Upcircle Coffee and Cacao Body Scrub

The Mister and I are huge fans of Upcircle, a brand you might have known as Optiat before they rebranded.  Upcircle has an amazing story to tell as to how the brand came about and if you love a good coffee scrub, then they are a brand you need in your life.

New to the Upcircle family is the Coffee and Cacao Body Scrub (£14.99) which comes packaged inside a tube to keep the ingredients as fresh as they can be. This scrub uses top quality ground Arabica coffee beans which have been sourced from artisan coffee shops. If you have read the story as to how Upcircle was started, then you begin to understand how important these coffee beans are. The ground coffee beans work on the skin as a gentle exfoliator as the caffeine stimulates blood flow and minimises the appearance of cellulite. The high level of antioxidants also helps to minimise the appearance of the signs of ageing, including fine lines and wrinkles.

Alongside the coffee beans and sea salt is a skin superfood extracted from the seed of the African Karite tree, shea butter which is naturally high in Vitamins A, E and essential fatty acids. This scrub is blended with unrefined raw shea butter which works to provide intense moisturisation to the skin post-scrub.  You will also find Coconut Oil, Palmarosa Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Rosemary Leaf Oil and of course Cacao Extract all packed into this amazing scrub.

This scrub is so gentle on the skin that it is suitable for use both morning and night, with the recommendation being that you use this scrub up to three times a week.  As with any scrub of this nature, it can be a little bit messy but again, not as messy as other products that I have used. To use, again, shake the tube vigorously for a couple of minutes to mix together the ingredients and then apply it to damp skin in circular motions to encourage the ingredients to work on the skin. Once on the skin, allow it to sit there for a few minutes before rining away. When using, it should always be the last step of your bathing routine because the shea butter and coconut oil base will leave your skin feeling hydrated and moisturised and if like me, you love the combination of coffee and chocolate, then not only does this smell good enough to eat, it leaves your skin smelling just incredible too.

Alongside this body scrub, there is an incredible range of products to choose from within the Upcircle range and what I really like is that you can choose your products based upon your skin concerns such as oiliness, redness, dullness or even dry skin to name just as few.  From there you will find bars of soaps, oils, cleansers and other exfoliants as well as pamper kits and bundles. If you love the scent of coffee but with a slight twist then both of these products tick boxes.  They are both sustainable, Vegan and cruelty-free as well as having no SLS, SLEs, parabens, mineral oil, parfum or sulfates.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Collosol Eau De Lait - The Cult French Cleanser

Collosol Eau De Lait is one product that comes with a whole lot of hype. Just as it launched, I saw it absolutely everywhere on my social media feed, the rave reviews coming in from all over the globe and I have finally got my hands on this phenomenon, but is it worthy of that hype?

Collosol is said to be one of France's favourite brands and it was created in the 1950s for actresses who wanted something gentle to remove their makeup, since then, Collosol Eau de Lait is said to have remained the secret to French women's glowy skin ever since and it has quite the army of celebrity fans including Thandie Newton, Vanessa Paradis and it is claimed the late Karl Lagerfeld was such a fan, he used a whole bottle every single day. So what is it? Described as being a combination of milk and water, a multitasking product that leaves you feeling totally revitalised in hotter climates and even on a flight. 

This unique, paraben-free formula is a dual, no-rinse cleanser for the face and the body. Described as being a micro-emulsion with the following explanation: 

'the size of the oil particles dispersed in the water is microscopic, this allows it to obtain a very fluid milky texture while being very effective on the skin, without being greasy'. 

It essentially works as both a cleansing milk and micellar water in one and thankfully it doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy or stripped after using and it can be used in a variety of ways.

• Face and neck: apply with a cotton pad for cleansing/ makeup removing.
• Body: dilute a cap into the bathwater to bring softness and comfort to your skin.

I admit to being totally sceptical about this product, especially as it does come with so much hype, but just sometimes there is a reason it is so loved.

Collosol Eau De Lait has the most lovely citrus floral scent which I hadn't originally expected, what I was expecting was something without a scent, so it was a welcome surprise. The key ingredients in Collosol Eau de Lait include PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, vegetable oil, and glycerin.

I have tried using this product both on my skin and in the bath as suggested.  On my face, what I look is the instant cooling sensation as the product touches my skin.  It does a really good job of removing makeup, though I still prefer to use an eye makeup remover on my waterproof mascara.  When using it in the bath, I ensured there were a few inches of water in the bath before adding a capful to the water.  As soon as it comes in to contact with the water, it turns milky and the citrus scent comes to life.   

Having used this for some time now, I can see why it comes surrounded by a lot of hype and there is no doubt it absolutely lives up to the claims it makes and given it is so affordable, I am surprised to ever find it in stock.  A 100ml bottle of Collosol costs under £10, a 250ml size retails for £14.50, while the largest bottle of 400ml costs £20.

Have you tried Collosol Eau De Lait?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.