NIOD Sanskrit Saponins

This was an impulse purchase..I don’t know why but the name made me want it! This is the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins (£21).

So this is what it says about this product…”NIOD (which stands for Non Invasive Options in Dermal Science) utilises ultra-sophisticated, leading-edge ingredients to bring your skin the best the industry has to offer. This deep cleaning balm contains natural saponins (plant chemicals) derived from Ayurvedic plants which maintain the skin’s balance while deeply cleansing it. Containing no synthetic surfactants, sulphates or oils, the pH-balanced formula clears dead skin cells without peeling, targeting all forms of build-up and cleaning pores intensely to leave your complexion exceptionally clear.”

OK so it is quite a strange product. It looks weird, like grey liquid slime! The texture is very runny and it smells very strange (not good strange). I struggled with using this as it is quite thin and strange to apply. I don’t know if it works and to be honest its not a part of my skincare regime that I enjoy! I wouldn’t buy this again but weirdly I just like having it around for days when my skin is very oily or breaking out, it smells and looks like it must be good for you!! A weird review, but an honest one!

 

Your Good Skin from Boots

Your Good Skin is a relatively new brand exclusive to Boots and has been developed by dermatologist and using green tea and Vitamin C to help “visibly improve the health of your skin in just 28 days of its natural cycle”.

I am always looking for good cleansers and I mostly use hot cloth cleansers all year round. So I decided to try their version (£8.99).

I really enjoyed using this cleanser. It is a lovely thick creamy texture without being heavy or claggy. It definitely removed every scrap of mascara (even waterproof) and all other makeup. My skin felt clean and not dry or tight after.

For the price I am definitely keeping this on my list of cleansers that I would re-purchase. It is a good solid no nonsense cleanser!

Hawaiian Tropic – Golden Paradise Fragrance Mist

Sali Hughes is one of my main enablers! I cant tell you the number of times I have read her beauty column in the Guardian and rushed out to get whatever she is recommending.

This time it was so weirdly well timed, it was meant to be! I was about to purchase the cult classic summer fragrance – Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Skinscent (about £43). I have bought this fragrance quite a few times and it never disappoints. However, literally on the day I was placing the order there was a whole article from Sali on summer fragrances, and yes Bronze Goddess was featured but even better Sali recommended a dupe – from Hawaiian Tropic! I have used Hawaiian Tropic sun care before so was familiar with the brand but not their fragrances.

The recommendation was for the Golden Paradise Fragrance Mist (described as a combination of warm sand and creamy coconut!). It was also on offer in Boots – 2 for £15 – they are normally £10 each! So I of course ordered two! I also added at the last minute the Silk Hydration Air Soft Face SPF30 (£8.50) which I thought would be a great everyday facial moisturiser for when I am on holiday without needing to have a separate SPF.

So back to the fragrance mist – yes this is a lovely dupe of Bronze Goddess and yes it smells like summer – sand and coconuts. It is creamy and yummy and just perfect! I also love the retro packaging – just on the right side of tacky! Summer in a bottle…

Oh and the moisturiser is also very good! I have been using it everyday even though I am not on holiday yet as I thought it would be better to face any break outs or reactions before I went away! So far I have had no problems with this, it is rich and hydrating and absorbs easily with no greasy residue. I am very happy with this and it is definitely coming with me on holiday!

So Hawaiian Tropic is a gem of a brand, great value summer products that really do deliver.

Lixirskin – Cult Skincare

Anything that comes in a millennium pink package is hard to resist, but the ethos behind this new skincare range Lixirskin is more minimalist than maximalist. These are multi tasking products that are designed as less is more! I went for two key products from the range – the Universal Emulsion and the Electrogel Cleanser.

The Universal Emulsion (£29) is a cream for everything – day and night moisturiser, primer and serum! It can be used everywhere – face, eye contour, lips, neck, décolleté and even hands and arms, while also offering an innovative natural SPF. It is a lightweight cream that packs a moisture punch greater than you first expect. I love the slightly herbal smell which disappears once you have massaged the cream in. It absorbs beautifully and quickly, leaving my skin soft and hydrated and ready for makeup. I have been using this religiously for a couple of months and really love this. Definitely on my re-purchase list!

The Electrogel Cleanser (£25) is also a multi-tasking product – cleanser and face mask. Again this is a lovely product. It cleanses without stripping and takes off everything. I always use this as my second cleanse and leave it for a bit to act as a mask too.

It is called the Electrogel Cleanser because “negatively charged Electrogel™ attracts, captures and eliminates positively charged toxins – pollution nanoparticles, heavy metals and free radicals – to give urban skin the ultimate detox”.

Although I do like this I probably wouldn’t be as quick to repurchase it as the Universal Emulsion.

 

 

Asian Skincare

There are so many new products to try when I go to Malaysia but Hada Labo has always been a favourite and this time I discovered these two products from the exfoliating range – the Mild Peeling Lotion and the Mild Exfoliating Face wash. Both these products contain AHAs and BHAs as the exfoliants which as you probably know are very effective as getting rid of dead skin and other nasties. This leaves your skin brighter, cleaner and helps to rejuvenate the skin’s surface.

Both of these are very mild and can be used everyday. I love these and will be re-stocking whenever I go back!

Next is a new discovery – Bio-Essence. I only decided to try these two “bio-gold waters”. One in Gold and the other Rose Gold. The blurb says they tackle the following –

1. Fine Pores – Tightens unsightly enlarged pores
2. Firm and Supple – Improves skin’s elasticity to prevent sagging
3. Wrinkle defy – Plumps up skin to defy wrinkles and fine lines
4. Sebum balanced – Regulates moisture and sebum balance
5. Energized – Activates skin renewal for a youthful skin
6. Luminous radiance – Restores a naturally glowing complexion

The Rose Gold is also infused with unique Japanese rose extract – Eijitsu, which helps to quench skin with much needed hydration and refine pores.

They are quite viscous and therefore you don’t need to use much. I can definitely feel the hydrating benefits – the rest I will wait and see. BUT I really do like these in the winter, after my exfoliating toner and before my moisturiser to give me added moisture.

Bath and Bodyworks

I discovered Bath and Bodyworks when I was in Malaysia and I have to admit that I became ever so slightly obsessed and bought too many things! The interesting thing is that the packaging verges on tacky but for some reason that works! I love the slightly retro feel and have to admit the scents are amazing!

My favourite product is the shimmer mist so I got them in three different scents – Warm Vanilla, Japanese Cherry Blossom and Magic in the Air. These scents are infused with beautiful shimmery particles that you can use on your hair and body. The scent really lasts and the shimmer looks amazing!

Warm Vanilla Sugar smells like – vanilla & sheer florals.

Japanese Cheery Blossom smells of cherry blossoms, crisp pears, mimosa petals & sweet sandalwood

Main the Air smells of almond flower, white iris & whipped vanilla

I had to get the Warm Vanilla body mist just because I wanted a non-shimmer version for everyday

The I had to get the Magic in the Air Body Foaming Sugar Scrub.

They were out of stock of the Vanilla so I had to get the Pink Cashmere instead! This smells of pink jasmine, creamy sandalwood & white amber. The scrubs are thick and moisturising and a real pleasure to use, leaving you smelling amazing.

Then I spotted the hand washes so ended up with these two – Vanilla (again) and Gardenia. These are the Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps which are mean to be like “a 60-second manicure..specially formulated to effectively cleanse and exfoliate, while conditioning Aloe and Vitamin E leave hands feeling soft and smooth”.

I love all these products and probably would have got more if I could have fitted them into my suitcase!

 

Three Cleansers

I love a good cleanser and I have really been enjoying these three affordable options.

First is the Garnier Oil Infused Micellar Water (5.99). I use this as my first cleanse when I am wearing a bit more makeup than usual or waterproof mascara. It really gets everything off but for me is never enough on its own. I use cotton wool soaked in this and always follow this with another richer cleanser like the next two.

Next is a lovely Milky Cleansing Oil by Melvita (£13). This smells divine, of course of roses. This oil to milk formula is wonderful to get your skin clean without drying. I use this on dry skin and the use a wet hot cloth to take it off.

Finally this Vitamin E Cream Cleanser by the Body Shop is great basic cleanser (£7.50). Its no fuss easy to use & gets everything off. I again use this on dry skin and remove with a wet hot cloth.

I am definitely more of hot cloth cleanser fan but the micellar water is a good starting point. I just love cleansers that really clean my skin without drying and also feel like they are doing something good too!

 

The Best Shower Oil?

This is a giant bottle of the Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil (£13.50). I wanted a moisturising shower oil as the weather changes and my skin gets drier. This is an ultra-nourishing oil that cleanses, restores lipids and soothes
The texture is really creamy and silky, with a  subtle scent and it is non-greasy.

A great purchase if you have dry sensitive skin or just like shower oils!

Body Shop Perfume

I love scents that make me think of incense. This perfume from Body Shop was a very pleasant surprise. Its called Nigritella Oriental Orchid (£28) and smells divine! Its floral but musky with vanilla and tuberose alongside the red vanilla orchid.

As you can see I have finished this bottle and am torn between buying this again or trying another one from their range – Bowhanti Spicy Woods smelt incredible too!

A treat for your hands

This is a very indulgent purchase but Aesop hand washes are legendary and this one even more so as it is exfoliating as well as smelling incredible!

This is the Reverance Aromatique Hand Wash (£27) with finely milled pumice.  Its not the easiest to find online but in store its always available. I just think its such a lovely addition to any bathroom!