Neal's Yard Remedies Honey & Orange Facial Scrub

 I was at Westfield London last week looking for something to spend my birthday giftcard on and found myself poking about in Neal's Yard. This may be blasphemous to some but I'd never actually been inside a Neal's Yard store before so I spent a good half hour in there trying out various lotions and potions. I've been a bit obsessed with any beauty products containing honey lately, so when I spotted the Honey & Orange Facial Scrub, I made a beeline for it (!). I only needed to have a sniff of this stuff to know I was going to get it. It smells amazing - refreshing and delicious. Pretty much exactly like honey and orange. Go figure.

This is a gritty, bitty facial scrub that buffs away dirt and dead skin yet doesn't seem to irritate or feel too abrasive. To use, you just scoop a little bit out and mix it with a tiny amount of water before scrubbing it gently in circular motions. The Honey & Orange Facial Scrub is of a muddy paste consistency which is a little too thick to use as it is, so adding a bit of water thins it out a bit and makes it easier to apply.
I'm not going to lie, the formula may not be the most user friendly - for one, it comes in a glass jar, which adds a bit of a luxurious element but could also result in broken glass in your shower if you're a bit clumsy like me. Secondly, the formula is a little bit fiddly and often results in me losing some down the plughole before it's been anywhere near my face.

Back to the positives, the Honey & Orange Facial Scrub not only smells incredible, but it does a great job in leaving my face clean and smooth but not tight, which is always a bonus and I'm enjoying using it in the evening to prep my skin for serums and moisturisers. Containing 77% organic ingredients, the scrub is a yummy combination of honey and propolis (soothing and antibacterial), kaolin ( absorbs excess oil and clarifies) and ground rice (exfoliates) with orange, neroli and sunflower oil to tone and balance the skin. I will also add that I accidentally got some of this on my lips and not only discovered that it's pretty good for exfoliating lips but it doesn't taste bad either. :0

I'm no skincare expert but I know when I like a product and I really like this. It smells divine and it works well for me. You can find the Honey & Orange Facial Scrub at Neal's Yard Remedies stores across the land and online. It costs £15.50 for a 75g jar.  If you haven't tried it, do it. Do it now!

Outfit Ideas - Casual to Classy with Yumi

My name is Amy Marie & I blog on behalf of Scarlett Fashion. The lovely Hannah has kindly allowed me to guest post on her blog today and I hope you enjoy the post I'm sharing.

When I used to think of the brand Yumi, I associated it with quirky patterns, cute scarves and knitted dresses that I favoured in my last year of college/first year in uni. I particularly liked them because they seemed to favour owls which are my favourite animals. Recently I've discovered that Yumi has taken a new direction, a direction I seem to be more drawn to now I'm in my mid twenties. Their newest a/w 13 collection seems to be made up of some gorgeous cosy knitwear and some beautiful dresses perfect for the onslaught of Christmas parties we're all probably already thinking about!

Today I thought i'd share two outfit ideas with the readers of Lippy in London, one for the cold winter days ahead and the other for a night on the town for the festive season. I hope you all like them!

The Yumi piece i've chosen for daytime wear is this gorgeous Aztec Print Soft and Snug Jumper (RRP £39, Scarlett Fashion). Firstly, I love the colours and design of this jumper, not to mention how soft it looks, perfect for snuggling up in the house if like me you're too cheap to put on the heating during the day! It also looks warm enough that it could be worn with a scarf and no coat on the days where it isn't quite so bitter. For those days I've teamed it with another piece from the Yumi collection, an impossibly cute Bobble Hat (RRP £12.99, Scarlett Fashion) it'll really complement the red in the jumper. As for bottoms I've chosen some Black Jeggings (RRP £19.99, New Look) as I feel in winter you need something slightly thicker than leggings but then I avoid jeans for fear of soggy bottoms (bottom of the hem, not a pie related thing!) How amazing do these Fur Trimmed Boots (RRP £34.99, H&M) look? I love the tan but they also come in black. I've chosen tan to match my dream bag, a Cambridge Satchel (RRP £99, ASOS) i've been coveting these bags for ages and although I love the coloured ones, I'm always drawn back to tan as for me, a tan handbag is a must. 

This dress by Yumi is aptly named Night at the Opera (RRP £45, Scarlett Fashion) because it really looks like something that could be worn to the opera or the ballet. It's so beautiful that I was shocked to see it was only £45! The dark colours make it perfect for this festive season as it screams one of the most talked about A/W13 trends, goth. I've teamed the dress with the cosiest looking jacket on the market, this Black Jacket (RRP £29.99, H&M) looks like it would be perfect to replace the usual evening overcoats such as the blazer or the biker jacket. As with in evening outfit, you need the statement bag. I've chosen this Teal Satchel by Missco Girl (RRP £49.00, Scarlett Fashion) to compliment the teal in the top half of the dress and the silver buckles will go lovely with the Intrigue Silver Detail cuff (RRP £12, Scarlett Fashion) i've picked out. A cuff is a great detail, especially if your jacket or dress doesn't have full length sleeves. Finally, when I have a dress that isn't maxi, I love awesome looking shoes such as these Wham Peeptoe Shoe Boots by River Island (RRP £75, ASOS). I think they'd really finish off this outfit. I definitely think this is a winner for when it comes to your Christmas night out! 

Have you ever bought anything from Yumi? What do you think of their new direction?

And thanks again to Hannah for having me guest post!

Black Chicken Balm of Ages Review

You've gotta love a multitasking beauty product and this little tin of beautiful balm by Black Chicken Remedies is no exception.

"Don't carry lots of products - choose a clever one!"

That's a quote taken from the Black Chicken website that describes the Balm of Ages pretty well.
A lovely thick, buttery yellowy balm, the Balm of Ages is made up of 19 specially chosen ingredients that work together to nourish, repair, hydrate, soothe, protect, cleanse and balance. Phew.

The ingredients:

• Shea Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Bees Wax
• Cocoa Butter
• Jojoba
• Camelia Tea Oil
• Sea Buckthorn
• Calendula
• Arnica
• Hemp
• Lavender
• Patchouli
• Frankinsence
• Cajuput
• Mandarin
• Sandalwood
• Geranium
• Ylang Ylang
• Vitamin E

It's worth mentioning that 18 of the 19 ingredients in Balm of Ages are certified organic (only the Vitamin E isn't) which is a massive bonus for those who like to live the most natural existence possible! Scent-wise, the balm has quite a soothing herbal smell with the lavender and mandarin oils coming through pretty strongly - not a bad thing in my opinion as lavender is obviously renowned for its comforting and soothing effects.

I'll be honest, when I first got the press release through for this, the first thing I noticed is that it's an Australian product, which is a huge selling point for me personally. In fact, one of the ingredients, Cajuput oil (which is similar to Eucalyptus) has been used by Australian Aboriginals for a loooong time (we're talking centuries here) as a powerful antiseptic. Fun. Fact.

I've mainly been using the Balm of Ages as a lip balm but it can be used as a topical ointment for pretty much EVERYTHING from removing make up to soothing dry elbows and knees and comforting shaving rash to conditioning lips and softening hands. I have a feeling this little tin is going to be living in my handbag through the autumn and into winter. 

Black Chicken Balm of Ages is available to purchase from selected boutiques and online at Black Chicken. It's only currently available in Australia but they do ship internationally.

Have you got a favourite multi-purpose beauty product? Let me know! x

*PR Sample

Bespoke Halloween Hair at BLEACH London

Everyone's gone a bit mad for BLEACH London since they launched their range in Boots recently and now they've gone and unveiled some more brilliance in the form of a special Halloween hair and beauty service.
Pop down to Topshop Oxford Circus for bespoke Halloween hair from the BLEACH London team where you can choose from a variety of fun, spooky hair stencils and get your nails did with ghoulish nail art by WAH Nails.

The Halloween offer runs from the 27th of October to the 2nd of November and prices for the looks start from £20. 

Pop in for some Halloween tomfoolery at BLEACH Topshop

Topshop Basement, Oxford Street, W1D 1LA

Share your BLEACH Halloween looks on Instagram or Twitter tagging @bleachlondon #WAHBLEACHHALLOWEEN for a chance to be on the BLEACH Blog.

Lush Sympathy For The Skin Hand and Body Lotion

Looking for a lush lotion for dry skin? I've been trying something you might want to know about! A beautiful blend of vanilla, almond oil, cocoa butter and bananas (!), Sympathy for the Skin is already my autumnal skin saviour.

An oldie but a goodie, this concoction has been with Lush since the very beginning and is as popular now as it ever was thanks to its beautifully nourishing texture and gorgeously subtle scent.

The consistency of Sympathy for the Skin is fairly light due to the fact that it's a 'loose emulsion' and while it sinks into my skin pretty quickly, it does feel a tiny bit greasy, which I actually really like in colder weather but it's something that has the potential to be a deal breaker for me in the summer.

I love that Sympathy for the Skin contains actual organic bananas (you can even see the seeds in the cream) and I really love the way it smells. Vanilla, cocoa butter, lemon oil and sandalwood oil combined with the fresh bananas makes for one seriously delicious scent that I find strangely comforting, especially now that cardigan weather has arrived in London.

Sympathy for the Skin Hand and Body Lotion is available in Lush stores and online for £16 for a rather generous 240g pot. I bought mine about 3 weeks ago and I've barely made a dent in it so I think it's pretty good value too!