Trelonk Cornwall : Molecular Wellbeing Head Strong #04

During the past year at The Amazing Blog, like so many, we’ve felt the need to surround ourselves with a blanket of calm. When Edwina was offered this stress-busting Molecular Wellbeing #04 Head Strong to judge for The Beauty Shortlist Awards, she leapt at the opportunity! It’s from the award-winning Cornish essential oil brand Trelonk best known for harnessing cutting-edge innovation in plant science.

Although Trelonk was officially launched in 2021 by Mark Parnall, Trelonk Estate, where the brand was conceived, has a rich agricultural history dating back between 1891-1907. Today, the Trelonk Estate goes back to its original farming roots by harnessing new agricultural technology and improving farming practices to grow and harvest specialist crops. Preparations for their brand “Trelonk” began in 2018, with Trelonk being incorporated into Parnall Group. Despite all the challenges COVID brought, the Trelonk website officially went live in Spring 2021. Founder Mark Parnall said, "Living through Covid-19 has caused a shift in attitude towards plant science, along with compelling research showing the effectiveness of particular plant molecules on human health." With a focus on plant technology and oils, Mark believes that there are remarkable opportunities to connect the origins of authentic Cornish crops and science to help those interested in natural remedies. The brand’s mission is to enhance health and wellbeing through sustainable farming operations that positively affect the environment. “By growing and processing on-site, we aim to provide full traceability and authenticity of the products, underpinned by regenerative farming methods and strong environmental credentials." This idea has won the brand the 2021 Blue Patch Sustainable Innovation Award. As expert aromacologists (study of the influence of odours on human behaviour), they use advanced extraction technology to identify the most compelling plant molecules to use in their formulas. With the use of botanical actives, also known as terpenes, the brand primarily uses the power of inhalation, as it’s the fastest method of delivery (60-90 seconds) and the nasal receptors communicate with nerve cells via neurotransmitters in the limbic system. These positive effects may be felt within minutes! This combination becomes a high-impact wellbeing solution known as ‘Whole Plant Therapy’. For those that are novices to aromatherapy, Trelonk has made an informative list of their frequently used ingredients and their benefits on their website see here. Sustainability is at the heart of the brand, not only with many of the ingredients being grown and harvested on the Trelonk Estate but also with the use of deep violet-blue biophotonic glass bottles stopping harmful UV light and keeping the potency of the oils inside. They describe themselves as ‘where botanicals also meet technology’, Trelonk’s therapeutic formulas are founded solely on scientific research analysing the molecular make-up of plants and identifying the active elements. They’ve recently unveiled £1 million worth of scientific equipment, where they work with scientific partners in three state-of-the-art laboratories designated for plant tissue culture, oil extraction and molecular research. The three ranges of hand-blended Molecular Wellbeing essential oils are ‘Power Through’, ‘Head Strong’ and ‘Lights Out’.

The Head Strong range is designed to help support and uplift mental health and wellbeing. The trio of blends offers differing benefits, for instance, #04 for Stress-Busting and Anxiety, #05 for Concentration and Focus, and #06 for Confidence and Positivity. Trelonk's expert aromacologists explained that the ‘mother blend’ (or base formula) for all three in this range is a combination of bergamot for uplift, rosa damascena for strengthening, ylang-ylang for stress-busting, geranium for balance, sandalwood for calm and green mandarin for nervous tension and restlessness.

We’re going to talk about #04 for Stress Busting and Anxiety which recently won a Wellbeing Editor’s Choice at The 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards.  Apart from the plant active in the ‘mother blend’ above. What makes up the ten plant actives complete are the key additions with petitgrain, yuzu peel oil, eucalyptus and helichrysum flower oil all of which offer a well combined citrusy and floral uplifting scent. The petitgrain is known for its sedative qualities calming nerves and aiding anxiety, with its bright distinctive orange blossom accent. Yuzu peel oil is very similar to bergamot extract, and it can also balance one's mood. Yuzu has a sweet and citrusy scent and has dominant uplifting properties while calming the mind at the same time. Eucalyptus relieves exhaustion, elevates mood, and rejuvenates the spirit with its distinct camphoraceous smell. Finally, the helichrysum provides support in releasing emotional trauma.

We love how it oozes with encouraging citrus notes from the green mandarin, the richer and warmer notes of rosa damascena and helichrysum add weight to the blend, balancing the mind into a state of assurance. The extract has soft floral tones and a fresh aroma, making the oil mood affirming and providing comfort during heightened stress. What we found interesting (take note Trelonk) is that Edwina has carried this around with her continuously when out and about, and like a nosegay, it has kept her safe and clear of catching covid when others around her have fallen sick. A coincidence? maybe.

There is a Nasal Inhaler, which Edwina uses, it’s pictured above at £6. it’s easy to use, you put the wick inside the glass tube and add up to 20 drops of the oil, then waft it under your nose, whenever you feel the need. It helps create your own personal aroma bubble! It also comes as a gift set here. Trelonk also recommends different ways to use their Molecular Wellbeing blends. The first is putting 3-5 drops in a steam diffuser, and it's perfect to use while you do your morning yoga or everyday morning routine. Second, you can add 25 drops of the oil into 100g of Epsom salts in a bath, which feels fantastic after a long day. Lastly, you can apply two drops into a teaspoon of carrier oils of your choice, and apply directly to the skin.

The Head Strong #04 is another one of our #amazingfinds and certainly resonated with Edwina, who is a big fan of all things aromatherapy. The Head Strong #04 and Nasal Inhaler are available together for £28.90 here  We hope to try more products from Trelonk to focus more on our mind, body, and overall health. We think this is a must-have for all.

Menteath Lewes : Smoked Bay Body Oil

Today is the start of a series of our product reviews, where Edwina had the privilege to be on the panel of judges for this year’s 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards. They are also our #amazingfinds here on The Amazing Blog. As regular readers will know we love to find and share new sustainable and indie brand products. And what better way to kick off than by reviewing a brand awarded “Best Brand to Watch 2022.” This unique skincare company, Menteath caught our attention with their handcrafted products and wild-grown ingredients inspired by ancient traditions. Watch this space as they make new strides in the world of natural skincare. We want to introduce you to their very special Smoked Bay Body Oil, which we fell in love with.

In 2019, Felicity Stuart-Menteath, inspired by nature’s beauty, created her brand Menteath in the memory of her grandfather, Fred Hatton. Menteath is an all-natural, organically certified and holistic skincare that carefully and thoughtfully creates infused skincare products. As Felicity says, “I have fused traditional smoke rituals from the Middle East and Old England, bringing together ancient traditions, conservation, and wildlife, with beauty in nature.” The name of the brand itself alludes to Felicity’s Scottish lineage, although the brand is based in Lewes, Sussex. She has drawn her inspiration from her journeys in the beautiful surroundings of the Sussex Downs and the Highlands to create a range of products, which include body oils, face oils, cleansers, and tonics. Apart from nature and the environment, Menteath prioritises sustainability and ethics. “I harvest fallen trees four times a year in line with the seasons in two woodland locations in Sussex, England, and Perthshire, Scotland. Each tree species allows me to create small batches of beautifully fragranced plant-derived oils.” They only use all-natural and well-sourced ingredients, and Menteath works with like-minded suppliers and producers that also aim to work ethically and sustainably. Additionally, the brand uses recycled materials for packaging its products, even generously offering a refill service to its customers. It’s important to the brand to source suppliers who work ethically, organically and provide alternative livelihood programmes supporting organic farmers who grow and harvest their plants every year. They have planted over 1,000 trees at Knepp Wildlife in Sussex, where each purchase of a Gift Box results in tree planting. Menteath also supports the Alternative Livelihoods Project (ALP) in Afghanistan, where much of the Earth's poppy seeds are harvested and sold. Poppies are crucial to the economy in Afghanistan, but they have unfortunately cost the lives of many innocent individuals. The ALP works to provide small farmers with the opportunity to grow alternatives to opium poppies and earn a stable income. Many of these farmers have successfully moved from poppy farming to organic rose otto farming. Each bottle sold of Menteath's Wild Path Body Oil supports these farmers in Afghanistan. Felicity also offers personalised massages and facials at her shop in Lewes - see here to book.

The Smoked Bay Body Oil is enriched with a smoky wood infusion, inspired by the smoke bathing similar to a dukhan, a practice where smouldering wood is placed around the oil, with wool draped over it to create a smoke chamber, which generates a rich herby and woody aroma from the scented smoking wood. According to Felicity, this body oil is a nod to the Aleppo Soapmakers in Syria, with its distinct smoky scent, and healing and soothing qualities.

The oil is rich in vitamins and actives that nourish the skin. The fundamental elements here are the combined oils with olive, wheat germ, jojoba, and sunflower. These moisturise and protect skin from environmental damage and pollution. They are also plentiful with fatty acids which helps the skin produce more collagen, for ample benefits to help improve the skin's elasticity. The wheat germ contains tocopherol (vitamin E) which nourishes, hydrates and is rich in antioxidants. The rosewood strengthens and regenerate the skin, and is, therefore, ideal for treating stretch marks or tired skin.

The further aromatic ingredients also include cade oil, which possesses anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. Historically used in folk medicine, cade oil is obtained by dry distillation from the branches of Juniperus oxycedrus, also known as prickly juniper, and further gives the product its smoky and woody scent. Like cade oil, lanus nobilis fruit (bayberries) here has anti-bacterial properties and depth to the scent with its sweet and spicy notes.

Thyme, pimento and racemosa leaf (part of the West Indian bay tree family), generate a delicious herby aroma. There’s the anti-microbial parsley seed which adds green, spicy, herbal notes to balance the smokiness. Limonene and geraniol are both ingredients used here to enhance the product’s scent. Geraniol is a naturally derived fragrance from plants such as rose, geranium and citronella. It serves as an excellent scent carrier with a floral bouquet and is known to offer the aroma a longer shelf life. Finally, limonene is present for its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. that is also known to calm skin.

The Smoked Bay Body oil is a treat. When opening the bottle the initial scent notes remind us of sweet burning leaves, which then mellow into more fragrant green tea and leathery notes. It becomes moreish, as the fragrance lingers with its rich aroma that gives a feeling of peace and comfort. Although it’s created as body care we couldn’t resist using it on hair ends too. Designed to be used after bathing or showering at night, we noticed when used, our skin was left hydrated and soft in the morning; making this another of our #amazingfinds and an excellent addition to any self-care routine. It’s a remarkable ode to nature and is undoubtedly a unique product, that has forged a way to connect modern skincare with ancient traditions. To purchase the 50ml Smoked Bay Body Oil at £48 see here. 

Annabelle Minerals - Makeup Pencils

It’s been a while since we’ve reviewed makeup on The Amazing Blog; so, we were excited to receive a range of makeup pencils from plastic-free and zero-waste mineral makeup brand Annabelle Minerals. It’s the first time we’ve reviewed Annabelle Minerals, and we couldn’t wait to try their latest launch of their eco and vegan EYE Pencils, JUMBO Eye Pencils and JUMBO Lip Pencils.

Anna Szczerba founded Annabelle Minerals in her home country Poland in 2016. Before creating her cosmetic company, she was a lawyer who studied law in Kraków. She began her company because of her personal experience with blemishes and when looking for solutions she came across a forum that introduced her to mineral makeup. This is when she discovered that mineral makeup helped with her breakouts and blemishes. With the lack of mineral makeup to be found in Poland, Anna decided to create her own with the help of a lab to manufacture her first cosmetic products, initially selling on her online shop and Facebook page. Eventually, she was able to quit her day job, and after a year, her brand was able to take off. Annabelle Minerals has been created with a view to being waste-free. As a starting point, with every product they release, they make an effort to use sustainable packaging. "Our passion is finding beauty in the surrounding reality, which is why the mission of Annabelle Minerals is making sure that every woman believes in the beauty that she has inside." As a vegan and cruelty-free brand, their products also offer UVA/UVB protection and are plastic-free, making them perfect for zero-waste lovers. They are also an award-winning brand with five awards to date which include Beauty Shortlist Awards in 2020 and 2021 and three Global Green Beauty Awards in 2020.  

Annabelle Minerals sent us their complete set of makeup pencils, which include JUMBO Lip Pencils, EYE Pencils and the JUMBO Eye Pencils. The brand told us the thought process and reason behind launching these new products. "We are constantly on the lookout for new launches in the spirit of less waste. As a brand, we’ve become very eco-conscious and are evolving towards being more sustainable with every new product, and makeup pencils were something that was missing in our offerings. We've been in the process of creating the lip pencils for months to make sure the first lip product is special and something we would use ourselves daily. Then we liked the results so much, that we decided to create something for the eyes, too."

Key ingredients common to all the makeup pencils are: Hydrogenated vegetable oil, copernicia cerifera wax, silica, glyceryl undecylenate, cocos nucifera, vitamin E, mica and oryzanol. The hydrogenated vegetable is best known as a thickening agent in cosmetics and for offering products a long and safe shelf life. However, it also has the added benefit of occlusives these help prevent transepidermal water loss. The copernicia cerifera wax is vegetable wax it’s a texture enhancer, stabiliser and a hypoallergenic additive to cosmetics. Silica when applied topically significantly improves the elasticity, texture and hydration of the skin. Glyceryl undecylenate is used to emulsify a product along with its antimicrobial properties. It also acts as a skin-conditioning agent and seals moisture into the skin. Cocos nucifera (coconut oil) is highly moisturising and the fatty acids give nourishment to the skin. Vitamin E is a light stabiliser, hydrator and antioxidant with potent anti-inflammatory benefits. The mica is a natural mineral that is commonly used as a colour additive and for its shimmery qualities in cosmetics. Finally, oryzanol which is extracted from rice bran oil and good for natural UV-A and UV-B absorbing capacity

Let’s start with their JUMBO Lip pencils - these are effortless to apply with creamy, non-drying formula, making them are comfortable to wear all day long. They also nourish and soften while providing long-lasting coverage and are versatile enough to use as a lipstick or lip liner, leaving a velvety semi-matte finish. The JUMBO Lip Pencils come in three natural lip shades. Cranberry is a deep and moderately cool berry shade. It gives a natural, multidimensional look. It's perfect for an everyday makeup look or a unique statement look. When you're looking for a natural and simple lip, then the Clover shade is the way to go. This nude pink shade accentuates your lips naturally and easily—ideal for an everyday look. Lastly, Marigold is great for when you want a warmer hue. This colour has peachy tones that go great with daily makeup and could even be used with a bold smokey eye for an evening look. Marigold makes lips appear fuller with its natural lip tone colour, and like the other two colours, leaves a semi-matte finish.

As mentioned, there are two different types of eye pencils – their EYE Pencils and JUMBO Eye Pencils. Both these eye pencils leave a creamy and velvety look and give a great colour payoff, and come in three shades. They are gentle and perfect for sensitive eyes, or beginners as they are long-lasting, and can be applied in several ways, starting as a basic eyeshadow and to a precision eyeliner. To quote Annabelle Minerals “[They’re] super blendable and very easy to use, we think they’re a great staple product.”

The slim EYE Pencils offer more precision lining than the JUMBO. We loved the versatility of Dark Wood a classic/go-to pencil as it is excellent as an eyeliner and eyeshadow primer. This shade will become a must-have in your makeup bag. Forest Sky is a graphite grey shade, and it is ideal for green and blue eyes as it leaves a soft and smoky effect. Lastly, comes the shade Pine, this brown shade gives a matte finish that you can use, again, with a smoky eye or even use as a filler to touch up eyebrows.

Their JUMBO Eye Pencils, as Annabelle Minerals says “Glide on effortlessly and create infinite looks with minimal effort.” Their smudgeable formula makes them easily blendable. The Fern, as the name suggests, is a beautiful green shade and has iridescent mica particles whose colour changes depending on the light. You can wear it alone or mix and match it with the other pencils. If you want a more suitable shade for an everyday look, then Maple is the colour for you. With a deep brown and copper glow, Maple is excellent for everyday use, again, it has the same iridescent particles as Fern, but here they reflect the light with a copper halo. Last but not least, we have Mist, a classic white and beige pencil with a matte finish. This colour can be used as an eyeshadow, liner, primer, and highlight.

Our conclusion? For the eyes, we loved experimenting with blending more than one JUMBO shade together to get a graduated look. The EYE pencils apart from precision liners, made great waterline pencils as they didn’t transfer or bleed. And the JUMBO lip pencils are a brilliant trio of natural lip colours - again we mixed and matched, using them to fill in and subtly enhance our natural lip colour. All makeup pencils are packaged in traditional natural wood and, for protection, have a metallic rose gold metal cap at the end. They have good eco-credentials as they're biodegradable (except for usable metal caps) and zero-waste products. Another one of our #amazingfinds we think these products are great as a standalone or blended with each other - here you can have lots of fun experimenting with different looks. The only thing missing is a JUMBO pencil sharpener - maybe something for the brand to add to their e-shop? You can find the JUMBO Lip Pencil here for £11.90 and the EYE Pencil and JUMBO Eye Pencil here for £9.90 and £11.90 each. 

YUNI Beauty : Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm

Now the world is opening up, and spring is on the way, it’s time for us at The Amazing Blog to think about booking a flight for a much needed weekend away. Which leads us swiftly onto multitasking products for hand luggage. One product we’ll be taking with us is this Gliding Bright Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm from YUNI. This multipurpose balm is excellent for the face and body, not only for keeping the skin protected but also to add an extra holiday glow.

YUNI is a US-based beauty and lifestyle brand founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Emmanuel Rey and Suzanne Dawson. They met at Aveda though they both followed different paths to get there. Emmanuel has a degree in agricultural engineering and went on to earn his MBA, which led him to work in marketing for beauty brands. Whereas Suzanne’s career has focused on natural and plant-based remedies, wellness and self-care. After several years at Aveda, Suzanne and Emmanuel found their lifestyle impacted their health and well-being, so they decided to take time off to reconnect. During this time, they travelled to Greece, where they became yoga instructors. They also encountered a gap in the beauty market; they found no beauty brand committed to providing active health seekers and yogis with sustainable and organic products that enhance practice and training. The YUNI body care products aim to prepare both mind and body before any exercise with a short and refreshing post-workout clean up, which leaves a feeling of pure goodness. In conversation with The Urban You, Emmanuel explained, “At YUNI, we create healthy, natural skincare and body products that save time, restore health, and relieve stress—so active people who pursue life with passion can do more, live more, and find more joy in every moment.” YUNI dedicates itself to sustainability, with 90% of products manufactured and stored in either solar or wind-powered facilities. They package their products with sustainable materials, such as recycled plastic from water bottles and certified recycled paper. All tubes are sugarcane bio-resin and all product cartons are made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified recycled paper and printed with soy ink. In fact, they go out of their way to ensure that each ingredient is organic and ethically sourced (from plants that are not endangered) and a product of fair-trade, eco-friendly cultivation and harvesting, which support sustainable local businesses. The brand also makes sure they work with factories that follow responsible waste disposal. As a vegan brand, it has eco-friendly formulas, and they are non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable, plant-based, gluten-free and cruelty-free. They are certified by Leaping Bunny and as a top 2022 cruelty-free brand with HEAL-ablel; plus, they won an Eco-Excellence Award in 2020 for their Shower Sheets.

YUNI’s Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm is a moisturising balm that adds a subtle radiance to the skin. The key ingredients include organic kukui seed oil, olive oil, fair trade turmeric root, organic jojoba oil, shea butter, ethically sourced mica. The kukui seed oil has moisturising capacities, full of fatty acids like linoleic acid and omega-3; it also has vitamin A, C and E; all of which can penetrate deep into the skin to repair, nourish, and calm the skin. Olive oil full of antioxidants revitalises and strengthens skin's tonicity and repairs damaged tissues. The turmeric root powder is also full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, and gives the skin a warm lustre. The jojoba seed oil, for its ability to hydrate the skin and balance natural oil production, and the shea butter hydrates and protects the skin’s natural barrier,

The enhanced shimmer qualities are due to mica; mica refers to a mineral incorporated into beauty products to give the ‘illuminating’ effect in this balm, making the skin glisten. Talking of glistening, there’s castor oil which gives a further sheen to the skin; plus it has anti-bacterial properties, much like the tocopheryl acetate, also found here, which is a form of vitamin E that protects skin from free radicals. 

Other ingredients found are caprylic triglyceride, made from coconut oil and glycerin, making skin feel smooth. The carnauba wax and candelilla wax are both vegetable waxes that give body to the balm. Hydrophilic fumed silica has sun protecting qualities and improves the elasticity, texture and hydration of the skin. Iron oxides and titanium dioxides are naturally occurring minerals. Iron oxides are generally known for adding pigment but have also been shown to offer enhanced protection against blue light. The titanium dioxide protects against UV light creating a transparent barrier that protects the skin from harmful sun rays.

The YUNI Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm is one of our #amazingfinds for its versatility to enhance any beauty look. It nourishes and gives the skin a delicious shea butter aroma, and we used it as a highlighter on cheeks, shoulder and lips, and even on hair to heal split ends. We think this natural golden balm is a beauty must-have and predict that once tried, it’ll fast become your new and trusted travel buddy. To purchase YUNI’s 55g Gliding Light Illuminating Multipurpose Beauty Balm for £29, see here for the UK shop.

Melitta Meszaros Natural Skincare : Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin

It’s not often that we come across a face oil that’s specifically intended for oily & combination skin. The younger members of the team at The Amazing Blog, requested that we find them a face oil for their slightly oily skin. So, we thought we’d try out the Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin from this vegan and artisan skincare brand Melitta Meszaros Natural Skincare.

Melitta Meszaros Natural Skincare is a beauty brand that offers handmade natural skincare products with transparent ingredients. The brand’s story begins ten years ago when founder Melitta Meszaros noticed how many ambiguous ingredients were in her skincare products. This was when Melitta decided to start her journey to the world of natural cosmetics and begin looking for the best way to create skincare using natural, vegan, cold-pressed and preferably organic ingredients. Melitta finally launched skincare under her own name with a range of plant-based face oils, floral waters and a clay mask.  The brand’s mission is “to give you quality skincare products which are natural, simple but give high performance.”  All products are cruelty-free with no artificial synthetics, fillers, or additives. Their products are made in small batches in the UK and are designed to treat all skin types, including sensitive skin. For those with particularly delicate skin types, the brand even produce identical face oils without the essential oils with only a natural fragrance from the carrier oils. We were also pleased to see that all bottles and pipettes used are deemed to be recyclable, and the boxes and pouches used are compostable & biodegradable.

This award-winning Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin uses only natural oils to promote overall skin wellness and to leave skin nourished. This face oil was recently awarded the Best 100% Natural Product and was a silver winner at the 2021 Global Green Beauty Awards. This face oil is specifically made for oily and combination skin (which we’re sure you already gathered from the product name) and is also suitable for most other skin types too. It is common for people with oily skin to avoid face oils for fear it will just make their skin worse - however, we know that this is not the case! 

Certain face oils (non-comedogenic) in fact, help balance sebum production and improve skin elasticity to leave your skin looking moisturised and healthy. Oily skin tends to produce excess amounts of sebum, which can cause clogged pores and breakouts. Regulating sebum production is key for oily skin because it helps keep your skin's natural moisture, and reduces the excess sebum oily skin produces. The right kind of face oils can even provide long-lasting hydration by enabling the skin barrier to effectively lock in moisture. To ensure this face oil retains all its healthy antioxidants, it is made with a combination of high-performing, cold-pressed oils.

Here the Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin combines natural botanical carrier oils like grapeseed, jojoba, sunflower, rosehip, and argan.; together with the essential oils of grapefruit peel, rosemary leaf, and geranium bourbon. Let’s talk through the key ingredients that help oily skin. Jojoba oil is very similar to the naturally-occurring sebum in your body, which means it can efficiently regulate sebum secretion. It also has moisturising properties to help maintain the skin's hydration, elasticity, and smoothness. The skin-brightening rosehip oil is also ideal for treating oily skin, as it does not clog pores and is rich in retinoids, compounds that can help fight acne breakouts. Another hero ingredient is argan oil, which is non-comedogenic, and packed with oleic and linoleic acids to create a balanced and soft skin complexion. The face oil is multifaceted, as the essential oils also give it a mood-boosting and uplifting fragrance. Grapefruit peel has a fresh citrus scent to revitalise your mind, and its antibacterial and antioxidant properties are excellent for soothing acne. Rosemary leaf is also known to treat acne due to its antiseptic properties, and it can even out the skin's oil content - not to mention its energising fragrance can help reduce tiredness and improve mood. The geranium bourbon adds to the face oil’s scent with its calming floral notes; plus, it is an anti-inflammatory that leaves a healthy glow. 

Our verdict? It’s lightweight and doesn’t leave any oily or sticky residue. As for the fragrance, it has a subtle natural blend of botanical and citrus scents to leave you feeling soothed and refreshed. We applied a few drops and gently massaged them into the face. Melitta Natural Skincare suggests using the oil as the last step of a skincare routine because the oil will lock in all the ‘goodness’ of the other skincare products; it will also be absorbed better on a slightly damp complexion. We found this face oil revived skin and kept it feeling supple and hydrated. The team particularly recommend using this at night on the face, neck and décolleté. Or for a dewy look, during the day you can add a few drops to your foundation. It’s a face oil made with simple, honest and natural ingredients, that work at their optimum when combined. To purchase the 30ml Face Oil for Oily and Combination Skin for £25, see here.