Six rays of summer sunshine today, so let’s take a quick tour of what’s new – and more importantly worth noting – in June.
WELEDA’s FEEL GOOD SHOWER (LIMITED EDITION)
Weleda’s “deep midsummer” blend of lively ginger, citronella and cedarwood just got prettier with this special limited edition. Moisturising and vegan (the “gel” element here is carrageenan (seaweed, not gelatin), and it’s lovely in the bath, too.
This product is part of Weleda’s recycling partnership with Terracycle, and you can find out how it works HERE
£7.95/200ml
Buy it HERE
REN SKINCARE’S READY STEADY GLOW DAILY AHA TONIC isn’t new, but it’s just had a packaging makeover, meaning the plastic bottle is now made from 100% recycled consumer plastic.
If you love a “grit-free” exfoliator, this one is lactic acid (AHA) and salicin (BHA) based for a brightening-tightening result.
“Clean to Skin, Clean to Planet”
£27/250ml
Buy it HERE
LONE DESIGN CLUB’s Sustainability Starter Pack Care Package caught our eye – everything in it is something you’d be likely to use a lot. Practical and useful, featuring 3 everyday items you’d use again and again.
1 x Neon Kactus Reusable Glass Coffee Cup, made from fully recyclable and sustainable materials, that are food grade and BPA Free.
5 x Organic Cotton Rounds from Agnes LDN, i.e. a set of five organic cotton flannel rounds that are washable/reusable
1 x Medium size Agnes LDN (25x29cm) handmade grocery bag, perfect for larger fruit and veg like onions, carrots, bananas etc or for filling up on grains in bulk stores.
If you buy this as a gift for someone you can include a personalised message in the “product note box” at checkout and Lone Design Club will hand write you a card to be sent with your gift.
The kit costs £25.
Find out more/buy one HERE
LEIGHTON DENNY’S NEW BACK TO NATURE NAIL COLLECTION
Leighton Denny’s six new nail polish shades have just landed and it’s nice to see a new arrival made from 75% plant-based ingredients, sourced from maize, wheat and potato.
It’s always a good thing when (nail) brands veer in a green direction and Leighton has added a wider brush to these as well.
With 3 “warms” and 3 “cools”, cool neutrals fans will likely love the range of shades which include “White Sage” (a white-grey), “Catnip” (a grey-tinged lavender), Foxglove (a clay pink), and for a pop of summery seaside coral there’s “Snapdragon”.
£12/12ml
See all the shades/buy HERE
JANE SCRIVNER’S MORNING BARRIER BALM
British facialist Jane Scrivner calls her latest launch a correcting, calming, fortifying “Conditioning Breakfast Smoothie for Skin”.
It doubles up as a stand-in for your usual facial oil, and while it’s suitable for all skin types, drier and dry/irritated skins will get a lot out of this one.
Jane is famous for blending potent plant oils with essential oils, and this one’s no exception so let’s take a look at the all-natural garden of ingredients:
Organic MANGO BUTTER
For its moisturising essential fatty acids (EFA’s) to tighten, plump and soothe skin.
Organic OAT OIL
To moisturise, calm, nourish and soothe.
Organic RICE BRAN OIL
For its plant squalene, lipid enhancing content and its vitamin rich, strengthening, omega rich qualities.
Organic ELDERBERRY OIL
For smoothing elasticity.
Organic BLACKCURRANT OIL
For anti-ageing, skin strengthening, anti-oxidant revitalising and softening qualities.
Organic PLUM KERNEL OIL
To improve elasticity, support collagen, promote skin regeneration, moisturise and maintain skin tone.
Organic TIGERNUT OIL
Rich in Omegas 9 and 6 and high in Vitamin E – fabulous for sensitive and dry skin.
Organic ARCTIC OAT EXTRACT
To calm and soothe.
Blended with essential oils of RED MANDARIN to tone and decongest.
CURCUMA to accelerate healing and reducing pigmentation and scarring.
STAR ANISE to cleanse, purify, soften and smooth. CARROT SEED for Vitamin A.
WHITE GRAPEFRUIT to tone. GERANIUM BOURBON for radiance.
LITSEA CUBEBA to cool and calm.
LABDANUM to purify and soothe.
If you’re new to labdanum, it’s been used in perfumery since time immemorial. Extracted – not an easy process! – from Rock Rose (in the Cistus family), this white (also bright pink) paper-petaled, sticky “bush flower” grows wild across the hills of the Mediterranean is one of my absolute favourite plants.
I find the scent exquisite, it’s a subtle yet somehow at the same time heady sort of cathedral incense-deep rose, if you love rose/oud combinations, it’s in a similar vein.
The scent blows through the breeze on warm days, and you can see the shiny, sticky resin on the dark green leaf tips in the photo above. (If you get this on your fingers, good luck if you’re driving – it’ll stick all over the steering wheel!)
You can also drink cistus tea (I’ve bought it before, and when you open the packet that signature rock rose scent is very much there) – the main benefits include healthier skin, it can help lessen coughs and colds, it’s reputedly anti-mosquito (haven’t tested that yet), and the Ancient Greeks used it as a wound healer and beauty product.
One to check out if you are a balm addict.
There’s more on Jane’s new Morning Barrier Balm or buy it HERE
£49/50ml
COLT & WILLOW’S NEW ALL-NATURAL ECO HOME CLEANERS
I’ve always had a soft spot for eco cleaning products (laundry, all purpose cleaners, washing up liquid, etc).
I think this sector deserves more consumer support, and it’s an interesting one to watch right now because it’s not just about what we put on our skin, it’s as much about protecting our environment for future generations and all life that inhabits this planet.
If you’ve just had a baby but you don’t normally use eco cleaning products around the house, now really is the perfect time to switch.
Healthier for us, much better for babies, pets and toddlers and far kinder to the planet, the Eco Home categories in The Beauty Shortlist & Wellbeing Awards – also our Mama & Baby Awards – are still one of my favourites.
I think it’s because “clean and safe + earth-friendly + naturally-scented” is such a winning combo and we do spend so much time at home, especially in the cooler months.
Colt & Willow’s all-natural plant-based household cleaning range features refills, too. The glass bottle trigger spray collection includes:
A Geranium Leaf All-Purpose Cleaner
A Rosemary Bathroom Cleaner
A Rhubarb Washing Up Liquid
A Wonder Scrub Cream Cleaner (glass jar)
A Fig + Cassis Potty Spray
Kudos to this new British brand for opting for glass bottles (and glass jars) for the entire range.
Find out more about Colt & Willow’s clean cleaners/buy HERE
A word from Colt & Willow:
“Not to sound too cliched but having children changed the way we viewed our home and the world we live in. It became important to make sure our house was safe for them to crawl, lick and touch! We child-proofed the house, cooked them great food (which mainly ended up on the floor), but there was one area we hadn’t quite managed to sort… the cupboard under the sink.
Yes, that dark and menacing place, full of cleaning products with their harmful toxins. They’re not great for our health, definitely not great for our skin or the environment and they don’t look that great either. We felt no loyalty to them – does anyone? Does anyone really love a hospital smell in a bright pink plastic bottle? Finding an alternative was a no-brainer for us, however we couldn’t find what we were looking for.
So, we spent 3-years on what became our passion: to create a range of powerful, plant-based cleaning products that look good, smell good & do good—transforming the cleaning experience for you, your family, your home & the environment” – Colt & Willow
AND COMING SOON!
Look out for NEW+NOTEWORTHY: JULY, next month, and mark Friday 17 July in your diary and join us to celebrate this year’s Global Beauty Shortlist Mama & Baby Awards winners with us all day long, from breakfast time onwards.
It has been a record year for entries, despite things slowing down dramatically because of the virus, so it promises to be quite a line up, full of products well worth buying and switching to.
We’ll reveal the winners on 17th July, and also be reviewing each Mama & Baby Awards winner in the coming months, too.
Thank you for supporting these sponsor-free, ad-free, 100% independent beauty, baby and wellness awards which provide a level playing field for both established and brand new ethical, artisan brands.
Quick reminder! If you’ve entered, please be sure your samples wing their way to us safely by Monday 15 June at the latest.
Enjoy the glorious weather!