Welcome back to part 2 of my Product Reviews!

If you missed Part 1, you can check it out HERE.

As I mentioned in the last post, these product reviews will be a selection of different products (or product ranges), and I’ll try and keep each one to a minimum of 6.  I’ll give you my thoughts on the product and how it worked for me!

So, without further ado – let’s get into it!

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Pear Blossom*

I absolutely adore the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea fragrances, and I actually have some of the Green Tea Lotus left.  They’re so refreshing and clean!

This Pear Blossom variant is delicious.  You can imagine yourself lying on the soft blanket of grass in a fruit orchard, on a warm summer day.  It’s so soft and fruity and floral, but still crisp.

With top notes of sparkling Anjou Pear, Italian bergamot essence and Sicilian lemon essence, middle notes of Anjou pear tree blossom, jasmine and green tea, and base notes of radiant musks, amber and white moss, it’s bound to be a memorable fragrance.

I’ve used this fragrance so much over the spring and summer months, it just makes me so happy!

LeLaPa Brand and Launch*

In December, I was very kindly invited to the launch of a local beauty brand.  LeLaPa is the brain child of Kgomotso Ndungane.  Kgomotso is the wife of rugby star Odwa Ndungane, but she’s also highly successful in her own right – she owns the events company Oak Celebrations here in KZN, and is also one of the stars of the Real Housewives of Durban.  During the initial lockdown period, her Oak celebrations was affected, and so LeLaPa was born.

An ode to her grandparents, who passed away quiet recently, the brand is an expression of her love for them, and her way of honouring their memories.

The packaging of her products are gorgeously minimalistic, and include gorgeous organic aromatherapy oils and delicious butters and oils.  They make fabulous gifts, whether for a loved one or yourself.

We received a beautiful gift at the launch.  A floral arrangement from Oak Celebrations, as well as a gift box that included a hand sanitiser and a room/linen mist from LeLaPa, as well as a 375ml bottle of Graham Beck Brut MCC.  How indulgent?!

I’ve already finished the sanitiser – in fact I reached for it over a lot of my others, as it had a lovely scent and didn’t leave my hands feeling as stripped and dry.  The glass bottle also felt so much more luxurious than the cans or plastic bottles I’ve had before.

The Aqua Room & Linen mist is GORGEOUS.  It has such a clean, fresh scent and I use it daily on our linen, now that we’re in our own house.  I’m going to have to purchase some more soon!  I’d also love to try some of her body products, as the ones we tested at the launch all felt and smelt so luxurious.

I also have to congratulate Kay on the floral arrangements – they stayed fresh and beautiful for almost 2 weeks after the event!  I just had to top up the water a couple of times, and other than that, all I did was enjoy them.  Definitely a go to for any floral arrangements!

Starbucks Holiday Blend coffee pods*

I was gifted a couple of sleeves of the Starbucks At Home Holiday Blend pods by Nespresso – they are still available for purchase in stores that sell these pods, and I’ve seen them at my local Spar for sure.

The packaging of these was so lovely and festive – they would have made great festive hostess gifts during the holiday season.

The blend was also delicious.  It was a medium roast coffee with herbal and maples notes.  While we didn’t pick up the herbal notes, we both definitely got those maple notes.  It was an all-round delicious blend, and one we’ve powered through.  I need to grab some more before they’re all sold out!

If you have a Dolce Gusto machine as opposed the a Nespresso – they haven’t left you out!  Starbucks At Home launched Toffee Nut Latte pods for the Dolce Gusto owners.  I’ve also seen these still in stock in my local Spar, so if you’re interested, then be sure to check out your local store that stocks the Starbucks coffees.

Creightons Crème de Coconut & Keratin Shampoo & Conditioner*

For the LIFE of me, I cannot find a local link selling this online – but you can purchase Creightons in Dischem stores.  They just don’t seem to have the full range available online yet (something I battle with when it comes to Dischem, as their site is not often updated and doesn’t contain product explanations).

These products though.  I just finished using them!  I often get so swamped with hair care for review that I’ll test it for a while, and then review it and put it to one side to get to the next range.  This one I just powered through as I loved how it made my hair feel.

The Crème de Coconut & Keratin Shampoo had a tropical holiday scent to it, that made me feel like I’d been whisked away to an island destination.  It left my hair clean but not stripped.  Definitely a shampoo I’d repurchase.

The Crème de Coconut & Keratin Conditioner was just luscious.  I often feel the need to use a mask as a conditioner, as I’ve highlighted my hair so much that it needs loads of nourishment on the lengths and ends.  This was buttery and gorgeous, with that same tropical scent.  It left my hair feeling soft and smooth, but not weighed down.  The best was that I didn’t feel the need to mask (although I’d probably swop it out for the mask instead during the dry winter months).

I would LOVE to try more from Creightons, especially the Hydrating Deep Treatment Mask from this range.  The brand is also 100% cruelty free, and they try to make their products vegan where they can.

Nuxe Bio Organic range*

Nuxe recently released a new range of products that focuses on nature and organic ingredients.  Bio Organic is certified organic and vegan, and is a blend of natural origin active ingredients that is amplified by green technologies.  Even the packaging of these products is as green as they could make them, while still maintaining a luxurious finish.

I received 3 of the 9 products from the new range for reviews, and I had such a wonderful time testing them.  As is the norm with Nuxe, all were luxurious to the max and a delight to use.

The Bio Organic Rice Oil Extract Ultimate Night Recovery Oil was the product that excited me most, as I LOVE facial oils.  It’s made up of 100% ingredients of natural origin, 88% organic ingredients, the bottle is 30% recycled glass, and the carton it comes in is a blend of new and recycled fibre.

The oil has a gentle, aromatic scent and the texture is heavenly.  This is basically how my perfect facial oil would feel!  Rice Oil Extract (made from red, black and white rice) is combined with avocado, sesame, jojoba and macadamia oils for a repairing blend for normal to dry skin types.  It’s packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and strengthens your skin’s defence and repair systems during the night.  Whenever I use this, my skin is left glowing and comfortable and soft.

I love a micellar water for a quick makeup removal, or as a gentle morning cleanse.  This Bio Organic Moringa Seeds Micellar Cleansing Water is the product I’m already finished from the 3!

It’s made up of 99% ingredients of natural origin, 11% organic ingredients, and the bottle and lid are made from 25% recycled PET.

This micellar water has a lovely fragrance to it – but trust me, it’s still suitable for sensitive skin.  It’s incredibly gentle, and is one of the few micellar waters that don’t sting my eyes – no matter how heavy handed I am.  It whips off makeup at the drop of a hat, and leaves your skin feeling so lovely and clean.  I cannot believe how much I loved this, as I am often so fussy with micellar waters – trust me, they are not all equal.

Finally, I received the Bio Organic Fruit Stone Powder Micro-Exfoliating Cleansing Mask, which definitely intrigued me, as it claims to be a ‘double-action mask’.

It’s made up of 98% ingredients of natural origin, and 17% organic ingredients, the jar is made from 90% recycled glass and the carton is a blend of new and recycled fibre.

This mask offers a physical (with powdered apricot kernels) and chemical (100% botanical salicylic acid) exfoliation.  It also comes in a creamy-feeling formula, so it leaves my skin feeling SO insanely soft and smooth after each use.

What I love the most – the powdered kernels are ground VERY VERY small, so it’s a very gentle exfoliation.  Also, you only leave this mask on for 3 minutes, so it’s a fast and effective way to treat your skin.

My skin is always left feeling crazy soft and smooth, and it makes for a fabulous prep product for makeup application.

I’d love to try out some more of the Bio Organic range – especially the Buckwheat Eye Cream, and the Sesame Seeds & Citrus Extract Radiance Detox Mask.

Skin Creamery Oil-Milk Cleanser

This was actually a gift from my Mom last year.  I’d tried the Everyday Cream (and recommended it to her, she now keeps a pump bottle on her desk and has the jar at home I think) and loved it.  After using a couple of samples of this cleanser, I knew I needed a full size – and it does not disappoint.

The Skin Creamery Oil-Milk Cleanser is suitable for all skin types, soap and alcohol free, and it nourishes skin while removing all makeup.  It’s also made with organic oils.

The smell is just luxury itself – it smells like expensive Turkish Delight to me.  You apply it to dry skin and massage it to melt down your makeup (it’s in it’s oil state now).  When you’re satisfied (I do this for a while, as it provides a lovely facial massage), wet your hands and massage a little more.  It emulsifies into a milk – which rinses or wipes away with a damp cloth with ease.

My skin is always left super clean but it feels nourished.  This is my go to cleanser for winter, and I did reach for it a decent amount during our hotter months – when my skin was feeling like it needed something extra.

I’ve yet to be disappointed by a Skin Creamery product and would really love to try more.

*Press sample