Showing posts with label la roche-posay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label la roche-posay. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 August 2015

#MissionEmpties Week 01: Getting the Ball Rolling

To mark the inauguration of the #MissionEmpties Challenge, I figured it important to reflect (and/or keep tabs) on the products I've emptied into digestible weekly chunks. Following it up with some unflattering photography of empty jars, pots, tubes, bottles and the like. Just how do you make used up product look good, especially the ones I hacked away at with scissors? You don't. 
In part, this first week has been a little easy. A lot of the products listed here were very much nearly finished up. I just had a few drops and a few uses of each left. This is all my own hoarder fault.

Lyonsleaf Beauty Balm £12.95 / 55ML
This little wonder product is an expert multi-tasker and I've put it to the test in every possible way. It's a thick, soft balm that melts into a lovely, silky oil when heated slightly. I primarily use it as a cleansing balm as it's very gentle and non-irritating on eyes, while effectively removing make-up. I also use it as a moisturiser, its thick balm-texture creates a barrier on the skin to retain moisture. Finally, I use it as a face mask when I need an extra boost of hydration. This product delivers, and it delivers out of the park. Essential.

I suffer with some insufferable frizz. My hair needs moisture from every angle it can get, the most effective of which being conditioner. This is such a nourishing conditioner, it provides my hair with all the essential moisture it needs without weighing it down or becoming lank. The orange scent is so very faint, but lovely all the same. Essential? You betcha! 
I reviewed this very recently here and decided to finish off the few remaining drops I've been coveting. Yes, I still think it's just divine. This oil is great for offering nourishment and moisture while controlling oil. It's extremely lightweight, so it effectively absorbs, while helping to maintain my skin's balance. Effective, repurchase.

Our Tiny Bees Über Balm £7.95 / 45G
Admittedly, a solid favourite of mine. I'm now on my 4th tin of this little delight, and my psoriasis has never been better. It's an all-natural balm made be our hard working bees. It sinks straight into sink, while supplying me with essential, long-lasting moisture. For years I have been using prescribed medications for my psoriasis, more of which were effective, but had a god-awful scent. The Über Balm smells of sweet, delicious honey. Truly scrumptious. Essential.
I fell in love with this product some time ago (full review here), and that love is still going strong. I received a trail version of the cleanser free with the Bee Good Honey & Camelina Facial Exfoliator (review here), and 30ML is the perfect size for travelling, and due to this being a thick, read cream, it lasts bloody ages. The scent it beautiful, and the results are great. I'm left really clean and fresh and very well moisturised. Hat's off, once more. Effective, repurchase.

Makuka Doctor Normalising Facial Oil £19.99 / 30ML
This is a facial oil that I didn't initially get along with (full review here), and still don't entirely get along with. It's truly wonderfully at oil control and balancing/normalising the overproduction of oil. Just a few drop in the evening will do the trick to see you through the following day. However, this thing smells something horrid. I can't get past that. The results are fantastic, sure, but I've really struggled to use this oil up. Effective, don't repurchase.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] £15.50 / 40ML
Perfect for reducing the signs of scarring, imperfections, blemishes: I'm on my second batch of this and it has yet to disappoint (full review here). It has a very light, spreadable texture, which doesn't entirely absorb, so I now reseve it for evening use. It has help reduce the appearance of raised marks I have on my forehead and cheeks. Effective, repurchase.

For the longest time, this was my go-to skin saviour for my psoriasis. But it just wasn't enough to see me through the entire day. While its primary use isn't actually to combat skin conditions, its ability to hydrate and moisturise was perfect for my dry skin. It quickly absorbs, so doesn't leave any transfer onto my clothes, and it smells so fresh and divine. Effective, don't repurchase. 

The Natural Deodorant Co. Clean Deodorant Balm £10.00 / 60ML
Featured here is only a 5ML sample I received this week as part of my order from the Peace & Beauty London Samples Mini Box for £5.00. This is now, very unsurprisingly, completely sold old. It's an all-natural deodorant wet balm, that is scooped up and massaged into your skin. It dries near instantly and has a powdery finish. It smells wonderfully fresh, while keeping my body wonderfully fresh all through the day. It is very super effective and I have already purchased the full size. Effective, repurchase. 

This is actually a 30ML trail version I received free with purchase of the Cleansing Vanity for Combination to Oily Skin value kit. I'm glad I didn't part real money with this because this thing stings. It stings hard. For a make-up remover specific to the eyes, I was expecting it to be very gentle and sensitivity-concious. Nope. It hurts. Instead, I used it to remove eyebrow make-up only, avoiding the actual eye area entirely. Avoid.

Given that, I didn't originally consider this product to be tops (full review here), I went back and purchased it anyway. Hello contrary! It is the fastest product I can find for reducing the appearance of blemishes. It tackles redness and inflammation like a boss, and definitely deserves some credit for that. However, the price tag makes me do an audible gulp every time I see it. I just cannot justify this purchase. Effective, don't repurchase.

I must admit that I am already starting to feel the withdrawal symptoms of my usual skincare routine. My skin has become very out of sync, so I have purchased Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol Soothing Facial Tonic (£7.99 / 30ML) and Botanicals Organic Hydrating Mist (£15.00 / 100ML) to help boost hydration and help rebalance my skin. 

Of the 11 products listed here, 9 are of the original pledge. Only 38 more to go...

To catch up on my initial pledge list and rules about the self-directed #MissionEmpties Challenge, read the #MissionEmpties MASTER POST.

Wednesday, 22 July 2015

Anti-imperfections with La Roche-Posay Effeclar Duo (my hero!)

Continuing on with my venture into the ever delightful French skincare brand, La Roche-Posay and their Effeclar range (for the review of Effeclar A.I. please click here), I've been trying my hand at the Effeclar Duo, and I've got to say, it's every bit just as good.

For me this product fell into a confusing category of what stage in my routine do I even apply this? It's not quite as moisturising as a moisturiser - though it states it can be used as one, and it's not quite as rewarding as a serum, so it kind of falls in the middle.

To start, the product sells itself on getting to work in just one day. That's an awful big brag, right? Actually, it's got every right to brag. This product got to real work in just 2 days for me. Blackheads. That's where it spun its main magic. After 2 days, a really severe blackhead that has been troubling for a while, literally just fell out of my face. It pushed its way through the skin so that I could literally just pluck it delicately from my cheek. I know, I know, graphic, TMI. But it was gone and it was painless.

I only had 3 blackheads in total, but they were large and bothersome and far too stubborn to remove. Now I have zero blackheads. It took 18 days in total for the blackheads to naturally dislodge themselves with a little push and shove from Effeclar Duo

But it doesn't just stop there, oh no. Effeclar Duo labels itself as anti-imperfections. I wasn't entirely sure what that meant. But, I have several raised skin blemishes. Scars/warts/moles (gross, I know), that sort of thing. Though they aren't entirely visible to anyone except me, I've always been dreadfully self conscious of them. With each passing day I noticed these raised blemishes start to smooth out, then reduce in size, then eventually vanish entirely.

My skin has never been smoother, clearer or less blemished and it's all thanks to this one little magic tube.

But it isn't all rainbows and sunshine... It hardly ever is. This product has an extremely thick gloop-like texture. It's extremely greasy and leaves a film-like residue on the skin. It doesn't absorb and it is certainly very obviously. So you will have to prime. Sorry. I know, it's a big pitfall. But the results are so bloody worth it.

I went through two tubes of this stuff and used it AM + PM for 2-3 months. To the end of the three months, my skin kind of didn't really need the stuff any more. It's the sort of product I can pick up and apply as and when I need it. I am so grateful to how this product has changed my skin for the better and it will definitely be the first little product I call on when I'm in need of a skin saviour. It's essential, sure, but only as and when.

LA Roche-Posay Effeclar Duo can be purchased from Boots for £15.50 / 40ML.

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Travel Essentials Revisited: Doing it Right(ish) in Budapest

Another month, another holiday, this time to the oh-so-beautiful and historically rich city of Budapest, Hungary. 

Packing light is not really my jam, but I also like to be thrifty - so hand luggage only, right? Culling my skin and cosmetic collection into just 10 liquids is always a real struggle for me. Especially when those liquids must include the bare essentials, such as sunscreen and toothpaste. That's two slots gone. I've noticed lately that my collection has migrated into more solid-based alternatives for this very reason. 

I was cheeky this time round, as I was travelling with my partner, who, despite my attempts to turn him onto real skincare routines, only packs antiperspirant and prescribed acne medicine. Meaning, I had a few more liquids to play with. Dream come true.

I'm also now a little more switched on with what I can and can't include in my liquids allowance. Two months back, in my trip to Barcelona, Spain (full breakdown here), I squeezed Lanolips Golden Ointment and PapayaGold Moisturising Balm into my liquids container. I didn't do that this time. Maybe I was pushing my luck a little, as they are balms/liquid-esque, but nobody seemed to bat an eyelid. 

The Organic Pharmacy

I considered a short city break the perfect opportunity for me to pick up some conveniently small travel-sized products, while trialling some new items that I've had my eye on for some time. In hindsight, I see that this was just an outright mistake:
a) I always prefer to test full-sized products, to fully form my opinion
b) Playing with new products I haven't tested with my skin before is always a dangerous game
I picked up The Organic Pharmacy Discovery Travel Kit from Naturisimo, and you know, it wasn't all doom and gloom, in fact, I am now inspired to pick up the full-sized version of the Carrot Butter Cleanser and the Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream.

The Organic Pharmacy / Carrot Butter Cleanser is a balm based cleanser which melts into a creamy, rich oil when warmed on skin. This product is absolutely scrumptious. It's smooth to touch and delicately glides over skin. Make-up is lifted by the oils and then easily wiped away with the supplied muslin cloth. £39.95 / 70ML full-sized product. 10ML is incl. in the Travel Kit.

The Organic Pharmacy / Herbal Toner as spray toners go, this one is fairly fast and clumsy. It's quite a heavy liquid that comes out with starling force, clumping on your face in thick droplets. It requires a sweep over with a cotton pad to spread evenly. It is lovely and refreshing and it definitely leaves my skin hydrated. It's just all too thick for me, It has a tendency to feel heavy on the skin. £31.95 / 100ML full-sized product. 10ML incl. in the Travel Kit.

The Organic Pharmacy / Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream is possibly my favourite of the bunch. It has the most divine scent, followed by a silky and creamy texture. It's always cool to touch and spreads wonderfully across skin. It's super nourishing, leaving my skin feeling enriched and hydrated after use. £39.95 / 50ML full-sized product. 10ML incl. in the Travel Kit.

The Organic Pharmacy / Antioxidant  Face Firming Gel, now, as gels go, I don't like gels, and this makes no exception. Gels, such as this, are greasy and thick and heavy and never want to absorb. This product likes to sit on skin, leaving a very uncomfortable slick trail behind. I stopped using it in the daytime, as I just could not get it to absorb. I will not comment on its effects, as the trial-sized version did not offer enough product for me to take notice. £54.95 / 35ML full-sized product. 5ML incl. in the Travel Kit.

The Organic Pharmacy / Antioxidant  Face Firming Serum is something I could just not get along with. This kit wants me to just pile on face product after face product and I'm left in layers of liquids that just don't want to absorb. This serum is very thick and greasy. It happens to just sit on my skin, giving me this horrible thick and sticky face. No thank you. I will not comment on its effects, as the trial-sized version did not offer enough product for me to take notice. £75.95 / 35ML full-sized product. 5ML incl. in the Travel Kit.

The Organic Pharmacy / Muslin Cloth, I actually already own this cloth, and have been wanting to pick up another for a while. So, winner-winner, right? This cloth has such a wonderfully soft texture, yet has a nice slight grit to it, enough to pick up any debris or oil. It's gentle to touch, never abrasive to skin. It's one of the thickest cloths I've come across, meaning it can retain a good amount of water. £3.95 / 1 PIECE. 1 PIECE incl. in the Travel Kit.

The Organic Pharmacy Discovery Travel Kit can be purchased from Naturisimo for £45.00 and contains 5 travel-sized products and 1 full sized muslin cloth. 

Then The Other Liquids

Every other liquid I took in my liquids allocation was an absolutely dream or saviour in some way. A lot of the products here are already staples of mine, products that I utterly cannot live without. I am so thankful for travel sized containers. It really saved my bacon this holiday.
Bee Good / Honey & Propolis 2-in-1 Cream Cleanser I've said in length before (full review here), that I just absolutely adore this cleanser.  It's lovely, creamy, rich and really cleanses your face in such a nourishing and caring way. My skin is fresher, clearer and smoother after use. Bee-liss! £4.95 / 30ML Travel Size from Bee Good.

Skin & Tonic London / Brit Beauty Oil This oil is a real winner with me. It's so bloody conditioning for my skin. I feel softer and look smoother. It's jam-packed with so many intelligent ingredients which my skin absolutely just eats up. Any inflammation is soothed, my skin is brighter, plumper and I am utterly well-conditioned. £28.00 / 30ML Full Size from Skin & Tonic London.

Egyptian Magic / All Purpose Skin Cream I'm a sucker for multi-purpose products and this is absolutely no exception. 5 of the 6 delicious ingredients are incredible bee-byproducts. While a solid yellow balm to begin with, when massaged into skin it melts into this wonderful nourishing and moisturising oil. I use this on nipple, eczema and any bits that chafe, need soothing or nourishment. £16.00 / 59ML Travel Size from LoveLula.

Our Tiny Bees / Über Balm As we know, I suffer with psoriasis. Burden, burden. This little tin contains the most delicious smelling honey-based balm which absorbs quickly into skin and leaves my dry elbows and knees wonderfully moisturised all day long. Not greasy, but utterly nourishing. I'm not flaky, I don't need to itch or fight, I'm soothed and calmed. Absolute staple.  £7.95 / 45ML Full Size from Our Tiny Bees.

La Roche-Posay / Anthelios XL SPF 5 Dry Touch Gel Cream As someone with incredibly fair and sun-intolerant skin, I can't ever go lower than factor 50, especially in a ~35°C climate such as Budapest. This product offers perfect protection for both UVA and UVB rays. However, it is really difficult to spread. Seriously difficult. It's a dry touch gel, so it dries almost instant. You really have to work it into your face quick, or, you guessed it, white patches! £16.50 / 50ML Full Size from Boots.

Solids

Substituting some of my products for a solid alternative really is doing myself a solid. It saves me a lot of liquids allowance and means I can cater to a lot more of my skin needs. A lot of the products featured here are quickly becoming staples, products that I just cannot live without. Looking at you, BLOOM POLISH.

PureChimp / Super Cleanser I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is my favourite cleanser ever. As a solid cleanser, you take a piece into your hands and mix it with a little water. It turns into this lovely thick mush, which you then massage into your skin. It is creamy and thick enough to get really stuck into my pores. My skin is so wonderfully soft after use, I have never had smoother skin since.£11.95 / 80G Full Size from PureChimp.

BLOOM Skin Essentials / POLISH Okay, this is a product I just cannot go without. Sense dictates that it's too clunky to be carting around in your hand luggage, and a face mask is a bit of a luxury I can skip... But really, I just can't. I had to take this with me. This fine powder can be mixed with water to form a paste, I then leave it on my skin for 10-15 minutes. It completely decongests my skin. I get heavily blocked around my nose, and after using this mask I am clearer and brighter. My skin is completely balanced and soothed, any inflammation has completely disappeared. $32.00 / 6OZ. Full Size from BLOOM Skin Essentials.

Lanolips / Golden Ointment Another solid favourite. This is one of the best moisturising balms I've ever used. It forms a lovely thick and nourishing barrier around skin to protect it and feed. It really helps with any wild dry patches that appear, as it's totally soothing and utterly calming. I like to use this around my eyes as they can get very tight in the corners. It's great for sleeping in. £17.99 / 50G Full Size from Boots

PapayaGold Moisturising Balm I use this every day as part of my not-make-up-make-up. It's a really lightweight multi-purpose balm and I like to use on my eyebrows as an eyebrow wax. It's completely invisible and doesn't solidify or leave a trace. I also rub a little just below my eyebrows as a highlighter. As mentioned, it's very lightweight, so it catches light very subtly. £5.99 / 25G Full Size from PapayaGold.

Crystal Spring / Salt of the Earth Deodorant This deodorant features one little ingredient: potassium alum (mineral salt). I simply need to wet my underarms and rub this stick on as I would a roll-on deodorant. This is super effective at keeping away odour, but as it is only a deodorant, not an antiperspirant, I found I caved in the hot climate. It's perfect for cooler weathers. £4.96 / 90G Full Size from Crystal Spring

LUSH Vanillary For me, the act of putting on a solid perfume is so graceful, that I can't help but revel in the experience. This fragrance is so divine, subtle and perfectly vanilla. It's lovely and creamy and melts just easily into skin. I place it behind my ears, along my clavicle and both wrists. £8.00 / 12G Full Size and in-store only from LUSH.

LUSH Trichomania This solid shampoo is perfect for my hair type. It's so beautifully nourishing that it puts both my hair and my scalp in wonderful condition after use. It has a very subtle lather, which turns into a fairly creamy texture when massaged. £5.75 / 100G from LUSH.

LUSH Jungle The ends of my hair are fairly frizzy and dry, and this solid conditioner just did not meet the grade. It's fairly difficult to spread onto hair, and what is there is relatively heavy, making hair appear lank after washing. It's difficult to use and not very effect, sadly. £3.50 / 55G from LUSH.

LUSH Porridge I just love this soap. It contains little oats which help to very gently buff and exfoliate the skin. It has a very creamy and rich lather which really moisturises skin. It smells divine and it does divine. This soap is perfect to combat a long day of beating sunlight and layers of SPF. £3.10 / 100G from LUSH

Saturday, 27 June 2015

La Roche-Posay Effeclar A.I. is just tops for blemishes

Think French pharmaceuticals, think La Roche-Posay. The skincare and make-up dermatologists that specialise in targeted treatments for sensitive skins. The Effeclar A.I. is a targeted breakout corrector, designed to target localised imperfections and prevent residual marks. Neat, right? Actually, this product is very neat...
To get the bad business out of the way first, /dilemma/ I almost decided against uploading this review as I was a little embarrassed that I couldn't get the nozzle applicator onto the tube. That's right. It is impossible to screw the white head piece onto the tube. Why it comes as a separate component is anyone's guess, so I admitted defeat with that one. Thankfully the cap that comes with the product will also screw onto the tube, so I was able to keep it air tight.

This may be the all-time best blemish treatment I've ever used. When La Roche-Posay say they specialise in products for sensitive skins, they mean it! I can't even feel this lovely thick cream touch my skin. That's wonderful. It's non-drying, non-abrasive and non-tingly. Dream, dream, dream. I apply this product twice a day (AM/PM) along my jawline and my skin is left nourished, blemish-free and cared-for for the entire day.

It's a very rich cream, which is nice, as you get a lot more mileage from a small amount of product. It spreads exceptionally well, meaning that the 15ML tubes goes a lot farther than I'd expected. The cream massages into skin without leaving behind a trace or a smell. This cream is literally incognito.

Gradually over time (I'm talking a few days here), this product reduced the inflammation of my blemishes until they disappeared. It was as though they were subtly being erased from my skin. The pain of my blemish was gone, their redness was gone and my skin was feeling smoother and healthier.

Once it has removed all blemishes from my jawline, it continued to prevent the return of any further blemishes. I am now as clear as I have ever been, not to mention how soft and well nourished my skin now feels.

This products is absolutely Essential. While yes, it is small and relatively expensive, it lasts longer than expected (depending on how frequent/how much you use), it is the most effective product I've ever used and has definitely become a staple.

La Roche-Posay Effeclar A.I. can be purchased from Boots for £10.00 for 15ML. The manufacturers listing can be found here.

Monday, 25 May 2015

Travel Essentials, Travelling Light and Travelling Face First

I recently spent 3 nights in Barcelona (amazing city, I will definitely be back), and I always like to pack light. When flying, I always try and take the bare essentials, to keep my luggage as hand luggage only. This means I'm restricted to an impossible 10 liquids and usually a 10KG case. 

I'm going to ignore the very everyday essentials with this post (deodorant, toothpaste), I'm human, obviously I took these. I'll also be avoiding SPF to cover this in a later post. As someone who wears very minimal make-up (eyes, eyebrows. occ. lips), I fortunately don't have to carry all that much on-board. As a psoriasis sufferer, there are also a few products here to help calm dry and chaffed skin. 


Liquids

I only managed to squeeze 9/10 liquids into the miniature 20cm x 20cm clear plastic bag. As I own a gargantuan skincare collection, it's very difficult to dwindle down to just 10 candidates (who could even?). So the focus here is on staying clean and staying hydrated. 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] This little tube of anti-blemish magic has been a godsend for me. It's main purpose is to combat blemishes, unclog pores and refine skin texture. It does exactly that. But it also doubles up as a moisturiser. It's fairly thick-feeling on the face. But I couldn't live without it. It has helped to clear my skin, remove damage and scarring and keep me hydrated throughout the day. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] is available from Boots for £11.62 / 40ML.

Lanolips Golden Ointment This multi-purpose product is ideal for covering all bases. It is a fairly thick, creamy balm, but I love the sensation of massaging it into my skin. I primarily use it as an eye cream, specifically in the outer corner of my eyes where the skin can feel a little tight. It leaves my eyes feeling relaxed and well nourished all day and I was so thankful for this after a full day of squinting and sightseeing. Lanolips Golden Ointment is available from Boots for £17.99 / 50G.

PapayaGold Paw Paw Moisturising Balm Yet another multi-purpose balm, but I use this for an entirely different purpose. This product is dreamily light. It's weightless on skin but feels instantly nourishing. I adopted this to my make-up routine, as opposed to my skincare. It's fantastic as an eyebrow wax, to hold back stray hairs, and doubles up wonderfully as an eyebrow highlighter when massaged sparingly under the brow arch. PapayaGold PAW PAW Moisturising Balm can be purchased from Boots for £5.99 / 25G

Salcura Zeoderm Skin Repair Moisturiser I very unfortunately suffer with psoriasis, primarily around my elbows which can becomes insanely dry, flaky and therefore uncomfortable. This product is perfect at keeping any irritation at bay all day long. I only need to apply one in the AM and again in the PM to reap its benefits. While it does sting ever so slightly when first applied, that discomfort shortly disappears and I'm left in love with how moisturised my skin feels. Salcura Zeoderm Skin Repair Moisturiser can be purchased from Boots for £8.99 / 50ML.

KIKO Volumeyes Plus Active Mascara This is one of the only mascaras I've used that doesn't come with a helping of lash clumping. I get perfect divisions and length with this mascara in a perfectly natural looking way. I adore the shape of the wand. It makes it so easy to apply, I can alter its angle easy enough without reapplying to areas I've already covered or accidentally touching skin. It also features voluminous technology to help your lashes grow. Mine are far more thicker since using this. KIKO Volumeyes Plus Active Mascara can be purchased from the KIKO MILANO store for £7.99 / 11ML.

LUSH Vanillary Solid Perfume I cannot get enough of the way this smells. I'm already a big lover of all things vanilla, but this just takes the bacon. It comes in a small tin and you simply rub your finger around the balm a little then transfer it to your skin. I like to place it just under my ears and on my wrists. LUSH Vanillary Solid Perfume can be purchased from LUSH for £7.99 / 12G (the single product in only available in-store and the link will direct you to the gift box containing the entire Vanillary range). 


Non-Liquids

The non-liquids cover mostly cleansers, hair and body products. I decided to opt for solid cleansers that need to be activated with water (to cut down on my liquids but also because I find them much more clarifying). I also subscribed to using LUSH's Shampoo Bars, which are essentially a solid shampoo and conditioner, or, if you like, a soap for your hair.

LUSH Let the Good Times Roll This is a fairly gentle exfoliating cleanser. It's already relatively moist, but I add water to it to make it extra gentle. It has very fine grains in it to help remove surface build-up. My skin feels lovely and clean after applying this product. And of course, there's the scent. Containing popcorn, it smells exactly that way. LUSH Let the Good Times Roll can be purchased from LUSH for £6.75 / 100G.

Pure Chimp Super Cleanser My skin has never been softer since using this product. Yet another cleanser that is activated with water, this turns into a very creamy paste which I love to massage into my skin. My skin has become super smooth to touch since using it, that I can no longer live without it. A delicious banana-y scent that it wonderful to wake up and fall asleep to. Pure Chimp Super Cleanser can be purchased from Pure Chimp for £11.95 / 80G.

LUSH Ultrabalm Yet another multi-purpose balm, because, why not? Full disclosure. I use this as a nipple cream. But it's also great for any areas that are dry, particularly nostrils and feet. It has a very, very fine sugary feel to it, so it takes away any damaged skin while keeping the areas nourished and well moisturised. LUSH Ultrabalm can be purchased from LUSH for £8.95 / 45G.

LUSH Trichomania As a solid shampoo, you simply rub this bar directly onto your scalp as though it were a bar of soap. It does create a nice lather which I then massage into the rest of my hair. It smells wonderful and it nicely hydrating, keeping my hair in good condition without making it oily. LUSH Trichomania can be purchased from LUSH for £5.75 / 100G.

LUSH Big Solid Conditioner As a solid conditioner, this product can either be directly applied to the hair (same as above), or broken off and rubbed in. I like to rub this product in to make sure I get a real deep condition. It makes my hair feel wonderfully soft and light, while adding a slight beach-y and tousled look. LUSH Big Solid Conditioner can be purchased from LUSH for £9.00 / 100G.

LUSH Porridge Porridge is a wonderful and delicious thing I can never grow tired of (both the soap and the super food). The little bar of soap contains actual porridge oats which help to exfoliate the skin. I don't bother using a cloth with this, I just apply it directly and find it becomes really thick and creamy on skin. The oats are super gentle and cause no irritation but effectively help exfoliate. LUSH Porridge can be purchased from LUSH for £3.10 / 100G.