|
|
Archive for the ‘Bath & Body’ Category
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
|
Meet my new favourite indulgences…. Villainess is a US brand of bath and body products, and they’ve basically manged to combine everything I like in this kind of thing: quirky packaging and branding, great scents, products that remind me of food: you get the picture.
As an example of that quirky branding, here’s the product description for the ‘Bathory’ soap I’ve been using this week:
“The cloying sweetness of a covetous lust for misspent youth, offset by a geriatric touch of rose and carnation, and underscored by a malevolent insinuation of sandalwood.”
As you can probably gather, then, these products are all about wicked indulgence: just the kind of thing I like, but luckily there’s nothing “wicked” about the way they’re made, with everything being produced using natural ingredients that are sourced from cruelty free responsible suppliers.
‘Bathory’ is as great smelling as it sounds, but I was most impressed with the Smooch Scrub - a sugary scrub that turns into a creamy lotion on damp skin – and the Whipped! body creme, which is quite possibly the creamiest, butteriest body cream I’ve ever tried. I have the ‘Decadence’ scent, which uses lots of vanilla, and smells good enough to eat. Both the scrub and the body cream totally live up to the idea of indulgence: the Whipped! body cream in particular is a real treat to use, and although the product feels rich and buttery, it soaks into the skin quickly, leaving it feeling soft and smelling… well, a bit like cake mixture, actually.
The Villainess line is stocked exclusively by Posh Brats in the UK, and prices range from £5 – £15. Check out the line here.
|
Friday, September 4th, 2009
|
As I may have mentioned, oooh, about a million times now, I really, really hate winter. I hate winter even more than I hate Crocs, and I REALLY hate Crocs, so that’s saying something. This year, though, I’m determined not to succumb to the winter blues, so I’ve been trying to make more time for myself and the little indulgences that make me feel better: think long baths, luxurious body lotions, er, Christian Louboutin shoes. Whoops.
The latest lotion to hit my shelf, then, is Wild Organics’ Fresh Lime Skin Lotion, which has the advantage of being kind to the planet, as well as kind to my skin, and thanks to my new “make time for myself” plan, I’ve been using it every day this week. This product is free from parabens, chemicals, colourants, fragrances, you name it. Unlike many eco-friendly products, however, which can have a bit of a “rough and ready” feel to them, this range is designed to feel luxurious, so the lotion is smooth and silky, and feels great to use. It sinks in quickly, and because there’s nothing artificial in it, it’s more or less fragrance free: some of you may see that as a downside, if you like your products perfumed, but I actually prefer body lotions that way, because it means they don’t do battle with my actual perfume.
This costs £15 for 250, and a percentage from each sake goes to the Freedom From Fistula charity. You’ll fnd more information on the product itself, and where to buy it, at the Wild Organics website.
|
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
|
Readers, let’s talk about bikini lines.
No, this isn’t part of a new passion for over-sharing, it’s just that last week Gillette asked me to take part in their 5 day Bikini Goddess Challenge, testing out the Venus Embrace and the Wilkinson Sword Quattro for Women Bikini and seeing how well they work on the ol’ bikini line.
Now, quick confession first: this wasn’t exactly a departure for me, because I tend to use a razor on my bikini line anyway. Regular professional waxing is too time-consuming and expensive for me (not to mention the fact that I have a super-low pain threshold), and I’m in the shower every day anyway, so shaving it is.
I’ve been using the Venus Embrace in conjunction with Gillette’s Satin Care Shave Gel in Avocado Mist. I’ve reviewed both of these before, and been impressed with them, and I’m happy to report that they work just as well on the bikini line as they do anywhere else on the body. Obviously the last thing you want is a shaving rash peeking out of your bikini bottoms – * shudder* – but these leave the skin smooth and soft: no stubble, no rash, no tell-tale ingrown hairs. Also, the Venus Embrace is such a gentle razor to use that it would be pretty hard to cut yourself with it either: I’ve been using this razor for a while now, and I haven’t cut myself yet, and if I can’t do it, I don’t expect you will, either.
So, a good result for Gillette! Next week I’ll be trying out the Wilkinson Sword Quattro for women, but in the meantime, tell me: how do you deal with your bikini line – shave? Wax? A depilatory cream? Or do you prefer the au natural look?
Gillette Venus Embrace
|
Friday, August 21st, 2009
|
 Apologies if posts are a little thin on the ground (by which I mean “non-existent) for the next couple of days, folks: having moved this site to Wordpress earlier this month, we’re now making the same move with our sister site, The Fashion Police, and given that it has thousands of posts and comments, it’s taking up quite a bit of my attention at the moment!
I’ll do my best to continue to bring you products to drool over, but if I do disappear, I leave you with the news that the wonderfully-named LaLicious are donating 15% from every sale of their Sugar Kiss Souffle Scrub to the Breast Cancer Research Fund during the month of October, which is national Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
It’s an excellent cause, and although I haven’t tried the body scrub, it sounds like an excellent product too, with a sweet scent and a moisturising formula. It costs $34 and you can buy it here.
|
Monday, August 17th, 2009
|
 A couple of days ago I noticed that the skin on my legs was looking a bit dry, so I decided it was time to get out the body lotion. I can be really lazy about this: an awful lot of lotions take a long while to absorb, and there never seems to time in my life to sit around naked, waiting for a product to soak in, so all too often I go without. Bad Dollface.
Anyway, the dry skin situation couldn’t be ignored, so I reached for this product by Collective Wellbeing, which has been in the bathroom cabinet for a few weeks now, but which I hadn’t yet used. And wow, I really wish I hadn’t waited so long. As well as absorbing quickly enough to keep even me happy, this just smells delicious. Literally. As in “I could eat it”.
The formula is watercress/jojoba, but the scent is sweet, fruity and just all round edible. I didn’t eat it, though. No, instead I applied it to my poor old dry skin, and have been using it ever since. Already the dryness has gone, and my skin feels smoother and softer, so now all I have to do is remember to keep on using it.
It’s by Collective Wellbeing, and it uses jojoba to provide oil that’s almost identical to that produced by your skin, albeit with a much better smell and ingredients like organic watercress and vitamins A and C to help it along. Get it here.
|
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
|
 This product is described by Debenhams as “a Wonderbra in a jar”, which, of course, was enough to get my attention.
It’s called ‘Boob Tube’, and it’s a firming cream for the neck and bust, so I guess the Wonderbra comparisons kinda stop there. That’s not to say it doesn’t sound like an interesting product, though: it claims to make the skin on the bust and neck look younger, feel firmer, and get rid of that “crepey” look the skin in those areas can acquire as we age. Furthermore, it claims to give noticeable results within just a week.
How does it do it? Collagen is the ingredient you would probably expect to find in something like this, and you wouldn’t be disappointed. However it also contains omegas 3,6 and 9, plus very high levels of the anti-oxidant CoQ 10. It’s paraben free, and should be applied from underneath the boobs, all the way up to the neck, every day.
Mama Mio ’Boob Tube’, £19.50 at Debenhams.
|
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
|
These products were a bit of a mystery to me, albeit a lovely smelling one. As those of you who follow me on Twitter will know, they landed on my desk a couple of weeks ago, but there was no information with them, and the company’s official website is all in French, so I was ever so slightly confused.
However, it turns out they also have a US website, so I can at least tell you where to buy them! I was sent the Cherry Blossom Hand Cream, Cherry Blossom Liquid Marseille Soap and Cherry Blossom Body Lotion, and let me tell you, these just smell delicious. It’s just occured to me that I don’t actually know what cherry blossom smells like: these, however, smell just like actual cherries, and because I love the smell of cherries, I naturally loved these, too. I’ve been keeping the hand cream on my desk and am pleased to report that it sinks in very quickly (an absolute must when you type all day) and leaves the skin feeling lovely and soft. The other two samples, alas, are long gone, but they smelt gorgeous while they lasted!
|
|
For every occasion, there is a corresponding Philosophy gift set. Isn't that brilliant? Seriously, I bet there's a "Sorry It's Tuesday And Your Muscles Really Hurt After Your Body Combat Class!" set from Philosophy somewhere, and if anyone would like to send me that one, well, that would be just fine.
Actually, though, this particular set is one that you'd give for no particular reason, just to make someone feel a little bit happier and let them know you think they're wonderful. I think that's pretty wonderful, too. It contains Philosphy's ubiquitous 3-in-one shampoo/shower/bubble lotion – this one has a mandarin orange and cherry scent – and it'll cost you $24. Which really isn't TOO much to make someone feel wonderful, is it?
BUY: Philosophy I Think You Are Wonderful set, $24
|
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
|
I’ve mentioned befomy hair removal the old-fashioned way: with a razor. This works pretty well for me, but of course, like most methods of hair removal, it’s not without its downside, including the odd shaving rash, and those attractive red “pimples” you sometimes get. Nice!
I know waxers can encounter similar issues, but luckily The Cool Fix is here to, er, fix them. As well as providing “clinical levels” (Oooh! Fancy!) of relief from irritated, post shave/wax skin, it also helps with ingrown hairs, gently releasing them from the skin and preventing them from recurring.
Needless to say, I also like the vaguely retro label on the bottle, too. It’s $25, and you can buy it at www.sephora.com
|
|
Do you want your body to shimmer on the beach?
I'm not sure I do, to be completely honest. That's what Bobbi Brown's Shimmering Body Oil is designed for, though: this isn't a sunscreen, so although it will moisturise your skin, the main effect is to give your skin one of those "golden glows" beauty companies are always talking about, as you lie in the sun. For this reason, I'm assuming it's quick dry and non-sticky, otherwise I'd probably end up looking like a Sand Creature, with half of the beach stuck to my skin. Mind you, I generally look like a Sand Creature at the beach anyway, so I guess it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me.
Although Neiman Marcus have added the word "beach" to the name of this, I think the moisturising properties mean it will probably come into its own as an after-sun, to sooth the skin and add a bit of shimmer for evening.
If you want to try it out and see for yourself, it's $34 from Neiman Marcus.
 |
|
|
