CONFESSIONS: Of a Body Washaholic (Part 14) - nspa...

I doubt I'm not alone in loving beaut body washes containing at least some natural ingredients, are not tested on animals, and that I can pick up for under $8 at the supermarket - nspa is one such brand, a UK company that sells exclusively (?) through ASDA stores, and yet I found these at Coles...

Available in a standard 500ml plastic container with a flip top lid, the formula contains no parabens, lathers well and I haven't found it to be at all drying on my skin. The "natural vitamins" are not identified anywhere on the label, but there's quite a few strange sounding ingredients listed on the back, and three of them translate as Pro-Vitamin B5, Vitamin E and Vitamin A ...

Peach...

My personal fave, and starred in last month's empties - I mentioned it smelt exactly like freshly cut peaches, and it still amazes me how realistic the fragrance is. I know it says "real fruit goodness" on the label, but that doesn't always mean that the smell is spot on after all the processing, but in this case it is. Bellissimo. Truly this totally fools my brain into thinking it's the real deal, and my mouth actually starts to water whenever I sniff it! Nice thick consistency too so it won't slide off your loofah before you have a chance to lather up ♥...

Raspberry

Not quite so ecstatic about this one - smells more like raspberry cordial to me, although it isn't at all sickly or lolly sweet. Having said that I don't think I've actually stuck my nose into a punnet of raspberries (too busy eating them lol), so it may actually be close to the original. Gorgeous colour though, and I'll definitely finish it up because it's a nice fresh scent, just probably won't repurchase as there are lots of other shower fragrances that ring my bells a whole lot louder...

Coconut

Not a massive fan of this particular fragrance, but it's most definitely coconut - creamy and subtle, I'd prefer if it had a bit of something else mixed with it, like banana or mango, but that's just me. Still it's nice to have a change from my other flower and fruit varieties, and with any body wash that I'm not overly excited about, I can always use it as a hand wash. All these shower gels can be used as bubble baths as well - according to the blurb, they make masses of bubbles..

On their website there are 13 flavours in the range, and I can only hope that Coles decides to stock more varieties - personally I'd love to try the passionfruit and apple ones (pretty please?) ♥

Take care of you,
kats xxx

REVIEW: Chi Chi "Meet The Girls" - Coconut & Lime...

Lucky last in the Chi Chi Meet The Girls (2) Fragrance collection, and another interesting one. I have to give kudos to whoever is coming up with these scent combinations - of course the possibilities are endless, but let's face it - some things go together, and some things don't, and I reckon the "nose" at Chi Chi is doing a pretty good job of formulating a whole bunch of fun and flirty fragrances that will appeal to what must be a massively wide audience...

Coconut & Lime

Ok so this little summery sweetheart sounded like a cocktail delight, and it sure is delish, but not quite as zingy as I'd hoped. I adore the smell of fresh cut limes, but not so crazy about coconut (which I LOVE to eat by the way), so I'm kinda in the middle with this one. Initially there's lots and LOTS of lime (yay!), but the zestiness fades pretty quickly, and the coconut starts to get the upper hand. There's a shift from being crisp and tangy and fruity to downright sugary sweet (probably best described as coconut fairy floss), which is still lovely, and especially appealing if you're a coconutophile. Being a fruit fragrance fan though, I'd just rather the lime content lasted a whole lot longer. After half an hour, the sugar floss content dissipates, and my nose picks up pure toasted coconut, and it stays that way for roughly another hour and a half. In short, if coconut is your thing, you'll be blissing out ♥

Well done Chi Chi! Fingers crossed there'll be more of these collections in the future. Of course I'm champing at the bit to see which ones from this latest set will be released in large bottles ♥ 

My faves from this set? Pink Grapefruit, Strawberry & Violet, and Warm Vanilla Sugar. Blueberry is up there too, but my heart well and truly belongs to Tutti Frutti - holey socks Batman, I would buy this by the bucket load!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW: Urban Rituelle Dreamweaver Coconut & Lotus...

Oh boy! I was blessed to receive a surprise package from Urban Rituelle a few weeks back - all I knew was that it was "something" from their new Dreamweaver range, and to say I was blown away by what was inside is somewhat of an understatement ♥  There are two brand new fragrances - Island Blossom (frangipani, berries & jasmine), and the one I received, Coconut & Lotus...

Urban Rituelle packaging is always exquisite, but they've outdone themselves with this Island Getaway Gift Set. It looks like a clutch bag, and made (I think) from lightweight wood, with a flexible flap...

...and inside are three beautiful products that smell heavenly - Hand & Body Wash, Hand & Body Lotion, and a spray perfume in a (very practical) plastic flacon. The caps of the body products also look like wood - love the attention to detail!...

And now for the hard part - how to describe this intoxicating, long-lasting fragrance... There's a good deal of mastery in this blend - I'm not familiar with the scent of Lotus, but the blossoms certainly seem blissfully content to be in partnership with juicy coconut, and they're both nestled in a cradle of powder-soft musk. A stunning harmony that for me conjures up a holiday in a far away place - it's a hot night and I'm in a tropical garden filled with exotic night blooming flowers. But I can smell the tangy freshness of the sea as well, and almost feel the warm sand between my toes...

Swathed in this both crisp and heady perfume, I'm sitting at my keyboard in my own little island paradise. The Hand and Body Lotion contains shea butter, sweet almond oil and jojoba oil, and after slathering it all over my arms, my skin is soft, supple and fabulously fragrant. There's also avocado and rosehip oil listed in the ingredients, plus kelp extract (I KNEW I could smell the sea ha ha)...

Urban Rituelle shower gels are favourites of mine, unsurpassed for their moisturising characteristics, and this Hand & Body Wash is no exception - containing chamomile, cucumber and kelp extract, as well as argan & rosehip oils, there's not a chance of my skin being anything but cleansed, calmed and nourished...

The set retails for $34.95 (10% off all purchases for subscribers!), and if the Island Blossom variety is half as stunning as this, I have a fair whack of my Christmas gift list sorted already!

Urban Rituelle products are never tested on animals, and it's obvious they're made with love - thank you Team UR for sending me this gorgeous pack to try. My passion for what you produce continues to grow in leaps and bounds ♥

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Don't forget to check out all the blogs joining in the fun of Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party - starts at 6:30am ♥