Glazed Apple Tin Of Treasures - Christmas Gift Review

Christmas is just around the corner, a time full of fun, festivities and family, but every single year without fail you end up having no idea what to buy for some of your relatives and friends... This is where I come in! I'll be buying and reviewing an assortment of Christmas gifts so you get a better idea of what - and not - to buy!

★★★

The first product I am reviewing is the Glazed Apple Tin of Treasures from The Body Shop!

It costs £17 normally but there are currently lots of offers and discount codes which allow you to get it much cheaper (I got it for £12). For this £17, you get 5 Glazed Apple themed products:

    ★ Glazed Apple shower gel 60ml

    ★ Glazed Apple body polish 75ml

    ★ Glazed Apple body shimmer lotion 60ml

    ★ Glazed Apple body butter 50ml

    ★ Green mini crinkle bath lily

Tin: 

  When this product arrived the first thing I noticed was the tin/packaging which, like all Body Shop packaging, was super pretty and really high quality.

It's designed in the shape of an apple and although this packaging choice would seem obvious for an apple themed set I think it is a really cute and clever idea!

My favourite part is that it's really useful; you can store pretty much anything in it or even just use it as a cute decoration in your room, because honestly it is adorable!

10/10 for packaging/ presentation!

Shower Gel:

  I'm super fussy about shower gels, and by that I mean I physically can't bring myself to use one if I don't like something about it. Luckily though, this shower gel is SO GOOD. It smells exactly like a sweet sugar coated apple and after a shower the scent lingers on your skin for hours - which for a lover of sweet scents is amazing! I sometimes just smell my arms or the bottle because oh my gosh the smell is just fab.

Finally, the gel lathers up really well so you don't need to use a lot each time (unless you want to of course!)

The only disappointing part is that it's absolutely tiny. 60ml of this gel won't last me long at all, especially as it is so good. Although, I do understand why they've only put in a small bottle; it is in a gift set after all!

9/10

Body Polish:

  Just like the gel, the body polish leaves your skin smelling like sweet sugar apples, (or as I like to call it, absolute deliciousness) and is also a great exfoliator. All you have to do is rub it in to your skin in circular motions whilst in the shower and then rinse for silky smooth skin!

This is one of the best polishes I've used. It's lovely and really good if you have any quite rough patches of skin you want to get rid of.

8/10

Body Shimmer Lotion:

  This body lotion can be used at any time but is especially effective when your skin is damp. (eg. after a shower or bath) It's a light moisturiser which, like the polish, makes your skin softer and smoother.

As it is only a light-weight moisturiser it won't be super effective on dry skin but if you feel like your skin is lacking a little bit of smoothness, this'll do the trick.

My favourite thing about this is that after application it gives your skin a slight shimmer which is super festive!

8/10

Body Butter:

  This is probably my least favourite product in the gift set as it doesn't quite smell like the others. It still smells mainly of glazed apple but also smells quite strongly of shea butter which - although nice - doesn't really go with the apple scent.

Other than that this butter is lovely and softening to the skin!

7/10

Overall:
  This is a perfect Christmas gift for family members who are lovers of pampering and sweet festive scents. As it is quite expensive I would  recommend buying it for family rather than friends, but it's completely up to you.

★★★

Hope this makes buying Christmas gifts a little bit easier!

Stay golden

Claire
x

PROTW Superdrug Apricot Exfoliating Face Mask

Hello my lovelies!

At the weekend I treated myself to a relaxing pamper session where I tried out one of the face masks I recently purchased from Superdrug. I've been dying to try them all out but decided on the Apricot Exfoliating mask as it claimed to 'sooth and brighten skin - which is what I needed after a tiring week at school!

Although I was looking forward to trying this mask, I was slightly anxious. This is as my skin is very sensitive and in some areas quite dry, but on the packaging it says was 'ideal for normal to dry skin' so I was somewhat reassured.

On the back of the packaging it recommends applying the mask to a clean, cleansed face with your fingers and then after 10 - 15 minutes wash it off with warm water.

Before I applied the face mask I removed all my make-up and cleansed. After washing off my cleanser I dried my face and opened the packet! Whilst still 'preparing' my face fort the face mask I decided to cut two fresh pieces of cucumber for my eyes so that my pamper session was even more relaxing. I don't do things by half measures; especially face masks!

When I opened the packet I was greeted by a very strong apricot scent with an undertone of a nut of some sort. Personally I disliked the spell as I found it too over-powering but when I asked for a second opinion, my mother loved it! 

The mask had a very good consistency and was very thick and creamy. I usually purchase the gel type masks so this one was a bit of a change but I really liked it! The thickness of it made it really easy to apply and I could clearly see if I had missed any spots as it was opaque. I was also surprised to find that the mask wasn't the orange colour shown on the packaging but a very pale cream colour instead.

I had no issues when applying the mask and was very happy to see that there was an extremely generous amount of product in the sachet; in fact there was almost half of it left after I had finished applying it to my face! At first I was worried that the exfoliating seeds would make the mask feel gritty when on my face but luckily the seeds were very soft and hardly noticeable, especially when the mask had began to harden.

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Once the mask had been on my face for a few minutes, I found that the originally strong aroma of the mask had subsided and I was left with a very nice fruity smell. I also found that after the aroma had dulled, relaxing was no problem at all and with scented candles lighted too, I almost fell asleep!  While the mask was applied I experienced no stinging or tightness, which was one of my  main worries due to my sensitive skin, and I could feel the mask starting to soothe my skin almost instantly!

After the 15 minutes were up and I was sure that the mask had set, I went to wash it off with warm water as recommended. This was the point were things got a little messy to say the least! I filled up my sink with warm water and grabbed a flannel that was laying about, I hoped to quickly wash off the mask and its remnants; if only it were that simple! When I went to wipe the mask off it just smeared all across my face and unfortunately into my hair, and I ended up having to spend around 7-8 minutes getting it fully off. Instead of taking a shower afterwards to get the face mask out like any normal person would, I waited for it to set again and then brushed it out. I was surprised it actually worked!

Despite the problems with removing it, this face mask was brilliant and left my face feeling fresh, silky smooth and noticeably brighter! My skin didn't feel dry or tight after using the mask so I just put on a light moisturiser to make my skin even more radiant!

~~~~~~~~~

Even now writing this, I can feel and see the difference in my skin so I am going to have to give it a rating of...

If you are interested about buying this mask or any other masks from the range just click here to go to the Superdrug website. Each mask costs 99p - which for the record is a B.A.R.G.A.I.N! And there is also a 4 for 3 promotion on them, so go over there and buy a few masks and have a pamper session of your own!

The Body Shop Born Lippy review

Hello my lovelies!

All the way back in October I purchased a set of the Body Shop Born Lippy on a ferry back from Germany, and since I have been using them pretty much everyday I thought I would give you a quick review of them!

The set included five different flavour lip balms - Passionberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Watermelon and Satsuma Shimmer.

The lip balms came in this cute lollipop packaging that looks so appealing, the colours compliment each other brilliantly and it's such a clever way to package products. The bow is a particularly nice touch and I think it gives the packaging the cute factor that everyone loves.

I'm really surprised that the lollipop style packaging has lasted this long because all it seems to be made of is weak cardboard, but I'm glad that it has as it looks adorable on my dresser!

Looking online it seems that these lip balms are now only sold individually which is a real shame but they're only £2.00 each so they're still good value.

All of the lip balms smell delicious and the slight tint of colour they bring really brightens up my lips. They last about 2-3 hours before they need reapplying - which is pretty average for a lip balm, and they're great for everyday moisture for people with either normal or slightly dry lips. (I don't think that they're strong enough to help with really dry/chapped lips.)

One of my favourite things about this range is that they aren't sticky at all, they're very sleek and also have a really lovely shine finish. 

Watermelon born lippy

Surprisingly, I actually like all of the flavours, but my stand out favourite is definitely Watermelon. I feel that they've pretty much captured the exact flavour of a watermelon and the peachy/nude tint of it looks really pretty when applied to my lips.

Passionberry Born Lippy

My least favourite out of all 5 would have to be Passionberry, but only because I wasn't that big of a fan of the flavour. It was still nice but it has been the balm I have used the least. When applied to your lips passionberry has a very light almost lilac tint, which I have to admit is very pretty. If you apply it very lightly you still get the same moisture and taste but without the purple tint, so if you don't like purple lip products, you can still enjoy this!

Satsuma Shimmer Born Lippy

Satsuma shimmer as suggested by the name has a gorgeous sparkle to it and I often apply it over a lipstick to give it a pretty shimmer.

At first I wasn't sure about using this balm because I didn't want to have bright orange lips but it turns out that the orange tint isn't very noticeable when applied, and looks like a light gold.

Strawberry Born Lippy

I don't normally like Strawberry flavoured balms, they're always just way too sweet and overpowering for me but this one is just right! When applied to your lips you're treated to a gorgeous rich red colour and an even more gorgeous smell. 

Raspberry Born Lippy

I haven't really got much to say about this balm apart from the fact that I love the pink tint it has, in fact the only reason I wear this balm is for the pretty pink tint. I'm not much of a fan of the taste or smell and I don't see how it smells even remotely like a raspberry; raspberry is my favourite fruit so I was very disappointed overall with this.

The only thing I don't like about all the products is the fact they are in pots. I find it's really annoying because after applying it to your lips your left with an oily finger! I also think pots aren't very hygienic so once I've finished these I'm going to buy them in stick form!

As you can see, my overall rating is 4 stars so I definitely recommend! If you're interested in purchasing any of the 5 balms I reviewed click here to be taken to The Body Shop's website!

Soap and Glory 'Hand Food' review

Hello my lovelies!

Is it just me or is it insanely difficult to find a good hand cream that actually works? They all either don't work at all or are way too greasy and smell absolutely disgusting!

However the searching was over for me when I was given Hand Food for Christmas.

At first I was worried Hand Food wouldn't live up to my expectations and turn out to be just another bad hand cream that I would chuck out after a few uses, but I was proved totally wrong. Infact I would say it's the best hand cream out there by far!

Even after just one application it leaves your hands feel soft, smooth and moisturised and it absorbs into your skin quickly, which for me is very useful. But don't worry, just because it's been absorbed doesn't mean the moisturised feeling stops, it stays for hours and hours!

A big selling point for me is that the cream is very thick and creamy, (I know it sounds strange that i'm calling a hand cream 'creamy' but you'd be suprised with how many aren't creamy at all!) And it also doesn't leave that oh so common greasy like feeling afterwards.

I can't really pin point what Hand Food exactly smells like but whatever it is, it smells gorgeous! The scent isn't too over powering or strong but stays on your hands for a good amount of time.

I love the packaging, its simple yet effective. The pinks, peaches and whites are really complimented by the grey borders and overall I think the colour scheme makes the product look super cute.

 I would  recommend buying a travel sized tube too so that you can pop it into your bag and use it whenever your hands are feeling rough and dry!


If you are interested in purchasing this amazing hand cream from boots click here

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I hope I brought you a sprinkle of joy!
Claire

Soap and Glory 'Heel Genius' review

Hello my lovelies!

Today I'm doing a review of one of the brilliant Soap and Glory products I got for Christmas, Heel Genius foot cream.

And I know what you're thinking, 'Foot cream?! But that's for really old people', and to be quite honest, I thought that too until I tried it out and realised what I'd been missing!

As soon as I started to use heel genius there were drastic improvements straight away. The heels and balls of my feet, which are usually quite dry and rough, are now feeling soft and moisturized and dehydrated patches of skin on my feet are a thing of the past!

 The cream smells mainly of citrus but also has a slightly nutty undertone as one of the ingredients is macadamia oil. I personally like the smell and I don't understand why so many people dislike it, yes it's not the usual peppermint but thats one of the things that makes this product so unique.

Before I go to bed I apply a generous amount onto my feet and massage it in. If my heels and/or the balls of my feet are feeling particularly rough or dehydrated I will apply extra to them. I then put on a pair of light cotton socks so that the cream can sink in whilst I sleep.

In my opinion this foot cream really does work miracles and I would recommend it to everyone! If you would like to purchase this product from boots click here, its currently £5.50 for a 125ml bottle!


If you liked this post please support it by commenting, sharing and following!

I hope I brought you a Sprinkle of Joy!