*First Look* Love & Toast

When I heard Beauty Emporium were going to stock Love & Toast I got very excited, when I got a request to test some out I squeed a little. Who wouldn't?

Love & Toast is an American beauty brand by Margot Elena with a very clear mission statement 'It is just as important to do good as it is to look good' They encourage girls everywhere to 'Be strong, smart and bold'. Even though being 'bold' to Irish girls has a different connotation entirely, we get their gist.

All products are chocked full of goodness but also contain no parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene glycol, retinol, sulfates, or synthetic color. They're never tested on animals or include any animal ingredients. Bravah!

First up! Honey Nectar Body Butter €13.10

With mango & shea butter this is just gorgeous, non greasy and nourishing. It reminds me a lot of Body Shop Mango Body Butter, that was a fave for a long time but this has a cleaner smell.

I've been loving this for dry elbows in this colder weather, I've yet to sacrifice my 3/4 length sleeves, I mean it's only December. As a buttery saviour, it's thumbs up here.

Second! Pomme Poivre Handcreme €11.45

I'm going to hold my hands up here (geddit?) This rub is as far as Pomme Poivre got with me. It's the 'Can't live without it botanical perfume blend' what dunnit. It's overwhelming. With shea butter, olive fruits, macadamia nuts, sunflower oil and Church incense* this husky muskiness just wasn't for me.

I did nab one of the lads before washing off though and rubbed it into his hands and he absolutely loved it! This would strike me as a marmite offering but 'My hands are really soft, Mam' is testament to it's merits. If you like deeper scent or your man is swiping your handcream this may be a safe bet.

Finally: Salt & Sea Sugar Scrub €16.70

This scrub is luxuriously viscous and packed full of sugar. It's scent is citrussy with white florals and what smells to me like cut grass undertones. It's definitely at the deeper end of the sniffy spectrum but I like it.

It washes off easily and leaves a beautiful sheen on the skin and will certainly keep the lads' mitts off my beloved Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish once they cotton on to Love & Toast's gentle skin scrubbing abilities.

On the whole I'm really liking what's on offer here, the price disparity is always going to be an annoyance but were you to ship these yourself, you're looking at in and around equal standing.

What do we think? Had you heard of Love & Toast before? Tempted to give them a try?

*Doesn't actually contain Church incense (just smells that way)