Blend Collective for Truly Natural Body Care

Most of us are aware of the therapeutic benefits of essential oils to our psychological and physical wellbeing.  Experiencing a massage, soaking in the bath or lighting a few candles are all relaxing or invigorating depending on the oils chosen.  But all this takes time and where moments are precious in a busy lifestyle; this probably isn’t going to happen on a regular basis.

Blend Collective, a new natural body care range, seems to be ideal. Although they do have candles and a bath & shower oil, the rest of the products fit in to a quick daily beauty routine such as body wash and body moisturiser .

The founders Clive Walker and Pippa Bennett wanted to create a bath & body range that was truly natural using at least 99% natural ingredients; contained enough essential oils to achieve the beneficial aroma therapeutic effect and also had a great scent.

To ensure all this was achieved, they turned to three well know aromatherapy and perfume experts to blend together the oils:.

The results were:

Enlivening Blend – a citrus blend set to invigorate, energise and uplift the spirit.

This was blended by the late Alec Lawless who sadly passed away this March. Alec had over 20 years experience in the perfume industry producing complex fragrances. 

Main Ingredients: Sicilian Lemon, May Chang, Lemon Myrtle and Lime with Gota Kola, Linden Blossom and Calendula.

Products: lip balm, hand wash, body wash and hand & body lotion

Balancing Blend – a floral blend to calm, nourish and replenish

Emma Nash is an established essential oil expert and believes that smell more than any other sense is linked to the parts of the brain that process emotion and associative learning.

Main Ingredients: Star Jasmine, Geranium, Vetiver and Rose oils with blackcurrant, Shea butter and Evening Primrose.

Products: soap bar, hand cream, body wash and body moisturiser

Unwinding Blend – a woody blend to soothe and relax the mind and senses.

Glenda Taylor is a reflexologist, aroma therapist and perfumer.  She runs a natural and organic skincare brand as well as a luxury fragrance business and has a stellar reputation in the fragrance and beauty industry.

Main Ingredients: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Cedarwood with soothing sea kelp, passion fruit and corn silk.

Products: soap bar, hand cream, bath & shower gel and candle.

Being more of a floral gal, I prefer the Balancing Blend for the fragrance, but must admit I do need the more energising Enlivening Blend to help me wake up in the morning.

If I were to nitpick, then the only minus I see with the products is the actual colour of the packaging (which by the way is recyclable and sourced only from maintained sustainable forests). I don’t associate the colours they’ve chosen with the fragrances.  I may be in the minority here but see which colour you’d choose for each one:  green, pink and blue.

To check out if you matched the right colour with the fragrance visit their website:

www.blendcollective.co.uk

Home Spas - Maddi Alexander luxurious ethical body products

Ever wanted to bathe with rose petals floating around you?

Sprinkle a handful of Maddi Alexander’s Bath Soak in a hot bath and watch the dried rose petals and lavender flowers blossom. This bath soak combines hand crumbled cold processed soap with oatmeal, cornflour, sea salt, powdered orange peel and moisturising shea butter. 

It comes in two fragrances but one price £22:

Serene – A blend of geranium and lavender to de-stress and relax.

Frivolous – Uplifting combination of Sicilian lemon, bergamot, sweet orange, ginger and cloves to get you in the party mood.

And of course light a few candles in the same fragrance to give an overall sense of well being and serenity whilst relaxing in the bath. Price £28. These are hand poured using natural vegetable wax combined with natural, organic and fair traded essential oils and cotton wick to give the purest product.

Step out of the bath, pat yourself dry and then  massage your body with either Serene Body Butter or Frivolous Bath & Body Oil.

The Serene Body Butter is blended with pure virgin coconut and avocado oils and enriched with rejuvenating Shea and Muru Muru butter. First warm the butter in your hands before massaging gently over your body. Price £28

The Frivolous Bath & Body Oil is an extravagant blend of oils which derive from the Kalahari melon, sweet almond and the African baobab tree. This can also be used in the bath. price £30

 

Maddi Alexander only use ethically sourced natural ingredients made by fair trade cooperatives in the developing world wherever possible. So these little luxuries are not only good for you, but also good for the environment and the producers that they work with.

Available online: www.maddialexander.com and exclusively from Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly, London.

Home Spas - Nougat London's Spoil Me Bath Set

Preparing for a girlie night out?

Nougat London is a fashion label combining classic and feminine styling with a contemporary twist.

But before you step in to one of their gorgeous garments you’ll need to spoil yourself with their Spoil Me gift set. 

This is presented in a ballet box which is reusable for your cosmetics or anything else you’d like to keep in this cute cardboard vanity case.

Inside you’ll find:

Soothing bath pearls in a glass decanter. The pearls soften the water and gently cleanse and fragrance your skin.

After a few minutes relaxing, get the skin ready for a party mood out by using the Exfoliating body wash.  The gentle exfoliating beads contain mallow extract which softens and soothes the skin.

Then add some sparkle with their Sparkling body shimmer which leaves a light glow to the skin.

Fragrances are cherry blossom, Fig & pink cedar, and Tuberose & Jasmine

Price £35 from www.nougatlondon.co.uk

And now you're ready to step in to one of their gorgeous dresses. Loving their 1920's inspired sleeveless flapper dress with lattice embroidery and beads. Worn in image with a stone coloured shrug

Dress:  100% viscose Price £325

Shrug: 70% angora 30% nylon Price £105

Both available from www.nougatlondon.co.uk

 

Home Spas - GelSPA for a relaxing soak in the bath

Love having a long relaxing soak in the bath but hate the wrinkled like a prune after effect?

New on the scene is the GelSPA Luxury bath Soak which turns your bath water into a thick gel-like substance infused with aromatherapy oils. 

Add Step 1 sachet to running water and see the water thicken with tiny gel beads. These beads flow over your body, gently exfoliating the skin and massaging any aching muscles. GelSPA locks the water and retains its temperature for up to three times longer allowing you really relax.It also turns the water in a lovely blue colour.

Having tested the product, the big plus is that your skin doesn’t wrinkle from being in the water for too long. The beads do feel strange at first but this soon gives way to a light massaging effect.

Once you’ve relaxed and enjoyed, add step 2 sachet which contains salts to dissolve the gel beads and also to give the benefits of a salt infused spa bath.  I found I had to rinse off a few of the beads afterwards but a small price to pay for a long relaxing soak.

Available in three moods:

Revive- infused with rosemary to awaken the senses

Soothe – infused with juniper to help relieve muscle tension and calm aches and pains

Relax- infused with lavender, jasmine and bergamot to calm both mind and body for a peaceful night’s sleep.

The package is simple, but it’s a single use product so won’t be in the packet for long. Available at Boots stores and online at www.boots.com for £9.99