Head Over Heels for Suti Foot Balm...

Spring is finally, firmly here. Prepare yourselves - this means we need to talk about feet. The time is fast approaching when they'll need to be bared to the world again, and I know I can't be the only one that's a bit concerned. Up until now, I'm not really sure when I had last looked at my feet. Most of the sightings this winter have been just a quick glance between stripping off two pairs of woolly socks and leaping into a hot bath. All I can say is thank goodness for the soothing bliss and rejuvenatory prowess of Suti's Foot Balm...

After an lengthy duel with the pumice stone, there's nothing like this gorgeous, aromatic balm to breath new life into tired, winter-weary feet. The invigorating blend of rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint oils rev up circulation and soothe the senses, while rich shea butter, olive oil, calendula and beeswax moisturize deeply and thoroughly  Top off with a pair of cotton socks before bed, and you'll awake to softer, smoother, summer-ready toes.

It's no secret that I'm a big Suti fan - I love the fact that they combine beyond pure ingredients and green practices with products that feel luxurious and special. It doesn't hurt that everything just really works too. My feet may not look any less childlike and chubby (they don't make a balm for that apparently) but they're now soft and dare I say almost pretty looking, ready for a season full of my favorite barefoot, Bardot-style looks.

If you work on your feet all day, or just neglect them a little more than you should, you need a little jar of this magic on your beauty shelf. And if you're feeling generous of spirit and purse this spring, keep it in mind as the perfect gift - doctor, waitress, athlete or frazzled mom, surely we all know someone whose tired, sore feet could use a little pampering? Perhaps with a complimentary foot rub included? Outside the UK, you can find Suti at Shen Beauty in the US, and Fresh Faced in Canada.

*This product was a PR sample from the generous people at Suti. This in no way effects my opinions - if I don't like a product, I don't feature it. Bardot pic via Pinterest.

Suti Giveaway Winners Announced

It's results day! Thank you all for entering our first giveaway - we're thrilled that each and every one of you from so many places all over the world stopped by, and after reading your lovely comments we wish we could send a bottle to you all. We actually felt quite bad about it, like we were playing skincare God. But we eventually managed to pull ourselves together, and were strict and fair. Random numbers chosen, and the laws of probability have spoken - the four lucky new owners of a pretty glass bottle of golden Suti Rejuvenate Face Oil are:

The Procrastinator (who said that her skin could use a treat after a hot, Toronto summer)

MoonRae (who needs to keep skin hydrated in dry west Texas)

SayAnything (who needs to treat her stressed out skin after slogging at Uni)

and 

XXAubreyAnn (who says she needs some pampering because she's a worrier!)

Thanks again to everyone who entered and helped to make our first giveaway such a success, and to Suti for supplying the beautiful prizes. If you want another chance to win something to pamper your skin, stay tuned -  we'll have another lovely surprise coming this fall....

Giveaway! Win a Sumptuous Face Oil from Suti - CLOSED!

Here we are at The Blossom Shed's very first giveaway, and it's a fabulous one if we do say so ourselves. The lovely ladies at Suti, that temple of all that is pure, luxurious and nourishing, have generously sent us FOUR bottles of their divine Rejuvenate Face Oil to share...


Remember how we gushed over the sumptuous Nourish Oil earlier this year? The Rejuvenate Oil is like its younger, peppier sister - a bit lighter and zestier, with an uplifting, citrus scent and bright, golden color. A blend of the purest, highest quality oils - rosehip, argan, evening primrose, sandalwood, frankincense, tangerine and neroli - it's utter heaven for your your senses and your skin.


Hydrating, balancing and soothing, it's a fabulous choice for dry, sensitive, mature, combination and acne-plagued skins. Basically, everyone. Wear it daily, nightly, or as a treat when your skin needs a little extra pampering. It's lovely under sunscreen, and I feel like it keeps my skin soft and hydrated while still allowing it to breathe - I use it on weekends when I want to give skin a break and a bit of a pamper - a few drops massaged into damp skin leave it glowing and radiant.


Want to read more about the product? Peruse some of the glowing reviews at Beauty Mouth, A Model Recommends, Elle UK and Fig + Sage. We also want to send a huge thank you to Tina and Suzannah of Suti for sponsoring this giveaway - they're skincare geniuses and generous to boot.


CARE TO WIN A BOTTLE?


Leave a comment telling us A) how you follow The Blossom Shed - GFC, Bloglovin', Twitter or Facebook (if you want us to love you forever you'll follow via ALL of them) and B) why your skin deserves a treat. Giveaway ends August 1st, and is open to anyone, anywhere - it may take us ages to mail it if you're in Siberia, but send it we will.


Four winners will be chosen randomly - make sure you leave a contact,  via email or Twitter, so that we can contact you if you're one of the lucky few!

Suti Cleanse Balm

Suti Cleanse Balm is possibly the dreamiest thing you'll ever put on your face. I know I'm prone to hyperbole, but trust me - in this case it might actually be an understatement.

I know a lot people are a bit nervous of cleansing balms - they take a bit more time, and not so good ones can leave skin feeling slick or not very cleansed - and we're programmed to think that stripped, dry skin equals clean. But at their best, balms deep clean like nothing else, dissolving stubborn dirt, sebum and makeup, leaving skin healthy and radiant.

This Suti balm is the creme de la creme of cleansers, the perfect blend of completely organic and utterly luxurious. Naturally and subtly fragrant, with a soft, calendula-citrus note, it starts out a bit grainy from the solidified oils, but rubbed into dry skin it turns silky smooth and leaves skin deep cleaned and glowing, without stripping the natural oils or irritating the skin's natural moisture barrier. Suti explains its ingredients and their uses below:

Blended Apricot Kernel, Sunflower and Shea Butter to intensively nourish, protect and help slough dead skin cells; Avocado to soothe, nourish and revitalise skin, Olive Oil to help soothe and calm inflammation and Calendula to help heal and tighten up the pores....

I use this most nights before bed, or when I have a little extra time on my hands - I massage a tiny amount into dry skin, taking a good long time to work it in gently but thoroughly. The muslin cloth is comes with is a particularly nice one - large enough, and gentle, I use it with warm water, wrung out, to remove the balm. I make sure to always use this before bed when I've worn a heavy sunscreen or lots of makeup - it's the only thing that gets everything off without bothering my sensitive skin. It also seems to really plump up my skin from within - leaving it radiant and deeply clean - every one of my pores looks completely clear after one use, which is quite a feat. It's like a little spa facial in a jar. A very pretty little jar it is too - glass with a silver top, the sunny yellow contents visible inside.

Just like Suti's face oils, I can't help but feel pampered when I use this - I don't know if it's the aromatherapy of the oils or the ritual of the facial massage, but I always sleep well and really unwind when I finish the day with this little routine.

A little goes a very, very long way, which is good because at $49, it's quite an investment for a cleanser. When you work out how long it will last, it's really not that bad at all, especially for something of this standard - handmade, certified organic, it's some of the highest quality I've ever experienced in skincare, still small enough that the owners and creaters are 100% committed to creating a fabulous product every time. Suti products are available online in the UK at http://www.suti.co.uk/ and exclusively in the US at the lovely Shen Beauty boutique.

What's your current cleansing routine, and how is it working for you? Any favorite products?Tell me all about them below!

(Sample was kindly sent by Suti for consideration.)

Suti Nourish Facial Oil

I've been waiting a bit to write a review on this product because I was so smitten I was afraid I'd gush. Time hasn't dampened my enthusiasm, so prepare yourselves as I extol the virtues of my new best friend..... The Suti Nourish Facial Oil.

Lovingly created by two sister-in-laws Suzannah and Tina (the "Su" and "Ti"), Suti is a small, impeccably crafted new line from the UK that uses only sustainably sourced, organically grown ingredients, hand blended into the finest and gentlest of facial oils, balms and tonics. I plan on reviewing several of them over the next month, but I'm starting with my favorite - the divine Nourish Facial Oil.

It's no secret that we love a good facial oil here at the Blossom Shed, and there's not many I haven't tried - there's some lovely ones out there, but Suti's Nourish Facial Oil has left them all behind - it's just ridiculously nice. A potent blend of 15 plant and flower extracts, it's intensely nourishing, smooth, silky and light, and releases a gorgeous natural fragrance when gently pressed into skin. Skin looks glowing, bright and plump in the morning, like you've just had a wonderful night's sleep.

This blend includes Apricot Kernel, Avocado, Calendula, Argan, Jasmine and Patchouli oils - I suppose it should smell of jasmine, but to me it smells like paperwhites, those gorgeously scented spring bulbs that you can grow on your windowsill, that smell like a mix between narcissus and jasmine. If you like that sort of thing, this smells like heaven in a bottle, and has such a lovely aromatherapy effect that I seem to relax immediately when I put this on. It feels and smells luxurious, and the scent lingers quietly until I fall asleep. The pretty glass bottle looks beautiful on your dresser, as does the pale emerald color of the oil within. My favorite part of all is that it's $52 for the lovely 30ml bottle - I know that doesn't sound cheap, but it's about 1/3 of the price of other luxury face oils - the whole line is incredibly reasonable for the quality and ingredients, which is another reason I'm thrilled by it - it's rare to find good value hand in hand with impeccable quality.

My favorite way to use this is to press a few drops into damp skin at night and forgo the moisturizer - I like that it heals and plumps skin while letting it breath and rest as you sleep. You can use it nightly, or just once or twice a week to pamper, nourish and balance the skin.

You can find Suti products on their website in the UK, and at Shen Beauty boutique in the US.

Do you have a favorite luxury product that helps you feel pampered and relaxed? How do you feel about paperwhites? I love hearing your comments, so share below!

(Products kindly sent by Suti for consideration)