Fruity Firmness Courtesy Of Lovea - A Review For My Pure*

I've reviewed quite a few products from French brand Lovea over the years but I haven't reviewed anything from them for quite a while, so for one of May's My Pure reviews I decided to revisit the brand.

Lovea produce a wide range of organically certified skincare, hair care, body care, and sun care products, that contain a high level of natural ingredients, and are suitable for vegetarians. The majority of their product contain either Tahitian Monoi, Shea Butter from Burkina Faso or Moroccan Argan Oil but the one I'm trying out this time round is a bit different.

Whether it's down to age, or weight loss and gain, I'm starting to see a bit of wobbliness and slackness on my body skin - woe is me :( I know that the best way to firm up the skin and body is through diet and exercise but keeping the skin moisturised and using the right product can also help.

Lovea Papaya Firming Body Gel is not only designed to hydrate and moisturise the skin but it's also designed to help firm and tighten problem areas. 95% of the ingredients are from a natural origin and the two key ingredients are papaya extract, which is good for moisturising and exfoliating, and caffeine which can help with fluid retention, and help to firm the skin

.

The product itself comes in a jar and has a thick gel like texture, and an amazing fruity scent, which reminds of tropical, summery cocktails. 

It's a really simple product to use, all you do is massage a small amount, in circular motions into your problem areas. I've predominantly been using it on my thighs, my bum and my tummy but I guess you could also massage it into your upper arms as well. 

It feels quite cool on the skin, but there is no hot / cold tingly feeling like what you get with some products. It takes a little while to soak in completely but when it does your skin is left feeling smooth and a little bit tighter.

I've only been using this for about 3 weeks so I'm yet to see a real difference, bar the initial feel on the skin, but it's a nice product to use so I'm going to keep using it, and enjoying the smell, and hopefully I'll start seeing some results when I combine it with new weight loss regime x  Lovea

Papaya Firming Body Gel retails at £7.99 at My Pure for a 200ml jar. If you have any questions let me know x Thanks for reading x 

*Sample

Deep Cleansing Your Face With Lovea Bio - A Review For My Pure

I have to say there is nothing I love more than using a deep cleansing face mask, my skin always feels super clean and fresh afterwards. I must admit I have had my bad experiences with certain clay and mud masks but it's doesn't stop me trying new ones. My skin has been pretty good for a little while now only getting the odd blemish or two but I'm still prone to oiliness especially on my t-zone, in my quest for fabulous skin for my holidays I decided to try a face mask as part of this months My Pure reviews, the mask I went for was the Lovea Purifying Face Mask

I've reviewed quite a lot of Lovea products on my blog so far but this is the first facial product that I've used. Like all of their products the masks are organic and 98% natural.The Lovea Purifying Mask comes in 3 variants Yellow Clay for Dry Skin, Pink Clay for Sensitive Skin, and the one I went for Green Clay for Oily Skin.

As you would expect the key ingredient in these masks is Kaolin (Clay) which is known for it's oil absorbency, but the masks also contain Shea Butter and Vegetable Glycerin to add moisture, and Aloe Vera to calm the skin.

Packaged in a squeezable tube, the green clay mask is unsurprisingly bright green in colour, it has a thick but creamy texture, which spreads out easily onto the skin.

and a scary picture :)

Lovea advise you leave the mask on for about 5 minutes, and that you remove it before its completely dry. This is the first time I've used a mask like this normally they tell you to leave it till it's totally dry! I generally used a sponge or warm water to remove the mask. Because there was still a bit of dampness in the mask and it wasn't completely dry, it was actually pretty easy to remove, sometimes you have to scrub with clay masks but I didn't find that with this one, only the parts where it was thinner and had dried required a bit of pressure.
The most surprising thing with this mask was how my skin looked and felt when it had been washed. There was a noticeable glow to the skin but no redness, and the skin actually felt smooth and moisturised. This is exactly the opposite to how a deep cleansing mask normally makes your skin feel, your skin usually feels a little tight and maybe even dry, but my skin almost felt as though I had just applied a moisturising cream.

I really liked this mask I've been using it once a week for the past 4 weeks and I've really liked the way it leaves my skin, having said that I probably wouldn't buy this mask again! So why won't I buy something that my skin obviously likes? well it's very personal thing and that's the smell! Sometimes if we don't like a smell we can live with it but sometimes we dislike something so much we just can't get past. I hate marzipan and bitter almond so much it's untrue I can't stand the taste and I can't stand the smell. The mask smells exactly like a bottle of almond essence, it's strong and it's next to my nose! it does die off a little bit as the mask starts to set, but the minute the water hits it, it's back again! Sorry Lovea and My Pure I love the mask but the smell is too much for me :(

Lovea Bio Purifying Face Mask Green Clay Oily Skin 75ml retails at £6.99 from My Pure, don't forget though if you don't have oily skin you can also get it this mask in variants suitable for both dry and sensitive skins. That isn't all though if you spend £25 at My Pure you can get one of these masks absolutely free with your order. Any questions leave me a comment, and please tell me I'm not the only one that doesn't like the small of marzipan?

(Lovea Bio Purifying Face Mask Green Clay 75ml Was Provided By My Pure For Review Purposes.)

Copar (Lovea) La Carotte Oil With Beta Carotene - A Review For My Pure

Looking out the window today you would be hard pressed to realise that it's supposed to be summer, OK it's not cold but it dull, and overcast with the promise of thunder and rain later this afternoon. Yeah a typical British summer day. I have to say I love the sun though hence I'm going on holiday but we do occasionally have nice weather in the UK (although more often in the south I must admit;) and when we do we want to make the most of it. I have to say I am one person that looks so much better with a bit of tan, in the winter I am deathly pale, but in the summer thankfully I do seem to get a bit of colour.

No, your eyes haven't deceived you that is a picture of a carrot, what on earth does a carrot have to do with a blog post on the summer and suntanning, well for one of July's My Pure products, I chose the Copar La Carotte Oil With Beta Carotene.

Part of Lovea stable this oil is basically a tan accelerator, made from just 3 ingredients, Sunflower Oil, Carrot Root, and Vitamin E, this oil is high in Beta Carotene which as well as having anti-oxidant, and anti-aging properties, it can also reduce the damaging effects of UV light (Sunshine!) by enhancing the body's immune response to sunlight by increasing melanin levels

Packed in a glass pump action bottle, the oil needs to be stored away from direct heat and sunlight in order to keep it fresh (it's free from preservative, added fragrance, and parabens). The oil itself is a super bright orange in colour, it does wash out but try and keep it off your clothes if you want to avoid orange patches.

Copar (Lovea) say the best way to use this oil is to apply it all over the body and face preferably onto damp skin, the oil actually absorbed really well leaving the skin soft and with a lovely sheen.

 They advise using it up to a week before your holidays, and then morning and night whilst you are away. Obviously I haven't been away this month so I just used it after my shower or bath as a general body moisturiser, I didn't use it on my face. I have to be honest and say we have only had one day of proper sit outside sun so I'm not sure that I've given this enough of a test, but on that day sitting out in the garden and using my SPF's (this product doesn't contain any SPF so you need to apply a good SPF to stay safe and not burn), I actually came in and I actually had a bit of colour especially on my arms, so maybe it did something.
My one gripe with this product I have to say it the smell, you might like it but I personally didn't, it smells quite strongly of sunflower seeds and oils, mixed in with a bit of boiled carrot - not good. Never the less I do think my skin feels better through using this and I am definitely going to use it in the week at least before my holidays. The Copar (Lovea) La Carotte Oil With Beta Carotene 50ml retails at £8.49 from My Pure

(Copar Lovea La Carotte Oil With Beta Carotene 50ml Was Provided By My Pure For Review Purposes)

Lovea Bio Guava Toning Body Wash - A Review For My Pure

It's the end of the month so that means it's time again for a couple of reviews for My Pure. I am really enjoying reviewing products for My Pure it's given me a huge opportunity to try new and more natural brands. This month I chose a make up item (review to come soon), and a body wash from French brand Lovea.

The product I chose was Lovea Bio Guava Toning Body Wash. I've really came to enjoy using Lovea's products and this product was no different. Made to Lovea's philosophy of being paraben free, silicone and dye free, free of artificial ingredients, and certified organic, this body wash contains lots of plant based ingredients such as Aloe Vera.

Packaged in the bright yellow we have come to expect from Lovea, the recyclable plastic bottle features a white flip top cap and the product dispenses easily with an little squeeze.

The product itself is a thin transparent gel -  unlike the squeezy tubes that Lovea use in their other products (see here for an example ) the gel doesn't flow out of the bottle unless you squeeze it which means you only use the amount of product you need and you don't get any wastage- a definite improvement in my my eyes!

The body wash it self smells gorgeous very summery and a bit citrussy, it's very refreshing without being to stimulating. Despite the lack of too many chemicals this body wash foams surprisingly well, giving a lovely soft scented foam that cleanses without drying and rinses away easily.

I have to say since I got my cast off I've taken advantage of the fact I can have baths again big style so in the interests of you fellow bath lovers I popped some of the body wash under running water and voila gorgeous soft, creamy delicately scented foam :)

Again I have to say a product by Lovea has impressed me this is a really nice gentle, reasonably priced Summer shower and bath gel :) Lovea Bio Guava Toning Body Wash retails at £4.99 for 200ml for My Pure.

(Lovea Bio Guava Toning Body Wash Was Provided By My Pure For Review Purposes)

Lovea Bio Hair Care - Two Reviews For My Pure

Well it's that time again, time for my monthly reviews for My Pure - for January I selected a few hair care products. Whether we like it or not our hair suffers as the seasons change, cold wintry weather can be just as damaging as hot summer sun. Added to that a spell in hospital when I was unable to wash my hair for a week and you can imagine the poorly state of my hair. The products that I had already chosen for January came from the French brand Lovea Bio. I've discovered this brand purely through my relationship with My Pure and I have to say like A'kin I've generally been impressed by the products I've tried. Certified organic and free from Parabens, the two products I chose were the Lovea Bio Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Shampoo and the Lovea Bio L'Argan Detangling Leave in Conditioner Spray.

Lovea Bio Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Shampoo

This is the second shampoo I've reviewed by Lovea, I'd previously tried out the Lovea Bio L'Argan Shine Shampoo, which I liked but this time I wanted something a bit more moisturising.

Containing genuine Tahitian Monoi oil, which is Tiare flowers, soaked in pure coconut oil, and vegetable glycerin, this shampoo is designed, to moisturise and add shine to the hair

It has a slightly cloudy appearance, and quite a runny texture as you can see. Because of the texture I think you tend to use slightly more than you would normally but the shampoo produces a fine creamy lather, which cleanses well and rinses easily without tangling.

What sells this shampoo to me though is the smell, exactly like the Lovea Body Milk I previously reviewed, it has the most gorgeous, sensual fragrance of tropical flowers and a tiny bit of coconut, amazing! Once dried my hair was left feeling soft and fairly sleek even without the use of a conditioner (a matching conditioner is available though).
I have to say I loved this shampoo, it's gentle enough to be used every day, the hair was left soft, and none greasy and smelling amazing - a big thumbs up for me - it's definitely something I would consider repurchasing:) Lovea Bio Le Monoi Moisturizing Shampoo retails at £4.99 for 200ml from My Pure making it very affordable too :)

Lovea Bio L'Argan Shining Non Rinse Conditioner

I have to say I am a huge fan of leave in conditioner sprays - even since a disastrous experimentation with Sun In, in my late teens, when it was the only way to get a comb though my hair, I have always had at least one on the go. I've found brilliant ones at both the high end and low end of the spectrum, the key thing I look for is to add moisture without adding grease. I was interested to try Lovea's version of a leave in conditioner spray primarily because it contains the famous Moroccan oil, Argan. 

This hugely prized oil which crops up in a lot of Lovea's products is well known for it's moisturising and regenerative properties - a prefect inclusion in a hair conditioner. The leave in spray comes in a pump action bottle, with a fine spray. It looks yellow in the bottle but it looks quite clear when its sprayed. It has the same citrus, nutty smell as Lovea's other products containing Argan oil, it's quite pleasant but I can see how some people could find it a bit overpowering. I used the product in two ways on damp hair after shampooing, and on dry hair as a detangler / refresher. I found that my hair was a lot easier to comb and that it felt a lot softer and less tangled. On dry hair I found that it freshened the hair and added shine whilst getting rid of any tangles without leaving the hair greasy or oily. I have to say again though the fragrance does have a tendency to linger on the hair, so whilst this would be good for getting rid of cooking smells etc it does last so it may interfere with fragrance and so on.

I have to say I did like this product, my biggest fear was that it would be oily but it certainly wasn't, it provided just enough moisture and slip to the hair. Having said that I'm not sure I would repurchase as I've already found my hold grail leave in sprays which unfortunately I still prefer to this but if you want a good, organic leave in conditioner this may be the one for you. Lovea Bio L'Argan Shining Non Rinse Conditioner retails at £5.49 for 125ml from My Pure

(Both Lovea Bio Products Were Provided By My Pure For Review Purposes)

Lovea Bio L'Argan Healing Butter - A Review For My Pure x

The second product I chose to review for My Pure was another product by French brand Lovea Bio. I've done a few reviews from this brand so far and apart from a few quirks I've generally been quite impressed. Lovea as you probably already know are a certified organic brand who respect not only the wider environment but also the people within it, they are a real feel good company.

The product I chose this time was the Lovea Bio L'Argan Healing Butter, as well as containing Argan Oil, it also contains popular, natural moisturising ingredients such as Sunflower Seed Oil and Beeswax

I'll start at the first thing you notice this product and that is the packaging - I have to say I love it, an old fashioned shoe polish style metal tin - so retro and I have to say it looks great on the bathroom shelf.

I selected this sample as a body butter but in reality it has much more of a balm, wax type texture as opposed to the traditional butter feel.

With a waxy balm texture it feels quite thick and greasy initially but it melts quickly on contact with the skin and applies easily to the skin. It does take a while to sink in and it does leave the skin a little tacky but it leaves a lovely sheen to the skin, and leaves it fragranced with the traditional citrus, nutty Lovea fragrance

Recommended for the drier areas on your body such as your feet, elbows and knees, I have to say after my holidays I used this all over my arms and legs to try and keep my tan a bit longer, but before hand I used this as an intensive foot treatment, wearing cotton socks and as an intensive hand and cuticle treatment, putting it on my hands and then wearing some gloves overnight.

I have to say I've used this a fair few times and as you can see there is loads left in the 100ml tin. If you just used it say as a hand and foot treatment it would of course last must longer because you really don't need very much to see results.

The only drawback is a say is that it does leave the skin a little tacky, but Lovea and My Pure do recommend that you apply this after a bath or shower, I am sure putting on a pair of cozy pyjamas after a nice bath would help you to see the maximum benefit of the butter, without worry about the residue on the skin. The Lovea Bio L'Argan Healing Butter retails at £7.99 for 100ml from My Pure Any questions please ask x

(The product was provided for review purposes - this hasn't altered my review in any way)

Lovea Bio L'Argan Regenerating Body Scrub - A Review For My Pure

In my August / September parcel from My Pure I was delighted to receive another item from the Lovea brand. If you read my blog regularly you'll know that I've already reviewed a few Lovea products, and that I've generally been pretty impressed. A French brand, Lovea's products are certified organic and are generally Paraben and SLS free. 

The product I received this time is the Lovea Bio L'Argan Regenerating Body Scrub.  As you know I am a big body scrub fan especially at this time of year, were generally exposing more flesh (oo er), we might be self tanning, or recovering from, or in my case preparing for holidays.  

The key ingredient in this scrub is Argan oil, often know as Moroccan oil. This super oil which features in a lot of Lovea products, is high in vitamin E to moisturise, repair and protect the skin, and plant fats to promote cell regeneration. The scrub also contains crushed Argan nuts, sugar, and orange peel to provide the scrubbing action, as well as Sunflower oil for moisture. 

 The scrub itself comes in a squeezy tube applicator, this works fairly well but on the first use each time you do need to manipulate and squeeze the tube quite hard to get it to come out. The scrub itself is a brown / orange in colour, the scrub particles appear to be suspended in a oil/gel texture. You can see the individual particles quite clearly, brown for the Argan nut, orange for the orange peel, and small granules of sugar.  

The scrub spreads quite easily on dry or damp skin, giving a gentle but satisfying scrub, surprisingly though for this type of scrub it doesn't really foam. It rinses away easily and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth, with the delicate fragrance of the product, a kind of nutty, citrus exactly like the shampoo I tested previously. 

I have to say I really liked this scrub, the smell, the combination of the sugar and the oils all left me skin feeling gorgeous - definitely another winner from Lovea - my only slight issue is the mess it leaves in the bath. I normally stick to pure sugar or salt scrubs because they dissolve in the water, however the argan and orange particles do have a tendency to cling to the bath even when you have let the water out. This isn't a huge bad as it does rinse away easily, and it might not bother some people but it's something I thought I better point out. 

 Lovea Bio L'Argan Regenerating Body Scrub retails at £7.49 for 150ml from My Pure (This product was provided by My Pure for review purposes - this hasn't altered my view in any way)

Lovea Bio L' Argan Shine Shampoo- A Review For My Pure

The final product in May's parcel from My Pure was a shampoo - Lovea Bio L'Argan Shine Shampoo. Originating in France My Pure is currently the only UK stockist of Lovea products, which are certified as organic and are paraben free.
I was super pleased to be sent a shine shampoo, because as you know shine is a major issue for me and my over processed, coloured hair, and so was Mummy LouLou how also used this product for this review :)
I was especially pleased to be sent a product containing Argan oil even though this products contains just 0.3%.For those of you who haven't heard of it Argan oil is produced in only one part of the world Essaouira, in Morocco (hence it's often described as Moroccan oil). It is often described as a miracle product it's a multi purpose oil that can be used on the hair, and on the skin, it's high in antioxidents so it can help protect and repair cells and it has been said to boost moisture content. This shampoo also contains peppermint leaf oil which has been said to boost scalp circulation, when it's used in hair products. Despite the obvious good ingredients here I did find one potential nasty in Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - whilst not something I want in a so called natural shampoo, this is less of an issue than SLS but still something that I don't feel is necessary.

Anyway what do I think, well this shampoo comes in the traditional squeezy tube, it's bright yellow in colour and features a picture of the Argan nut. The writing on the packaging is mostly French but that is to be expected from a French manufactured product.

The product comes out perhaps a little too easily when you squeeze it - the hole is probably a little bit too big for such a runny consistency, when you turn the bottle upside down the shampoo tends to collect in the lid.

Probably because of the thin consistency, and the lack of chemical ingredients I found you needed quite a bit of shampoo on my just past shoulder length hair. The shampoo lathered well and smelled really nice. Neither me nor Mummy Lou Lou could place the smell - the only thing we could agree on that it was quite fruity, maybe citrusy? maybe with a coconut holiday smell - lol sorry for the vagueness but we did both like the smell :). I also rinsed out pretty easily but I did find that it left my hair a little bit tangled and knotted so I had to use a conditioner - Mummy Lou Lou didn't find this however on her short hair, and didn't feel that she needed a conditioner afterwards. Lovea claim that this shampoo "brings health and vitality to dull, lifeless hair" and I have to say I think it did - my hair certainly looked a lot more alive and a lot less crispy especially on my blonde streaks. I have to say my mum probably loved this shampoo where as I merely liked it. She has naturally curly, greying (but dyed:) hair which can feel quite coarse, she found that this shampoo left her hair a lot softer, and a lot shiner and made it easier to style. So huge thumbs up from her a slight waiver from me the consistency, the sulfate and the tangling lose it points from me. Lovea Bio L' Argan Shine Shampoo is available in the UK exclusively from My Pure and retails for £4.99 for 200ml.

(As you know I was sent this product by My Pure for review purposes. This hasn't affected my review in any way this is my opinion and mine alone)

Blogging For My Pure

Like a number of other bloggers I was recently accepted to do some reviews and blogging for My Pure. I thought I'd just do you a quick post explaining more about what I'm going to be doing and what you can expect to see on my blog - just for transparency and to make sure I am being 100% honest with you I guess :)
For those of you haven't heard of them My Pure is a UK based site that specialises in hard to find natural skin, hair, and body care products. I was thrilled to be accepted on to their bloggers panel - I've recently started looking at the ingredients in my products and to say I've been concerned at some of them is an understatement so I am looking forward to trying some new and interesting natural brands. As part of their blogger panel I will be reviewing around three products a month for you - as per usual despite the fact that I am been sent items I can promise I will give you an honest opinion. be it good or bad which is exactly what My Pure have asked for :)
As I said earlier a number of bloggers are going to be doing the same thing - I am lead to believe that the first few parcels we all get will contain the same items but after that we will be getting products tailored to our own skin and hair types. I know a few bloggers have had some concerns about the fact that in the early stages we will all be receiving the same products and there is therefore a risk of overkill or blogger boredom. Whilst I can understand this view (I understand how annoying it is to get 20 different posts in your feed about the same product) Hopefully this won't be an issue I can imagine our reviews will all be slightly different depending on our own experiences with the products and our different ages, hair and skin types,so fingers crossed you won't be reading the same thing too many times, and as with all things on my blog if you don't want to read or your not interested in a post that's fine by me, move on and hopefully you'll enjoy the next post better.
Anyways I am thrilled to be taking part and I received my first parcel on Saturday morning and I have to say it made a lovely surprise on a day of surprises!

Wrapped in lovely tissue paper and recyclable cereal noodles (aren't these so much better than polystyrene) I received two skin care products - the A'kin Pure Rose Hydrating Facial Mist, and the Kosmea Eighth Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum and a haircare product - Lovea's Moroccan Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo. I'll obviously give you more details on the products when I come to do my reviews but just from reading the ingredients labels and a bit of a blurb on the packaging this is exactly the sort of thing I've been looking to try - paraben, and sulphate, etc. free (look up parabens sometime if your curious). I'll hopefully be integrating these reviews in to my regular postings over the next next few weeks (we have been set a deadline of 7th June to posts our reviews) so hopefully you won't get millions of reviews from different bloggers coming up in your feed at once :) Anyways don't forget to keep an eye out for the posts if natural products are your bag hopefully it will be worth a read xx