Mother's Day Gift Guide!

Well hello May! With Mother's Day fast approaching, I thought I'd put together my recommendations for lovely presents, in the form of my (hopefully!) helpful Mother's Day Gift Guide! I'm a Mum myself, so I'm well aware some of us have a tendency to put ourselves last. So this Guide will be focussed on gorgeous products that Mums can relax and pamper themselves with. Because if there's any day we should indulge in 'me time' on, it has to be Mother's Day! Read on for some delightful pampering gifts ideas and let me know which is your favourite in the comments!

GUESS 1981 Eau de Toilette Spray*
This fragrance comes in a cute pale pink box and the bottle itself is minimal and stylish, with a round design and a square silver lid. Described as elegant, sophisticated and graceful, the scent is feminine, modern and sexy. Guess 1981 would be perfect for date night, as it's sensual and musky with a strong floral scent. In terms of composition, the top notes are violet and ambrette seed, with a fruity and floral heart of pear, jasmine petals and sandalwood and a base of musk, amber and cedar wood.  Available in 50ml and 100ml eau de toilette bottles, you can either go all out and buy this as Mum's major gift, or get the super-cute smaller size and add it as an extra gift to spoil her!

Available from May. Stockists unavailable at time of posting. Priceline and Chemist Warehouse stock Guess fragrance though, so my best Guess (haha) would be there.

Oh Deer Sugar Ombre Bubblebath Macarons
This three pack of ombre bubblebath macarons are possibly the cutest thing I've ever bought! I fall more in love with Oh Deer Sugar every time I step inside this South Australian non-edible bakery, and I went so far as to treat myself with an online haul the day they released their Mother's Day range! (Look out for that blog post in the future). These smell amazing and are pink, pretty and the perfect Mother's Day gift because everyone loves a fragrant bubblebath, right? The scents are apricot and grapefruit, peaches and cream and peony and nectarine. I talk about Oh Deer Sugar Oh Peachy Keen Shower Moose in my March Favourites and the Oh Passion Rose & Passionfruit Shower Moose in my September Favourites, such is my love for these products.

Available at Oh Deer Sugar in Regent Arcade, Adelaide or at Oh Deer Sugar online.

Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Polish*
The reason this is 'color therapy' is because the formula contains Argan Oil, so it's supposed to 'care while you wear'. I love multi-tasking products, and this is a nail polish, top coat, cuticle and nail oil in one! I have trialled these polishes and I really love them. I think combining nail colour (which a lot of us enjoy wearing) with a nail treatment is a fantastic idea, because multi-tasking for the win, right guys? I can recommend the shade Pampered in Pink (third from the left in the above photo - check out my Manicure and Review of that here) because it's bright, cheerful, feminine and I love how it looks on my nails. I think a lot of other Mothers would love it, too!

Available at Priceline, Target, Kmart, Chemist Warehouse, Woolworths and Coles.

Urban Rituelle Wellness Cleansing Bars*
If you're looking for something a little bit special this Mother's Day, I can highly recommend these luxurious cleansing bars from Urban Rituelle. They're a bit more expensive than other soaps, but they are high quality, super large in size so they last ages and the fragrances are out of this world! Before I wax lyrical about the scents, these cleansing bars from the new Harvest range are also palm oil free, vegan friendly and Aussie made using 100% naturally derived ingredients. Being a huge citrus lover, I was delighted to trial Grapefruit, Lemon, Pineapple & Celery; Blood Orange, Papaya & Mandarin and lastly Lemon Myrtle, Lemongrass & Muddled Mint. The other fragrances are Guava, Cranberry & Goji Berries; Rose Infused Coconut Water, Cucumber and Aloe and lastly Coconut, Honey, Almond & Chia.

Available at Urban Rituelle online or click here for Stockists in your area.

Weleda Tinted Lip Balm in Rose*
I've really been enjoying my Weleda Tinted Lip Balm in the Rose shade lately and think it would make a great addition to any Mother's Day gift. The formula is creamy and slightly moussey, the product feels beautiful on the lips and the finish is a flattering, shimmery light pink colour. It's like wearing a balm that's hydrating and moisturising your lips, nourishing them and making them softer whilst also giving you a soft wash of colour. This range also comes in Nude, but this is too light for my skin tone, and Berry, which I don't have so I can't comment on that one. The balm smells of rose petals and vanilla, which is an added bonus! Click here to read my probably too cheeky Brand Focus on Weleda.

Available at David Jones, selected health food stores, pharmacies, online stores and Weleda online.

Natura Siberica Active Organics Revitalizing Bath Salts*
I highly recommend these Revitalizing Bath Salts from Natura Siberica; I've used them before and seriously didn't want my tub of goodness to end! They provide an incredibly relaxing bath that would be perfect for Pamper Sunday, or Pamper any-day-of-the-week! The fragrance of these herbal salts is freakin' delightful. Even my nine year old son, who turns his nose up at a lot of smells despite producing questionable ones himself (heh), went "ahhh" when he smelt these. The ingredients include Siberian Ginseng, Rose Hip Oil and Calendula Flower Extract. I've reviewed this lovely product here.

Available at Natura Siberica online or discounted at Chemist Warehouse.

Harvest Garden French Green Clay Facial Masque*
To add to Mum's 'me time' on Mother's Day, you can't go wrong with a lovely face mask. I'm a big believer in Pamper Sunday, which usually involves a relaxing bath, a face mask and a DIY manicure if I get around to it! This Harvest Garden Facial Masque contains French Green Clay, Olive Green Australian Clay, Matcha Green Tea and Aloe Vera extract. The super-fun part is that you mix it yourself and paint it on with a brush; I love this because it brings out the artist in me! The benefits are refined pores, a reduction in irritation and revitalized skin. Clay draws out impurities, clarifies and detoxes the skin. I love Harvest Garden products and you can read my review of more from their range here.

Available at various pharmacies, health food stores, florists, giftware stores and Harvest Garden online.

Rustic Bliss Lemon And Lime Bath Milk*
Have you guessed yet that I have a penchant for bath products? This lemon and lime milk dissolves leaving you with an amazing, zesty, citrus-smelling bath that is super relaxing! I love the sweet candy-like fragrance of this Blissful bath milk that's invigorating and soothing at the same time. Check out my review of this gorgeous Rustic Bliss product here.

Available at Rustic Bliss online.


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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post; links are for information purposes only. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What are your plans for Mother's Day this year? Do any of these gifts take your fancy?

Review: Harvest Garden Coffee Goodness*!

Hello! Towards the end of last year I was lucky enough to be sent a package of mostly coffee-themed goodies from the lovely people at Harvest Garden. I'd previously tried this all natural brand after enjoying a Harvest Garden Lavender with Washed Australian Blue Clay Soap from the Bloggers United AU Adelaide Event Goody Bag. Soaps, shower gels and scrubs are some of my most favourite beauty products to try, I don't know why, but I've just always been super into them. Harvest Garden pride themselves on making skincare from natural ingredients, with no nasty additives. Today I'll be talking about the Coffee & Salt Soap*, Coffee Body Scrub with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon & Vanilla* and the Peppermint & Matcha Lip Balm.*

Coffee & Salt Soap*

'Ground coffee is a natural exfoliant and helps remove dead skin, while its properties help keep the skin fresh. Coffee can be beneficial in reducing cellulite as well. The massage and exfoliation benefits skin by stimulating blood/lymph flow and the caffeine in the coffee has a tightening effect. The addition of sea salt makes this bar work double time! The salt gives your skin a a deep cleanse by exfoliating dead skin cells and also has antiseptic qualities.'

I've really been enjoying this soap bar, especially because I've always loved exfoliating soaps. For ages I used the exfoliating Dove Beauty Bar and before that a lemon one that was oh-so-scratchy, but right up my alley. This Harvest Garden bar contains sea salt pieces that are quite abrasive, so you have to be careful no to apply too much pressure when soaping yourself. Personally, I love the 'scratchy' feeling as it gives your whole body a lovely massage and a satisfying 'scratching that itch' feeling. This is too harsh to use directly on the face, although it can be used gently on softer areas. I go to town on my thighs and upper arms because its said to reduce cellulite and the caffeine is supposed to tighten the skin, and Lord know I need help in those regions! This is quite a creamy soap that gives a medium lather. Interestingly, the ground coffee helps to eliminate garlic and onion odours, so I'd recommend keeping it in the kitchen for washing your hands after making French Onion Soup or throwing garlic cloves at vampires. The ingredients include sea salt, coffee beans, beeswax and coconut, macadamia nut, sweet almond and extra virgin olive oils.

Harvest Garden also make many other fabulous sounding soaps including Sweet Orange & Cinnamon with Saffron; Rosemary & Tea Tree with Comfrey; Lemongrass, Olive Leaf Extract & Ground Flaxseed and Honey & Oatmeal. You can also buy a Soap Slices Sampler Pack so you can try multiple soaps!

Coffee Body Scrub with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon & Vanilla*

'Refreshingly sweet and spicy and packed full of botanical extracts, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Designed to tighten and tone your skin, buff away dead skin cells, draw out impurities and leave your skin soft and glowing.'

I must admit, after ripping open the top of the packet, I had a bit of difficulty opening the seal on this, but it may just have been my lack of upper body strength/general ineptitude! The good news is that it seals well, meaning no product will spill out and get wasted. The first thing that hits you is an overwhelmingly delicious and strong coffee scent! This scrub is a deep dark brown and it's packed in there like the way brown sugar sits in the packet; all stuck together but soft and malleable. It's quite a moist mixture and there's a combination of smaller and larger scrubby particles. This scrub feels great and smells amazing (it's a really strong coffee aroma, seriously!) and is nowhere near as abrasive as the Coffee & Salt Soap. Afterwards my skin felt so smooth and soft, as well as nourished and super moisturised! When rinsing it off, the water formed little droplets on my skin, as if there was an oily residue, but none could be felt whatsoever. Instead, my skin just felt really clean and healthy, and smelled delicious! The ingredients in this scrub include coffee beans, brown sugar, certified organic raw sugar, sweet almond oil, Vitamin E, cinnamon powder, licorice root extract and Vanilla Oleoresin. If you hit up this page on the Harvest Garden website it tells you what each ingredient does and its benefits.

Other delicious-sounding Harvest Garden scrubs include Coconut Body Polish with Rosehip & Pomegranate and the Matcha Body Scrub with Peppermint, Passionflower & Bamboo.

Peppermint & Matcha Lip Balm*

'This soothing blend of butters and oils moisturises, repairs and protects your lips. Enriched with shea butter for added nourishment, peppermint for its cooling sensation and matcha green tea for its antioxidant benefits.'

Another winner from Harvest Garden! This balm has a strong peppermint scent and is so refreshing and cooling upon application. I've been using it first thing in the morning and last thing at night before going to bed, to keep my lips moisturised overnight. I also love to use it at the start of my makeup routine, to soften and prepare my lips for the lip products that will follow! You could easily wear this out on its own if you're that way inclined, as it has a nice shiny finish with a slight shimmer. I don't know it it's just me, but some lip balms make me cough; I'm pleased to say this balm doesn't trigger any coughing, which is why I love wearing it to bed. The only negative is that the winder no longer winds the product back down, so I have to push it down with my finger after use. But this is a minor quibble and for a balm that only costs $6 and has everything else going for it, I don't really mind. Along with shea butter, matcha green tea and peppermint, this also contains sweet almond oil, macadamia nut oil, Vitamin E and essential oils.

If this flavour doesn't take your fancy, they also make Orange, Ginger & Turmeric; Tinted Rose & Pomegranate and the refreshing-sounding Pink Grapefruit & Passionflower lip balms!

You can buy these products and more from the Harvest Garden website.

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. Links are for information purposes only and are not affiliates (I don't make any money if you buy using the links). Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you tried any Harvest Garden products and if so, what did you think of them?