Montagne Jeunesse Deodorising Foot Scrub

RRP: £1.09 for 25ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Take a seat and put your feet up. This natural Water Melon & Mint Foot Scrub removes dry and rough areas. The new anti-bacterial formula combats odour so your feet will be left feeling smooth and fresh all over."

--Packaging--
 The foot-shaped sachet is fun and different to other foot scrubs, although the slit in the side to peel it open is not all that helpful (have scissors at the ready). The Montagne Jeunesse packaging is always fun, young and bright, and this is no exception. However, Montagne Jeunesse appears to be phasing out the sachets in favour of larger bottles, which could be less convenient for travel but more practical overall.

--Application--
Massage into wet or dry feet until all rough skin is removed, using hands, a sponge or a loofah. Rinse off when done. Easy and quick.

--Appearance--
A light-brown coloured liquidy paste with dots of darker brown (the walnut shell granules). Leaves no visible residue on the skin after use.

--Scent--
While slightly sweet, the watermelon scent is not too overwhelmingly. Equally, the mint scent is not that detectable, although feet still appear to be deodorised successfully, so I'm guessing the mint is working its magic regardless.

--Texture and consistency--
Rather wet, unfortunately. The only problem with this product, as it does increase wastage.

--Effects on the skin--
As mentioned, this product deodorises effectively. It also follows through on its promise with regards to the disappearance of dry and rough skin, helping to send it packing.

--Value for money--
The £1.09 sachet is an absolute steal, especially given the product quality and the fact that it will scrub both your feet about four times. However, this makes me think that this will continue with the 80ml Foot Buffer bottle, which is set to replace this (and at its size is still fine for hand baggage travel - yay!), in terms of providing value that's as good or better. Definitely would carry on repurchasing the sachets until they're no longer available, and wouldn't hesitate to upgrade to the Foot Buffer after that. Nice work from Montagne Jeunesse as always.

perfect partners
Blueberry and Mint Foot Cooler, £4.99
Peppermint and Pumice Foot Buffer, £4.99
Cucumber and Mint Foot Lotion, £4.99
Cherry and Mint Tired Leg Gel, £4.99 

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.

Montagne Jeunesse Squeezed Orange Extract Pore Strips (Nose)

RRP: £1.49 for a sachet containing 3 nose strips

--What does the promo say?--
"These ultra deep cleansing pore strips contain natural citrus to draw out deep-rooted impurities and blackheads for cleaner, less visible pores on and around your nose. The orange fragrance is really uplifting. Suitable for vegans; gluten free; dairy free; and nut-derivative free."

--Packaging--
A simple throwaway plastic sachet, with a neutral background and orange decoration, plus your trademark image of a smiling clear-skinned girl wearing the pore strip. The Montagne Jeunesse logo and the bright orange 'pore strips' sign occur at the top of the sachet. The sachet is easy to open; just tear off the top and remove the nose strip (each of the 3 nose strips is also individually packaged in blue and orange mini sachets). Then undo the individual nose strip sachet to reveal the nose strip (specially shaped to fit the contours of the nasal area), stuck to a clear plastic backing. All very simple to open and it keeps each strip individually preserved until you want to use it. The packaging design is also very normal for the Montagne Jeunesse brand image.

--Application--
Slightly trickier than you would expect. As well as wetting your nose, you also have to wet the back of the strip (the sticky side) before putting the strip on your face. This sounds simple, but if you wet the strip too much or not enough then it just doesn't work. Shame. Once you have the thing stuck to your nose, leave it on until it dries and hardens (should take no more than 15 minutes) and then rip off gently like you would a plaster.

--Appearance--
The strips are white and specially shaped so that they will sit well on the nose as well as extending slightly onto the cheeks.

--Sensitivity--
The strips seem very sensitive and I have experienced no irritation or dehydration of the skin while using them.

--Do they do what they say they will?--
Sometimes! If you get lucky and manage to get the amount of water right on the strip and your face then the strip clings well, dries and hardens excellently, and removes blackheads effectively. However, if you misjudge the amount of water needed (VERY easy to do - I've been using these strips for a while and still don't always get it right), then the strip doesn't harden properly and thus removes few/no blackheads. When they work, they work very very well. When they don't work they are RUBBISH.

--Value for money--
At £1.49 for 3 strips, that works out at less than 50p a strip - not bad considering that most high street brands such as Biore and T-Zone charge closer to £1 per strip. As I've said, when they work they do work extremely well (certainly better than other brands I've tried), so at that price, you've got nothing to lose.

*all of the above also applies to Montagne Jeunesse's Green Tea Forehead and Chin Strips, also £1.49 for 3 strips

Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Mud Masque

RRP: 99p for 20g sachet

--What does the promo say?--
"Chocolate, yes, it’s chocolate. A guilt free treat! This masque offers a feast of creamy delights – it’s outrageous! This deep cleansing masque helps unblock pores, moisturises and heals for skin that glows with health. It smells incredible – imagine these – Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter – creamy heaven. Enjoy!"

--Packaging--
It's a sachet about the size of my hand. It's easy to rip open so that you can get enough of the mask out without it going everywhere. I can't make up my mind if I like the package design or not - on one hand, it's nice to see something a bit different to the generic pretty girl, big blue eyes, smiling, thin layer of face mask on face, but on the other hand, nobody's going to lie there with the entire mask caked on their face and chocolate slabs over their eyes to boot. However, it does give Montagne Jeunesse a very distinct image that is common to all of their products and makes it stand out on the shelf - which I guess is what you're looking for if you're a marketing executive.

--Application--
Simply rip open the sachet (with fingers or scissors), squeeze out some of the mask onto your fingers, and apply to face. Leave to dry for 10-15 mins and then wash off with a flannel.

--Appearance--
The mask looks thick and creamy from the outset even before application to the face. You can then apply a layer that's as thin or as thick as you like. The colour of the mask is strong and doesn't betray the image on the sachet.

--Texture--
Creamy and soft both on your fingers and on your face. Feels firm rather than runny so it's very easy to apply.

--Scent--
Other mud masques I've used tend to smell of exactly that: mud. But oh my goodness, this actually does smell like Nutella. As a chocoholic I was in complete heaven with this.

--How does your skin feel afterwards?--
Really smooth and sort of 'finished' and refined. You smell of chocolate for a while afterwards as well. However, I wouldn't say your skin feels any better if you apply a really thick layer.

--Drying--
10-15 minutes' drying time is perfect if you only apply a thin layer. However, if you want a thicker layer and thus a more luxurious experience, half an hour's drying time might be more appropriate.

--Product life--
My boyfriend opened the packet, made one application, and then left it open. Exactly a week later, he used some again and it was still in absolutely perfect condition, despite having been left open. It didn't go dry or sticky or crumbly...it was just sheer perfection.

--Value for money--
Montagne Jeunesse is a very low-budget range, but you get an excellent product that makes your skin feel smooth, toned and refined. You get an even better bargain if you buy one of their lucky dip packs from www.montagnejeunesse.com - 10 products for £6 (60p/sachet), 25 sachets for £12 (48p/sachet) or 50 sachets for £18 (36p/sachet), where you get what they've chosen for you. (Other places, such as Amphora Aromatics online store, and Boots, also sell the products, but only the official site has the full range and only they do the lucky dips which enable you to save money.) Not only this, you get more than one application per sachet. My boyfriend applied the mask twice in a very thin layer, I applied it once in quite a thick layer, and there's still some left in the sachet, so I'd say you're getting a minimum of 3 or 4 applications PER SACHET. Bargain.