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Whilst I like to use my Dove exfoliating soap on a daily basis to keep my skin smooth, every once in a while I like to use a more heavy-duty scrub. The reason for this, is that it really helps keep the skin smooth, particularly on the legs and arms. I also think a body scrub in general helps improve the skins texture, and can make you feel extra squeaky clean. The scrub I've been using faithfully for around the last two years, is the St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Body Scrub.
The scrub contains 100% natural granules, that are quite fine however there are quite alot of granules in just a small handful. This means that you really do get quite a nice thorough scrub, because there are alot of exfoliating particles. There is nothing I hate more with scrubs, than when they don't contain many exfoliating granules as it can be difficult to get good results. Thankfully with St Ives this is not the case! The scrub also has a really lovely scent to it. I wouldn't say it's "Apricoty" as such, or that is overly fragranced. The smell seems quite natural, and pleasing to the senses.
One aspect I like about this scrub, is the fact although it is quite thorough and invigorating, it does not irritate my sensitive skin, or cause it to peel or turn red. I do tend to moisturise my legs after use, just to be sure I am not drying the skin out... however I do feel this is quite a good product to use on skin if you tend to be irritated by certain cosmetics. I think the fact is not perfumed definitely helps this fact.
Price wise, you can pick this scrub up for £5.09 at Superdrug, which is not bad at all really when you compare this with other brands. St Ives have been established for 25 years now, which is another great reason to trust in them. It's all well and good paying £30+ for a scrub, but if that's a little steep for you as it is for me, then there's no reason to miss out on an indulgent treat for your skin.
A little goes along way with this scrub, so don't think 300ml of product won't get you very far as you'll be surprised. I think this scrub works brilliantly on leaving my skin ultra smooth and re-vitalised, and doesn't leave a sticky residue either like some scrubs do. All in all, it's definitely something I have to repurchase once it's all gone!
Finding a pure white foundation is not an easy task. Sure, there is Mac Face & Body.. but at nearly £30, it's a costly purchase. Changing those decimals around a little, Stargazers liquid foundation in the shade "White" totals just £3.50.
There are several uses for a pure white foundation. Some of you hardcore palies out there, may wish to use this on it's own as an everyday foundation, or for stage and theatre purposes... even for halloween or Geisha looks. Alternatively, you may require a white foundation to mix with other foundations if they are too dark for you and so need lightening.
Whatever your need for a white foundation, be warned that they are not easily available in shops or online. Barely a handful of brands do a white shade of foundation, so for me Stargazer was a good place to start as I found it to be one of the cheapest brands that do stock a white shade.
Now whilst the colour may be fantastic, I was a little disappointed by how smooth the application is when the product is applied to the face. As for my hand, you can see I was able to smooth it over nicely. However, if using a foundation brush you may struggle with brushmarks, as the product tends to set quite quickly, meaning there is no room for going over areas and smoothing things out. Having said that, my skin is quite dry and the foundation does not state what skin type the product would best suit. I think perhaps oilier skins may have a better time with this than dry.
The other issue to remember with a white foundation, is that unless you find a white concealer (I have never been able to find one myself), then well.... concealing is going to be an issue. If you have any major skin concerns, be warned that you may not be able to cover them all that well. Although, the foundation is quite thick in texture so with the right application you can make it quite dense on the skin.
All in all, this is not a bad place to start if you are really wanting a pure white foundation. It's not the best quality foundation I have ever tried, however for £3.50 I guess you could say well what did you expect? Even if it's not the best, I applaud Stargazer for boldly going where alot of make-up companies would never dare to go, in catering for extremely pale skin.
Just a quick heads up, that there as some great beauty steals in this months Elle & Marie Claire Magazines. Firstly, grab a Benefit mascara in Elle, worth around £10. As it's travel sized, it's perfect for trying out to see if you would like the real thing... and great for traveling with too!
Marie Claire is giving you a choice of 3 items as a free gift. Either a lipstick, the super shock black eye liner, or an eyebrow pencil which is what I chose. I have been on the look out for a new eyebrow pencil, so for me this is perfect! The Supershock range is highly rated however, so this is a perfect chance to grab yourself a discounted product that you are sure to love!
If you buy both, you will also recieve a generous sample of the L'Oreal mythic hair oil, as well as some Clarins primer. There is even a sample of Alien by Thierry Mugler (see last post). This month is definitely a great one for freebies!
For today's post I thought I'd enlighten you all on what is my signature scent - Alien Eau de Parfum by Thierry Mugler. Alien, is the follow up to the very successful Thierry Mugler
fragrance "Angel". Upon creating Alien, Thierry Mugler was quoted as
saying...
"When we did Angel, we were completely innocent, and then it became
number one in the world. Creating Alien was a huge challenge
because now the whole world is watching."
It was whilst reading Vogue, and noticing a little insert which was
essentially a mini pull out perfume bottle, that I came across "Alien"
by Terry Mugler. Although just an advert, this little bottle made up of
sleek card, which when you pulled the tab and pressed down would spray
you with perfume, kept coming to the attention of my senses as I stuck
the sample on the wall. The scent seemed to last forever, and it was
almost like having an air freshener in the room! I'm used to smelling
many perfumes, particular when they include some form of sample in a
magazine... but
the scent of this perfume was just something different, which really
intrigued me, and so when I was blessed with the messiah that is my
student loan... I decided to treat myself with a bottle.
I had a good look around online to find the cheapest deal, and found you
could either buy the refillable or non refillable bottle. Suprisingly,
and to my delight each bottle contains the Eau de Parfum, meaning I
wasn't buying yet another short lasting Eau D'Toilette! I ended up
buying the non-refillable bottle for £38 from the Perfume Shop.
The Bottle:
"The power of a talisman. The faceted bottle is set with gold claws.
Reminiscent of a stone and precious talisman, it seems to contain the
energy of an Alien Solar goddess. Engraved in glass like an enigma, it's
symbolic name is reflected, mirror-like."
Now in reference to the title "Alien", I can certainly see some
otherwordly connection with the design of the bottle, as it looks like
it may have belonged to one of Doctor Who's former lovers. On the other
hand, it also looks like a mystical and luxurious gift from the east,
with it's deep purple colouring and flashes of gold, including a gold
spray mechanism on top (there is no separate lid).
The bottle is smaller than I would have expected, as it contains 30ml of
perfume. The shape of the bottle is edgy, and it has 8 sides to it,
which are slightly haphazard, yet the overall result still manages to
look sleek and glamorous. I would say this is probably the most
interesting and intriguing perfume bottle I have ever owned.
The Scent:
Onto the star attraction, and to put it simply - the scent is devine,
dream-like and ultimately the most amazing perfume I have ever had the
pleasure of smelling.
"Thierry Mugler leads us towards a femininity derived from a world
infused with bliss and spirituality, at the crossroads between what is
real and extroadinary."
It's notes include jasmine sambac, casherman wood, white amber, vanilla and solar accord.
I'm not quite sure how all of these smell individually, but as a
combination I can tell you they work beautifully together, and I can
definitely detect the woody undertones, yet the lighter more fragrant
jasmine and white amber. What I would say about the scent is, although
it is unusual, it's a pleasant unusual, and not at all in marmite
territory, like fragrances such as Dior's "pure poison", which I
personally think is a real love/hate kind of scent.
One of the best aspects of the scent, is as it's an Eau de Parfum, it is
incredibly long lasting. I remember trying the sample bottle, and still
being able to smell the scent on my wrist after I had been in the
shower! One spray will literally last for hours, which for me is perfect
as I detest having to re apply perfume throughout the day, as I just
see it as a waste of the product.
As for it's suitability, this is definitely not a fruity teenage scent,
as it's more grown up and sophisticated than that. Although I would say
this scent does suit night time, I have been wearing it in the day
because of it's long staying power. Although it is a prominent scent,
it's the kind of smell which wouldn't equal overkill, if used within the
day time. I would also recommend this for special occasions, as it has
that air of elegance and glamour to it.
This is my first experience with Thierry Mugler perfumes, as I have
never really heard about them before I saw the insert in Vogue, however I
would thoroughly recommend getting hold of a sample, or buying a bottle
for yourself as you definitely get your moneys worth in terms of
staying power, and of course that beautiful, mystical fragrance.
When I spray myself with "Alien", I instantly feel glamorous, Parisian
even. It comes across as other worldly with the name and the bottle
design, however this should be embraced rather than avoided, just
because it initially appears somewhat different.
I struggle to fault this perfume on anything but the price, (if buying
the refillable option for £64). The concept is mystical yet very
appealing, just like the smell - which has an incredible staying power
and is certainly like nothing I have smelt before. It would make for a
wonderful gift too, however if that was me I would struggle to give this
away as it smells so good! My recommendation? Try Alien for yourself.