Pampering Yourself with Beauty Products Review
Reviewed by Debbie Talbot
As my teenage daughter, now 14, has got older she seems to have become increasingly hard to buy for, whether on birthdays, at Christmas or a just because treat from her mum. That said, I never seem to be able to go far wrong with beauty products. Her face lights up when she receives new products. I was therefore delighted and excited about being sent a few beauty products to try out ourselves.
The first item we received as a Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Energizing Bath, Body & Massage Oil (RRP: £11.99). This product comes in a 237ml clear bottle with a simple red and pink label. I was amazed to find out from the label that Shea Moisture was established over 100 years ago back in 1912. The label pointed out that the product contains Imbe Oil and Aloe and is meant for dry, dull skin. Dry skin is an issue that both myself and my daughter get from time to time. It can be hard to manage. One hesitation I have is that I can find the smell of coconuts overpowering. I need not have worried as the scent of this massage oil is delightful. Looking at the ingredients I am not surprised about this. As well as containing the ingredients I have already mentioned, the product also contains certified organic shea butter, dragon fruit, lychee berry and green apple. Shea Moisture appear to have found the perfect combination of ingredients to nourish, moisturise and recharge our skin.
I am in my 40’s and feel like my skin is tired looking. I love the glow it has after using the product. I actually got the bottle back off of my daughter last night to write this review and within a short time she was wanting it back to apply the product to her skin as part of her new routine since it arrived. We have noticed that a small amount goes a long way and that it leaves her skin without a greasy feel to it. This product is free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, paraffin, mineral oil and synthetic colour. One final thing I wanted to mention is that it’s great when poured into your bath. I rate this product 5/5 for quality and value for money. At this price point, this product would make a perfect stocking filler.
The next two items we received were a SensatioNail Nailtural Color Polish in shade Berry Balance and one in shade Naturally Nude. Each nail polish container contains 11ml. The top has a wood look to it and the brush looks good quality enough that it would not shed its bristles. The container part of the bottle is made from good quality glass and is clear so you can see the contents. The top is easy to open and close. The nail polishes are vegan and cruelty free and the ingredients used are bio-sourced. I prefer natural products and this is a fantastic one.
First, the Berry Balance shade (RRP: £6.99). This nail polish is stunning. It looks the colour of rich berries and has an 85% plant-based origin. It’s striking but not too colourful. It has a real Christmas feel to it, making it perfect for a Christmas Stocking filler. It goes onto my daughter’s nails beautifully and covers well without using up too much nail polish in each application. A final big plus is that the smell is not too overpowering when opened.
The Naturally Nude shade (RRP: £6.99) as like the Berry Balance shade is stunning but more subtle. The description tells me that it is a mixture of lavender and grey. It covers well and the bottle should last a good while before having to be replaced.
The Naturally Nude shade is my favourite as I prefer a more natural look. My daughter, however, is more daring and prefers the Berry Balance shade. This looks pale pink, which is nice as I am not a fan of bright pink nail polishes. I think that this would look just as nice for a day at work as for an evening out. There’s nothing quite like having a full face of subtle make up and your nails done. I can see now why the product is called SensatioNail. It certainly lives up to its name.
At the time of writing, you can get 20% off of selected SensatioNail products at Boots.
The last product we received was 3 Only Curls Silk Scrunchies – Black Mini (RRP: £10. My teenage daughter has a room full of hair accessories but is very particular when it comes to scrunchies. When I asked what she thought of the pack of mini scrunchies she said that she finds some too big and bulky looking in her hair but that these are perfect. This pack of Only Curls scrunchies brightened up her week. It’s rare that she is not wearing one or more of them. I can see why. They feel so soft to touch and the elastic looks strong. There’s nothing worse than scrunchies which lose their stretchiness and fall out of your hair. I think these will be part of her hair accessories collection for years. I have my eye on them myself. I rate this product 5/5 as £10 is excellent value for 3 mini scrunchies. The quality is phenomenal.
I was so impressed with this product that I had a good look at the Only Curls website. They sell a lovely range of products for curly hair such as cleaner, conditioner, hydrating curl crème, enhancing curl gel and even mini travel versions of their products in a perfect 100ml size. I am actually eyeing up their microfibre hair towel with button fastening (RRP: £17) as I read an interesting article in the press about it this week. The other item which stands out is a satin sleep turban (RRP: £15). The company has even devised their own curly method for dealing with curly hair. I love a company with a good back story. The founder of only curls, Lizzie Carter, was packing orders from her kitchen table in the early days. Despite growing from strength to strength they are still very much a family run business.
In conclusion, I think that all of the above items would make lovely inexpensive stocking filler ideas. I know that I would be delighted to find some or all of them in my stocking Christmas morning, as would my daughter, but why wait till Christmas. Either of the nail polish shades would look stunning at a Christmas Party.