ladiesfirst • beauty
TRIED and TESTED body blitz
Our readers each put 3 body blitzing skin care products to the ultimate test Tester: Lucie Annabelle Nicklin, 34, Part Time Nursery Assistant
Product: No7 Heavenly Hydration Moisture Mask, £13.50 This product definitely does what it says on the box! My skin gets dry and blotchy so I couldn’t wait to indulge with this, and what a treat it was! The mousse-like cream was easy to apply and was a subtle pink colour that smelled lovely. I applied it to my face then removed it after five minutes with tissues, and voila – my dry skin was gone! My face was left glowing and looked generally more youthful. I’d recommend this product to everyone.
Product: Decléor Paris Rating: 3.5/5 Aromessence Slim Effect Draining Contouring Serum, £42 This product came in a glass spray bottle, although to apply it you need to rub the serum between your hands first to warm it up. The smell was pleasant and invigorating - almost like lemon curd. I used the product on my arms and stomach area, massaging upwards in a clockwise direction. Although it was a little greasy at first, once the serum is absorbed it doesn’t leave you too slippery. My skin was left soft and shiny and the fragrance 4/5 g:unfortunately tinbut Ragreat, was I didn’t see a huge difference after two applications.
Rating: 5/5
Tester: Trina Bodman, 51, Fashion Retailer Rating: 5/5
Product: Neom Organic Body Wash, £15 The scent of fresh basil in this body wash was quite strong and I did find it a little overpowering when the warm water enhanced it. Despite that though, the product was pleasant to use as it created plenty of lather and my skin felt moisturised and soft after I’d used it. A small amount went a long way and I did feel clean and refreshed after using it in the bath. 00
Rating: 3/5
Product: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, £20 I loved this. The smell of the product reminded me of summer fruits and I just wanted to slap it on all the time! My skin felt soft and smooth and I didn’t experience any irritation - which I sometimes do with skincare products. This mask was more of a cream and it doesn’t go hard overnight, in fact, it feels more like a night cream. It washed off easily the next morning leaving my skin feeling soft to the touch. I would definitely purchase this product as I can’t get enough of it!
Rating: 2/5 Product: Amazene Avocado & Andiroba Bath Soak, £9.50 Unfortunately, this bath soak didn’t quite hit the mark with me. The small green crystals do smell nice but the fragrance isn’t very strong. I put a handful of the crystals into a bath yet the water didn’t feel particularly soft as a result, and nor did my skin afterwards. Although my skin was left smelling lightly of avocado, which was pleasant, it didn’t feel very well moisturised.
Product: Méthode Jeanne Piaubert Certitude Minceur Cream, £38 I was slightly sceptical when I read that this cream can make you appear slimmer, and after using it for 2 weeks, I must say – I didn’t see a significant difference in my appearance. Despite that, the product was lovely to use, the light gel texture made it feel luxurious and it was easy to apply. There was no strong smell – it had a clean, soapy fragrance and my skin felt very smooth and soft afterwards. I would certainly continue using this product for the silk-like effect it had on my skin.
Rating: 4/5
ladiesfirst • beauty
Tester: Sandra Elliot, 64, Retired Rating: 4/5
Product: Boots Extracts Fairtrade Mango Body Wash, £4 This body wash worked up into a great lather and left lots of lovely bubbles when I used it in the bath. Though I normally prefer floral scented products, the mango fragrance of the product was light and very nice. After using this, my skin felt lovely and very soft.
Rating: 5/5 Product: Ark Age Repair Nurturing Masque, £27.50 Specially created for 50+ skin, this nurturing face mask needs to be left on for 10 minutes and then rinsed off with warm water. On the box, it says that this product moisturises using special ingredients, smoothes skin leaving it feeling silky, and leaves your complexion more radiant. I would definitely buy this product as it did exactly what it said it would. I found that after using the mask, my skin was left feeling really hydrated and moisturised, and it was lovely to use and apply too.
Rating: 5/5 Product: Dior Svelte Body Hydrating and Firming Crème, £35 This product left my skin feeling and looking very hydrated, which even lasted until the next day. The texture of the crème was very light and I found that a little of the product went a very long way, so one bottle would probably last quite a long time. There was a nice perfume smell to the crème, which also made it a pleasure to use.
Tester: Melanie Suter, 43, UK IT Administrator Rating: 4/5
Product: Kerstin Florian Thermal Mineral Exfoliating Body Scrub, £21 Rating: This scrub smells lovely! It’s an orange granular gel and you can really smell the fresh tea tree in it. The tube is easy to open in the shower and when I rubbed it on in circular motions over legs, arms etc as instructed - it didn’t feel too harsh but was enough to lift dead skin cells or dryness. This would be very good to use before applying false tan. It washed off easily and after towel drying my skin felt invigorated, smooth to touch and moisturised with a lovely sheen. I even had a few comments on how smooth and soft my skin was so I’d definitely use this product again.
Product: Darphin HydroForm Firming Body Cream, £33 I used this firming cream every day for nearly a week and while I can’t say that it made a noticeable firming difference, it was a very good moisturiser. A lovely orangey coloured thick cream, it absorbed very well into my skin leaving it soft and not sticky. I applied it in the mornings and at the end of the day my skin still had that moisturised feel to it. To sum up, it smelled lovely and left my skin feeling good.
5/5 Rating: 4.5/5 Product: Yes To Tomatoes Facial Mask, £11.99 It’s green! And it doesn’t smell of tomatoes either. A mud mask rather than a peel, the texture is very mousse-like and soft to the touch. I applied the mask all over my face and neck. It had a slight tingling sensation at first, but as the mask started to harden it began to give my skin a cooling feeling. It also remained green, which my son found very amusing. After 5 minutes it came off easily with a damp face cloth, and left my skin feeling very clean indeed. My face felt refreshed and surprisingly moisturised, not like other masks that can be drying. This was a very nice product that left my skin soft, fresh and clean.
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