Beauty : Baylis & Harding

Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to the Worcestershire head office of beauty brand Baylis & Harding.

I spent a wonderful day meeting with Tania Fossey & Adrian Slater, the current driving force behind the brand, and the children of the brand's founders, Marcia Simmons & David Slater....as well as viewing their current ranges & products for 2013.

Friendly, open, inspirational and clearly possessed of great vision, it was fascinating to hear about the story of Baylis & Harding - past, present & future.

"Baylis and Harding" were their grandmothers names and it was clear throughout the day that family values are so important to this business, it is very proudly a family run British brand.

The company believes passionately in good value for their customers....

they produce and create high quality products....
products which, I think,  define "affordable luxury".

They have signature scents - such as their gorgeous "sweet mandarin & grapefruit" & "french lavender & cassis"....but they also have product seasons, creating different ranges throughout the year.

They are possibly best known for their bathroom products but they also have a great children's range,  a hair care range "Great Hair", a Fair Trade range & an extensive Skin Spa range of products.

Everything about their ethos appealed to me....

they are clearly very connected to their products, everything is very well thought through.

Just like fashion, they think of their products in terms of "seasons".

I also just love that they are a British & family run company - simply because there are just not enough of those around.

They believe in their products, they create fabulous & very appealing fragrances and they keep their customer as their number one focus.

One of the most telling moments of my day though was during a conversation with the very lovely taxi driver who drove me to the train station at the end of the day....

he was an older man who clearly knew the family well and he couldn't say enough nice things about them....

"they're good people....they do things the right way...."

I don't think you can get a better endorsement than that.
This is the kind of company I want to support.

I have a fantastic selection of products from several of their ranges to give away to
one lucky winner....

Closing date will be this Thursday so that I can try to mail the goodies to the winner before Christmas.

To enter, be a follower of my blog & simply leave me a comment.

To see more from Baylis & Harding, click here

Beauty News : L'Apothecary Serum & Oil

Earlier this year my friend Lou launched L'Apothecary.

In her own words :

"Frustrated with the chemical content of so many beauty and skin care products, L'Apothecary sought to formulate blends which were indulgent, 100% natural and crucially, would hold their own against other synthetically-enhanced counterparts.

Utilising the principles of a traditional apothecary, we blend in Sussex, Great Britain. All of our products are made from natural ingredients and contain no lauryl sulfates, laureth sulfates, parabens, artificial preservatives, colours or fragrances."

L'Apothecary launched with a range of facial oils : hand blended oils made with gorgeous ingredients.

I tested both the British Blend & the Original Facial Oil and thought they were fabulous.

I buy and am very fortunate to be given a number of beauty products....
I have many.

I loved the British Blend so much that I actually finished it...which is unheard of for me!

I tend to use different products depending on what I feel my skin needs at that particular time....
but the oil was so lovely, I simply stuck with it.  

The oils feel luxurious but also have a very appealing purity & goodness to them which was noticeable almost overnight on my skin.

I am very excited that L'Apothecary has today launched a second range of products....

Quench Facial Serum & Calmer Bath Oil

All products are available on the L'Apothecary website & all purchases arrive beautifully packed, they make wonderful gifts, I honestly cannot recommend them enough.

Beauty News : Lanolips

I have to confess to not having heard of Lanolips before this week. 

But what a great find it has been....perfect timing for the cold weather London is having right now.

Lanolips was the inspiration of creator Kirsten Carriol who spent her childhood growing up on a sheep farm in South Australia. 

She set out to create a totally natural ultra-pure lanolin lip ointment - lanolin being the natural substance taken from freshly shorn sheep's wool.

She wanted something that gave great moisturisation with a glossy finish but still remained natural.

And so Lanolips was born.

I have been trying out their "101 Ointment" - £10.99

a "multi-purpose" ointment, according to their website, which can be used on lips, nails or dry skin.

It's a beautifully smooth ointment or balm which when applied in the morning still kept my lips feeling soft until at least the afternoon.

I also tried their Rose Balm Intense for Very Dry Hands & Nails - £8.99

This is a very rich & intensive hand cream which also contains shea butter, cocoa seed butter, rose oil, Vitamin E and antioxidants.

I have to say first of all that rose is not usually my first choice of scent BUT this hand cream is fantastic, I honestly can't stop applying it! 

The rose scent is delicate and warm, it's just lovely.

My hands are often very dry and particularly so this time of year....

I always carry hand cream with me but pretty much resign myself to dry hands during the winter.

There is something very comforting about this intensive cream....

I've been using it during the day & at night ie, all the time! 

After just a few days, my hands are definitely softer.

Like the ointment above, it can also be used on dry skin anywhere.

Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour - £7.99 

Lanolips has a range of body, hand & nail and lip products, all of which can be seen here .

All products contain the world's finest lanolin, are dermatalogically tested & are animal cruelty free.

In the UK, Lanolips products are available from Victoria Health stores and selected Boots & Waitrose stores.

All products are available worldwide from their website.