Soft & Gentle #BodyBalance

For many of us, Soft & Gentle are synonymous with deodorant. Now they are taking to the high-street with a launch of a brand new collection of innovative feminine care products and as I have been trying and testing them out, I am today sharing them with you.

Soft & Gentle are experts in the field of women's personal care and the new collection presents the introduction of a new pH balanced intimate wash and care range.  I am sure many of us have wondered around supermarkets and high-street stores trying to discreetly shove the intimate washes into a basket without anyone seeing us. The lovely people over at Soft & gentle have taken this into consideration and have created a range that is not only discreet but has multi-use benefits.

Enriched with a prebiotic complex which protects and stimulates the skin's natural defences, bringing you beautifully balanced skin.  Each product uses soothing ingredients and cleansing extracts found in all products, they help to reduce any skin discomfort, whilst the delicate allergen-free scents offer all day freshness.

The products are:

2-in-1 Shower & Shave Mousse - described as being the hero product, this shower essential is a must-have as part of your daily routine. The innovative formula delivers a luxurious mousse that leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturised.  What I love about this mousse is that you only need a small amount for a large amount of lather and at just £3.99 it is a bargain.

Daily Shower Wash - This is my favourite product from the trio and it is really gentle on the skin. It can be used all over the body and it smells just divine.  It not only moisturises the skin but give you that clean feeling.  Priced at £2.99 for 250ml again I think this is a bargain.

The final product is a Fragranced Spray and until now, I had never used anything like it. Designed to be an intimate deodorant spray for intimate skin it is suitable for use on underwear, sanitary wear and straight onto the skin and it neutralises any odour caused by sweating.  I have found no irritations when using this product and think it is just a brilliant concept.  Priced again at £2.99 it is well worth trying.

All these products are gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin, it is gynecologist approved and dermatologically approved and dermatologically tested range is pH balanced.  You can find them at Superdrug, Boots Morrisons and in independent pharmacies.

Panasonic Facial Ionic Steamer

Living in London, you won't be surprised to find it plays havoc on your skin, anyone who travels regularly on the tube will be all too familiar with black tissues! With that in mind, imagine just how dirty your skin can get and indeed feels after a day travelling round, never mind at least 5 of the 7 days each week! I do as much as I can to ensure my skin is as clean as I can get it and whenever the opportunity arises for a facial, I jump at the chance.

So being given the chance to try the Panasonic Facial Ionic Steamer, I jumped at the chance, it had to be a better method than leaning over a bowl of hot water. As you can see it looks like a simple, easy to use contraption and thankfully it is. 

"Panasonic's Nano Facial Steamer helps to remove makeup and dirt, promotes smoother, softer skin and can be used daily as a fuss-free component of your skin care regimen."

Using the water tank that is easy to remove and insert into the steamer, you have two options, half fill it for a 3 minute treatment or fully fill it for a 6 minute treatment and for this I just use normal tap water. Then using Ultra-fine nano-sized particle steam which is 4,000 times finer than normal steam to penetrate the skin and effectively supplement moisture and encourage deep pore cleansing. It is also said that cleansing with the facial ionic steamer will result in the removal of makeup, dirt and excess oil to leave your skin feeling incredibly clean and refreshed. 

What I love about this machine is not only how easy it is to use, but how incredibly effective it is.  After washing my face with warm water and wiping it dry with a muslin cloth, I set the steamer up ready to go, again, if you have a tight schedule then 3 minutes is perfect timing or if you do have that little bit longer than 6 minutes once a week is even better. So once the water tank has been filled and inserted, steam will begin to appear within about 15 seconds, so it is really quick. To use, you need to ensure that your face is 20cm away from the opening to avoid burning your skin, helpfully there is a measurement tape included to show you how far back you should be.  Then with your eyes closed, set a timer (I use my iPhone) for 3-6 minutes and allow the steam to work its magic.

Once that allotted time is up, simply grab two/three cotton wool pads and wipe your face and it is here you will see how much 'stuff' has been removed - honestly it is like the first time you get a Dyson Hoover and despite hoovering your carpet everyday, this thing still manages to find stuff to hoover up! Seriously, these cotton wool pads are just vile, but at least that stuff is no longer sitting on my skin!

Since using this steamer for the last few months, I have been amazed at how effective it is at cleaning my skin and they do say that the cleaner the skin, the easier it is for your products to work like they are supposed to.  So not only do I have baby soft skin, I do feel that my skin is being the chance to breathe once the dirt and grime has been removed.  I have had less blackheads on my nose, less dry skin on my cheeks and my makeup is lasting much longer on my skin, which is always an added bonus and it is a great way to have a facial at home!

If this sounds like a machine you would like to try, honestly I cannot recommend it highly enough, then you will find it retails for around £99.99 online and is worth every penny.

Makeup Revolution Flawless Matte 2

Following on from the success of the original Flawless Matte palette, Makeup Revolution now bring to you Flawless Matte 2 which has 32 highly pigmented Matte eyeshadows on one rather sleekly designed palette.

With a fabulously bright burnt orange outer packaging, this is not a palette that you are not going to miss on a shelf. Inside is the shiny sleek blackness that we have all come to recognise from Makeup Revolution and it is palette that has a little something for everything.  Whether you like your nudes (like me) but sometimes want to be a little adventurous, this palette can take you out of your comfort zone into a new one row by row.  With names such as Look, Standard and Order being somewhat within my comfort zone, I can see and want to try shades which are called Finest, Vintage and Total.

• From left to right across the top row we have - Flaw, Less, Perfect, Neat, Master, Accurate, Ripe and Matte
• From left to right across the second row we have - Look, Standard, Order, Able, Rate, Finest, Final and Famous
• The third row from left to right is - Ranking, Two, Tone, Best, Top, Notch, Valid and Total
• Finally from left to right in the bottom row we have - Whole, Sound, WII, Known, Right Vintage, Beauty and Define.

This is what the swatches look like!

Flaw, Less, Perfect, Neat

Master, Accurate, Ripe and Matte

Look, Standard, Order, Able

Rate, Finest, Final and Famous

Ranking, Two, Tone, Best

Top, Notch, Valid and Total

Whole, Sound, WII, Known

Right Vintage, Beauty and Define

I am sure you will agree that there are some absolutely stunning shades on this palette and whilst some of them stand out much more than others - Ripe, Valid and Vintage there are some other shades such as Best, WII and Known which are beautiful.  All of these swatches are done with just one swipe of my finger onto each colour.

I have also been using Flaw, which is an almost white in colour as a base for my eyeshadow and it works amazingly well (HINT ADAM) with any of the other shades over the top without altering the colour.  For just £8 this is amazing value for money, especially if like me, the thought of wearing something other than nude on your eyes is a step too far but you want a palette that will slow move you out of your comfort zone.

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Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely Sheer Eau de Parfum

Celebrity fragrances are not usually my 'thing' but every so often there is one which lands in your lap and you expect to dislike it but infact the reaction is the exact opposite. I am not a fan of Sarah Jessica Parker admittedly, I cannot stand TV programmes such as Sex and the City and the films just irritate me beyond relief but Sheer Lovely as a fragrance is one I cannot help but like.

Sheer Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker is described as being a soft, sheer and gentle follow up to the classic and much loved Lovely, a shade I have not tried or ever come across, so how it compares I cannot comment but at just £20 for 100ml it isn't going to break the bank.

Encased inside this beautiful pearlesque initial embossed bottle with a stunning gilded lid is a fragrance which is light, refreshing and undoubtedly feminine. So with top notes of orange flower, mandarin and sicily the fragrance opens with a beautiful citrus twist before gardenia, pink peppercorns and blonde woods as the heart notes bring a slightly floral aroma as it begins to settle and then the base notes of musk, vetiver and amber finish off the fragrance.

As fragrances go, this one is that perfect Spring/Summer scent in a bottle because it isn't heavy and it does have really good lastability, one spritz onto my pulse points in a morning and I can still catch a whiff of the scent on my way home some 8 hours later.

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely Sheer Eau de Parfum £20/100ml via Superdrug.