5 Affordable Beauty Treats (All Under £10)

I don't think that it's unusual to get the ocassional urge to go shopping, but sometimes you want to treat yourself without spending too much money. This is when I usually turn to my favourite affordable beauty treats, because they're a great way to satisfy my craving for something special and new without breaking the bank. In today's blog post, I've gathered together five of my favourite affordable beauty products, all of which I would highly recommend!

Baby Soft Skin

Over the last month I've been reaching for the same two products over and over. They've been doing everything that I want and my skin has been amazing, especially for this time of year. I stumbled across Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Scrub when I was perusing the aisles of Superdrug and I was intrigued. Now, I'm not a huge fan of Palmer's skincare products but their bodycare really does kick butt. I love Palmer's Cocoa Body Butter and I liked the idea of a Body Scrub with the same scent. I'm really glad that I picked it up because it leaves my skin so much smoother and softer without being too harsh and it's really great value for money. When I get out of the shower I then follow up with Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter which is seriously hydrating without taking forever and a day to absorb. When I use this moisturiser (especially after exfoliating) my skin is softer than soft, as close to being 'baby soft' as I could ever imagine. Together, these two are a dream team. I just wish they'd last forever- I'm already dangerously close to finishing both of them. 

Have you tried either of these? What do you use to keep your skin soft and smooth?

Super Affordable Body Bits

So, last Wednesday I posted my 'Mid Week Remedy' which was all about my mid-week pamper routine. Although I'd recommend them all some of the products I included were a little on the expensive side and there was no mention of any body bits. This week, I'm posting about some more products that I'd recommend, both as part of a mid-week pamper but also just generally. I have used, am using and will continue to use all the products that I'm going to mention and a couple of them are seriously holy grail, "I use this everyday", bits. With everything coming in under £5 everything I'm going to mention I would definitely class all these items as affordable (super affordable even, and thus the title of this post).

Fake It: Palmers Natural Bronze Body Lotion

I received this bottle of Palmer's Natural Bronze Body Lotion* in the goodie bag that I received at the #LDNBloggersParty and I was very excited to give it a go. With this heatwave that the UK has been having it is sort of expected that us ladies should have some sort of colour to our limbs. Now, when you're seriously pale like I am (and extremely susceptible to burning), tanning isn't exactly an activity in which I indulge. So, when faced with the prospect of a "night out" last weekend I thought it would be nice to bronze up for the occasion.

Now, I am not new to the world of gradual tanners and on the whole I've been thoroughly disappointed with them. However, I have to admit that this Palmer's Natural Bronze Body Lotion is the cream of the crop. It gave an intense colour, much more intense than I was expecting, but it wasn't at all orange and that's the important part. After three days of use my limbs were as brown as they were last summer, after six weeks spent in hot European sunshine (albeit slathered in sun-tan lotion), and it was believable. Comments were made about this faux tan of mine, the kind of comments that all newbies to tanning want to hear. 

"That is the best fake tan I've ever seen."

I was like- BOOM, this ain't leaving my body. And, to top all this off, no-one questioned my suddenly bronzed exterior, it was a noticeable shade, yes, but utterly believable. I wouldn't recommend this if you want something super subtle, but it is absolutely perfect if you want something easy to apply (use a mitt for streak-free application!) that looks really realistic. Oh, and it smells good too, the light cocoa butter scent masked any hint of 'fake tan' so it is totally good for use in the mornings. Basically, it's an all round winner and it comes in at a very respectable £5.35* at Superdrug. Save your skin and fake your tan!

Have you tried any gradual tanners?

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REVIEW: Palmers Daily Calming Lotion Lightweight Moistuiser

I picked this up at the same time as I bought Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleanser Gel and I've given both of these products a good try over the last week. However, I have to say that the Korres' moisturiser that I found in T.K. Maxx really stole the show from Palmer's Facial Lotion so this product has been somewhat sidelined since, but it still deserves a review.

The first thing you may notice is that the tube is a very generous size (100ml) compared to other mositurisers in the same price bracket. I think this is great, especially as this product is quite light, as it means you don't have to worry about finishing it too quickly. This moisturiser is designed with sensitive skin in mind and I have to testify to its suitability as my skin can be incredibly sensitive and I didn't have any problems using this. 

I do have very 'rosy' cheeks so I like the idea that this mosituriser aims to help reduce that redness. I haven't been using it enough to be able to tell if it really works (blame Korres!) but it does provide good moisturisation despite not being very rich. I used this in the evenings and woke up in the morning with noticeably smooth soft skin.

My only complaint with this is similar to the complaint I made about the cleansing gel; the smell. Just like with the cleansing gel this product claims to be fragrance free and certainly it has nothing of the cocoa butter scent that Palmer's famous body lotion has. However, because they've aimed to remove fragrance you're left with a slightly (and it is really only very slight, I'm just very picky about scents) chemical-y scent. It isn't anything obnoxious and its only really noticeable if you purposefully give the product a good sniff, it isn't so bad when applied. For me the smell is enough to put me off wanting to repurchase this, as it did with the cleansing gel, but the quality of both products is very good for the price. 

I think that this is worth a try as it has a lovely consistency that makes it perfect for younger skin that doesn't need heavy or rich daily moisturisation.  The amount of product you get is great for those on a tighter budget as it will last twice as long as many of those 50ml pots of moisturiser. Oh! And I forgot to mention the packaging. The packaging is plastic so you can't break it like you can with glass packaging and it squeezes out of a nozzle so its more hygienic to use than a pot or tub. The packaging made me warm to it, I've found that its great for travelling with and I love that you can stand it up so it takes up less space around the bathroom sink. 

You can buy this online from Superdrug, or in store, where it is currently half price at £2.97.

Have you tried any of the Palmer's facial skin care range?

Angelica

REVIEW: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleansing Gel

I very happily stumbled upon this product in Superdrug recently and was surprised as I didn't know that Palmers did a facial skin care range! I couldn't help but buy this, especially as Superdrug had a 50% discount on the entire range. [I also picked up the Daily Facial Lotion so look out for that review in the near future!]

I'm not 100% sure if I like this product or not. I know that on the packaging advertises that this is 'fragrance free', usually something I look for in skin care, but it isn't quite true. Although it doesn't have the signature Palmer's Cocoa Butter smell it does smell quite strongly of soap! It made me feel quite nervous when I first used it as the smell really is very soapy and soapy cleansing gels normally are not all that kind on sensitive skin. However, despite the smell it really is very skin friendly. It didn't irritate my skin in any way (no red cheeks or sore eyes)  but it did provide what felt like a thorough cleanse, my skin was squeaky clean after using it. It didn't live up to its claim of not leaving skin 'dry or tight' though as it did dry my skin out a little making the use of a moisturiser after using this product essential. 

It really foams up on contact with water so a small amount goes a long way and I can imagine this bottle will last quite a long time. I've been using it morning and night without it being too overpowering for my skin and it hasn't badly dried it out (but I do use moisturiser both in the mornings and at night). I know for a fact that I dislike the smell and although it doesn't put me off using it, when it comes to cleansing time the smell really kills any possible excitement there could have ever been. That being said I do like the effects of the product and my skin is looking clearer so it really is a question of if you can put up with the soapy aroma then this product is something I would recommend. However, if you're looking for an indulgent scent (or if you really do want a fragrance free product) then this isn't for you. 

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleansing Gel is still half price in Superdrug and online, and delivery on any order is free for a few more days so if you are interested in trying it then you can buy it AND have it delivered for just £1.97.

What cleanser are you using right now? Would you recommend it?

Angelica