Neal’s Yard Remedies //Product Review//

 

I’ve always loved Neal’s yard, my mum used to use their products so I’ve grown up with the glorious smell of Neal’s yard around my house. These are some sample products that Neal’s yard sent me, and I really enjoyed using them. 

Hope you enjoy.x

 

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Rose Daily Moisturiser

This rehydrating moisturiser smells so lovely. It feels so silky smooth when you put it on it really feels like you are putting a great quality product on your face. Neal’s yard is quite an expensive company but sometimes you just want to treat yourself and this moisturiser is a great way to do so. I highly recommend it, it would make a great Christmas present!!

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Palmarosa Facial Wash

I absolutely LOVE this product, after using it only a few times my skin became much less oily and much smoother. The Palmarosa range at Neal’s Yard is one specifically for oily and combination skin (so it’s great for us teenagers). It also smells very fresh, so on those blustery winter mornings where you have to get up for school this facial wash really wakes you up. 

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Palmarosa Mattifier

I don’t suffer particularly from oily skin but my tee zone usually gets quite oily in certain seasons. This product is also from the Palmarosa range and smells very fresh also. I do have quite shiny skin, definitely on my forehead and this mattifier helps balance out oils but also gives a lovely glow to the face.

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Rose Facial Oil

This is by far my favourite product!!!  I absolutely love this! I would use this after putting on my moisturiser and it makes my face feel so soft. This face oil is for helping reduce fine lines  and helps restore radiance (now I can’t say I have many fine lines but it does make my face look much more brighter and radiant). I highly highly recommend this product!!

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Rose Facial Polish

My skin is quite sensitive and I feel that most face exfoliators are quite harsh on the skin. This one although is very gentle and after using it, my face feels so smooth and soft. I really recommend this product, I really really like it!! It also smells like roses so that’s always a plus…

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Organic cotton pads

I don’t really have much to say about these because at the end of the day they are just cotton pads, but the fact that they are organic really enticed me. I go through so many of these so it’s great that they are organic.

Autumn Essentials

                                 

Here is a few of my Autumn essentials.

Hope you enjoy.x

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Denim jacket

 

I love this denim jacket that I got from Tenovus charity shop, it’s really warm and quite stylish. Iv’e wanted a denim jacket for sometime now but unfortunately in the shops the price range goes from about £40-. I actually got this for £3.99 which I think is a great deal. I would wear this with either a cute black or burgundy little dress, or some black ripped jeans and a white top, and if it’s sunny I’d add some sunglasses.

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Cosy hat

This hat is just too cute!! I love that it was hears and that it is burgundy; one of my favourite colours. I bought this last year and whilst on the search for a hat, I came across some very very nice ones but they ended up having some very very not nice prices. So this hat ended up being from this great shop called Tiger; it’s like a much smaller ikea for much smaller things, but it’s fantastic. Hats are always an essential for me in the colder months and I will almost always be wearing on, even in class (until I get told off).

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                                        Palmer’s cocoa butter formula.                                               

When the weather starts getting chilly this amazing cream is with me everywhere I go. It’s so moisturising and also has a lovely smell. I mostly use it on my arms and legs and it makes them feel so silky smooth. Having dry skin/lips in the colder months is something I suffer with continuously but when I started using this cream it became much better. So that is why this is a definite Autumn essential for me.

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Lush’s honey trap lip balm

 

This lip balm smells divine, with accents of white chocolate, vanilla and of course honey. Lush seriously do some amazing things all very beneficial for the skin (and in this case lips) but this is definitely one of my favourite buys from the store. As soon as I feel your lips cracking I just whip this on and within a few hours they are not cracked any more….It’s a miracle.

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 Neal’s yard ‘remedies to roll’ (energy)

In the colder months I especially get more tired than often and it is a serious struggle getting out of bed in the mornings. But one thing that helps me is this roll on remedies by Neal’s yard, it has something in it that helps you revive your energy throughout the day. All you do is roll it on your temple, wrist, neck and let it sink in. I have actually felt more energized after using this and it also smells really good. They have many different options for different ones including ones to help you sleep and many more.

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Essie nail polish

Essie nail polishes in my opinion are the best. I don’t have a wide range because they are quite expensive but I do have a few and the ones that I do have are seriously amazing. This one I picked up I particularly liked because of the simplistic and subtle colour, it’s a very  nude/pinky colour which is quite feminine i feel.

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Munchkin

        

Technically not an essential, but I think it’s just the cutest thing ever. Halloween has just been and these little ones have been in the shops, and as soon as I laid my eyes on them I knew I had to buy one. So I did.

P.S Happy Halloween for last Saturday!!

CHARITY SHOPS

  I love charity shops, they are a great way to get new items of clothing if you are on a budget, and all the money goes to charities so its a win win on both sides. Where I live there are some really quaint towns near by which have some great charity shops. One of my favourite things to do, on a Saturday afternoon is to go into town, get a hot chocolate at a coffee shop and look around the charity shops for a few hours.

Recently I have a come across some really good finds and thought I would share them with you. Enjoy. x

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         DEBENHAMS TRENCH COAT…

 This trench coat was from St Michael’s hospice shop (originally from Debenhams)  and was £8, I found one online which looks identical and is £50.  When I first saw this coat I instantly fell in love with it, and I knew that I could afford it because in a charity most things are not more than £10. As Autumn and  Winter are just around the corner, I felt it’s worth me getting a nice light weight coat for those blustery rainy days where you don’t want to be swallowed up by a big puffy coat but want to feel chic and warm.                                                      

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TOPSHOP SHOES…

I absolutely adore these shoes! They were from Oxfam, and wait for it…….they were £2.99!!!! I’ve seen a few online that look similar and the price range is in between £30-45. Topshop for me is a high end(ish) company and even though I LOVE it, I often don’t end up shopping there because of the prices. I haven’t worn these shoes in public yet, but when the weather stops trying to pretend it’s still Summer and starts being ‘proper’ Autumn then I’ll whip them out of my closet faster then a tornado.

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PINS AND NEEDLES DRESS…

My mum bought me this dress so I don’t know exactly how much it was but I think it was about £5. It was initially from pins and needles (urban outfitters). Urban outfitters is one of those shops which I literally want to buy everything in there. I would style this outfit with a stylish beige colour hat, nice wholly tights and a warm snug coat.

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VINTAGE MONSOON COAT DRESS…

This could possibly be my best buy in a charity shop ever! This coat was only £10, and if I bought it in monsoon it would of cost me £50-70!! This is supposed to be worn as a dress, but I wear it as a coat because I think it looks better that way. When I bought it they told me it was vintage, and I LOVE all things vintage so I knew I had to buy it!!                                                                                                                   

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spirulina facial mask

How to make a spirulina, lime and banana face mask.

I really love this recipe because all of the ingredients are all amazing for the skin in very different ways and when blended together they make a super amazing mask. Spirulina is a very strange ingredient to put in a skin product but this amazing super food is extremely nourishing for the face and works wonders. Spirulina is a micro organism that lives in water and is dried to form a powder which is sold as a food supplement. It is even given to astronauts in space because it is so high in nutrients and can be stored as a powder. Not only can you eat it but putting it on the skin is very beneficial as it is  packed full of antioxidants leaving the skin refreshed and nourished.

This is probably the best face mask that I’ve ever used and I highly recommend it!!

Hope you enjoy.x

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INGREDIENTS…

• 1/2 teaspoon of spirulina
• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
  

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  DIRECTIONS…

• Firstly mash your banana in a small bowl
• Then add your lime juice and mix well (be sure to get all the lumps out)
• Finally mix in your spirulina and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  

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  INFORMATION…

• Lime is also incredibly amazing for the skin because its got so many great qualities including fighting ache, reducing dark spots, anti ageing properties, treats open pours and many many more.

Homemade coconut milk hair mask

How to make a natural coconut milk hair mask/conditioner.

It’s always nice to really nourish and care for your hair and when you have the time a hair mask is the way to go. This coconut milk recipe is lovely and leaves your hair smoothed and moisturised and the great thing about it is that it only has 3 ingredients so really easy to make at home.

Hope you enjoy. x

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INGREDIENTS…

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 table spoon of honey
• 1 table spoon of olive oil
  

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  DIRECTIONS…

• Pour your coconut milk into a container or bottle
• Add your olive oil and honey and mix well
• Keep stored in cupboard or fridge
  

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  TIPS…

• You can use this recipe as either a hair mask or a conditioner. If you use it as a conditioner you have to know it can make your hair quite greasy so best to use it only once a week and make sure you rinse it out thoroughly. Alternatively if you use it as a hair mask apply to mid lengths and ends of hair and leave in for about 20-30 mins wrapping a hot towel around your hair for maximum absorption. Due to it’s rich combination it will leave your hair feeling nourished and soft. It may take a few washes to completely rinse out.

Home-made honey and beeswax lipbalm

For me lip balm is an essential through out all the seasons, if I don’t have one to hand at all times my lips become dry and chapped and not very pleasant at all.

I usually just use Vaseline but recently I’ve been using coconut oil on my lips (which don’t get me wrong is great and really soothes my lips) but I just wanted something a little more special and a little more like something you would find in a lush shop.

So when I found this recipe I know I had to make it! And so I did, and you know the amazing thing about it is that I could easily spend £5-£10 on a lip balm, and it have all these awful chemicals in it, or I could make my own for much much less and for it to only take 5 minuets.

I’ve found that this certain recipe really soothes the lips and nourishes them, but also has a bit of a sweet taste because of the honey. Hope you enjoy.x

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INGREDIENTS…

• 1/2 oz beeswax (grated)
• 2 1/2 oz sweet almond oil
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
  

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  DIRECTIONS…

• Place the grated beeswax and almond oil into a ban marie (a glass bowl/tin can over a saucepan with boiling water in it)
• Wait until it has almost completely melted and then add the honey
• Then take it off the heat and with a teaspoon dip it into the mixture and then set it aside to cool down
• When the spoon has cooled down place you finger onto the mixture (which is on the spoon) and test if it is the right consistency. If its too runny add a little more beeswax, if its too solid then add a little more almond oil.
• Finally when your happy with the consistency pour into a small container and let cool for about 30-60 mins, be sure to leave the lid off whilst its cooling down.
  

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  TIPS…

•  If the mixture has started going a bit hard whilst its off the heat, just put it back on and keep stirring until it has become runny again and quickly (but carefully) pour into your container.
• Make sure no water gets in the mixture cause it can spoil it and you may have to make it again.

Rose water facial spray.

                                                                      This all natural facial spray can be used as either a toner, or after applying make up spray onto face to help make up stay in its place through out the day.

I don’t personally like powder that you apply after foundation, because it makes my face feel heavy and doesn’t let your skin breathe. So when I came across this recipe on line I knew I had to try it out.

For me it is a much better alternative to powder in many ways it helps pores breathe by nourishing them rather than clogging them with un-natural substances, and it is safer for the environment.

Hope you enjoy. x

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INGREDIENTS…

• 1/3 of a cup of witch hazel
• 1 table spoon of rose water
• 3 table spoons of green tea (strained)
• 2 table spoons of distilled water.
  

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  DIRECTIONS…..

• First measure out all your ingredients
• Pour your witch hazel into a small misting spray bottle (3 oz)
• Then add the green tea
• After that pour in your rose water
• Finally add your distilled water.
  

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  TIPS…

• Make sure your misting bottle is glass not metal or plastic because the BPA can leak into the spray and may cause skin irritations, if you do use plastic make sure it is good quality.
• To make rose water place a handful of rose petals in water and let them soak for awhile, then strain it and pour into a container.
• Make sure you don’t get it in your eyes. And don’t spray onto open wounds.

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How to make a natural facial mask

INTRODUCTION.

My name is Amber May Clarke-McGrath and I’m a teenage blogger from  Herefordshire. I go to a Steiner school in rural England and I am a vegetarian.

I started this blog because one day I was looking up home-made facial masks to do at home, because I didn’t want to spend £20 on one which might have lots of nasty chemicals in. I then found lots of different people’s blog which I really liked and which inspired me to create ‘Naturally May’.

I’d like to share some of my favourite natural beauty recipes with you that I have discovered online, and I will also be introducing some of my own creations. I also enjoy baking and cooking so I will also be sharing my favourite recipes with you. I will also be showing you how to be a teenager on a budget sharing up-cycled fashion ideas and vintage/rustic room ideas. I love to find bargains in my local charity shops and create my own unique style without ‘costing the earth.’

Here is one of my favourite facial mask recipes to make. Hope you enjoy. x

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Coconut oil, Honey, and Lemon juice facial mask.

INGREDIENTS…

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• 1 table spoon of organic extra virgin coconut oil.
• 1 and a half table spoons of honey (preferably raw honey).
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice.

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DIRECTIONS…

• Get a small mixing bowl and place your coconut oil in it.
• Mix until it has become a little more like a paste.
• Then add your honey and mix well.
• Finally add your lemon juice and mix until mixture is well combined.
• Apply to cleansed face and leave on for 10-15 mins.
• Wash off with cool water.
  

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  TIPS…

• Your mixture may separate when you add your honey and lemon juice, but don’t worry, if you just add a little more coconut oil it will come together.
• You may want to put it in the fridge to harden up a little, but don’t leave it in too long as it will become to hard to use.
• This is a great mask for teenagers as the honey helps fight acne and blemishes, and the lemon juice helps tighten those open pores. Also the coconut oil is a great moisturiser.

Amber May