Therapi Honey Skincare Toner Review - #OrganicBeauty Week

Back in May this year I was lucky enough to try out and review Therapi Honey Skincare’s Lemon Myrtle Gel Cleanser and Moisturiser. You can read my review here.

I was really impressed with how gentle yet effective their skincare range was and from all the reviews I have read so far, there is a lot of love for this fabulous brand out there.

As we are on the last day of the Soil Association’s Organic Beauty Week, I thought it fitting that I should review two of their toners which were sent to me to try out.

Therapi Honey Skincare are Soil Association certified and award winning. They recently won a Gold Award for Best Night Moisturiser in The Green Parent Magazine Beauty Awards 2014 for their Rose Otto Propolis+ Ultra Radiance Cream and they have also just been shortlisted for their Orange Blossom Honey Gel Cleanser and our Orange Blossom Honey Moisturiser in the Soil Association’s Organic Beauty Awards. You can vote for them here; I have. I’m keeping everything crossed for them.

Therapi Honey Skincare’s story is a simple yet powerful one as they describe below:

“Our story is one of love, luck and inspiration: a love affair with bees; the luck to meet some very talented people who have helped shape our company; and the occasional spark of genius which has helped us to formulate our range of unique organic honey skincare products.

But mostly it is the story of the bee and its exquisite relationship with flowers. Bees have created the great diversity of flora and fauna of our planet through 100 million years of evolution. They are central to the story of beauty itself, the beauty of our shared home – Earth.

Our company aims are simple: to create the best natural and organic honey skincare products, which benefit not only the user but also the natural world in all its diversity and splendour. To this end, at least 5% of our profits are donated to bee conservation projects.”

When I read this I feel very connected to this brand and what they stand for. Their connection to nature, to the earth, to our bees and the importance of giving something back. It really resonates with me.

So what did I think of the two toners which were sent to me? Well, one of the things I missed out on when I reviewed the Lemon Myrtle Gel Cleanser and Moisturiser was how the toner performed within that process. I luckily had a small amount of each of the products still left and feel as a range all three products work well together, in perfect harmony.

The great thing about the toners is that they can also be used independently. As I received them in May, I was able to use these lovely toners as a hydrating mist throughout the summer time. Popped into the fridge they make fabulously refreshing pick me ups in the hot weather. Bliss!

Therapi Anti-Bacterial Lemon Myrtle Facial Toner, Purifying for Oily / Combination Skin – 99% Organic

With organic witchhazel and lemon myrtle, this natural, anti-bacterial facial toner is refreshing and smells gorgeous. A wonderful way to start your day. This toner helps to tone and refine the skin and keeps it clear and unblemished with the use of astringent witchhazel, purifying extracts of lemon myrtle and grapefruit.

This toner is also a whopping 99% ! Impressive.

Out of the two toners I’d say that this is the one I’ve reached for most through the summer. It is a 270g bottle so a little goes a long way. I love the spray bottle and as mentioned in my previous review, I love the classy, chic white packaging. This range is so well thought out.

Ingredients: Hamamelis Virginiana (Witchhazel) Water*, Rosa Damascena Flower Water*, Alcohol*, Decyl Glucoside, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Backhousia Citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) Peel Oil*, Parfum*, Limonene+ * Organic + Naturally occurs in essential oils

Hydrating Facial Orange Blossom Toner, Balancing for Normal Skin – 75% Organic

This toner has a deeper scent to it. Whereas the Lemon Myrtle is light, refreshing and citrus, this one is richer, warmer with fruity overtones. With organic orange blossom hydrolat and calendula extract, this instantly hydrating facial tonic naturally balances the skin and soothes with botanical extracts of calendula petals. And this toner is 75% organic.

I’ve enjoyed interchanging between the two toners and have felt the benefit to my skin of having one that balances and one that hydrates. And I still have lots left. Yay !

Ingredients: Hamamelis Virginiana (Witchhazel) Water*, Rosa Damascena Flower Water*, Alcohol*, Aqua, Glycerin**, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract*, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil*, Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Flower Oil*, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Parfum*, Linalool+, Limonene+, Geraniol+, Farnesol+   * Organic,   ** Organic Origin   + Naturally occurs in essential oils

Overall, I am still very much in love with this skincare range. I love its simplicity, effectiveness and gentle nature. Even if you have oily / combination skin this range will not dry out your skin and strip it of its natural oils. Instead the use of honey and well thought out ingredients will leave your skin nurtured and loved and as it’s packed full of organic goodness, your skin will thank you for loving it so much.

Have any of you tried Therapi Honey Skincare? If so, do leave me a comment below. I always love to hear from you.

Until next time x

  

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Disclaimer: I was kindly sent a Lemon Myrtle and an Orange Blossom Toner to try out and review. All opinions are my own honest thoughts and feelings on the toners I tried out. I love them !

#OrganicBeauty – Pinks Boutique Lemongrass Facial Try Me Box

So, we are nearing the end of another fabulous Organic Beauty Week and it has been great to be much more involved this year. There has been a real buzz particularly on Twitter and it’s great to see so many fabulous brands coming together to share organic beauty to the wider public. If you haven’t taken advantage of any of the offers make sure you do if your budget will stretch because there are some great deals out there. You can see some of those in my last post here.

As part of this initiative I was kindly sent a “try me” box from Pinks Boutique. You may remember I reviewed their hand balm and their rose bath salts last September. You can read that review here.

Pinks Boutique are an organic spa brand who also sell direct to the public. They are Soil Association certified and they have made a great video on ‘The Truth About Natural and Organic Skincare’ which you can watch below. It talks about what natural and organic skincare really means and what you should be looking out for if you wish to change your skincare products to natural organic options.

Although I agree that certification is important, I still believe that there are some amazing, smaller, artisan brands out there that although not certified, are just as ethical and honest as those who have been through the accreditation process. I can see why there is a need for an industry standard, however, I do think that that those who do not go through the certification process can be tarred with a brush that doesn’t always belong to them. Not all non-certified organic products only have 1% organic in them and I feel it’s really important as a consumer to ask questions of the brands you buy from. Strike up a conversation with them because those who are truly genuine and passionate about their products being organic and natural will sing it from the rooftops. Anyway, I digress !

When I came home from my holiday in Cornwall at the end of August, I opened a jiffy bag to find a beautifully wrapped  box inside. One thing with Pinks Boutique is you feel as if you have bought yourself a gift as they wrap their products in beautiful tissue paper, ribbon and their products also come boxed.

I was sent their Lemongrass Facial Try Me Box for oily combination skin. The set was sent with a card for each product detailing its ingredients, a how to use section and a general overview of the product. It also included all that product’s accreditations and awards. A lovely touch.

The first thing to say is that the products smell AMAZING. Zingy, citrus and uplifting. Mornings for the past week or so have been delightful. The box comes with the following products:

Lemongrass & Mandarin Cleanser

This is a milky cleanser and doesn’t foam. It is used with water and is quite different to other facial washes/cleansers I normally use that do foam. I enjoyed the way it felt on my skin and my skin definitely felt smooth and hydrated afterwards. There was no drying effect on the skin and it didn’t feel stripped of its natural oils.

Lemongrass and Mandarin Toner

This was a joy to use each morning and made my morning routine very uplifting. This toner smells divine and I loved it, so much so that I’d happily purchase a full size bottle. Toners can really vary in smell and performance. This one is delish.

Bamboo and Oatmeal Facial Polish

This is a lovely texture. It is soft, and easily went on the skin. It is mildly exfoliating so it is a great exfoliator to massage into the skin. It emulsifies slightly as you work it into damp skin and once washed off you are left with soft, smooth, matt skin. A great base for your toner and moisturiser.

Green Clay and Camellia Mask

This is a wet mask which doesn’t dry. It is gentle yet effective. It has green and white kaolin clay with camellia oil. I put mine on whilst I had a shower and then washed it off afterwards. You can also use this for longer, approx 10 minutes, and it leaves your skin nourished, hydrated and loved. It emulsifies when you remove it and like the whole try me box, smells amazing.

Lemongrass and Camellia Moisturiser

This is a light moisturiser that sinks into the skin really well. It leaves the skin matified enough for foundation. I have noticed that over the time I have used the products my skin has felt more balanced so even these try me sizes can give you a great idea of how the full sizes will perform.

All the above products will last you approximately a week although some of mine have lasted longer. The “try me” boxes are a great way to try a part of Pinks Boutique’s range of skincare products.

Until the end of tomorrow (Sunday 14^th September) they are offering you 2 for £25 instead of the normal £40. This excludes their anti Ageing Facial Try Me Set which instead is reduced from £25 to £15. Well worth grabbing yourself a bargain on these lovely “try me” sets.

I have been very impressed with Pinks Boutique and would love to experience one of their spa facials. Having used their facial products I know it would be a fabulous experience to indulge in.

If you’d like to find out more about Pinks Boutique you can pop across to their website, follow them on Twitter or give them a Like on Facebook.

Have any of you tried any of Pinks Boutique’s spa range of organic products. Leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you.

Until next time xx

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Disclaimer: I was kindly sent a Lemongrass Facial Try Me Set to try out and review as part of Organic Beauty Week. All thoughts, feeling and opinions are my own honest thoughts on the products I tried.

#OrganicBeauty Week – Offers and Events a Plenty

So if you haven’t been taking much notice this week you may have missed the fabulous events and offers that have been circulating on Twitter and Facebook for Organic Beauty Week (#OrganicBeauty) in association with the Soil Association’s month long initiative #OrganicSeptember.

This year I have been more involved with my online boutique and I’ve also had the opportunity to meet a few people at events and meet ups too. I’ll share some of those in later posts, but today I’d like to quickly share with you what is still going on this weekend in case you’d like to take advantage of any of them.

This is not an exhaustive list and you can find out more by reading the Soil Association’s page here or by using the hashtag #OrganicBeauty on Twitter and Facebook to see what else is happening, but here are just a few of the offers and events that are still taking place this weekend:

Whole Foods Market Kensington will be hosting their Pop Up Green Room this weekend featuring samples, demos, workshops and inspirational talks. All of the UK stores are also offering 20” off all organic health and beauty products in an exclusive, one off event.

Pai Skincare are a Soil Association certified brand and as well as being part of the ‘Green Room’ Pop Up at Whole Food Market Kensington they are offering customers a FREE Camellia and Rose Hydrating Cleanser & Muslin Cloth with every order over £30. More details can be found here.

Natracare have utilised Organic Beauty week to launch the world’s first COSMOS certified organic cleansing make-up remover wipes. These are gentle but effective even on waterproof mascara and I will be reviewing these very soon. 

You can view their promotional video here, The Dirty Truth Behind Make-up Wipes, highlighting all the synthetic chemicals that standard mainstream make-up wipes have. 

Therapi Honey Skincare will be teaming up with Bamford Haybarn Spa to offer customers a chance to meet the bees at Daylesford Organic Farm in the Cotswolds at 2pm this Saturday 13^th September as part of their Organic Beauty Week activities.

The 90 minute session entitled ‘Secrets & Sweetness of the Bees’ will be a rare chance to find out more about the medicinal uses of honey and about its unique properties. It’s also a great chance to meet the honeybees themselves who make this liquid gold.

Therapi are also offering customers 20% off their skincare range throughout September by using the code: loveorganic at checkout so make the most of this. You can read my review of their skincare range here. I will be reviewing their toners very soon.

Glossybox one of the world’s leading beauty subscription boxes are celebrating Organic Beauty week with an organic box of beauty treats worth £50. This limited edition box contains 5 great products including Bamford Geranium Body Wash, Odylique Rose Cleanser, Essential Care Herbal Shampoo, Neal’s Yard Remedies Lipstick and Pai Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. This limited edition box is available for £15 + P&P from September 8^th whilst stocks last.

Circaroma are offering 25% off their Balancing Range for combination skin and also their Skin Gentle range for sensitive skin by using code: OBWSA14 at checkout.

Vital Touch are offering customers 25% off orders placed on their Natalia and Pure Therapy ranges until Sunday – no code necessary.  Both these offers are available until 9pm on Sunday, so this is a great chance to indulge in these fabulous brands.

I reviewed Circaroma recently and you can see my review here. I will also be sharing Vital Touch (Natalia and Pure Therapy) on the blog soon.

If you haven’t come across Niki’s Balms yet, then you are really missing out. I had the privilege of meeting Niki last night at Natural Skincare Solutions Organic Beauty Night (in addition to Katie from Vital Touch) and her balms are fabulous.

For Organic Beauty Week Niki's Balms is offering a FREE 10ml warming balm when you buy a 50ml original balm for £9.99 until 9pm on Sunday. Just enter code: NBOBW14 at checkout to get your free balm. Her balms use organic beeswax and are the most vibrant colour.

Pinks Boutique are offering customers the chance to buy 2 of their “try me” boxes for £20 instead of the normal £40 until Sunday. This offers excludes their Anti Age Try Me Box which is being offered at £15 instead of the normal £25. I will be reviewing their Lemongrass Facial “Try Me” box on the blog this weekend so look out for that one. It smells AMAZING!

And lastly, there’s my little boutique, Sophia’s Choice.

I’m offering all customers 15% off all orders until midnight on Sunday using code OrganicSeptember at checkout. I’m also running 2 fabulous giveaways too; a Beauty Pamper Box worth approx. £85 and a Baby / Toddler Nurture Box worth approx. £40 for your Little Ones. Details can be found by clicking the above links or by visiting our Facebook and Twitter pages.

So, there you have it. Some of the events and offers still running until the end of this week. It’s been a fun week and one I’m sure many of you have enjoyed. If you haven’t already, make sure you take advantage of the offers still about this weekend.

Until next time x

Organic September - Supporting all things Organic with the Soil Association #OrganicSeptember

Today is the beginning of Organic September (#OrganicSeptember) in association with the Soil Association which is their biggest celebration of all things organic.

It’s main message focuses on how choosing organic can help support a kinder, greener and better food system, which includes  more bees and hedgerows, better animal welfare, and shorter, more trustworthy food chains.

Photo Credit: The Soil Association

And it is those small changes that make a big difference. Whether it’s changing what we eat, what we put on our skin or what we wear, every change to a more organic lifestyle bodes well for the planet and its future.

Photo Credit: The Soil Association

Throughout this month long event there are many things happening and you can stay up to date with those on the Soil Association’s event page. 

Photo Credit: The Soil Association

Part of this fabulous month long initiative is #OrganicBeautyWeek which this year is from 8^th – 14^th September and celebrates the best of organic beauty. This is where the organic & natural beauty industry come together to share with you all the many benefits of changing your skincare to more natural, organic options.

Photo Credit: The Soil Association

There will be special offers, events and competitions happening during this week and Sophia’s Choice Boutique will be offering you 15% off any orders placed that week by using the code: OrganicSeptember. I will also be running a couple of lovely competitions too, so look out for those.

There are many other fabulous things happening during the week and the Soil Association’s website has a great page with all the details to keep you up to date.

Photo Credit: The Soil Association

I will be sharing blog posts throughout September on some of the lovely companies who are Soil Association certified and a few others who aren’t but use organic ingredients in their formulations. It will be a fabulous time in the blogging calendar to read many interesting posts by some great bloggers on organic beauty. I’m really looking forward to it.

So stay tuned for a great month of fabulous organic-nous !

Make sure you try to make some #SmallChanges, because together they make a big difference.

Until next time xx