Ruby Red Reviving Body Cleanser

With so many skincare brands available it's often hard to know which one to opt for. And with the shelves of shops fit to burst with choice, it can be all too easy to choose the most brightly packaged, or the one that's on offer, rather than taking time to select one that's right for our skin type.

Ruby Red Cosmetics was founded in 2008 by Mike and Martine Ruby who combined their passion for botanical ingredients with their love for design to create a brand whose core belief centred around natural products Having previously worked for cosmetics giant Elizabeth Arden, it was an eighteen month sabbatical around SE Asia that inspired Martine to start Ruby Red, having witnessed the way in which natural ingredients were used in everyday life without a chemical substitute.

And so they created a fabulous product range suitable for all types of skin, including those who are sensitive to harsh chemicals and synthetics. Botanical ingredients are used, which means all of Ruby Red’s products are free from harsh chemicals, parabens, perfumes and dyes and they are never tested on animals so you can rest assured that their products really are top notch.

The Reviving Body Wash that we at The Amazing Blog tried out was every bit as wonderful as it sounded. Made from the natural cleansing foaming agents of coconut and corn with Aloe Vera Leaf extracts, it is rich in natural polysaccharides which soften and soothes skin, and certainly left ours in butter-soft condition.  With fresh aromas of Key Lime, sweet Red Mandarin, crushed Coriander and Wild Cedarwood, this really is a treat for your skin. Available online from the Ruby Red Shop, the Reviving Body Cleanser costs £16 for 200ml and £32 for 500ml  – it's a substantial bottle and will last and last so a worthy investment for such a wonderful cleanser!

KARORA Cosmetics

My main problem in winter, other than miserable evenings, dark mornings and the general gloom of it all, is that my skin is often as grey as the weather. With the distinct absence of sunshine and the total lack of a winter holiday, a sun-kissed complexion is as distant a dream as the summer. Once spring has arrived, and both the temperature and my skin exposure has increased, I go full throttle into a self-tan regime; Wednesday night is hair removal, Thursday I slather it on, and on Friday it’s washed off in time for the weekend. However, such a routine is laborious, time-consuming and expensive; thus it certainly isn’t worth the hassle for the winter months, when the only skin on show is that of my hands, my face and my décolletage.

And having been around the metaphorical tanning block many a time, and tried and tested almost every tanning product on offer, it appeared there would never be an answer to my winter-tan dilemma. Many of the instant self-tans on the market contain chemicals, perfumes and stabilisers, all of which are very drying on my skin and certainly put me off applying it to an area so delicate as my face. That was until I happened across fabulous new self-tanning brand KARORA Cosmetics.

Founded in Ireland by businesswoman Karen Brown, KARORA Cosmetics is an all-natural, eco-chic tanning brand that contains no drying chemicals or nasty parabens, and thus is perfect for using on both your face and body. And unlike many of its competitors, it doesn’t have the standard fake-tan smell of digestive biscuits or tea bags. Full of a whole host of both delicious and natural ingredients, including Grape Seed Oil and Horse Chestnut Extract, KARORA’s Instant Self Tan is botanical beauty at its very best!

And thus, gone is my grey-like winter pallor, and in its place a healthy, sun-kissed glow to rival any Caribbean tan. And with its natural ingredients, and fabulous fruity smell, KARORA really is the answer to all my tanning prayers. Available at selected retailers and online.