March empties

Can you believe it's time for empties again? What ever happens to the days I wonder, and I'm convinced that the bad economy and inflation these past few years even has impacted time - an hour is somehow shorter than it used to be. Again I have tried my hardest this month to finish up as many products as possible and in the end I'm quite pleased with the results - 8 products that can go in the bin, which equals the right to buy 8 new products, that's the rule isn't it?

Let's start with some skin care products. Ever since I finished my beloved Gatineau Floracil (£29.50), a strong contender for the world champion title of eye makeup removers, I've been using the L'Oréal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution (£4.99), the well known dupe for the original micellar solution - Bioderma. It's a great, effective and gentle all-in-one product, removing both face and eye makeup without stinging your eyes, and it also acts as a toner. The only thing I seriously dislike about it is the packaging, or more specifically the fact that there is no effective dispenser at the top of the bottle - just a big hole. This means that if you drop the bottle, or you're not careful with closing the top, the solution goes everywhere. That should be easy enough to fix and hopefully L'Oréal will do something about it eventually. Even though I prefer to use micellar solutions from other brands as part of my morning routine, I still like to use the L'Oréal 3 in 1 solution as an eye makeup remover, and at such an affordable price it's super value for money.

On to the St. Grape Aqua Bliss Natural Face and Body Scrub (£12) which is an amazing luxurious bath scrub containing natural mineral sea salt, essential oils and vitamin e. The formula is light, fluffy and creamy and the salt grains are so fine that they start to melt immediately when you scoop it out of the jar. The scrub is so delicate and gentle on the skin, leaving it smooth and supple with a gorgeous and quite strong scent of delicate jasmine. You can use this both on your body and face, but since I'm cautious of using strongly perfumed products on my face I stick to using it as a body scrub. It's a fantastic indulgent product, perfect for a pampering evening and I will get another one as soon as I've finished some of my other body scrubs.

We've come to the section of hair products for this month starting with the Avon Naturals Apricot and Shea Leave-in Treatment (£2.50). It's a lovely light cream, almost of the same consistency as a conditioner, that you apply to towel dried hair and it makes your hair very silky and so much easier to detangle. But the best thing about it is the incredible scent of sun-kissed juicy apricots and luxurious shea butter that stays on your hair and if you apply it in the evening, you'll still smell it in the morning when you wake up. This is one of the few Avon hair products that really works on my hair, and the smell of  a creamy fresh apricot smoothie is just irresistible.

Of course we have a dry shampoo as well - the TRESemme Instant Refresh Radiance Dry Shampoo Translucent Formula (£5.25). It's a slightly revamped version of the original TRESemme dry shampoo that doesn't leave that white powdery residue on your hair that some dry shampoos can do which is great, and it has that lovely recognizable fresh TRESemme scent that lingers on your hair. It's a decent dry shampoo however personally I don't find it quite as effective at oil control as some of the others I've used from Batiste or Dove, and I can't say that I've noticed that it adds any radiance as it promises either. Since it is a bit more expensive than other brands, but it doesn't have the same effect on my hair I won't be repurchasing this.

If you've followed my posts on Operation Rapunzel, you'll know that I have been using the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment (£7.99) faithfully since October last year to help my hair to grow. The treatment is a protein enriched masque that you use after shampoo but before conditioner, and it helps to nourish the scalp and follicles for healthy hair. It's a gorgeous creamy formula with a delicious nutty scent that reminds me of the Macadamia range, and it makes the hair feel extremely soft and nourished. After more than 3 months of use, my hair had grown almost 6 cms, and although it might not be down only to this lovely treatment, it's certainly helped to keep my hair sleek and glossy. I can't recommend this wonderful masque enough, and in fact I would say - buy two at the same time to make sure you don't run out.

When I first got the L'Oréal False Lash Flutter Mascara (£10.99) I had some mixed feelings about it, that you may remember from a separate review I did in November (see here). Although the formula starts off quite thin, it does add a wonderful length, and as the formula thickens it also adds quite a lot of volume to the lashes. Another plus point is the fabulous fanned butterfly wing effect on the lashes that the very scary looking brush creates and the mascara also wears great throughout the day. What I found most difficult to get used to is the brush - it's big, sturdy, heavy in the hand and the shape makes it difficult to reach the inner lashes and to get a nice even coverage of the lower lashes, at least until you get used to is and you find a way to use it that works for you. Despite my initial struggles with the brush I absolutely love the dramatic lash effect this mascara creates, and truth be told I have already bought another one, and can't wait to start using it again.

This month I've finished another fragrance, Flora by Gucci - Glamorous Magnolia EdT (£48.50) one of the amazing scents from Gucci's Floral Garden range. I'm a massive fan of the original Flora scent, but the Floral Garden range is far from your garden variety of perfumes and Glamorous Magnolia is a fabulous, fresh, soft and sensual modern scent. It blends delicate white flowers with lots of character like magnolia and freesia with warm peony, invigorating citrus fruits and warm, earthy musk and wood. It's such a cool, crisp and glamorous scent and it's perfect for warm, sweltering summer days. Glamorous Magnolia - you will be sorely missed... at least until I get bottle of you, and this time I'm going large!

Last but not least is a candle that I bought just before Christmas, and I know what you're thinking - what, that's months ago? But the reason for not showing it sooner is that it burns up to 170 hrs, so it's lasted me aaaages. I had never tried this brand before but the Village Candle in Mulled Cider (£17.25) smelt so delicious of warm, sweet fruity and slightly spicy cider that I just had to have it. It came with two wicks and burnt really well from side to side, deep into the glass jar, with next to nothing left of it. The Village Candles look and smell so similar to the Yankee Candles that you can easily mistake them for each other, although the Village Candles might be slightly lower priced. With 170 hrs burn time, these candles are excellent value for money and I would definitely try this brand again. If you have tried both Yankee and Village Candles I'd love to hear if you think there's a difference between them and which you prefer?

Spa treats from St. Grape

A little while ago I was one of the lucky winners of the five St. Grape gift sets from the giveaway that Miss Budget Beauty held at the beginning of the month and I was really excited to get to try their products. St. Grape is a new brand that launched their products in August this year, and they only sell their products in the UK at the moment. The St. Grape concept is all about natural and organic skin care, based on ancient traditions and rituals to create modern holistic skincare - looking after both the body and the mind.

The gift set I got contains four different products; bath salts, bath scrub, foot scrub and a massage oil - perfect for an indulgent evening of some relaxing pampering. I am all about pampering, and several times a week I ensure that I get some me time to enjoy a nice long soak in the bath with lots of bubbles - ideally both in the bathtub and in a champagne glass. Despite being a bath girl I must admit that I don't often use bath salts, but as soon as I saw the Exotic Pink Bath Salts I was curious to try it.

It's made from Himalayan salt, which is very rich in minerals that not only makes the skin velvet soft, but it also detoxes your body and to have nice long soak in a bath must be the easiest way to detox ever. I poured a generous amount of salt into the bath and by the time I'd finished running the bath the majority of the salts had more or less dissolved. The scent is not so much exotic as it is aromatic and I would say that it's a menthol like subtle lavender smell, so it's relaxing as well as invigorating but not overpowering in any way. The salts were great for softening up my muscles, but the menthol oils are so reviving that I'm not sure this would work for me as a pre-bedtime relaxer, but except for that it's a lovely product.

While I was enjoying my bath I also used the Aqua Bliss Bath Scrub which contains natural mineral sea salt, essential oils and vitamin e. The scrub has an incredible consistency, and I've never tried anything like this before. It's soft and creamy but finely grainy from the salt at the same time, and it feels very light and fluffy on the skin - it's like scrubbing yourself with a granita, it just dissolves beautifully. It's a really lovely exfoliator and it leaves the skin feeling very soft and smooth with a faint smell of jasmine, although for me it is a little bit on the soapy side. According to the description you can use this on your face as well as your body, however I won't be able to comment on that since I've only used it as a body scrub so far. I absolutely love this product - it's great value for money and I would definitely repurchase it.

The next product in the gift set is also a scrub, but for the feet. The Ancient Foot Scrub uses the same ingredients as the Aqua Bliss, and the consistency is wonderful although more than a little bit different. It has a soft but dry, grainy and fluffy texture that reminds me of couscous but it's very relaxing and soothing to use, and even better if you can get somebody to do it for you... Take a a handful of the scrub to massage all over moist feet, and it will easily get rid of any rough or dry skin. I also tried this on my hands during a manicure and it works equally well, and you can follow up with a rich hand cream or even a moisturising wax treatment for silky smooth paws.

Using this is quite messy, so I would recommend that you do it over the bath tub or something similar, so you don't get it everywhere as I did the first time I used it. It's a pleasant product to use, however it is VERY strongly scented. The scent could be from the essential oils; jasmine, rose and lavender, each of them distinct and potent in themselves. As you know fragrance is a very important product aspect for me, and it can sway me either way when I'm testing a product. For me personally this scent is far too strong, even over powering and unfortunately it would keep me from buying the product again - even though I really did enjoy the actual scrub. 

 

To finish the bath routine I used the Invisible Skin Massage Oil to moisturise every part of my body that had been soaked and scrubbed. The oil comes in a lovely apothecary style, heavy glass bottle with a stop which is too chic to be hidden away in a bathroom cabinet. The oil is a blend of Camellia Seed and Extra Virgin Oil with an impressive 9 other kinds of 100% pure essential oils from; lavender, lime, basil, grapefruit, mint, rose geranium, eucalyptus, chamomile and bois de rose. All together, they create an aromatic, soothing and relaxing scent that is still fresh thanks to the zesty citrus fruits. The oil is fairly rich without being heavy and it leaves your skin nicely moisturised. You can use this as a serum on your face as well, but since you should only use a tiny drop of oil, it would have been useful if the bottle came with a pipette, or something to help with the dispensing.

We all have such busy lives that it's important to take some time every now and then to just relax, and what better way to do that than turn your bathroom into a relaxing home spa; light some candles, put on some music, have a lovely bath and finish with some of your favourite products. If you're on the look out for something new to try, why not check out the St. Grape, and make use of the 50% discount code from Miss Budget Beauty - BUDGETBEAUTY5. 

TANtastic body care

Yes, summer is almost gone and so is my tan - so in an attempt to look like I've just come back from holiday again, I thought I would bring out an old favourite and also test some new items that I've recently bought.

After much looking and lusting I finally got my first Soap & Glory products. I've had my eye on Soap & Glory for longer than I can remember and with all the fantastic reviews out there, I just knew that I had to get a few items. My problem - and it's a great problem to have when it comes to beauty products, is that there's too much to choose from, so I ended up with some shopping catatonia. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does I really do suffer! In the end I went for a novel approach: instead of getting what I just plain wanted - I bought items that I actually do need. So I decided on a body scrub and a body butter to go with it. Since I'm addicted to scent I spent a good while sniffing all the items in Boots and eventually I settled on the Breakfast Scrub Body Exfoliator and the Smoothie Star Body Buttercream.

If we start with the Breakfast Scrub, I'll sum up my experience with it in 3 little words - OH MY GOSH! When you open the tub, it does look a little bit like something you would find in your breakfast bowl, and the content of the scrub also sounds like it's from a breakfast bowl - extracts of banana, almond and honey extracts and oatmeal. They all help to scrub, soften and nourish your skin, all at the same time and when you've used this - your skin will feel very smooth. But the best bit is the smell of maple - it is sweet, crisp and absolutely divine and it actually lasts on your skin! It smells so scrumptious that I almost have to physically restrain myself from tasting it... Anyone else feel the same or just me..? Ok then.... Anyway, even though I can't really see myself using this as part of my morning routine I have to one of the nicest products I've ever tried - in all categories and I'll use it regardless of what time of day it is. 

Having scrubbed my skin, making it nice and smooth for self-tanning I used the Smoothie Star Body Buttercream to moisturise. It's a wonderful rich and thick body cream which is packed with oils and products to moisturise your skin; pistachio, almond, coconut and shea butter. What I like about this buttercream is that you really have to massage it into your skin, it doesn't just absorb as many thinner body lotions do, and that means that you'll have that hydrated feeling for a good few hrs after you've rubbed it in. It's such a luxurious cream and for me it's definitely a rival of the Body Shop Body Butters. Like the other Soap & Glory body creams it smells delicious, and this scent is of pistachio, almond and vanilla. It is a little bit on the synthetic side, but I really like it and again it stays on your skin a long time after you've finished getting ready - YUM!

For the self-tanning part I use Caudalie Divine Legs. I'm not being modest now, but I am probably the world's worst self-tanner, which means that I never ever do it. At least that was until Him Indoors brought home this little beauty for me. It's a lovely golden caramel colored cream and since the bottle comes with a pump, it's easy to get exactly the right amount that you need for the different parts of your body. I find it easy to use because it's slightly thicker than I remember other products being, and also since the cream is tinted - you see exactly where you've applied already and can get an even, non streaky result. Another great thing is that it dries very quickly and it doesn't come with that distinct smell that most fake tan products have and at the end of the day you easily wash it off in the shower - no scrubbing needed, although with the Breakfast scrub, I'll happily scrub away!

I've tried to illustrate the end result in the before and after photos below of my leg. These photos are taken in exactly the same location and light with just a few mins part.

 

Before using Caudalie Divine Legs

After using Caudalie Divine Legs

I think you'll agree that the result is noticeable and it's an immediate subtle, golden shade. If a complete self-tanning amateur like myself can get this result, then it really is a great product and I definitely recommend it if like me, your previous experience with self-tanning wasn't a great one.

So now I'm almost back to the sunny, bronzed shade I've been recently, which makes me feel very energetic, healthy and happy. If you are tempted by the Soap & Glory products, Boots have an offer on just now where you get 3 for the price of 2 of selected Soap & Glory items - and I will be going back this weekend to take them up on this too yummy to turn down offer!