Ruby Red

This cold weather

2011-12-15T11:27:00.000Z

Went out to buy the dogs winter coats. Didn't realise its just like buying clothes for people. They had to try the coats on for size and shape. Depending on the shape, some didn't cover all their backs...Ended up buying 2 coats which they refuse to move when they wear.Its back to walking round the park "au naturel"

December the month of good cheer

2011-12-07T10:39:00.003Z

Its always seems that everything happens in December - Its our busiest month for sales and our equipment always breaks down. Everyone is rushing around, getting ready for Christmas.

Luckily for me it's my birthday next week and I'm off for a day of relaxation to a Hamman. Can't wait to spend a day being warm with a traditional cleansing routine using loads of oils and salts for exfoliation.

My perfect day

The Oxfam running team

2011-03-24T13:47:00.003Z

Oxfam are running to help end poverty at the London Marathon on Sunday 17th April and they will be using our Organic Peppermint Foot and Leg cream to help soothe all those tired feet.

All of you running at the London Marathon really deserve that medal.

The lovely Kouys

2011-02-05T15:04:00.003Z

We couldn't resist sharing this lovely pic of the gorgeous Kouys next to our Valentine gift set in House Of Fraser Lakeside.

We love the way our gift boxes just sit so snuggly in their Apothecary area.

Have a good weekend from all at Ruby Red

Ruby Red launches at House of Fraser

2011-01-29T16:53:00.003Z

We had been working hard all over January to get the stock ready for House of Fraser and there we were, in their lovely shops with our gorgeous "Love is Everywhere" gift set, just perfect for valentine.

If you pop into any of the following stores Oxford Street, Westfield, Victoria, Bluewater, Lakeside, Guildford, Maidstone, Nottingham, Meadowhall (Sheffield), Metro Centre ( Gateshead),Glasgow, Edinburgh Princes Street, Belfast and Dundrum (Dublin), you will find us in the beauty section.

Cutting your hair upside down

2010-09-04T15:39:00.003+01:00

Rebecca from Waterloo Body Station , a cornucopia of english beauty brands in London, gave me a great tip the other week - To trim your hair, put your head upside down over the bath, use a sharp pair of scissors and cut across tips of the hair. I've tried it and it works for my hair.

PS be careful not to cut yourself

Special Ruby Red September offer

2010-08-27T16:41:00.001+01:00

Have your lips dry out in the summer heat? Revive them with our organic Honey and Vanilla Lip balm.

Spend over £ 40.00p on any of your favourite Ruby Red goodies at our online shop on the Ruby Red website and we will add our luscious Lip Balm to your order
( worth £ 5.00p at retail)

A Ruby Red Mother's day poem

2010-03-06T09:22:00.003Z

Mother's day is not far away - so we thought we'd help with a little rhyme. It was a team effort here at Ruby Red

My mum is so special she’s really the best,
she can’t be compared to all of the rest.
We sometimes fight but that doesn’t matter
As she will always be my special mudder

If you are still a bit stuck for what to get her, we've got some lovely
organic beauty gifts on our the Ruby Red website

Check out Martine fluttering her eyelashes on video

2010-03-01T17:40:00.003Z

Yummy, home baked cakes

2010-02-22T12:14:00.005Z

If you are down near Regent's Park at the weekend, you might bump into Katie and Lois who make and sell their own delicious cakes. They are just too yummy....

Ethical Fashion show kicks off March 11th

2010-02-18T11:20:00.002Z

Everyone is talking Fashion with London Fashion Week kicking off, Ruby Red is also getting involved...in Ethical Fashion.
The People at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow are getting together a team of the best UK ethical clothes designers for their fashion show on March 11th and Ruby Red is sponsoring the show.
Its a great event and in a good cause to keep the William Morris legacy alive. We've got one ticket to give away so if you can get to East london and want to go to a great event on March 11th, email "I love ethical fashion" to hello@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk.

Ruby Red meets the guys at the British Library

2010-02-18T11:08:00.003Z

Ruby Red celebrated last night with the British Library in London, it was a grand affair. We had been invited as Ruby Red has been recognised by the British Library has one of their success story, hurrah...

Ruby Red hits the airwave

2010-02-11T14:34:00.006Z

What a week, Did you hear the Jo Whiley show last Saturday on Radio 1?

Well you would have heard fashion expert Gemma recommend Ruby Red as the ultimate luxurious Valentine’s day treat?

“I am obsessed with Ruby Red’s Frangipani Solid Perfume” said Gemma “you’re going to feel good about yourself, if you smell good!”

You can still listen to the show until this Friday - its the one called "Erik Hassle in the Live Lounge" - listen at 51.37 minutes

A big thanks to all of you who bought online on the Ruby Red site, have a great valentine's

Tasty temptation

2009-07-28T14:55:00.002+01:00

Martine has been busy developing new products for you this year. First we launched 3 new soaps, than the Organic Peppermint Foot and Leg Cream and now we've got a gorgeous Lip Balm.

All formulated inhouse here at Ruby Red, our products are freshly made without using any Parabens, Lanolin, Petrochemicals or Minerals oils. We make sure that what you put on your skin is Natural and effective.

Handmaking in small batches may be a bit more expensive but it does mean that all products are fresh and just like food, it makes a difference to the quality of your beauty product. Our Luscious Lip Balm is made with organic beeswax to protect your lips and Olive Oil and Shea Butter to moisturise. This oil combination also creates a smooth, soft lip balm which melts to the touch.

The natural flavouring of Vanilla and Honey gives our Lip Balm a great caramel colour and taste. Still only available at outdoor events but coming soon to the Ruby Red online shop www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk

Extended Bath Soak offer

2009-07-28T14:52:00.001+01:00

Good news for all you bath lovers, Ruby Red is continuing with the half price Organic Bath Soak offer throughout August, so they will still be on offer when you get back from your hols. Available online at www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk

Last week of Ruby Red 1/2 price offer

2009-07-23T12:27:00.002+01:00

Where has the time gone, its nearly end of July and the last week of our summer sale.

You have got one more week to buy our gorgeous Organic Bath Soaks at half price and once you've tried them, you won't be able to bathe without them.

Not only do they smell delicious but they leave your skin soft and silky after the bath.

Swakeleys School getting natural

2009-07-23T12:03:00.002+01:00

Last week, Martine from Ruby Red went down to Swakeleys, a local secondary school in Hillingdon, and showed the girls how you can be natural and give yourself a great facial treat.

Martine brought along loads of different fruit and veg and although we were tempted to eat the lovely fruit and veg selection, we did use them to cleanse, scrub, tone and moisturise our skins.

Different fruit and veg worked well with the different skin types and we mashed, blended and whisked Eggs, Honey, Almond, Watermelon, Cider, Lemon and loads of other stuff. At the end of our Natural Beauty session we all had gleaming, cleansed and refreshed skins. Have the sales of fruit and veg in Hillingdon increased since last week?

If you would like Martine to come to your school and show you how to give yourself a Natural Beauty Facial email infor@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk

Check out the new guys

2009-07-02T16:15:00.010+01:00

There are 2 new faces at Ruby Red this month.

Meera who is helping out in marketing, 2 years into her marketing degree she's doing a last bit of work placement before the big exams. So expects loads of tweets and stuff from her in the next couple of months.

Nicolas on the other hand has joined us all the way from Paris to share his expertise with us in natural perfumery. We are raising the bar for Essential oil blends.

Have a look at our latest adventures on facebook with pictures of our market shows www.facebook.com/pages/ruby-red/40318009225

Our first Summer Sale - Bath Soaks

2009-07-02T16:03:00.005+01:00

Our Great 1/2 Price Summer Sale on Organic Bath Soaks

Now is the best time to stock up on your favourite organic Bath Soak.

You can save more than 50% when you purchase online in July.

Each one is hand made with nourishing organic shea butter and blended with rich organic essential oils for a soothing soak that will leave your skin feeling super soft and moisturised.

Choose from Lavender and Palmarosa to relax, Lemongrass and Petit Gran to revive or Geranimum and Ylang Ylang to uplift.

Stock up in July and enjoy them all year round.

Available online at http://www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk/

Didn't we have a lovely day, the day we went to ...

2009-06-18T15:45:00.003+01:00

What a great time we all had last week at the Marylebone Summer Fayre. It was in aid of teenage cancer trust to raise both awareness and money for the charity and they did both spendily.

The weather was just right and we had a lovely day talking to all of you about our great, natural beauty products. A big thank you to Clare who helped us out at the stand.

Organic Peppermint Foot and Leg Cream

2009-06-01T10:43:00.006+01:00

All you Ruby Red fans who have seen us at a consumer event are going to shout "Hurrah, at last". Ruby Red's best selling, organic peppermint foot and leg cream is now available online at http://www.rubyredcosmetic.co.uk/

First launched for the London Marathon and used by friends of Ruby Red to massage their weary feet. They loved it so much we thought it only right to share this cream with all of you.

Our cream is a blend of pure organic Peppermint essential oil from India blended with Shea Butter, Sunflower oil and Vitamin E. It’s amazing for cooling the skin, reducing redness and calming irritation and itchiness. It also helps relieve cracked heels and sore feet.

Markets, markets, markets.....

2009-05-21T13:49:00.003+01:00

Isn't it lovely when the sun comes out and we all start thinking about those long days of summer.

You will be able to find Ruby Red at some great events this summer. On top of our regular Saturday spot at "Cabbages and Frocks" market in Marylebone on a Saturday and "The Duck Pond" ethical market on Sunday in Ruislip, we are going to be at

The Hertfordshire County Show in Redbourn on 23rd and 24th May

The Marlow Regatta Festival on 13rd/14th June

The Marylebone Village Festival on Sunday 14th June

The Wimbledon Village Fair on Saturday 20th June

So pop by and say hello, we would love to see you

Beginners Organic Soap Workshop

2009-05-20T19:42:00.003+01:00

We had a great day last week, weighing, mixing, pouring and then turning all those great organic ingredients into a moisturising bar of soap.

Martine explained to the team the different properties of the organic vegetable oils we use to make a traditional bar of soap rich in glycerin for a nourishing and soothing soap, how to safely add the lye to the oil mix and then create great aromas with organic essential oils.

And we all went home with 300g of gorgeous soap.

Cool Ruby Red promotion at Harvey Nichols

2009-05-19T13:17:00.005+01:00

Last week, Harvey Nichols had a special VIP night in London and Ruby Red was there to support them.

Mike put his creative hat on, to come up with a design concept for the promotional site Harvey Nichols had given us and Martine was on hand to give advice to customers.

Great evening was had by all, and some even turned to drink - all healthy stuff from juice bar.

Organic Soap Making Workshops

2009-04-16T08:23:00.004+01:00

Did you know that most mass-produced bars are not actually soap at all, they are 'syndet' or 'synthetic detergent' bars.
I can show you how to make real soap using the cold process method.
With real soap, vegetable oils are saponified which creates a great moisturising bar of soap full of glycerine. In mass produced soap, glycerine is extracted and sold off seperately.
Ruby Red runs workshops run every month in London and we have a lot of fun. You can go straight home and start making soap for friends and family. They make great pressies as well.
Call Ruby Red on 07 526 526 909 or email info@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk for all the info on the workshops

Our trees are growing

2009-04-10T11:54:00.005+01:00

Do you remember the apple and plum trees, Mike planted last year, well he has watered and nutured them and they are doing nicely thank you. Blossom is now appearing on the trees and we are keeping our fingers crossed for a few fruit this year.

We won't be using them in any beauty products but great for home made jam, yummy, can't wait.

Send me your photos of your fruit tree stories and we can start our very own wall of fruit trees.

Sunday start of British Summer Time

2009-03-27T19:08:00.000Z

Don’t forget to set your clocks forward by one hour on Sunday 29th March 2009, the start of British Summer Time.

The change officially takes place at 01:00 Greenwich Mean Time, so that means one hour less in bed on Sunday, or if you are like me, it will mean getting up one hour later.

I just love this time of year, perfect for long walks in the country to watch spring do its thing. Mike is keeping a close eye on the fruit trees we planted last year and the blackcurrent we planted this year.

How do you use Ruby Red's Organic Whipped Shea Butters

2009-03-11T14:24:00.005Z

1. Use it as a hand cream
2. Use it as a foot cream,
3. Use it as a face treatment cream,
4. Use it as an eye cream
5. Use it as a lip balm,
6. Use it as a nail conditioner,
7. Use it as a body butter,
8. Use it as an elbow balm
9. Use it to shape your eyebrows
10. Your Mum will love them

Hand made from 100% organic shea Butter to nourish and moisturise your skin, wherever and whenever its needed.

There are 4 of them, each as cute as each other:
Organic Natural Whipped Shea Butter – nothing added, just 100% goodness
Organic Lavender Whipped Shea Butter – great aroma and benefits of organic lavender and rosemary oils
Organic Lemon Whipped Shea Butter – organic lemon and honey, how yummy
Organic Rose Whipped Shea Butter – organic geranium rose and vanilla, a real floral treat.

Join the Ruby Red Whipped Shea Butter debate email hello@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk

Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

2009-03-11T11:38:00.003Z

I just love going into my workshop in the evening and experimenting with new natural beauty recipes, it really is like cooking or baking - you need to be precise, understand how different ingredients are going to react with one another, and start with the end in mind.

Last night, I was looking at new ways to make liquid soap - can't tell you too much about it as you will soon be seeing it in our online shop and at your local beauty retailer. But needless to say, I got very enthusiastic.

If you have any natural beauty products questions, email me at hello@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk and I will do my best to answer you.

Obinna Umelo aka Obi

2009-03-05T16:42:00.004Z

How lucky are we to have Obi with us for the next few weeks. A clever lad, Obi already has a degree in accounting and is now studying for a qualification in management accounting. So we are all going around with calculators trying to look intelligent. if only someone would show us the on button.

And here is an interesting fact - he tells us Nigeria is the largest black nation on the planet with 130m people. If you would like more interesting facts on Nigeria, than you have only got a few more weeks to email us hello@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk and we will ask Obi for you.

Real Lavender Soap

2009-02-26T16:32:00.007Z

You have been asking us for soap, well we have made some for you.

Mike is going to be taking our new Organic Lavender Soap to the Barnet Fair Trade Fair this Saturday 28th February and it smells delicious.

Making soap is a bit like magic, mix a few of the right oils with lye and some great aromatic organic essential oils and before your eyes it transforms itself into a bar of soap. Better than watching tele.

We have mixed organic coconut butter ( its what makes those lovely big bubbles) , sustainable organic Palm Oil ( adding firmness to the bar) with olive oil ( moisture galore) and to saponify the oil a quantity of Lye. Then we added a lashing of organic Lavender essential oil from France and hey presto, we have conjured up a 100% natural, organic bar of soap with all the glycerin kept in so that you get the full benefit of the richness of the oils and an aroma to dream with.

PS don't try this at home without proper guidance

Organic and Fair Trade

2009-02-23T15:53:00.007Z

I had the most fantastic week last week going around an Organic Trade Fair in Germany called Biofach surrounded by fairtrade suppliers of oils and other ingredients for Natural Beauty, I was like a kid in a candy shop.

All over the world, women ( and men) are using these incredible natural ingredients to keep their skin looking healthy and glowing, it makes you wonder why we ever decided to put chemicals on our skin.

I can't wait to start cooking up some great new products with everything I brought back with me, so watch this space.

Its Fair Trade Fortnight for the next couple of weeks, have fun there are lost of events happening. On a more serious note, organic is important for lots of reasons; important to our health by producing high quality ingredients that do not contain any harmful substances, important to the health of our planet by using farming methods that maintain our eco system and also important to the health of the people who work the soil by not subjected them to any chemicals which cause damage. Hand in hand with the organic principle is Fairtrade. The principle of fairtrade emphasises that we should conduct all human relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties.

Here at Ruby Red, we really like these principles and try to conduct our business by them and this year we would like to commit further by supporting Red Nose Day on 13th March. From now until 13th March for every product bought online, Ruby Red is donating 10p to Red Nose. Lets support those great projects in Africa and over here, buy online at www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk and let make a difference together.

Fun at Duck Pond Farm

2009-02-16T19:48:00.003Z

Mike and I, last Sunday, spent the day at a great new ethical market in Ruislip called the Duck Pond Farm. We met loads of new people all interested to talk to us about Ruby Red and natural products.
We also met old friends, Rose and her husband, who had already bought Ruby Red shea butters and replenished their stock.
The markets for us are a great way to get feedback from our customers and once more we got some great comments on an organic cold pressed soap we are launching later in the year.
We will must certainly be back next month

Ruby Red spreads the word

2009-02-12T13:27:00.003Z

I was delighted to be invited by the West London Association of Reflexology Group to talk about all the goodies in the Ruby Red range. A real passion of mine . Everyone got to try Ruby Red and talk about beauty tips, tired feet and stuff....

So after a brief history of how Ruby Red was born ( I just love telling that story) , we got down to talking products. All were impressed by the smooth texture of our Organic Shea butter which is fairly traded from a womens co-operative in Ghana. Its soft, organic, 100% natural and made with love. The women in the co-operative pick the nuts from the ground, dry them in the sun to bring out the oil and then heat the millled nuts to form the butter. They are proud of what they achieve and rightly so.

Our Organic Essential oils come from all corners of the world and all have such delicious aromas, its difficult to know which one to choose. So we had to try all of them again. Eventually favorites did come to the fore, Lavender from France, Ylang Ylang from Madagascar.

It was a great evening and a big thanks to all in the group.

If you would like Martine to come and talk to your group about Ruby Red and Natural Beauty email info@rubyredcosmetics.co.uk with your details.

Ruby Red on the airwaves

2009-01-30T15:53:00.005Z

Today BBC1Xtra presenter Gemma visited Ruby Red HQ to learn how to make Bath Bombs with our resident natural beauty expert, Martine (who as we all know likes nothing more than mixing and blending natural ingredients to create perfectly pure products).

Bath Bombs are a great way to start making your very own natural products. They're as easy-as-pie to make and you can buy all the ingredients from your local shop. Or just raid your mum's kitchen cupboard.

Ingredients:

* 3/4 Bicarbonate of Soda (aka baking powder)
* 1/4 Citric Acid
* A few drops of essential oil (of your choice for the natural aroma - we like vanilla)
* A few drops of food colouring (we like red for Valentine's Day)
* A pinch of botanicals (petals to you and me)
* Cold water (put it in a spritzer spray bottle to control the amount)

Other stuff you'll need:

* A large mixing bowl
* Spoon
* Moulds to shape the bombs (you could even try ice-cube trays or yoghurt pots)

You'll need to don your hat and apron, as modelled by Gemma here, to protect your clothes as making Bath Bombs can get a teensy bit messy...

Ready to rock? Here's the how-to for making approx 200g:

* Mix twelve spoons of bicarbonate of soda and four spoons of citric acid into the mixing bowl, sieving if necessary, and thoroughly mix together until you have a lovely consistent texture. *Add a few drops of vanilla and colouring (to make the shade you want). Blend, blend and blend again with your hands. Then blend some more. *Now, this is the tricky bit. Start with three or four spritzes of water into the bowl, keep adding water slowly until the mixture clumps together when squeezed in your hand. It's now ready to be put into moulds. *Fill your mould, pat the mixture in lightly, stack more on top of each side and push them together pretty hard. Let them sit for a few moments then remove the mould veeeery carefully (don't twist!) one half at a time.

It might take a bit of practise to get it so that the mixture is tightly pakced into the mould and doesn't just crumble (as Gemma found out after a couple of attempts).

Tip: mould one bath bomb, and see if it holds together. If it does, mould the rest. If it kind of falls apart, add another spritz or two, and do another test mould.

If you don't have a mould, you can always roll the bombs by hand into whatever shape takes your fancy.

Let them air dry for 3 or 4 hours and voila! Wonderful, hard bath bombs. Martine says: the harder you pack the bath bombs, the more dense, heavy, and durable bomb you will get.

If, like us, you're gifting for Valentine's Day, why not individually wrap your creations in special shiny paper and fasten with a flourish of raffia or ribbon?

There! You've made bath bombs. Wasn't that easy?

Why not post pics of your versions on our Facebook Fan Page, we'd love to see what you make?

Addicted to shea butter

2008-12-02T11:54:00.001Z

Ruby Red's organic shea butter is the latest must-have on the Secret Diary of a Beauty Addict's blog!

BritishBeautyBlogger: Ruby Red Organics

2008-10-23T13:37:00.004+01:00

Ruby Red's organic bath soaks got a very nice mention on British Beauty Blogger.