Palmer’s Shea Butter Formula with Vitamin E

So what’s the fuss about?

Palmer’s is another of those big brands that has cemented its identity in the market. This vitamin enriched “treatment for soft, radiant skin” is designed to nourish the skin intensively. It’s key ingredient and therefore it’s most potent force in achieving this is super soft shea butter. The product also makes numerous other claims. Supposedly it “combats dryness and improves elasticity” as well as providing a “smooth, natural glow”. This deviates from the original Palmer’s formula in that it has been enriched with vitamin E and it also bucks tradition by smelling very different!

What’s in it?

You’ve got your usual shea butter which is tremendously buttery and soft. You’ve also got mineral oil, which is notorious for blocking pores. As such, such a thick formula should NOT be used on the face or anywhere on your body that may be prone to acne breakouts. The product is paraben free, vitamin E enriched and has not been tested on animals.

What does it smell like?

The traditional formula smells deliciously of chocolate – sweet, cocoa goodness. This formula smells different and is less appealing because of it. It has a more clinical smell and smells ever so slightly like an alcoholic drink.

Where do I use it?

All over the body once or twice a day to combat dryness.

Does it work?

This is definitely a very softening product. Those who have used it will be familiar with the thickness of the formula which drenches skin and leaves it moisturised, soft and with a dewy glow. Use on dry areas will provide immediate improvement and it’s great as a pre-emptive cure for any skin issues!

Would I repurchase?

No...simply because I prefer the original formula (the one that I’m most familiar with), the cocoa butter formula. I just adore the smell of the cocoa and as such I would stick with bottles of that rather than this!

How much did it cost?

Awfully cheap at £2.98. Daylight robbery!

Overall rating: 8/10

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate

So what’s the fuss about?

Liz Earle is a one woman superstar who creates beautification products using “naturally active ingredients”. Her brand is the best of Great Britain sourcing ingredients fairly and without animal extracts. This is a natural, ethical range ideal if you are conscious about enjoying products that work whilst being environmentally aware.

This particular product is designed to “plump, smooth and rebalance” the skin. Intended as a night time concentrate and with a useful roller-ball design, the product can easily and effortlessly be applied with minimum pressure to the skin.

What’s in it?

A whole swathe of intensive, highly heralded ingredients such as hazelnut, rosehip, argan, avocado and neroli oil as well as vitamin E.

What does it smell like?

This is a hard smell to describe but it’s very therapeutic, gentle and relaxing. A soft, balmy, ethereal, unimposing scent.

Where do I use it?

This is designed for use on the face and neck areas. I tend to focus on the sides of the eyes, forehead and around the mouth.

Does it work?

The product claims to plump and smooth skin. Well, sadly, no non-invasive products can forcibly plump and unwrinkled the skin. This product is very soothing and gentle though and most certainly treats and moisturises.

Would I repurchase?

Yes, I would. I’m a big fan of Liz Earle and this is a luxurious treat. A little really lasts. The pump application means no product is wasted and the intoxicating amber gold colour is really inviting.

How much did it cost?

LE products do NOT come cheap. Shop around and you may pick up a bargain or a deal. This product was purchased for me last Christmas for £27.50 for a 10ml bottle.

Overall rating:

8/10

The cast of Monsters Inc. went to Uni...but did it make them think?

 Before Mike and Sully were world class scarers at Monsters Inc. accidentally unleashing a human child into the monster world and reforming the techniques used to elicit electricity from the extreme reactions of children to the presence of monsters, they were mere university students struggling to make there way in the world...and wondering if they ever would.

 Sully, son of a famous scarer, has a monstrous presence in the genes, but as a result is highly dependent on his family name and frightening features and regresses into an arrogant lazy jock. Mike, by contrast, is as terrifying as a toothpick but with the commitment and booksmarts to ensure he knows everything there is to know abut eliciting a top class scare.

 

Both majoring as scarers, Mike and Sully's conflicting personalities lead to a confrontation that causes them both to be dejected from the programme. They are enabled one final opportunity to prove there worth thanks to Mike's quick thinking. They will participate in the 'Scare Games', a series of obstacles intended to test there scare abilities. The catch? They have to form there own fraternity, Oozma Kappa, a fraternity as freaky as a hutchful of rabbits. With this there only opportunity to find themselves re-entered into the programme, the pressure is on and Mike and Sully must force themselves to work together rather than act as adversaries. They also need to reassess what it means to be a monster with Mike meshing with Sully's ideas that being a monster should be instinctive and natural, whilst Sully begins to realise that being a true scarer also requires the use of ones brains.

This movie comes at a good time for university students and those of university age who might be questioning whether university is the most appropriate way to locate a future career. The film combines the importance of book knowledge and physical experience and street smarts which seems to encourage a better way, all encompassing way of education. As such, this is a refreshing approach to the school years and will leave audiences feeling there is no right or wrong way to be a success. What matters is friendship, determination and tenacity.

Pixar is delightful as ever with a plethora of physical jokes, gorgeous animation and a real humanity to these otherwise monstrous characters. A brilliant family film and a delightfully inspirational movie for kids working on the stereotype of American highschools with a campass of monsters in place of blonde cheerleaders and strapping jocks! It's also wonderful to see the back story between two of Pixar's best friends.

Berli POPS- Melon Cucumber Smoothie 3 in 1 Facial Scrub

Packaging: A lime green, natural looking product decorated with love hearts and flowers. It’s a feminine, earthy, product appearance wise.

Price: £8

Scent: The alluring scent of fresh cucumber and revitalising melon combines and enthuses to form a very appealing and delicate aroma.

Texture: A slick product with a gritty undertone that makes skin feel buffed and cleansed.

Bang for your buck: This is a facial scrub which is advisable for all skin types although I wouldn’t recommend the product for acne prone skin because such skin needs specialised attention. This product feels like it works and it smells heavenly and it’s a cute add on to any bathroom shelf. The product does leave skin feeling cleansed and also brightened.

Does it work?: As someone with problem skin who is prone to break outs, I think I would need something more synced with my skin to work effectively. That said, my skin was definitely left brighter and lighter.

Does it last? I rushed through this product and not intentionally. It has decent lastability but other products last longer in my opinion.

Would I repurchase? I would, simply because I love the smell and the brightening effect, but I would not use it as a regular cleanser.

Overall rating: 7/10

Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel - The Body Shop

Eyes are delicate, eyes are dainty. Eyes express our innermost desires and out latest nights. Whether you’re issue be existing (under eye bags, fine lines or wrinkles) or whether you are taking the preventative approach so prevalent in today’s climate and culture of constantly cute, an eye gel is a beauty investment that will pay you back tenfold. I adore the Body Shop so I enjoyed trying out their offering for the eyes.

Packaging: 15 ml of silvery gel in a small tub with a noir lid. Little, compact and sophisticated, you could carry this with you everywhere.

Price: £7.00.

Scent: The scent of an eye gel isn’t really important as it doesn’t intrinsically alter the value of the product. Nonetheless, I include this section because I think the power of the human nose is very much involved in all things relating to health and beauty. This has a distinctive gel smell, which is soothing and subtle. As an unperfumed product, it has no potent, lingering scent but that only means it’s better suited to your skin!

Texture: I previously reviewed an eye care product that was thick and gloopy. It was a gel in the worst way. You almost had to butter it on with a knife. This is the antithesis of that product. This is how a gel should be made. It is soft as butter with a lovely slinky texture. Application is so easy because there is no gloop or thickness. It’s the perfect consistency; thick but airy on.

Bang for your buck: Imagining you apply this gel two times per day, and only a little, and at just seven pounds, I think this is well worth it! Plus points include its portability and non-confrontational design, the perfect texture and consistency and the brilliant cooling effect. It doesn’t tighten or dry out the skin so you don’t really feel as though you are wearing anything. Elderflower is one of those ancient, wonderfully English sounding ingredients that has been in use for a long time and with good reason. This is particularly useful for invigorating tired eyes rather than assisting with aging, although of course the gel aids with moisturising the eye area.

Does it work?: The aim of the product is to brighten eyes and reduce puffiness. I don’t personally suffer with puffy eyes so I am unable to comment on whether it aids this suitably, but it does soothe, cool and calm the eye area in a similar fashion to Aloe Vera.

Does it last?: You don’t need to slather gel onto the eye area, so indeed it will last you (assuming the average buyer will apply 2x daily)

Would I repurchase?: Yes! As it usually the case with The Body Shop!

FINAL VERDICT: 4/5

Wild Rose Hand Cream SPF 15 - The Body Shop

Hands are one of the most used and abused body parts. They are in use virtually all day and it's almost impossible to conceal hands from harsh environmental conditions whilst still being able to make appropriate use of them! Investing in a quality hand cream is essential for well cared for hands. Hands are also one of the easiest indicators of age and betray your chronological years very quickly! An airport impulse led me to purchase the above listed product. Here's what I thought of it!

Packaging: A squeezy tube (it really is a fun squeezy tube too!) with 100ml of product. I always love The Body Shops designs. The tube is a little crinkly and crackly rendering it a recycled look (knowing The Body Shops ethics it probably is). The colour scheme invigorates and enlivens the wild rose theme with a light pink segment in English and a second segment written in French in hot pink (borrowing the allure and elegance of the French is never a poor marketing move!) It's easy to acquire from the tube - just a gentle squeeze. It's easy to get as little or as much as you would like without wastage.

Price: 440 baht (approximately £8.50)

Scent: Roses have a beautiful scent as anyone with a garden, or a nose for these things, will understand. Roses have long been affiliated with romance, because of the delicate sweetness and freshness of their aroma. There is something so spring like about a rose, that it perfectly represents budding relationships and infatuation. Wild rose has a slightly stronger scent, making the dainty rose a little more powerful and adding a touch of the untameable to this domesticated garden flower.The scent is strong but not imposing and I can imagine it would not be to all 'tastes'. I find it to be a very feminine scent and to state the obvious, very flowery. Sometimes flowery smells can feel 'old' but I do quite like this one.

Texture: This has a lovely cool texture. The product is thick and creamy with none of the gloop or sludge or some products. It leaves no residue and doesn't cake. It's simply into your skin as soon as you put it on. Hands need some extra TLC so the thick consistency is of real value. My hands feel so amazingly soft after application but not as though they have been 'coated'.

Bang for your buck: Plus points are the easy application, delightful scent and the baby softness that this product delivers. The container can stand to take a beating which means it doesn't matter if this gets knocked about in your bag. The texture of the packaging also means you can eek out every last morsel of cream as is not always the case with tougher containers. You can squeeze in whichever direction you like to ensure you get your money's worth. Containing SPF 15, you also get your sun protection in here and the product is designed to hydrate and protect against the appearance of dark spots forming on the hands. Although I cannot attest to this, I still believe the best way to avoid dark spots is to keep skin out of excessive sunlight whenever possible. A cream will be an effective barrier, but only with regular application. It contains some of my favourite ingredients, rose hip oil, which is constantly saluted by the gorgeous Miranda Kerr and Brazil Nut Oil. The products are sourced from Community Fair Trade means meaning that although Body Shop products can be a little pricier, they are ethical purchases helping to sustain the lifestyles of the workers who source the materials. There are also a hell of a lot of other ingredients listed on the back, so if you're an ingredients purist, you may want to take a pass. Another plus point is that the Body Shop is against animal testing so you can enjoy their products knowing that you are not participating in a cruel, abusive and unnecessary practice.

Does it work?: It does. I cannot attest to the prevention of brown spots on the hands, because I try to keep my hands shielded anyway, but I can say it is an excellent moisturiser to keep on hand (pardon the pun). My mum agrees!

Does it last?: I always think hand creams, when used properly, should be used up pretty fast. If you are really taking care of your hands you will moisturise every time you wash, work or face the elements. But if you moisturise your hands a normal amount and not obsessively, this will last you perfectly well.

Would I repurchase? I would repurchase, but I think I preferred the Hemp Hand Protector (also from The Body Shop), which doesn't smell as fragrant but is a far more intense, powerful moisturiser, particularly for winter. This product is great for summer!

 

Hawaiian Sunblock SPF 50

I've spoken previously about the importance of incorporating a sunblock into your skin care routine. The sun is one of our fastest 'agers' and is also responsible for pigmentation problems, moles, freckles and numerous other skin mutations and malfunctions. We've all heard of the phrase 'fun in the sun', and although it's during the hot months that most of us want to frolic, we do need to bare in mind the dangers IF we wish to age gracefully and defend ourselves against skin cancer. One of the most effective means of achieving this if outright avoidance is impossible is to shield the skin by slathering on a sunblock. This is true regardless of your skin colour or type, although fairer skins will be more visibly affected by regular sun exposure.

Hawaiian is another brand that has been around for a long time but that I have only begun using. Naturally, I purchased factor 50 for maximum skin protection benefits.

Packaging: Initially, I was off-put by the small bottle (120 ml)) cramped up in a little tense container, but it's shortness is compensated by it's stoutness. It's pocket sized making it the ideal travel companion in comparison to cylindrical bottles. It's baby pink with hot pink and dark blue lettering (and lid) and the golden Hawaiian logo.

Scent: Another strong summer scent. I don't know what it is about sunscreens, perhaps it's the memories they encapsulate, but the smell for me is like 100 hot summers in a bottle. This one has a sweet, heady aroma.

Texture: Thick, but yet it applies smoothly, easily and evenly.

Price: I purchased this product before I had committed myself to reviewing it and did not make a note of the price. However I know it was roughly 300 baht which translates to £6. It will be more expensively priced in Western markets.

Bang for your buck: Don't let the size fool you. The saying 'good things come in small packages' wasn't just invented for the sake of it. A really small application goes a really long way and glides in like a gull. The product smells divine and my skin was afforded maximum protection. The product claims to protect and smooth skin simultaneously and can be used on both the body and face which means you won't have to make two purchases (sometimes body sunblock's can be too heavy and oily for the face). It also contains aloe Vera extract and is absent of PABA.

Does it work?: This is another of my favourite sunblock's. Application is so effortless and the thick, creamy consistency means skin feels shielded, thoroughly nourished and hydrated but not buried. This seems to take a relentless beating without fading. I've used sunscreens previously that leave my skin barren as soon as I make contact with the water but I can see and feel the force field of this protection even after excess water exposure, of course, that's not to say you shouldn't reapply every two hours!

Does it last?: As covered above, minimal application really lasts a long time meaning that this product will be with you for a long while. If you take skin care seriously and reapply often you may want to invest in a larger bottle, or if you are on a month long beach holiday (then it is essential!)

Would I repurchase?: I am on my second bottle. This and Ocean Potion are my two favourite skin savers!