Apivita Natural Cosmetics: My Picks

Apivita have recently started expanding their range to include UK shoppers.  To establish this they did a large blogger drive where they contacted various bloggers regarding the range.  They did things a bit differently to what I’m used to and rather than asking me to pick some products to try, they instead requested my skin type, hair type and body skin type and then sent me a range of samples accordingly.

I really liked this approach as it gave me an excellent introduction to the brand and what it has to offer.  As is usually the case with brands, there were things I loved and things that were fine but didn’t leave much of an impression.

For example, their Body Euphoria Bath and Shower Gel was very nice and pleasant smelling but didn’t do much for me, although it’s worth noting that I’m very rarely excited by a body wash unless it goes above and beyond the usual at adding moisture to my skin.

Another of these products is the Intimate Care Gentle Cleansing Gel.  I really liked the idea of this as I prefer the idea of washing that area with something that’s formulated specifically for it, and whilst it was fine in the sense that it didn’t cause any problems, it was quite a masculine scent and if I want ‘that’ area to have a scent, it sure ain’t a masculine one!

I’ve started with the negatives but there were some fantastic products in the package which I’ll detail below.  The product that will get it’s own review is the Lip Care in Pink Rose as it needs lip pictures due to it’s tint (it’s really very pretty) so that I’ll be doing at a later date.  Here are the five products I enjoyed using the most from Apivita:

Express Gold Moisturising and Revitalizing Mask with Prickly Pear

This is a mask that does the job at adding moisture back into my skin, but what I absolutely love about this is the phenomenal smell of pear; when I had it on I spent the whole time inhaling the fantastically fruity aroma and as a consequence left it on far too long.  I’m never normally one for being swayed either way by the way a product smells (apart from perfume, obvs) but within 5 minutes of using this I hot-footed it to the website to try and buy the full-sized version.  From what I can gather, it’s only sold in sachets, so I’ll be stocking up on sachets instead.  Regarding the performance of the product itself, it did as described and boosted my skin’s moisture levels effectively without leaving me feeling like I’d covered my face in grease.

Aqua Vita 24HR Moisturising Cream Gel for Oily/Combination Skin

There are a few products in the Aqua Vita range that are aimed at purely replacing and maintaining moisture.  Whilst I enjoy a high-tech formulation just as much as the next person, occasionally I worry that the various chemicals I’m presenting my skin with run the risk of overloading or counteracting each other.  I also like to give my skin a break from things once in a while, and sometimes you just need a basic moisturiser that’ll do nothing other than top up your moisture levels.  This gel formulation has managed to shy away from the typical, rubbery feel that I’ve experienced with many other gel formulas and instead leaves skin feeling plumped and moisturised without any nasty silicone like after effects.  If you’re very oily skinned, this would also work as a light moisture infusing mask if applied in a thick layer and left to soak in.  This also works as both a day and night cream making it great for those who like to keep a tidy dresser.

Aqua Vita 24HR Moisturising and Revitalizing Eye Cream

I’m using this every morning as it’s a great base for make-up and every evening as it’s an effective eye moisturiser.  I do think that sometimes it’s better for your skin to just take things back to zero and give it what it basically needs, so any creams that are purely formulated to moisturise the skin around my eyes usually become regularly featured in my collection.  This cream is a light yet surprisingly nourishing treatment that delivers exactly as it promises; my eye area immediately feels cooled and plumped after application.  I also really like the fact that it comes in a pump-action bottle as this is not only much more hygienic, but it also allows me to dispense just the right amount and one pump is easily enough for both eyes meaning that this should last me quite a while.

Propoline Shine and Revitalising Shampoo

This is another Apivita product that does exactly as it says on the tin; after using this with the matching conditioner (review below) I find my hair feels soft yet weightless but without any frizz and just exactly what you’d want from a quality shampoo.  This suds just enough so that you feel you’re using a shampoo but not so much that you feel like you’re using a soap; I really don’t like shampoos that overly sud as I worry that this means it contains too many stripping ingredients.  I can comfortably do a double wash with this without my hair feeling like it’s had all it’s natural oils removed, and the scent is gentle, soft and feminine without being overpowering; hair smells and feels clean and fresh.

Propoline Shine and Revitalising Conditioner

A little of this goes a long way and you really feel the difference as soon as it’s applied.  It compliments the above shampoo perfectly and leaves hair feeling soft and bouncy.  I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t used this conditioner and shampoo individually so can only really speak of my experiences of using them combined, but during the trial period I did use another shampoo and conditioner set (when these were being photographed and I forgot to bring them back into the bathroom) and it really became obvious just how effective these are in comparison.  I have tricky hair as it’s fine but there’s a lot of it, so consequently it’s prone to going both very flat and very flyaway, but I don’t have any hair issues when I’m using these, so I highly recommend them both.

One thing I really like about Apivita is the website which has been constructed so that it’s really easy to work with.  All products are sub-categorised so you can choose things by your skin concern which makes it really easy to select what you want.  I always appreciate a company that puts thought into how is best to make things easier for their customers, especially ones that have such a large catalogue of products.  I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the Apivita brand and their products, so if you like your cosmetics natural and well formulated then they’re definitely a brand to check out.

*PR Samples (S)