Liz Earle, Neal's Yard and Elemis - high end shower gels

Evening all!

Sometimes we all deserve a real good pamper. And what better way to treat yourself than with a high end shower gel. If you like me all to easily throw a £1 bottle of whatever is on offer when you're doing the food shop, then I guarantee spending a bit more on shower gel sometimes will make you feel utterly pampered.

Tonight I'm going to show you three high end shower gels I have been using this month.

Elemis tranquil touch, creamy body wash

You barely need any of this rich, luxurious cream to smother over your body. It has hints of almond oil, patchouli, cedarwood and vetivert, it smells like a spa day! A real touch of high end luxury.


I have found this on lookfantastic.com for £18.40 for 300ml.

Liz Earle orange flower botanical body wash

This is a lovely body wash, that boasts ingredients like yarrow and gerenium. The smell of orange instantly wakes me up in the morning, again you don't need much of this to cover your body, and it leaves skin feeling silky smooth and thoroughly clean. I love the smell of oranges and get nuances of the scent throughout the day when I have used this product.

You can buy this body wash on the Liz Earle website, and it retails for £11.50 for 200ml.


Last but not least is an offering from Neal's Yard.

Rosemary and Elderflower shower gel from Neal's Yard

It was my Mum who got me on to Neal's Yard shower gel after telling me how silky they left her skin with no need to moisturise after showering - I like a multi tasking product! I actually went in to buy the orange and geranium, but came out with Rosemary and Elderflower, I absolutely love the rosemary scent, and when I smelt it in the shop I had to go for this one!

The smell is divine, and it really does leave skin feeling silky smooth.

This shower gel retails for £9.30 for 200ml, and can be found on the Neal's Yard website.

These shower gels are one luxury I like to spoil myself with now and again, and I think they are worth every penny!

What do you do when you really want to pamper yourself? Do you have any high end shower gel brands you think are really worth the money and checking out? Let us know by commenting below or tweet us @beautyu

Have a beautiful weekend!

Stace x

Elemis pro intense eye and lip contour cream

Good evening and happy Friday!

Tonight I am going to tell you about the latest product I am testing in my fight to banish the wrinkles around my eyes - Elemis pro intense eye and lip contour cream.

Previously I have reviewed Liz Earle eye cream and Clinique  eye cream but am still to find my perfect eye cream!

So this month it's the turn of Elemis to take the spotlight!

This is a great pump action bottle, so no spillages. This bottle is 15 ml which normally retails for a whopping £58. You can buy the product from the time to spa website.

The cream is white and quite thick. It is very easy to apply and you don't need very much at all to cover the entire eye area. The product boasts 'firmer, plumper, redensified eye area'. So what did I think?

The product is as quality as the price tag may suggest. The easy application, and soaking in to the skin rivals any of the other less expensive creams I have tested. It also is extremely gentle, and there is no stinging of the eyes which I sometimes experience with high street brands.

The difference to my eye area after just a week of using this product is phenomenal. As the description of the product suggests a 'more remodelled and youthful look' it definitely delivers this and more. The eye area appears plumper, and wrinkles are temporally banished, I love this product!!

The negatives? It has to be the price tag. Although this little bottle would last a while, it is still a lot of money, however you do get what you pay for, and this is a quality product that actually delivers on its claims.

Score out of 10?

It's got to be 9.5. Elemis have done it a again, a product with natural ingredients but made with the cutting edge of science.

However, my quest does not end here...The price tag really makes this a product I would treat myself to once a year, rather than something I could afford to repeat purchase every month. So, can I find something that delivers these results, at a more wallet friendly price?? Watch this space...

Stay beautiful

Stace x

The Vitality Show 2012 – our beauty paradise!

Today we visited the ‘oh-so-awaited’ Vitality Show at Earls Court 2 and loved every bit of the day! This year’s show exceeded expectations and was so much better than the last one!!

On the door, we’ve received a show planner which comes with a coupon to get a free goody bag when you enter your details! That was a nice touch and there was plenty of ‘free bags’ offers with any magazine purchases. We bought Top Sante, Zest and Healthy. 

We were so excited that the bareMinerals were sponsoring this year’s Show and came with the focus to spend more time at their beauty pod, to learn a few make-up tricks. They were also offering some discounted products with a few exclusives:

Champagne Diamond collection by bareMinerals

I’ve got the Champagne Diamond collection, which I’ll review at a later date. The collection includes: Mineral Veil 3g, Champagne Diamond Radiance 0.85g, Rose Diamond blush, Smoky Diamond eye-liner, Flawless Diamond eyecolor, full size lipgloss in Brilliance and two brushes – all for £36. Stace has got three mini eye-liners, which she’ll review later on, and mascara duo which she’d already loved and reviewed!

The highlight of the day was to meet Sarah Jane Froom and Lee Etheridge from the bareMinerals:

We’ve also watched SJ give a makeunder to a blogger Zoe Griffin from the Live Like a VIP blog! SJ used the Champagne Diamond collection and it was so interesting to see how easy and effortless the products are applied and the final look was amazing!

The only slight disappointment was that there were no bareMinerals samples in the Vitality Show’s free goody bag. As a sponsor of the Show, we thought, it’d be great for any new customers to have a chance to try the products! However, there were plenty of occasions to have a free makeunder at the bareMinerals beauty pod and we hope lots of the new, and also the acquainted, customers took advantage of that!

Other than that, there are plenty of different stands to see. From the beauty products, to healthy foods and fitness. There are lots of different food stands, which we didn’t stray from and munched on some healthy snacks and samples! Lots of those!

We’ve also visited the lovely (but tiny so don’t miss it!) stand of the Juicy Lucy Designs! You can get a goody bag for £10 which is worth over £30! That’s what comes in the lovely canvas bag:

We’ve also came across some Elemis products and couldn’t just walk away, so ended up purchasing that amazing Little Superstar top-to-toe spa treats - all for £20! They’re perfect for those weekend trips away! And they come in that cute pink beauty bag:

Overall we’ve absolutely loved the Vitality Show today! Would definitely recommend you all going, if you can! It’s an amazing experience! It’s like heaven on earth for all the beauty lovers!

Stay beautiful!

Mags & Stace xx

Mags’ Face of the Day

This is my first Face of the Day (FOTD) post so I thought I’ll share with you my daily make-up routine and show the products I use to create my daytime look. 

Here are the tools and products I use:

• Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules – facial oil used in the morning and evening to double charge the moisturiser
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream – my day moisturiser
• Smashbox Photo Finish – foundation primer
• bareMinerals Multi-Tasking SPF20 Concealer in Bisque
• bareMinerals Original SPF15 Foundation in Medium Tan – I usually use the Medium Beige one, however, I still have some colour left after my holidays
• bareMinerals all-over face colour in Warmth – bronzing powder
• bareMinerals blush in Intrigue
• bareMinerals Original SPF25 Mineral Veil – finishing powder, also can be used as a primer
• Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink
• bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing mascara in Black
• Chanel AQUALUMIÈRE Gloss High Shine Sheer Concentrate in Freeze (066) – lip gloss
• Most of the brushes are from my Bare Escentuals collection: max coverage concealer (concealer brush), full coverage buki (foundation brush), flawless face (bronzer brush), angled blush (blush brush), hydrate & brighten (finishing powder brush) and Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eye Liner brush. 

I really love all the products I use! They saved my life! About three years ago I went through a rough time with my skin and nothing worked. Three years down the line and after discovering the bareMinerals make-up products no one can really tell that a few months ago I was covered in spots and looked really miserable! 

Here is my flawless skin today:

Without a flash:

With a flash:

Hope you enjoyed my first FOTD! I surely did! Let me know if you use any of the products listed and if so, what do you think of them?

Stay beautiful!

Mags xx

Time to detox – gel mask

For the past few days I’ve been reviewing the products from the Elemis’ Try-Enzyme Resurfacing range. Tonight I’d like to conclude with the last, but no means least, product from the range – Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask (RRP £45).

This product is a wonderful addition to the range. It helps to smooth the skin and revive dull complexion. I found this product perfectly complementing the range and delivering to its promise. After using the gel mask my skin is smoother to the touch, looks and feels cleaner and matte and any small imperfections are minimised even after one application.

Try-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask - gel texture

After application the gel texture initially creates a cooling sensation on the skin, which quickly changes into a nice tingling sensation. (I like it! However, my hubby wasn't so keen on it!) That doesn’t mean you’re allergic to the product but just the opposite; it means that the product works its wonders. In my case the place where it tingles the most is around my nose, meaning the need for enzymes in that area is greater. 

I usually keep the mask on for 8 minutes, as specified on the packaging; however, sometimes I leave it for a bit longer and I've never had any reaction. I find the gel texture too clingy to remove it with just water so I use towelling mitts but any face towel is perfect for that! Use it twice a week in the first few weeks and as the tingling minimizes with usage then use it once a week.

Note: People with rosacea and very sensitive skin should seek doctors’ advice before using this product as I’ve heard different opinions on the reaction post usage. 

Hope the detox reviews helped you to decide if those products are for you! Let us know by leaving a comment or on twitter @beautyu.

Stay beautiful!

Mags xx

Time to detox – night treatment!

Today I thought I’ll share with you two other products from the Elemis’ Tri-Enzyme range: Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Night Cream (RRP £81.70) and Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum (RRP £97.10), which can help to replenish the skin cells during the night time! 

Both of the products complement each other and both of them are VERY expensive! As I can’t really afford to buy them from Elemis directly, I look out for offers from the QVCUK website as it’s a great place to find the whole Elemis products range cheaper!

The serum

The texture of the whole range is gel-like but some products have a thicker texture than others. The serum is very light in texture though and you don’t need to use a lot of it as it easily glides on the skin, so half a pump is more than enough! As this product is very expensive, this way it will last you even longer. I’ve used one whole bottle of the serum (30ml) and I liked the texture and smell; however, I have to admit I haven’t noticed any visible changes in my complexion! 

Before going for the whole 30mls I’d say it’s better to try it in a smaller version (10mls from QVCUK website) to see if this product delivers better results to you! I know people who absolutely love this product so if you are looking for a smoother skin and to get a more even and luminous skin tone give this product a try!

The night cream

The night cream, on the other hand, has a bit thicker gel texture to the serum and facial wash, and smells absolutely lovely – very fresh but subtle. 

It stimulates the skin’s natural cell renewal cycle and replenishes the skin during the night. This products actually delivers to its promises so whenever I run out of my Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream I always come back to using this night cream! I wake up to a more plumped, smooth and luminous face! The only downside is that I can’t use it around my eyes so a need for additional eye cream is a must in this case! 

I hope you enjoy the ‘detox’ sessions and it gives you some ideas how to get a smoother, plumper and younger looking skin! Let us know if you’d used these products before and what did you think about them!

Stay beautiful!

Mags xx