Showing posts with label l'occitane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label l'occitane. Show all posts

Monday, 11 August 2014

In-Shower Moisturisers


L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil / Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser* / Lush African Paradise

When you're as lazy as I am, an in-shower moisturiser can be a complete godsend. I always spend ages in the shower so when I'm finished I like to get dried off & dressed as soon as possible. Moisturising my body just never comes to mind when I've got a million other things to be getting on with. I am prone to patches of eczema though so it is quite important for me to keep my skin hydrated. That's why I prefer getting my moisturising done while I'm still in the bathroom. Luckily there are quite a few products out there now that can get the job done quick sticks.

If you're looking for a multi-purpose shower product you won't find anything better than L'Occitane's utterly gorgeous Almond Shower Oil. This does it all & smells amazing to boot! That beautiful almond scent lingers on the skin for hours. It works as a shower gel & body moisturiser in one so this is the best one to use if you're short on time. Despite being an oil it lathers up quite well and cleanses the skin without drying it out whatsoever. This shower oil is a real miracle worker if you suffer from eczema or psoriasis. It deeply nourishes those dry & irritated patches to reveal calmer, softer skin post-wash. I also love using this to shave with. It gives just the right amount of slip & helps me to get a closer shave around trickier areas like my knees. It is an expensive shower product but a little goes a very long way with this stuff. Each bottle lasts months & months for me so it's a worthy investment.

I always hear plenty of praise for the Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturisers. Nivea make several different versions of this product but I was sent the sea minerals one for normal skin. Unlike the L'Occitane one this product is only meant to condition the skin so you still have to use a shower gel or scrub beforehand. When you're done with everything else in the shower you simply massage some of this all over your body then rinse it off. The formula absorbs instantly so you're left with lovely soft skin after drying and get can get on with getting dressed right away. Although it isn't quite as luxurious as the other products it definitely does help to rehydrate any dry areas & smooth my skin. It's a brilliant budget buy that works surprisingly well. The sea minerals one doesn't smell that great though so I really want to try the pampering honey, nourishing cocoa & almond oil versions.

Having used up my tub of Ro's Argan Body Conditioner I decided to try out another Lush skin conditioner. After having my arm washed with several products instore (anyone else find this totally awkward?!) I decided to plump for African Paradise. At the time I didn't realise it but this product is actually pricier than the L'Occitane offering! This is a really indulgent treat for the skin. African Paradise combines loads of nourishing oils together including almond oil, moringa oil & marula oil with shea butter and cocoa butter plus a healthy dose of fresh mango juice. The resulting concoction is truly divine! The tropical scent is absolutely incredible & it stays on your skin all day long. I find it hard to stop sniffing myself whenever I use it. This is definitely the most hydrating skin conditioner. Nothing makes my skin feel softer. After washing it off my skin feels exactly the same as if I'd applied a regular body moisturiser but without any greasiness, stickiness or waiting around for it to absorb properly. It also features aloe vera to cool & soothe the skin which means that it can be used to treat irritation & sunburn as well. This is such a wonderful product & if you're desperately in need of some in-shower pampering then it's worth every single penny.


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Tuesday, 2 July 2013

June Favourites



Tea Tree Oil
I recently ran out of my Origins Super Spot Remover and didn't really want to pay £13 for a new bottle just yet. Gemma often mentions that she uses pure tea tree oil on her spots so I decided to give it a go too. I picked up this little bottle from Superdrug for £3 and I've been really pleased with the results. I find it only works on those really big painful under the skin spots but it definitely reduces the level of pain and speeds up healing time. It does smell very strongly so you're probably better off just using this at bedtime!

Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel
Well now... here's an embarrassing favourite if there ever was one. If like me your thunder thighs give you grief as soon as the weather improves then you will love this product. I always had to wear cycling shorts or thin tights under dresses until I tried this stuff. It's a silicone-based gel that you just smooth on and hey presto! No more chafing. You know what else this works as? A pretty decent primer. It's full of silicones so if you react to them then you might want to give it a miss but I would liken this to a cheap dupe of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. It makes my skin feel really silky, smooths over pores and keeps my foundation in place. Not bad at all for £6!

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil*
This is probably the nicest shower gel I've ever used. It's incredibly moisturising and cleans like a dream. I think it works brilliantly as a shaving product and it has saved me from wasting money on expensive razor blades. It's also managed to heal my eczema flare ups so I can't recommend this enough! Check out my full review here.

theBalm Frat Boy Blusher
I love theBalm products and their Mary-Lou Manizer is my favourite highlighter ever! I decided to buy one of their blushers and this is one of the best Summery cheek colours I've come across. It's a satin-finish peachy pink that I think a lot of people would love. I own quite a few peachy blushers but this one stands out because of how highly pigmented it is and how silky the powder feels. It applies so smoothly and blends out really well. It's easy to overdo it so a light hand is necessary here but I love the healthy glow it brings to my cheeks.

Illamasqua Furore Pure Pigment
I've had my eye on this product for months and I finally bought it in the crazy 50% off everything Illamasqua sale. This is a beautiful champagne coloured loose powder that can be used as an eyeshadow and highlighter. The shimmery finish this gives to the skin is truly stunning. It's highly metallic so it almost looks wet. I wear this on my eyes a lot as it's such a lovely shimmery nude colour. It looks absolutely gorgeous when worn with their Ore pure pigment too. I'll be sure to do an eye makeup look soon so you can see both of these powders in action.


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Sunday, 23 June 2013

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil & Milk Veil


L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil & Milk Veil* - £38.52

As you may or may not know I have suffered from eczema throughout the whole of my life. I mainly control it through my diet but sometimes I can't resist a bit of cheese or peanut butter. It always seems to get worse during the Summer as well. Nothing I've ever been prescribed by a doctor has worked on me and I've had much better results with more natural approaches. If you have any kind of skin irritations on your body it's very important to avoid bath products containing SLS and any other harsh ingredients. I've had to chuck most of my beloved Soap & Glory products because they just kept making my skin dry, red and itchy. Instead I've been completely converted to using products from the L'Occitane almond range. Changing from cow's milk to almond milk has certainly helped to clear up my face and simply changing my shower gel to L'Occitane's Almond Shower Oil has cleared up all my eczema flare ups too. Pretty amazing stuff!

This luxurious and soothing shower oil gently lathers to clean your skin thoroughly without drying it out whatsoever. Not only is it incredibly moisturising but it smells so lovely too. It's such a gentle almond scent, not as strong as marzipan or anything but it pleasantly lingers on my skin throughout the day. The consistency of this oil also makes it the perfect shaving product. I normally spend a fortune on those Wilkinson Sword razor blades with the soap block around them but this gives you just the right amount of slip to shave with on it's own. I find that it helps me to get a closer shave too, especially around trickier areas like my knees. Even though this is an expensive shower product the fact that I can use it to shave with too will save money in the long run. I honestly love this shower oil and everything it's done for my skin so so much. I can tell that this is gonna be one of those 'forever repurchase' products.

I've also been using the L'Occitane Almond Milk Veil. The shower oil is very hydrating by itself so I generally feel like I need to use less moisturiser after showering now. The milk veil is very aptly named as it's a light and easily absorbed lotion which adds just the right amount of moisture to those drier areas such as elbows & knees. I hate waiting for moisturiser to sink in so this is a godsend. It has the same delicious scent as the shower oil and makes my skin feel amazingly soft. The thing I like best about this body lotion is that it contains micro-pearl particles that illuminate the skin. I like to get my legs out in Summer and because I have an aversion to fake tan they can look a bit ashy. This totally negates that and gives them a gorgeous healthy glow. Kinda like a subtler Edward Cullen effect. If you're like me and embrace being pale all year round then this is a brilliant alternative to make your body look a bit healthier. These products work so well together and really are the perfect skincare duo. They have been a real revelation to me. Even if you don't have any problems with sensitive skin then I'd recommend getting these L'Occitane products because they're just an absolute dream to use.


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