I tried the Pure Calming Cleanser, a transparent runny gel designed to gently cleanse and condition sensitive skin. It contains “Soothex” the non drying formula which was very easy to apply and foamed up quickly. The cleanser is very gentle, it rinses well and there was no stinging or burning removed all my makeup with no problem.

Simply Pure range: - Cleanser, toner and moisturiser

Simply Pure does exactly what the label says, no fancy ingredients just a simple inoffensive cooling cleanser that doesn’t irritate sensitive skin.  My worry with products that are designed for sensitive skin is that it can dry the skin leaving it feeling very tight, but in this case my skin didn’t dry out.  I used the Simply Pure Moisturiser which is a SPF 15 and non-greasy – perfect for people who suffer from oily skin.  Simple Pure is not only effective and affordable but used with natural products too – well worth the try!

A sucker for packaging I was immediately taken by the pretty square tin which will make a perfect jewellery box after the bath salts run out. The salts themselves have a sweet fruity smell and I’ve taken to leaving the lid off so that the smell can waft through my bedroom, doubling up as a non plug-in air freshener.

Used in a bath, the salts immediately create a relaxing atmosphere, the smell is simply delicious and it lulls you into a pleasant, slightly dreamy state… perfect and comforting during these wintery nights.

I don’t generally use salts in my bath and instead tip a load of some generic body wash into the water but using these salts have transformed bath time into a much more luxurious experience; and at a cost of only £4.99 per tin from the Superdrug site the price really doesn’t break the bank.

I highly recommend the Leafy and Lovely salts; it’ll make your bath times an indulgent little party for one!

The hand wash also produces a surprising amount of foam so every time you wash your hands it’s like having a mini foam party in your palms. I got to try out Waterfall and Sweetwater which both gave a delicate, subtle fresh fragrance which is naturally derived and the soap proudly declares it is free of parabens, triclosan and EDTA (if you’re wondering what these are then let me briefly explain; parabens are a class of chemicals, triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent and EDTA  is an acid. Experts generally agree none of these are ideal for use on your skin).

Method leaves your skin feeling clean and soft, the pretty packaging is 100% recycled, it retails for only £1.65 and you can even get refills.

Method is not only a hand wash; it is a hand wash with a conscience.

My first nude encounter was with the Blinking Lovely eye make-up remover, which I, you might say reasonably, expected to be a cream or gel… not so.  This product is essentially as liquidy as water, and rather disconcertingly… foams.  A lot.  Combined with the grey plastic bottle, and the bubbles spilling out at every given opportunity, I hate to say the overall effect was that of washing up liquid.  And despite being labelled as fragrance free, Blinking Lovely had a distinct odour of… yes you guessed it… washing up liquid.  Sadly the result after just one use was a messy cap, wet bottle, and sticky everything in sight.  Now don’t get me wrong, in pursuit of natural products I’ve indulged in some wacky concepts… solid shampoo bars, yellow powder under eye concealor, lipgloss pencils… but the quirkiness of this product wasn’t enjoyable.  As an eye make-up remover it was okay; eyeshadow was no problem but for me, it struggled with even non-waterproof mascara and wasn’t worth grappling with the ‘Hands that do dishes are as soft as your face’ effect for the results that it produced.

Moving on, I was pleased to find more straight forward results with the Looking Good soothing eye gel.  The gel was thin and unsticky, although with the same ‘fragrance free’ fragrance as the eye make-up remover, and was cooling on impact.  It made the skin feel taught, absorbed well, and I can see its worth as a basic everyday eye product.  A so-so verdict for these particular two items this time around, but overall, great to see new natural brands coming to Superdrug, and perhaps I’ll be fortunate in finding other items more suited to me amongst the rest of the Naked Skin range.  If you’re looking to venture into natural skincare for the first time, and fancy an accessible and affordable range to break you in, my advice would be to head into the store and look at these products for yourself, give them a sniff and figure out whether the textures are to your liking.  If they are… then ignore me and get foaming!

www.sarahjaneadams.com

Moving home, there are always so many things to remember, but you are always bound to forget the most important things, like handwash.

So I was lucky enough to try out the new Method handwash. Celebrities such as Cat Deely, Rachel Bilson, Brad Pitt and Stella McCartney, cant get enough of Method Handwash.  So why is this handwash so popular with the celebs?  It contains vitamin E, aloe and glycerine for extra moisturising and is made from non-toxic products, suitable for vegans and for people who “want a better way to clean”.

Method available in a variety of scents

The soap is available in variety of scents including sweet water, waterfalls and lavender.   I really liked the teardrop bottle, which is recyclable as well so its kind to the environment.  I especially liked the light scent of the Waterfall handwash as it wasn’t overpowering like some handwashes which can be so harsh on my hands.  But unlike many handwashes, Method lathers well and rinses quickly leaving my hands feeling soft and smelling lovely!

I have been using this on top of my normal moisturiser but then sticking to this and not adding foundation. My skin has felt so soft and I haven’t felt the need to add foundation as it’s cover up has been more than adequate. Also the cream glides on easily without pulling the skin and is simple to blend in without leaving streaks at the jaw and hair line.  My skin has been glowing with this cream and looks hydrated and luminous. I have found the application to be extremely quick and easy thus cutting down what little precious time I have in the morning to apply my make up…ask my children, I won’t go out unless it’s on.

The cream is available in two shades, light and medium and has an SPF 15 which certainly ticks the boxes for me.

I will definitely be sticking to this in replacement of my normal foundation, at least until my skin needs a little extra cover up over the winter months. Also at £9.99 I think it is excellent value as effectively it is doing two jobs at once, although it is only £7.99 in Superdrug at the moment. I’m off to stock up…

It’s no secret these creams have gone down a storm in the beauty industry, first in East and Southeast Asia and now even here.

These creams are meant to be all things to all ladies, a moisturizer, a sun block and a light foundation all rolled into one. In fact this cream gets rid of a significant portion of the products on our vanity table.

But is it any good?

Well when I was asked to give the latest Garnier BB cream a go by Superdrug I found out.

The product packaging is nifty and pretty and the cream itself smells amazing; light and fresh.

The cream is the colour of foundation and currently there are two available shades; light and medium which is a bit of a shame as it is always nice to have an exact colour match rather than falling into a broad spectrum however Garnier has just begun making these creams and I suspect if they are popular enough and demand is high enough we’ll soon be seeing a various number of shades on the shelves.

I initially began to use the BB cream as a replacement to my usual moisturizer and while I can’t complain about the coverage during the day I can’t say that I noticed the reduction of blemishes, but that may be because I haven’t used the product for long enough. The cream did tend to leave my face feeling dry after a while as I do have skin prone to dryness; I had to “top up” my face with a little of my regular moisturizer from time to time.

However all that being said I do believe that Garnier are onto a good thing. I don’t think I’ll throw out my moisturizer anytime soon but my foundation may have had its day! The cream is perfect to use in the day time for light coverage and the sun block element of the product is a huge plus point.

All in all I’d say BB creams are a welcome addition to our skin care regimes.

Compiled by Sarah-Jane Adams | www.sarahjaneadams.com

So what is a BB cream? Also known as a Blemish Balm Cream, it is among Asia’s hottest beauty products right now and is even used to heal laser skin surgery because it is meant to have soothing and skin-regenerating properties.

Garnier BB Cream

Garnier’s BB cream has combined a Vitamin C derivative known for its antioxidant and illuminating properties with mineral pigments to unify your complexion for a sheer natural look.  It claims to immediately unify, cover, illuminate and hydrate and protect the skin, giving a sheer ultra-natural coverage, offering SPF 15 UV protection too!

Unfortunately the BB Cream is only available in 2 shades, light and medium, so I’m hoping Garnier will release more shades in this range!

]]> http://blog.superdrug.com/garnier-bb-cream-%e2%80%93-the-all-in-one-solution/feed/ 0 http://blog.superdrug.com/to-b-b-or-not-to-b-b/ http://blog.superdrug.com/to-b-b-or-not-to-b-b/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:33:02 +0000 sarahjaneadams http://blog.superdrug.com/?p=13260 B.B creams are an Asian phenomenon that have been long anticipated and hotly tipped upon our own fair shores… and no, I’d never heard of them either.  But all that’s about to change with the launch of Garnier’s own attempt at introducing this cosmetic wonder product to a Western audience.  The premise is simple; a Beauty Balm cream does it all… moisturiser, fine line corrector, imperfection concealor, SPF and foundation in one easy tube.

Sound like the solution your overcrowded makeup bag is crying out for?  ‘Miracle Skin Perfector, Daily All-In-One B.B Cream‘ promises 24 hour hydration, blurred imperfections, even tone and a glowing colour, in the convenience of one step.  The consistency is light, ideal if you’re a fan of tinted moisturisers, have trouble free skin, or don’t favour foundation during the day, but perhaps not heavy duty enough to tackle any form of blemish or replace a full base.

In reality, the colour tint is sadly limited to only two shades at this time, so die hard liquid foundation lovers might find themselves lost without an entire palette to choose from… and I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure women come in more than a couple of skin tones.  But should you be lucky enough to fall into Garnier’s definition of either Light or Medium, you may be onto a winner… if you’re also one of those equally blessed ladies with flawless skin that can get away with barely there coverage, of course.  I hate you by the way, generically perfect reader.

Upon my own freakishly white skin, the Light selection was ironically too dark, but as I have to use fake tan just to get to the shade that vampires favour, there’s hope that it will be suitable for more normal individuals.  And those who go out in the daylight.

All in all, it appears that this move towards B.B creams is the first of many future innovations in the market, with Garnier making the exciting first step to test this market with European consumers.  To B.B, or not to B.B?  That is the question, so get down to Superdrug and let them know your answer!

www.sarahjaneadams.com

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