REVIEW: L'occitane Sublime Essence

Around September last year, I received a mini version of the L'occitane Sublime Essence, and I was in love. Unfortunately, as a student, the full size version was way out of my budget by the time I had finished it and I kind of forgot about it until about a month ago. 

I was snooping around the internet, trying to find something new to add to my skincare routine because it is pretty basic. I wanted something that would not only smooth and brighten my skin, but also reduce redness. After some searching, I came across this again and since I've loved it before, I thought.. why not just save up and buy the full size? 

Let's start with the packaging. Yes, the bottle is fairly small considering the price but you really only need the smallest amount. The glass bottle is actually pearlescent, although these pictures just don't do it justice, and it has a handy pump that distributes the perfect amount of product. Don't be wary of the pump though, it has a twist lock system so you can travel with it!

L'occitane Sublime Essence is made with organic extracts from two angelic flowers. White iris, and angelica. While white iris perfects the skin, angelica works to hydrate the skin, and really bring it to life. The silicone free formula promises to leave the skin looking, and feeling 'sublime'.

The  Sublime Essence claims to do 6 things. It claims to smooth the texture of skin, tighten pores, reduce tightness and redness, hydrate and plump, and leave the skin super soft to touch. It's one of the very few products that actually follows through on it's claims. I haven't suffered from any dry patches while using this, and I was amazed at how soft this made my skin feel. It made me want to just run up to people and demand that they feel my face (I didn't, don't worry). When looking at my skin, the words radiant, or bright have never sprung to mind but when I'm using this, it's a whole other story. No, it hasn't completely banished any signs of redness from my face but it has really improved it. So much so, that even the boyfriend noticed. That's saying something.

I was really impressed by the texture of this serum, it's velvety smooth and thin, therefore sinks into the skin in a matter of seconds. 

Overall, I really enjoy using this. It's so hydrating, and leaves my skin looking bright and even. It doesn't have an affect on my oily skin, but rather leaves my pores tightened, and leaves my skin feeling softer than ever. Well worth the money!

You can find the L'occitane Sublime Essence here for £42

REVIEW: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

Since coming into Spring, my skin has been feeling a little more sensitive than usual, so I sought after a new gentle cleanser. What I ended up with is the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter by The Body Shop. God, that is a mouthful. 

I am a big fan of the packaging of this cleansing butter. I was pleasantly surprised by the screw top lid, at first I thought it would end up being a pop off job. This, along with the fact that the metal tin itself is really quite thin means that it would probably be good for travel, if you didn't mind the size of it! It's pretty big, to say the least. 

I use the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter as a first cleanse but I sometimes use it in the morning too because it's a complete dream to use. You simply scoop a little amount, and massage it onto dry skin. I find that it washes off easily, and doesn't leave any residue but you could definitely use a wash cloth to just make sure! 

It took me everything not to dunk my fingers into this, right then and there. Is that just me?

Anyway, as you can see the product looks waxy, and white. Just a bit plain Jane. The 

product itself is so much more than that though. Like I mentioned before, a little goes a looong way. It really lives up to the name, it does feel very luxurious to use. It literally melts when in contact with the skin, effortlessly washing off all of your worries and cares... Maybe not. But it does do a tremendous job at removing all kinds of make up. 

Here's the thing, I wear liquid eyeliner a lot and my mascara of choice is the notoriously difficult to remove They're Real! mascara by Benefit. This makes light work out of it though, it really impressed me. Usually most cleansers/make up removers can't get right down into my lash line to remove every trace of eyeliner but finally: I found one that can! Oh, and it doesn't sting your eyes either (win).

The oily consistency could take some getting used to but it's worth it. My skin always feels soft and refreshed after using this, and it hasn't broke me out! My skin type is oily, dehydrated and sensitive. It's gentle enough for my sensitivity, hydrating enough to prevent dry patches yet still remains light enough to prevent excess oil. Not going to lie though, if you suffer from extremely oily skin then this probably isn't the best option.

Overall, this is a pretty good option for those of you that are stressed and need something gentle to soothe your skin. At £12 it's probably not the cheapest option but to be fair, you get a lot out of this, and you're looking at around £20 for something similar. 

You can find The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter here for £12.

P.S - Just letting you know that there won't be a post next week. It's my final exam for college next Wednesday so I'll be focusing on that! Thanks for bearing with me -x