Review: Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub

Soap & Glory has got to be one of my favourite brands ever. So far, the few skin care and body products that I've tried are all really nice. One of their body products I've tried is The Breakfast Scrub. This scrub has a maple syrup scent and it really smells good enough to eat.

The Breakfast Scrub is a sugar scrub that constants skin-loving ingredients such as oat and shea butter to keep your skin moisturized. This scrub is packed full of granules to give you the maximum exfoliating effect. Generally, sugar scrubs are a little too exfoliating for my eczema-prone skin and I have to use this sparingly or my skin will look and feel raw and dry. Because of my dry skin, I'm better off with more moisturizing scrubs but you will really enjoy this if you love really exfoliating scrubs.

If you haven't tried anything from Soap & Glory, this and their Clean On Me shower gel will be something nice to try out. I do have one gripe about their products and it's their use of parabens. I've previously discussed about parabens here. I will still continue to use their products even though they contain parabens but I would much prefer if they can find substitutes to preserve their products!

Review: The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil

Argan Oil is all in the rage these days and I was really intrigued when The Body Shop released their Wild Argan Oil collection a few months ago. To the regular line of body lotion, body butter and shower gel, The Body Shop has added a number of new products and one of them is the Miracle Solid Oil.

I have to say, this is probably my best beauty find of the year. As the name suggests, the oil is in a solid form. You can pick up the product by rubbing your fingers on the surface. I don't usually like products that you have to dip your fingers into but there is no other way of packaging this product. Lint will get caught on the surface but I love this product too much to care about that.

It is a fairly thick oil so it will definitely linger on the skin. It doesn't fully absorb into the skin so this is definitely more suitable for application on selected areas instead of all over your body. This solid oil does melt a little in the heat and you may find that the surface of the oil will liquify slightly if you've been out in the heat for awhile. It settles back into a solid form fairly quickly once you enter an air-conditioned area and the consistency will remain the same. I didn't like the scent of the product in the beginning but it has since grown on me. The scent is not for everyone and it actually lingers so do give it a sniff before committing.

The solid oil comes in a tin that is perfect for the purse. This product is so, so versatile and it has become a staple in my makeup bag. As you all probably already know by now, I suffer from eczema and I always have to carry some kind of body lotion with me to soothe my eczema patches whenever they become dry and itchy. This product is truly amazing for my skin. It is fairly thick in consistency and it provides such great relief for my dry skin. It moisturizes really well and it also acts as a layer of protectant against the elements which can be detrimental of eczema. I used this throughout the two weeks I was in Beijing this fall and my eczema did not flare up at all.

I also use this on my hair to tame frizz or smooth down any flyaways but you do have to be careful not to apply too much as it can be rather heavy. It will work on a pinch but if you have very fine hair, this product will likely be too heavy for you. The Miracle Solid Oil is also a life saviour when I'm wearing new shoes. As you may know, applying some lotion to your feet can help to prevent blisters and this oil does a much better job than any body lotion. It is rich and thick and it lasts much, much longer.

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil has been such a game changer for me and I'm so glad I picked it up. It's convenient and effective and I will definitely repurchase this! Do you have a favorite multi-purpose product? Share them with me below!

Review: NIVEA Creme

I went to Beijing for vacation this summer and the dry air coupled with the dust caused my eczema to flare up badly. My regular moisturizer offered no relief to my dry and itchy skin and I was looking for a quick fix. There weren't many travel sized body moisturizers available so I picked up the NIVEA Creme. The NIVEA Creme is highly raved about for its moisturizing properties so I thought I would give it a whirl.

The cream is extremely thick and I find it really hard to spread all over my skin. It definitely leaves a film on top of your skin and it never seems to fully sink in. It doesn't stain my sheets or clothes but it definitely feels uncomfortable and I don't enjoy it, not even in the night. It did offer a little comfort when I applied it directly to my eczema area but I don't think it is sufficiently moisturizing. My eczema did not get any better and my skin still felt parched and itchy.

I know that there are people who use this on their face as a moisturizer or a makeup remover and I don't think I dare to do that. If it doesn't work for my body, I don't think it would work for my face. I can't imagine how this would sit on my face and how greasy I would look!

As a whole, I'm not impressed with the NIVEA Creme at all and I will not purchase it again. If this product works for you, do share with me how you use it!

Review: The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Body Polish

The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Body Polish is a limited edition body polish released for Christmas. I think The Body Shop re-releases the same scents (Vanilla Bliss, Cranberry Joy and Ginger Sparkle) every Christmas so you'll probably be able to find this product in stores later this year.

Vanilla Bliss is my favourite Christmas scent from The Body Shop. It smells just like cake, very sweet and decadent. I got a little sick of the scent after awhile because it was pretty sweet but it was still tolerable. The Vanilla Bliss Body Polish is the only body polish that has a cream formula. The Cranberry Joy and Ginger Sparkle are both gel formulas, similar to the Satsuma and Strawberry, which are part of the permanent line.

For an exfoliating product, the body polish lathers up surprisingly well. It's really creamy and
moisturising so I think it's suitable for daily use. I think the same properties might not apply to the other body polishes from The Body Shop due to their gel formulations. The product doesn't contain a lot of exfoliating particles and I don't think it is the best product for that purpose. I used this like a body wash every night and I usually use it with a loofah to get a really pampering lather. I have eczema on my legs and daily use of this product did not irritate my skin at all. I actually think the loofah itself is more exfoliating than the body polish. Even though it did not serve its purpose as an exfoliator, it was still a really nice treat for dry skin.

I did really enjoy The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Body Polish but not enough to try the other scents. I have since moved on to another body scrub and I'll review it very soon!

Review: Lush Sympathy for the Skin

Lush describes Sympathy for the Skin as a banana body lotion with "real, organic mashed bananas". I don't know why but I was under the impression that this would smell like a banana smoothie and I just had to get this. I love banana smoothies and I think I would definitely love to smell like one. Unfortunately, it doesn't smell like a banana smoothie at all so that was a little disappointing. I didn't really like the scent at first but I did get used to it after awhile.

The body lotion itself is a great product. It is a somewhat runny cream that has a definite thickness and will require some time to absorb into the skin completely. It can be just a tad too heavy in this crazy humidity and heat so I only use this at night before I go to bed. I have eczema on my legs and it is very important for me to use a moisturising body lotion after I shower and I think this did a very good job in keeping my skin hydrated. I think it does take a little time to sink in completely but once it does, your skin will feel very smooth and moisturised and I think it is well worth it.

I've since finished the entire tub but I will not buy it again because I realised that it contains parabens and triethanolamine. Triethanolamine is quite a huge no-no for me so I will definitely look for other alternatives. Lush Sympathy for the Skin is really good, but not good enough for me to ignore the bad ingredients.

On a side note, Lush is incredibly overpriced in Singapore. This 240g tub retails at S$40 here but you can get it at £11.25 in the UK, which is less than S$25! I understand that there's shipping and import taxes involved but I really can't justify paying almost twice the amount here. Luckily for me, my boyfriend's sister studies in the UK and she very kindly brought this back for me last summer. She also got me the Lemony Flutter which I will review in the future!

Review: Nip + Fab Mango Smoothie Body Butter

I'm currently on a holiday and I brought with me a mini of the Nip + Fab Mango Smoothie Body Butter. I spotted this little gem while I was queuing up at the cashier and I thought I would give it a try because I've been wanting to try out Nip + Fab products for quite awhile now. Nip + Fab products are all very reasonably priced and I got this for a steal at S$2!

To be honest, I wasn't expecting very much from the product because of it's price but I'm blown away by how great this body butter is! I've so much good things to say about the Nip + Fab Mango Smoothie and I don't know where to start!

The texture of the body butter is pretty unique. When I first dipped my fingers into the tub, I was slightly surprised as the texture of the body butter felt kind of "hard". I'm not sure how to explain it, the product is just not very creamy and it's consistency is not runny at all. The body butter does melt a little over time and it is much softer now.

The body butter is a very lightweight product that gets absorbed almost instantly. Despite this, I find that it is very moisturizing and my skin feels so smooth and hydrated after use. Such moisturizing body butters are usually heavier in texture and I really like how the Nip + Fab Mango Smoothie Body Butter has the perfect balance. I do have certain areas on my legs that require a little extra and I find that I can get away with applying more of the product to the particular areas for extra hydration. The body butter gets absorbed almost instantly and it isn't sticky at all. This makes it a perfect moisturizer but both mornings and nights.

The Nip + Fab Mango Smoothie Body Butter has a nice scent and it will be a hit for those of you who enjoy fruity scents. I will definitely repurchase this and it may become a permanent addition to my skin care routine! I would love to try out other products from Nip + Fab as well, do you have any favorites?

Review: The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub

I've had The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub for quite awhile now and I think I only have about one scrub's worth of product left in the tub. The reason why this has lasted me for so long is because I haven't been really disciplined when it comes to exfoliating my body.

I hate the packaging of this body scrub. Tubs are one of the worst way to hold a product because they're so unsanitary! It does allow me to use up every single bit of the product it in but I cannot stand the fact that I have to dip my fingers into an entire tub of fresh product. I only scoop up enough product to scrub an area of my body and I end up having to dip my wet and dirty fingers back into the tub. I don't know why tubs are still being used, maybe it's because the granules are too large to pass through the opening of a tube, but I really hope the product will be packaged in something more bathroom friendly in the future.

The product itself is very creamy and it's packed with grounded almonds and rice for exfoliation. I really enjoy using this body scrub because it doesn't strip my skin of its moisture like some body scrubs do and it leaves my skin so ridiculously smooth and supple. This Cocoa Butter Body Scrub is meant for very dry skin and it does moisturize and exfoliate at the same time.

The product washes off easily but it does leave quite a bit of gunk on my bathroom floor. I'm not a fan of the scent of the product as well but it doesn't linger after it has been washed off so it doesn't bother me that much.

I really like The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub and I may repurchase it in the future!

Review: Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter

I purchased a travel-sized gift set from Soap and Glory last Christmas and it includes The Righteous Butter Mini.

My skin tends to dry out and I need to moisturize my body, especially my legs, immediately after a shower or I will end up scratching my skin off. I use scented body lotions in the morning and I prefer something heavier for the night. Well, not too heavy though because I live in a hot and humid climate and thick creams don't work so well in such temperatures.

The Righteous Butter is one of Soap and Glory's best sellers featuring the Original Pink scent and the description on the tub says that it's formulated for very dry skin. It's rather light for a body butter but I do find it sufficiently moisturizing. I don't think that this will be very suitable for very dry skin as it is a lightweight formula and it may not be as moisturizing as heavier formulas.

I do wish that it was a little bit heavier because I like to treat my skin with something more moisturizing at night. This body butter may be more suitable for use in the morning because it gets absorbed really quickly and it doesn't feel sticky at all.

I've finished up the last bits of the product and I don't think that I'll repurchase it. I really enjoy using The Righteous Butter but unfortunately, it contains five different parabens and I'm trying to cut down on my consumption of products are formulated with parabens. It's such a shame because it's a really good product. I'll be digging into my new tub of The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter next!