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KiteNest Shampoo Bar - Kind Culture review

KiteNest Shampoo Bar Review

Bath & Body, General, Hair Care, Reviews

This review is long overdue, but I’m so glad that I’m finally sharing it today – scroll on down to read my review on the KiteNest Shampoo Bar.

Who are KiteNest?

Natural cleaning power combines with May Chang, Cedarwood and Lemon peel powder leaving hair smelling fresh, whilst revitalising your senses. Designed to be suitable for regular or infrequent use these bars are the perfect companion for KiteNest Organic Dry Shampoo.

Our solid Shampoo Bars are zero waste and each one is accompanied with a seed card, which when no longer needed can be placed into moist soil and frequently watered to grow a mixture of wild flowers. We print our seed cards with vegetable inks so no harmful or harsh chemicals are left in the ground.

This is a 100% natural product, cruelty free, palm oil free, suitable for vegans, and free from any nasties (no toxic chemicals or G.M.O.s)

KiteNest’s Shampoo Bar is available to buy via the KiteNest website and is now available to buy £5.95, and if your order is over £30 your postage will be free! (That’s unfortunately only for U.K residents)

Review

The Lemon Shampoo Bar is perfect to take with you literally anywhere, and I love that there is zero plastic waste with this shampoo.

Because I have quite thick hair, I have a tendency to use more product than I need. So initially, I used way too much of the shampoo bar and then used a different conditioner, which made my hair look greasy. After I got the hang of just how much product I needed, the shampoo bar worked amazingly – I now use the shampoo bar as a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner bar.

The shampoo completely nourishes my hair and gives a little extra shine to it. When it comes to dark hair, it’s difficult to find products that strike the right balance between shiny and greasy. It’s safe to say that when you use the right amount of the shampoo bar that it really does add a healthy shine to the hair.

And of course I have to mention how refreshing it smells, which as you all know is important for me :). I’m so glad that more brands are embracing the zero waste philosophy with their products. Supporting brands like KiteNest, that actually make that conscious effort to be cruelty-free and eco-friendly, makes all the difference to our environment.

Thank you to the lovely KiteNest team for sending me the Shampoo Bar. To check out KiteNest’s full range of products click here.

I hope you all enjoyed the KiteNest Shampoo Bar Review and have a great Easter.

Don’t forget to comment, subscribe and share ♥

– Sonam x

 

(For more hair care reviews, click here. )

Forest Essentials Facial Essentials Kit

Forest Essentials Facial Essentials Review

Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Forest Essentials Facial Essentials Review

Last month, I went on holiday to India and honestly it was a nice break  from not having to worry about work and getting everything else done.

Speaking of work, I’ve got a new job! 🙂 Which is why I didn’t have enough time to blog this month – thankfully, I’ve got the hang of juggling everything now.

As I was coming back from holiday, I found this facial set by Forest Essentials at Delhi Airport – after spending the entire trip looking for the brand in Punjab. I’d actually heard about the Forest Essentials before but I never got round to buying their products – which is why I’m so excited to share this review with you all.

Scroll on down to read my review!

A little about Forest Essentials…

Forest Essentials is an authentic, traditional skin care brand, with its foundations in the ancient science of Ayurveda. A pioneer in the luxury Ayurvedic segment, today it has become the quintessential Indian Beauty Brand where secrets of ancient beauty rituals for skin and hair care have been made available to modern-day customers.

Forest Essentials cater to four major categories i.e. Facial Care, Body Care, Hair Care and Wellness. Each handmade product uses traditional methods in its making and adheres to the highest standards of purity, authenticity and quality. Forest Essentials extracts the best from nature’s vast repertoire and recreates fresh seasonal formulations using organic cold pressed oils, rare plant extracts, herb infusions and steam-distilled pure essential oils and best of all they’re cruelty-free and vegan.

The Facial Essentials set:

The Facial Essentials set is the perfect to keep with you on the go while you travel or to give as a gift. Inside the box are four travel size handmade items worth 1,625 INR (which works out to be between £17-£18, depending on the exchange rate;  the Luscious Lip Balm Sugared Rose Petal 4g, Facial Cleanser Honey Lemon Rosewater 50ml, Sunscreen Lotion Aloe Vera & Sandalwood 50ml, Refining Facial Scrub Kashmiri Walnut Gel 15g.

Review

Luscious Lip Balm Sugared Rose Petal

This Sugared Rose Petal Lip Balm is uniquely designed to replenish and soften dry, chapped lips. The lip balm is a lot thinner than I expected than I’m used to, and you can definitely smell the rose petal. I’ve used it a lot lately, and it definitely helps keep the lips soft. It reminds me a lot of the Rose Salve Lip Balm.

Refining Facial Scrub Kashmiri Walnut Gel


This Revitalising Kashmiri Walnut Gel Scrub has been formulated with a distinctive combination of high quality Kashmiri Walnuts with selected herbs like Agneemanth and Kachoor. At first, I only used a tiny amount and I was quite surprised at how such a small amount helped polish and smoothen my skin. I’ll definitely be ordering the full size scrub after I’m done using this one.

Facial Cleanser Honey Lemon Rosewater


This Wild Honey, Steam distilled Rosewater & fresh lemon Cleanser gently cleanses your face to remove surface toxins and exfoliates dead skin cells making it clean and fresh. For a gentle cleanser it sure managed to brighten the look of my skin. I do feel that the fragrance of the rosewater was a little much, but it did the job so I can’t complain too much.

Sunscreen Lotion Aloe Vera & Sandalwood

I was admittedly a little scared to use this, mainly because I’ve had quite a bad reaction to products with aloe vera in it. The lotion was pretty soothing on my skin and the sandalwood oil in the lotion helped to maintain balance of my skintone. If you never tried anything with sandalwood oil, you should seriously consider trying it, this oil is known for bringing out your natural glow by reducing the look of dark circles and patches.

Generally, I’m so glad that I finally managed to come across this brand and try it out. The quality of the brand is brilliant, and so affordable considering that it’s mostly handmade. I always love supporting Ayurveda brands, especially ones that people may not have heard much of, I feel like Ayurveda doesn’t get enough credit for pioneering organic beauty.

I hope you all enjoyed my Forest Essentials Facial Essentials review. ☺

Click here to try out Forest Essentials.

Don’t forget to comment, subscribe and share ♥

– Sonam x

 

P.S: For more skincare reviews click here. 

Isla Apothecary Skin Balm Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

For me, this month has been all about striking a balance between getting all of my work done and taking care of myself. How has the first month of 2019 been going for you?

Today is the third and last part of my mini Isla Apothecary review series. Scroll down to read my review on the Isla Apothecary Skin Balm!

Are Isla Apothecary cruelty free?

This London-based brand makes everything with care using only natural, ethically sourced, and where possible organic ingredients.

Formulated without animal-derived ingredients, parabens, phthalates, synthetic materials, preservatives or aromachemicals, all ingredients and products are free from animal testing, and are suitable for vegans.

The Isla Apothecary philosophy is to package products according to what is essential to their integrity, to reduce waste at the source and to encourage re-use and recycling, using recyclable boxes and 100% biodegradable void-filling chips made from renewable sources.

Isla Apothecary Skin Balm

The Skin Balm is a luxurious and versatile treatment formulated to offer extremely effective anti-oxidant protection against damaging radicals to restore balance and moisture, reduce inflammation, accommodate cell turnover and strengthen the skin’s protective barrier.

Made with a careful curation of pure, cold-pressed fruit, nut and plant oils naturally abundant in potent essential fatty acids and vitamins vital to skin health. The Skin Balm is a lightweight, grease-less balm used to cleanse, moisturise or prime the skin. The Skin Balm is suitable for all skin types and costs £35.00 for 60ml.

Review

One thing that I noticed was that the jar is much smaller than the others, but it’s safe to say that I definitely underestimated how much product I would need to use.

The Skin Balm doesn’t really have much of smell, but that didn’t really bother me too much. What I really loved it the smooth, buttery texture of the balm, the texture reminds me of ghee. As I mentioned before, I underestimated how much I would need to use on my skin, I’ve been using a pea-sized amount of the balm on my face and haven’t needed to use any more than that.

Most of the time I had used the product on my skin where I had dry patches because of the cold weather and it worked like a charm. The balm spreads quickly and settles into the skin in minutes, leaving a nice shine to it without feeling greasy. After a while, my skin looks and feels smooth – I love it!

Overall, I felt that all the Isla Apothecary products have been high-quality and have become a part of my daily skincare routine. I would definitely recommend the brand to anyone that’s looking for organic skincare, and wants products that are versatile and easy to use. Thank you to the Isla Apothecary team for sending me the set.

Don’t forget to comment, share and follow.

 

–  Sonam xx

Click here to buy the Isla Apothecary Skin Balm

P.S: If you haven’t already, check out my first Isla Apothecary review. 

Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant

Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

Today is the second part of my mini Isla Apothecary review series. Over the past few weeks, I haven’t been too well and so this review is a little overdue. Thankfully, I’m doing better now, so I’ve got more time to focus on blogging!

Scroll down to read my Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm Review! ☺

About Isla Apothecary

This London-based brand ensures that everything is handmade with care using only natural, ethically-sourced, and where possible organic ingredients.

Formulated without animal-derived ingredients, parabens, phthalates, synthetic materials, preservatives or aromachemicals, all ingredients and products are free from animal testing, and are suitable for vegans.

The Isla Apothecary philosophy is to package products according to what is essential to their integrity, to reduce waste at the source and to encourage re-use and recycling, using recyclable boxes and 100% biodegradable void-filling chips made from renewable sources.

Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm

The Body Exfoliant + Balm is a revitalising blend of citrus, mint and wood essential oils wrapped in a mousse-like luxurious body scrub

Made with Organic Raw Sugar Cane and Papaya Extract to buff the skin to purge surface impurities and dead skin cells. A deeply conditioning combination of Shea butter, Coconut, Peach kernel, and Vitamin E oils restores moisture balance, promotes healing, and reduces skin inflammations. The body exfoliant melts into the skin to cocoon and protect against water loss and dryness. No residual greasiness, and no need to moisturise separately after use. Body scrubbing stimulates sluggish circulation, which can lead to lower collagen production, making skin more prone to sagging.

The body exfoliant is suitable for all skin types and costs £34.00 for 300g.

Review

Before I had even tried the body scrub, I felt that the peachy and citrus aroma of the body scrub was soothing. (Which, for me, is usually a sign that the product is good.)

Honestly, I was quite surprised at how large the granules of the organic brown sugar are; most of the body exfoliants that I’ve used in the past are much more smaller than this one. At first, I was a little worried that the scrub might be a little harsh against my skin, but I couldn’t be more wrong.

In the shower, the exfoliant works and melts on the skin within a couple of minutes of using it. It leaves the same kind of polished finish that the mud mask left on face on my skin, and the oils in the exfoliant keep the skin nourished and soft. After getting out of the shower, I definitely felt that the exfoliant and balm helped in keeping me relaxed all over.

It’s definitely worth trying out especially if you get dry skin during the winter, or just like to keep your skin exfoliated. If you’re unsure of whether you want to buy the full product, then you can also get the 60g jar (like the one in my pictures) from the Discovery Kit on the Isla Apothecary website.

So far I am loving the high quality of the Isla Apothecary products, especially since the products have more than one use which is so convenient!

Thank you to the Isla Apothecary team for sending me this fabulous body exfoliant.

Click here to buy the Isla Apothecary Body Exfoliant + Balm 

Don’t forget to comment, share  and follow.

 

–  Sonam xx

P.S: If you haven’t already, check out my first Isla Apothecary review. 

Yaoh Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Bath & Body, General, Hair Care, Reviews

Hey everyone, how have you all been? ☺

(Apologies for the late post, I’ve not been well and had to concentrate on my health first *always prioritise that* )

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted up a review but in case you didn’t know this post is part of a mini series on an amazing 100% vegan brand – scroll down to read my second review of the Yaoh review series – Yaoh Shampoo & Conditioner.

Who are Yaoh?

Yaoh is based in Bristol, UK, and is one of the UK’s original hemp companies, with a range of hemp body care and food products that are 100% vegan, paraben-free, sulphate-free and free from animal testing. Yaoh’s food range is also 100% certified organic.

Review

Yaoh Coconut & Lime Shampoo

Made with a combination of organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile along with Coconut and Lime fragrance to create an invigorating and refreshing shampoo.

The smell of the shampoo really was so refreshing. As someone who has thick hair, I found myself using the shampoo more often than I normally would (roughly around 4 times a week). It’s a little mild for my hair type, in the winter my hair can go a little more greasy from wearing hats, keeping it tied up etc.

Other than that, I think the shampoo would work better for my hair in the summer, and perhaps if I had thinner hair.

Yaoh Summer Breeze Conditioner

Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Peppermint along with floral extracts.

I actually loved the conditioner, it’s kept my hair pretty smooth in the cold weather. The ends of my hair can get quite dry in this weather and I find that I don’t need to use too much product on the ends of my hair for it to work.

I definitely think that the Yaoh Shampoo and Conditioners are worth trying out, especially if you’re looking for an all vegan brand! The products are also recyclable and there’s currently a special offer on the Yaoh website running until the end of December.

Thank you to the lovely Yaoh team for sending me these products. ☺

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ♥

In case you missed it, check out my first Yaoh review.  And click here to check out the Yaoh range. 

Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud

Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud Review

Beauty, General, London, Reviews, Skincare

Today is the first part of my mini Isla Apothecary review series. This is one of three reviews that I will be doing for this brand (so far). So scroll on down to read my review on the Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud! ☺

Are Isla Apothecary cruelty free?

This London-based brand ensures that everything is handmade with care using only natural, ethically-sourced, and where possible organic ingredients.

Formulated without animal-derived ingredients, parabens, phthalates, synthetic materials, preservatives or aromachemicals, all ingredients and products are free from animal testing, and are suitable for vegans.

The Isla Apothecary philosophy is to package products according to what is essential to their integrity, to reduce waste at the source and to encourage re-use and recycling, using recyclable boxes and 100% biodegradable void-filling chips made from renewable sources.

Isla Apothecary Skin Purifying Mud

The Skin Purifying Mud is a multi-tasking facial mask and gentle exfoliant, to deeply cleanse, purify and balance your skin.

A refreshing, circulation and collagen boosting treatment for the skin, the mud synergises anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and skin toning ingredients such as raspberry leaf, yarrow, rosehips, with compounds from lemon balm and orris root to absorb excess oil and impurities, and to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin for deeper cleansing and greater protection against everyday skin stressors. It will also help to remove the last traces of your cleanser, which will contain environmental build-up and make-up. With a potent, natural source of salicylic acid from white willow bark that effectively treats infected skin, the mud mask is especially beneficial for acne-prone skin.

Simply mix the powder with an equal amount of water to create a paste, leave on your skin for 10-15 minutes to reveal a smoother, brighter, fresher and noticeably refined complexion.

The purifying mud is suitable for all skin types and costs £30.00 for 95g. Which may seem like its less but one teaspoon of the powder was more than enough to use the mask for about 4 times.

Review

First off, I have to mention how much I love the whole look of the jar. Most of you can probably tell that I’m a tad obsessed with rose gold. And of course that its reusable, which is a bonus.

As I mentioned before, I only used a teaspoon of the powder. It is fairly simple to make into a paste, didn’t require much effort or work. It turns out that one teaspoon was more than I needed, so I also got my mum to try out the purifying mud too. And there was still plenty left over!

What I wasn’t expecting were the exfoliant bits when making the paste, you can really smell the rosehip in the mask. Once I had got the right consistency, I left the mud mask to set for a minute. When I put the purifying mud on my face and neck, it started to dry within minutes, but didn’t completely dry until 30 minutes later – I had the heating on as it was cold that day, so that could have sped up the drying process a little. The smell of the mud is so fragrant and soothing and after a while I could really feel it tightening my skin as it dried.

After washing off the mud mask, I rubbed the exfoliant bits into my skin and it gave my skin the kind of smooth and polished look that you would have after having a professional facial – I was mind blown at the quality of the product. It’s definitely worth trying out, or gifting someone for Christmas.

Thank you to the Isla Apothecary team for sending me my new favourite mud mask and exfoliant ♥

I hope you all enjoyed my review. Don’t forget to comment, share & follow.

– Sonam x

 

P.S: For more skincare reviews, click here. 

shampoo and body cream

Yaoh Body Butter Review

Bath & Body, General, Reviews, Skincare

The last few of weeks have been such a challenge, naturally, I had to take a bit of a break from the blog to focus on everything else. Before I’d feel guilty about taking a break, but one thing that I’ve been working on this year is not being such a workaholic. So far, I’m getting the hang of it!

In the mean time, I’ve been reviewing quite a few different products (which I can’t wait to share with you). This post in particular will be part of a series on an amazing 100% vegan brand – scroll down to read my first review of the Yaoh review series – Yaoh Body Butter Range.

Who are Yaoh?

Yaoh is based in Bristol, UK, and is one of the UK’s original hemp companies, with a range of hemp body care and food products that are 100% vegan, paraben-free, sulphate-free and free from animal testing. Yaoh’s food range is also 100% certified organic.

Review

All the skincare range is made with organic hemp seed oil. The body butters are all £11.99 for 200g. Overall, I really do like the Yoah skincare range, the body butters and moisturiser are so buttery and smooth – perfect in this cold weather. There are plenty of options to choose from, so there’s something for everyone. And I like that the brand are quite neutral i.e for everyone.

Yaoh Body Butter Original

Made with a combination of Hemp Seed Oil to moisturise and rejuvenate the skin, with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Peppermint. Personally, I found myself using this more on regular basis, the lavender and peppermint extracts add a more floral and refreshing fragrance to the body butter compared to just the hemp seed oil – which I loved! My skin stayed smooth throughout the day, which is so important when the seasons change.

Yaoh Body Butter Coconut and Lime

Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile along with Coconut and Lime fragrance to create an invigorating and refreshing body butter. This was one of my favourite body butters, the smell is uplifting and again the body butter works well in keeping my skin smooth, it does eventually make you feel hungry after a while.

Yaoh Body Butter Tropical Fruits

Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with extracts of fruit essences to create a refreshingly fruity body butter. While this is a tropical fruit body butter, I actually liked the fact that the smells weren’t so strong with this one. Again the body butter keeps my skin looking fresh and nourished, and this one reminds me of summer. 🙂

Yaoh Moisturiser Deep Forest

The moisturiser is £6.99 for 56g. Made with Organic Hemp Seed Oil with Essential Oils and extracts to create an exotic moisturiser. I will be honest, the moisturiser was my least favourite, mainly because I prefer floral and fruity fragrances. But I must admit that I did like that the moisturiser is lightweight, and small enough to travel with. Like the body butters, the moisturiser lasts all day, the only real difference is that the body butters have a thicker consistency while the moisturiser is more lightweight.

Generally, I think it really depends on the kinds of scents and ingredients that you prefer in the products that you use, I would definitely recommend the brand. he best thing for me was that I didn’t have to use too much of the product for it to go a long way, and that the packaging is recyclable. Thank you to the lovely Yaoh team for sending me these products. ☺

In the next few weeks there’ll be some more reviews on the Yaoh range. So do let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to comment, share and subscribe ♥

Check out my second Yaoh review.  And click here to check out the Yaoh range.