Monthly Favourites: September 2014

1) Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

The jury's out on whether or not this is a dupe for the infamous Bioderma Crealine micellar, but as far as I'm concerned, this stuff is just as good. I've tried loads of different make-up removers, from high end (huge waste of money in my opinion) to the drugstore offerings (can be a bit hit and miss) and so far Bioderma has been by far my favourite. Even though you don't necessarily have to take the Eurostar to get yourself a bottle of it anymore, it's still fairly difficult to get hold of around these parts. Enter the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water which was so obviously inspired by Bioderma it even has a similar big round bottle with a pink plastic lid. In all honesty, as far as being gentle and getting every last scrap of make-up (including stubborn waterproof mascara) is concerned, I believe this is just as good - but with the added benefit of not only being cheaper, but also being available in any drugstore and even most supermarkets. I don't think I'll ever need a different make-up remover - this is going straight on the repurchase list, as soon as it's finished.

2) Soap and Glory Puffy Eye Attack Turbo-Boost Hydragel

I'm one of those few people who really don't like rollerballs for under the eyes. It's silly really, but there's just something about poking a metal ball this close to my eye that freaks me out and I also find that they often drag the sensitive area under my eyes and make it difficult to dispense the right amount of product. So, this is not a rollerball, which already makes it a winner in my books.

On top of that it offers just the perfect amount of hydration, meaning it's nourishing without being greasy and causing concealer to slip off. It does wonders when my eyes get a little bit puffy, though it has failed to improve my dark circles - I'm guessing I'll be needing a few good nights' sleep for that one!

3) Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub

It took me ages to finally try this even though I've heard so many great things about it - and now I finally see what all the fuss is about! First of all, it smells absolutely amazing - like some oaty, mapley delicious breakfast dish that just screams comfort. Secondly, the grains are absolutely perfect in that they offer decent "scrubbage" (technical term there), but without feeling scratchy at all. The thick cream they're suspended in feels nourishing on the skin and isn't so runny that it just falls off the skin and goes straight down the drain - a pet peeve of mine when it comes to scrubs. Just make sure to rinse your shower/bath properly after using it, as it does tend to make a bit of a mess!

4) Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

This product seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, but I'm definitely a fan! Granted, the long tip is a bit tricky to use at first, but after a few applications I feel pretty confident with it and don't make mistakes quite as often anymore. And once you've mastered it, the ultra thin nib creates the most precise of feline flicks. The thing I adore about it is the deep, inky black it leaves on the lid unlike any other liquid liner I've ever used before. And to top it off it stays on the lid all day long, without fail. Even with no primer underneath it doesn't smudge, flake or budge in any other way until you take your make-up off at the end of the day. I am a little worried that it seems to be drying up a little bit already even though I've only had it two months, though. I think I'll try storing it upside down and see if that solves the problem!

Review: Soap & Glory Heel Genius

For a long time I used to struggle with using foot creams. I amassed a huge stash of them, but constantly kept forgetting to actually use them. Then I had the genius idea of putting a tube in my bathroom right next to my body lotion and this way I have somehow managed to work my way through my mountain of foot creams and try out this one which I bought more than a year and a half ago. Told you it was bad.

I've seen Heel Genius on many a bloggers' favourites lists and now I can finally understand why it's such a much loved product. The texture is an almost balmy cream which instantly sinks into the skin, so there's none of that dreaded Bambi-on-ice feeling if don't put socks on straight afterwards. The cream feels cooling and refreshing on the feet, which is an absolute godsend if you've spent all day running around like I usually do.

While it's not the most skin softening foot cream I've ever tried, I could definitely tell a difference in how my heels felt after a couple of days of using it. As far as budget foot creams go, this is probably the best one I've tried so far. I feel like its place in the beauty hall of fame is well deserved!

Monthly Favourites: June 2014

1) Real Techniques Blush Brush

I'm a tad late to the Real Techniques party, but after half of my brush collection was eaten by a naughty puppy it was time to start from scratch and the blush brush I bought originally was just plain rubbish. This one is just a dream to use. It's incredibly soft, but the bristles are still dense enough to deposit just the right amount of colour on the cheeks. Originally I thought it would be a bit too wide, but it's actually really easy to get blush just on the top of the cheek. I'm definitely looking to get a few more Real Techniques brushes to add to my collection!

2) Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot

I've heard so many good things about this powder, that when I ran out of my trusted Rimmel Stay Matte I couldn't help myself but give it a go. And I'm so glad I did! It's a translucent powder, so I don't have to worry about it not matching my complexion and very, very mattifying without looking at all cakey. Staying power is also impressive, though I wouldn't use it on the whole face, but rather just down the T-Zone, as it can make my face look a bit flat otherwise.

3) Laura Geller Inkwell Waterproof Gel Liner

I got this liner in a Birchbox in February last year and I've only just realised that I've never given it the credit it deserves, even though I've been wearing it on an almost daily basis ever since - isn't that crazy? In all this time I've had it, it hasn't dried out just one bit. It's the blackest of black and is lovely and creamy upon application which makes it a breeze to apply a straight, smooth line. The little brush incorporated in the lid is not only handy, but also works extremely well. While I wouldn't say it's exactly waterproof, it does last all day long with a decent primer underneath.

4) NYX Nail Polish in Pastel Lavender

I got this nail polish in this month's Love Me Beauty box and been wearing it a lot since. Both formula and application of this nail polish is spot on and it's opaque with two coats without any streaking. Most of all, though, it's the colour which really appeals to me. Odd, seeing as I usually favour neons and brights, but it just feels like there was a gap in my nail polish collection which this one filled perfectly.

Review: Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream

I do love me a nice thick body butter. Even though this is called a "Body Buttercream", it's actually a bit lighter than some of your standard lotions - certainly nowhere near as thick as buttercream frosting!

The thing that drew me towards this product is the amazing, amazing smell. It's fruity, fresh and zingy and makes your skin smell a bit like a mojito. If you're a fan of the Sugar Crush scrub they do, chances are you'll love this.

As for moisturising properties it does the job very well for my dry skin, though it might get a little sticky on those who don't suffer from dry patches.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream retails at £10.50. If you want to prolong the scent even longer, there's also a matching Body Wash at £6.50 a pop.

Review: Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss

Although I'm quite a big Soap and Glory fan, my foray into their make-up range has been limited to this lip gloss which came in a set and a mascara which came as a freebie in a magazine. You've got to hand it to them, though, that as far as product naming goes, Soap and Glory aren't exactly afraid to take risks!

The shade I got here is "Punchbowl" - apologies for the slightly blurry photo above. Punchbowl is a bright magenta pink, but don't let the colour in the tube scare you, as it translates as a slightly sheerer, milkier colour onto the lips.

One thing I didn't know before I tried this, but that I realised VERY, VERY quickly upon application, is that this is a plumping gloss. Yes, one of those that make your lips tingle and sting as soon as they get in contact with your lips. I can't deny that there is a certain plumping effect to my lips. It feels like I'm naturally pushing them out a little more without even realising - just to get rid of that feeling that I'm being stung by nettles. The sensation lasts about 15-20 minutes after application and comes back (albeit a lot weaker) with each re-application.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss in Punchbowl - swatch on hand

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss in Punchbowl - swatch on lips

The swatches above show quite clearly the milkiness that I mentioned earlier. Personally, I find that it adds to the colour and it also makes it a loss more wearable than a full on neon pink.

Stinging sensation aside, I actually really rate this gloss. It's easy to build colour to a desired level which is rare in glosses and it's not overly sticky either. Constant reapplication is unfortunately unavoidable as with every gloss.

If it wasn't for the plumping effect which I really don't like, now that the novelty factor has worn off, I'd be wearing this gloss pretty much all the time. If the stinging of plumping glosses doesn't bother you, then I'd definitely recommend you give this one a try!

A tube of Sexy Mother Pucker gloss costs £9 and you can find it here.

Review: Soap and Glory Smoothie Star

Here's yet another product from Soap & Glory that has me singing cheesy tunes about my beauty products in the bathroom. As if anybody needs an excuse to pretend to be Mariah Carey in the shower! (No, just me? Okay....)

I've been using this body milk all throughout summer, when a thick body butter can feel like a little too much on the skin. The pump dispenser makes this easy to use without making too much of a mess, but it also meant that I couldn't quite get the last bit out of the bottle, so quite a bit of body milk had to go to waste.

Having said that, the 500ml bottle is absolutely huge and must have lasted me about four or five months. The scent is very pleasant and not quite as strong as what I'm used to from Soap&Glory. It's a light, sweet milky smell which doesn't cling on to the skin for too long, so can easily be layered with perfume without being overbearing.

As for moisturising my skin it did an alright job, but I think I still do and always will prefer a gloriously thick body butter. On those ridiculously hot days I still had to skip applying this body milk, as it would just leave a slimy layer on my skin (yummy!!). On days that weren't scorching hot it felt moisturising, but never as if it fully penetrated my skin. As soon as I finished this and went back to using a thicker body butter my skin became instantly softer and smoother, so I think it's a miss for me.

For those who prefer lotions over butters, however, this is one of the most moisturising body lotions I have tried, so if your skin isn't dry at all it's one worth looking at!

You can find Smoothie Star Body Milk at Boots for £10 per 500ml bottle.

Review: Soap and Glory Clean On Me

I pretty much never ever splurge on a shower gel - give me a supermarket's own brand or something from the pound shop any day and I'm happy, as long as it gets me clean. So, the only reason I got my hands on this massive Soap and Glory shower gel is because it came in a Christmas gift set. Yes, that's right, Christmas. That's how long it took me to finally use up this bad boy.

As with all Soap and Glory products the name is a bit tongue-in-cheek and oh my, did it get me singing under the shower, "Clean on meeeee, when you're not strooooong....". I actually got told off by my boyfriend for singing about my beauty products all the time, whoops! Now, the packaging of this really, really bothered me. You get a pretty enormous amount of product (500ml!!!) which means the bottle is pretty heavy to begin with. I think S&G assumed that we all have neat little ceramic shelves in our shower, where we can rest our goodies and just pump up as much shower gel as we need. Well, I don't. I have a wobbly metal stand that hangs off the shower pipe, with each and every product carefully arranged so as to not disturb the perfect balance and make everything tipple over. Now, try holding this massive pint of shower gel in one hand, a shower puff in the other (while everything is wet and slippy) and use the same hand to press the pump at the top. Yeah. No. Doesn't work.

That aside, it lathers up nicely and I can confirm that it got me, well, clean. The scent is typical girly S&G, but it's nowhere near as strong as I expected and doesn't leave a single trace on the skin once you've dried yourself. As for the claim about the in-built body lotion, forget it. In my experience these things never work and Clean On Me is no exception. My skin was no drier nor any more moisturised than after using conventional (cheap-ass) shower gel.

As I said at the beginning of the post, I never would have picked this up in Boots if I was just shopping for a shower gel and it really is no better or worse than the shower gels I usually go for. Come to think of it, however, £6 is pretty awesome value for money, considering it must have lasted me about 6 months (and I do shower every day if that's what you're thinking). Stupid squirty pump aside, I'd say that for any hardcore Soap and Glory fans this will be a great addition to their bathroom, but for anyone else it's more of a take-it-or-leave-it product.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Review

I can't believe it's taken me this long to review this little pot of delicious scrubbiness - please excuse the lack of blogging mojo lately! I've actually featured this in one of my favourites posts and also talked about it a little bit independently, but it's definitely deserved its own full-length review!

The first thing you'll notice when you twist the lid of a pot of Sugar Crush is the smell. Soap & Glory are pretty amazing when it comes to scenting their products, but this is just out of this world. Thanks to the sugar and lime it smells like a delicious mojito and even after getting out of the shower the scent will linger on your skin for quite some time.

There's a lovely variety of smaller and larger grains suspended in what I can only describe as an oily jelly - sounds terrible, but on the skin it feels lush! If like me you're a fan of scrubs that you can just feel sloughing away the dead skin as soon as they touch your body, then you'll love this! It leaves a bit of an oily film on the skin, which I personally love, but I realise that might not be for everybody.
The sugar grains dissolve after a bit of rubbing into the skin, making for one very satisfying scrubbing experience!

As far as packaging is concerned, the big tub offers a very generous amount of content, but unfortunately it's anything but travel-friendly and will leak even if you knock it over on your bathroom shelf.

Sugar Crush retails at £8 for 300ml.

Soap & Glory Peaches And Clean Review

This is another item I received in one of those massive bumper packs of Soap & Glory items you could buy in Boots just before Christmas. Apologies for the rubbish pictures, I took them when I was extremely tired and didn't even notice how badly they turned out up until I'd already used this up completely.

Peaches and Clean is a mild cleansing lotion with an absolutely amazing sweet but not sickly peach smell. It comes in a pump which makes for hygienic and easy use. I used two pumps in the mornings and three in the evenings when my skin needs more of a thorough cleanse.

While I found that it was very gentle on the skin, the product didn't quite give me that feeling of thoroughly cleansed and soft skin that I get from other cleansers. It performed alright and did get rid of all of my daily make-up residue and dirt and grime. However, I just felt that there was something missing - this sort of glow that I've been getting off other cleansers I loved.

I've seen this raved about on plenty of beauty blogs, so I guess it just goes to show that different products work for different products and while I don't want to give this a bad review, I just cannot help but feel a bit "meh" about its performance.
At £7 for a 200ml bottle, it's reasonably enough priced to find out for yourself, should you wish to try it out. And it's worth giving it a whiff for the amazing scent alone.

Soap & Glory Hand Food Review

I've never seen a hand cream prop up so much across women's hand bags, desks and night stands as Soap & Glory's hand food - in this country at least. I don't think there's a female Brit that hasn't at some stage tried this cream.

For me, there aren't many hand creams I can use during the day. I just hate that sticky, wet feeling they leave on your fingers and having to run around like a t-rex for ages, waiting for it to sink in. As a result, I will usually only use a hand cream before going to bed, slathering on a fairly thick layer and letting it sink in while I'm snoozing away, even if a lot of it ends up on my pillows and sheets.

Upon first application, this hand cream was everything I hate in a hand cream. It melted into a sticky, slimy gloop and took forever to sink into my skin. Impossible for me to use in the day time, unless I was sat around doing nothing with my hands - which happens, well, never.
Over night however, the story was a different one. I woke up to baby soft hands every morning, which made it a bed time staple in no time.

And of course, no Soap & Glory review would be complete without at least mentioning the product scent. Fragrancing seems to be something S&G are absolutely brilliant at and this hand cream is no exception. It smells like marshmallows and the scent lasts long enough to still linger a little bit in the morning when I've applied the night before.

Nevertheless, I'm sorry to say that this won't be a repurchase for me. I'm still on the hunt for a hand cream that sinks in quickly enough to use during the day time, so if you've got any suggestions, please let me know in the comments section below!

Soap & Glory Hand Food retails at £5.00 for a 125ml tube.

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter Review

Apparently there are people who don't moisturise their skin every day, or so I've heard....
In all seriousness, though, if you can get away with it then good for you! Me, on the other hand - if I skipped just a day of slathering myself in lotion, my skin would soon resemble that of a dragon. It's fair to say I'm addicted to body butters. Take your runny lotions and milks and drown kittens in them for all I care (whoaaa, did I really just say that? Poor kittens), I need thick, gloopy butters for my skin.

For a long time Body Shop butters were the one and only for me, but in the past year or two I've come to realise that other brands bring out products that are just as good or perhaps even better and there's been a lot of body butter adultery going on (sorry, body shop!). This one I received in a gift set for Christmas and by the time this review's come around the tub was already long gone.

As you might guess from the fact that this is made for very dry skin, this stuff's tough. It's the thickest body butter that I've ever come across, which isn't greasy. I have no idea how that works, but somehow it does. Think hardened Philadelphia cheese instead of an actual knob of butter if you want to get an idea of the texture.
It does take an awful lot of elbow grease to get this stuff over your skin, but a little extra workout here and there doesn't hurt now that bikini season is getting a lot closer. It also takes a few minutes to sink in, so not one if you're in a big rush. We all know the pain of trying to get into skinny jeans right after you've buttered yourself up. It's hilarious for anyone who's watching, though.

If you're willing to see past these little blips, then you shall be rewarded with absolutely gorgeous skin. The type that has you stroking yourself all day long like some sort of creep. The type that makes people who accidentally brush past you turn around saying things like, "GOSH, your skin is so soooooft".
And the smell.... oh, dear me, the smell. I once read on a beauty blog that the scent reminds them of Miss Dior Cherie and I have to agree wholeheartedly. If you love it, you're sorted, as chances are it will layer beautifully with whatever perfume you put over it, but if it's not your type of scent, then stay away, as this will make your skin smell all day long. Even though I don't see why anybody wouldn't love the scent. Or body butters. Mmmmmmh, body butters....

At £10.50 for 300ml this one's a cult product for a reason.

Soap&Glory It's About Prime Review

I actually bought this ages ago, but only just got round to reviewing it as it hasn't been used an awful lot. You see, I purchased this primer when S&G make-up was still relatively new and I was completely sure that I'd picked up the neutral one, but at home it turned out I got the one for smokey eyes which has a silvery grey tint to it.

Eigentlich habe ich diesen Primer schon vor Ewigkeiten gekauft, doch erst jetzt schreibe ich eine Review über ihn, da er nicht sonderlich viel benutzt wurde. Es war nämlich so: Ich habe ihn gekauft, als S&G Make-up noch relativ neu war und war überzeugt, dass ich den neutralen zur Kasse genommen hatte, doch zu Hause stellte sich heraus, dass ich den für Smokey Eyes habe. Dieser ist gräulich-silber getönt.

Now, I do love my smokey eye for when I go out, but I don't entirely understand the point of this primer. Why does it have to be grey? It's primer, so it's going to be covered up with product anyway and all it does is make it impossible to use for more neutral daytime looks. I was annoyed and disappointed and this vanished into the back of my make-up case and only resurfaced fairly recently.

Ich mag meine Smokey Eyes zwar sehr gerne zum Ausgehen, aber ich verstehe nicht recht, wieso es dafür einen extra Primer gibt. Warum ist er grau? Es ist ein Primer, also wird er sowieso mit anderen Produkten zugedeckt und die Farbe macht es lediglich unmöglich, ihn auch für neutrale Tages-Make-ups zu benutzen. Ich war frustriert und enttäuscht und habe ihn in die hinterste Ecke meiner Make-up-Sammlung geschmissen, aus der er erst vor kurzem wieder erschienen ist.

The packaging is actually quite handy: a plastic tube with a sponge applicator just like lip gloss - no dipping your fingers in a pot and unlike Urban Decay's Primer Potion it's not a weird funky shape where lots of product gets lost. I used the sponge applicator to spread it over my eye lids and then patted the product in with my fingers. It's a lot wetter than any other primers I've tried, so you've got to wait a minute or so before you can apply anything over the top.

Die Verpackung finde ich sogar noch recht praktisch: eine Plastiktube mit Schwämmchenapplikator, wie bei einem Lipgloss - man muss seine Hände also nicht in einen Tiegel stecken und im Gegensatz zu Urban Decay's Primer Potion hat er keine komischen Beulen, in denen jede Menge Produkt verloren geht. Ich habe den Applikator dazu benutzt, um den Primer auf meine Lider zu streichen und habe ihn dann mit meinen Fingern eingeklopft. Er ist viel feuchter als andere Primer, die ich benutze und man muss somit eine gute Minute lang warten, bis man etwas drüber auftragen kann.

It leaves a faint shimmery grey tint to the eye lids and like I said before, I'm not really sure what purpose that tint serves. It's not pigmented enough to either serve as a highlight or to add colour intensity to your make-up, but it would make any lighter shades applied over the top look strange.

Er hinterlässt eine zarte, schimmernd graue Farbe auf den Lidern und wie oben schon gesagt, verstehe ich nicht recht, welchem Zweck jene dient. Die Pigmentierung ist nicht stark genug, um als Highlight zu dienen, oder zur Farbintensität des Make-ups beizutragen, doch alle helleren Farben würden darauf merkwürdig aussehen.

Soap&Glory It's About Prime Smokey Eyes swatch in natural light

Soap&Glory It's About Prime Smokey Eyes swatch with flash

I tried this in two different ways. First, I applied it under a khol-heavy, smudged out smokey eye. It turned out to be a complete disaster, as after an hour my make-up was a creased, gloopy mess. I certainly won't be doing that again!
Under powder eye shadow it fared a bit better. The silver tint disappeared completely and it did prolong wear time, but only by about an hour, maybe two. Both of my other primers, as in Artdeco's Eyeshadow Base and MAC Paint Pots (which technically aren't even primers) perform much, much better. And if that silvery effect is what you're after I would wholeheartedly recommend one of Illamasqua's Liquid Metals, particularly Surge.
This was just a disappointment on all levels and I really don't know what on earth I'm going to use it for.

Ich habe den Primer auf zwei verschiedene Arten getestet. Erst habe ich ihn unter einem Kajalstarkem, verschmiertem Smokey Eye benutzt. Es stellte sich als komplettes Desaster heraus, denn nach einer Stunde wurde aus meinem Make-up ein klebriges, zerlaufenes Durcheinander. Das mache ich auf jeden Fall nicht nochmal!
Unter Puderlidschatten schlug er sich schon etwas besser. Die silberne Farbe verschwand vollkommen und die Tragezeit wurde tatsächlich verlängert, wenn auch nur um eine Stunde, höchstens zwei. Beide meiner anderen Primer, also Artdecos Eyeshadow Base und MAC Paint Pots (die ja eigentlich gar kein Primer sind) funktionieren viel, viel besser. Wenn ihr diesen schimmernden silbernen Effekt sucht, dann kann ich euch von ganzem Herzen einen Liquid Metal von Illamasqua empfehlen, vor allem in Surge.
Dieses Produkt war einfach nur eine Enttäuschung auf allen Ebenen und ich habe keinen blassen Schimmer, was ich mit dem Rest machen soll.
 

This cost £8.00 in Boots. It's not available in Germany, but don't worry - you're not missing out on much.

Er hat mich £8.00 in Boots in England gekostet. In Deutschland ist er (noch?) nicht erhältlich, aber macht euch keine Gedanken - ihr verpasst nicht viel.

Soap and Glory Feel Good Factor Review

I bought this back in November, just before going on holiday to Florida, as I wanted a moisturiser with in-built SPF so I wouldn't have to use extra sun cream on my face. Most moisturisers come with an SPF of 15, which I thought might not be enough for the Florida sun (yeah, even in November, it was hot, hot, hot!), but this has 25 which is why it landed in my basket. I've been waiting to review it ever since and seeing as the sun's making an appearance again it's time for you to find out how good this stuff is!

Ich habe diese Creme im November gekauft, kurz vor meinem Urlaub in Florida, da ich eine Tagespflege mit eingebautem Sonnenschutzfaktor wollte, damit ich nicht extra Sonnencreme auf mein Gesicht schmieren muss. Die meisten Tagescremes haben einen SPF von 15, was wahrscheinlich etwas zu niedrig ist für die Sonne in Florida (selbst im November, es war heiß!!), aber diese hier hat 25 und landete somit in meinem Einkaufskorb. Ich konnte es seitdem nicht erwarten, diese Review zu schreiben und nun, da die Sonne wieder herauskommt, ist es an der Zeit, dass ihr erfahrt wie gut dieses Zeug ist!

Soap & Glory Feel Good Factor comes in a metal tube which is somewhat reminiscent of paint tubes. I was a tad worried about it bursting or being spiked by something sharp, but it managed to survive a trip in my suitcase and several days of being chucked into a backpack full of random stuff without any messy tragedies. The tube makes it very handy for on the go application and is also more hygienic than a pot.

Soap & Glory Feel Good Factor ist in einer Metalltube verpackt, die an eine Farbtube erinnert. Ich war etwas besorgt, dass sie platzen oder zerstochen werden könnte, aber sie hat eine Reise in meinem Koffer und mehrere Tage in einem Rucksack voller Krimskrams überlebt, ohne klebrige Tragödien zu hinterlassen. Durch die Tube ist es sehr praktisch, die Creme unterwegs aufzutragen und es ist auch hygienischer als ein Tiegel.

There's absolutely no way I could use normal sun lotion on my face, as it would just result in a sticky mess and loads of blocked pores and even most facial sun protection I've tried left me feeling very greasy. This does have the texture of a sticky gel, but once on the skin in sinks in immediately and doesn't leave any horrible residue. After a couple of seconds you can apply make-up over it as you would over any other moisturiser.

Ich könnte unter keinen Umständen normale Sonnencreme auf mein Gesicht auftragen, da es sonst zu klebriger Haut und verstopften Poren kommen würde. Selbst speziell aufs Gesicht abgestimmte Produkte haben meine Haut oft fettig hinterlassen. Diese Creme hat zwar eine klebrige Geltextur, aber sobald sie auf der Haut ist, zieht sie sofort ohne Rückstände zu hinterlassen, ein. Ein paar Sekunden später kann man getrost Make-up auftragen wie bei jeder anderen Tagescreme auch.

Throughout my holiday I carried this tube around with me and reapplied as and when I saw fit. While it was just moisturising enough to calm down my sun parched skin, even frequent reapplication didn't clog my pores or make my skin oily. Oh, and of course it did its job protecting my face, as I didn't burn either.

Während meines gesamten Urlaubs hatte ich diese Tube zur Hand und habe immer wieder mehr aufgetragen, sobald es nötig war. Die Creme war reichhaltig genug, um meine von der Sonne ausgetrocknete Haut zu beruhigen, aber selbst häufiges Auftragen verstopfte meine Poren nicht und hinterließ auch keinen Fettglanz. Ach, und natürlich hat sie auch ihren Job getan und ich hatte keinen Sonnenbrand.

Now, I'm not too sure about those elusive antioxidant vitamin balls that are supposed to be in there. As you can see on the photo above the cream is completely smooth and I am yet to spot any mysterious vitamin balls. Maybe they're all hiding at the bottom of the tube and will come flooding out once I'm almost finished?
Apart from that, this moisturiser does everything it claims and will most certainly be one of my summer staples, whether I'm goin on holiday or not.

Ich bin mir nicht ganz so sicher, was diese merkwürdigen Antioxidant Vitamin Balls angeht, die angeblich da drin stecken sollen. Wie man auf dem Foto oben sieht, ist die Creme vollkommen ebenmäßig und noch bin ich auf keine Vitaminbällchen gestoßen. Vielleicht verstecken sie sich ja alle ganz am unteren Rand der Tube und kommen alle gleichzeitig herausgeschossen sobald ich damit fast fertig bin?
Davon aber mal abgesehen leistet diese Creme alles, was sie verspricht und ich werde diesen Sommer garantiert häufiger auf sie zurückgreifen - ob ich jetzt in Urlaub fahre, oder nicht. 


I have to mention something that irks me, though. I bought this in Boots for £12, which I find very reasonable as sun protection is often ridiculously expensive, especially for the face. Now that I've moved to Germany, the only shop you can get it in is Douglas and they charge a ridiculous €24,95. What a rip off!

Ich muss aber noch etwas erwähnen, das mich etwas aufregt. Ich habe die Creme in Boots in England gekauft, wo sie mich £12 gekostet hat. Das finde ich fair, denn Sonnenpflege ist oft etwas teurer, vor allem was das Gesicht anbelangt. Jetzt, da ich wieder in Deutschland wohne, kann ich sie nur noch in Douglas bekommen, wo man unsinnige €24,95 dafür verlangt. Das ist doch Betrug!

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Review

I love a good scrub and though I've been faithful to the lemon scrub by the Body Shop for a while, that one has one major problem and that's the packaging. For normal use the tub is completely fine, but try and take it travelling and the oily contents will get everywhere. I was tempted to try S&G's much raved about Breakfast Scrub, but that one also comes in a pot with a screw top and I just didn't trust it.
Hence, my new choice, Soap & Glory's Pulp Friction!

I love it when a brand makes an effort with fun product naming - nothing wrong with packaging that makes you a little bit happy inside every time you look at it!
As already mentioned, this comes in a squeezy tube and I can happily report that there was absolutely no spillage in my suitcase when I took this along with me. You get 250ml of product which will last a fairly long amount of time and is quite generous in my opinion.

I must say the ingredients advertised at the front of the tube did make me raise my eyebrows quite a bit. Orange waterjuice and vitaminballs, anyone? And what on earth is Lemonade Tree Liquid? Is there such a thing as a lemonade tree???
Anyway, the scent of this is to die for. Think fruity, zesty citrus fruit, but in no way reminiscent of cleaning liquids as some other citrus scented products are. The smell is strong enough to give a pleasurable experience while scrubbing away under the shower, but it doesn't stay on the skin - which is actually a bit of a shame, in my opinion!

The instructions say you should apply this on damp skin, which will cause some of the product to foam up. Now, I don't really see the point in this. It has a lovely, gritty texture which does a great job of sloughing away dead skin, but the foaming actually counteracts this a little bit.
What tends to happen is that I put a blob on, say, my leg, scrub away happily for a few seconds, but by the time I get to my knee it's foamed up and become slippy, losing some of its grit. As a result I end up using quite a lot of product to get the same scrubbing sensation all over my body.

Swatched dry

Swatched wet and spread out

It's not an oily product (it does contain some oil, but only a little bit), it won't leave any residue on your skin after rinsing off. I know that's a big plus point for most, but I actually like a bit of oiliness from my exfoliator. It's not a major put off though, as I guess that's where body moisturiser/butter/oil comes into play anyway.

Would I repurchase this? As it stands, no. It's a great exfoliator that really does its job, but the foaming annoys me a little bit. However, I will use up my tube very happily and if you're after a good, hard-working body scrub this might just be what you need in your life. I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive types, as it really is very abrasive.

Pulp Friction is available from Boots and online for £8.00.

Soap&Glory The Greatest Scrub Of All Review

I'm quite fond of Soap&Glory products - I haven't tried that many of them yet, but everything I've bought I've been very happy with. I couldn't wait for my Origins Modern Friction to run out (find out why I hate it here), so I could give this one a go.

This scrub is intended for all skin types and I would definitely say this is one of the more gentle scrubs I've tried recently. I usually exfoliate in the shower as products aren't as harsh on the skin when it's slightly damp or wet and it makes it a lot easier to wash off the product. This one, however, is the first one I've used in a long time which I had to apply on dry skin, as it would just slide off my face otherwise.

The product itself is very smooth and creamy and has a pearlescent sheen to it. The exfoliating beads are few and far between, but it also contains "smooth-boost spheres" which are supposed to pop open when you press on them - and they do! It's a strangely satisfying feeling, a bit like popping a sheet of bubble wrap. This product is to be massaged into skin and then left on for about 30 seconds during which you will experience a tingling sensation on your skin. This is not inherently unpleasant, but be careful around any damaged or sunburnt skin - the beads are too big to cause any damage, but if you don't wash it off straight away it will sting.

I use this scrub about 2-3 times a week and though it doesn't bring on any dramatic changes to my skin it seems to wake it up and refresh it a little bit. Nevertheless I feel like this product isn't grainy enough for me and I miss the squeaky clean feeling you get from a rougher product.

This product retails for £9.00 (you can buy it here or from any Boots in-store) and for that you get a generous tube containing 125ml, which will last a long time. Is it really the greatest scrub of all? I wouldn't go that far, but it's a very decent option considering the price.