Crabtree & Evelyn | My Little Bit Of Heaven

Following on from my March Favourites post, I had a lot of people ask about Crabtree & Evelyn. In short, they are one of the best natural body and hand-care companies out there. That's a pretty big statement but just go with me, you won't be disappointed! Not only that but they've branched out into food too - their biscuits are seriously scrummy! 

So, Who Are Crabtree & Evelyn? 

One of the many things that I love about this brand, is that it's quite English Heritage. Everything from it's name right down to the packaging is rather British looking. You may be wondering what British looking means and in truth, there isn't an exact definition in my book, it's just very simple, very quaint and very classic. I've done my research and this company was founded in America however the whole British concept was inspired by an English gentleman named John Evelyn. 

Crabtree & Evelyn has been going strong for 40 years and is a much loved, sought after brand for all ages! I know I only came across this brand from my Mum and then realised I'd got my friends hooked on it too! It started off as a small family-run business and is now a renowned brand in over 500 stores worldwide. I won't bore you to death with all the historical details but I think it's gorgeous that the name Crabtree originated from our very own British Crab Apple Tree's and this is what they use as their company logo. If any of you have ever tried crab apple jelly or jam you will know that it has quite a unique taste, thus being the perfect logo for a unique company such as Crabtree & Evelyn.

Packaging?


You can't tell me you don't find the packaging absolutely beautiful. From the actual product to the box it comes in; the attention to detail is second to none. Even the standard Hand Therapy creams look beautiful sitting on your dresser or desk. I'd just like to add, they aren't standard by any means but hopefully you get my drift. The colours, designs and even lids offer that bit of luxury and added value that make others green with envy. I have my Hand Therapy in Iris sat on my desk at work (in it's box - as it's too pretty to throw away!) and the amount of usage it has gotten over the past few months has been ridiculous. Everyone automatically assumes it's this luxurious expensive hand cream because of it's packaging. Well, they are half right! So naturally when I tell people the actual price they are online browsing the site to get their dry, flaky fingers on them!

Formula?


I'm a stickler when it comes to non-greasy hand creams, and I know I'm not the only one. How many times do you buy a hand cream or hand wash because it smells amazing then find out once you've got it home and smeared it all over your hands that it's really greasy and leaves a horrible 'film' over your skin? We've all been there. I've found with Crabtree & Evelyn that this is never the case. The ingredients are so natural and a lot of them we've all heard of, they are all paraben free and don't contain any nasty chemicals. They use nutrient-rich shea butter, macadamia oil and myrrh; these soothe, condition and restore softness to your hands (not only that, it leaves them smelling fantastic!) Also the myrrh helps maintain your cuticles too which is always a bonus.
When it comes to their hand wash they certainly know what they're doing. They aren't drying in the slightest and some even condition at the same time, which you may wonder how, but it works and does exactly what it says on the tin. They use a pH balanced formula which doesn't dry out your skin. You normally find with amazingly scented products that they are quite abrasive and the scent normally over compensates for the rubbish formulation. Again, not the case here. Which leads me nicely onto my next point.

Fragrances?

Oh. My. God. If you're like me, and a bit of a kid in a candy shop when it comes to this sort of thing - you will not be disappointed. They have scents for everyone! You've got floral, sweet, spicy, fragrance free and more. I actually spend a good half an hour floating around the store smelling every single fragrance - my boyfriend will confirm this is the truth. Poor him. Oh well - I have to traipse around Game. 

I like all sorts of fragrances, I'd say my favourite scents are floral and sweet however I have recently smelt their Indian Sandalwood and drooled. yes, drooled , it's for men however I still thought it smelt pretty damn good! So for me this is the perfect place to shop! Just the thought of their latest fragrance Caribbean Island Wild Flower gets my heart racing and I can not wait to visit their store in Meadow Hall this week, as I shall certainly be taking a sniff! I will also be dragging my fellow blogger friends with me too! 

Website & Stores?

Well, is this just not an attractive looking site to you? It certainly is to me - I love the layout and it is so simple to use. Not only that, you get FREE SAMPLES with every order - hello???!! Is that not what every beauty obsessed person craves? breathe Charlotte. Also you get free shipping when you order £30 or more, so that's easily achievable and worthwhile. I've also just noticed you get a free gift when you spend £35 or more so really it is a no brainer. Get online now! It's definitely advisable to register as you constantly get told about all the new scents, discounts and offers. Not only that, I love adding items to my wish list, so the boyfriend and family members know exactly what I'm after, because I always seem to forget when they ask! I'm not the only one surely?

The website may be great, however you can't beat walking into a store and sniffing around! The staff seriously know their stuff and can answer any question you throw at them. I've experienced some of the best customer service at Crabtree and I'm not easily impressed! I'm one of these people who doesn't tip unless you've gone above and beyond expectation. Not only that, their stores are so pretty and inviting you can easily loose track of time.

Oh well - it's seriously worth it.  

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If you've enjoyed this post let me know down in the comments and also your experiences of this brand, or alternatively let me know what brand you prefer as I'm always on the look out for new exciting companies!

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As always guys, It's been a pleasure.

Char

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Not So Flawless | Benefit Stay Flawless Review

 I am a sucker for good packaging, and sometimes this can get the better of me! I always used to be a Benefit fan, but now, not so much. However, I still hold a special place for it in my heart as it was the first brand I ever bought! 

I haven't done a negative review yet however this needed to be done. Since November last year I have gone through 4 of these. I would like to add that I only purchased the first one and the rest have been replacements from the store. 

I am at my wits with this and I think I've given this a fair enough trial to be able to give you some valuable feedback. 

What Benefit say about this product - 'Hello 15 hours of flawless! Benefit's invisible PRO-long primer acts like a magnet to instantly lock-on your foundation. This innovative stick formula makes your favourite hello flawless make-up looking fresh, hour after hour.Go longer. Stay flawless! Glide this innovative primer stick directly onto skin, then immediately apply foundation, blending together on face.'

So let's start with the pro's.

1. The packaging. It really is lovely. I love the polka-dots! 

2. Formulation - This really does work well. It stays on for hours and does not shift, however not the 15 hours it says it does. Lets say about 8-10.

3. Concept - I like the idea of having a primer in stick form, that you can just roll up and down like a lip balm. 

Unfortunately that's it for the pro's.

Con's:

1. The packaging - I know I mentioned this as a pro - however this also goes for a con too as this is packaged in such a way, it is too bulky for my make up storage & takes up a lot of space. 

2. With each one I've tried the lid popped off quite a lot and you really had to shove it on with a bit of brute force. 

3. Practicality - the shape is not right for the product. As a cylinder shape you can not apply this into the nooks and crannies of your face. You can try and get close by using the edge of the stick but this can assist in making it crumble.

4. Formulation - This is a soft, creamy formulation in a stick form, so I found that after several uses the damn thing just crumbled on me. I was so annoyed by this as I expect a product to be functional and this just wasn't. 

5. Price - For the eye-watering amount of £24.50 I expected a lot more from this product. I don't mind paying big bucks for a products so long as it works and in this case it wasn't.  

6. My 2nd try at the product lead to mould! I couldn't believe that it had turned a greenish colour, so a that point I took it back to the store and they gave me another one to try. I unfortunately didn't take any photos of this as I hadn't started blogging yet!

7. The twist up motion kept on breaking!

Uh-Oh - Crumbled AGAIN!!

In the end, I contacted Benefit's Head Office and spoke to their customer care department. They were very friendly and once I had explained my issues, they told me to send it in to them and they would have a look at it. Once they received it, they emailed me to confirm that there was indeed an issue with this product and that if I wanted I could have another one. I declined this offer (as like I said above), I'd given this a fair enough trial, so instead they told me to choose a product of similar value and they would send me that instead. 

I'm still currently looking through and deciding on what I want as I'm quite tempted by the new Gimmie Brow...however I'm not committing yet until I see a few more good reviews about it!

Have you tried the Gimme Brow?

Overall, my plea to Benefit is when it brings out new products; spend more time on the actual product than the way it's packaged!

I hope you've enjoyed my post today and lets hope the next Benefit review I do will be a positive!

Have any of you had this issue? Let me know in the comments below!

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As always, It's been a pleasure!

Char

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