Michael Todd: Intensive Organic Cream Eye Treatment

It's unfortunate, but this eye cream is probably one of the worst I've ever tried. In terms of texture and scent it's passable, but the problem is it seems to do more harm than good. Every time I use this for two or more days straight, I end up developing red spots all around my eye area. These go away once I stop use, but it's absolutely unacceptable in my opinion for an eye cream to do that.

The cream has a medium texture that's not too runny or thick. It sinks in well, but the applicator is honestly horrendous - it's difficult to press down on, and always dispenses far more product than you need.

Overall, I would warn everyone to stay away from this. I'm going to use it purely as a hand cream from now on.

Kiehl's: Ultra Facial Cream Review

Aside from just body moisturizers, I've also been on the hunt for a nourishing facial night cream. I picked up Kiehl's famous Ultra Facial Cream, which is apparently made with extracts from desert plants that work to protect skin from the cold and dry winter air. So far, it seems to be living up to its 24-hour moisture promise, leaving me with moisturized, non-greasy skin all night and into the morning.

The cream itself is plain white and unscented, with a surprisingly light texture that isn't greasy and is very easy to apply and absorb into the skin. You probably could use this during the day but I've been solely reserving this for evenings. It does live up to its word, for I wake up with my skin feeling normal and not tight, despite having the heater running all night.



I think this may just be my new night cream, winning out even over my Shiseido White Lucent by being non-greasy and just solid all around. The only caveat is it does contain parabens (preservatives), which is rather disappointing for a brand that's built its image around natural, high-quality products.

The Body Shop: Body Butters Review

I couldn't resist picking up a few mini body butters during their most recent buy 2 get 2 sale. With winter now upon us, I've been looking at hydrating, lovely scented lotions. Unfortunately the coconut body milk I purchased last time from The Body Shop just wasn't cutting it (my skin would be dry and flaky again just hours after use), so I opted for some of the richer body butters in three fantastic scents: Honeymania (got 2 of these), Grapefruit, and Mango. They also sent a sample of the Chocomania body butter, which honestly is fantastic, and makes me wish I'd purchased that as well.

Honeymania

This one has the same powerful floral honey scent as everything else in the line, which I personally love. It's also the thickest texture of the three I purchased - if you'll notice, the lotion inside retained its shape in the container, while the others clearly slid over to the side during transit. It's definitely a harder consistency and requires a bit more rubbing to absorb, but the scent lingers for ages and I love it. Nice and moisturizing.

Grapefruit

This one is a true, citrusy and strong grapefruit smell, with a more watery texture than the honeymania. I'm a major fan of citrus scents and like that this isn't very sweet. However, it probably is my least favorite of the three.

Mango

At one point this was my favorite scent in the line, and smelling it now certainly reminds me of why. Its a bit thicker than the grapefruit but not as hard as Honeymania. Its a very sweet, fruity scent that can be a bit cloying after you put it on. But again, effective and lovely.


I'm happy with these items, but probably would not have spent full price on them as there are just so many lotion alternatives on the market. But for a portable travel cream, these are perfect and have left my skin nicely hydrated. As mentioned, do check out Chocomania too, especially if you're a fan of chocolate (it's to-die-for good).

The Body Shop: Perfume, Body Milk, and Cleaser Haul

I recently picked out a few things from The Body Shop, and wanted to share my thoughts so far:

Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

The packaging for this is gorgeous. I love the twist-off tin, and there's something incredibly appealing about the nice and smooth, hardened-buttery texture of the product itself. I have very dry skin so needed a facial cleanser that doesn't have all the harsh aftereffects of standard sudsy-wash formulas. My favorite to date is the Yes to Carrots cleanser (which is also about half the price), though this is probably a close second. This does have a harder texture and requires slightly more pressure to rub into the skin. Good news is it has a lovely soft scent and never leaves my face feeling dry. I don't think this will really work to remove heavy make-up, and especially not eye make-up. It's more of a pampering cleanse on light-face days.

Honeymania Eau de Parfum

I wasn't a fan of this scent the first time I smelt it (too floral rather than honey), but I noticed myself continuing to come back to this line of products every time I was in the store. I think it has to do with my affinity for honey beauty products and the cute packaging, but I relented and picked up the scent. I'm not a fan of any of The Body Shop's other scents right now - they're all a bit sour and weak for my liking. By contrast, this one is fairly strong and will last at least a few hours on my clothing. Just one spritz seems to be enough, and the more I smell it the more I like how the floral notes complement the overall warmth of the honey.

Coconut Body Milk

I'm generally too lazy to moisturize my whole body after a shower because standard lotions take ages to rub in. That's why I was a fan of this spritz-on formula, though in execution there's admittedly some shortcomings. I actually think it may have made more sense just to go buy some coconut oil (cheaper and more natural), but at the time this was pretty alluring. It has a lovely, soft coconut scent and is very light by nature of its "milk" consistency. It's not nearly as heavy-duty as the body butters, but seems to do a good job of locking moisture in. The problem with the spray is that it doesn't come out too far or too evenly, so I end up just spraying it into my hands to avoid product waste. It can also smell a little chemically behind the coconut scent. My least favorite item of the three, but also the one I got for "free" through their buy 2 get 1 promotion.

Overall I've been pleased with all of these purchases. I haven't been a fan of The Body Shop in a while, but for some reason it seems like their products are getting back in vogue now.