Diptyque Radiance Boosting Powder

RRP: £38 for 40g

--What does the promo say?--
"Natural white clay powder, which purifies and remineralizes skin, is combined with powdered rose, jasmine, and neroli petals to hydrate. With a splash of water, Radiance Boosting Powder turns into a creamy lather that leaves skin clean and clear, ready for the next steps in your skincare ritual."

--Packaging--
My sample from Diptyque's PR arrived in a convenient travel sachet, whereas the full-size version appears to come in a bottle, which seems a little bizarre but will hopefully minimise wastage compared to, say, a pot with a wide opening. The black and white colour scheme is minimalist and unisex, and the botanical logo is both beautiful and informative, summing up the diptyque philosophy inherent in its plant-based products.

--Application--
Place approximately half a teaspoon into your cupped palm and rub in enough toner (diptyque's, or your own preference) to make a paste that's thick enough to massage into your skin. This can be left on for a while and used as a mask, or wiped off immediately with a wet flannel. This was fun to do and surprisingly efficient - no powder all over your bathroom :)

--Appearance--
The white powder becomes a slightly grainy paste when mixed with fluid, but leaves no visible residue on the skin.

--Scent--
Despite the essential oils of orange, neroli and jasmine, the clay itself was the overriding scent.

--Texture and consistency--
The powder gels into a spreadable paste easily upon contact with liquid and does not go runny and insipid easily. As mentioned, this has a slightly exfoliating effect, but is non-irritating and is easily rinsed off.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin appears calmed and more matte while simultaneously increasing in radiance. The use of salicylic acid in the product also meant I saw an improvement in my acne while using it - win :)

--Value for money--
While expensive, it remains an affordable luxury - particularly given that a mere two grams of this product lasted me around a week, and probably would have lasted even longer if I'd tried hard (I was not sparing with the powder!). This means the 40g in the bottle would last 20 weeks minimum (around 5 months) if used every day. It's an extremely high quality product which gave me rapid results, mattifying my skin and just generally making it less red and angry. Would recommend.

perfect partners (click for reviews!)
Infused Facial Water, £35
Protective Moisturising Lotion, £44
Deluxe Face Care Gift Set, £48

Dr Hauschka Cleansing Cream

RRP: £14.95

--What does the promo say?--
"Deep cleansing. Maintains the pH balance so that the acidic barrier protecting your skin is not broken down. Maintains and supports the skin's natural moisture level."

--Packaging--
The white metal tube is mostly practical, though could be prone to breaking in the middle if you don't squeeze from the end. The slightly sober design gives the impression of a brand to be taken seriously, and is suitably unisex.

--Application--
Easy to use - just squeeze a little into your palm and rub gently onto a damp face before rinsing off. Don't be too rough - the almond meal will do the work for you. 

--Appearance--
Doesn't look the way you'd expect a cream to thanks to its grainy appearance. The dark orange colour is also a surprise - even though it looks natural rather than artificial - but doesn't leave any visible residue on the skin. 

--Scent--
A slightly oaty, yeasty smell that probably comes from the nuts and nut oils used in the product (almond and peanut) as well as the wheatgerm. The floral and fruity ingredients are not detectable at all, and neither is the witch hazel.

--Texture and consistency--
Satisfyingly scrubby without being rough. Not creamy, though, so no idea where this concept of it being a "cleansing cream" has come from.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin looks noticeably more radiant even from the first use, and skin condition (including acne) visibly improves. Skin is left clean and fresh, especially when used with other Dr Hauschka products. Even on hot days, skin is significantly less oily and shiny, making this a spectacularly efficient product.

--Value for money--
Unquestionably good thanks to the excellent results. Even the UK price, which is often hiked up significantly compared to European prices, is reasonable at just under £15. It's true that with twice-daily use you may need to replace it as often as once a month - but given how high a price tag many other companies put on such a good outcome, this is a quality product that's fairly priced. Would repurchase.

perfect partners
Cleansing Clay Mask, £25.45
Facial Toner, £23.45
Normalising Day Oil, £24.25 

ZAO Mascara

RRP: £16.95
# of shades available: 2

--What does the promo say?--
"Mascara is your secret weapon! It enhances your look for every occasion and is designed to give intense colour and volume whilst providing hydration. ZAO mascara reduces the risk of redness and irritation to your eyes. It contains high-quality raw materials Suitable for regular use and sensitive eyes. Combining traditional craftsmanship and modern design, the painted bamboo case emanates sophistication and originality. It is protected by a cotton pouch like a jewel. This beautiful presentation even makes the ZAO product range a perfect gift."

--Packaging--
ZAO aren't wrong when they emphasise their beautiful, sustainable bamboo packaging. You wouldn't even want to throw this away when you're done with it. Refillable mascara is probably not a possibility right now, but I hope their other products are refillable.

--Application--
As normal: apply one thin layer of mascara to each set of lashes. Go back round again, adding a second thin layer (as opposed to just applying one thick layer from the outset) to further define lashes. Not difficult.

--Appearance--
Regardless of the shade chosen, this provides a beautifully natural, complementary shade that will suit anyone. Lashes are separated perfectly - better than just about any high street mascara I've seen.

--Texture and consistency--
Wonderfully smooth, without being too liquid or sticky. No clumps whatsoever.

--Value for money--
I know £16.95 seems like a lot of money, even if the packaging is sustainable and elegantly crafted. However, this is basically the perfect product: its price is in line with big brands like Clinique and Laura Mercier, but contains much friendlier ingredients and gives just as good a result (and even better). Even though I was sent mine for free, I would definitely come back to this brand, as the sheer quality of this mascara augurs very well for ZAO's other products.


perfect partners
Cream Eye Shadow, £13.95
Eye Liner, £16.95
Eyebrow Pencil, £9.95

Dr Hauschka Rejuvenating Mask

RRP: £35/30ml

--What does the promo say?--
"This pack brings life and vitality to pale, dry skin and helps improve the elasticity of pores. It can also help with the healing of scar tissue. Nurturing plant oils soothe and calm sensitivities as well as moisturising the skin."

--Packaging--
An almost medicinal metal tube with a plastic white screw-top lid and minimal writing. Only the characteristic orange band for decoration gives it away as being a Dr Hauschka product and not something your doctor would prescribe.

--Application--
The Dr Hauschka website advises use once or twice a week for best results. The mask (which I was kindly sent by Dr Hauschka's PR bods) should be applied liberally after cleansing and toning, left for 20-30 minutes, and then removed with a moist cloth. It can also be applied to heavily scarred areas lightly, on a daily basis, underneath moisturiser and makeup, to act as a day-to-day healing agent.

--Appearance--
The "mask" is in fact a thick cream, and the colour is a sickly-looking yellow-green colour. But don't let this put you off in the least: it leaves no visible residue on the skin and the colours come from entirely natural sources.

--Scent--
Refreshing, citric and herbal, meaning that this makes for a unisex product that can be used by all, although it's difficult to say where the scent comes from exactly, as the preparation is packed with good things, including apricot, borage, and jojoba oils.

--Texture and consistency--
Unlike a 'normal' face mask, this doesn't dry on your face. It comes out of the tube like a thick cream and stays that way throughout the 20-30 minute wait. The skin seems to absorb what it needs and then you can wipe away any excess. In spite of all the oils used, it's not greasy in the least, and it's easy to wipe off the excess too.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin definitely feels significantly softer after use, and even though I've only used it twice, I can see a small improvement in my skin already, with there being fewer spots and less redness.

--Value for money--
This is an interesting conundrum. To my mind it's an effective, luxurious product, made with high-quality ingredients, so theoretically I shouldn't baulk (much) at the £35 price tag, particularly as it does seem that one tube would last you a while. However, given that it costs €27 (today: £22.84) in Germany and around €32 (£27.07) in France, it's definitely worth waiting for your next hop to the continent to purchase this, as the UK markup seems a little high. Nonetheless, would definitely recommend.

perfect partners
Intensive Treatment, £48.45
Cleansing Cream, £14.95
Clarifying Toner, £24.95
Normalising Day Oil, £24.25
Rhythmic Night Conditioner, £44.95
Facial Steam Bath, £26.45
Cleansing Clay Mask, £25.45
Pure Care Cover Stick, £17.25
Daily Face Care Kit for Oily Skin, £17.95
*these are the recommended 'partner' products for oily skin. For recommendations for dry skin, sensitive skin, and other skin types, consult the Dr Hauschka website.

Akileine Regenerating Cream for Very Dry Feet

RRP: £5.25/50ml; £10.25/150ml (www.akileine.co.uk)

--What does the promo say?--
"Made of shea butter and horse-chestnut extract, this cream intensively moisturizes, nourishes, smoothes and protects dehydrated, dry keratinised and rough skin. It prevents the formation of calluses and gives back the skin's suppleness while maintaining its natural pH."

--Packaging--
Akileine cleverly but simply distinguish between different foot care needs using different bright colours. The range for dry feet is bright blue. No softly-softly pastel approach here; this is a company that knows what it does, what it wants to achieve, and how to get it - fast. The screw-top lid is easy to remove when you need it, but stays secure when you don't.

--Application--
Rub into clean dry feet, not forgetting to get right in between your toes, and rub in until fully absorbed. Nothing tricky about this - the cream is luxurious but fast-absorbing.

--Scent--
Shea butter is detectable but not prominent; the arnica used in the product is more obvious. Despite being packed with chestnut and peanut there is no real nutty odour.

--Appearance--
A white cream that rubs invisibly into skin.

--Texture and consistency--
Perfect in my eyes: rubs in quickly and well in spite of its thickness. Luxurious, creamy, and not at all runny or sticky. A joy to use.

--Effects on the skin--
Clears up dry body skin better than any other cream I have tried, including prescription stuff. That's on very hard layers of skin, too. Well impressed - these guys are definitely foot specialists.

--Value for money--
It's arguably not the cheapest cream out there - at £10.25 for 150ml, you're in the same realms as brands such as L'Occitane. Nevertheless, it's still effective and affordable - what more could you want? I would definitely buy again.

perfect partners
Hydra Defense Balm, from £7.50
Softening Lotion for Dry Legs and Feet, from £7.25
Foot Peeling Creme, £10.25
Foot File, £6.95