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Jergen’s Natural Glow firming daily moisturiser is an interesting concept and not one I’ve come across in a body lotion before. It’s a body lotion that gradually deepens your skin tone (similar to fake tan but not as pronounced/scary!) in a natural looking way while also firming the skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite. The lotion comes in a plastic tube of 221ml of product. The lotion itself is white and of medium thickness. It has a lovely light, tropical scent reminiscent of coconut. To test this properly I applied this to one leg only so I could compare the change in colour to the untreated leg. Luckily the weather is still cool so long pants are still in use to cover any embarrassing results! ;) As far as moisturising goes it’s just ok. Although I think this product is more marketed towards the self tan customer rather than those looking for a moisturising body lotion. The tanning aspect was interesting. There was definitely a noticeable difference after about four applications and the result was quite natural, even on my pasty white legs. The instructions say to use daily but I was afraid to go further as I wasn’t sure how much deeper the colour would develop. I think I will continue to use to the point where I’m comfortable with the shade and then reapply when it starts to fade. Where this lotion loses points for me is the firming/cellulite reduction claims. I honestly saw no difference (and really wasn’t expecting to as I find these kinds of claims on products dubious). So, this one is a little hard to rate as it’s a product claiming three benefits – moisturising, tanning and firming. I came up with the average of three stars due to the average moisturisation, great natural tanning and non existent firming properties.

Du’it Tough Hands skin repair cream comes in a HUGE 150g tube. The packaging claims visible effects in one day for dry, cracked and irritated hands and has a 100% money back guarantee. The cream is quite thick and you don’t need to use much at all to cover both hands. Once applied there is a slightly greasy feel so I would advise putting this one on before bed or when relaxing in front of the TV. While the packaging says that it’s fragrance free there is definitely a chemical/alcohol kind of scent immediately after applying but thankfully that disappears fairly quickly. This is a no nonsense hand cream that gets the job done. I definitely saw improvement straight away. I have very dry hands as I have a job where I have to use hand sanitiser multiple times a day. My hands are definitely smoother and softer. My cuticles have seen some improvement as well but not as much as I’d hoped but this will probably come with prolonged use. While I prefer my more ‘girly’ smelling lotions and potions I can’t deny that this does the job better than most of those. Definitely a more ‘substance over style’ product that suits me just fine.

Dermal Therapy lip balm with pawpaw comes in a plastic squeezy tube with 10g of product. The applicator is slanted to ensure smooth and easy application. The balm itself is a creamy white colour that applies clear to the lips. It’s decently thick on application so a little goes a long way. I found it easiest to apply to just the upper or lower lip and then rub them together to prevent too much product being used. It has a very slight scent – kind of fruity/fresh but this isn’t discernible once applied. The box it comes in claims visible results in one day and I’d say that’s fairly accurate. My lips felt smoother and softer after just one application and results improved after repeated use. In saying that, my lips were just dry but not to the point of being cracked/chapped so your mileage may vary if you have very dry lips. Overall it’s a very nice lip balm but nothing ground breaking or different to many other products out there.

Thanks to Beautyheaven for asking me to trial the Elucent even tone range of products consisting of day cream, night cream and dark spot corrector. The night cream in the range comes in a sturdy acrylic tub with 50 grams of product. The cream has a three year expiry from date of manufacture which is marked on both the tub and the outer packaging. This night cream claims to visibly reduce pigmentation, hydrate and illuminate. The ingredients included for the basis of these claims are Emblica fruit extract, safflower seed oil and vitamins B3 and E. This night cream has a lovely thick and rich consistency and is quite viscous. It absorbs quite quickly into my thirsty skin leaving it really hydrated and silky smooth. Even though the formulation is quite heavy I found this product a pleasure to use as I have quite dry skin. Those with oilier skin tones may struggle with it. There is a slight fresh scent to the product which is quite pleasant and not overpowering. It was definitely my favourite of the three products in the range and I’ll use it to completion. The main reasons I won’t be repurchasing is due to the packaging – I really hate products in tubs due to hygiene and I also have long nails and I hate getting cream caught up under there. Also I feel that there are other products out there that can provide me with the same amount of moisture at a lower price point. While I felt that this night cream delivered on its promise of hydration I didn’t see any illumination or changes to pigmentation. In saying that, I’ve only used the product for a month and this is the kind of product that would need a good three months or more to see full results.

Thanks to Beautyheaven for asking me to trial the Elucent even tone range of products consisting of day cream, night cream and dark spot corrector. This spot corrector comes in a slimline plastic tube with 30 grams of product. The corrector has a two year expiry from date of manufacture which is marked on both the tube and the outer packaging. This product claims to visibly reduce pigmentation due to its concentrated formula. The ingredients included for the basis of these claims are Emblica fruit extract, safflower seed oil and vitamins B3 and E. The instructions state to apply (after cleansing) to areas prone to dark spots. The tube’s nozzle has a long tapered tip which implies that you can apply directly to these areas with precision, avoiding areas that don’t need the product. This isn’t the case though as the corrector is quite fluid and it’s very hard to apply a small amount. Even with the smallest amount applied it still needs to be rubbed into the skin to absorb and, in doing so, gets applied to the surrounding areas as well. I tried getting around this by applying with a cotton tip however the cotton absorbed most of the product so it didn’t feel that enough was being applied to the problem areas on my skin. In the end I just applied it in the general areas needed and hoped for the best. While the corrector absorbs quite quickly it does leave the areas applied looking quite shiny. This disappears though once applying day/night cream over the top. Nowhere on the instructions does it state how long to wait before applying other products on top so I generally waited at least an hour (where possible – less likely on busy mornings!) to give it the best chance of working. I had some mixed results which makes it quite hard to know how to rate this product (and why I’ve gone somewhere in the middle). While I didn’t see any changes to old areas of pigmentation I do think I can see some very slight improvement to a new area of pigmentation I have that’s starting to form below one of my eyes. I think this is the kind of product that needs a longer trial period (at least three months) and I’ll continue to use the tube up and update my rating if I see further improvement down the track.

This primer by Rimmel comes in a plain white plastic tube with the fairly standard amount of 30mls of product. It’s made in England and states that it has a use by of 18 months after opening. I chose this primer as I wanted one that was more moisturising for my dry skin. I have many dimethicone/silicone based primers in my collection and, while they’re great for reducing the appearance of pores, sometimes I want something a bit lighter feeling under my foundation. This primer does still contain silicones but it’s much farther down the list of ingredients. Speaking of ingredients, the main components of this primer is water and glycerin which makes it lovely and hydrating. The consistency is thin and lotion like with a slightl yellowish tinge. There’s a slight scent that’s hard to pinpoint (maybe slightly floral?) but it dissipates quickly on application and isn’t offensive. Application of this primer is a breeze. It spreads easily and soaks into the skin very quickly leaving a smooth finish with no tackiness. I’ve used this with many different foundations and find that it works well with all of them. Foundation seems to blend so much more effortlessly when I use this primer and leaves a lovely hydrated looking finish. Definitely one to try if you have skin on the drier side. Another plus is how reasonably priced this is, especially as it’s quite often half price. I’ll definitely be repurchasing this in the future.

As someone with dry skin I’m always on the lookout for moisturising foundations that promise a ‘glowing’ or ‘dewy’ look. Often times I’m disappointed by these claims and the foundation ends up looking quite matte and powdery on my skin. Not so with this fantastic product! This foundation comes in a slimline glass bottle with a fairly standard 30ml of product. It has a pump applicator which is my favourite type of applicator for controlling exactly how much product I want to dispense. Much less mess! I use the shade 52 Vanilla which is a perfect match for my skin tone. This foundation is a light to medium coverage that’s slightly buildable (but not to the point where it’s a full coverage foundation). It has a lovely natural finish, evening out your skin tone but still allowing your your natural skin to be on show (the best parts anyway!). It’s really easy and quick to blend out as well. I find the lasting power really good as it lasts all day without creasing, separating or settling into fine lines. I do use a makeup setting spray but have similar results when I forget to use it so the foundation is definitely going the distance. The bottle claims it lasts 16 hours but, really, who leaves their makeup on that long!? I’m definitely a fan of this foundation and will repurchase again and again. It’s a little expensive for a chemist brand but you can quite often pick it up on sale. Highly recommend for those with dry or more mature skin.

This leave in/rinse out treatment by OGX comes in a white plastic tub with gold screw top lid and contains 187g of product. This hair treatment is a very thick white cream reminiscent of a body butter (in fact, the instructions say that it can actually be used on your body as well!) It has a wonderful coconut scent that’s not overpowering. This product can be used in a number of ways. It can be applied to wet hair after shampooing as a deep conditioning treatment and rinsed out after three minutes. It can also be used as a leave in treatment, applying to damp hair and styling as usual. I’ve used it both ways. I found that it was a little too heavy feeling in my hair as a leave in treatment, weighing it down. I found that using it as a mask and rinsing it out didn’t hydrate my hair enough. I’ve come to a bit of a compromise with this product by doing something a bit in between – I use it as a hair mask but just lightly rinse out, leaving some of the product behind. While this does work better than most other products I’ve tried in order to tame my frizz it’s still not 100% perfect. It’s definitely the most hydrating product I’ve used so far but I’m still not totally happy with the ends of my hair which are notoriously hard to tame. I will continue to use this though until I find the perfect product for me.

This oil cleanser by Palmer’s comes in a large clear plastic bottle containing 190ml of product. It has a handy pump in the lid for easy mess free application. You apply this oil to your skin (dry skin – don’t moisten first) and rub it in to emulsify your makeup. You then rinse with water or remove with a face washer. This is also gentle enough to use in the delicate eye area to remove eye makeup. I find that this cleanses away makeup really well. I know some people double cleanse with another cleanser after using an oil based one but, as I have dry skin, I don’t feel that’s necessary. My skin is clean enough after just using this product (and I’ve checked by swiping with micellar water after) and my skin can also use the extra dose of hydration with what little oil is left behind. My skin feels lovey and soft after use. The only let down for me is that it’s not 100% effective at removing my mascara. It will work ok if I stand there for ages rubbing it into my eyes but I don’t feel this is time effective and also worry about getting the product into my actual eyes when doing this. I personally like to use a separate eye makeup remover first and then cleanse the rest of my face with this oil. In saying that it doesn’t sting my eyes at all and will actually remove my eye makeup if I put in that extra effort. I really like that this contains so many hydrating natural oils (rosehip, jojoba and grapeseed among others) without including mineral oil. The ingredients also list the cocoa butter that Palmer’s is famous for. The bottle says that it has a rosehip fragrance but it’s actually very subtle which I’m thankful for as rosehip isn’t my favourite fragrance. Overall a great inexpensive option for those that love oil cleansers. I’m onto my second bottle and will no doubt purchase again in the near future.

I love a good sheet mask as I find they’re easy to use, less messy and more hygienic in their single use packs. This Hydra Bomb sheet mask by Garnier is no exception and has the added bonus of being quite inexpensive (even when full price!) This sheet mask is the intense hydrating version with hyaluronic acid and pomegranate extract. It comes in a foil packet to seal in the freshness of the mask with an easy tear strip so no need for scissors. The mask is made from white tissue with a blue backing so you know which side (white side) to apply to the skin. You then remove the blue backing before smoothing the mask onto the contours of your face. The mask is quite a generous fit. Obviously it will fit everyone slightly differently but I found it a little large in the chin area. I also found that I had to lie back when the mask was on as I found the area under the nose slipped down into my mouth if I didn’t (eww!). The mask is generously soaked in the hydrating serum and feels lovely and refreshing. I noticed some of the older reviews for this mask mention an overpowering scent. I personally found that there wasn’t much of a scent at all and wonder if maybe Garnier has reformulated the product? My packet does say ‘new’ on the front so it’s either reformulated or I’ve been sold very old stock! (I bought the mask this year for reference) You leave the mask on for 15 minutes before removing and then either rubbing the excess into your skin or removing with a tissue. I really love that you have this option as I hate the faff of washing masks off as I feel it kind of defeats the purpose of applying all of that goodness to your skin only to wash it away. On removing the mask there is quite a bit of excess product so I like to rub it into my neck and décolletage as well as the backs of my hands. No wastage here! The excess is fully absorbed into my skin after approx. 10 minutes leaving no stickiness. My skin feels lovely and hydrated after using this mask and looks bright and plump. This is obviously a short term effect but a lovely feeling just the same. This mask would be especially lovely in Summer as it’s quite refreshing and cooling. I’ll definitely be picking up some more then and might even try the others in the range.