A time to relax....with Liz Earle

I have been on a little bit of a mission lately, to try and recreate the spa feeling at home.

I don't know about any one else but I have not really had any spare pennies to indulge in treatments when ever I have been feeling a bit stressed, which has been quite often of late.

I did a review on a facial I had and loved at my local beauty shop but not only is it nice to keep these things for a really special treat it is hard to afford the upkeep of one or two a month.

This is where a little box of tricks comes in to it.

The normal check list of recreating a spa like feel at home starts with nice smelling candles,

Then followed by bubble bath, may be a face mask and some relaxing music.

This is all great but after I have done all this I start to feel a bit bored and start with the ordinary mundane thing of getting washed, I am really odd in the fact that I can't just get out of a bubble bath without a good scrub first.

The thing is this can be relaxing too!

Starting at the top with a face massage, grab a cream cleanser. My favourite is Liz Earle cleanse and polish.

Massage in slow motion around your face paying attention to your forehead where all the stress builds up. Not only is this relaxing and almost sends me to sleep but because of the steam and taking the cleanser off with the muslin cloth it is a really good deep facial.

If you have not tried Liz Earle before why not get the Essentials Try me kit?

 For £22.25 which is less than what you would pay for a facial you get

30 ml of the Cleanse and polish, I would say this will do at least 6  facials

50 ml of the instant boost skin tonic, This can be used two ways, While enjoying a soak put two cotton wool pads with this tonic on over your eyes to soothe and de-puff and it smells great too. You also use it as a toner at the end of your spa time just to freshen and soothe the skin.

In this little green bag you get a choice of moisturiser too, either normal/comb or dry/sensitive

The moisturiser will last ages and it makes doing a home facial very economical.

If you are any thing like me you will also have a stock of the full sizes too, who said you can't have a spa day every day?

I will be buying one of these kits to tuck into my over night bag when I get married as after a long day I think I will need all the help I can get to look normal the day after lol 

Next time I will be trying a good old body scub and body wash, can some thing so normal have a spa feeling?

Sam x

Spa pic at top credited to ambientmusicgarden.com

The Liz Earle photo was taken with my own fair hands

Get Liz Earle @ uk.lizearle.com

Pro-Collagen marine cream

Stop Press!!!

I am in love with this cream.

It is a Anti-aging cream but I love the feeling of this on my skin and it has settled my problem skin down.
The science bit is that it reduces the depth of wrinkles by up to 78% and increases skin hydration by 45%.
It is down as a powerful Anti aging cream but it is not harsh or stripping to the skin but what else do you expect from Elemis? Their products are with out a doubt powerful but you can place the care of your skin in the hands of Elemis with out having to worry that your are rubbing synthetic chemicals on your face and doing more damage deep down that you will come up against in the future.

After boasting to a friend that I was in possession of this cream she tested a small amount (under my beady eye) and said that it smelled and felt like a cult face cream that costs over £150, safe to say that I did not leave the pot in her care for too long lol

I smooth this cream on to my clean face in the morning and it sinks in within seconds and makes a great make up base and to be honest I have been able to ease up on the amount of make up that I have been using since treating my skin to this cream most days I go with out!
It is more expensive than the creams that you pick up in the supermarket but lasts longer and is a pleasure to use rather than just some thing you rub on your face because you have to.

I would recommend this to any one with out a second thought in fact I feel like a should convert people in to using this as I can't think of one thing that would put some one off!

Available from
www.timetospa.co.uk
http://www.elemis.com/

30 ml £48
50 ml £73.50
100 ml £97.52

prices from QVC

A Beauty routine for under a tenner! Can we do it?

Hi Everyone,
Being off work with a back injury at the moment has given me the time to do what I like to do the most, look at beauty products!
Now we all know that there are products out there that we yearn for and as we add them to our list to be checked off at Christmas or for birthdays etc we need a routine that does the job, does not cost the earth and is a pleasure to use.
I then thought to pass the time and hopefully help people out, that I would go on the hunt for a full routine so cleanser, toner and moisturiser for a tenner or even under if possible.

Now I would recommend that you spend the most money from your budget on your cleanser and moisturiser. These two are the products that you will want the most from and to work for the money. A toner is just a refresher and is there to make sure all the cleanser is gone so you don't really need a all singing dancing one.

Cleanser
Garnier Pure 3 in 1 wash and scrub - £3.33
This is a great product as it is 3 in 1. You get a cleanser, scrub and mask for your money. It deep cleanses and gently scrubs dead skin cells away so any old spot scars will slowly fade. You can also rely on it to matify the skin.

Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash - £2.99
This would be my choice if you were looking for a uber gentle face wash to refresh and clean the skin.
If you have sensitive skin you cannot go wrong with Simple. They are known for having a no fragrance or colour in their range. This cleanser includes Pro vitamin B5 to nourish and soften the skin and Vitamin E to moisturise whilst cleansing. You can also use it safely over the eyes to remove eye make up.
This cleanser would suit most skin types, it is gentle so would not cause more oiliness on the combo skin and moisturising so people with dryer/ageing skin could benefit too.
If you cannot use a wash as you have the MOST sensitive skin I would recommend a milk cleanser. As long as you double cleanse at night the same as with washes this will work great.

Garnier Clean and Fresh Cleansing Milk - £3.19
You can tissue this off or splash off with water. You can use it on the eyes and it leaves the skin fresh and feeling clean. It had vitamins in it to make sure your skin does not become like a desert.

Toner
This is the area that you don't have to spend that much money. All you want is to be able to make sure all your cleanser is removed and your face is ready for the moisturiser.
There are two options I would recommend , a all rounder and one for they dryer skins.

All Rounder
Boots Essentials Cucumber Facial Toner - £1.49
A great refresher for the skin. Smells great and feels cool on the skin. Gentle enough that it won't strip the skin but does the job.

Sensitive
Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Facial Toner - £1.49
Fragrance free and Hypo-allergenic. Suitable for sensitive and ageing skins.
Refreshes the skin gently for the next step.

Moisturiser
This is the product that you trust to keep the skin soft, supple and ready for your make up.

Nivea Visage Rich Rich Moisturising day cream - £4.99
This cream is for the dry and parched sensitive skin. Your skin will drink this up and become less tight and return to a natural balanced state.
It is enriched with precious lipids – Almond & Calendula Oil and even has UVA and UVB filters so helps to stop sun damage.

Olay Classic Care Beauty Fluid - £3.99
A great classic. Will keep the skin supple and moisturised whilst making a great base for make up. Ticks all the boxes.

Nivea Visage Oli Free Moisturising Fluid - £3.99
A great light lotion for the more oily skins. This will absorb oil leaving skin nice and matt throughout the day. Has UVA and UVB filters to protect the skin from sun damage.What more could you ask for?


Well guys I think we did it!!! A complete set for a Tenner or under. Let me know if there are any finds out there that you trust day in and day out

See Ya xxx

(All prices and info can be found at www.Boots.com)