Elixir that I began to use a toner on a daily basis. I loved the refreshing, invigorating burst it gave my skin on a warm summer's day, and it seemed to help clear up any minor blemishes I was experiencing too, so when I saw that the Suti Peppermint Toner came in a spray bottle too I was already fairly sure that I would like it.

So, onto the product itself.

Suti Peppermint Water Organic Facial Toner comes in a glass bottle, which I really like, and think it looks pretty sitting on my bathroom shelf. I always feel that skincare products in glass bottles and jars have a more sophisticated feel, although the other elements of this one are very minimalistic and pared down. I think this compliments the fact that this is an organic product and so uses minimal, naturally derived ingredients, which for me is a huge bonus, as I often worry about the chemicals I'm putting onto my skin.

Now, as with all spray toners I have tried, I did find that it took a bit of practice to make the most out of the spray mechanism. If you hold it too close to the face then you will need to use five or six sprays to cover the whole face, whereas if you hold it at about half an arm's length then only a couple of spritzes will suffice. This is not the cheapest of products, retailing at around £15, so personally I would like to maximise the number of uses I get out of it.

For me, the product itself and the ritual of using it are just a  phenomenal combination. On a hot day, this will provide a welcome blast of coolness and a real treat for the senses too. The gentle peppermint aroma provides a calming, invigorating effect and I always like to take the opportunity to breath it in upon application to reap the full benefits. If you are someone who suffers from stress, anxiety or headaches then this is a really great product to carry around n your handbag with you, whatever the weather or the season. This is not just for use during your morning and evening skincare routines, but can be spritzed onto the skin at any time during the day. I like to use it to wake myself up a bit when that mid-afternoon slump hits and I'm feeling a bit lethargic and head-achey, as well as to pep up my makeup a bit when it's starting to wane or look a little 'tired'. It's also fantastic for bedtime as peppermint provides a relaxing effect, which is just what you need when preparing to sleep. 

The organic peppermint leaves used to create this lovely revitalising spritz help to calm and sooth irritated, inflamed skin, and to clear up blemishes too.

All in all, I consider this a must-have product for both the body and the mind, and it's not often I find a product I am able to say that about. I will definitely be repurchasing it as it just has so many uses and benefits, and I have really enjoyed using it so far.

Are you a fan of facial toners, and do you enjoy using any organic skincare products?

xx