Skincare

Low Budget Beauty – Shopping for Skincare Bargains

Better value skincare is a priority for me ever since saving became the new religion. I have been hearing a lot about the Lacura skincare products at Aldi and have been keen to try them out. This week I finally got my opportunity and picked up two moisturisers to sample.

The first is Lacura Shimmering Day Cream. I like the bottle, I like the texture, I like the idea of the shimmer, I like the price but I don’t like the smell. In fact, I don’t like the smell so much I didn’t want to risk putting the cream on my face so, so far, I’ve only risked using it on my arms.

My second purchase was Lacura Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream. This time, I like the texture, I like the price, the smell is fine, and the packaging is acceptable. In fact, the price was so good, I feel I can be lavish with the cream so I experimented by trying some on my dry, cracked feet. Interestingly, I saw an immediate improvement that persisted for a couple of hours. I’m quite impressed because I had tried a couple of other creams on my feet in the last few days and none of them produced as good a result. I haven’t tried this one on my face either, but I may risk it before the week is out. If I do, I’ll let you know how I get on.

As for the savings to be achieved from this shopping for better value skincare experiment, well the trick seems to be to stop spending. Unfortunately, I haven’t mastered that part yet.

Izzy reviews Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

: Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Scrub

If I am ever going to retire early, I will have to cut down my spend on skin care products. I don’t why they hold such fascination for me but they do. I am addicted to exfoliators, moisturisers, serums, gels, oils – anything that makes the skin feel cared for and comfortable. After all, I rely on it to hold me together so it’s only fair that I do my best to keep it in decent condition.

My latest find is Soap and Glory. You’ve probably known about it for years but I invested a few euro in it for the first time this week. I purchased several of the scrubs and have begun putting them through their paces. And the verdict is that I’m impressed so far.

This particular Soap and Glory Sugar Body Scrub is the one that’s currently in my bathroom. I like the tub and, in particular, I like the lid which is easy to get on and off. There’s none of that messing about with foil or getting sugar or salt stuck in the crevices of a screw cap lid so, on the packaging alone, this one is a winner in my book.

But never mind the lid. What about the scrub itself? I didn’t think I liked sugar scrubs but I’ve changed my mind. The texture of this one in the tub is very good. I’ve like the zingy scent of the lime. It smells clean, if you know what I mean. And the sugar and macadamia oil seem to do a good job. I used it on my arms, legs, bum and boobs and it was fine everywhere but what really impressed me was the impact it had on the backs of my hands which were instantly smoothed and softened. That alone would make me purchase Soap and Glory again.

So impressed was I, in fact, that I risked using it on my face – just around the pores on the nose and chin area. It’s a bit too abrasive for the face so I am not recommending that you try it. I was very gentle with it and it didn’t do me any harm but I’ll be sticking to body applications in future.

On the cost front, this is a lot cheaper than my usual brands (Philosophy and Sanctuary). It’s just as effective in my opinion. In fact, I prefer it. Boots stock it and it is discounted at the time of writing.

Weleda to the rescue for winter-worn hands

Three months of cold mornings and the fact that I hate the feel of gloves means my hands have taken a battering this winter. In the last few days, things reached a critical point and some TLC is very much in order. I’m fussy about the fragrance of products I use on my hands because I like to sleep with my hands on the pillow so I’ve started using Weleda’s Wild Rose Day Cream last thing before I go to sleep. It’s a deep nourishing moisturiser and, yes, it’s meant for your face but I think my hands are worth it. There is something about the scent of rose that is comforting and soothes the spirit. My local natural food shop and pharmacy both stock Weleda and, compared with similar brands, it’s pretty good value for money.