The Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter Balm Cleanser and Herbal Toner Review

I am writing this long overdue review of some items that I received form the wonderful Organic Pharmacy. They were the Carrot Butter Balm Cleanser and the Herbal Toner.

Some of you may know that I have battled with my dehydrated acne prone skin for many years and have tried every acne solution going, but its only been recently that I’ve tried a different approach by switching my skincare to more a gentle line for sensitive skins. Gone are the harsh foaming washes and oil free moisturisers and in come the balms and hydrating mists and creamy moisturizers.

In my quest to find the perfect combination I tried The Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter Cleanser and Herbal Toner which I am going to review for you below.

Carrot Butter Cleanser

The thing I love about the Carrot Butter Balm is that its 100% organic and is made up minus any toxic and harsh chemicals. The gentle balm and the rich nourishing ingredients seemed like the perfect combination for my acne prone skin. The item arrived in a gorgeous white box and alongside the product Organic Pharmacy provides you with a muslin cloth and a little scoop so that you don’t need to use your fingers in the pot – which is amazing as you wont then be transferring any bacteria from your hands into the product. This is something I wish other balm makers would take note of!

So the official spiel says “Carrot Butter Cleanser is a balm cleanser that melts on contact with the skin. It is infused with antioxidant Carrot and Calendula as well as decongesting Rosemary and soothing Lavender for a really deep but gentle cleanse. It removes eye make up as well as dirt and pollution” which I think its pretty spot on!

The balm is actually quite solid in the pot, more solid than other balms I have come across, but it turns into an oil when warmed up in the hands and massaged into the face. This is great as it really means you can really massage it into the skin, but I found the oil left a residue even after removing with a hot wet cloth. I didn’t want to agitate my skin by scrubbing, but even with good firm swipes the residue was still there. I can imagine if you have drier skin then the slight residue would be soothing and calming and would leave you with beautiful smooth skin, but as an oily to combination girl I wasn’t too happy with it.

Another thing I wasn’t to overly keen on was the smell. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the smell is not overly pleasant. Kind of reminds me of liquorice! I guess with a name like carrot butter I was expecting a smooth rich carrot cake smell, well in my dreams!!

One thing I loved is that the website for the Organic Pharmacy lists the full ingredients which I wish more brands did and as you can see they are 100% natural. Fabulous!

All the ingredients used in this product

Rosemary (Rosamarium Officinale) , Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), St Johns Wort (Hypericum Perforatum), Sunflower (Helianthus Annus) Oil, Vitamin E (Tocopherol) , Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera) , Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Carrot (Daucus Carrota) , Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis), Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Oil, Lavender (Lavandula Officinalis), Marigold (Calendula Officinalis) Extract, Sesame Seed Oil (Sesamum Indicum),

Overall it does remove make up and it does soften the skin and isn’t too harsh and even though it’s a small pot it does last ages. I have been using for a month now morning and night and Im halfway through the pot and for £34.96 for 75ml I think that’s pretty reasonably priced.

I think it would be great for dry/ combination skins and it doesn’t feel harsh or stripping on the skin. The only major thing I’ve noticed is that I’ve had slightly more breakouts and I think that’s down to the slight residue the balms leaving behind. I’m going to continue using it and see if the breakouts improve, although I won’t be purchasing as I don’t think its right for my skin personally.

You can buy the carrot butter balm from here http://www.theorganicpharmacy.com/health-beauty/carrot-butter-cleanser/39

Herbal Toner

The Herbal Toner I found was absolutely lovely! I usually use two types of toner on the face on the morning – one being exfoliating (Clarins gentle toner FYI) and then I spritz this after to rehydrate my skin and prepare it for moisturiser. I then used just this on the evening. By spritzing this toner after cleansing I find it soothing and cooling and I find my skin absorbs the moisturiser better. As we are now coming into winter I’m getting excited as I know by continuing to use this toner I won’t suffer from the dreaded dry skin caused by central heating/freezing winds in that never ending cycle.

The Organic Pharmacy website says “For normal or combination skin. Witch Hazel and Aloe are infused with 18 organic herbs acting synergistically to minimize pores and keep the skin in perfect condition. Fresh scent of Sicilian Lemons lift and tone the skin” and again this is very accurate.

The toner has a very light citrusy smell and I have noticed that my pores are smaller so this is definitely helping. I have also been spritzing this on my back as I suffer with slight acne there too and it has seriously helped with the skintone on my back. My back looks more even and certainly less red!

Again the list of ingredients is exciting to learn and it’s nice to know your spritzing something natural and soothing instead of laden with chemicals, here they are for all you that are interested:

Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis), Rye Alcohol, Peppermint (Mentha Piperita) , Rose (Rosa Damascena) , St Johns Wort (Hypericum Perforatum), Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Palmitate) , Witch Hazel (Hammamelis Virginia) , Lemon Balm, Benzoin, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis), Chickweed (Stellaria Media), Elderflower (Sambucus Nigra), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Globus), Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare), Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica), Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis), Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense), Lavender (Lavandula Officinalis), Lemon (Citrus Limonum), Marigold (Calendula Officinalis) Extract, Marshmallow (Althea Officinalis),

The toner retails at £28.96 for 100ml and although slightly higher priced than most toners this is definitely something I will be purchasing when it runs out. I’ve found that 2 spritz’ is enough for my face (1 spritz on my neck, 1 spritz on my chest and 2 spritz on my back) and I’ve only used a quarter of the bottle so far in a month which is great!

Overall this is a fab toner which I think all skin types would benefit from and I definitely cant sing its praises high enough and I’m not surprised its one of Organic Pharmacy’s best sellers!

The herbal toner can be bought from http://www.theorganicpharmacy.com/health-beauty/herbal-toner/44

* products were provided to me to review from Debenhams Beauty Club. 

Alpha-H Liquid Gold review

Since I am on a serious mission to have great skin Ive upped the anti with skincare using my pennies to splurge on skincare rather than make up at the moment. One purchase that I’m going to review for you is the Alpha H Liquid Gold. 

The company spiel is “Liquid Gold is enriched with natural glycolic acid to help you enjoy brighter, smoother-looking skin and to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Revitalise a tired complexion with Alpha-H Liquid Gold”.

This is a bit of a strange product as it applies like a toner but is actually a exfoliating treatment. It's best to apply at night 2- 3 times a week with a cotton pad before your moisturiser. Although you can skip the moisturiser, I personally found that my skin stung a little if I didn't apply it. 

My thoughts after using this product for 3 weeks is that my skin is smoother and tighter. I’ve just had my monthly breakout so I cannot say my skin is clearer but the spots I am getting aren’t hanging around for as long as usual and they don’t seem to be scarring (leaving that nasty red/purple colour behind). As this was no problem to incorporate into my skincare 2-3 times a week I will endevour with it and hopefully I can update this review in a few months time singing its absolute praises. I personally think that for all you ladies due to be married that this product would really pack a punch in the big day run up. As I was also a advocate of exfoliation Ive only noticed a small improvement in the way my foundation applies but I will 100% say that if your not a regular exfoliator then this will knock your socks off when it comes to how your make up will look on your skin. This will be especially great for ladies whose makeup usually goes patchy or flakey.

DIY Vintage Bridal Make Up

Hello lovely bridal ladies!!!

This post is all about how to create a gorgeous vintage look that looks amazing for a vintage themed wedding. I have included a before and after photograph of the look so you can see exactly what the products look like altogether and I will take you through each step from start to finish. Let me know what you guys think and if there is any looks that you would like to see. 

Products Used:

Laura Mercier oil free primer

Dermablend foundation in Opal used as a concealer

Luminess Air primer

Luminess Air Ultra Foundation in No 2.

Laura Mercier translucent finishing powder

Rimmel Exagerate Lip Liner in Red Diva

Benefit Cosmetics Lipstick in Zero guilt

Nars Smudgeproof eyeshadow primer

Stila kitten eyeshadow

Make up geek crème brulee eyeshadow

Mac shroom eyeshadow

Benefit cosmetics browzings in no 4

Mac Blacktrack eyeliner

Illamasque naked rose blusher

Loreal million lashes in blackest black.

Mac emphasize powder

1. PRIMER – I firstly applied Laura Merciers Oil Free primer to a clean and moisturized face (waited 5 mins after applying moisturizer). You can use your fingers for this. 

2. CONCEALER- I next used the dermablend under the eyes and on any blemishes. I used Dermablend as it’s the best product for coverage that doesn’t cake or crease under my eyes. You also only need a very tiny amount. I buffed this in using Real Techniques Domed Crease Brush. 

3. FOUNDATION – I used the Luminess Air airbrush foundation with light sweeps waiting 1 minute between layers. I used 5 layers in this look. (See my Review here it for more information). 

4. EYES – as the foundation is drying I applied Nars smudgeproof primer all over the lid using my finger. I applied the colour crème brulee by make up geek into my crease line using a Mac 217 brush, blending upwards, outwards and slightly down onto the lid. I then patted on Kitten eyeshadow by Stila all over the lid using a basic flat eyeshadow brush. I patted this on as it’s quite a loose eyeshadow and can cause a lot of drop off onto the cheeks. If this happens use a fan brush to sweep away. I again blended a little crème brulee into the crease again and down onto the outer corner of the eye and under the outer lower lash. I next took Macs shroom and blended a little into the inner corner of the eye and under the brow bone using a pencil brush. I finished the look by applying Macs Blacktrack onto the upper lash line created small subtle flicks and also tightlined into the upper and lower lashline using a small angled brush for precision and added two coats of Loreal million Lashes mascara. 

5. POWER – I next took a kabuki brush and patted Laura Mercier loose powder onto my face to set the foundation and give that classic matte look I pat and don’t sweep as sweeping can move your foundation. I then used Macs emphasize powder lightly under the eyes precision powder brush to create light and a slight contour and also on my cupids bow. 

6. BLUSH – I used Illamasque Naked Rose blusher on my cheekbones and blended outwards with a real techniques blush brush to create a more natural flush. 

7. BROWS – I brushed my brows with a browbrush and then used the powder from Benefit Cosmetics Browzings to fill in any gaps in my brows and then used the wax to shape and set the brows. 

8. LIPS – I lined the lips with Rimmel Exagerate Lip Liner in Red Diva and filled the lips in with it. I then went over the top with Benefit Cosmetics Zero Guilt Lipstick. This lipstick is amazing as it’s the most long-lasting red lipstick I have ever found and also its blue based which means my teeth also look whiter.

Hope you guys all love this as much as I do!!