Primark to me is like Marmite – you either love it or hate it. I hate Marmite and I hate even walking through Primark let alone shopping there. My first encounter with Primark was on Leytonstone High Road in East London 13 years ago. As a student it was a great place to get cheap socks, trackie bottoms and not much else. While I’m not against the revamp of Primark, going in there now fills me with dread. There is a massive one in Nottingham and I went there the first few times it opened. I didn’t stay any longer than five minutes as I was jostled around by greedy teens fighting over the fluoro clothes and cheap shoes. The other day I had a moment of madness and decided to cut through Primark to get to the square instead of going all the way round. As I went past the tills I spotted a beauty section out of the corner of my eye. I don’t know how long Primark has done beauty (probably since they opened the new store) but I was quite distracted. The selection of makeup looked pretty good with a lot of the packaging looking likes dupes of Benefit. I gravitated towards the bath and body section to see what was on offer in the cute packaging.

Cocoa Bean Body Butter -This smells a bit like chocolate and Shea butter. It is isn’t very thick so doesn’t really feel like a body butter more like a whipped lotion. It absorbs pretty quickly and makes your skin smell nice but the scent doesn’t linger. This would be good to keep in your desk at work when your hands feel a bit dry or in the kitchen after you’ve washed your hands.

Strawberry and Coconut Lip Balm – I couldn’t decide between the strawberry and coconut so I thought I’d get both. They are both clear when you but them on but they are more like a lip gloss rather than a lip balm. The strawberry one isn’t up to scratch but the coconut is like a proper clear lip gloss that would work well over lip stick. They both smell like their namesakes and only cost £1.

This range does come in other ‘flavours’ and would be good for pre-teens as teens nowadays have full on makeup at 13 (well at least the ones in Primark do). I’m not going to say the ‘C’ word but these would also make good stocking stuffers.

I usually avoid body lotions in the summer. When the weather is hot and sticky it’s the last thing I want to put on especially after I’ve just had a nice cool shower. If you make a habit of using a good body scrub on a regular basis during the summer you shouldn’t need any lotion unless you have extremely dry skin all year round.

This body lotion is really light, sinks in really well, and isn’t expensive. What I didn’t like is getting the mica particles all over my hands. To avoid getting mica onto your clothes you need to wipe your hands straight after you apply it. It’s not dissimilar to using body glitter products. If you like a bit of shimmer on your decolletage, shoulders, and arms then this could work for you. The mica particles didn’t make much of a difference to my pale skin as you can see here.

This would definitely look better on naturally darker black and asian skins as they would reflect the mica particles better. So all in all not really great for me. However all is not lost, I gave this to my friend Claire and she loves it so it has gone to a good home!

This is available at Lookfantastic and Boots!

I’ve never used Butter London Nail Varnish but I love my Stiletto Stick so I decided to give this a go. My workplace are used to seeing all the beauty parcels I get and it’s the men not the women who are always hovering around asking what I’ve bought. This says it can be used as a body lotion but I don’t think you would get much use out of it because it only comes in a 50ml tube. It does however pop nicely in my handbag so I’ve been using it as a hand lotion. I got this one because I didn’t fancy the alternative ‘girly’ scents of Champagne and Country Garden. This one is black tea! It doesn’t quite smell like opening a fresh box of PG Tips but it is pleasant. I decided to share this with the men folk in my office to see what they thought. Passing it round the water cooler I got the following comments:

‘What does this do?’

‘How much did that cost you?’

‘This smells like sun cream, can I use it as suncream?’

‘I’ll try it but I don’t think my hands are dry.’

‘Real men don’t need that stuff….wow this is real nice.’

‘My hands stink now.’

As you can see from the fairly useless comments my office probably isn’t the best place to test hand lotion for men. However I love this – it sinks right in, doesn’t leave a greasy residue, and kept my hands hydrated all day. I wish the scent were stronger but I can live with it. I love Butter London packaging, it’s well thought out and I’d be happy to get this out of my bag in public to show it off. It’s Vegan and Paraben free too!

This is available at Lookfantasic!

Aveda is more well know for their haircare products but they do offer and extensive range of bath & body products, skincare, men’s products, makeup, perfume, gifts and some very refreshing teas! I’ve regularly used the Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner to give my dull locks a boost.

Caribbean Therapy Body Cleanser – I bought this in a travel size. I always try to take advantage of this when brands offer it as it’s a great way to test products before committing to a full size product. This is a very creamy body wash that smells wonderful. It’s very gentle on the skin. I did find that it doesn’t lather as easy like shower gels do. I really had to work it into my scrubby gloves to get some foam so if you don’t use gloves or a washing implement you may have to work the lather in your hands. Make sure you don’t keep adding  more as it will eventually lather up. Whilst I did like using this, it didn’t wow me enough to buy a full size product. It would be great for someone who has tight dry skin as it does leave it very hydrated afterwards.

Caribbean Therapy Body Scrub – This contains sea salt, Caribbean cane sugar, coconut, avocado and passion fruit oils. When you open up this tub you notice three things: the smell which is fabulous like ginger and lime, the tub says 450g but it was only about 3/4 the way full which I think is a bit cheeky considering the price, and you have to stir it up as the oils and sugar separate. I was a bit dismayed with the amount in the tub but you only need a few handfuls to do your entire body. This is quite oily even after  stirring it up, so you need to be careful to rinse the shower afterwards. I thought the sugar felt nice and rough but there was way too much oil for my liking. If I could change it I would have definitely put more sugar and sea salt into it and less oil. If you are a regular user of body oil in the shower this would be a great alternative to buying seperate exfoliator and body oil. This would also be good for people who suffer from constant dry legs in the winter. I would use this again but I’m going to save it for the colder months when my skin is zapped of moisture.

Caribbean Therapy Body Cream – Contains Caribbean Mango and coconut. I also bought this in a travel size. I didn’t really need to use the body cream after using the body scrub but I wanted to try it anyway. This by far is my favourite product as the cream sinks right into the skin and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. It also smells wonderful like the rest of the range. I don’t usually use body lotions and creams in the summer but I would use this and I will definitely get a full size one for the winter months instead of using body butter which is too heavy for me.

Overall verdict – I will pass on the body cleanser but I will keep the body scrub and body cream in my winter arsenal to combat dry skin. I would encourage anyone to take advantage of Aveda’s travel sizes as it is a great way to try something because if you don’t like it, you won’t feel like you’ve wasted your hard earned cash.

Easter is nearly upon us and I know you are excited about all the choccie eggs that the Easter Bunny will bring. I am a self-confessed chocolate snob. I turn my nose up at Celebrations, Roses, and Quality Street. I love Hotel Chocolate and reading their product reviews on Easter Eggs.

Chocolate is also used in beauty products, but what is the benefit? Some experts say chocolate has anti-oxidants like green tea. Cocoa butter also has moisturising properties that some skin types find very effective. Most of us agree that the smell of chocolate can boost our spirits. I love food based beauty products so I say why not? So if you would prefer to wear, rather than eat your chocolate go to Lush!

1. Whip Stick lip balm – It’s like a little pot of chocolate frosting but without the guilt. Good for people who cannot tolerate cocoa butter or lanolin as its made with oats, almond, and wheatgerm oil. Orange oil gives it a nice twist. Make sure you keep it out of direct heat or it will melt!

2. Fresh Cupcake mask – This has the consistency and smell of real cupcake batter and must be kept in the fridge. I like using this mask in the summer when my skin has excess oil. It contains Rhassoul mud from the Atlas mountains of Morocco, which helps draw impurities out of the skin.

3. Business Time massage bar – Made with cocoa butter, almond, and coconut oil. Great for massage therapists as an alternative to using traditional aromatherapy oils. Approved by the Vegan Society.

4. Charity Pot body lotion – All the money from the sales of these pots goes toward Lush Charity Pot fund. They support charities such as Respect for Animals and the Environmental Justice Foundation. In return you get cocoa butter soft skin and a feeling that you’ve made a difference to a great cause.

Is this how your skin feels after our long cold winter? If the answer is yes than thankfully Aveeno can help you improve your scaly situation. They have a Daily Body Moisturising Range for Dry Skin and Skin Relief for Extra Dry, Irratible skin. Clinically proven to moisturise for 24 hours, absorbs quickly and is fragrance free. Both of these ranges are available at Superdrug and are currently on offer for £2 off the recommended retail price.

I’ve seen on some news report that apparently the recession is over? I don’t know about you but I’m still skint as I ever was. The one thing I never like to compromise on when it comes to budgeting is beauty. I’d rather eat beans on toast for a month than go without beauty products. It’s a good thing I don’t have children or else Social Services would be around my house and my only saving grace would be that my kids would have great skin! The founder of the Bliss range created the Soap and Glory range for her cash strapped sis-tahs. The bottles and tubes are cute and kitsch with ‘so bad they’re good’ puns written on them. Here are some of my faves from the extensive range:

Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub 125ml

This claims to help refine large pores and prevent blemishes. My pores are the size of the Grand Canyon. I swear they can be seen from space. Anything that would claim to refine, shrink or erase them would be a miracle product.

This has a lovely texture with fine mild scrubbing action. It would be difficult to damage your skin as this is quite gentle which I did not expect. The smell and appearance is like tooth paste which some how seems to work. It does make your skin feel clean and mattified afterwards. It can also be used as a mask if you leave it on for a few minutes longer.

Contains: Kaolin

Some Like It Hot Body Softening Thermal Scrub 200ml

I love thermal scrubs. They remind me of my trip to the Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland. This has a pink gooey consistency that I would class as a moderate scrub. It’s best used on damp skin to get the full effect of the warming thermal action. The scent has quite a fresh smell reminiscent of summers at the swimming pool. It also has a mattifying effect on the skin and skin is left feeling warm and purified. It rinses away on the skin really well and doesn’t leave a ring around the tub.

Contains: Macadamia oil, white sand grains

Butter Up Special Dry Skin Spa Formula Deluxe Body Smoothing Cream 200ml

What a mouthful! I as a rule can’t stand body butters but the smell of this made me buy it. It reminds me of orange creamsicles or tropical Soleros. My main issue with body butters (especially used in the summer months) are they are quite heavy and just sit on the skin. I suppose I never have dry enough skin to get the full effect of body butters but this one sinks into the skin and absorbs pretty much straight away. It works really well on dry chapped elbows which if you work in an office like me is a constant problem. I’m always putting my elbows on my desk whilst on the phone or staring at the computer trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing. As a result the thin skin on the elbow gets scuffed and it can be quite difficult to get rid of the roughness once it sets in. I used this week for several weeks and it has really helped soothe and smooth that area.

Contains: Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil

Verdict

The range is definitely cheap and cheerful. I say this not to put you off but you get what you pay for. If you are used to using more expensive treatments then you may be disappointed with the results/smell/texture of these goodies. Part of their charm is the packaging so they are ideal for gifts for young adults or friends/relatives that are in need of a skincare regime (and all the hints you’ve dropped haven’t worked).

Available at Boots!

Cowshed is available at Lookfantastic!

Anyone who has had the pleasure of my company first thing in morning could tell you what a charming vibrant person I am upon rising to a new day. Yeah right. The A.M. and I have been mortal enemies since day one. Whilst others jump out of bed to greet the new day I, in fact ooze out of bed. Elderly Sloths move faster than I do. I need all the help I can get!

Cowshed, I am happy to say is made here in the UK. This is important to me as I’m happy to pay for good quality products especially if they are made right here at home. Using pure essential oils is the main focus for the fab folks at Cowshed.  As you can imagine I chose the ‘Grumpy Cow’ range as I thought that described me best. The bottles at 300ml are quite generous which I’m all in favour of. They will also look good in your bathroom. The packaging has a cool country grown-up quality to it with a very clever use of black and white patterns for each of their products.

Shower Gel

The bath and shower gel is quite thick so you don’t need much to get a good lather. If you look at the ingredients on the bottle extract of Grapefruit is the second ingredient listed on the bottle which means it has a very high concentration of said essential oil. Take note! As Martha Stewart (American Lifestyle Guru) would say ‘It’s a good thing’. There is a lovely aroma of citrus fruits that give this shower gel it’s ‘uplifting’ element. My only complaint is that I wish the scent would have lasted longer only because it is so nice.  I know this is not possible as any scent that lingered would be synthetic. My skin felt clean and refreshed so it is perfect for first thing in the morning.

Body Lotion

The texture of the body lotion is likened more to a body butter. As it is so thick I would recommend that you put this on straight out of the shower and wait for it to sink in or you may feel too slick to put on your clothes. The scent lingers longer with the body lotion and my skin felt smooth and protected the rest of the day. I would say with daily use there will be noticeable improvement in your skin’s texture and it will feel more purified and protected.

Take note for mums or would be mums

It is recommended by Cowshed that you seek advice regarding Essential oils if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The label also clearly marks which ingredients could be allergens.

I’m sure when the staff at Cowshed were coming up with names for their products they had a blast. I would like submit my own recommendations for new products for the modern woman; On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Cow, I’ve Just Maxed Out My Credit Card Cow, and Why Hasn’t He Called Me Yet Cow!

Good Stuff

• Exceptional value for money due to the high content of essential oils
• Fabulous packaging
• Improves skin texture with regular use
• Paraben, Petrochemical and Sulfate free

Bad Stuff

• I wish the scent lasted longer

Verdict

I think this Cowshed range is great for everyday use if you are grumpy or not! I will definitely be buying Moo-vahelous range again. (Yeah I heard you all groan after reading that)

Contains

Mandarin Red, Petitgrain, and Grapefruit

Country of Origin

United Kingdom