Beautifinous.

Hi guys! CBD has been incorporating itself into the beauty world a lot lately and you're beginning to see it in every type of product from lip balm to shampoo. Today we're going to talk a little bit about why it is such a big beauty ingredient right now and also review a range of CBD skincare products from a UK based CBD brand - Naturecan. 

This post is going to feature a collection of six Naturecan CBD beauty products: the Naturecan Nourish Multi-Use Balm, Hydrate Moisturiser, Restore Hand Cream, Lip Balm, Lavender Massage Oil and the Purify Clay Mask. Each of the products contains CBD along with a range of other beneficial, natural ingredients which vary by product. 

For those of you who don't yet know too much about what CBD is or how it can help with our skin, I'll do a quick explanation of what it is and how it helps and also provide links for you to read more about it.

CBD is short for cannabidiol which is an extract of the cannabis plant. The oil is extracted and filtered so that the remaining oil is free of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol - the psychoactive part of cannabis that causes the 'high') meaning that it is non-addictive and has zero psychoactive effects. This allows you to receive all of the benefits of the CBD with no THC effects. 

CBD has many positive effects when ingested (pain relief, good for anxiety and so on - read here for more on this), but for the sake of this post we're going to focus in on the benefits of its inclusion in skincare products.

" On the surface, CBD delivers a chemical-free way to fight breakouts and inflammation, but it also offers a promising solution to tackling more stubborn, recurring issues. In a study published in the Journal of Dermatological Science, researchers found that when CBD was applied to human skin cells, it actually inhibited the overproduction of keratinocytes (specific skin cells) that are commonly seen in psoriasis. This is further evidence to support CBD working to realign bodily processes that may be adversely affecting the quality of your skin, including its softness, cleanliness, and ability to retain important moisture." - Naturecan

And for those who may be suffering with acne, here is some further good news:

" Based on recent scientific studies, CBD oil may help treat acne due to the anti-inflammatory properties explored earlier, and how this is linked to the body’s ability to reduce sebum production. One test-tube study found that CBD oil prevented sebaceous gland cells from secreting excessive sebum, exerted anti-inflammatory actions and prevented the activation of ‘pro-acne’ agents like inflammatory cytokines.4 This offers some proof to the claim that the CBD found in skin products, dependant on their strength and quality, can not only help maintain the balance your body needs but actually help to reverse life-altering condition such as acne." - Naturecan

As I've got a lot of products to cover in this post, I'm going to keep my reviews of each individual product fairly brief and focus more on the range overall. I'll begin by discussing the common traits of the range before moving onto each product individually and then summarising with my thoughts on the range together at the end.

Naturecan CBD Beauty Range

All of the Naturecan products that are featured in today's post are natural, vegan products. As stated in the intro, they are all guaranteed to be free of THC and are GMO free.

The range is packaged in simple, white, plastic packaging with the Naturecan logo in green and other product info in dark grey.

Hey guys! Regular readers of the blog will likely be aware that I am a huge fan of natural products and those with a special message or purpose behind them. Today I am going to be discussing a new product launch from a brand that does good elsewhere as you purchase, so naturally I'm rather excited to dive into this one with you all.

YOPE is a Polish brand that was set up by a husband-wife team, Karolina and Paweł in 2015. They wanted to have access to a brand of personal care and home related products that were natural, effective and yet affordable. However, with a wide gap in the market for such a range, they decided to provide that need for themselves as well as others who were seeking it. YOPE is the result; a range that cuts out the harsh ingredients that so often effect sensitive skin types and instead focuses on gentle yet effective products that are rich in natural oils, butters and plant extracts and also feature mild cleansers, non-toxic surfactants, natural citric acid and soothing ingredients such as allantoin and glycerine. Many YOPE products are Ecocert certified, none are tested on animals and all packaging is recyclable (they also encourage refilling bottles and provide refill packs). 

The range that I will be reviewing today specifically is their new Linden range. The Linden range is a three-part skincare range that includes a floral, herbaceous and uplifting-scented Natural Liquid Soap, Natural Shower Gel and Natural Body Lotion. Each Linden product contains extracts of linden, marigold and chamomile flowers. The purchase of any YOPE Linden product also helps YOPE with their new mission to contribute to the fight to save the bees with #beeYOPE. Part of the profits from the sale of Linden products (at Waitrose stores in the UK) are donated to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a charity that plant meadows in urban areas, providing homes to pollinators and in turn making a difference to our ecosystem. 

Each of the Linden products comes packaged in the style of other YOPE products; a large pump-lidded bottle that boasts beautiful illustrations of animals - a different animal for each YOPE range. The Linden range features a cute little raccoon. 

Affordability can be a bit of an issue with natural products, so a brand that includes this as part of their ethos is always a fascinating one to me. I think that making natural products more accessible can only have a positive effect overall, but a hefty price tag isn't going to help on that venture. Let's get into my thoughts on the YOPE Linden range!

For the sake of the review I am going to describe and review each product in turn.

Hey guys! So today’s post is a little shorter than usual, but we’re going to be talking tweezers. They’re great aren’t they? Insanely useful for a ton of things from shaping your eyebrows to plucking stray hairs. You know what isn’t helpful? Blunt tweezers. We need sharp tweezers to keep using them at their best. What do you tend to do in that situation though? Throw them out? Buy new tweezers? How about sharpening your tweezers to make them as good as new?

Today I will be discussing a product from a brand called Tweezerfile. In fact, the product name is explained pretty well within the brand name - Tweezerfile is a file for your tweezers to keep them sharp. A tweezer sharpener that is simple and quick to use and enables you to keep your tweezers in a sharp and effective condition so that you can pluck your eyebrows without extra stress. It could even make a great little Christmas or birthday gift for those beauty fans in your life.

The Tweezerfile is a double sided, diamond plated, stainless steel bladed file. It has a plastic handle to grip onto making it easy and convenient to use. It comes in two colours - coral and navy blue - and comes packaged in a light grey blister pack with instructions of how to use on the back.

Hey guys! So, it’s been a while, but not to fear - Christmas is nearly here! And what does Christmas bring? Christmas gift idea blog posts of course! But hey, what I’m reviewing today doesn’t necessarily have to be a lovely gift idea for someone you care about, it can be a little monthly treat for you too. Interested? Of course you are! Let’s see what I’m talking about.

If you’ve been following the blog over the years then it probably comes as no surprise to hear that I am a fan of subscription boxes and I love perfume. So what better thing than to combine those two? Today I’m here to review the Scentful Surprise Perfume Subscription Box which is a subscription box that provides you with two surprise samples of designer fragrances each month.

I’m going to focus the post around the idea of the subscription box and the process but I will also write a little bit about each of the fragrances for those who are interested in what they are like.

If you’ve never tried a subscription box of any kind, you may be wondering about the perks or benefits of them. Subscription boxes allow you to basically try before you buy. It can be a nightmare to spend a fortune on something to then not like the product or get on with it and then it eventually it gets thrown out. But let's talk about it from a perfume perspective more specifically.