Nivea Body Lotion

When it comes to products the one that I am the useless at applying is a cream after being in the bath or shower, I just always seem to forget to do it, even when I am faffing about in a towel drying my hair.  So when I was sent some lovely Nivea products to use, I decided I was going to do my best to use them every day after showering and at a weekend when I had my bath, even if that meant setting a reminder in my phone or leaving post it notes on my mirror!

Nivea as a brand is one that I have a love/hate relationship, I either really like something or I really hate it.  I like some products but not others and body creams are not something I have tried until now and I have three different products to share with you.

The first one if the Rich Nourishing lotion with Hydra IQ and Almond Oil and it is designed for dry skin.   It said to restore and replenish lost moisture whilst enhancing the skin's natural protective layer and 24 hour moisturisation.  As a crème it is a really thick luxurious formula, so you really do only need to use such a small amount.  As it is designed for dry skin, I concentrated on using it on my legs which is where they can become almost reptilian in texture.  Does it work? Actually yes it does, even I was surprised that it was so moisturising on my skin and it left my legs feeling really hydrated.

The second is called Express Hydration for normal skin and it is designed to be use everyday.  Using Sea Minerals and Hydra IQ the formula is light and absorbs almost as soon as it comes into contact with your skin leaving behind soft, smooth and supple skin.  I have used this one on all body parts and I absolutely love the formula because you don't have to sit around and wait for it to dry and it leaves a really lovely subtle scent on the skin.  Does it moisturise, yes it does and it is perfect for people on the go who want to add a little extra TLC.

The final product is called Irresistibly Smooth which is again designed for dry skin and has the added inclusion of Shea Butter and Hydra IQ to leave your skin feeling unbelievably smooth and hydrated.  I have been using this every night and the formula is a mix of the other two, quite luxurious in feel but absorbs as soon as it comes into contact with the skin and again it leaves behind a subtle Shea Butter scent which I am a huge fan of.

The one thing all three of these products have in common is the Hydra IQ which is said to promote a non-stop moisture from within the skin. The formula supports the skins own water channels to enhance your natural moisturisation.

Overall, I really like these body lotions and my favourite has to be Express Hydration because the formula is just so lovely and your skin feels instantly smooth after application.  Costing around £3.49 each for a 250ml bottle, these products are affordable and they last quite a long time.  They are also dermatologically tested and they are perfect for winter.

Are you a fan of Nivea products?

 

Invisible Braces V's Vanity

Growing up I had no problem with my teeth, even now in my 30's I've not had a single filling or a tooth removed and I have always looked after my teeth, my only slight issue is that my teeth aren't as straight as I would have liked them to be and vanity got in the way of me doing anything about it.  My work colleagues son isn't so lucky, his mouth is apparently too small to house all of his teeth and having to have at least one extracted, he has been told he needs braces to close up that gap and to pull all of his teeth into line.

Source

Braces on teeth are nothing new, plenty of my friends growing up had retainer like braces or the ones which are fixed permanently to them for a good few years, the end result being lovely nice poker straight teeth.  I was slightly worried for my nephew, I remember the name calling when I was at school and looking back, it wasn't nice, taunts like 'train tracks' and 'metal mickey' probably still haunt my high school friend Michaela to this day.  However, now with a lot of cosmetic dentistry you can have what are called invisible braces or even ceramic braces, all options that were never around as I was growing up, apparently even Justin Bieber had invisible braces!. 

Invisible braces are said to be a way to straighten your teeth without having the discomfort and inconvenience of wires and brackets. This is where braces cost London comes into its own, using a series of clear, removable aligners, you can handle crowding, gaps, overbites, underbites and almost all other alignment problems.

I am really impressed with how many changes have been made with braces on teeth, more so because I have a fear of false teeth, something I have mentioned in another post and I hope that should any of my nieces or nephews ever need to have this work done on their teeth, they won't face the cruel taunts my friends did as children and should my vanity have not got in the way and this option was available to me then, I might have had those nice perfect straight teeth.

Did you have a brace growing up?

Fenwick of Bond Street Beauty Gift with Purchase

One of my favourite stores in London, Fenwick of Bond Street, have today launched what I can only describe as an amazing offer as part of their "Here I am" Campaign. The campaign celebrates the words that founder JJ Fenwick said after arriving on Bond Street back in 1891 to open his ground-breaking store.

As part of the 'Here I Am' Campaign and to help start the New Year off with a Beautiful Glow, Fenwick's are launching its limited edition ‘Here I Am’ exclusive beauty bag featuring 24 of the most sought after beauty products from brands and it includes:

•  111 Skin mask 
• Cane & Austin glycolic acid pads 
• Caudalie Divine Oil 
• Chantecaille deluxe mascara 
• Christophe Robin shampoo and conditioner 
• Clarins Instant Eye Makeup remover 
• Darphin Hydraskin Light 
• DHC cleansing oil 
• Eve Lom cleanser
• IPD Alyssa Ashley 
• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
• Lipstick Queen Chinatown Catalina & Chinatown Chase
• MOA 
• NUBO 
• Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer 
• Phyto citrus shampoo 
• Racinne Ultimate Youth Powder Neck Emulsion 
• Radical mask 
• Sachajuan hair repair 
• Shiseido Gentle Cleanser & Perfect Rouges 
• Suqqu Moisture Mask Scrub 
• When-Mask facial mask 
• Xen Tan 
• Glam Glow and Youth H2O Youth Activating Concentrate

The beauty bag will be offered complimentary whilst stocks last to customers who spend £200 in Fenwick of Bond Street’s beauty hall.  If I had £200 to spend on products, this is something I would definitely want to be buying because it is packed full of amazing products, many of which I really want to try!

Did you get your beauty bag?

Birchbox - January 2015

It's the first box of the year for Birchbox** and it kicks off being partnered with the go-to for all things health, fitness and well-being - Women's Health and a box titled 'Hit Refresh'. Inside the box are products that will help you start the year with your best foot forward! There is also a 'Hit Refresh' booklet which contains 12 bite-sized challenges with some tips. Each page has a hole which allows you to hang it up with perforated pages it allows you, should you wish you, the ability to pull out pages after completing them and I am determined to give some of them a go.

The first item in this month's box is a full size Stila Lip Glaze worth £15, in the shade  Glimmer which is a rosy pink shade to describe it.  As a twist up lip gloss which has a built in brush, it is quite a handy little item to have in your make up bag for a quick touch of gloss.

The next item is a 20ml sample tube of the Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner worth around £1.50. I have only ever tried the Elasticizer from Philip Kingsley, so I am looking forward to giving this a go.  This conditioner claims to transform lifeless locks and help seal flyaways due to the lustrous, wheat-protein conditioner.

The next product is a 5ml tube of HealGel Intensive worth £3.75.  I am a huge fan of HealGel products and have used this before which I have reviewed HERE.  As you only need a teeny amount at any one time to use it, this tube will last a good few weeks and it is perfect for that overnight or weekend away bag.

REN is one of my favourite brands and one I have been using for well over a year now, so I am always pleased to see a product from them in any box I get.  Within this box I have the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask which I have used once or twice from a smaller sample sized tube, so I am glad to see a 10ml version, which will at least give me 5-6 masks.  It is described as being a fast-working exfoliating treatment which improves texture, tone and combats congestion.  Has a value of around £6

The next product is one I haven't heard of before from Activbod and the product is called a Cooling Finish Lotion. It is a 20ml tube and is said to re-energise after a work-out as it is an invigorating menthol packed lotion. You use it by massaging it into clean skin and then you get a cool tingle. So I tried it out and there is most definitely a tingling sensation there.  This tube has a value of around £2.50

The final two products in this box are a Green Matcha Tea from Embrace which is apparently 100% natural with 10 times the antioxidents of a regular green tea.  You are told to take half a teaspoon and whisk it into hot water or cold water and you can also add it to smoothies and juices too.  On its own it is worth 99p



Then we have a Birchbox Pilates Band. It is said to tone, increase strength and improve muscle endurance with its resistance. So if anyone has a use for this and would like it, please do let me know as it isn't something I would use, but I did like to see it included because it does at least fit with the theme of the box. It also has a value of £7.99

So overall, I am really impressed with this month's Birchbox and I I really liked the theme, which for January is really appropriate. The box is worth around £37 which is great value for money when it costs just £12.95**.

Did you get a Birchbox this month?