Neal's Yard Goodies

I was at rehearsal the other evening for our production of Wyrd Sisters when Stella, who is playing The Duchess, came bounding up to me with a big grin on her face and handed me a bag of goodies.

My Neal's Yard order had arrived!

I have been so excited about this and the products are every bit as wonderful as I remember them being.  I'm not a beauty blogger so I'm probably not qualified to give a review of each of them but I don't really care - I want to sing about these products from the rooftops!

First up is the Rose Facial Wash.  I only have this in a tester sample as it was the freebie but I have been using it daily and haven't dented it.

It is brilliant at getting off makeup, even waterproof mascara, is gentle on the eyes and smells divine.  It has also started to even out my skintone - I'm noticing that my cheeks are a lot less ruddy than normal (bring on the winter winds for the ultimate test!). It doesn't particuarly foam up at all when you are washing your face but as this contains absolutely no SLS's this isn't unexpected.

Next up is the White Tea Toning Eye Gel.

This was the product that left us all feeling lopsided at the Neal's Yard party.  We all tried it under just one eye and by the end of the hour there was a visible tightening and firming around that eye socket and dark circles also appeared lifted.  I use it first thing in the morning before I moisturise.  It's not a very big bottle but considering you need the teeniest tiniest amount to do both eyes it will last for ages.

I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry patches and the last thing I thought I wanted to do was put more oil on my skin.  How wrong I was!  The Rose Facial Oil is another product I can't stop raving about.

I put this on first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  I just put two fingers over the bottle top, tip it upside down and the resultant oil is enough to cover my entire face.  It feels soft and moisturised all day long and I've noticed a visible improvement in both the tone and condition of my skin.  The oil production of my skin also appears to have been regulated, and at the end of a long day in the office it looks significantly less shiny than before I started using it.  The smell is quite strong, Steve has commented that I smell like Turkish Delight when I am wearing it but it does fade. 

The final product I received was the much hyped Wild Rose Beauty Balm.  This has been hailed as a wonder product and I was sceptical at first as to how any beauty product could possibly be that much of a miracle worker.  The scent is lovely, it's a bit like a mixture of rose and patchouli and as someone normally turned off by strong flower scents I was really surprised that I liked this.

Primarily it is a cleanser, used with a muslin cloth to exfoliate your skin.  You apply a small amount of the balm (which liquifies and turns into a kind of oil when heated by your skin) to a moistened face and then use the muslin cloth to gently scrub and remove, similar to the highly popular Liz Earle products.  You can also use it as a deep treatment face mask and as a moisturiser.

However, I have been doing some experimenting.

I have also found it is brilliant as:

1) Overnight facial moisturiser
2) Cuticle softener
3) Elbows and knees dry spots
4) Foot treatment (with socks on)
5) Lip balm
6) Hair mask / hair frizz (yes, really)
7) Eye lash treatment (it's gentle enough to use near the eyes)

Now although it is pricey, considering all the different uses this one remarkable pot has and the fact that you only need a tiny amount to cover your entire face and neck, I'd say that it was pretty good value for money!

Since using these products I haven't had a single breakout, my skin looks smooth and even and it feels like it is glowing from the inside.  I've said it before, but I am a beauty convert!