Time is our most precious commodity at The Beauty Shortlist these days – with the first ever Beauty Shortlist Awards coming up (judging starts in March) we’re swamped with a capital “S”!! (Details TBA  next week).

So without further ado, Living Multinutrient Complex (click on the link for the full list of ingredients – they are far too long to list here) is hands down our favourite intelligent multi-formula supplement.  The founder of Terra Nova has a wealth of experience in the supplements world and he’s developed a very different range which we feel outperform many other brands. Terra Nova’s available at Whole Foods, Victoria Health, Nutricentre and other outlets.

If you only take one multivitamin, this one goes far beyond most formulas (here’s some of the the scientific bit!):

“Each TerraNova nutritional product is enhanced with its own synergistic complex of whole, unadulterated and enzymatically-active botanicals and phytonutrient-rich foods known as MAGNIFOOD to enhance the bioavailability of the ingredients, to increase the product’s micronutrients and to protect the ingredients from oxidative damage.”  

It’s packed with minerals, greens, berries and more.

And if you’ve been feeling Febru-weary or pretty tired lately, may we suggest you get your hands on a bottle of Terra Nova’s Vitamin B Complex with Vitamin C (with energising herb and seed extracts).

We never – ever – receive payment for any reviews or endorsements, so when we say something’s great we genuinely mean it! We’d rather keep things real and Terra Nova’s a really great brand we discovered last summer while researching cutting-edge supplements.

TERRA NOVA LIVING MULTINUTRIENT COMPLEX £14.50/50 capsules (£25/100caps)

VITAMIN B COMPLEX with Vitamin C £9.50/50caps (and in 100 caps)

Organic Burst burst into the UK supplement market recently, so, being lovers of all things new, we had to try them!

I tested the Baobab (far left) and Acai (far right) over a month recently.  What’s Baobab?  Well if you saw The Lion King, you might recognise that special tree on the film’s logo.  Baobab’s known as “The Tree of Life” for its invigorating health benefits.  It has 6 x more Vit C than oranges and this fine powder (which I mixed with fruit juice) contains Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Copper and Iron and is rich in prebiotics.  So you get an antioxidant hit, while the harvesting of Baobab helps provide an income to families in rural Africa.

On to Organic Burst Acai… it’s high in polyphenols (compounds that protect our DNA, healthy cells and proteins from oxidative damage)  so it can help slow down ageing. Acai is a superstar among antioxidants – I call it the “beauty berry” . They eat Acai flavoured ice-cream in Brazil where the purple-black berry (which comes from a type of palm tree) is a staple part of their diet – and we know how much energy Brazilians have at Carnival time! After three sambas I’d be ready for a sit down followed by two Caipirinhas (the drink, not the dance).

Both these formulas seemed to pep me up during January (not my favourite month) so if you need a bit of a boost, have a look at the range to find out which one would be the best “fit” for you.

Organic Burst have a really easy to follow Slim & Detox Plan on their site and if you’re feeling very Febru-weary, you might want to try the Maca to boost endurance and energy – well priced at £4.80.

See the Organic Burst range, priced at £4.80 upwards, HERE

Organicburst.com

Anti-ageing Elixir (top row, far left)

A Beauty Shortlist EXCLUSIVE:  Terre d’Oc’s NEW Morocco range

Anti-ageing Elixir (with Organic Argan Oil, Organic Date Extract and Organic Prickly Pear)

When your day and night moisturisers are no longer “performing”, it might be time to add a serum to your beauty mix. But which one? Well here’s one we’ve been testing for just a couple of days – quite a bit shorter than usual – but we can tell it’s pretty fabulous already.

Terre d’Oc have just launched their new anti-ageing/all skins MOROCCO RANGE so, intrigued by their new Anti-Ageing Elixir with Organic Argan Oil, revitalising Organic Date Extract and anti-ageing Prickly Pear, we had to try it.  Prickly Pear (aka Barbary Fig) is exceptionally high in essential fatty acids and is super protective – it takes 10,000 seeds to make a litre of precious oil, all harvested from June to September so it’s labour intensive to say the least.

France’s iconic natural brand has teamed Prickly Pear with nourishing Organic Argan Oil (another EFA superstar which helps promote skin’s hydrolipid layer and maximise elasticity) and the result is a fine, delicate oil (but it’s not oily!) which absorbs super-fast into skin leaving a subtle sheen.

We noticed it: 1) Makes skin instantly more radiant and glowing (apply and massage in);  and 2) It’s formulated to improve elasticity, firmness and hydration.

This might be a great serum for younger as well as more mature skins – it’s an “all skins” formulation and would be a great all-season serum, too. Protective in winter but light enough for summer (earmark this one for the beach!)

SEE THE REST OF THE NEW TERRE d’OC MOROCCO SKINCARE RANGE HERE

Moroccan Beauty Secret Organic Anti-Ageing Elixir Serum £32.95/30ml 

(And they do makeup, too! http://www.pravera.co.uk/terre-doc )

Well hello Happiness!  You’re NEOM’s newest candle, launched this week, just in time for spring.  Or should we say “candles”, because Happiness (like in real life) comes in big doses (the three-wick home candle, £37.50 with a burn time of 55 hrs) and mini doses (a cute candle that loves travelling with you £13).

NEOM have blended essential oils of “happy” flowers and a fruit (White Neroli, Mimosa & Lemon) with 100% natural vegetable wax (goodbye toxins and black smoke). Then they poured the resulting deliciousness into a three-wick candle and wrapped it in a pretty box.

There are four main notes here: White Neroli (balancing, healing, uplifting), Mimosa (soothing and summery) and Lemon (fresh and sparkling) plus natural fresh grass to create a scent that captures the awakening of spring.

Happiness is delicate, floral, zesty and just a little bit cheeky. It’s longer days, bluer skies, sunnier days, a few showers. It’s those first brave crocuses, followed by clusters of open-faced yellow daffodils, fresh spring mornings and early evening walks. Weekends that feel just that bit longer.  It’s “smile, spring is around the corner!”

Happiness Home Candle by NEOM LUXURY ORGANICS £37.50

“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved”

George Sand