Organic September: Antipodes Skincare

Today is the start of Organic Beauty Week and the whole of the month is Organic September. Today I have a post all about a fantastic organic brand that I cannot recommend enough - Antipodes. I have tried quite a few Antipodes products over the past year or two, all of which have been amazing for my temperamental, dry and eczema prone skin.

I was very kindly sent the *Antipodes Divine Face Oil (£19.99, 30ml) which is perfect for the upcoming colder months (if the English weather ever gets the memo that it is now Autumn!). The facial oil contains avocado oil, rosehip, jojoba oil, vitamin E and many more natural ingredients - numerous ingredients are certified organic as well as vegetarian society approved.

When the colder months come around I always change my skincare, I add in more hydrating and richer products such as facial oils to my routine. The oil has an unusual scent, as most Antipodes products do; it's very earthy and musky scent which I personally like but it may not be for everyone. The facial oil is quite rich and leaves my skin very moisturised, smooth and comfortable although I don't use it under makeup as it is a bit too rich. It doesn't irritate my skin at all and it's perfect as part of my evening skincare routine! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Next up, this product was such a cult classic a year or two ago with so many youtubers raving about it - the *Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask (£22.99, 75ml). I have wanted to try this mask for ages and I'm so glad that I now have it as it's such a lovely mask, especially for my dry and sensitive skin. The mask is creamy, it doesn't dry down and it doesn't strip my skin. It leaves my skin smooth, so, moisturised and comfortable - it's well worth trying especially if you do have sensitive skin. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried anything from Antipodes? Do you change your skincare during the colder months?

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Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser

When it comes to skincare, I have to be a little bit cautious as I do have dry and sensitive skin which is prone to eczema. Thankfully I've found a few brands over the past couple of years of blogging that work so well with my skin such as Nivea, Bioderma, Lush skincare and Antipodes. I've reviewed a couple of Antipodes products on my blog already including the Antipodes Hosanna Serum which I adore, the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Day Cream which I use every single day and the lovely Worship serum which is one of their latest releases - all three products have featured in my monthly favourites posts. 

I have been testing the *Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser (£22.49, 75g) over the past few weeks which contains 100% natural ingredients such as Vinanza Grape, Harekeke Flax and Hibiscus Bloom. The cleansing balm/butter is suitable for all skin types but I would really only recommend this cleanser if you have combination, dry or very dry skin. 

The cleanser looks a little unusual, I don't know if you can see from the photo above but the yellow balm has small white bits in it that looks like miniature clouds - I think it's the Hibiscus Bloom. The cleanser scent is also a little unusual, it is floral and sweet but also quite earthy and natural; it might not be for some but I personally love it. 

I've tried a few cleansing balms and I love them especially at this time of the year when my skin is even drier and needs a nourishing protective layer. I use the cleansing balm on dry skin or if I have worn makeup that day then I will remove it with a micellar water first, then cleanse with this balm. The cleanser is very thick but when massaged into dry skin it almost instantly turns into a silky oil with the white particles acting as mini exfoliators - they do actually feel like they exfoliate the skin fairly well. 

It leaves my skin feeling clean but very moisturised, smooth and nourished, if that makes sense as it is like a comforting rich layer over the skin which is why I wouldn't recommend it unless you have dry skin or dry patches. The cleansing balm doesn't irritate my skin, even if I have an eczema flareup and it also doesn't make my skin feel greasy. 

Overall, I love this cleanser, as I love all of the other Antipodes products I have tried which is fantastic as I do sometimes struggle to find products that work for my temperamental skin. I love the use of all natural ingredients as well as certified organic ingredients (it is still #OrganicSeptember after all). Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5. 

Have you tried any products from Antipodes? What are your favourite organic products/brands?

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MBotanicals Sugar Scrub + Denim Soap

I am always searching for natural skincare and bodycare but most of the time it can be pretty pricey however MBotanicals is a minimalist skincare and bodycare brand that uses natural, organic and raw ingredients in their products but they are reasonably priced, in my opinion for such high quality, natural products! I was very kindly sent a couple of products and I have to say, I adore the packaging and the minimal design! 

First up, my favourite product, the *MBotanicals Uplifting Sugar Body Balm (£18) which is a sugar body scrub containing mango butter, bergamot, geranium and frankincense. The scrub smells amazing, so fresh and floral! The scrub is very thick and gritty so it is an amazing exfoliator but it isn't too abrasive. I've been loving it for my legs, feet and arms. The scrub combined with a rich lotion have got rid of most of the little bumps I had on the back of my arms - amazing! You don't need a lot of product each time but I always do as I love the feeling of super smooth and cleansed skin. It's one of the best body scrubs I've ever used! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5!

I also have the *MBotanicals Natural Handmade Soap in Denim (£4.50) which is actually the colour of denim jeans - such a unique soap 'scent'. The soap contains some of the following scents/ingredients: ylang flower oil, patchouli, kaolin (clay) and shea butter. As with the scrub, I love the basic and minimal packaging of the soap. The soap smells very earthy and slightly musky which are definitely the kinds of scents I love especially at this time of the year. As with all soap, I cut it into smaller blocks so that the whole bar doesn't wear away in the bathroom at once - with the smaller chunks, I can just use what I want, when I want. The soap lathers really well for being a natural product and it leaves my hands super clean but slightly dry although I do have very dry hands anyway so I just use hand cream afterwards. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

Overall, I LOVE the design of the products and the natural ingredients. The scrub is my favourite product and I would definitely recommend it, not just because it looks and smells amazing but it is very effective too. The soap lathers well for a natural soap and it smells great but it is a little drying. MBotanicals has a great range of products, here's my mini wish list:

Have you tried any products from MBotanicals? What are your favourite natural beauty products/brands?

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#OrganicSeptember Beauty Wish List

If you didn't know, this September has been 'organic september' and earlier in the month it was organic beauty week so I know I'm a little late with this post but here are my organic beauty wish list picks from Tisserand, Antipodes, Korres, Jason, Jurlique, Dr Bronner and Vapour. I've only tried a few organic brands such as Tisserand, Korres, Dr Organic, Jurlique, Green People and Antipodes (I think Caudalie might be organic too) and I have loved pretty much everything so I'm always on the hunt for new organic bath, beauty and cosmetic products to try!

Korres Vanilla Cinnamon Shower Gel  -  Dr Bronner Lavender Shave Gel  - Jason Lavender Deodorant  -  Antipodes Delight Hand and Body Cream  -  The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra's Milk Bath  -  Jurlique Lavender Body Lotion -  Tisserand Soothing Wheat Cushion  -  Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation  -  Tisserand Lavender EDT  -  Antipodes Skin Brightening Finishing Powder  -  Korres Vanilla, Freesia and Lychee EDT

Do you have any of the products I've featured? What are your favourite organic brands/products?

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