Beauty Kitchen Abyssinian Oil Night Halo Sleep Mask

RRP: £19.99 for 60ml

--What does the promo say?--
"-Nourishing and Detoxing Overnight Mask

-Cleanses, hydrates and refreshes skin

-Glowingly beautiful finish 
Night-time treatment to nourish and detox your skin while you sleep like an Angel. The balm will absorb overnight to deeply hydrate and refresh your skin. Once you’ve woken up from your ‘beauty sleep’, cleanse your face with a konjac sponge or face cloth and admire your new glowing complexion! Suitable for all skin types."

--Packaging--

The yellow box that the pot of balm comes in is refreshing, cheerful and unusual, and of course is entirely recyclable. It tells you everything you need to know, without spin or clutter. The black plastic pot is practical too in terms of both ergonomics and size.

--Application--

Use on your face after cleansing, in place of your usual moisturiser. Let the excess sink in overnight, then cleanse in the morning as normal. Simples :)

--Appearance--

The balm itself is a pale yellow, but leaves no visible residue on the face.

--Scent--

The fruits and flowers are the most prominent, particularly the orange and rose, without any particular scent being overpowering. It smells rich and natural; utterly divine. The high quality of the ingredients is evident.

--Texture--

Smooth, with only a slight graininess (which dissolves once blended onto the face), and not at all runny. It massages into the skin well and sinks in beautifully overnight.

--Effects on the skin--

Wonderfully moisturising, and furthermore, conducive to sleep: I used it and had one of the best nights' sleep I've had in ages. Crucial as we have to adjust our sleep patterns as of today due to the changing clocks!

--Longevity--

You need so little at a time (a dollop the size of a 5p piece or so for your whole face) that one pot will last you ages.

--Value for money--

Beauty Kitchen's PR kindly sent mine for free, but thanks to the top-notch ingredients, clear effects and the fact that a little goes such a long way, I would gladly pay for mine. Bonne nuit!

perfect partners

Natural Cream Cleanser, £12.99

Intensive Daily Hand Treatment, £12.99

5 Minute Miracle Mask, £14.99

Intensive Eye and Deep Lines Serum, £14.99

Handbag Beauty Balm, £14.99

Aroma Facial Concentrate, £19.99

Facial Cleansing Balm, £19.99

Facial Moisture Cream, £19.99

Skin Care Starter Kit, £50 (saves you £31!)

Wild Olive Luxury Bath Melts

RRP: £14.95 for a box of six

--What does the promo say?--
"Deliciously delectable and sumptuously indulgent, these beautiful Bath Melts make a fantastic gift for anyone; or a luxurious treat for yourself after a long, hard day’s work. Decorated to look like yummy cupcakes and arriving in the sweetest pink egg box, this is a tub of treats nobody will be able to resist - and better still, no calories!

The gorgeous gift box contains 3 tranquil bath souffles and 3 soothing sundaes, all enriched with creamy cocoa butter creating super soft skin and a gorgeously indulgent bath.

Create a unique atmosphere with each Luxury Bath Melt, whether it’s natural and fresh or romantic and sensual; each bath melt is fragranced with a different essential oil to suit every mood."

--Packaging--

The pink egg box is original, pretty and eco-friendly, as well as protecting the melts securely, and while the papers are tricky to peel off the bath melts initially, they come off quickly once the melt has been immersed in your bath water for a couple of seconds. This wrapping, too, is recyclable, so the company's philosophy and innovation in packaging design is certainly to be applauded. The only minor gripe would be the proofreading errors on the packaging itself, which detracts slightly from the brand's professionalism.

--Usage--

Drop the melt into the bath and let it melt away. The paper case can be easily slipped off and discarded after a couple of seconds. Very easy.

--Appearance--

Beautifully decorated and designed to resemble cupcakes and fairy cakes, these bath melts catch the eye, and their natural origins are augmented by the decorations of dried flowers, which float in the bath once the melt has dissolved for an extra luxurious touch. Some bubbles of cocoa butter will float on the water's surface as well. Depending on which bath melt you drop in, the bath water can appear opaque, milky, glittery or translucent. No visible residue is left on the skin.

--Scent--

The melt perfumes the entire bathroom stunningly well, not just thanks to the essential oils used but also due to the dried flowers used to decorate. The scent is natural, too, rather than being overridden by artificial soap smells.

--Texture and consistency, and effects on the skin --

The bath water feels smooth and moisturising, and thanks to the melts' high concentration of cocoa butter and essential oils leaves your skin feeling wonderfully soft.

--Value for money--

The highly appropriate size of these bath melts (especially compared to Lush's, which some may consider oversized), along with the luxurious experience evoked by the scents, pretty styling, and the moisturising effect on the skin, make these of excellent value, and a wonderful gift at any time of year. I was sent mine for free by Prezzybox, but will definitely be buying as a present for relatives this Christmas.

Vaseline Spray and Go Body Moisturiser

RRP: £4.99 for 190ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Moisturises in seconds so you can put your clothes straight on. Instantly leaves skin soft, not sticky or greasy. Dispenses evenly with one all over continuous spray."

--Packaging--
The vibrant colours reflect the essence of each available scent (cocoa, oat, and aloe vera), while the plant-based illustrations also portray a degree of natural provenance. The spray mechanism is efficient, and the swivelling top means there's no pesky lid to lose, either, with the chances of leakage in your bag also being significantly reduced as a consequence.

--Application--
Hold 10 cm from the skin and spray where desired, before rubbing in. This is easy, with a little of the product going a long way.

--Appearance--
All variants spray on white and rub in invisibly.

--Scent--
While I haven't yet had a chance to try the cocoa butter variant (sadly!), Vaseline did kindly send me the oat version, which smells pleasantly neutral (think freshly laundered cotton), and the aloe vera version (which smells vaguely botanical, but not overwhelmingly so) - neither of which should interfere with perfume.

--Texture and consistency--
Rubs in quickly and easily, as promised, meaning you can get dressed straight away without worrying about the product staining your clothes.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin is left quickly moisturised and non-greasy, in both the short and long-term.

--Value for money--
This is at least £1 more than Vaseline's standard body lotions, so you really have to want this format and consistency specifically. However, other brands selling the same size package, including classic body moisturiser Atrixo, are roughly the same in terms of both cost and result. Crucially, though, this product currently represents something new and different, with only Palmers offering a similar product. So if you're one of those who likes to be first on the scene, you definitely won't be disappointed by this fragrant and functional product. Look out for good deals on the high street for even better value, too.

perfect partners
Lip Therapy, £2.10
Intensive Care Healthy Hands + Stronger Nails Hand Cream, £3.99
Pure Petroleum Jelly, from £2.19
Intensive Care Aloe Fresh Roll-On, £1.69
Active Fresh Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Spray, £1.90

Montagne Jeunesse Weather Screen Lip Balm

--What does the promo say?--

"Are you a Busy outdoor Bee? Then protect your best feature from the elements with Wheatgerm & Black Pepper for a subtle tingly sensation, and flavour with a kick. The Olive Oil safeguards your skin whilst Shea Butter and 100% pure Beeswax soothes and locks moisture in."

--Packaging--

The honeycomb cartoon on the front of the tube is cheerful and the pull-off plastic lid stays secure, but is not difficult to remove when you do need to use it. More balm is exposed by twisting the bottom of the tube. It also features the Vegetarian Standard mark from the Vegetarian Society, but I don't know if the tube itself is recyclable (although the paper and plastic sleeve it comes in definitely is).

--Application--

Slap on to clean, dry lips and go about your daily business. Simples.

--Appearance--

The balm is a fairly solid white-yellow creamy block that leaves a slight, barely detectable sheen on the lips once applied.

--Scent--

The smell of shea and cocoa butters is dominant, which is a little boring; given the emphasis on beeswax, a honey-scented product might have been more pleasant and different.

--Texture and consistency--

Smooth, soft and absorbs well.

--Effects on the skin--

Softens and smoothens lips, but no better or worse than any other commercial lip balm. I also don't really "get" the weather screen part - it contains no SPF, so I don't see how it would provide any beyond-superficial protection to your lips. If the variety of essential oils that have been used do in fact have this effect, it needs to be explained on the pack, as it isn't really common knowledge.

--Value for money--

The main appeal of this product is its 99.5% natural claim. However, there are definitely other products out there for the same price that do just as well or better - Fair Squared's lip balms, for instance, are not only 99% organic but also vegan due to their lack of beeswax; Jason and Optima also offer natural lip balms for this price, and Optima's contain SPF too. This means that Montagne Jeunesse needs to constantly keep its eyes on the competition so as to constantly develop its products for the better. I'm loving the all-natural thing, but would prefer such a product to have a more obvious SPF in it - and if that SPF can be natural, so much the better.

Lush Stepping Stone Foot Scrub

RRP: £2.75/65 grams

--What does the promo say?--
"Everyone needs a Stepping Stone after an arduous day with your foot to the pedal. The green foot has the zesty You’ve Been Mangoed fragrance and punishing pumice to scrub away the rigours of life. Jojoba oil will moisturise dry skin without leaving them greasy and sea salt will treat them to plentiful minerals."

--Packaging--
As with many Lush products, this comes with minimal packaging - this time, a recyclable plastic wrap. The bad news is that this doesn't protect the product at all, so if you order online, chances are it will arrive broken into a few pieces. This also means that storing it is pretty tricky: I'd recommend buying one of Lush's larger tins (e.g. the one recommended for Buffy) so that you can easily store and access it in the shower.

--Application and usage--
Wet the feet, scrub on a little of this, massage into the feet and then rinse off. Turns the water a cool green colour :) Is easy to rinse and does not leave your hands with any sort of Shrek-like tinge.

--Appearance--
Formed into the shape of a foot, this might be worn down or battered a little by the time you receive it if using Lush's online ordering service. A nice natural-looking (not luminous) green, and the pumice particles are clearly visible.

--Scent--
The dominant smell here does come from the citrus elements and the lemongrass that's included; makes for a zesty and enlivening shower.

--Texture and consistency--
This has got to be just about the tamest exfoliator I have ever used (short of Avène's poor efforts) - it is extremely gentle and so could be good for those of you with sensitive skin or for those of you looking to just maintain smooth feet. However, it is also extremely crumbly and does melt and fizz under the shower water quite quickly, so perhaps it is better to break off the amount you wish to use so that the entirety of the product doesn't just disintegrate in your hand.

--Effects on the skin--
As was perhaps implied in the above remarks, as a treatment for dry hard skin this is too gentle to be effective. Probably better as a general maintenance product for those of you who already have smooth feet.

--Value for money--
At £2.75 this is one of Lush's cheaper products, and is probably an efficacious day-to-day maintenance product. However, if you are looking for a treatment, you will need something more heavy-duty, such as Lush's Ocean Salt, which is more expensive but also gives far more positive results.

perfect partners
Sugar Scrub, £2.60/100 grams
You've Been Mangoed Bath Melt, £2.80/30 grams
Avobath Bath Ballistic, £2.90/180 grams

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

RRP: £12 for 70ml; £4.50 for 15ml

--What does the promo say?--
"This kind, yet effective facial polisher is ideal for gently buffing away dead skin cells and impurities to leave all skin types (except sensitive) brighter, smoother and fresher."

--Packaging--
Can only speak for the full-size package, which comes in a pale yellow pump-mechanism tube made from hard plastic. The lid is translucent with a silver band around the bottom and the Liz Earle logo is also silver, with the brand name in a darker yellow. All other product information is in a tiny black font. All very sophisticated and calm.

--Application--
From the website: "Apply 2 pumps to clean skin after using Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Gently massage in with your fingertips using light, circular movements. Concentrate on the most commonly congested areas of skin such as the forehead, nose, chin and jawline but avoid your eye area. Fingertip pressure and the gentle friction of the beads will stimulate blood flow and slough away dead skin cells helping to unblock pores. Rinse off with warm water and pat your face dry with a towel." If you have normal skin exfoliating once every 1-2 weeks is fine, but you may want to exfoliate more often if you have problematic skin.

--Appearance--
A white, stiff creamy substance. The jojoba beads aren't really visible and the consistency is just perfect. No residue is left on the face after use.

--Scent--
Pretty neutral and barely-there, though you can pick up the eucalyptus scent slightly.

--Consistency/texture--
The exfoliator itself is creamy and light and lathers up a little as well. On the face you can definitely feel the jojoba beads - they're very tiny and fine though.

--Longevity--
The effects of this aren't any more long-lasting than any other exfoliators I've used, unfortunately (although the face still feels smooth after use). Pretty average.

--Value for money--
I think this is nice to use, but expensive for what it is. It may be better value if you buy it as part of a set, as I did, but I wouldn't pay £12 for it. I also thought it was best suited to normal skin (rather than, as claimed on the tube, 'every skin type except sensitive') - I have quite oily skin and while this product wasn't damaging to my skin, it didn't really improve my skin either and I can only conclude from this that the product isn't specialist enough for my skin type (which I guess I already knew). It also didn't smoothen my skin any more than any other exfoliator I've used. I'd therefore recommend making sure you've got an exfoliator that's definitely suited to your skin type, and if you want uber-smoothness from the Liz Earle range, try their intensive moisturiser instead.

perfect partners
Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, £10.75
Instant Boost Skin Tonic, £10.50
Skin Repair Moisturiser, £15.50