I purchased the full size of this year’s back and decided to rekindle my love for this wonderful product. I remember really liking it at the time, when I was a teen. Then for some reason forgot about it! I saw the travel size version in Superdrug this week and thought I would give it a go.
I found the travel size version really handy, and was ideal for testing it out again. The packaging design is lovely and the squeezy bottle is handy to get out the stuff quickly. You don’t need a great deal of product for it to have an effect on your skin, so the 30ml might last me a bit.
It should be used by first splashing water across your face then applying it to the skin in a gentle circular motion. The product is thick and rough and gets rid of dead skin cells really quickly. The aroma of apricots is fairly subtle but pleasant. It’s a product that gets to work quite quickly and the effect is almost instant after washing it off.
It left my skin feeling beautiful, soft and smooth. I’ve been using it this past week and have really high praise for it. St Ives does other beauty items including a body scrub which is fairly similar to this. Click here to view the product range on Superdrug.
This Magazine was sold on June 12th. Unfortunately this issue has been and gone in local newsagents however you may be able to purchase the issue on eBay if you’re lucky.
This issue came with a free BYS make-up palette. I don’t normally buy shout magazine but thought it would be an easy read while I was away on holiday, plus I was tempted with the freebie!
I haven’t heard of the BYS make-up brand before. I Googled it and they have a website. Unfortunately you can’t buy make-up products on there but you can view general information. I noticed on the website, they were advertising Top of the Pops magazine with a free lip gloss by BYS.
The little make-up compact I received was pretty good. The design of the palette was lovely and modern, including a mirror on the inside. The mirror wasn’t high quality but reasonable for travelling.
The palette included four shades of eye shadow, a grey eye pencil and a make-up applicator. Sometimes with inexpensive make-up some of the ingredients can irate the skin. I did not find this and found the quality to be quite reasonable.
The colours were really wearable and ones I might go out and buy anyway. When I swatched them, they gave a shimmer metallic look onto the skin. The grey eye pencil was a lovely colour which is very wearable for during the day. Also it was extremely soft and easy to apply.
Look out for BYS make-up products and click here to see their website!
Includes 50ml Island Kiss Perfume
I remember popping into Boots, around the time Escada Island Kiss was first launched years back. I was first attracted to the beautiful bottle, they’ve updated it now, but I loved the original packaging.
As soon as I smelt it, I was in love. Since then Escada have brought out variations of Island Kiss each summer for years.
Only recently when the 20 year mark hit, they brought out the original Escada Island Kiss again. I asked for the gift set from Debenhams for my birthday this year and at the time it was on sale.
I can’t say enough about this fabulous perfume. It’s very tropical and citrus smelling. I would say it’s quite a youthful fragrance and perfect for summer/going on your holiday.
The new packaging is pretty cool, but in my eyes doesn’t meet up to the original. I also bought Escada Sexy Graffiti which can be bought on its own or as the gift set. I bought the 30ml bottle, and reviewed it here.
Includes 50ml moisturising body lotion
I’ve used this body lotion a fair few times now. It’s a lovely light lotion that sinks into the skin quickly and easily. Because the lotion is perfumed, it’s perfect to apply before going out. It can be used with the perfume or on its own.
The lotion is not glittery which I like as it’s more suitable for day time wear and general use. The bottle is quite small, but can be used for travel.
The only slight negative, is that I prefer the original island kiss packaging, which I’ve stated before. However the new packaging is lovely and represents the brand quite well.
I enjoy using the product, and the quality is very high. Unfortunately I don’t think you can by the lotion on its own.
Includes A Escada make-up bag
The bag I received was slightly different to the one photographed on the Debenhams website. I received a wrap make-up bag which has different sections and perfect for taking away.
The bag featured on the Debenhams site is a smaller zip up make-up bag. I actually prefer the bag I received as it’s more practical and very useful.
Click here to buy the set from Debenhams!
A free face primer was available in the July edition of Glamour magazine. Unfortunately the magazine is no longer on sale, but thought that I would review the free product if others are debating whether to buy it full size.
Firstly, I was attracted to the pretty and modern packaging. However the box was quite big, therefore I was expected a slightly bigger item. When I got the item out of the box it was a pretty tiny 7.5ml tube.
I got a bit out of the tube and apply it quite liberally to my face. I found the pink tone, made my skin quite rosy and with a small bit of pink shimmer. There was a nice strawberry scent too.
The pink tones of the product showed up quite a lot of my skin, with being pale. Despite this I found the liquid to be quite moisturising on dryer patches of my skin. I did not see a great deal of difference, before and after other than a more pink tone to the face.
After using the product, I found applying more lightly to the face works well on my pale skin. In addition, it works ok as a highlighter on my cheekbones.
But I wasn’t really hooked on the product; I wasn’t amazed with the overall look. But the end result most probably depends on your skin type and how you apply it.
I received some beautiful jewellery from mainly my Mum who bought some things in the Debenhams sale. I got a few bits from peacocks from a friend and a Me to You bear charm from another friend.
It was a lovely surprise to be given these bits of jewellery. My favourites have to be the Debenhams cocktail rings. I haven’t worn them yet, but can’t wait to get a chance.
I never really think to buy rings, mainly out of worry they won’t fit. Luckily the rings I got where stretchy/adjustable and the other ring fit me quite well.
Hope you like the pics! :)
I thought I would do a quick share of a gift I received from a close friend for my birthday.
She bought me a lovely coral and cream stripe rib neck top, with three quarter length sleeves. There is detailing on the cuffs and shoulders.
In addition to that she bought me a pretty coral beaded necklace and a matching square coral ring.
I was thrilled to receive this gift, the top fits really nicely and I wore my outfit with a pair of River Island jeans the other day.
I’m not sure how much these items cost, as they were gifts but Peacocks is a fairly well known shop. Click here to find a store.
I took advantage of the 4 for 3 at Superdrug on travel minis and bought 8 for goody bags at my birthday party. Luckily – I had a gift bag left so kept it for myself.
This body butter was a real treat to use. The coconut scent was beautiful and in my opinion as good as or better than The Body Shop coconut body butter.
The Superdrug copy was smoother and easier to apply to the skin. The concentrate was slighter thinner, but unlike the body shop version the product didn’t leave a sticky residue.
The 50ml mini is perfect for taking on holiday or popping in you handbag when you go out. The packaging is a small round pot. The design is fairly simple and plain and the actual product is just a plain white.
Despite this, I would recommend the product either as a mini or to buy a full size product. Click here to buy the mini. Click here to buy the full size.
There are other products available in the Superdrug coconut & shea range, for example a body lotion, hand wash, body polish etc.
After previously purchasing the raspberry ripple and fuzzy peach shower gels I thought these two scents would be as nice.
The product in terms of quality was just the same but unluckily I was slightly disappointed with these fragrances. Maybe it’s just down to personal taste but the apple and dewberry were not as good.
I think I will have to go back to the raspberry ripple or fuzzy peach because they were some of the best shower gels I’ve ever tried. I might take note if some new scents come out though!
(Click here for the raspberry ripple and fuzzy peach bath/shower gel review!)
Have you tried The body Shop shower gels & what did you think? xx
Sensitive Hand Cream
I really enjoyed using this product. I do find my hands can get dry sometimes and this is a lovely product to use, especially if you like to feel pampered.
The ingredients include almond and shea butter and make the product smell completely divine. The product is really kind to the hands and is suitable for sensitive skin. I found the cream to be soothing and very calming.
Compared to other hand creams I’ve tried, the consistency is a little oilier but I did not have a problem with this.
The packaging is lovely and smart, quite pretty to have at a dressing table. With receiving this as a 20ml sample, it was perfect for carrying about in a handbag when you go out also.
I’ve tried a couple of hand creams from a range of brands and out of all of them, this is my fav! Click here for more info on Lavera products. Overall I’m extremely pleased with the product.
Mango Shampoo
The fragrance of the mango shampoo was really something; I loved the scent in the shower which lasted on the hair afterwards. The product consistency was quite gloopy but also thick making the small sample go quite far.
After showering, while I dried my hair it felt so soft and thick. The finished look was really nice. My hair was shiny and healthy looking.
What I didn’t realise afterwards was the full-size bottle states that the Lavera mango shampoo is aimed at coloured hair. My hair is fairly natural but felt my hair benefited still from using this product.
I think because Lavera products use natural and sensitive skin friendly ingredients, that maybe that all hair types could benefit from the shampoo.
The Lavera make-up range was pretty good, nothing special but after testing these two samples, I was really impressed. I will probably be repurchasing the hand cream and I’m going to try out other skin/hair care products by this brand.
This is an essential item that I thought was worth reviewing. There has been a bit of a buzz about those nail vanish remover pots you can get, I must say I haven’t tried those yet.
I tend to use nail varnish remover pads which have the remover already on them. I recently picked up the Primark version of these and was pretty pleased with the results.
The scent isn’t overpowering, but there is a lovely fragrant strawberry aroma. There is a lot of the remover substance on each pad, making it very easy to remove any nail polish.
The pads work very effectively and I imagine the two pots I received together for £1 will last me a good while. The only one downer about this item is that I wasn’t struck on the boring packaging, but at £1 I can’t complain.
They are a bargain in my opinion because you get 50 pads altogether (25 per pack). If you are after this product, you should find them by the till with the smaller pick me up at last minute items.
