February’s ridiculously large quota of 28 was likely a blip, a coincidence that I got to the bottom of so many jars, bottles and tubes all at once – at least I hope so, as I was beginning to question my monthly outlay on beauty products!
This latest collection includes body products, some sample sachets, a heap of skincare (again making up the bulk of my empties), plus a rather fabulous budget beauty buy!
Skincare
Espa 24-Hour Replenishing Moisturiser*. I hailed this as one of my favourite moisturisers of all time when I reviewed it last year. It remains so. £42 for 55ml. Reviewed here.
Ginvera Green Tea Exfoliating Marvel Gel*. The most gentle physical exfoliator I have ever used – it’s a smooth gel (no harsh grains) and it exfoliates brilliantly. Costs £19.95 for 60g on the Ginvera website). Reviewed.
Wei Lady Berry Instant Line Repair. Had a sample and loved it. Bought the full-size and didn’t! Isn’t it annoying when that happens?! Over a longer use I found this to be very drying. £46 for 20ml at Space NK.
Vichy Purete Thermale 3-in-1 Cleanser. This came inside a ‘Latest in Beauty’ box. As cream cleansers go (it’s described as a milk-gel cleanser for sensitive skin) it’s decent and has a lovely smell. But I much prefer a balm for cleansing, on both performance and texture. Super price though - £11.50 at Feelunique.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Cleanser. A multi-award winning classic that’s still hard to beat. Does the job and smells utterly gorgeous – Eucalyptus is not only a great decongestant but the scent is so incredibly uplifting. Reviewed as part of my ‘3 of the Best Hot Cloth Cleansers'.
Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patches. Came in a Space NK goodie bag (from the latest gift with purchase event, I think). There are so many cheap dupes around that I find it hard to justify the extra expensive of the premium eye patches, of which there are many. This one is £15 for four sets direct from Eyeko. Or buy this super Skinlite dupe for £1.49, reviewed.
Holland & Barrett Aloe Vera Gel. Ah, a true budget buy hero! It’s organic, skin loving, versatile and cheap as chips! Use it on dry and chapped skin, stretch marks, inflammation and sunburn (we will get to Summer). I also use it as a cleanser with some of my ultrasound and microcurrent home beauty devices. £6.99 for 200ml (also currently on a 2 for £10) here.
Body
L’Occitane Frisson de Verveine Cooling Body Gel. Got this as a gift with purchase. I’m a massive L’Occitane fan but the aqueous citrus fragrance here, while refreshing, is just not for me. This appears to be currently out of stock on the L'Occitane website.
L’Occitane Verveine/Verbena Cooling Hand Cream Gel. Same scent as above, so again no love from me. But fragrance is such a personal thing and the texture and absorption of this hand gel is, as you’d expect, beautiful. £8 for 30ml here.
Diptyque Luxurious Hand Balm. Another Space NK goodie bag freebie. This is my first Diptyque skincare product and what a disappointment. Their candles really have the ‘wow’ factor with their gorgeous fragrances, so it surprised me that it was the scent here that I so disliked. It reminds me of cheap toilet soap! £22 for 50ml at Liberty.
Organic Beauty Sample Round-Up**
Juice Beauty Green Apple Cleansing Gel. A refreshing and fruity fragranced gel cleanser with skin brightening properties. Melvita Bio-Excellence Naturalift Youthful Serum. Difficult to get a proper feel for this, being such a small sample, but what I tried I liked. I really must explore this L’Occitane-owned skincare brand further. Rahuna Finishing Treatment. It says to apply just a dab to damp hair. Really, do precisely that! At first I used too much and my hair fell flat and felt greasy. But a dab will give you thick, manageable (especially if your hair is frizz prone like mine) and lustrous locks. Suki Ultra Protect Body-Balm. A little does not go a long way. While this was beautifully moisturising I could see myself having to use loads of it to get a coverage of my whole body. Lavera BeautyBalm. With organic acai berry and natural mineral pigments, this BB cream sounds lovely but I found it, sadly, too dry for my skin.
Favourites
Espa - 24-Hour Replenishing MoisturiserGinvera - Green Tea Exfoliating Marvel Gel
Liz Earle - Cleanse & Polish Cleanser
Holland & Barrett - Aloe Vera Gel
*PR Samples
**PR samples, Naturisimo
