I've got a very special and somewhat traditional giveaway tonight. Courtesy of Celtic Herbal one of my readers can win Frankincense! Welsh company Celtic Herbal make excellent quality handmade products which last an incredibly long time and are indulgent just as much as they are relaxing.

They've offered a Pine & Frankincense Winter Woodland bundle with a soy candle and a very smart reed diffuser, as a prize in my Christmas Present Giveaways.


I have used Celtic Herbal myself for a while now. I love their products. They are not inexpensive, but they last so long and work so well, that you really get your money's worth. I've used their Exotic Wood & Ylang Ylang Bath Oil for the last 9 months and it's a true treat every time.

Celtic Herbal are a Welsh company who hand create luxury skincare and other products using carefully extracted botanical oils and natural ingredients. They don't test on animals and their products don't contain sulphates, parabens, chemical preservatives or petroleum or palm oil. Good for you and good for the environment. Perfect pampering for your skin as we approach Spring and start stripping off the layers...

Celtic Herbal sent me some of their gorgeously indulgent products to try out, and they have also offered a giveaway prize for one of my readers.


I was sent the Wellness Gift Box and it's gorgeously presented in a very smart box. An excellent present that makes you feel spoilt before you even undo the ribbon. Inside the box doesn't disappoint, 4 beautiful products - the Exotic Wood & Ylang Ylang Soap, Bath Salts, Bath Oil and a Travel Candle.

Bio-Oil is the Uk's No.1 multi-use skincare oil. It is a really popular skin moisturiser which reduces the appearance of scars, stretch marks and other skin blemishes. What everyone really needs for Christmas this year is to feel special, and that can start with pampering yourself.


I've used Bio-Oil for many years on stretch marks and scars and to moisturise my skin.  Bio-Oil have recently redesigned their boxes and bottles and it will look good on any bathroom potion shelf or dressing table top...


Aside from reducing redness, scarring and stretch marks, Bio-Oil is a brilliant skin moisturiser for anyone. It has a unique smell that isn't masculine nor feminine, floral or spicy, just very slightly sweet and warm. The oil is very light and soaks instantly into your skin, so you don't feel at all greasy or have to wait to get dressed.

MOA, the Magic Organic Apothecary, are a UK company who make natural skincare products containing ingredients which have stood the test of time, and proven their usefulness and reliability. MOA's favourite ingredient is Yarrow, a herb which has been used for centuries to heal and repair, and one which we spend hours driving past every Summer...


Yarrow is one of my favourite hedgerow flowers, and so I'm more than happy to find out it can be so beneficial. It is one of the ingredients in both of the products I've been sent to review. The Green Balm and Fortifying Green Bath Potion.

I've been a fan of Weleda for many years. I even visited their premises in Heanor for a funday about 20 years ago. The company started out as a pharmaceutical laboratory in 1921, and this medical background underpins their Organic, natural, sustainable and holistic products which care for your body, mind and soul, and your environment.


Back 20 years ago I had some joint problems and the Arnica Massage Balm was invaluable. Over the years I have made good use of Weleda hayfever and sleep (Nux Vom) homeopathic medicines, and their Bath And Body Oils are truly relaxing. Although I'm kind of beyond 'baby products' now, the Weleda Calendula Nappy Change Cream is still the household favourite 'sore cream' for underarms, rubbing wellies, chafed feet or anywhere else it might be useful.

I'm not well known for wearing make up, but I am well-known for being super-busy and never having enough time. These two things do sometimes go together. My routine to get ready for the day pretty much involves dampening may hair and putting some clothes on, maybe flapping a bit of powder at my face. I am a woman though, and actually I do like to look as good as I can, so getting into the habit of a 5 minute make up routine sounded right up my street.


ReCover founder Annabel Jardella was a Hollywood make up artist for 25 years, and has also worked extensively on camouflage make up.

"Using colour theory Annabel has created a carefully edited range of targeted colour corrective products to neutralise a range of skin challenges. The pigment packed formulations ensure complete colour correction yet with a super fine layer."

I haven't used foundation in years, and my concealer is mainly used to hide the suitcases I have under my eyes, so I've been trying out ReCover: Correct And Conceal Red and really enjoying the results.

Today we drove into Manchester centre to visit the Artisan Bar And Kitchen where The Hut were previewing a few of their new items for Summer. It's a gorgeous day with no rain for once, so a trip into town was actually really pleasant, and we didn't even need coats. It was like being on holiday!


I like The Hut. They are an online department store who have some great bargains at times, and a really wide range of products. Several years ago I won a £250 voucher from their Facebook page just before Christmas. Everybody got extra that year.

A Christmas Present Giveaway list wouldn't be complete without something lovely that's mainly for the ladies. Bee Good are a British company making gorgeous natural skincare using the honey, propolis and beeswax from our native bees. They use excellent quality ingredients in their skincare products, and you can really tell.

Since 2010 Rock Face have been making men 'look good and smell great with a minimum of fuss'. A range of 10 products for shave, shower and body which all have the same clean, fresh, masculine scent, and are practically effortless to use.


The smell and sight of Rock Face is something our household are used to, as their products have been the choice of our oldest lad for a few years - and one of my readers can win the entire range of 10 products for a man in their lives, or for themselves - why not? It is nearly Christmas....

Rock Face make 10 different products for men who like to 'look good and smell great with a minimum of effort and fuss'. The range includes everything you need for shave, shower and skincare, from Anti-Perspirant Deodorant and Shower Gel to Anti-Ageing Moisturiser and Shave Butter.

Every product has the same mild and very masculine scent, avoiding those heady clashes of fruit, woodland and Grandma's soap which so often creep up and surprise the average bloke. It's a pretty nice smell too - a fresh woody smell - think arctic ski slopes. This is probably the skincare of choice for the Milk Tray man.


As part of my November Christmas present giveaways I will be giving one reader an entire set of Rock Face body care, and Rock Face asked me if I'd be interested in a review too. I said "sure, but ermmmm, have you seen any recent photos of the men in my house?". It's grim up North, it can be cold in the Winter (Autumn...Spring...Summer). They mainly have full beards!

I'm no spring chicken any more, I'm a post 40 blogger. As I have got older my skin has become drier and more patchy, with rosy red areas. I'm not a big wearer of make up, but that doesn't mean I've given up on my appearance and I am always happy to try something that says it will 'help fight visible signs of fatigue' and 'intensely hydrate skin'. Sounds good to me.


Liz Earle Superskin Face Serum is for use after you wash/tone and before you moisturise. Ideal for morning use to iron out those overnight wrinkles, it is probably more useful to women over 30.

Bee Good are a UK company I've reviewed for before and I still feel their Intensive Hand Cream is the best I've ever used. The Honey And Wild Flax Moisturiser is a great everyday moisturiser for most skin of any age or type. Light, easily absorbed and with a gorgeous scent which makes me think of Spring and Summer meadows, this is my new handbag essential.



I have dry skin and use a night time moisturiser overnight, but quite often find my forehead and cheeks dry during the day, so I do tend to reapply moisturiser more than most people. The Bee Good 50ml tube is perfect for carrying with me in my bag - it's not heavy and it won't break or leak.

Getting the chance to review an online Chemist was a job I nearly turned down until I considered it properly. I always need stuff from the Chemist, my teenagers always want stuff from the Chemist, and it's always a pain in the neck to go to the Chemist. An online option surely is a brilliant thing.


My 15 year old daughter helped me with this review, in fact she could barely contain her excitement, so I let her look at the website first. She was using her mobile phone and found it very easy to navigate around the site. Within minutes she was sending me screenshots and links to products that she wanted - and she was very sensible! She even ordered items for the other teenagers too.

Honey is made of magic, you know that, right? It has properties beyond any other natural or manufactured product. Pure honey will never, ever go bad. It will last forever and be not only edible, but useful. Bee Good are a UK company who work with bees to create some really nice skincare products using honey, beeswax and propolis (a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds and sap etc).


Bee Good have a really strong ethical philosophy, and their products are very kind to you and the environment, and the bees who produce them are carefully looked after. Bee Good don't use synthetic colours, mineral oil, silicone, SLS and SLES or parabens in any of their skincare products. Bee Good do not test on animals.

Over the past few months time for myself really has gone out of the window. I have just been too busy, too stressed, too sad. I felt like it was a long way down the list and just didn't find the time.

I had realised that my face was getting very dry, and I'd told myself several times that I really needed to return to more regularly using a suitable moisturiser. As I'm now approaching my mid 40's, I can use all the help I can get.


Oz Naturals asked me if I'd like to review their range, and it really was the push I needed to focus on myself for a few minutes each day. They asked me to review the 20% Vitamin C Serum, 5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Super Youth Eye Gel. These are used alongside your regular moisturiser.