Product review - Peace Be Still Body Balm from Temple Spa

Hi everyone.  Today I'm going to do a little review of Peace Be Still balm from Temple Spa.  I've blogged before about some of their products, which I think are very lovely.  I'm lucky that my Mum gets lots of their goodies for free from her frequent cruises (nice for some isn't it?) and gives them to me and my sister.

I had two 50ml travel size bottles of the Peace be Still balm in my beauty basket, and I've used one as body cream, which I thought was pretty good, but not a Holy Grail body cream.  I noticed that my boyfriend also had a further bottle of the balm in the bathroom cupboard (we went on a 2 day mini cruise with my folks and looted all the products we could) and he uses his as a facial moisturiser.  The blurb on the bottle and the website says that it is gentle enough to use it on the face, so I tried it out myself once when I had run out of moisturiser.  And surprisingly, it suits my usually very picky skin, so I'm using my second bottle on my face.

According to the Temple Spa website:

"With natural plant extracts, antioxidants and a fusion of relaxing essential oils, this delicious formula will sink into the skin immediately and leave the skin ultra-smooth and settled."

The cream is supposed to be a moisturiser and aromatherapy product in one, including in its ingredients, corriander and nutmeg.  I can't really detect either ingredient in the smell, but it does have a fresh, and unisex scent, that is quite light, and doesn't linger. Despite the unusual mix of ingredients, it really is a very gentle balm that doesn't irritate my sensitive skin at all, which is unexpected.

The balm itself is just the right formula for my skin, not too heavy, but moisturising enough for my dry bits.  It's hard to describe, as with my skin it is so difficult to find a moisturiser which gets the right balance.  If something's too heavy, I break out, or too light, it just feels tight and flakey.  There are very few moisturisers that hit that delicate balance.  Saying that, I layer moisturisers in the winter, and I've bought Clinique Moisture Surge to layer on top, as I know that the Peace Be Still balm is not enough on its own as the weather turns colder.  But, on its own as a summer moisturiser, or as a first layer underneath a more protective cream, it is perfect!

I'm not sure why it's called a balm, as it looks and feels exactly like other moisturisers, and it's a white cream, that you massage into your skin, and is absorbed, just like other moisturisers.  The word 'balm' makes me think of a thicker product, not this cream.  I suppose it must refer to the gentleness and soothing nature of the cream.

So this is full marks for me.  I'd definitely buy it myself, but I'll try and be first in the queue when my Mum dishes out the booty instead!  Peace Be Still Balm is available from the Temple Spa website at £5.50 for a 50ml travel size or £17 for a 150ml full size.  Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to work out cheaper to buy 3 travel sizes (which are still a good size and will last for about a month each), rather than a full size???  See, more money saving tips from The Bristol Beauty Blog!  The full size has different packaging and would probably look more stylish on your bathroom shelf, but as I keep my moisturiser hidden away, I'm not too worried about that; the travel size still has attractive khaki/dark green packaging.

I do love all the Temple Spa products I've tried, and I would highly recommend them, especially if you have sensitive skin.  I'm not affiliated with them at all, I just really like them!

Have you tried anything from Temple Spa?

Thanks for reading!  xx

NOTD - Marvala Elle

I thought I'd do a quick nail of the day for you this evening.  I bought Mavala Elle nail polish weeks ago, but I've only just got round to wearing it this week.  It was released to celebrate Elle's 25th anniversary, so I'm definitely a month too late.

The polish is only available from John Lewis and costs a very reasonable £3.95.  It's Limited Edition, so I'm not sure if they still have it - it was released on 1st Sept.  When I bought mine there were loads of it, but you may not find it now.

Application wise, it was easy, two coats dried to a smooth opaque finish, and it didn't take long to dry.  I've had it on for three days without a top coat.  There is just a smidgen of tip-wear, but nothing significant.

I really like the grey/purple colour (I think Modesty Brown termed it 'gruple').  It's very 'now', with a hint of Paradoxal, without any shimmer.

All in all it's a cute colour, reasonably long lasting, easy to apply and dries quickly, as well as being good value.  I am a fan of Mavala nail polishes, especially as they're good quality and small, whilst being affordable.  The small bit is good, because you can buy more of them, and if you buy a very fashionable colour you won't have loads left over when the colour is no longer hot.

What do you think of the colour?

Thanks for reading!  xx

Happening next week - The Elle Beauty Event at Harvey Nichols, Bristol

Hello my lovelies!

Just a quick post to let you know about the Elle Beauty Event at Harvey Nichols, Bristol which is taking place next Tuesday evening (12th October).

Image from Harvey Nichols/Elle Beauty Event website

I thought I had to go to a planning committee in London that evening...But I've managed to get out of it, so I can go!  The website promises the following:

"Come and celebrate beauty's big event and preview the hot new-season trends.

Elle Readers are invited to experience the newest trends of the season at Harvey Nichols exclusive beauty party, taking place in stores across the country. Don't miss your chance to try the hottest new beauty products for Autumn / Winter 2010.

Enjoy mini-makeovers, massages and make-up and skincare tutorials from the experts while you sip Skyy Vodka cocktails. There will be demonstrations of the new Autumn / Winter beauty looks, and Elle staff will be there alongside international make up artists and skincare professionals to offer tips and advice. 

You'll also get the chance to try out new, cutting edge beauty products (some of them exclusive to Harvey Nichols), including Lanvin, Tom Ford, Laura Mercier, YSL and Shu Uemura. To top it all, you'll receive an exclusive goodie bag to take home with you."

Tickets are £15 each and can be purchased here.  The ticket cost is redeemable against any purchases you make on the night, which sounds pretty good going.

The event has already taken place in Edinburgh, Leeds and London, and is being held in Birmingham tonight (Thursday 7th).  However, ladies in Manchester and Dublin can go to the events on Wednesday 13th October and Thursday 14th October respectively.

Any Bristolian bloggers who are going let me know and we can say 'Hi'.

Thanks for reading!  xx

Illamasqua and Clinique - I hauled again - whoops

Hello my marvellous followers!  I think I've blogged before, moaning about my work, which means I have to travel quite a bit, especially to London.  I've been to London 8 times in 9 weeks now (and only once was for pleasure), so I'm getting a bit fed up of riding that train.  And I'm going again twice next week.

But I shouldn't really moan too much - it gets me out of the office, and occasionally I have a lovely day, like today, where I'm just doing site visits.  This is great, as I can set my own pace, wander about and don't have to deal with meetings or clients.  And as my clients are all retailers, mainly in the West End, it's quite a nice day out!  Today I had some slack as well.  I only had a few sites to visit, and my journey took me past Fenwicks and the new Illamasqua shop, as well as many other temping temples of consumerism... Hmmmm, wasn't I supposed to be on a beauty diet?


I spotted an advert on the tube saying that it was Clinique Bonus Time in Fenwicks, so I headed over as there were a few things I wanted.

I bought Moisture Surge, as I really need to ramp up my skincare for winter.  I've seen other bloggers rave about it, so I thought I'd try it.  I usually use Clinique Total Turnaround in winter, but it does break out my skin, and it's supposed to be an exfoliator.  I'm hoping that Moisture Surge will be kinder, whilst still doing the same job.

This is my old duo - it's hit pan in less than 18 months!

I'd also hit pan on one of my top eyeshadows - the Victorian Pink Colour Surge duo, so I needed a replacement.  My sister gave me this for my 30th birthday, and I used it daily for nearly a year, before I started buying loads of makeup, so it's been well loved!  I still turn to it regularly, despite now having a much wider choice!

The Bonus Time bonuses were well worth getting.  These included a facial soap, an eye makeup remover, some brushes, another Colour Surge due (full size) in Beach Plum, a lipstick and a High Impact mascara, all in a large makeup bag. 

I then went the new Illamasqua store on Beak Street.  It  was just as amazing as I had anticipated, from reading loads of blog posts about it, glittery floor and everything!

Two very helpful and enthusiastic sales assistants chatted to me about the brand, its history, the courses they run and recommended some products.  They seemed to genuinely love the brand and they weren't like the pushy assistants you find at some makeup counters.

I was very impressed with the products on offer, and was quite tempted to spend a lot of money.  I've certainly got lots to put on my wishlist!

I went for the Veridian nail polish - it's a stunning and very unusual colour.  I can't wait to try it out!

I also bought a medium pencil in Torment as a new lipliner.

I did go to the MAC store on Neal Street as well, but I kept my wallet shut.  Somehow after Illamasqua, MAC didn't seem so shiny!

Thanks for reading! xx

Hair Relief - Tigi S Factor "Serious" Conditioner

Hello everyone! After my post yesterday about the state of my hair, not helped at all with the Tresemme sample I used, I decided to treat my hair this evening.  So I turned to one of my favourite haircare products of the moment, Tigi S Factor "Serious" Conditioner.

I've been using this product about once a week since June, and I absolutely love it.  It's not quite a deep conditioning treatment, but it is a fantastically nourishing deep conditioner that really does wonders for my hair.

The conditioner contains sunflower seed oil and hydrolized silk (whatever that is).  It's a thick white cream with a pleasant, but unusual smell.  It smells fresh, with maybe a touch of mint to it, and also a sweeter smell that comes through.  It doesn't smell like anything else I've ever used, but I really like it.  The conditioner is thick, and easily coats my hair.  You don't need to use a huge amount of it, and I'm just running out, despite having it since June.  At around £9 for a 150ml tube, that's quite good value for such a good product.

The instructions say to leave it on the hair for 3-5 minutes.  I generally leave it on for at least 5 minutes to really let it absorb into my hair.  It washes out easily and leaves my hair feeling very moisturised and manageable.

As you can tell, I really love this stuff, and I definitely need it at the moment, as my hair is really damaged.  I think it's time for a trim and a deep conditioning treatment at the salon!  Anyway, there is one thing I don't like about it, and that's the packaging.  It looks funky in a silver foil tube, and looks good on a bathroom shelf.  But, it has a poor centre of gravity, rather like an over-grown toothpaste.  Once you start using the product, it doesn't stand up straight at all!

You can buy it in larger quantities in a tub, which would be a better idea, but obviously would cost a bit more.  At Hair Supermarket, a 750ml tub is £21.38 (although not in stock), which is a considerable saving on the 150ml tube version. See, the Bristol Beauty Blog is full of money saving tips as well as beauty ones!

Have you ever tried this?  What's your favourite deep conditioner?

Thanks for reading!  xx

Sample Sunday

Hello everyone.  Can you believe it's Sunday afternoon already?  This weekend has just whizzed by!  Anyway, it's that time of the week - Sample Sunday time!

I've got a two for one today - I tried Tresemme Colour Revitalise Shampoo and Conditioner.  If you've read my last post, you'll see I'm currently trying to a) use up products and b) save money on beauty products at the moment by doing my Beauty Diet.  Shampoo and conditioner is included in my diet, so I thought I'd give these samples a go to prolong my shampoo stock, and as I have just coloured my hair.

The blurb on the back of the package says that it will preserve the colour by up to 8x longer (longer than what I hear you ask).  The shampoo claims:

"Colour stays gorgeous for longer and hair is softer and more manageable".  

Remember this when you're reading my review. 

First of all, my hair was covered in products from the style I did yesterday.  It has mousse, serum and loads of extra-hold hair spray in it, for the complicated do that I attempted (and pretty much pulled off)!  So my hair needed a lot of cleaning, so it was probably unfair on the sample, as my hair is never normally like that.  However, due to a hair-care product malfunction, all the products I used were Tresemme, as I had to do a mad dash to Tescos just before creating my hair-style, and there wasn't much selection.  Therefore, Tresemme shampoo should be able to rinse out Tresemme products, right?

I thought that the sachet of shampoo was quite generous...until I started washing my hair.  I ended up using the whole thing to get my hair really clean.  And it was simply one of the worst shampoos I've ever used.  It has a slightly chemically smell, which I can live with, it foams up OK, but it rinses out poorly, and the state it left my hair in afterwards was truely awful!  I usually run a comb through my hair before putting on my conditioner, but my hair was completely knotted up after this shampoo.  I mean, REALLY knotted up.  My hair has never been in that state after shampooing, even if I've used the cheapest brand around.  I shudder to think at the damage it's done to my hair.

I was unsurprisingly nervous about using the conditioner after that.  However, it was OK.  The slight chemically smell was there, but it was relatively thick and moisturising, and has left my hair feeling alright.  Not brilliant, but not dreadful.  I certainly wouldn't buy it, but I'd use up another sample or nick it if I were staying at a friend's house if I had to without worrying.

So, as for the claims that it protects your colour, well I can't really comment on that after one application.  I was a bit alarmed to see that some of my hair dye came out when I was attempting to rinse out the shampoo.  This was the second wash after dying it.  I usually find that a bit of dye comes out during the first wash post-dye, but I've never experienced it during the second.

So all in all, I was totally unimpressed, and I would never use the shampoo again, although I could put up with the conditioner in emergencies.

I went to a fantastic, circus/burlesque evening yesterday, and it was one of the most amazing evenings I've been to for absolutely years.  I will do a post on what I wore and my hair and make-up for the night, and I might even include a photo of myself if I'm feeling brave enough!  However, this may take me a couple of days, as I have to sort out the photos and edit some of my friends out of them - it's not fair to post photos of them in corsets on the internet, even if they did look gorgeous!

Thanks for reading!  xx

The Beauty Diet - Update

It has been ages since I did a post on how my beauty diet is going.  I thought I’d do a little update on my progress so far...

Shower gel/bubble bath

So far I’ve used up all the small bottles pictured, although I’ve not yet touched the rest of my Neals Yard shower gel.  I found a couple of small bottles of shower gel from a Sanctuary gift set, so I thought I’d use them up too, so I’m currently ploughing through them.  I’ve still got the Hello Kitty shower gel to go through.  I’m definitely on track for not buying any more until the end of November.  Considering I’ve not bought any shower gel since before Christmas, and I usually shower twice a day, that’s quite an achievement – you can only imagine how much shower gel I got given for Christmas!

Face wash

I’ve just finished one of my bottles of Nivea, and I still have some of the Neutrogena left and another bottle of Nivea.  I’ve also got a bottle of Tiss Oil Off which I’m absolutely loving and I’ll do a separate post on this soon.  It’s odd having so many on the go, but I’m getting through them.

My aim was not to buy any more face wash until the end of January.  I hope I can still make it!  

Facial Scrub

I’ve used up my Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash, and started a second bottle of it I had already purchased.  I’m desperately trying to use up the other two ones, but I really hate them – especially the Blackhead Clearing Scrub.  I’m using them each a couple of times a week, as I really can’t throw them out - I’m determined to get through them.  My other half still has a load of Botanics scrubs in the cupboard, and I’m always using them as well!  

I definitely think I'll not need to buy any more until new year, which was my aim.

Shampoo and Conditioner

I had set myself a challenge of not buying any shampoo until the end of October, and worried I wouldn’t be able to meet this.  However, I’ve still got some Pantene and a little of my Enjoy shampoo left.  I’ve also got a small bottle of fancy-pants L’Oreal shampoo in my cupboard, so I’m determined to eek it out until then.  Judging that it’s now October, I hope to meet this challenge now.  I’ve still got loads of conditioners left.  I’m just about out of Enjoy, but I still have some Pantene and 3 brand new Timotei bottles to go.  So this should last me until the end of January, as planned.  It’s a shame, as I’m lemming the Liz Earle stuff – I’m definitely going to buy that next.

Samples

Well I love doing my Sample Sundays, and trying out lots of new things.  But somehow, my sample stash keeps on growing!  I think I’m using it up faster than it’s growing, but only just!

Moisturiser/body cream

I hadn’t included facial moisturiser in my diet, but I’m about to run out of my latest bottle, so I’m going to try one by Temple Spa that my Mum bought back from one of her cruises.  I would have used it as a body cream, but I’ve given it a try on my face and quite liked it, so I’ll give it a whirl!

I’m really getting through my body moisturisers  - they are almost down to manageable levels!  I will shortly be able to move them out of the hamper I store them in, into a box of some description (yes there were so many of them, I used a hamper basket)!  But Christmas is coming, so I expect I will fill it up again!

Make up

Well I totally blew my make up budget.  I’ve definitely spent way more than the £100 I had allocated until the end of November.  My plan is to not spend any money on makeup for all of October.  I think that’s an achievable target.  When I get to the end of the month, I’ll review my makeup spending...

Perfumes

I’m getting through my perfume stash – this is a good thing, and I’m using up the ones I like least first, and only my best perfumes are for special occasions only!

All in all I’m really enjoying doing this, even though some of the products are meh!  I’m doing pretty well, apart from on the makeup spending.  I’ve still off-balance with my money, but not buying other beauty products is making a difference!  It’s just starting to make a bit of a difference to my storage space - for the first time in ages, not all my boxes and baskets are full!

Thanks for reading! xx