Experience: Nourish Facial at Beauty Works West

Beauty Works West in Notting Hill has become my little slice of paradise in London. The staff are warm, friendly, knowledgeable and some of the best massage and facial therapists I've come across in my time.
I was therefore more than thrilled to be invited back to Beauty Works West to experience one of the Medi Spa's latest offerings - the Nourish Facial.

This intensely hydrating, swoon-worthy facial uses Black Chicken Remedies products - a luxury organic Australian brand quickly making a name for itself due to its gentle, effective products that virtually send you off to a higher plane when you use them. They're that good.

Black Chicken Remedies

The facial was actually created by one of the therapists at Beauty Works West, Elize Moritz, and combines these gorgeous, all natural products with acupressure and reflexology to create an experience as good for the soul as it is for the complexion.

My facial took place in one of the dimly lit therapy rooms at Beauty Works West - a little nook of comfort and relaxation filled with the soft scent of organic candles and complete with a heated bed.

The ritual began with gentle yet thorough cleansing using the Cleanse My Face cleansing facial oil that is a deeply calming cleanser containing 14 medicinal oils to purify, soothe and remove make up without disturbing the skins natural oil balance.

Next, the Complexion Polish was gently applied to exfoliate the skin. Complexion Polish is one of my favourite Black Chicken products - it's made from 100% natural finely milled ingredients including rice, argan shell and kaolin clay to gently buff away dry skin and flaky bits. The Complexion Polish is a dry formula that's mixed in with cleanser to form a delicious paste - a little touch that I love in skincare products

My skin was then closely examined for blemishes and steam applied to encourage the dirt and general yuckiness to make its way to the surface, ready for extractions.
A face, neck and décolletage massage followed, which I have to tell you was nothing short of incredible. The massage incorporated Love Your Body Oil which includes coconut, hazelnut, sandalwood, geranium and lavender oils to name a few.

The most memorable part of the whole experience would have to be the Cacao Revelation Mask. Hydrating and plumping, the antioxidant mask was applied with a brush and left to work while I enjoyed a beautiful arm and hand massage. The mask has a rich yet refreshing dark chocolate scent that sorted of reminded me of an after dinner mint and it was incredibly decadent. If you book in for the facial just to see what all the fuss is about with the mask, I wouldn't blame you for a second!

Once the mask was removed, a hydrating mist was spritzed on, eye serum was applied and Love Your Face Serum was gently worked into my skin. Containing oils including jojoba, Argan, rose hip and ylang ylang, the facial serum plumps, hydrates and smells just as stunning as the rest of the products. After 80 minutes of laying there being unashamedly pampered, indulged and invigorated all at once, I simply did not want to get up. A part of me wanted to cry when I was gently told that I was done. 

After the treatment I was so utterly Zenned out I walked  to Notting Hill Gate station in the rain, somehow got lost and didn't even care. That's how blissful the Nourish Facial is.

This facial left me seriously impressed and now I'm more in love with Beauty Works West than I was before. The Nourish Facial is perfect for this time of year when the weather sucks the goodness out of our skin so I really recommend you go ahead and treat yourself or hint heavily at a Beauty Works West gift voucher for Christmas.

The Nourish Facial at Beauty Works West is £130 for 80 minutes of pure loveliness.
P.S. Stay tuned for an in depth look at some more products from Black Chicken Remedies.

* I was lucky enough to experience the Nourish Facial as a complimentary treatment. Words and opinions are my own.

Post-Christmas Cleansing with Aesop

Aesop is an Australian skincare brand with a strong focus on plant-based formulations to cleanse, purify and beautify every skin type.
I was lucky enough to receive two of the brand's cleansing products for Christmas from my fella and after using them for the past week or so I'm about ready to share my thoughts.

Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser

Packaged in a rather retro looking tube, this non-foaming cleanser is mild and creamy with a subtle lavender scent.
Lavender stem, white clay and chamomile bud combine to make this gorgeous cleanser suitable for normal/ dry skin, making it a fantastic cleansing option for cold weather when skin can really dry out.

To use, just squeeze a small amount into your palms, massage over your damp face and remove with warm water or a damp cloth.

This cleanser reminds me of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, but with a thinner texture and more subtle fragrance.
For me, the purifying facial cream cleanser is a real treat to use as it's extremely gentle and non-irritating yet leaves my skin feeling cleansed and refreshed.
*When washing off a full face of makeup, I like to cleanse twice with this- it's not quite tough enough to wash away Estee Lauder Double Wear in one go!

Remove 

This grape seed oil based potion dissolves eye makeup (and MAC matte lip formulas!) in one fell swoop.

Perfect for waterproof makeup enthusiasts, the formula is laced with Blue Chamomile to soothe delicate bits such as the area around the eyes.

To use, apply the remover to a damp cotton pad, gently press onto the eyes to loosen stubborn mascara/ eyeliner/ shadow, then wipe the makeup away.

*Remove is also really effective when mixed with your regular cleanser to get rid of waterproof or long-wearing foundation. Just add a few drops to your cleanser and cleanse as normal - just remember to rinse really well!

I really like Aesop as a brand, not only because the products are really luxurious but for the fact that they make me a bit nostalgic for my homeland. I still remember my first sniff of Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream at David Jones in Brisbane many years ago!
As gorgeous as these cleansers are, they don't come cheap so for me they're definitely treat products!
The Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser weighs in at £27 for 100ml of product while Remove costs a hefty £25 for 100ml.
If you haven't yet dabbled in the delightful world of Aesop, I really recommend you do, even if it's just for a visit to one of their beautiful stores for a cheeky test of one of their lovely hand creams.
You can read more about Aesop HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Lucas' Papaw Ointment

We all know that winter can do various nasty things to our skin and as an Australian, I'm used to living in a climate that rarely drops below 10 degrees - so you can imagine how much my skin freaked out when I experienced my first British winter a few years back.

I was over here with my sister for Christmas in 2008 and after a few days in the face-freezing winds my lips were chapping, my elbows felt a bit like sandpaper and my hands dried out so much that my knuckles even cracked and bled :o

I found my salvation with a cult Australian beauty product -  Lucas Papaw Ointment.

Back in Oz this stuff is a handbag fixture thanks to its multitude of uses, neutral scent and exceptionally long shelf life.It can be used on minor cuts and abrasions, burns, rashes and chafing and is perfect for soothing dry skin and flaking lips. It's also great for taming brows or mixing with lipstick to tone down pigment - basically like an inexpensive version of (the very lovely) Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream.

The ointment is made in Brisbane, Australia (where I'm from!) using locally grown and fermented Papaw fruit. It is manufactured using pharmaceutical grade petroleum jelly and absorbs pretty quickly. Scent wise, it has a very slight sweet smell which I find really comforting, probably because I've been using it since I was little.

I felt compelled to write about this ointment because my skin is starting to feel the chill now so I've been reaching for it quite a lot lately. I feel like Boots or Superdrug should really stock this because it's a seriously wonderful product, but in the meantime you can find it online at Amazon. Prices vary but a 75g pot like mine will cost you around 10 pounds. Naturally it is more expensive here in the UK than  Australia, but if you're after something to soothe your skin this winter I think it's worth the investment!

Have you jumped on the Lucas Papaw Ointment wagon yet???