Gone are the days of rocking up to a lecture in an old Jack Wills hoody and leggings; instead I have to wear full foundation and other make up everyday, especially to avoid the dreaded "You Look Tired/Ill/Drained" comments that nobody ever wants to hear - EVER. To put it bluntly, living in London is taking its toll on my body, inside and out, and since moving here, I've found that my skin has reacted badly to the change. Luckily, if it all gets a little too much, I can go and stay with my mother in the Suffolk countryside for a few days to detox, relax and refresh.
However, this clearly isn't the case for the majority of people, and even I struggle to go back more than once every couple of months. Other than going to a spa every weekend, there must be a cheaper alternative. When half of your wages go on rent, travel and food, there is even more need to find great budget products. Therefore, I decided to take advantage of the 3 for 2 offers in Boots. The shop does a selection of miniature items, which are ideal for the gap between paydays, and let you decide whether to buy the full sized version at the end of the month.
This week I chose to revisit Soap & Glory, a brand which, after receiving a gift set five years ago and loving it, I had sort of forgotten about. However, the eye catching, retro/vintage packaging in my favourite colour caught my eye. Soap & Glory claim that they are a "fun, fresh, fearless, fantastic British Beauty Brand", and I have to agree.
The products that I chose all had the "Original Pink" fragrance which is one of the main attractions of the brand. Everything is bursting with mouthwatering, almost edible smells with notes of orange leaf, lemon, peach, strawberries, summer rose, gardenia and jasmine. The fragrance is also reminiscent of the perfume Miss Dior Cherie, my ultimate favourite scent (currently on my 6th bottle).
The Righteous Butter is a thick moisturiser, made with Shea Butter, which is extracted from the African Shea tree, originally used to keep skin hydrated in the hot dry weather, and is now used all over the world. It also includes Aloe Vera, which is known for its healing and soothing properties, especially after sunburn and other heat related skin problems. The product has a smooth and velvety texture, and when applied to slightly damp skin, leaves you feeling positively silky.
Hand Food is a non greasy, hydrating hand cream, again using Shea Butter. It uses macadamia nut oil from the Australia Macadamia tree, which is a great natural skincare solution. It also includes marshmallow plant extract, an African medicinal plant which helps to soothe irritated skin. Using anti-bacterial soap and gel can be harsh on hands, especially for people with sensitive skin, but it is 100% necessary in order to stop the spread of germs. Therefore, this great smelling hand cream is a handbag essential, especially if you cannot afford to buy arguably the best hand cream on the market, the Shea Butter Hand Cream by L'Occitane.
The third product I chose was Flake Away, an exfoliating scrub using sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sugar, sea salt, grapeseed oil and of course, shea butter. This is the best smelling body polish I have ever used, and one of the great things about it is that it has a warming effect on the skin when you apply it. This is a lifesaver for clogged pores and dry skin which is prone to being made worse by the constant wearing of foundations and powder.
Another problem with working in cities or built up areas is the long hours and travel time, getting hot, flustered and sweaty. It is therefore imperative to remove make up in the evening. However, more often than not I will forget, or just feel too tired, and wake up with panda eyes and gross looking skin. Therefore I decided to get some proper make up removing products from Superdrug.
The face wipes are infused with Vitamin E which is really good for nourishing the skin on your face. The gentle eye make up remover is great, especially as I am constantly wearing Maybelline 24hr Gel Eyeliner, Rimmel Kohl Pencil and Benefit "They're Real" Mascara, all of which have brilliant staying power and need more than a cleansing wipe. I've also decided to give the Vitamin E Night Cream a go, as it was only a couple of pounds, a fraction of the price of the tradition Olay, No7 and Estee Lauder night creams.
Now, for a confession. I have given in. I have purchased my first onesie, and I absolutely love it. It was £10 from Primark so I felt less guilty, and it is a furry, fluffy pale pink colour, covered in a French Bulldog print - très chic. Never fear, I will not be uploading any statuses or tweets exclaiming my happiness to be "chillin' in ma onesie". Nevertheless, it was very good value for money, as items from One Piece of Norway can cost over £100. The only time I'll be spending that amount on night wear is if I'm in Victoria's Secret.
As the geniuses at Soap & Glory say, "while beauty absolutely matters, it doesn't matter absolutely". With any budget lifestyle, general living costs, bills and rent come above any beauty product, but that does not mean neglecting your body, especially your skin. So take full advantage of the offers and gift sets currently in Boots and go and buy some great value products to pamper yourself with!
Yaasica Lucia XXX
