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).