Ailsa Jane

For one of my Love Lula picks this month I chose to trial the Organic Hair Cleanser * from Tabitha James Kraan. I received the Clean Conditioner in Septembers The Natural Beauty Box, and wanted to branch out to other products. The brand screams luxury to me and many people rave about the multi-award winning hair care range. As I already had the Clean Conditioner in 'Golden Citrus' I decided to stick with this same scent for the cleanser. It is such a refreshing scent and lingers slightly on the hair after rinsing. Tabitha James Kraan Organic Hair Cleanser 'Golden Citrus' (60ml £9.50, 165ml £25) - This cleanser is said to balance, moisturise, nourish and deeply cleanse hair to restore hair and scalp health, without stripping natural oils from the hair. It also protects the colour of natural or coloured hair and reduces frizzy or fly away strands. To use apply 5-15 pumps evenly over the root area of hair and scalp, then rinse thoroughly. I found I needed sli...

My skin is quite prone to spots and blemishes so I really wanted to find a product that would help to control breakouts and reduce the redness I have. I've used Sukin products before but never knew they had a blemish control range until recently. The  Sukin Blemish Control Kit * (£19.95) contains 4 products to help calm and clear the skin, three are 50ml and one is 15ml so decent sized samples, and handy for travelling with. Clearing Facial Wash purifies the skin while removing dirt and impurities with Quince and Pomegranate. Pore Perfecting Toner refines and refreshes the skin with Eucalyptus, Tea Tree and Mint. Spot Banishing Gel helps to fight breakouts with Willowherb, Salicylic Acid and Eculyptus, while the  Oil Free Moisturiser clarifies and balances the skin with Willowherb, Quince and Moringa. Willowherb is said to fight the causes of blemishes in just 30 minutes! And while I didn't see a huge improvement that quickly, I did notice a big diffe...

For being someone who doesn't wear make-up daily (or even very regularly) I certainly do have A LOT of eyeshadow palettes. Urban Decay has been my go to brand for eyeshadow ever since I bought my first palette, Naked 2 in February 2016 - I checked back on emails, and was actually surprised it wasn't sooner! Here's my collection below... Naked, Naked 2, Naked 3, Naked Mini Basics, Naked Ultimate Basics, Naked Mini Heat, Naked Cherry, Naked Heat & Naked Smokey. My favourites are definitely Naked Smokey and Naked Heat. Naked Cherry is the newest to my collection so it still has a few untouched colours, but I love the colours that I have used so far. I'm happy to do swatches of any of these palletes, just ask in comments :)  Closer picture of Minis and Ultimate Basics     Close up of 1, 2 & 3   Closer view of Cherry, Heat & Smokey All nicely organised in my new acrylic holder for easier access when I need to use them. And ...

As some of you may know I work for Royal Mail as a postie. I walk up to 8 to 10 miles per day on average, so you can imagine how tired and sore my legs can get after a long week of working! I was on the look out for a product that could help ease my tired legs. Looking on Love Lula's website I came across  E'lifexir Natural Beauty Actidren Revitalising Leg Gel * (150ml £15.99) It sounded like just what I needed.  The gel - or lotion as its more like in texture - is hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested and free from silicones, mineral oils, sulphates, PEGs and artificial fragrances. It is said to relax and refresh the legs. Actidren Revitalising Leg Gel soothes and relaxes legs in three steps: 1. Fluid and toxin reduction : Black elder extract helps to improve microcirculation and decongestion of the skin tissue. This helps to manage heavy legs. 2. Anti-redness : Rutin and 100% natural Olive oil derivative, reduce the appearance of redness while natu...

It has been ages since I've bought a Look Fantastic Beauty Box but after seeing some spoiler pictures on Facebook I decided to use my glossy credits to get this months box. Normally the box cost £15 including postage, with my glossy credits it took the price down a little to £9.35. The box this month is has a lovely white and blue design on top with a pinky purple base, which I will be keeping and reusing. It also comes with a copy of the latest Elle Magazine. From Rituals is Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk Soothing Hand Balm  70ml (£9.50)- a lovely floral lotion made with Shea Butter and Organic Rice Milk, the lotion replenishes and rejuvenates hands. Rituals are always a welcome brand I enjoy getting in boxes. Eos Lip Balm  7g (£6.50) in Strawberry Sorbet - Not actually a brand I've used before, but a handy balm to have in the makeup bag. Probably not something I would take out and about with me as I find the shape awkward for travel, I prefer small stick balms. T...

My favourite time of the month has arrived, the Love Lula Beauty box * is here! I'm so pleased they use Royal Mail for shipping as it means I'm one of the first to get the box :) The perks of working for Royal Mail, I can get my box delivered to my office rather than to home. This month's box is one that is causing a lot of debate on the Love Lula Natural Beauty Club Facebook group. With the inclusion of a few makeup products it is definitely a hit or a miss box for most. So lets see what is included this month.... We have 4 full sized products and 3 sachet samples. First up from Madara is the Deep Moisture Gel (50ml £28) Madara is a brand that features often in Love Lula's boxes, but I've yet to find a product of theirs that I don't like. This is a light serum more than a gel, which controls excess sebum production, minimises pores, reduces shine and soothes irritation. Designed for oily/combination skin, however my skin is more dry than anything...

I recently became part of Lovelula's Accredited Blogger Programme and for one of my picks this month I choose to review Ben & Anna Natural Soda Deodorant in Vanilla Orchid * (60g - £9.95) I've used a few different natural deodrant brands and loved them so much I'd never go back to non natural brands.   Ben & Anna deodrants contain no aluminum, PEG’s, Parabene or Phtalate. Are vegan, cruelty-free & gluten-free, as well as being certified natural & organic. They are suitable for both men and women...they offer many varieties to choose from including a fragrance free stick if you prefer to stay away from scented products. The packaging of this deodrant is made with eco friendly recycled cardboard which is always a bonus. Many deodrants come in plastic packaging which more often than not can't be recycled. To use the deodrant you have to push up the bottom of the tube, which may get difficult as the product is nearing the end, then apply a thin laye...

 I thought I would do a different post than usual and introduce you to my lovely doggies. Meet Willow and Riley! Riley is a 10 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, I rescued him from the rehoming centre I used to work at. He was only 6 months old at the time and was brought in as a stray dog that was never claimed. He's the first dog I had on my own (previously only had dogs growing up with the family) and he is the best little boy, so well behaved and gets along with everyone and every dog he meets. Willow is an 8 year old Cocker Spaniel who I've had since she was a little under 8 weeks old. I had an hour long drive home with her and she cried the whole way home...broke my heart! As soon as we got home and she met Riley the loneliness disappeared and she settled in. Riley fell in love.... Willow quickly became boss! A little over a year ago Riley had an accident. He had been refusing to go up and down stairs for well over a year, his joints we...

I've used up a few things in February (although not as much as January) I love seeing what I'm actually using. Only 2 full sizes this month as I'm trying to use up sample/travel sizes first. Amika Nourishing Mask with Sea Buckthorn Berry - Huge fan of this brand and my hair seems to get along with all the products I've tried so far. Repurchase? Yes but not anytime soon as I have a few sample versions of this to use up first. Lumene Overnight Bright Sleeping Cream - I love this brand, I got this from the Lumene Advent Calendar, been loving all the samples so far. This smells of oranges and is a fairly thick cream. I've recently purchased a collaboration collection from Birchbox (review to come soon) Repurchase? Yes S5 Purity Serum - a small sample but a little goes a long way, and it was enough for me to know I liked it. Repurchase? Yes Nina Ricci Bella Perfume - I've tried many Nina Ricci perfumes and yet to find one I didnt like. R...

The Cruelty Free Beauty Box is one of those boxes I keep going back to (despite trying to cut down on spending!) In the past I've always recieve such a good mix of products, and this months box is no exception. This box costs just £14.99 a month, with this particular months box being worth £43.61  Pure Purpose Green Tea Balm (£20, 60ml) When I saw this amazing healing balm in the box I did a little happy dance. I have acne prone skin and anything that may help reduce redness is a win for me! Formulated with mango, green tea & kokum butters, along with black cumin and hazelnut oil, this balm is perfect to heal and soothe problem skin as well as being a great moisturiser for sensitive or dry skin. I noticed a big difference to redness around my chin with just the first application. Phase Zero Make Up-Coconut Eyeshadow - Lucky Penny (£6.50 2.3ml) A highly pigmented liquid eyeshadow made with coconut water. Not something I've seen before, so it's great to ...