ESPA's Summer Beauty Gift Set

It didn't take me very long to fall for ESPA's beauty products. Back in January I took a sample of the Optimal Skin ProSerum on holiday with me and I was blown away by how it left my skin looking and feeling. In March I went on to try ESPA's Naturally Radiant Tinted Moisturiser* and it's become my favourite makeup base (I'm nearly all the way through my first big tube). Not so long ago, I delved into the world of fake tan with ESPA's Radiant Gradual Tan and was thoroughly impressed with the colour it gave and how it lasted on my skin. With ESPA it's always been one success story after another, so when this box of goodies landed on my doorstep I could have squealed from excitement! I spied a very generously sized bottle of the Optimal Skin ProSerum* along with two products I hadn't tried before - the Pink Hair and Scalp Mud* and the 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser*. All of these products are available (in the same sizes as pictured in my blog post) in ESPA's new Summer collection - The Book of Summer Beauty (£25.00).

Okay, so I've mentioned ESPA's Optimal ProSerum* but I haven't really explained what it is yet. It's basically a facial oil, but it combines the benefits of using an oil with plant extracts. This means that not only does it give your skin a dose of Omega 3, 6 and 9 and Vitamin A and E, but also Tumeric, White Lupin and Sunflower. Although it's an oil it aborbs into my skin almost instantly and I can really see a big difference when I incorporate it into my routine. It helps to rehydrate my skin but also leaves it looking far more radiant. ESPA claim that the Optimal ProSerum helps to protect the skin from premature ageing, helping to tighten and brighten your skin. I can't comment on it's long term effectiveness, but even from my limited experience I've seen how it can visibly improve the appearance of my skin so I really do believe that this could be a great preventative addition to my skincare routine.

Additionally, ESPA also sent me a sample of their 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser* and I was intially a little hesitant to try it out. I'm pretty brand loyal to moisturisers (I love Vichy and A-Derma) because my skin is quite fussy with a tendecy to break out if I overload it with too much product or too heavy a consistency. However, I did gave ESPA's 24 Hour Replensihing Moisturiser a go and I was pretty impressed with how little product you needed and how it left my skin feeling and looking seriously plump and healthy. I think it would work for a lot of skin types (ESPA do suggest that it would work for normal, dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin) and although it seems expensive in coparison to the products I usually use I can see where that cost is going. It definitely feels like a more "adult" moisturiser and I think this will be a really good product for my skin during the cooler months where I do find myself needed a slightly richer product.

The last product I recieved is ESPA's Pink Hair and Scalp Mud* and now that I've put it through its paces I can tell you that it is incredible stuff. It left my hair looking seriously shiny and feeling silky smooth and soft. I'm not usually much for "hair maintenance" but this made such a difference to the appearance of my hair that I can see that it's worth making the effort. Often hair masks leave my hair looking lank or weighed down, but ESPA's Pink Hair and Scalp Mud didn't do that at all. Plus, it's worth noting that you don't need to use a lot of product to get great results, so although this is a pricey product I can see it lasting really well. I think if your hair has gone through a lot this summer (especially sun exposure or too much swimming) then it would be good to incorpoate a product like this into your routine. But, personally, my hair needs a bit of TLC all year round so I can see myself reaching for this all through the autumn and winter too.

Overall, I only have positive things to say about ESPA's Summer Beauty Gift Set*, I think that it represents good value for money and is a great opportunity to try some of ESPA's amazing beauty products.