Sanctuary brightening facial radiance exfoliator review

One of my New Years resolutions was to indulge more in me-time, just doing the little things that I just don't seem to have the time to do anymore like doing a manicure with my favourite nail polish or baking a tray of cookies.

I was in boots this weekend and spotted the mini sanctuary radiance exfoliators were reduced to 20p as the packaging has been updated each AND they were on three for two! Although I have no shortage of beauty products I don't have much in the way of facial products and given the bargain price I didn't feel the need to justify buying three new exfoliators (and let's not forget they are miniature after all!)

So after a long lie in this morning, I indulged my resolution with an at home facial using my new exfoliator. This is what I could expect according to the sanctuary website:

ultra-fine apricot granules and grape seed exfoliate and refine, while a trio of pumpkin, pineapple and papaya extracts work naturally to help increase cell renewal. Skin is left feeling smooth and glowing with radiance.

I really liked this exfoliator, it was fairly thick and had a decent amount of granules without being too harsh on my skin. It left my face feeling deep cleansed, fresh and smooth and it has a lovely light scent. I have sensitive skin on my face and I can't use a lot of facial products but this was perfect for my skin. 

According to the website it can be used 2-3 times a week but I think I will stick to using it once a week as part of my Sunday facial routine. I would definitely recommend this product and you can try the miniature size which is sold in Boots to see if it suits you before paying out for the full size version.

Lush Christmas Preview 2013!

It might be the middle of summer, but I can't be the only one excited about the flurry of Christmas previews popping up online can I?!...

Anyway, yesterday I spotted a picture from the Lush Christmas Preview event posted by the asian beauty blog. The products on offer look better than last year's, when I think I only bought a couple of Christmas Eve Bubble Bars as the novelty of glittery bath bombs which take forever to clean out of your bath has worn off.

However this year sees the introduction of a number of new bath bombs, bubble bars and melts, and rumour has it that a special limited edition Rose Jam shower gel is set to make an appearance too!

I'm glad that the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar is back again, it has a lovely soft jasmine scent and i'm intrigued by the blue shooting star and purple bath bombs. The snowman has been remodeled from previous years and now looks adorable! It's good to see the addition of so many new products, I can't wait to pop into the store when they launch in October and see what smells as good as it looks!

Does anyone else have a Lush Christmas wishlist already or is it just me?!

Sanctuary Dreamtime Sleep-in-a-box Kit Review

Just before I went on holiday I mentioned my bargain Boots haul, which included the Sanctuary Dreamtime Sleep-in-a-box kit. I've used it a few times now so thought I'd post a quick review about the set.

The set contains 4 travel sized products; soothing bath float, smoothing silk scrub, 4in1 restoring body elixir and comforting night butter. I haven't used the body elixir yet as you can only use it once, so I'm keeping it for when I have time for a long soak, but the other products have been tested a few times now.

The first thing you notice about the Sleep range is the lovely, calming scent; it manages to be subtle whilst still having a relaxing effect. I would describe the fragrance as a creamy almond and lightly floral scent. The soothing bath float has a slight shimmer and produces a fair amount of bubbles, leaving the water soft and scented.
The smoothing silk scrub is a very lightweight scrub, it doesn't have much "scrub" in it so isn't suitable for proper exfoliating, but that makes sense for a kit which is meant to help you unwind and make you sleepy. It does however leave you skin silky soft, and the gentle scrub is relaxing.
The comforting body butter is the final step to dreamtime, and complements the other products perfectly. It's  luxuriously thick, absorbs quickly, and leaves the lovely scent on your skin.

I really like this kit and it did help send me off to a relaxed slumber, so I would purchase it again, although probably the kit (which retails for £12.50), rather than the full sized products which are about £10 each. I think this will be one for my Christmas wish list this year!

No 7 BB Cream Review

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my Boots Haul,which included a No7 BB Cream. I'm an extreme latecomer to the BB cream party, it didn't particularly appeal to me as I have a reliable foundation which gives good even coverage, so what else could a BB cream offer? Having now tried No7's BB cream I realise that the two are pretty much completely different products. The BB cream has a light moisturising formula, yet provides a noticeable even coverage.The best thing about it is how easy and quick it is to apply, there's no need for a brush or sponge, simply blend in with your fingertips and in seconds you have a more even skin tone; it's great for days when you're in a rush or don't want to overload your skin with products. The other benefit is that it is long lasting so with its light-weight formula it's great for summer (and it has SPF 15 to protect your skin in the sun). Unfortunately I often need a medium-full coverage foundation to fully disguise imperfections, so the No 7 BB cream won't be replacing my foundation, but it has become a firm fixture in my make-up bag for the summer months.

Boots No 7, Sanctuary and Champneys Bargain Beauty Haul!

I called in to Boots yesterday and as I was passing through I noticed lots of big reductions on their luxury brands including Sanctuary, Soap & Glory, Champneys, Burts Bees and National Trust, some with 75% off. I am quite keen on Sanctuary (their products are paraben free too which is a plus) so I was pleased to spot a few items on sale (two of which I had already had my eye on, but didn't buy as my beauty box is already quite full following a successful visit to the Boots Christmas sale in January!) And it is the perfect chance to try new Sanctuary products that I otherwise wouldn't have; whilst I don't mind paying a premium for products that I know work and are reliable, with limited money in my account for non-essential purchases I'm not keen to spend over £10 on one product without knowing it won't be tried once and then stuck in the back of the cupboard.
So, on to the small haul I picked up!

The first thing I picked up was the Sanctuary "Dream time sleep in-a-box" which contains everything you need to send you off to a relaxing sleep. I can't wait to try this out later, it has a soothing bath float, 4 in 1 body elixir, smoothing silk scrub and comforting night butter. This had 1/3 off and was reduced to £8.38. I also spotted a box of skin conditioning oils, (which I'd also wanted to try before), and you can either use these as an intensive moisturiser on your skin or add to a bath to leave your skin soft and smooth. I'm a big fan of hair oil treatments so I'm hoping that these will work just as well! These were down to £2.30-ish from about £10. The third product I bought was a micro-dermabrasion body renewal scrub. I hadn't actually seen this before but I'm really keen to give it a go as I have an uneven skin tone and according to the scrub 9 out of 10 women noticed a visible difference to the appearance of their skin...so this has high expectations to live up to! This was also about £2.40-ish from about £10. Boots is also running a promotion where if you spend £10 on sanctuary you get a free creme souffle worth £11, so obviously I added this to my basket too! I've tried this out already and I really wasn't expecting much as I have quite a lot of moisturiser that I need to use up and didn't think it would be particularly different, but I soon changed my opinion. It is so rich it absorbs very well and quickly unlike some body lotions which seem to take ages to absorb, and it leaves skin feeling soft, supple and smooth and with a lovely fragrance.

Just when I thought I was done with my sanctuary haul I spotted the Champneys hand scrubs (far left in the picture) which were down to £1.50 and buy-one-get-one half price. I picked up two as I used to have a Sanctuary hand scrub which was lovely so I thought I'd give this a go. And even better I had enough points on my Boots card to pay, so effectively my bag full of goodies didn't cost me anything! There were also plenty of bargains to be had on the Soap & Glory shelves, Burt's Bees and National Trust aisles (including gift sets which would be good for birthdays or Christmas if you want to prepare early!), so if you're passing by it might be worth calling in and seeing what bargains you can spot!

As you can see in the picture I also picked up a couple of bargain No7 products. I'll keep it brief but currently boots are giving out vouchers at their self-service tills for £8 off a purchase of both No7 skin care and make up, and I already had a £5 off skin-care and £3 off make-up voucher from a till from my last trip to Boots, so I purchased a No7 BB cream (which is £13) and No7 eye illuminator pen (also £13) and was able to use all of my vouchers which gave £16 off, and as make up is on buy one get one half price this just left a few pounds to pay. I also used my mums vouchers to get her a BB cream and top coat nail varnish. I think that the reason all of the vouchers work and you still get the buy one get one half price promotion at the till is because BB cream is classed as both skincare and make-up, so if you want to purchase a few items yourself you'd need something in both categories like the BB cream or Bronzing pearls/palettes.

Now I just have to fit it all in my beauty box....!

Lush Hottie Massage Bar Review

A few months ago I was given a Hottie Massage Bar from Lush, designed to relieve aching and knotted muscles. I've tried their Lush massage bars before having received the now discontinued glitterbug as a freebie, and whilst I had found it pleasant, the glitter wasn't very suitable for day time and I didn't find it had any advantage over a regular moisturiser.

So I had a pleasant surprise when I tried my new Hottie Bar, it really lived up to the claims and I found it worked wonders on aching tired muscles. The bumps work really well to un-knot muscles and soothe the tension, and the cocoa and shea butters leave your skin hydrated and soft. The Hottie has a pleasant but not overpowering fragrance, with subtle hints of vanilla, citrus and ginger. I would recommend it not only as a massage bar but also as a moisturiser for when you're in a rush as it's quick and easy to use and lasts well.

The Hottie Bar is £5.75 and is available online here as well as in store.

Skincare Essentials ♥

The wintery weather is doing its best to take its toll on my skin, but I'm lucky to have a box full of lovely skincare treats which are helping keep it in good condition. I've picked out my favourite trusted skincare treats below which I love using for a pampering afternoon and can rely on for a quick-fix.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Tabs
I became a fan of these a while back and now always make sure I have a couple of tabs on standby in my beauty box. They contain tea tree and aloe vera to calm and soothe problem skin. They're simple and easy to use, you just put them in a bowl of hot water and steam your face for 5-10minutes (the longer the better I find) and then cleanse and moisturize afterwards. Immediately after steaming my skin feels refreshed and deep-cleansed but I always use mine the day before an event or day out because that's when I really notice the difference and have visibly calmer and softer skin and a more even skin tone.
 

Soap & Glory 'The Breakfast Scrub'
This is one of my all-time favourite exfoliating scrubs. It contains almond, honey and banana extracts along with oat, sugar and shea butter, and has a good-enough-to-eat maple fragrance. The sugar and oats provide a really good exfoliating base without being too abrasive and the shea butter means its moisturizing too. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth and I'll definitely be replacing it when I run out.

The Sanctuary Hand Cream and Intensive Rescue Heel Balm
With almond oil and shea butter the hand cream is a lightweight, quickly absorbed lotion which leaves your hands soft and smelling sweet. It's great to apply on-the-go as it isn't too rich and helps stop my hands from getting to dry in this harsh weather.  The Heel Balm is one of my favourite beauty products and the best foot moisturiser I think I've ever come across. I use this after a bath and then put on a pair of fluffy socks for the evening and by the time I go to bed the lotion has worked it's magic. I've recently bought a replacement (although the first one lasted nearly a year) and yet every time I'm surprised at how soft my feet are after using this! 

Favourite Perfumes ♥

I have been looking for a new perfume for a while to wear every day, as although I love my regular one, Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche, its quite expensive and I seem to be getting through my bottle quite quickly, so I've decided to keep it for wearing in the evenings and days out. I've finally found a perfume to wear every day, quite by chance as I found an old postcard sample which had been sat in my drawer, so here are my favourite perfumes:

1. Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche
    I love this floral, slightly fruity scent. It is sweet and feminine without being overpowering, and features top notes of lemon and cedar, middle notes of jasmine and pink pepper and base notes of amber and iris. The scent is fairly long lasting too.

2. Boss Orange

    Another floral and citrus-y sweet scent, but again a subtle one that isn't overpowering or too sweet, with lovely and distinctively sophisticated warm orange over tones blended seamlessly with vanilla . I think this is ideal for wearing every day especially in Spring/Summer and the scent lasts all day. 

 

3. Amarige Marriage

    Described as "A feminine floral bouquet composed of magnolia, Egyptian jasmine and Ceylon cinnamon bark" and "the scented emotion of the most beautiful day of life", Givenchy have created a perfume dedicated to the Wedding Day. It wasn't a perfume I had previously noticed, thinking the colour suggested perhaps an old-fashioned scent, but decided to try upon seeing it on sale in Boots for just £5 as it was on clearance. I was pleasantly surprised with this perfume, it has a luxurious and uplifting scent that lasts well, but unfortunately it seems harder to find these days as fewer places seem to stock it.

My make-up must-haves ♥

Having sorted out my overflowing make-up bag this afternoon, I thought I would post about my essential beauty items. I tend to find my skin is a little dry so to ensure my skin is primed enough before I use foundation I moisturise with No 7 completely quenched moisturising lotion . Although not specifically a facial moisturiser, I find having tried many others that it's the only one which moisturises my skin enough to help prime it. Another essential I would recommend is the 17 Even Tone Corrector Stick . This is a green concealor which neutralises any areas of red, and I find it blends easily and is easily covered under your foundation, and i think it works much better than using a skin-coloured concealor alone.

My all-time favourite beauty item however is the Chanel Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing Foundation. Whilst the most pricey item in my make-up bag, retailing at £34 in the department stores, I really think it's worth it, having tried L'oreal,  No 7 and a few others along the way. So what's so good about it...Firstly it's very easy to apply, I use a foundation brush to help blend it in properly and it gives a good even but natural-looking coverage, which when dusted with a light powder will last all day. Left bare it gives a dewy finish which I like, as i think it gives your skin a healthy glow, but if you prefer a more matte finish, a quick dusting of powder takes it away. It also has an SPF 15, so helps protects your skin from the sun and prevent skin damage, I find this very useful as I always forget to use sun cream on my face. Additionally, although it is expensive a little goes a long way, I find that a bottle generally lasts a full year, and I always wait for either a money-off voucher from boots in the post to combine with extra points from the in-store card machine, or for Debenhams to run their 10% off all beauty products promotion, making it slightly more affordable.

No 7's Great Gatsby Inspired 'Deco Darling' Collection Preview

In a few weeks No 7 will be launching it's AW limited edition collection of make-up, which will be available to purchase in-store until boxing day. This year the collection, designed by Lisa Eldridge, takes inspiration from the upcoming film set in the roaring 20's starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Carey Mulligan, 'The Great Gatsby'.

The range includes 2 nail colours, 'Speakeasy', a shimmering grey, and a glitter top coat in 'Daisy Darling', an Eye pencil, Eye Pallette with smokey greys and dusky bronzes and golds, and a loose powder highlighter. The collection will range in price from £5.50 - £12 and according to Lisa "the No7 Deco Darling Collection will leave you looking and feeling as elegant as scenes from The Great Gatsby".
I'm looking forward to trying the glitter top coat and highlighter when they hit the shelves on 31st October.