One of my big plans for the blog in 2018 and beyond was to explore the “other stories” section. Most people associate my blog with the “Tara’s Busy Kitchen” side but to give it its full title there are “And Other Stories” too. This blog post is the first official foray into the lifestyle side of the blog. I hope you enjoy reading it.

I focus so much of my time trying to support locally sourced food products as most of my regular readers will already know but it is just as important for me to follow that through in my beauty and skincare regime. I think most of us as individuals are very conscious of what we feed ourselves internally but what about what we smother our bodies with on a daily basis? Our Skin is such a massive part of who we are and whilst we are choosing organic and ethically sourced produce to consume we forget about the impact beauty products full of unnecessary chemicals have on us.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Julia from Nura Skincare at a pre-Christmas event at Dartington. After following her brand on Instagram for some while it was a pleasure to put a name to a face. What a lovely lady and a complete whizz in the kitchen. Not like me making and creating edibles but creating wonderful face and body lotions and potions full of beautiful ingredients.

Want to know more about Nura Skincare?

Julia was kind enough to offer me a few samples to try which I gratefully excepted. The first being the delightfully scented Daily Moisturising Body lotion. Full of uplifting scents like rose geranium and frankincense, blended with Shea butter and olive oil. This has created a luxuriously nourishing body lotion that I have been smothering on day and night. It soaks straight in without leaving any greasy residue.

The second was the Soothing Dry Body Oil that I have used on my particularly dry areas as well as a massage oil for my tired limbs after my ballet classes. The essential oils used here are lavender, bergamot, rose geranium and ylang-ylang. I can’t tell you how wonderfully soothing it is to use this at night before bed. The lavender and bergamot create a natural feeling of calm in readiness for sleep. It’s wonderful stuff and is highly recommended.

The third and final sample was the Skin Essentials ‘Mini Me’ sample set. A collection of products curated using clinically proven anti-aging ingredients together with nourishing plant oils and extracts. This little set is great for travelling or mini breaks due to the fact each of the products come in 5 or 10ml pots. The sample set contains:

SKIN RADIANCE CLEANSING CREAM (10ml)

A 3-in-1 Cleansing cream.  Enriched plant cleansing oils and revitalising botanical extracts that gently removes daily dirt, makeup, exfoliates and moisturises the skin.

ORGANIC BAMBOO CLOTH

This ultra soft bamboo cloth is ideal when using the “warm cloth cleansing method”.   The bamboo cloth retains heat from the warm water whilst gently cleansing your skin.

VITAMIN C SERUM (All skin types – 5ml)

A high performing collagen boosting anti-oxidant gel serum. Formulated with 5% pure vitamin C which helps improve the visible signs of sun-damage, whilst diminishing fine lines, UV pigmentation and wrinkles.

PRO-VITAMIN MOISTURISING CREAM (Normal / Dry Skin – 5ml)

A rich intensive 8 hour day cream packed full of anti-oxidants, botanical extracts and nourishing plant oils.Formulated with vitamin B3 helps improve pigmentation, increase moisturisation collagen production.

PRO-VITAMIN B3 BALANCING CREAM (Normal / Combination Skin- 5ml)

A light balancing day cream, rich in anti-oxidants and botanical extracts. Formulated with non-pore clogging skin-balancing plant oils together with clinically proven age-defying vitamin B3, which helps improve pigmentation, control sebum levels, increase moisturisation and collagen production.

RENEWAL NIGHT OIL COMPLEX (All Skin types – 5ml)

An active botanical night oil serum with blended 6 anti-oxidising plant oils rich in omega 3-5-6-9, vitamin A, and coenzyme Q10. Formulated to target the visible signs of ageing.This wonderful night oil gel helps repairs, renews and firms your skin whilst you sleep.

Each of these little pots are full of the most luxuriously feeling oils and creams that soak into the skin with ease. My personal favourite being the Renewal Night Oil Complex. I loved the way it made my skin feel after a good nights sleep. My skin felt plump, hydrated and ready for the day ahead. The wonderful aromas of the essential oils add that extra dimension. Not only are you sure in the knowledge that these products are natural and made with love but you are guaranteed a complete sensory workout with the divine scents. There are no over-processed, chemically smells here, I can tell you.

After a week or so of trying these products, my skin is looking clear and dare I say it ‘radiant’. What more could you want during these dark winter months when your skin is at risk of damage from the biting cold and wind? On perusing Nura’s website I already have my eyes on the Nutri Pure Balm for my chapped lips and a full size Balancing Skin Nourishment – Vitamin B3 Day Cream. The price points are set from £4.50 to £20.00 for individual products which I think are fair due to the quality of the ingredients and that Julia makes all her products by hand with care and love. Gift sets are also available with free postage and packaging on orders over £20.00.

For more information on Nura Skincare check out their website here.

Disclaimer: I was given some Nura Skincare products to review. I was not paid for this post and all views are my own as always. Additional information gathered from Nura Skincare’s website.