Lovely day at the beach....!

I had a lovely day at the beach yesterday with my boyfriend and family so thought I'd write about what products I used to keep me looking and feeling cool throughout the day!

Before setting off, I used Simple Sensitive Protecting Facial Hydrolotion (SPF 25) and Simple Sun Sensitive Protecting Lip Balm (SPF 20) which both smell lovely and feel great on your skin, even if you have really sensitive skin. It's also really important to protect your eyes from the sun's damaging UV rays, so worth investing in a quality pair of sunglasses. Polaroid Sunglasses have a great reputation and heritage for quality glasses, and help you to see clearly (my gran SWEARS by Polaroid glasses), as well as protecting your eyes. The Extreme X4907B model (£73.99) is an excellent all-rounder that provides total eye protection and looks stylish too, providing you with great vision thanks to it's polarized lenses.

I also used:

- Malibu Babes Sun Protection Lotion SPF 20 www.malibubabes.co.uk. Malibu Babes have some trendy products, with great packaging that contain ingredients like Carrot - yummy!

- Nivea Cooling After Sun Spray is a refreshing formula with aloe vera, provitamin B5 and vitamin E which helps restore your skin's lost moisture, soothe and protect against premature skin ageing. It's really easy to use and smells lovely and is extra soothing on sun-exposed skin! Definately a must-have for your holiday!
- Boots No 7 Colour Calming Make-up Base (£10.50) calms overly-rosy complexions with this clever colour corrector. Cool, sea-green tones neutralise unwanted blushes all day long, leaving your skin looking beautifully even. I used this to even out my skin tone, before applying foundation after having a slighty rosy face after all day in the sun !Let me know if you have used any of these products and what you think! How have you all been enjoying the sun?

Clynol Look at Me range review for shiny hair!

I'm a big fan of shine sprays to finish off your look and add some shimmer to your hair! I normally use TIGI Headrush shine spray, which can be used before straightening to protect against heat damage. I was sent some Clynol Look Lustrous Shine Spray (£6.50) to try out, which has similar packaging to Headrush and smells lovely too. I've previously used Clynol products before through my auntie who is a hairdresser and used to get me discounts at Sally's!

Having used this product a few times, along with the Look at Me Centre Stage which smoothes your hair, my hair definately felt softer and shinier and smelt nice too after straightening! Plus the Clynol Shine spray is half the price of Headrush and leaves your hair just as shiny, so definately worth checking out!

Gripeze review!

Hope you are having a nice weekend in the sun! I have got loads of new suncare products to try out so look out for upcoming reviews!

I thought I’d write about my favourite new accessory called Gripeze, which is a heat resistant, non-slip silicone glitter mat designed for all hot hair tools like straighteners! I don’t know about you guys but I am always dropping my GHDs and they slide off my dressing table... pain! This mat grips onto your dressing table and protects it by absorbing heat to prevent damage AND changes colour when your hair tools are hot, giving you a warning – how clever is that! You can also simply roll our straighteners up in the mat and take with you when you are going away. The price is also really reasonable for £9.99 and they come in two different colours pink and black. Click here to buy!

Has anyone else tried the Gripeze and what do they think? Have a lovely weekend! xxx

The best Father's Day gifts - Splurge or save!

As I'm sure you all know it's Father's Day on 21st June and I will be getting my dad beauty products as usual! I have been checking out the best grooming kits from Elemis and Simple, thar are suitable for all budgets.

Splurge!

Elemis have put together a Shave & Protect grooming kit (£25) which is available now at Debenhams and John Lewis and save over 50%. Plus it comes in a really nice travel bag that is handy for trips away! The kit contains Ice Cool Foaming Shave Gel, Deep Cleanse Facial Wash, Daily Moisture Boost and Energising Skin Scrub. Also whilst shopping if you visit your nearest John Lewis Elemis counter and surrender your moisturiser to receive a complimentary 15ml Pro-Collagen Marine Cream worth £22.50! I'm a big fan of Marine Cream so definately recommend trying it out!

Save!

My favourite skincare brand Simple is offering a Simple for Men gift pack (£16.96) which has been formulated Aloe Vera, Tea Tree and Willowherb to combat the sensitivity caused by daily shaving. I love the gorgeous smell and they are full-sized products from the range. The set includes the Hydrating Face Wash, Soothing Shave Gel, Simple for Men Soothing Aftershave Balm and Hydrating Daily Moisturiser, all packed in a classic black wash bag. So there's no excuses for not getting your dad something nice now!!

PS - Simple have also launched the hunt for a Junior Board of Directors, which will be a 12-strong team of teens who will be advising Simple on the development of a new teen range due to be launched in 2010, meeting 4 times a year to advise Simple on everything form ingredients, packaging, marketing… So if you're a teen and fancy being heard, enter online at www.simple.co.uk before 16th June! What a great idea!

Products to review from the Body Shop!

I was very lucky to be sent a selection of goodies from The Body Shop which I will be reviewing over the next few weeks. 

My first impressions are that I love the smell of the Strawberry Foaming Bath and the Olive Glossing Conditioner and can't wait to test them out. The Tinted Glow Enhancer too also looks great for summer, to enhance a tanned face! Let me know if you have already tried any of these products and what you think!

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Concealer

I love the new Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Concealer (£11.26) from Clinque, as it helps clear and prevent blemishes. and provides natural-looking coverage as spots heal. Normally concealer blocks your skin, so doesn't really help in the long run - where as this concealer actually helps get rid of the damm spot at the same time! It's available now in three skin tone shades including a green tint to visually correct redness. My new number one essential item, thank you Clinique!

Neutrogena Wave Cleanser review

The past month I have changed my skincare cleansing routine and finally got round to getting one of the most ‘buzzed’ about products this year - the Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser. It’s the number one selling cleanser stateside, which is incredible for such a new product.

Is it me or new products this year seem to all vibrate?! First mascara and now cleanser...! The Wave Power Cleanser comes complete with 14 cleanser pads and 1 AA battery and costs around £13. It opens your pores with a cool cleansing foam that can clean deep to remove more dirt, oil and make up than traditional cleansing – which I agree with as it really feels like my skin is much cleaner and smoother. It’s also fantastic for cleaning your face on the go, as it doesn’t spray everywhere and make a mess so you can take it travelling with you! If you want super smooth skin, and you’re skin isn’t too sensitive then I really recommend this product! Has anyone else tried the cleanser and what do they think?

PS You can also get £1 off at www.neutrogenauk.co.uk/wave !

Remington Shine Therapy Video

Here is a video about the Remington Shine Therapy products!

Remington Shine Therapy hairdryer review

The past few weeks I have been using my new Shine Therapy Vitamin Conditioning Dryer from Remington that was kindly sent to me to try out to help my unruly hair! It's the first-ever hair dryer that conditions as it dries, leaving your hair looking great with the most incredible shine every time. I have blonde highlighted hair, so it is difficult to achieve a shiny look after blowing, but it was so much smoother and shinier after using this dryer. It features a heat activated delivery system that emits a sheer mist which is evenly ‘blow-dried' onto your hair. The Shine Therapy Cartridges release a light blend of shine-enhancing moisturisers and avocado oil, rich in vitamins A, D, and E that ensures your hair doesn't dry out. I really recommend this dryer if you suffer from dry, dull hair like me, for under £40 it is money well spent.

Remington are also launching a new mini straightener called 'Straightini' in July that will be perfect for holidays and festivals, so I can't wait to try that out!

Clothes Show London ...look who I saw!

Last Saturday I went to the first Clothes Show in London with my Mum and sister. The Excel centre is a much nicer venue than the NEC - it's very spacious, light and modern but the overall show was a lots smaller. The highlight of the day was seeing Katie Price signing merchandise from her new horse range - check out my photos above that my sister took!

I met the lovely Traci from Sleek Make-up for a chat about their new products. They have some lovely bright neon colours for summer that are a bit too daring for me! They also gave me the lovely eye shadow pallet in 'Storm' (see above) which was very generous! Benefit were also there for the first time, only offering 15% off which I thought wasn't great considering the good deals Bourjois and Barry M offer at the Birmingham show. I also got a lovely handbag from Max C London who had some great show offers that were very popular with fellow shoppers!

Overall I had a great day out at a wondeful centre (the press area had a lovely balcony outside where we could sit and enjoy the sun!) I was slightly annoyed the DLR and Jubilee lines were closed and I had to get a bus from Canary Wharf tube station - why close both of them on a major event! I think that put a lot of people off going as it wasn't busy for a Saturday. I'll definately return next year to see who else is there, but I wouldn't miss the Birmingham show as there is LOADS more to see there with better brands. Did anyone else go last week and what did they think?

More summer make-up!

I have discovered some lovely new summer products from Estee Lauder's and Clinique's Bronze Goddess and Bronze Evolves collections that finish off your look rather nicely! I saw the Estee Lauder Soft Shimmer bronzer (£24.47) in this month's Company magazine and just had to try it! It's a really big sized product as well so will last ages and leaves a gorgeous shimmer on your cheeks and shoulders on a night out.

If you prefer blusher to bronzer (I love both!) then I recommend Clinique's new Limited Edition Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher (£22.51) which consists of four different summer shades which create a healthy summer glow, without being too overpowering and obvious. Hopefully the sun will come out again this weekend so I can use these products!

New summer products from Virgin Vie!

I have always been a fan of Virgin Vie, especially as I used to work for them over the Christmas periods hosting parties! I love the new fruity Body Nutrition range, which is full of nutrient rich ingredients that smell good enough to eat! I use the Body Nutrition Shower Juice (£9.00), a gorgeous, zesty and invigorating shower juice to get you started in the morning. It includes skin softening Ruby Grapefruit Juice, Moisturising Raspberry Seed Oil, Orange Fruit Extract (renowned for its anti-oxidant properties) and exfoliating natural loofah to leave skin smooth and smelling delicious.
Before using the shower juice, I recommend using the Body Nutrition Body Scrub (£13.50), which is a gentle exfoliating body scrub to leave your skin gleaming. It contains a supercereal complex including shea and coconut butter to soften, smooth and moisturise skin. It's a must-use product this summer to get your body in condition for exposure! Has anyone else tried the Body Nutrition range and what do you think? It's a real thumbs-up from me for the lovely summery products!

The best new mascaras from Prescriptives and MEMEME!

I thought I'd let you know about two new mascaras from Prescriptives and MEMEME that have hit the shelves this month.  I have been religiously using my Clinique High Impact curling mascara past few months but thought I should check out these new products. 

Prescriptives Motor-Eyes Instant Action Mascara (£25.35) is a vibrating mascara, similar to the Estee Lauder Turbo Lashes that instantly turns up the volume, lift and curl of your lashes, while turning down clumping, spiking, flaking and application time. The vibrating brush quickly coats and separates lashes, to give your lashes extreme volume - I love it! It is fairly pricey at over £25 but so worth it for dramatic lashes and saves time in the morning when getting ready!

Superdrug brand MeMeMe have also launched their Fat Cat Lashes mascara, which retails for £7.99 and looks very similar in design to Benefit Bad Gal Lash with it's fat brush!  With this wand, you're supposed to be able to create a "false lash effect", which it doesn't quite do but it certainly perked up my lashes and looked just as good as when I have used more expensive mascaras (like Bad Gal Lash!) So definately a cheaper and in my opinion, just as good option if you are saving the pennies this month!

SPC Skincare Kiwi Complexion Scrub

If you're looking for a new brand to try this week then I recommend trying out SPC skincare, which is a luxury British brand, originating from the award winning SPA SPC at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire. all products are manufactured in England and based on it's historic English heritage.  Three SPC ranges have been developed so far - Naturally Luxurious, Defining Luxury and Gifting. 

My favourite product is the Kiwi Complexion Scrub (£38.00) that I recommend to try to prepare your skin for the summer! It contains Kiwi seeds, fruit enzymes and walnut to gently exfoliate away tired skin and leave your face feeling smooth and revitalised. It also contains pomegranate which is renowned for its anti-oxidant properties. The experts advuise to use weekly to brighten up your skin, leaving it super smooth. So get out there and brighten up your complexion with this lovely scrub for summer!

Schwarzkopf goodies!

I was lucky enough to receive lots of Schwarzkopf goodies to try out recently from their Professional range.  I have highlighted hair that is thick and needs a lot of care, so I really have to choose my hair products carefully.

I tried the Blondme Care & Styling range , which is a 360° hair care programme that not only provides tailored tone management in neutral, cool and warm directions but combines it with the intensive care necessary for maintaining illuminating blonde hair. I love the classy packaging too - looks great in your bathroom!

My favourite products were the Reflective Luminosity Shampoo (£9.95) and the Blonde Enhancing Sun Screen, which I used every day whilst on holiday in Rome last week to protect my hair against the sun and the sea. Containing Melanin-Solar-Screens, it lets enough sun through to naturally illuminate and lighten blonde tones while screening out solar damage - perfect for gorgeous 'beach' hair.  Schwarzkopf Professional has also created OSiS Design Mix, 6 new products that have been designed to fulfil any styling need - Smooth, Rough, Gloss, Matt, Light and Strong. I love using the Gloss after styling my hair for a super-smooth finish that tames frizzy hair.  

Has anyone else tried the Schwarzkopf Professional range and what do you think?

Bright eyed look!

I know lots of you guys are taking exams at the moment, I remember this time last year I was doing the same thing and under loads of stress staring at books and competition screens - yuck! To combat that horrible dry eye feeling, I recommend using Vital Eyes, which are daily moisturising eye drops to soothe and revive tired and uncomfortable eyes, leaving them looking and feeling healthy! It's really soothing for tired and uncomfortable eyes, containing vitamin E!  Good luck with the exams...!!

Diamond Blogger TAG!

Hi guys, I am leading on from Natalia at I would go out tonight BUT... and her Diamond Blogger tags! 

My top six blog reads are:

1) Muhsine at Bubblegarm www.bubblegarm.blogspot.com - this girl is gorgeous and always looks great. I love the looks she creates too.

2) Natalya at Filthy Gorgeous Make-up www.filthygorgeousmakeup.blogspot.com - again another stunner who always looks fab!

3) Helen at Hele Says  www.helesays.blogspot.com -love her style!

4) Jen at Mizzworthy - www.mizzworthy.blogspot.com - great detailed reviews, very thorough!

5) Zoe at Zoella - www.schoee.blogspot.com - lush hair, finds some great things at car boot sales!

6) Jane at British Beauty Blogger - www.britishbeautyblogger.blogspot.com - love her blog with her insider news.

So guys carry on tagging! x

I'm back....!

Hi guys, I'm back after a lovely five day break to Rome! I had a lovely time looking round the lovely sites, eating lots of food and getting a tan! I was a bit sad to miss out on the Barry M event as I had to work but heard it was a great day.

Anyway I thought I'd write about the key products I used throughout my trip. It was extremely hot, so suncream was a must. I used Estee Lauder's Sun Goddess Body Lotion SPF30 to protect my skin, which smells lovely and glides on your skin so easily with a beautiful shimmer.  I have also found two great new bronzers that I used all holiday. I am gutted I couldn't attend the event last week but I love their new Natural Dazzle Bronzer (£9.50) which many bloggers including Hele and Bubblegarm have been comparing to Nars Laguna bronzer. I haven't use Nars Laguna but I can recommend Natural Dazzle for it's sheer coverage that isn't too heavy but covers inperfections. For mineral lovers, the new Prescriptives Mineral Bronzer provides a natural sun-kissed glow., featuring R.E.C. complex (Radiance Emitting Crystals—a unique combination of Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Calcite). It's all also really good for your skin too, so perfect for hot days in the sun, ensuring your pores don't get too clogged with make up. It's also available in two glowing shades of warm or cool.

What do you think - has anyone else used these bronzers?

Gorgeous retro mugs from Truffle Shuffle

I am off to Rome tomorrow morning for a well-earned holiday! So I sadly won't be able to blog while I am away but I will be back on Tuesday! I thought I'd leave you with a non-beauty related post about this gorgeous Barbie Mug (£5.99) from www.truffleshuffle.co.uk, one of the UK's leading online retailers for retro apparel! 

As you all know I am moving into my new flat next month (photos to follow soon!) so I have been busy looking for the coolest items to fill my flat! This gorgeous mug is decorated with a swirly print of Barbie, along with the slogan 'When You Look This Good, Nobody Cares If You're Plastic,' and also comes packaged in a matching gift box which is bright pink (of course!)  What do you think?

Easy ways for super-smooth legs with BIC Soleil!

I am off to Rome on Thursday for a few days in the sun, which I am so excited about! Obviously, I need to ensure that my legs are suitable for exposure, so I tried out the new BIC Soleil Clic razor. It is perfect for leaving your legs feeling silky smooth and ready for showing off in the sun!

BIC Soleil is a complete range of products that offers something for everyone. The BIC Soleil Clic comes complete with replacement blades so you can be sure of a soft and gentle shave every time you use it, and offers a bit more protection when shaving than the standard disposable razor. Soleil Clic also comes in pink which is sure to get you in the party mood!

I also love the Soleil Lady Gel to use whilst shaving which is available in two yummy fragrances. The gel leaves legs feeling and smelling great all day long and the 75ml size is perfect for travelling, so I will be definitely be taking that with me!

The complete BIC Soleil family is available nationwide from £1.79 and even better you can get a free sample of the best product for you at www.feelthesoleil.co.uk

Scholl Party Feet foot spa review

I am a massive fan of Scholl's Party Feet gel inserts, which have long been one of my favourite foot-saving devices for my poor swollen feet! Scholl has now gone one better with their new foot spa (£29.99) which soothes partied-out pedis with its two spa settings, toe touch control and massage nodes to give you that fresh, pampered feeling of a salon treatment. I love the foot massage setting which feels really nice on your feet and is great preparation for a long night out on your foot! Has anyone else tried the new foot spa?

How to look after your lips this summer... for under a fiver!

I have been searching for the best products to care for lips this summer under a fiver and have decided to share the results with you!

Nivea Lip Care Light Kiss(£2.98) melts on the lips giving them the much needed care and moisture they deserve and tastes really good too for kissing ;-) It contains natural ingredients - almond oil and lotus extract to help achieve super-smooth and silky lips! 

Collection 2000's new Balmglosses are amazing - a real mixture of lip balm and gloss! I love 'Passion' flavour, which is a gorgeous shimmery fushia pink shade. They are the only lip glossses to offer SPF20, which helps to protect and care for lips in the sun containing anti-oxidants, rose hips & mango extract. Avaliable in six delicious fruit flavours for the bargain price of £3.99. 

What are your favourite products to look after your lips this summer?

Beautiful blow dry from Hob Salons

Last Saturday I went to London to see Dirty Dancing for my birthday an as a pre-show treat I visited the lovely hob salon in Camden. Situated right by the canal and convieniently two minutes walk from the tube station, the salon looks really impressive inside and out. hob salons are a Five Star Good Salon Guide salon group and are founder members of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, an organisation dedicated to promoting the very best in British hairdressing.

I had a lovely wash and head message, followed by a really helpful consultation with Andrea who offered me several options for my blow-dry. In the end I opted for a natural blow-dry, with slight waves as my hair is wavy naturally. Andrea blow-dried my hair superbly, with the end result leaving my hair super-smooth and really sleek - which I can never do myself! I'd definately like to go back and have a hair cut and colour consultation, so will keep you posted if I do! Prices start from £25 for a blow-dry and you can find out more information at www.hobsalons.com

PS Sorry I don't have photos I forgot my camera... and I am a little camera shy but I can promise you the end results were good!

Introducing Elave - beautiful products for sensitive skin

I recently was introduced to Elave, who are specialists in products for sensitive skin that contain safe, non-reactive ingredients.They are also formulated with organic and natural ingredients where possible to intensively hydrate and softens even the most sensitive skin. As you know my boyfriend has very sensitive skin, so we were really pleased with the outcome after using the products for a couple of weeks.

Our favourite product is the Intense Moisture Surge (£30). It plumps up and softens dehydrated skin with elave dermo-cosmetic hydrating treatments. Shea butter and coconut oil cleanse, rehydrate and surge moisture back. Its unique blend of emollients help defend the skin against aging and improves cell regeneration, whilst coconut oil rehydrates and surges moisture back to calm and rebalance inflamed, dry or sensitised skin.

I really recommend trying Elave if you have sensitive skin but still want to use nice products. Here is a video below of founder Joanne Gardiner.... enjoy and let me know what you think!

Radox Shower Goodies!

For a tasty shower I totally recommend the new Radox Shower Smoothies, which smell lovely and feel great on your skin. The packaging cutely reads 'Please do not drink' in case you get confused with a smoothie drink   ;-) My favourite is the Natural Balance one, which is a luxurious Yoghurt and Honey flavour with Hyssop and Soft Almond bits. It also thoroughly moisturises your skin which is an added bonus and are great value at£2.50 each.

Also Radox have released a brand new Tea Infusions Range - shower and bath products infused with tea, which contains powerful antioxidants perfect for helping to revive and replenish the body and mind. The bubble bath is a real treat after a stressful day and soothing for tired skin.

Has anyone else tried the new range or a fan of the Shower Smoothies?

Happy Birthday to me... 100 followers!

It's my birthday too (23 years old wow!) and today I reached 100 followers so thanks guys!! To celebrate I will have a little giveaway - leave a comment on what you like best about my blog and what you think I could improve and I will pick a winner at random to receive a suprise gift from my beauty collection! So let me know what you think...! Thanks! xx

My review of the best of suncream for all budgets!

Hi guys hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying the sun! I've had a great day with my friends and family celebrating my birthday (which is tomorrow!) I spent the afternoon sunbathing in the garden and topping up my post-Turkey tan, so thought I would write about my favourite suncare products for this year that I recommend.

Best value suncare - Nivea have a great value product range and I am a big fan of their sun sprays as they as soon easy to use on the beach. Their latest range is caled Invisible Protection and is completely invisible funnily enough, so no more white streaks when you come out of the water!

Best natural suncare - a great brand called Aloe Pura have a lovely SP15 suncream and aftersun that smell delightful and contain Aloe Vera, Avocado, Jojoba, Chamomile, Lemongrass and Sweet Almond! They are available at Think Natural here for under £10 and leave you skin really smooth whilst protecting it.

Best luxury suncare - Clinique has created a whole new range of suncream which is out in June. Formulated with Clinique’s NEW Proprietary SolarSmart™ Technology, it contains a unique blend of photostable sun screens designed to help skin defend itself from UV assault. I recommend the new SPF 15 Face and Body Cream  (£14.68) for comprehensive cover this summer.

Most innovative suncare - The new Skinny Beach SPF 15 suncream works to immediately firm, lift and tone the body and also adds a natural sheen to skin - and protectsyou from the sun - what a combination! So you don't need to worry about missing the gym, as this cream helps combat cellulite!! It's a little more pricey than the others and is available from SpaceNK here.

Best post suncare product - Estee Lauder have a fantastic new range out for summer called Bronze Goddess which has a great variety of gorgeous products for the summer. My essential item is the Post-Sun Hydrator (£19.57) Prolonger that hydrates skin, soothes and replenishes with Aloe Butter and contains self-tan to maintain your sun-kissed glow day after day. Great for ensuring your tan doesn't fade as soon as you step off the plane! Let me know what you think of the products and what you have tried out!

Seductive lashes... from Lash Stiletto and Eylure!

I have been trying out party looks this week and am loving dramatic, smoky-eyes with long lashes. I love the new Lash Stiletto mascara from Maybelline, which really helps to lengthen lashes thanks to a new Stretch & Set brush, with unique criss-cross bristles. It doesn’t give as ‘thick’ lashes as the Colossus mascara, but is great for a sexy, seductive look. Panda Does Make Up also loves it as well – click here for her brill review!  

If you want an even-more dramatic look, then go for false eyelashes as well and apply Lash Stiletto over the top (which is what the model in the photo has done!)  Eylure do a fab ‘Naturalites’ collection that are all reasonably priced and don’t look too fake! I love how gorgeous these lashes look and ensure your lashes don’t clump together. They have also collaborated with Girls Aloud to produce a collection for them that looks fab too. Has anyone tried the Girls Aloud lashes yet? 

It's my birthday on Monday....!

and I will be 23 - scary! To prepare for my big night out on Saturday (I am going to see Dirty Dancing in London) I have been using the new E45 Endless Moisture range to rehydrate my skin and ensure it is moisturised all day. If you have normal or dry skin, day to day environmental stresses can dehydrate skin, leaving it feeling dry and dull. My favourite product is the E45 Endless Moisture Light Caring Body Milk which provides long-lasting moisture and protection from water loss, meaning your skin is as moisturised in the evening as when you applied the product in the morning. My skin feels so much smoother since using the range so I definately recommened if you are a dry skin sufferer and find that your skin is always dry. Has anyone else used this range and what do they think?

I will keep posting throughout the week about all the products I will be using for my birthday weekend!

Sarakan toothpaste... for pearly white teeth!

If you are looking for an alternative to high-street toothpaste, then you must try out the lovely natural Sarakan toothpaste. It contains the valuable extract of Salvadora and is flavoured with oil of peppermint, clove and geranium. Importantly it contains no alcohol, sugars, artificial colours or preservatives and is suitable for adults, children and vegans. It also does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) which is widely used in many oral health products as an artificial foaming agent.

It does taste slightly odd, as it’s not as ‘minty’ as normal toothpastes but that does show how many chemicals are added to simple products like toothpaste. You can buy Sarakan here at Holland and Barratt for £2.09. 

Introducing St Ives Elements Collection

I love St Ives Scrubs and their face scrubs - they make my skin feel so smooth and really clean! Their latest range is called Elements and is a range of premium facial exfoliators with naturally active ingredients. Combining the very best elements of nature, the three latest scrubs, Microdermabrasion, Olive and Warming, gently cleanse, exfoliate and nourish to reveal healthy younger looking skin. 

My favourite is the green Olive scrub which gently exfoliates away dead skin leaving it re-energised, moisturised and smooth.  It contains olive oil, olive leaf extract and natural jojoba bead exfoliants that allow it be used daily, giving skin a healthy glow every morning.  The Warming scrub leaves skin with a natural glow as it quickly warms on contact with water to relax pores for a luxurious deep, exfoliating clean. The gentle extracts of sunflower and chamomile smooth and calm skin as the all natural exfoliants - sugar crystals and jojoba beads - remove impurities and dull skin cells. Mild cleansers then lather into a creamy foam to wash away pore-clogging dirt and oil, leaving skin clean, fresh and radiant. I do like the warming scrubs as they really feel like your skin is getting a good clean!

The Elements range is available now with prices around £4.99 which is great value for a natural, paraben-free face scrub.

Good Skin Labs skincare range

There's been quite a lot of press about the Good Skin Labs products so I have been really keen to try them out for myself. Instantly filling fine lines and plumping skin, Good Skin Labs Tri-Aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler (£24.99) contains three special ingredients: Gatuline Expression, extracted from a South American plant to relax the face; Kombuchka PH Extract from sweet black tea to plump wrinkles; and Argireline to rebuild skin and boost natural collagen. It also contains silky optical diffusers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. My mum has been using it for a week or so now and has reported that her skin feels much smoother. I will let you know how her skin looks in eight weeks! I have been using the lovely Smooth-365 serum before applying moisturiser, which I love. It’s a unique, potent and effective state-of-the-art complex that perfects the overall quality of skin’s appearance and leaves skin super smooth. All Good Skin Labs products are available exclusively at www.boots.com