THE BEAUTY OF THE HEBRIDES

Last, last Christmas (which is 2012, last Christmas was actually 2013 now- woah) I was given a natural soap and lip balm by my father's friend who lives on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland (for those of you who have never heard of Lewis which I'm not surprised about, it is a very small island about an hour's plane ride from the top of Scotland where it is permanently cold and rainy and the only people who live their our my father's friend and his family and my best friend's family). Now that our geography lesson is over, I can continue with my point.

An example of the soap and packaging- smells divine

The Hebridean Soap Company (so named for being in the Outer Hebrides) is a lovely little company that makes mainly all-natural and handmade soaps and some other similar products like lip balm. Some of the wonderful and natural ingredients that go into these homemade products are: (in the lip balm) olive oil, castor oil, beeswax, coconut oil, blackseed oil and then whichever oil they chose for the flavouring. The soaps, which they are most known for, also have natural, local ingredients.

Mine currently looks a bit lumpy and gross- you can only see that I own a bit pink camera

It took me a while to get into these products as I was originally put off the hardness of the lip balm; I was also not that great a fan of the scent which is mocha (they do not make mocha anymore). I don't know if this is an age thing because I remember it always being a very hard product but had to break away the hard top layer before I could use it properly. Once I had though the product underneath was lovely and creamy.

This has got to be the best lip balm I have ever used, it is creamy and moisturising and leaves my lips looking and feel soft and amazing. I would actually say it is better than Burt's Bees and we all know how much I love my Burt. This is a product that is definitely worthy of much more recognition and high street-ness and I cannot stress how well it has worked.

The one thing you cannot deny about these products is how fantastically priced they are (£3.00 for the lip balm). The quality and price of these make fantastic and unusual presents for people as it is an excellent but very unknown brand (truthfully I wouldn't have known about them if it wasn't for friends living there and, unless you live there or know people who do, no one will have heard of them either).

Reads' Mocha, Natural lipbalm'- this one is no longer available but they do sell peppermint, strawberry, tiramisu, marshmallow and coconut

I love these products, they have the whole essence and beauty of the Isle of Lewis summarised into one product (if you ever get the chance to go then you should, there is nothing to do but it's absolutely beautiful), the ingredients are exceptional and I will not hesitate to buy from them soon.