Review: NSpa Hot Cloth Polish

Like my hair, my skin has become rather tempremental of late,and skincare is something I am really struggling to 'nail down' in terms of products that suit my skin and actually work.

I am genuinely interested in skincare and researching various products and ingredients, but generally I just tend to buy products that take my fancy (the less fuss the better) and hope for the best!

Cleansers/makeup removers are a big thing for me, and I think the vast majority of people have tried the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Me being me, I'm always looking for beauty products on a budget (i.e. products that perform the same as the 'big boys' but at highstreet prices!) and so when I saw this NSpa Hot Cloth Polish in Asda for a very reasonable £5.00 (for 150ml) I snapped it up.

NSpa is a range of high quality, yet low-cost products designed by the experts at the Nirvana Spa and exclusively available at Asda stores.

The products in the range (of which I have the majority of - including serums, night creams and face masks) have very purse-friendly prices from £3 to £7.

Like many of the hot-cloth cleansers now out there on the market, NSpa's offering is very similar to that of Liz Earle's, both in the packaging design and the actual product itself.

Main ingredients in this include Ginseng, Vitamin E, Cocoa Butter, Sweet Almond Oil and essential Oil of Neroli, and is dermatologically approved, suitable for sensitive skin and paraben free. It's also not tested on animals which gets it a big thumbs up!

The cleanser doesn't really have any scent to speak off, and is very thick in texture (not dissimilar to the LE), almost like an intensive moisturiser.

I find that the pump dispenser provides enough product in one pump to cover my whole face (and part of my neck) easily, and feels very luxurious and quite 'comforting' as you massage it in.

It's then easily washed off using the muslin cloth wrung out in hot water (although I personally prefer an actual wash-cloth. Possibly a tad harsh on your face, but what can I say, i'm hardcore).

Initally when I started using this I did find it stung the skin around my nose slightly, but I think my skin was going through a particularly awkward phase, as I can now now it with no problems at all.

I also use this product on my eyes (although it does state not to) and find that it doesn't irriate them. I tend to think of these hot cloth cleansers as multi-purpose products that you should be able to be used on your eyes (for convenience more than anything), therefore the fact they state you shouldn't put it near your eyes is a bit annoying - just be rebellious like me!

This cleanser is not at all drying, and combied with the cloth it does effectively remove makeup and cleanse. Because it is so thick, I personally wouldn't use it in the morning, but that's just my personal preference - I could imagine in the winter it would be a nice treat in the morning.

I would definitely recommend you try this if you're thinking of trying the Liz Earle product but don't want the price tag (at least double that of this NSpa cleanser) or if you just want to dip your toe (not literally) into the world of hot cloth cleansers.

Melanie x

Review: Carino (Aldi) Miracle Oil

As I may have mentioned before, generally I am pretty low-maintenance when it comes to my hair - shampoo, condition and blast it dry with the hair dryer (and occasionally tong or put hot rollers in if I can be bothered with the hassle!).

I don't generally use any hair product (other than shampoo and conditioner), largely because i've had too many bad experiences of products which have made my hair greasy, weighed it down, and so on (and i'm a bit lazy).

But really, when you consider my hair type (naturally curly and rather dry/frizzy), I of all people should be taking extra special care of my hair to make it feel/look a bit better.

I like the idea of the hair oils that have become so popular of late, as they are a bit of a multi-purpose product:

overnight leave-in deep conditioner

heat protectant

smoothing product (on dry hair)

The vast majority of hair oils (especially those containing argan oil) can be rather pricey, but I managed to pick up this (glass) bottle from Carino (from Aldi) for only £3.99 for 50ml.

Originally featured as one of Aldi's 'Special Buys' (a limited edition of sorts) in March, the demand for this hair oil was so high that they re-realised it in September (and as far as i'm aware it is still available).

Admittedly I've never tried any other hair oils therefore can't compare it to anything else, but as my first foray into hair oils I really like it.

I wouldn't use it as a leave-in product (i.e. overnight) after having a rather traumatic experience with some coconut oil (less is definitely more with hair oils people!), but I do like using it on damp hair before blow-drying, and definitely think it helps make my hair smoother and softer - I really notice a difference when I don't use it.

Have you tried this? Or do you have any hair oil products you would recommend?

Melanie x

Product Empties - November 2012

I feel a bit of the blogging loop recently; the Youtube loop even more so, given that my laptop has packed in on me and I haven't been able to upload any videos (I've had to hiijack my mum's netbook to write this post!).

So whilst I do have some review posts waiting in the wings, I thought i'd play it safe today and do my empties post!

 
I'm actually really enjoying using up products - there's nothing like squeezing out the last drop then putting the bottles etc in the (recycling) bin!



No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara - I got this with a No7 £5 off voucher a while ago after hearing about so many people raving about it. However the first mistake I made was that I bought Brown-Black in error, which immediately put a downer on it! I don't know if its cause my lashes are naturally straight and would probably take an industrial eyelash perm to give them a curl, but I didn't find this mascara particularly impressive, and certainly wouldn't pay the full £12-odd for it!

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Beehive - another much-loved product in the blogger community (yes I am a sheep), this really is a lovely, non-drying glossy nude (without being concealer-esque) lipstick that is really reasonably priced. My only gripe with it is the staying power - it has none! - but as long as you don't eat/drink you'll stay pretty, ha.

Lush Hair Doctor mask/scalpt treatment - This was my second tub of this, and I plan to buy more - as someone who suffers with a somewhat tempremental scalp, this fabulous tingly mask was lovely and soothing, and definitely made my hair softer too.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Intensive Mask - I think this was one of the contributory causes to my troublesome scalp. As much as it did admittedly make my hair nice and soft, this was probably due to all the silicones and chemicals that this product is packed with, and I won't be buying it again.

Johnsons Baby Lotion - as i've mentioned before I have a stockpile of these, and as I like to slather myself every day in lotion I go through them at a rate of about one a month! I love the fresh smell it gives.

Mitchum Deodorant - I used to be incredibly loyal to Mitchum deodorants, for not only do they work in terms of preventing odours (not so much stopping sweat - I don't think anything can do that!), I used to think because they are made my Revlon I was 'safe' in terms of them not being tested on animals. However recently Revlon's animal testing policy has been brought into question which is very disappointing, and has set me on a new mission to find a cruelty free deodorant!

Lush Snow Fairy Shower gel - its from Lush, it's pink, and it smells like bubblegum. 'nuff said!

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying moisturiser - another product that was incredibly kindly gifted to me by the lovely Robyn, I can't say I was over-awed by this. This is one of the Body Shop's most popular product ranges, and as my skin isn't particularly oily, I've concluded that it's simply a mismatch in skin type/product type!

Melanie x