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 the beauty blog | |||||||
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Category Archives: Bath & BodyLiz Earle Energising Body Range
Meet my current Bathroom Buddies: the three products that have been accompanying me into the shower every day for the past couple of weeks! These products are all part of Liz Earle’s new Energising Body range, which the brand was kind enough to send me to try out, having taken pity on me out there running through the mud and rain a few times a week. As it turns out, these are the perfect post-workout treat: as well a physically energising the skin with a range of natural ingredients designed to exfoliate and soften, they also smell fantastic, turning the shower into a little private spa, with a kind of zingy, forest-fresh scent that really helps wake me up, whether I’ve been out running, or, er, just lazing around in bed. The three products I’ve been using are: Liz Earle Energising Body Wash, £7.75/100 mlThis includes damask rose, flower water and essential oils like sweet orange, grapefruit and peppermint (which is presumably responsible for that “zinginess” I was talking about). It’s a clear gel which does a really good job of moisturizing the skin as well as cleansing it – my skin isn’t particularly sensitive, but this is so gentle it feels like putting moisturiser on rather than a simple shower gel. Liz Earle Energizing Body Scrub, £12.50/200mlSimilar ingredients to the body wash, but this time in the form of an exfoliating scrub. I also have the Liz Earle foot scrub which I’ve been using daily, but this could also substitute for it: it’s a very fine-grained scrub, so it’s gentle to use, but still does the job on rough skin. Liz Earle Energising Hip and Thigh Gel, £21/200mlI must admit, my hips and thighs aren’t a part of the body I’ve been in the habit of giving any extra attention to, but this gel can be used elsewhere, too: they recommend trying it on the stomach and upper arms, and I’ve basically been applying it anywhere I feel like it! It uses things like eucalyptus oil, patchouli, geranium oil and other natural ingredients to invigorate and moisturise, and I always notice a difference when I use this – it leaves my skin feeling super-soft, and is a nice way to round off the other two steps. The only downside to these is that they’re a little too expensive for me to be able to justify using on a day-to-day basis, but they’re great as an indulgent treat, and, as with other Liz Earle products, there are different sizes available if you want to just try them out – for instance, a 50ml tube of the Body Scrub is just £5.25, which will let you see what you think of it without paying for the full size. Check them out and order online at the Liz Earle website. Simply Wax home waxing range by Otylia RobertsI have a confession: I have never waxed my legs. Or my bikini line. Or my face. Or, indeed, any other part of me, with the exception of that time I had my eyebrows waxed as a teenager, at a local salon I’d been given a gift card for. On that memorable occasion, I screamed so loudly that my best friend, waiting outside for her turn, declined to have the procedure, and got her eyelashes dyed instead. She looked fantastic. I, meanwhile, walked around for the rest of the day with a giant red patch between my eyes, vowing never to let a wax strip near me again as long as I lived. So far, I have kept my promise. I’m not sure if it’s that I have a lower pain threshold than other people, or if I’m just more of a wuss than other people, but I’m an absolute baby about waxing. It terrifies me. And you know what terrifies me even more than the thought of the pain? The thought of how long I’d have to let the hair on my legs grow before I’d be able to wax it off again. I mean, I shave every day: I’d have to walk around with furry legs in order to grow the hair long enough to wax. Aaargh! In other words, I had totally decided that waxing was not for me. But then this little gift box from Simply Wax arrived:
Isn’t that pretty? Inside it, I found these: Philosophy ‘The Big Skinny’ self-tanning firming cream
If you’re anything like as pale as me, and therefore prone to using the odd bit of fake tan in order to avoid frightening small children, you’re probably well aware that the condition of the skin you slap the product onto has a huge effect on the outcome of your self-tanning adventures. Put simply, if you want to achieve a smooth, even tan, you’re going to want to first of all make sure you have smooth, even skin. Firm. Supple. You know the drill. If you’re anything like as LAZY as me, however, you’ll ALSO know that the thought of using an exfoliator AND a body lotion AND a fake tan… meh. Who has time for all of that? Not me, which is why I find myself looking patchy a lot of the time looking with interest at Philosophy’s ‘The Big Skinny’. Rather than being a self-tanner with moisturiser in it, this is a moisturiser with self-tanner in it (yes, there is a difference) and its aim is to make your skin feel firmer and smoother, as well and giving it that sunkissed glow. It’s a hard-worker, this one. The self-tanner is of the gradual kind, so you won’t wake up looking like you fell asleep on the beach, and if you DO have time for all those extra steps, there’s also an exfoliator which you can use first. Well, YOU can. I probably won’t bother, because I’m stupid like that. This is $28 and you can grab it at Nordstrom.
Posted in Bath & Body, Fake Tan
Tagged big skinny, body lotion, Fake Tan, gradual tanner, philosophy
2 Comments
Dollface Reviews: Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil
Happily, it’s also a very good moisturiser. The tag line on the bottle says “Moisturises like an oil, absorbs like a cream,” and I’d say that’s a fairly accurate assessment. One of my favourite body moisturisers, for instance, is Johnstone’s Baby Oil, but it’s so um, oily, I tend not to use it very often. This product, on the other hand, isn’t greasy at all, but it does contain sweet almond oil, which makes it nicely moisturising. Aveeno’s Moisturising Creamy Oil is available from Boots and Superdrug, but doesn’t appear on either website yet, so if you’d like to try it, keep and eye out for it next time your in-store. Benefit launch “Take a picture…it lasts longer…” glimmering body balm
That’s just fine by me: I can’t really imagine using something like this anywhere other than on the legs, but a bit of well-placed shimmer can really help define the leg muscles, and bring dull, pasty skin to life. It sounds like the kind of thing that might come in handy on those days (or nights) when you don’t want to wear tights, can’t be bothered to apply fake tan, but do want to give your skin a little bit of a glow. It comes with a ‘Bathina’ velvet puff for application, and costs $28. Fizzy Baker Cupcake Trio Bath Bomb Gift Box
I do, however, like cupcakes. A lot. In fact, I’m really glad I don’t have any in the house right now, because the very sight of the ones above makes me crave sugar – which is silly, really, because these ones are made of soap, not sugar. Which could be nasty, especially given that they even SMELL like cupcakes, apparently. Anyway, edible or not, I think they make a sweet (yes, I went there) little gift. They cost $16.50 for three, and you can buy them here. Dollface Reviews: Villainess bath & body products
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.” ‘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.
Posted in Bath & Body, Beauty Product Reviews
Tagged body butter, scrubs, soap, Villainess
2 Comments
Wild Organics Fresh Lime Flower Skin Lotion
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.
Posted in Bath & Body, Beauty Product Reviews
Tagged body lotion, fresh lime flower skin lotion, wild organics
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Bikini Goddess 5 Day Challenge, Part 1 – Gillette Venus Embrace
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?
Posted in Bath & Body, Beauty Product Reviews
Tagged bikini line, gillette, razor, shaving
12 Comments
LaLicious donate 15% from every purchase of Sugar Kiss Soufflé Scrub to Breast Cancer Research Fund during October
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.  | |||||||
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, 