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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What Have I Been Reaching For In March | March Favourites

So I've been a bit M.I.A throughout March, that's due to being manic at work and generally having a rough time with it. One little tip I would say to you all, is that life is too short to put up with crap. Whether it be from a colleague, a so called friend or your boss. Stay true to yourself and you'll end up in the right place - eventually! 

So - rant over, brush it off and start afresh! Let's end the month on a high and show you all what I've been swooning over in March.

My Fav's Of March

Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy Iris £15.00 - I've been raving about this on twitter recently and on a soon to be blog post about my collection of C & E hand-creams. Crabtree's Hand Care Collection is seriously extensive. If you've never experienced their products I strongly suggest you take a visit to one of their many stores next time you in a shopping center! Everything from the packaging to the product is finished with such a high standard - I'm never disappointed. Which (as you guys may know) takes a lot as I'm seriously fussy, as I loathe having greasy/ oily hands after I use a hand cream. They use Shea Butter, Macadamia Nut Oil and Myrrh in their hand creams to soothe and moisturise your hands. The Myrrh is used to condition your cuticles and nails.

Lush - Grease Lightning £5.95 - This is a superhero in a bottle. I swear by this stuff and I have used it several times a week when I feel a blemish is on it's way OR when a blemish arrives. I cleanse my face and moisturize, then pop this on the areas concerned and the next day it's pretty much gone. My brother had a huge spot at the top of his nose, between his eyes. He was due to go out for a dinner dance thing at his school 2 days later so naturally he started freaking out about it (typical pretty boy!) I told him to use a bit of this straight away and use again before he went to sleep. And hey presto! The next day you could hardly see it, however it was noticeable if you looked closely, so he stuck to the routine and the next day (day of the dance) it was gone! He was seriously impressed. Not often an adolescent boy raves about lush to his friends :) #winning

Tangle Teaser £10.99 - I love this hair brush so much, my life as a blonde has seriously improved since getting this at Christmas. Not much more to say on this than I don't go anywhere without it! One thing that I would like though is for there to be a handle, as my Mum suffers with arthritis and can't keep hold of it easily.

Frozen Soundtrack - I have been playing this everywhere this month. On my phone whilst I'm getting ready, in my car, I've even got my brother to play the songs on the piano! He's super talented!

Illamasqua Skin Base £32.00 - My new Foundation. I've fallen more in love with Illamasqua as of late and for good reasons. I know they are a bit pricey however if a product is good I don't mind splashing out. This gives me full coverage but it does not feel caked on like other foundations ( like my Laura Mercier Silk Creme ) You can also build this up and blend into your skin to give a completely flawless look. I think I'm going to be purchasing the Illamasqua Hydra Veil as I was wowed by it when I saw it in store.

Illamasqua Skin Base Lift £17.50 - This is the concealer to match the above. It's very creamy and a thick formulation which is exactly what I need for the horrendous bags underneath my eyes. In fact I bought this when I went to a Blogger Meet Up in Birmingham recently and the girls I was there with said how good it hid my dark circles and gave the same under eye coverage as some of the vloggers out there! Definite thumbs up moment!

Diptyque Rosamundi Candle £42.00 - Again this has been raved about far too much on my part but on Saturday I got to the end of this beautiful candle. It was a very sad day.However I hunted it down and Space NK sell it, so they have one on hold for me until Friday :D

MAC Vegas Volt £15.00 - An old Lipstick that I've fallen in love with. Not only me I might add. My mother has taken it upon herself to take complete control of this and has stuffed it in her make up bag...she thinks I don't know. Pssh PLEASE.

Tresseme Hair Mask £5.50 - I bought this in a recent Boots haul...which I went a little cray cray on. What's a girl to do when Boots has it's 3 for 2 offer on?! I have read a lot of good reviews about this, so as I'm a real Tresseme girl I thought why not? I am very impressed, it really is a nice treat for my hair. It feels very nourished and soft after I use it. The only downfall I have with this is the lid. I dislike products that I have to use in the shower that don't have a flip top or in a tube. When I apply this, I have to open the tub, scoop some out with on hand, then try and screw the lid back on with one hand. However don't let that put you off, it's excellent.

Clinique Moisturising Gel £29.50 - I am at the end of this product, it's currently sitting up-side-down on my dresser to ensure I get every last bit of moisturiser out before I throw it away and buy a new one. I always seem to come back to this as I feel it really does hydrate my face. I think my skin naturally prefers gel based moisturisers as they just sink straight into the skin, and not much rubbing is involved.

Muji Makeup Storage - I think this has to be my overall monthly favourite! I purposely marched myself into Muji in Birmingham when I was on my blogger meet as I knew I needed some storage, and had seen loads of bloggers & vloggers rave about this. As soon as I set foot in the store, it was a slice of heaven. If you're one of those people like me who has to have things in a certain order, or angle (yes you read that right!) Then this is the place to go. They have storage & organisers for absolutely everything! I had to control myself and buy only what I thought was required. I ended up buying the Acrylic 5 drawer box £24.95 and the Acrylic Compartment Storage Box 6 Partitions £5.95. When I got home, you can pretty much guess what I did first. So when it was coming to the end I realised I could of done with buying another drawer set. Oh well! That's for next time :D Muahaha - sorry bank balance. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Bit of a rubbish pic, but wanted to show you the Muji Storage! 

So there we go guys, I promise April will be a better month, I have loads of things planned that I know you'll be excited about, just as much as I am!

Have any of you tried any of my favourites? What's your favourite item here?

If you're slightly mad and enjoy what I babble on about, follow me on twitter, instagram and bloglovin. 

Anyhoo, I've rattled on enough! 

As always guys, It's been a pleasure.

Char 

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