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!

The Body Shop – Indian Night Jasmine – Jasmin De Nuit D’Inde – Eau De Toilette

The ancestor of this product, Neroli Jasmin Eau De Toilette, has sadly been discontinued. I say sadly because this delicious product was a sexy slam on the senses; feminine, powerful, sizzling but also zesty and fresh. The vibrant orange of the bottle dictates that the product would be fruity and juicy, but the ingredients also lend themselves to romantic scenes such as midnight canoe trips and sojourns on the beach. There was something so fabulously, exotically, erotically intoxicating about it making it so exciting to where!

For whatever reasons, The Body Shop decided to discontinue this fragrance. I truly will never understand the decisions of big bosses! Nonetheless, the scent has been replaced by one designed to be almost identical – Indian Night Jasmine.

What is an eau de toilette?

Eau de toilettes are less concentrated versions of perfumes. They are essentially subtly perfumed water. Eau de parfum is slightly more concentrated whilst parfum (or perfume) has the highest concentration making it the most potent of the three. Eau de toilettes are useful for those who like lighter, subtler scents, notes and accords, as you can literally apply them moderately after showering.

What’s the story?

The Body Shop have recently launched a new range entitled ‘Scents of the World’. This scent pertains to the mystery and intrigue of India with all of its courtship and charisma and none of its bustle! It contains jasmine, sandalwood, orange blossom and violet leaves.

Bottle design:

A translucent, lightly tinted bottle decorated with vivacious jasmine blooms and containing 50 ml of delicious, delirium inducing scented water. The silver cap releases a spritz with a light push. It’s a very attractive, feminine, romantic bottle which hints at a fun, frivolous and seductive scent inside. Its square block-like shop gives it a slightly more severe, but elegant edge.

Scent:

This scent really seduces and enchants the nostrils. It’s delicate, but memorable. Undoubtedly female but powerful. It’s the smell of the seductress. It really conjures images of moonlit mermaids and sun splashed sirens to me. It’s a dainty scent that also really gets into you. When I catch a whiff of this on myself or my clothes, it’s like I fall a little in love. It’s fun loving but also mysterious. It’s just a really gorgeous, sweet and heady scent that nonetheless has a subtlety to it – what a paradox!

Durability:

This scent will linger long after you, oozing out of you like a sweet, sultry, seductive skunk! Really, it’s much less offensive than this. It’s dainty, girly but it clings to you, as if part of you, rather than as if you’ve bathed in it!

Affordability:

At £15, it’s not too bad. We’ve all come to expect that scents are somewhat of a luxury as they evoke elegance, class and our inner ladies. We can conjure characters through smell alone. It may be our most powerful sense, what with the intoxication of pheromones determining whether we feel chemistry with another or not.

Does it last?

This product has staying power if you apply if liberally. A little at the pulse points, behind the ears, on the neck or behind the knee, or as I was once advised, at the top of the thighs!

Would I repurchase?

YES. I love the Body Shop but I really adore this product! It’s the combination of quiet charm that builds into a near hysterical love affair. You’ll be a very popular girl indeed if you wear this!

Overall rating:

9.5/10

Johnson's Baby Oil: Aloe Vera & Vitamin E

Packaging: 125 ml in a translucent tube with a pastel green lid. A perfect, pocket-sized bottle, ideal for a handbag, work space or even a cup holder in your car!

Scent: Johnson's are renowned for their mild, 'baby' scents. This is a pleasant, light, lovely aroma. I've always found something very comforting about the scents of Johnson's products, possibly because I affiliate them with my own infanthood!

Texture: I find Johnson's oils so unique. It's almost like rainwater on the skin. It's best applied to skin up to three minutes after showering or bathing so as to lock in moisture and you can run it over your body like morning dew or drizzle in under 20 seconds and be shiny and soft as a new-born seal!

Price: 100 baht (equivalent of £2). Please check your relevant currency.

Bang for your buck: This is the original baby oil formula enthused with vitamin e, which prevents early rancidity of a product and aloe vera (a brilliant after sun skin soother). I adore Johnson's products and consider them a staple. Application is so effortless, the smell is lovingly pleasant and a little goes far.

Does it work?: This is one of the mildest and yet most powerful, not to mention cheapest of moisturisers, that I know of. The inherent purpose of a moisturiser is to do just that - moisturise - and Johnson's really lock in that moisture. I don't know anyone who dislikes or distrusts the Johnson's brand. I perceive it as the perfect moisturiser. A stranger even ran her hand up my arm and complimented me on how soft I was! Please be aware that Johnson's oil contains mineral oil which has been criticised as a pore blocking product. Although I've never noticed any blocked pores, it is of course essential that your skin is able to breathe. If you suffer with acne of the body or other skin conditions, I would not advise that you use this product. Furthermore, if you have oily or acne oriented skin on your face, do not use this product there as your pores will struggle!

Does it last?: You'll still be soft not only by the morning but for the entire day.

Would I repurchase?: Without a shadow of a doubt. I would recommend to anyone!

Overall rating: 9/10

Mistine Eye Gel With Cucumber

At the tender age of twenty three, I have already been bombarded with more beauty buys, quick fixes, celebrity staples, ageing essentials and revolutionary miracle products than it is financially possible to afford whilst still having the luxury to buy food and water (for survival and that).

The assault descends upon all senses and in every available medium. Surely I'm not the first to ascertain that half of Vogue consists of advertisements for physical beautification. The domain of beauty has exploded, eclipsing almost all else. In a social and cultural climate that perceives the natural and inevitable aging process as a kind of vampire that drains you of your youthful vitality as you sleep, and worships nubile youth as if Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were Zeus and Hera, it's no wonder that in the ensuing storm cloud of 'God, I'm past it at 19' panic that women (and an ever increasing number of men) clamour at boutiques and beauty bars for that one god send that will eliminate all existing ageing and safeguard against the ever-looming process.

Most of the anti-aging brigade will be fully aware that the delicate, thin eye skin of the eye area is one of the first to betray the final flush of youth. Every time we smile, frown, or indeed show any expression, we are creasing the eye area. Experts consistently advocate the wearing of sunglasses to prevent squinting in direct, harsh sunlight and the regular application i.e. twice daily, morning and night, of thick moisturisers to hydrate this most vulnerable of areas, preventing the early onset of fine lines and wrinkles.

For any existing under or side eye crinkles, the moisturiser essentially acts as a lagoon over desert sands, penetrating inwards, plumping up and perishing signs of aging. This is usually only a temporary solution in combating the permanence of markings. Creams should be applied lightly, using the baby (pinky) finger so as to exert the least pressure. It goes without saying that skin should never be tugged or pulled, particularly here where the effects are likely to be most visible. After all, unless you lock yourself away in a room all day staring at the wall, you are going to be using your eyes to express yourself and communicate.

Given that I've exposed my skin to five months and counting of excessive sunshine and Miranda Kerr endorses an eye cream or gel as being one of her most essential youth investments, I picked up the titular product at a pharmacy in Koh Phangan, Thailand.

Scent

Frest and intoxicatingly natural, I'd say it encapsulates the love child of aloe vera and cucumber. It has a soothing, balmy scent.

Packaging

A miniscule white pot with a pastel green lid and simple flowing gold lettering. I picked this because it looked natural and simplistically fancy.

Price

Unhelpfully, I cannot recall exactly but I believe it was the equivalent of £6 in Thai baht.

Texture

As a gel it has the appearance of kids TV green gunge. The picture makes it look like a paradise to plunge your fingers into, but the reality is somewhat different. It looks like aloe vera gel with a thicker consistency, almost like a fairy with a massive head cold sneezed into the only available container.

Bang for your buck

The pot may be miserly but the inside looks like Scrooge himself filled it. The product was glooped together inside a quarter of the pot. Disconcerted at the abysmal emptiness before me and questioning if I'd actually inhaled half of it in my excitement at purchasing my first eye gel, I also found the sticky, gunge-like texture hard to apply in a gentle fashion. You either have to tug and try to smooth it on or apply the smallest possible amount known to man and 'leave it' to sink in itself. It looks and smells good but for such a small amount of product it was about as easy to apply as a top hat to a giant with nothing but a step ladder.

Does it work?

Despite the long list of disappointments this product was effective. Cucumber is renowned for it's recuperative properties for the eyes. Once you manage to get the product on, it leaves a refreshing film over the area that you can feel acting as a barrier and replenishing the skin. It feels good on the eyes and the following morning my eyes looked fresher, brighter, more youthful, smooth and relaxed. It has a calming, soothing effect on the skin.

Would I repurchase?

This product may have worked for me HOWEVER the meagre amount and tough application mean that you'd have better and cheaper results applying actual cucumbers to your eyes for twenty minutes or making your own gel using natural ingredients. No - I will not be repurchasing. As a suggestion to the manufacturers, I am not sure whether I just happened upon a poorly prepared pot, but if the consistency and texture of the gel was improved rendering easier application and the pot was filled to the brim (as images suggest it is), this product would be highly recommended.

Does it last?

You only need to use a little bit but the pot provides so little product in the first place that it won't last you long.

 

Overall rating: 3/10

Nivea Body UV Whitening Serum

Packaging: Nivea's presentation lends itself to bold blues and virginal whites. This particular product is housed in a triangular white squeezy tube for convenient deposit of serum. The colour scheme for Nivea always strikes me as being clinical and fresh. It lacks that 'you just must buy me' wow factor, but it's a clean, dependable range.

Scent: The first word that springs immediately to mind is unmemorable. It's a clean, soft and balmy but unremarkable scent. It's not the products high note. It didn't really smell of anything in particular. Perhaps I've been spoilt by perfumed products. I'd recommend this for those who like their scents subtle and inoffensive.

Texture: With the feel of fine milk, this product melts like liquid honey into the skin meaning no excessive rubbing or patting. This is my favourite aspect of the product. It's like a Cleopatra milk bath.

Price: 100 baht - the equivalent of £2. It would be worth checking your particular currency for an accurate cost.

Bang for your buck: Nivea is a widely respected and recognised highly endorsed range. Although I consider myself a fan of some of their products, others simply don't 'do' it for me. It's worth me mentioning at the time of writing that I am stationed in Thailand and the product details are predominantly written in Thai. I am also working from an irritatingly slow internet connection making thorough research of the product a difficulty. What I can decipher is that the product offers UB protection at SPF 25 and contains vitamin C. It is also a whitening serum. For those in the west adding self tan to products is the preferable modus operandi but in South East Asia, where ebony skins abound, the ideal is toward ivory flesh, of the 'falang' or their fairer skinned Asian counterparts, such as the Japanese and Koreans. I'm not entirely sure whether the purpose of the product is to lighten skin, protect fair skin or ease moles, freckles, tan lines and the like. 'Whitening' can seem to apply to many of these particular functions. It also has a long list of ingredients, some appealing (myrciaria dubia fruit juice) and others not particularly so (alcohol denat). It containts a useful pump disposal and a little product with it's milky texture feels light and measly compared to thicker creams.

Does it work? I did not use the product as a sunscreen, but as an after shower moisturiser. I noticed my skin was silky smooth with a glossy sheen. My skin wasn't lightened noticeably but it was a protected with no dryness or damage.

Does it last? I used this purchase up as quickly as I could so that I could move on to the next product, but I believe it would last for a significant period of time.

Would I repurchase? In a word, no. I liked the products milky sheen and protective properties but I simply wasn't 'blown' away by it. I like Nivea as a brand overall and the product is very softening but I am partial to other serums. I preferred the product when it had 'heated up' in the Surin warmth. it felt slicker, softer and more like a serum, initially slipping and sliding like a seal skin splashed with sea.

Final verdict: 7/10

A sunscreen for summer sea sirens: Ocean Potion Suncare: Broad Spectrum Sunblock SPF 50 Anti-Aging

I mentioned in a previous post my strict adherence to a skin care regime for the sun. Perhaps the single most dangerous destroyer of skin aside from nutrition and the quality of our air intake, marred by smoking and pollution, is the sun and its ability to speed up free radicals.

I always enjoy scouring the shelves for new sun screens and blocks. This is a review of my most recent sunscreen:

Packaging:
A long, thick, squidgy purple bottle, smothered in primary colours, it has a childlike, bold image.

Pricing:
360 baht which translates to roughly eight British pounds.

Bang for your buck:
The longevity of this product is astounding. It really lasts a long time easily allowing you twice a day full body application. It doesn’t specify that it can be used on the face but I encountered no problems using the product in this way. SPF 50 gives you strong protection and the product claims to be vitamin D3 fortified and paraben free. There is a lot of discussion around parabens in products you might want to read up on. The product also claims to be water and sweat resistant. In my opinion, no product truly can be and even if it was I’m not so sure that such persistent pore cloggage would truly be a good thing but there is real staying power here! The product also includes anti-oxidant vitamins and sea plant botanicals. With its vibrant colour scheme and squeezy bottle, it’s also, quite simply, fun to use!

Texture:
A thick, soft cream that literally rubs in in seconds. No need to harshly, aggressively tug at the skin to get the product inside of the skin.

Scent:
This is probably my favourite thing about the product…it smells heavenly! It’s so hard for me to describe the scent of this product because it also encapsulates that sun cream smell of summers and oceans. It’s got such a strong, zesty, vibrant, fruity smell like zest for life in a bottle. It’s almost like something you could eat! The scent stays with you as well rather than wears away.

Does it last?
Yes…for a long, long time.

Would I repurchase?
I already have. This is the first I’d heard of the range but I adore and will definitely be reusing. This is up there as one of my favourite sunscreens!

Johnson’s Body Care – Oxygen Fresh Gel Lotion

Most households will be familiar with Johnson’s products. Although you’ll find the majority of the companies powders, lotions and gels lavished upon babies, so many celebrities swear by Johnson’s (including Gwen Stefani who looks like she’s been supping from the fountain of youth) that the products are also a staple in the beauty regimes of a plethora of women. You can’t really go wrong with products sensitive enough for the delicate skin of newborn babies.
Johnson’s recently released a new range of tantalizing little bottles. I picked up their Oxygen Fresh Gel Lotion…

Packaging:
Johnson’s packaging has always been simple as its staple. The bottle is little, curvaceous and an eye catching aquatic blue. In fact what seduced me into buying it aside from the reliable Johnson’s name was the colour which conjured images of oceans and sea breezes in bottled form.

Pricing:
A small bottle cost me less than two quid! Perfect as a ‘tester’.

Bang for your buck:
I love to lavish myself with products so I finished this product very quickly (intentionally) however as with all products, if you use them sparingly, you can make them last. You can also but the bigger bottles of this if you really want to make it a regular part of your moisturizing routine. It’s so cheap and the brand is so well established that you lose nothing in trying it out! It mentions that it contains 'ocean minerals, coraline extracts and aqua moisture essences'. Almost makes me feel I'll turn into a mermaid!

Texture:
Marketed as a ‘gel lotion’, the product is both watery and creamy. It has a consistency similar to Aloe Vera Gels. It feels like it evaporates onto the skin and it gives a cooling sensation as it does so.

Scent:
This product really has a mild, pleasant, ocean scent. It’s very natural, wholesome and makes you feel like you’ve been kissed by a breeze. It’s not overpowering or perfumed, just delicately there.


Does it last?
As mentioned above, you can definitely make this product last but I love pampering myself to much to make them survive too long in my clutches!

Would I repurchase?
Personally…I think I prefer the traditional Johnson’s baby oil…you know the one with the pink lid? This is a great product and well worth trying but I think I’ll stick to my first favourite!

Olive Oil Body Wash (Nature Series)

I was browsing the shelves in a cosmetics store when I stumbled across the Nature Series Olive Oil Body Wash. I was drawn in by the words ‘Contains ORGANIC olive oil’ and ‘Contains 7 herb extracts’. I realise there is a huge different between organic and certified organic, but I thought this would be a more natural, healthy option when washing my skin and the benefits of olives and their oil is frequently touted as being perfect for the hair and skin as both a topical application and to eat of course!

Packaging:

As an organic product, the bottle is translucent with a green sheen and has a large picture of a juicy, green olive on the front. The bottle is tall and lean and contains 250 ml of product. It certainly looks like a natural option embracing the colour scheme and flaunting its beneficial qualities.

Pricing:

Unfortunately I cannot recall the price for this product, nor can I locate it on the internet; however I do remember that it was certainly within my budget!

Bang for your buck:

The pump dispenser means that it’s easy to squirt out a small amount of product meaning that this product really can last a long time. How long it lasts depends how heavy handed you are in the shower. If you really like to lather yourself up, you might get through it fast, as it takes a little bit of product to get a mass lathering effect.

Texture:

A soft oily gel, this really glides and eases onto the body. It’s not a heavy, sticky product and is easy to wash off.

Scent:

This is where the product might lose some points. The scent is very authentically herbal and natural. This is perfect if you like subtle, inoffensive smells but part of what many women seem to enjoy about body washes is their explosive, powerful aromas. You’ll kind of smell like you came out of an Italian’s kitchen or a vineyard.

Does it last?

As I said, if you’re a serial latherer, you might really exhaust this one, but a few squirts is enough for full body application. I also doubled this as hand wash.

Would I repurchase?

It lasted me a long time, it looked and felt like a natural product and it left my skin silky and soft HOWEVER I prefer a more powerful scent for my body washes, so although I wouldn’t be adverse to repurchasing, it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Soltan Face Moisturising Suncare Cream 50+

I’m a bit of a sun Nazi. Nazi is possibly not the best choice of words, but what I mean is I am not a sun worshipper. I don’t do the bathing, oiling, tanning thing. I find nothing more unbearable than sitting out in the sun on a hot, crowded beach but put me under an umbrella with a book and I’ll be just jazzy. When I see slick oiled bodies writhing on the beach for hours on end I instantaneously think wrinkles! My neighbor, in her seventies, has never been abroad and never tanned, she has flawless skin for her age with no wrinkles in sight apart from a few very subtle laughter lines! She is a huge inspiration for me protecting my fair skin in the extreme sun exposure I put it through on my travels!

Part of my sun care routine is using a body lotion with SPF 50 which I usually apply to my face but as I tend to suffer with problematic skin, I decided to purchase a facial sun cream which is beneficial because it claims not to block pores and can be applied under makeup. Sun creams designed for the body can occasionally be a little ‘robust’ for the delicate facial area.

Packaging:

The Soltan package is pretty simplistic. It’s a vibrant yellow, triangular container. Eye catching on the stand but with a very basic design. It’s noteworthy that this is one of the budget skin care products.

Pricing:

I purchased mine for about  £7.00 in Boots. Great value for money when it comes to sun care products which are often horrendously over priced in my opinion.

Bang for your buck:

This product comes in a small triangular squeezable pouch and a little goes a long way. I’ve been using it for three months and only now am I running low. If you follow expert advice, lotion is best applied 30 minutes before sun exposure and is best topped up every two hours thereafter, or more frequently if you are sweating profusely or frolicking in the sea. Despite this, the product lasts and lasts and lasts. It also does not blog or clog pores which I have found an issue in the past with heavier creams that really coat the skin which is great for moisturising the body but a bad choice for moisturising the volatile, impressionable skin of the face!

Texture:

This is a thick cream that glides onto skin and is perfectly soft. It really feels like you are wearing a sun shield!

Scent:

I never know quite how to describe the scent of sun lotions. They always conjure memories of intangible things like holidays and ocean water and distant crushes.  It’s got that distinctive sun cream smell; kind of heavy and memorable and very, very summery!

Does it last?

Sun lotion needs constant reapplication when the face is exposed to prolonged, powerful sunlight or if/when the product is sweated off or comes into contact with water. Despite this, I find the product has real staying power. If I am lax with application, I tend to burn around my hair line and on the tip of my nose but this didn’t occur with this product.

Would I repurchase?

It’s small, it lasts, it doesn’t aggravate the skin or clog pores and it offers perfect protection. It’s also a bank friendly option. YES!

POND’S magic powder BB

I had never heard of POND’S before coming to Thailand but they seem to love the products over here! Southeast Asian women generally have beautiful complexions so I was certainly eager to try out the products located on their shelves. I bought this from the local 7/11 (you can find them everywhere!) under the advice of a male Thai companion of mine and if men are recommending it, it has to be something pretty special.

The product is also available in blue as an oil control option, but I opted for the traditionally girly pink. Although the bottle is smothered in Thai which I can’t decipher, I really adore this product and have already repurchased it. Here is my review:

Packaging:

This is a tiny, elegantly shaped pink bottle with a twist and pour lid. It reminds me slightly of a Johnson’s baby product. It’s baby pink and very girly and petite. Something about it caught my eye! It’s also perfectly pocket sized so you can career it around with you on your jaunts.

Pricing:

Ridiculously cheap, I purchased this for the equivalent of about £2.50. A really convenient option if you are penny pinching.

Bang for your buck:

If you aren’t familiar with the premise of the whole ‘BB’ wave, I think it started somewhere in South Korea, or at least that’s how I first became aware of it. These powders and creams aim to provide a flawless finish to the complexion whilst nourishing the skin. They basically proclaim to do everything whilst making you look beautiful of course.

The colour of this product is ideal for white skin. It’s difficult to say if it would suit all shades of ivory. I am naturally fair with yellow undertones and I go faintly golden in the sun. This product melted onto my skin flawlessly and blended perfectly with my skin tone.

You have to be careful to not be heavy handed with this product as a lot can fall lose and then you’ll feel obliged to rub it all in!

It goes very cakey and watery (an odd combination) if you apply it onto wet or recently moisturized skin, so let any previously used products sink in before application.

It’s the kind of product you can pat rather than rub on, although at times I had to rub quite vigorously to get the product truly ‘into’ my skin (this was mainly if I over-used the amount of product).

It gives flawless coverage to any pigmentation issues and it also serves as sun protection containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, notorious skin savers in the sun, so it can be applied over sun screen as you are out and about in the day for added skin saving!

It also lasts a very long time. I’ve been sharing the product with a friend and we use it a lot. In three months, we still have not run out!

Texture:

As a powder, the texture is soft like grains of very smooth sand. It melts onto the face.

Scent:

This has a really pleasant perfumed scent. Again, it reminds me of Johnson’s product in that it has a slightly ‘baby’ aroma. I’ve read a few POND’S products reviews and some people complain about this particular smell so it might not be to everyone’s tastes, but I found it a very light, pleasant and feminine scent.

Does it last?

I often apply this product over my sun tan lotion before going out in the Thai sun and it stays on pretty well even through my vigorous sweating and sojourns into the sea. When it meets water it can go a bit cakey, but it really does fight to stay on.

Would I repurchase?

I already have. I’m in love!

 

 

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser

I first heard about Cetaphil when I was flicking through a celebrity magazine…one of my excessive habits back in the day, and saw that model Lily Cole was a loyal and dedicated connoisseur of the cleanser.

If you have skin anything like mine, which can be oily, unpredictable and problematic, finding a cleanser that truly works for you can turn into the search for the Holy Grail. There’s a labyrinth of products all promising results with an ingredients list longer than Jodie Marsh’s conquests book…

I came across the product cheaply priced in a cosmetics store in Krabi, Thailand and decided to purchase it.

Packaging:

The packaging lacks the WOW factor but that might just mean that the product doesn’t need the faux glitz and glamour to do its job and do it well. The white, blue and green colour scheme evokes a sense of simplicity, health and efficiency. This is a no frills product. It’s simple and effective and it doesn’t need to dress up to sell itself, or so it screams. The bottle is also stout with a middle aged spread, meaning you can get a surprising amount out of this product!

Pricing:

I purchased this in Thailand for a relatively cheap price but in the UK where I am originally from I think it is priced between £10 and £17.

Bang for your buck:

I purchased the 500ml bottle and as I stated before, there is a lot in this bottle making it worth the money. You only need to use a little product as it goes a long way. This cleanser could easily last you a long, long time with daily two time’s usage.

Texture:

The texture of Cetaphil is translucent and doesn’t foam when you cleanse. This indicates that it isn’t full of certain chemicals that cause products (particularly cleansers) to foam, giving the illusion of a deep cleanse. I remember hearing (but please don’t quote me as I am not a dermatologist or scientist so please do your own research here!) that foaming creates the illusion of a satisfying, deep clean, but that ingredients cleanse just as well without having foam effect. The product glides on and it’s hard to tell exactly where you’ve covered on your face but it doesn’t itch or aggravate. It doesn’t give the feel of a really deep cleanse, but it does brighten and freshen up the face in a very light way which I believe is good for oil production as abrasive scrubbing promotes the skin to produce more!

Did it clean the skin?

My skin felt refreshed and light after use. As I said, this didn’t provide me with a sense of having a really invasive or thorough cleanse in the way of a facial or a more rigorous product and the lack of foaming and the translucency can make you think the product has no real magic, but it definitely keeps my skin looking more balanced and less oily. I haven’t had any extreme break outs but it hasn’t helped to shift deeper skin blockages in the form of blackheads.

Scent:

This product wasn’t designed to be the sweet smelling skunk in the cosmetics case. It has a barely there, herbal scent making it feel natural and light. This hasn’t been heavily perfumed. In fact, it smells a little like baby oil.

Would I repurchase?

I’ve been using this product for about one month and I like the way it makes my skin feel and look. It’s not ‘tough love’ for the skin. It simply gently removes oil and build up and makes me feel fresh as a baby! It’s also non-comodogenic which is a blessing for oily skins unwelcome cousin, acne and blackheads! I would repurchase this product in a heartbeat. Hey, if it’s good enough for Lily Cole’s fresh cream complexion it’s good enough for me!

Rose Hip Oil

I had never heard of Rose Hip oil until I heard my favourite super model (Miranda Kerr) proclaim that she used it every day. For those that are not familiar with Miranda, she has the sort of dewy, raindrop-splashed skin usually only exhibited by babies and goddesses. Other than sounding deliciously dainty, this product is a skin saviour.

If you Google Rose Hip oil you will be presented with a lot of relatively expensive, high end brands, and this initially put me off. I didn’t want to spend close to £20 on one small bottle of Miranda Kerr’s secret beauty miracle. If you browse a little more thoroughly however, you will find some very competitively priced Rose Hip oils minus the frilly bottles and fancy names, that do the job equally well I’m sure. I located one of these bottles, read the reviews and ordered myself one.



I have now been using my product for a week and before I talk about the benefits and effects on my skin, I should probably talk about my skin type. I have naturally quite oily, sensitive skin and some scarring from some pesky, persistent spots. All in all, I feel a lot better when I can put a little foundation on.

I am reluctant to call any product a ‘miracle’ but for me, this really was. You are advised to use 2-3 drops of Rose Hip oil in the morning and at night, but as a heavy handed consumer and connoisseur of all things, I used 2-3 drops more. The oil is very soft and pleasantly scented and it rubs easily into the face. It brightens and smooth’s the complexion instantly giving it a radiating sheen. It works brilliantly as a moisturiser and leaves your skin feeling fantastically soft. I was slightly concerned that using oil on my naturally oily skin would turn me into something we were likely to go to war over in the Middle East, but it actually seemed to balance my skin somehow, lapping up my gross oil and leaving me looking hydrated and bright. My scarring is still apparent but is definitely less visible than before and I notice I’m using a lot less make-up to cover up any imperfections and my break outs have diminished greatly (although my break outs are more hormonal in nature so I’m sure that won’t be the last of them!).



Rose Hip oil is the champion of dry skin, surface scarring, fine lines and wrinkles. It’s a really gentle, light oil with an instantaneous effect. It’s so gentle that it didn’t even agitate my eyes as most products usually do.

Use morning and night (2-3 drops) and gentle massage into your skin in circular upward motions. No skincare product is ever guaranteed so use a little and watch for how your skin reacts. If your skin breaks out or looks excessively shiny, either tone down how much you use or consider switching to a different product. I have heard that many people mix a little oil into their usual cream moisturiser rather than applying it directly to the skin.

When purchasing Rose Hip Oil:

• Don’t worry about purchasing expensive, branded products. You can purchase Rose Hip oil for much cheaper if you look online. You could try ‘The Little Green Nursery’ website, Amazon or EBay for cheaper products.


• Most sites advise against using on ‘live acne’ or spots, but I haven’t noticed a problem with this personally and use the oil all over.


• You can apply a small amount to the eye area as it does not agitate.


• A little goes a long way! You don’t need to overuse this product.


• Rose Hip oil should come in a dark bottle. This prevents the sun causing the product to become rancid. Do not purchase a product that is in a clear bottle. You want to store the product out of direct sunlight and you may wish to refrigerate it. Some women swear by storing their beauty products in the fridge.


• You won’t notice a drastic change in your skin if you continue with skin-damaging habits. Ditch smoking, excessive drinking, poor night’s sleep, poor dietary habits and sunbathing, and you will likely notice a far greater impact!


• Rose Hip oil can also be used on areas of skin that suffer from poor pigmentation, eczema, sun burn, stretch marks and rosacea.


• Rose Hip oil is packed with various natural vitamins and minerals including vitamin A (retinol), vitamin C and essential fatty acids.


• Supposedly Rose Hip oil effects are best noticed after 3 months (it’s a slow burner) but I noticed an effect far quicker than that!


• As with all products, do your research. It is possible that some sellers are selling Rose Hip oil mixed with something else, or lacking something. Read the label to see what your product contains.


• Not all products work the same for everyone. Buy a cheap brand first and try just a little to see if it works for you.

Aveda Madder Root Conditioner

Product Purpose:

Dyed red hair unfortunately fades very quickly. They say that all good things come to an end and this striking, dynamic colour is included on that list. The pigments in red dye are larger, so it easier for them to fade quickly, leaving you less Rita Hayworth and more Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Aveda Madder Root deposits red colour back into the hair whilst conditioning, helping to ‘top up’ your red in between dying, keeping it vibrant, fresh and unmistakably red.

Cost:

This product is typically priced at £20 a bottle making it a pricier option but you can also purchase it on Amazon for around £17 or slightly less.

Scent:

An earthy, herby scented product which is quite subtle.

Size:

You can buy a bottle containing 250 ml of product so you can most certainly get your money’s worth out of this product. It can last an age if you use it sparingly.

Overview:

Just recently I had my hair dyed a mixture of copper red and brunette. It wasn’t actually what I asked for, but when I saw myself in the mirror, the bright, vivacious colour slapped an instant smile on my face. The intensity of colour does not tend to last much further than the salon, but I have noticed definite colour deposition back into my hair. I then run Moroccan oil through my hair to add softness and moisture which will hopefully help to seal the colour in further. I also never blow dry or straighten which isn’t particularly popular these days, but keeps my hair in far healthier condition. This product is pricey but it does work and the bottle contains so much that you can definitely make use of this product for a long time. Directions advise leaving the conditioner on the hair for 3-5 minutes, but unless your hair is particularly light, I would recommend 5-10 minutes (or longer) for a deeper deposit of colour. Check for irritation on the first use (I have sensitive skin) and if you notice no problems, settle yourself in for a rewarding love affair with a hair colour that will liken you to a fox, tiger or Jessica Rabbit!

Beauty Trick: Hair Oil Slick

Product: Olive Oil



There are a myriad of hair products on the market; solutions, sprays and serums designed to sleek, sooth, shine and soften the hair.

Some of these products are affordable and others are far pricier and involve somewhat of a financial commitment to maintain.

It seems silly to me that we spend so much on these products collectively when hair produces its own natural oils to lubricate and clean the hair.

Besides, if we are eating a healthy, balanced diet, the effects should shine through our hair, and I know many women who use no products on their hair whatsoever, whose hair gleams and shines au natural.

What has added to a nation of dry, Weetabix haired women is a tendency to over style with heat: blow-drying, straightening, curling and dying, something which most women are guilty of at some time or another.

My hair has been in much better condition since I stopped drying and styling and I actually prefer the way it looks naturally, but there is still some damage from my old straightening days.

The best cure is a permanent solution: cutting out the damage.

But if you are reluctant to do this, or the damage isn’t too severe, you might want to use products to soften dry, limp ends.

Rather than investing in expensive products that might not even work and are usually full of as many damaging chemicals as nourishing ones, you might want to try a natural solution first, which has apparently been bandied around for a long time, so naturally, I have only just heard of it.

As my hair is quite thick and down to my waist, I would like a solution that’s cheap and consistent (and preferably works!), so I tried the ‘Olive Oil’ look, a product that knocks about in most peoples kitchens (especially Jamie Oliver’s).

The effects on olive oil on the skin, hair and nails are often heralded, and you don’t need to break the bank to incorporate this into your beauty regime. A lot of oils and greases in products are synthetic and coat the skin/hair rather than actively absorb and hydrate it, creating an illusion of softness that doesn’t really permeate. A lot of synethic products cannot be actively absorbed, and those that can often also contain chemicals that are not great for your body, meaning you are absorbing all of those too.

I drenched my hair in olive oil and left if for about an hour. I ran myself a bath and washed it out.

Not only was my hair a lot softer (aside from one area of damage which is probably beyond repair) my skin was loads softer too! (Two birds with one stone).

I think I actually used TOO much because the top of my head was slightly greasy.

So learn from me:

1)        Less is more

2)        Wash thoroughly

For shiny, soft hair on the cheap!

Product Review: LUSH - Lemony Flutter

Image taken from Google Search

Product Name: Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

Ingredients: Fresh Organic Lemon Infusion, Shea Butter, Beeswax,  Lanolin, Soya Oil,  Organic Cold Pressed Avocado Oil, Organic Cold Pressed Flaxseed Oil,Mango Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Perfume, Organic Cold Pressed Wheatgerm Oil, Lemon Oil,Lavender Oil, Tagetes Oil,Chamomile Blue Oil, Triethanolamine, Stearic Acid,  Cetearyl Alcohol, Gardenia Extract, Citral, Geraniol, *Citronellol, *Limonene, Linalool,  Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Price: £5.95

Size: 50g

I bought this as a random present for my mother who suffers terribly with dry cuticals and often laments the condition of her nails. She has since said it is, and I quote, 'the BEST present anyones ever bought me' (I don't know if this says more about my present buying skills or about the poor standard of generosity from the general public). She uses it RELIGIOUSLY.

It is essentially a little pot of sorbet - it smells like all the zest and eccentricity of fresh potted lemons - dessert in a pot (its sometimes hard to forget that this isn't a food - especially as lemon is my favourite flavour of ice cream!). Its a soft and soothing cutical and nail balm, also championed as the saviour and soother of general rough parts, particularly knees and elbows. You only really need a very small amount of this as the rich, creamy, buttery texture literally melts into the hands. Again I must reiterate - this product is GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT!

The results are noticable immediately, your hands will feel soft and well and truly buttered straight away. I would advise using the product twice a day...perhaps more in winter, or if you are prone to rough, dry, straggly skin around the nails. Also, supposedly because of the bleaching effect of lemons, this whitens your nails (always a perk).

The only cons with the product are that, although its perfect as a small pot for hands and nails, if you do take a liking to using the product body wide, you will find its small stature just doesn't stretch fair enough. Again, as with most LUSH products, it is on the dear side, but does generally last a long time and do a fantastic job. One of the better cutical creams out there!

I rate this product 4.5 out of 5.

Product Review: Angels on Bare Skin

[gallery link="file" columns="2"]



 

Product: Angels on Bare Skin

Tag Line: This simple, ancient blend of
ingredients is a worldwide best seller.

Ingredients: Ground Almonds, Glycerine, Kaolin,
Water, Lavender Oil, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tagetes Oil, Benzoin
Resinoid, Lavender Flowers, Limonene, Linalool

Cost: £5.95

Product Size: 100g

For those that aren't familiar with LUSH products, LUSH is a company that specialises in moral, ethical, natural and essentially 'conscious' products. They make cosmetics that even the most fanatical vegan will probably not be able to find fault with. Walking into any LUSH store is like witnessing the aftermath of a rainbow colliding with a paint factory and shimmying into a cake stall; it’s an explosion of colours and overwhelming scents and a lot of the products look genuinely edible!

Within these kaleidoscopic, Willy wonka-esque landscapes, you may begin to feel somewhat disorientated and unsure as to what cleanser will work effectively for you. Angels on Bare Skin is suitable for all skin types but particularly for dry skin. Excessively oily skin owners may benefit from using a different cleanser.

Do not be put off by the small size of the pot as this cute container is packed with small, crumbly mounds which last a long time when used sparingly. A pea sized amount is advised but I find double this generally does the trick but I do tend to enjoy ladling my cleansers and moisturisers on with a trowel (to the detriment of my purse). I even share this product with my mum (that's two women cleansing two times a day) and there is still plenty left! A little goes a long way!

You rinse a small chunk of the product under some water and lather it onto the face where it gently builds into a light, refreshing foam. It works in the same way that all cleansers do, only the appearance of the product and its scent (herby and most definitely natural!) indicate that you are using something a little different. It left my skin looking and feeling fresh, dewy, youthful and soft which I was somewhat surprised by. I'd heard good things about this cleanser, but was not expecting incredible, nor such visible results. You then want to (as with all cleansers) wash off with plenty of water. I found the product reviving and invigorating and as it’s such a small and inoffensive little pot, hopefully people won’t be tempted to steal it from you!

With a name like 'Angels on Bare Skin' you half expect to pop a pot and find a choir of squeeing angels playing harps, and it’s certainly got a lot to live up to with its promise of heavenly skin, but I found this product made my skin feel both cleansed and moisturised. That said, the product has its failings - it’s not a 'heavy' cleanser in that it’s not ideal for removing caked on make-up and acne
prone skin may benefit from something equally gentle, but somewhat more thorough. You can most definitely feel the harmonious pitter patter of timid angels but if you are looking for a deep cleanse, you might want a more rigorous product. Also, compared to other cleansers on the market, it is a little costly, and perhaps more of a now and again treat than a staple regular in your beauty routine.

I would give Angels on Bare Skin, 3.5
out of 5.