The Beauty Graveyard

I have a whole new bag of used up beauty products to review for you!

*'s indicate how many times a product has been in one of my Beauty Graveyard posts, the more *'s you see, the more I love it!

Tesco Pro Formula Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser

I was really surprised at how much I liked this cleanser. I used it with a muslin cloth and it removed all my makeup, even waterproof mascara. For less than a fiver you cant complain! Would definitely buy again.

Bioderma Crealine H20 ****

The original micellar water, love this stuff. Easiest and quickest way to remove your makeup, pour on a cotton pad and wipe all over your face. Removes both face and eye makeup and is a lot more gentle on your skin than a face wipe, no stinging eyes here! I do love Bioderma but L'oreal's Micellar water is just as good.

Champneys Spa Skin Super Rich Cleansing Balm

As the name suggests this is a super rich cleansing balm! Its actually a bit gritty so doubles as an exfoliator. I really grew to like this but you have to use a cloth or flannel to remove it. A few times I used this in the shower and tried to rinse with my hands, but because it is so rich you need some form of cloth to wipe it away. My mum loved this and I have already repurchased another pot for her, so I'm sure I will be dipping into that too!

Yes to Grapefruit Correct and Repair Daily Facial Scrub

Another one of my American purchases all used up :'( 

I love, love, love the Yes to range because every one of their products is made with at least 95% natural ingredients. Sadly I think the Grapefruit range is only available in America, but if you have access to this definitely try it. Lovely exfoliator, not too harsh or abrasive. I used this in the shower when I wanted more of a deep clean.

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream *

I do love a multi purpose balm and I have to confess to using this on my feet in recent months, yes they are that dry! If its good enough for horses hooves, its good enough for my size 6's! I would definitely buy this again and would probably try the unscented version next time. I'm currently trying out & Other Stories Plush Balm, which is another great multi purpose balm.

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Since discovering facial oils I haven't looked back and use one every night. Midnight Recovery Concentrate was the first oil I tried and remains one of my favourites. I like that its light, doesn't feel heavy on the skin and after a few weeks I felt my skin looked much healthier. 

Aussie Mega Shampoo ****** 

My favourite shampoo, if you suffer from greasy hair like me you need to try this!

Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner

I cant believe how quickly I have got through the beauty products I purchased in America, guess it proves I made good choices ;) If you have dry hair or frizzy hair you will love this shampoo and conditioner. Its so hydrating and left my hair so sleek and shiny. Not the greatest choice for me though, as it was a bit too heavy for my grease ball hair.

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Dry Shampoo

I will never be a massive dry shampoo fan, I hate how dirty they make your hair feel, but the Lee Stafford version is one of the better ones I have tried and I liked having this little can in my bag in case of emergency!

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

I never used to like Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray but I think that's because I was spraying too much in my hair. Go easy on this, leave your hair to air dry and you get perfect beachy, messy waves. I still prefer my Oribe Wave spray to this but the Bumble and Bumble works well to add texture when I have curled my hair.

Bvlgari Jasmin Noir Perfume

If like me you are a fan of more masculine scents like Tom Ford Black Orchid, you will love this perfume. A very sexy, winter scent. I will definitely buy this again.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara

A good mascara for adding volume and drama to your lashes. I probably wouldn't repurchase though as I'm pretty fickle when it comes to mascaras.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Sample in Sante Fe

I loved this sample so much I bought the full size. Full review here but I can honestly say this is now one of my all time favourite foundations.

Garnier Body Repair Anti Dryness Restoring Lotion ***

When it comes to body moisturisers I don't like to spend a lot of money as I get through them pretty quickly. This has been relieving my dry skin in these harsh Winter months and I love that it sinks in quickly.

Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel **

99.8% Natural ingredients, that makes me very happy! I will forever repurchase this.

Argan 5 Argan Oil Super Creamy Bodywash

I got this for Christmas and as much as I love my Yes To shower gel it was so nice to use something a bit more creamy and luxurious. I think I will  have to check out the rest of the Argan 5 range now.

L'Occitane Hand Cream *

The one beauty product I hate is hand cream, they are always sticky and I cant bear how they feel. The L'Occitane version is the most bearable I have found and I always get one when they are a magazine freebie!

Beauty Oils

Its definitely getting chilly out there, the heating is on, the hat is out and I just bought some Christmas slippers #sorrynotsorry

I use beauty oils all year round but in Winter they can really help with dry skin. If you have combination skin like me and worry that an oil would be too heavy for you, don't panic. I only apply beauty oils at night, so they have time to sink into my skin. Due to my skin type I couldn't wear these in the day under makeup. If you have dry skin however you can use morning or night, just remember less is more. All you need is 1-2 drops to do your whole face.

Moroccanoil - This is the only one that is for your hair and not your skin, its also my favourite of them all. I have been using Moroccanoil for years now and would honestly never be without it. My hair was wrecked from years of bleaching and dying, combined with a massive hair chop Moroccanoil drastically improved the condition of my hair. I have tried cheaper alternatives but they don't come close.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil - My current favourite! This is just a sample bottle I got with my points in Sephora and I wish I had bought the full size. Compared with the Josie Maran and Kiehl's this is a dryer oil so doesn't really feel greasy on my face and I find it sinks in quite nicely.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Light - Compared to the Tarte oil this does feel quite heavy but its extremely nourishing. I have used this in my hair (still prefer my moroccanoil) and I always rub this into my hands and cuticles after using it. I haven't given this as much love as I should have, mainly because I've been reaching for my Tarte oil but I am glad I got this in the light version as I feel the normal would be too heavy for me.

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate - I am about halfway through this bottle now, which I think is pretty impressive. I love the smell of this, I find it quite calming. While I cant pinpoint any major differences when using this, I find that overall my skin looks plumper and healthier the next morning.

Out of them all, my 2 recommendations would definitely be Moroccanoil for your hair and the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil for your face and anywhere else you fancy slapping it on!

Natural Beauty

We are all encouraged to read our food labels to see what we are really eating but do you ever read the ingredients on your beauty items? Once you do it can all get a bit worrying.

Liquid Paraffin, Petrolatum, Parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, none of these are good for us but if you go and read the labels of your beauty products you will find these are the most common ingredients in all of them. Liquid Paraffin and Petrolatum are mineral oils. In a nutshell mineral oils are a by product of petrol (nice) its a really cheap ingredient, hence why its in everything! Mineral Oils create a barrier on your skin, so when you apply a product that's full of mineral oil like Vaseline it will feel really moisturising on your skin but in reality its completely useless as the barrier stops it penetrating your skin, so  only the surface of your skin that will feel like its moisturised. Over time you will find you need to apply more and more and none of it will do anything to improve the dryness of your skin. Its all a temporary measure, as my friend Chloe is always telling those Vaseline users out there. 

It would be pretty impossible to avoid these ingredients completely and in most beauty products the actual amount is very minimal and wont cause you any actual harm but still its not a nice thought. Which is why I have been trying to use more natural products. Natural products are becoming more and more easily available. They do tend to be more expensive but I do believe you get what you pay for.

So I thought I would share with you all a few of my favourite natural products and brands.

By far my favourite natural brand is Yes to, I am a teeny tiny bit obsessed.

Yes to has four different ranges;

Yes to Carrots  - All the products in the Carrots range are designed for dryer skin/hair that needs more hydration and nourishment.

Yes to Cucumbers - Designed for sensitive skin/hair that needs a bit more of a soothing, calming touch.

Yes to Blueberries - Blueberries focuses on ageing, so more suitable for mature skin.

Yes to Tomatoes - Tackles problem blemish prone skin, ideal for younger skin.

My favourite products are the shower gels (Carrots is my favourite), face moisturisers (I have tried every single one except Blueberries and still cant pick a favourite) and the Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel which feels so nice and cooling on my puffy morning eyes.

There are a few other natural skin care brands and products I like. Korres is a Greek brand who use natural ingredients in their products. I have been using their Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturising Brightening Cream and have been impressed at how hydrating it is.

Kiehls is an American brand that has been going since 1851, pretty impressive! Kiehls only use ingredients that are beneficial to the skin. I love their Midnight Recovery Concentrate which is an oil you apply to your face at night. I swear when I use this I wake up in the morning and my skin looks brighter. Its also made from 99.8% naturally derived ingredients.

Liz Earle is another great skincare brand who use naturally active ingredients. I love using Cleanse and Polish to remove my make up, and the Instant Boost Skin Tonic is a lovely hydrating toner. Only thing I would say, if you have particularly sensitive skin you may have to be careful as natural ingredients can irritate, so try and get a sample to test out first. Liz Earle are also a cruelty-free certified company.

For hair I really recommend checking out Tara Smith's haircare line which you can buy from good old Marks and Spencer's. Tara's products are natural and 100% vegan, plus to please your shallow side the packaging is amazing. I did a more in depth review of her Shine on Shampoo and Conditioner here

Now I am not a Lush fan, in fact I am a bit of a Lush hater but their Big Shampoo is amazing I will give them that. Its full of sea salt which makes your hair feel so clean and bouncy and ohmygod this stuff smells so bloody good. Now there is sodium lauryl sulfate in this which I understand Lush are phasing out, but all in all Lush are a good brand to support. Clearly defined ethics on animal testing and using vegetarian ingredients, maybe I shouldn't be so harsh on them. If only their shops didn't smell so awful I might be more tempted to spend more time in there!

Back to Korres now, but this time I am talking about their Lip Butters. Trade in your Vaseline for one of these and you will not regret it. There are no hidden nasties in the ingredients list and instead hydrate your lips with natural oils, shea butter and rice wax. Even better these are tinted, a tinted lip balm is possibly my favourite thing in the whole entire world!

From left to right we have Jasmine, Pomegranate and Wild Rose.

My last natural category is hands and nails, Ive even included feet!

Its hard to beat L'Occitane's hand and foot creams. I am a hand cream hater and I have come to the conclusion its impossible to find a "non greasy" one but I like the L'Occitane ones and I don't find myself rubbing my hands on my leggings afterwards!

 Another great hand cream is the Balance Me Rose Otto Hand Cream which contains ingredients that are 98.8% natural origin. I also like how they make it clear on their packaging what their products don't contain, makes life a lot easier. If you haven't seen Balance Me products before you can find them in larger Waitrose stores (I do love Waitrose).

Burts Bee's are one of the more famous natural brands but this is the only product I have actually tried by them. I love the smell of their Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, I like to warm a bit up in my hands first then massage onto my nails and cuticles to nourish them.

 And finally to prove that natural products are increasing in popularity I have managed to find a nail polish. Kure Bazaar's nail polishes contain up to 85% natural ingredients (wood pulp, wheat, cotton, potatoes and corn). Their colour range is impressive, I have the colour Or Rose which is a beautiful Rose Gold colour. Kure Bazaar is available online and in Selfridges.

So there is my round up of some of my favourite natural beauty products. I definitely want to incorporate more natural products into my beauty routine so if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them!