2014 Body Favourites & Goals

As 2015 is well underway my main goal for the body (ignoring any such 'have a figure to rival a Victoria Secrets model' fantasies) is to use body lotion on a more frequent basis. Slightly dull but I think many of us will admit it's the one product in our beauty rituals we are less than diligent with and for some reason I have an abundance of.

That said I was better in 2014 than any other. It may have taken me a year to finish a tub of Clinque Body Butter but I am getting better currently using Roger & Gallet's Bots D'Orange* and the favourite of 2014 Ameliorate both of which I initially spoke of in this post.

As I mentioned in my earlier  post Ameliorate is a pricey body lotion which is not a luxury item but one with a purpose and that is to treat 'chicken skin'. These two elements were what encouraged me to use the body lotion regularly because when I did I saw results. Admittedly as 2014 came to end so too did my use of Ameliorate whilst my legs were encased in thick tights for warmth and due to working my through the tube at a rapid rate. I am now rather than using as my standard body lotion applying it directly to the areas I need it's help to prolong it's use and enjoy other lotions in my stash. The results are evident and as such this will become a staple product for me.

Unlike body lotions, body scrubs are something I use regularly and my favourite has to be Soap & Glory's Breakfast Scrub, the second tub I repurchased recently. I have used other scrubs such as one from St Ives, another from The Body Shop seen in my December Empties but it's the Breakfast Scrub I return to. It balances the right consistency of being coarse enough to exfoliate yet smooth enough to be comfortable - and of course there's the scent which is perfect for Winter. As we move into Summer I'm looking forward to diving into my tub of Sugar Crush I received for Christmas and if I win the lottery I'd love to purchase the Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Scrub which is complete decadence should you have the budget.

The TheraPearl Heat Pad* featured in my Sick Day Saviours post and is used monthly to tackle the stomach pain and back ache that only fellow women can sympathise with. No longer am I suffering in silence or waking up with a cold 'hot' water bottle in the morning.

Radox as a budget brand is one I love. I have worked for them for many years before I knew or saw 'beauty blogging' as a 'thing'. There shower gels are always found in my bathroom and cannot be found fault with. Having recently tried other budget bubble bath brands by way of trying other things I will certainly be returning to Radox as the others fell short in comparison. Yes I love my higher end versions of both shower and bath products but for everyday these more than do the job without compromising on quality,

Finally the Gillette Venus & Olay razor I initially reviewed in this post has become a real favourite of mine. Since receiving the initial sample of this product I have gone on to repurchase more blades as I've really come to enjoy using it and other razors have been neglected in favour of this. It gives such a great shave and whilst additional shower gel isn't needed and depending on the shower gel in question things can get a tad gunky I love how smooth my legs feel and the ease in which shaving is done.

There is my list of body products that topped my list for 2014, what would be on yours?

*PR Sample

Sick Day Saviours

Be prepared for I am going to play the sympathy card. I have been sick, for weeks. I had a shocking cold which dragged on for weeks. When it finally disappeared I was left with not one but two cold sores and to top it off my period. This shocking month was made somewhat easier by a few products which I wanted to share with you.

Thera Pearl Sports Pack* link
I've grown to rather love this brightly coloured pouch from Thera Pearl which works for a multitude of ailments from period pain to general aches and pains. You can either heat in the microwave or freeze depending on your need. Following my hangover cures post last week I must add that this is a life saviour for hungover days when a cold compress is needed as was it's need on a few hot and sweaty nights when I was filled with cold. Whilst suffering with the usual back pain the first day of my period brings it was great to be able to pop the Thera Pearl pack into the microwave and tuck into the waist band of my pjs and feel the pain ease away. Far easier than bothering with boiling kettles that a hot water bottle requires and the smaller more flexible pouch makes targeting the area you want far easier.

Compeed Cold Sore Patch link
I've suffered with cold sores ever since I was young and usually rely on Zovirax to do the job. That said I always find that they tend to look worse during the process and there's nothing less attractive nor obvious than a white cream covered blemish on the lips. I can't remember how I first came across the Compeed Cold Patches but I imagine it was when I was looking for a way to either speed up it's disappearance and mask it. What I've now found is that applying these plasters disguises the cold sore to a degree and minimises the risk of spreading that can occur with cream applications and it avoids the situation of, and sorry to go into gross territory but getting moist, plain gunky and then drying out which can lead to cracking and bleeding. The cold sore patches contain the cold sore, keep it at a minimal size and require less fuss. The wear of the patches will depend on how much eating and drinking you're doing with them on and depending on the area of the lip but I now rely solely on these than any creams and find much better results.

Dr Lewinn's Instant Beauty Radiance Booster* link
During my cold spell I needed a hell of a lot of radiance and moisture and thankfully I had the Dr Lewinn's Instant Beauty Radiance Booster to hand. I was still required to drag myself into the office during my cold and to avoid looking like the sick monster I felt a good layer of this cream helped perk me up, especially around the nose which was pretty red and dry from constant nose blowing. It has a faintly cucumber scent which I'm able to identify now (no chance of smell a few weeks ago!) and it worked really well as a primer before make up too which was an added bonus. Again referring back to my hangover kit this is a great product to use as a mask, applying a layer on the skin for 15 mins before washing off or as I do leaving to sink into my skin.

Vicks First Defence link
The nasal spray from Vicks was a recommendation from my brother who swears by it. I fear I may have left things too late to catch the early days of my cold but it certainly aided my nasal passage when I was struggling to breathe and frustrated with constantly sneezing and blowing my nose. Now there's a picture for you. For those who prefer to use more natural products my friend has recommended this version.

Janjira Eye Cream*
The eyes, window to the soul they say. Well I hate to think what my soul was saying over the past few weeks. Trying to sleep whilst simultaneously stopping my nose from running and general exhaustion that I had to phone my mum on more than one occasion to pick me up the station and drop me home despite living 5 minutes walk away saw some pretty bad bags under my eyes. Thankfully the Janjira Eye Cream* contains Tumeric Extract and Caffeine which helps to reduce the dark circles an puffiness.

Of course this list isn't exhaustive and I will have a post up soon on two bath time treats that comforted me during my woe is my I have a cold days. There was also the odd medicinal glass of red wine and lots of tissues used too!

What are your sick day comforts?

*PR Samples