Beauty bloggers and vloggers often keep up with the monthly favourites trend, outlining our most used products of the moment but so often we fail to mention products which never leave our routine since they're not new or fresh. I wanted to do a little run down of my most used body products and include those that perhaps haven't made the cut to be mentioned before.
It's basically a run down of my favourite lotions and potions, notably absent is my Soap & Glory Righteous Butter which I absolutely love but is just so expensive on a cost per use scale so I switched it for the lotion equivalent which definitely provides more for your money. That being said I'm about to slather myself in the butter formula and lay on the sofa til bed. Ahhh...bliss...
I've talked about these lotions so many times in videos but I'm not so sure I've blogged about them and they really deserve some blog love. I love my Soap & Glory I really do but for an everyday lotion you cannot beat Garnier Intensive 7 days! You may be able to tell from my substantial collection that I am a firm fan. I do have a favourite but they all have their uses as you will see below.
My favourite has to be the Shea Butter for dry to extra dry skin. It smells delicious and it's quite possibly the best moisture hit you can get from the drugstore. It dries super fast too. Consider it the same hydration you would get from a luxuriously thick body butter but you can get dressed in 5 minutes instead of feeling sticky all day/night. I can't always be bothered to moisturise every night like I should but when I'm using this I can afford to skip a day. You really do feel moisturised for longer and for only £4.99 for 400ml you can't afford not to try it!
You can purchase the range at Boots (link) where they are currently running 3 for 2 on all skin care so there's never been a better time to buy!
Last week I received this very nicely packaged pr sample in the post. I'd never heard of the brand Wild before and was interested to trial something and see what you guys had to say about them. So many times I've reviewed something totally new to me only to find that lots of you have been using the products for years so do let me know if you've 'gone wild' yourself!
The founder of Wild is Valerie Outram, she is passionate about creating fair-trade opportunities and empowering the people of Africa to create a sustainable income from the world around them. The ingredients are all natural and locally sourced and the packaging is just beautiful. The attention to detail is fantastic for a small company with such a strong convictions. They could've opted for clean lines and really pushed the 'all natural' gimmick home but instead they gave us something that appeals on an aesthetic level as well as making us feel like we're being socially responsible.
The body butter is comparable to The Body Shop for quality and I'm not going to go working out grams as opposed to ml but I'm pretty sure there's more of this. I received the Hydrating butter with Shea and Cape Chestnut. I'm not a massive chestnut fan but the shea scent kept me interested. I love the smell of shea butter and my dry winter skin appreciates the moisture more than ever right now.
If you order a body butter (£14.50) and a soap (£5.25) you also get a cute fabric bag rather like the one mine was packaged in. A lovely gift that anyone would appreciate, I'm sure. I love that the soap is carved, it gives it a really 'homemade' feel. In truth I wasn't so excited about reviewing a bar of soap but they insisted I take it and I'm glad I did. It's not your conventional skin drying formula, far from it! They are made with natural hydrating ingredients that leave you feeling clean but moisturised when you hop out of the tub.
The brands mission statement is "Our aim is to be kind to Humans, Animals and the Environment" and well.. you can't say fairer than that!
Pitted against each other today are two of my favourite body products. The Body Shops Shea Body Butter (SB) and Soap & Glorys The Righteous Butter (RB). Let's start with the facts..
Ok, so you might think right out of the gate that RB would be the winner
on value right? Especially given the constant 3 for 2 offer in Boots on
S&G products.. not necessarily! I was among the group that believed
the Body Shop was expensive and overpriced until last Christmas when I
discovered you can't pay full RRP online if you try!! There's always
some deal code to be had and it's often emblazoned across their
homepage. Twice in as many months they had £25 off when you spend £50
which is a damn good deal. You get offers when you join you get offers
off your next order... when you buy online The Body Shop transforms in
to some kind of bargainous clearance bin of lotions and potions. I was
converted! I took these photos intending to compare last month but never
got around to it. Having just run out of these two butters and
repurchased only one I thought now would be a good time.
Let's talk about texture. The RB is a typical Body Butter, thick and luxurious, all you would expect. It spreads nicely and soaks in well. The SB is a completely different animal. It is some kind of hybrid between what I consider to be a body butter and the original cocoa butter formula from Palmers. It' waxier, thicker and it's almost like as it warms on your skin it melts. Because of this a little goes a really long way. It's not like applying a regular lotion its more like massaging actual butter in to your skin. It's not unpleasant in any way just.. very different. The downside to this formula is it does take a long time to soak in and if you rub it too long you get those wretched 'rolly' bits and I end up having to wipe it all off which is a total waste of time!
The smell. It's so tough to compare the two as they are two totally different scents yet I love them both. (side bar, got a little excited Vegas chill there, totally unrelated but 12 days to go!!!) The RB smells like everything from the Original Pink range from S&G which is generally beloved in the blogging community and proved so popular they even launched a fragrance baring the signature scent. I love that after using this I wake up the next morning and my room smells like Original Pink and I go to bed the following night and my bed smells like Original Pink. Bliss! The SB smells .. well like She Butter. If you know the smell and love it you'll love this, simple as! It's quite relaxing and a nice fragrance to have around you at night and as you go to sleep so that's a plus.
I would say these last around the same amount of time. I dont use them every day but if I did I might just get a month out of them. Although the SB contains less product it goes further so they're even on value for money where that's concerned. I would reach for the SB if I was super dry or to put on my feet before bed (ideal) but I would reach for the RB everyday for everywhere. It's hydrating but it does eventually sink in where the SB doesn't for me unless I'm very dry. I love both of these butters but I repurchased the S&G Righteous Butter for 2 reasons.
1. It's more suited to my skin and 2. I buy it in the 3 for 2 and there's just more from Soap & Glory that I use than there is from the Body Shop!
Everytime I near the end of a tub I tell myself I'm not spending £10 on another and I always do. In the last 3 for two I bought the butter obviously along with a replacement Wish Upon a Jar (needs it's own review - ah-mazing!) and I'm trying the lotion version of the RB. It's 50p cheaper and 200ml larger so look out for my comparison of the two coming very soon.
Have any of you tried these two? Which would you have chosen?
This is something that was requested AGES ago so apologies that we are already into Winter by the time I'm actually posting. There are lots of things I switch up when the colder weather approaches but moisturising products are the number one, I tend to choose thicker, richer formulas to protect me from the elements and treat dryness. Here are some of my favourites...
This is a fantastic everyday body lotion. It sinks in super fast so it can be used in a morning before you get dressed without having to wait around for it to dry and it really does leave me feeling moisturised for longer than an average lotion. There are loads of formulas to choose from ranging from sensitive to normal to extra dry, all with different scents.. I love them all but the cocoa butter is my favourite.
I've never been a big lover of these cult body butters. I know everyone revs about them but I just don't think they're great value for money. I bought this one on a deal recently so only paid £1 and I've been really pleasantly surprised. The Shea Butter version is much thicker, it's almost balm-like in consistency, smells divine and goes a really long way. I would absolutely repurchase!
This is a must have for everyones body care arsenal. I am never without a tub on the go, it's the solid formula I'm talking about not the lotion. It can be melted to an oil to use on the skin or as a deep conditioner and what I love most is that you can rub it in indefinitely without getting those rolly bits you do with a lotion. Perfect for a much needed foot massage after a day of Christmas shopping.
Hand Therapy Concentrated Hand Balm (unable to source online)
I couldn't find this online so I'm not sure whether you can still purchase it but I'm sure there are equivalents out there. This is a Superdrug's own brand hand balm. It's super thick and leaves a protective layer which is great for combatting the cold and even better for those of you that can stand to wear gloves for the occasional overnight hand pampering. This never leaves my handbag.
I doubt I really need to say much about this best seller. I'd tried samples many times over the years but only recently purchased a full sized tube. I use it on my lips, I use it as a moisturising face mask once a week, I use it on my elbows or any dry areas and even on the ends of my hair. It is one of my more expensive products and so I don't go crazy with it but it really does the job when nothing else will.
Okay so this isn't exactly skincare but I just love it and It's transitioned in to winter when I really didn't expect it to. I thought I'd return to full coverage foundation but this stuff leaves my dull winter skin glowy and fresh. If you feel you need a fuller coverage I'd still recommend this as a base as it does boast some skincare properties as well and every little helps.
I've looked high and low for the best lip treats and this is one of my all time favourites. It has that delicious MAC lipstick smell and taste (yes, taste!) stays on my lips that little bit longer than your average balm and offers a subtle tint of colour. I always carry this with me and although it might not be the most moisturising lip balm it's a joy to wear and I never mind applying more... yum!
So I hope that helps any of you out there that are looking for some winter skin treats. These are some of the best I've tried but I'm always on the look out for bigger and better so please feel free to share your own favourites in the comments.
This stuff truly is Righteous! It was the gateway Soap & Glory product for me. I was sent it by their PR, I'd never tried anything from S&G before and since then I've spent a FORTUNE chasing that divine scent up and down the aisles of Boots. It's just this week run out and it's top on my weekend shopping list to be replaced. I received this at the time I was considering purchasing Mama Mio's tummy rub and I'm so glad I didn't waste my money now. I did a post about it on my baby blog you can see here.
It's a luxurious, thick formula that you can rub for long enough to get a bit of massage action in before it absorbs. The true test for me is always how moisturised I feel the following day and this is great, not only does this leave you feeling totally hydrated but the S&G signature scent lingers on you (and your bedding) all day. I love waking up to that smell... anyone else? This is also available in a pump action bottle as a lotion which does tempt me but I don't know how it could be better than this version. The only thing that appeals is it could be a lot quicker and easier to use which will be valuable once bubba does arrive and I have less time to treat my tired skin. Perhaps I'll try that out next.
I don't know if the thickness makes a difference to how well they last but i think I'm going to have to try the lotion now I've seen the difference in volume.
Hey There! I have recently become a little bit skincare obsessed.
I've never been into cleanse, tone and moisturise and that lark, mainly because my skin has been acne prone and so any treatment I gave it was targeted to those needs. I've come to realise lately that I am not getting any younger and eventually (hopefully) my problem skin will improve but I may find that the lack of care I've taken catches up with me. So... I've taken steps..
It was 3 for 2 in superdrug on L'Oreal so I figured there was no better time to try their skincare range.
There are lots to choose from but I plumped for the Triple Active.. I may move on to the Youth Code if I get on with this as I've heard very positive things.
So thats my 3 step..
But I needed an eyecream, right?
I picked this Bliss one up in Debenhams better than half price! It was reduced from £24 to £7! Bargain!
I can't tell you if it's doing anything yet but it can't hurt!
Now I am still true to my old faithful Clean and Clear moisturiser for night time... it works wonders on blemishes while keeping your skin soft.
And I am totally loving this new Garnier Body 7 day moisturiser.. it's totally amazing and smells devine.. again this is on offer in superdrug right now!
So that's my current skincare regime..
I'm liking it so far but am always on the look out for new things..
