Body Oils - Yay or Nay?

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Weleda have released this LE set of body oils in celebration of their 90th birthday and they sound like they would smell amazing. The gift set (£9.95) contains 10ml each of the precious Wild Rose Body Oil, Relaxing Lavender Body Oil, intensively nourishing Sea Buckthorn Body Oil, the refreshing Citrus Body Oil and the anti-ageing Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil.

I've never really used body oils before and it made me think about the body creams I use and how effective they really are. I don't have particularly dry skin but no matter how moisturising creams/lotions claim to be, they don't live up to my expectations. Perhaps it's just the ones I have used? At the moment I am using the Body Shop's Brazil Nut body butter and I love the smell and the way my skin feels after the initial application, but after a while I have to reapply as it seems to sit on the surface of my skin and rub off easily.

I'm already a convert of using oil in my hair so why not on my body too? The best way to apply is onto damp skin straight after a shower so it can be absorbed quicker. My only apprehension is that oils sound a bit messy to use and I wouldn't like anything too heavy or greasy. I guess you wouldn't even need to go out and purchase branded body oils as some people use plain old olive oil (the daddy of all oils) but I would prefer something lighter and nicely scented.

What do you think about body oils? Would you use them? And if you already do, which ones do you like? I'd love to know what you think.

p.s. Sorry it's taken so long but the winner of my Trilogy Giveaway is Hannah! x

Beauty on a budget: The many uses of Almond oil

A few months ago I bought this bottle of sweet almond oil with the intention of creating my own makeup remover. Sadly this turned out to be a big fat fail as I couldn't get the correct quantities of water and oil. Instead of chucking it, I decided to use it as a hair conditioner.

It's much heavier than coconut oil so a little goes a long way. Mostly on my ends and a little massaged into my roots. I leave it in for at least an hour and wash out throroughly. It makes my hair look glossier than it's usual dull state.

There's many other uses but here are my preferred ways:

On my skin: Instead of using body lotion, I use almond oil after I shower. Almond oil is often one of the main ingredients in body butters because it's a rich source of Vitamin E and a good emollient. It's especially good on rough areas such as elbows, knees and feet. I don't slather myself in it, I rub a pea sized amount between my hands then apply - it isn't greasy at all. It doesn't have a strong scent and I can only smell it if I sniff from the bottle - a faint sweet nutty scent. Body oils are usually really expensive but this does the same job for a fraction of the price. My bottle was only £1.50 from Waitrose.

Conditioning my eyelashes: I wear waterproof mascara everyday which isn't too kind to my lashes. I rub almond oil into my lashes and along the lashline to condition them.

Conditioning my nails and cuticles: Similarly, constant nail polish wear makes my nails dry and brittle. I use almond oil to try and repair the damage. It's also great at softening up ragged cuticles.

All in all, a big thumbs up for almond oil. It's inexpensive, multifunctional and 100% natural.