Product Review: Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub

Sugar scrubs are a poisoned chalice - they're smashing at eradicating flakiness but can sometimes irritate delicate skin. If you suffer from eczema or any conditions that make your skin itchy or sore, please please do not use any sort of sugar scrub on your legs or anywhere else on your body. Body polishes are pretty intense exfoliants and often contain sea-salt, which can really aggravate sensitive skin, especially when it's broken.

Disclaimers aside, Soap & Glory's cult favourite Flake Away Body Scrub is a pretty good bet if you're looking for something sweet to descale your manky legs with.

Packaging
Flake Away comes in a generously proportioned pink tub with Soap & Glory's signature packaging. These prods make fabulous gifts; last Christmas Boots were actually giving away cute S&G gift bags with every purchase. I do find that S&G stuff always last a decent amount of time too; you can expect this to last between four and eight months depending on how often you need to deflake!

Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub, £6.64 from Boots

Application
Flake Away comes with the highly gratifying direction to use in 'handfuls'. In a world where we pay a premium for 15ml of 'miracle' product with instructions to 'use sparingly', it's fab to find something that we're invited to slather upon ourselves with gusto. Flake Away has a fantastically gritty texture, almost like luxuriously-fragranced sand; you can really feel it  buffing away your dry skin. It also smells of S&G's delicious and distinctive bergamot-infused fragrance, which is sweet and feminine but not overpowering.

As well as tonnes of exfoliating sugar and sea-salt, Flake Away also contains skin-loving shea butter and sweet almond oil, which helps to moisturise your skin as it removes the dead cells to reveal the smooth, new skin underneath. Don't think you don't need to give your legs a good going-over with your favourite moisturiser afterwards though; the exfoliation process is still very drying (and potentially damaging) to sensitive skin.


Performance
Used before shaving, Flake Away leaves skin smooth and smelling absolutely divine. Do not make the mistake I absent-mindedly made by applying after shaving; those tiny invisible nicks are a whole lot bigger when you get sea salt burning inside them. I found the effect of this product to be long-lasting, especially when  enhanced with a luxurious body moisturiser like No7 Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray.

Although S&G have dried to make this product as non-drying as possible, it's important to make sure you drench your hands in moisturiser after using them to apply Flake Away (or any other body scrub!)


The Bottom Line
Flake Away is an effective, great-value body polish with added bonus points for its adorable, tongue-in-cheek packaging. The only downside is that it does tend to get absolutely bloody everywhere; my tub always looks like an oversized margarita glass after it's drained because it's all sugary around the edge. Aside from the extra 90 seconds of bath-cleaning time though, Flake Away is pretty fantastic.

Recommended for: those looking for a great-value scrub to smooth scaly legs.

Rating: 9.0/10


Rating

Product Review: Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer

No matter how good or expensive your make-up, its staying power can only be improved when you use a good primer underneath. Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer claims to soothe and calm skin while helping to keep your make-up from sliding off your face.

Packaging
That Gal comes in a hexagonal twist-tube, which is adorable but an incredible waste of packaging. A full-size version contains 11g of product, but the little samples in cardboard sachets they sometimes give out contain 3.5g. Because you have to twist the product for several minutes before anything comes out the first time you use it, it seems that the designers' primary objective was to make That Gal seem much better value than it is. Depending on how much you use, you can only expect this product to last for 1-3 months with regular application. Annoyingly, you never know when it's nearly finished so you can't accurately budget for a new one.

On the positive side, however, the twist mechanism is ingeniously designed to keep germs out and the product in. I just wish it were smaller!

Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer, £22 from Boots

Application
That Gal is a pale pink primer that goes on clear, so don't worry if at first it looks like the wrong colour for you. It contains raspberry and soothing camomile, which smell delicious, and feels cool on the skin. Although it has the consistency of a light moisturiser, it's really important not to rub this into the skin; for best results you should gently tap it into your face, avoiding the eye area. Personally I find that when patted over make-up to 'refresh' it, it just makes the foundation underneath look cakey, but you get slightly better results if you use a liquid rather than a powder.

The greatest irony of this product is that on pale, cool skin tones it does give a lovely light glow, but as soon as you apply make-up over the top (as it is, y'know, a primer), the luminosity is cancelled out.

Performance
As a primer, That Gal is so-so. It does help make-up last a bit longer, but I wouldn't bank on it if you're pulling long days or planning on getting sweaty (!)

The Bottom Line
I really wanted to like this product; despite its bulky packaging, it smells gorgeous and feels lovely on application, but unfortunately it broke me out and didn't work anywhere near as well as other primers. I gave it to some friends to try and those with oily skin found it did absolutely zilch as a primer, but liked the sensation of initial application. In short, as long as you don't react to it like I did, it's a lovely product to just have...so long as you don't have to pay for it.

Recommended for no make-up days for people with normal to dry skin.

Rating: 4.0/10

Product Review: No7 Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray

The world of body-softening products is an absolute minefield; you could try a different one every day for the rest of the life and you wouldn’t get through them all. With so many to choose from, it’s very easy to spend a lot of time and money trying to find your dream cream in the vast ocean of lotions, potions and oils. No7, Boots’ own brand of make-up and skincare, launched their Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray last year and was sold out for six weeks in my local store. 

Packaging

No7’s Dry Body Oil comes in a 200ml spray bottle, which is pretty beefy for a body spray. I love that it's a body product in a hygienic spray (even though it's always annoying trying to get the last half-inch out of the bottom) but I only wish they made a smaller travel-size bottle! 200ml takes up a lot of space in a gym bag and can't be taken through customs in hand-luggage (although one of my best friends loved this so much she decanted it into a mini spray-bottle to take on holiday..!) 

No7 Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray, £8.75 from Boots

Application

Because of its oily consistency, the spray goes onto the skin like a dream (careful though, because it can also easily get onto the carpet and leave stains). Its scent is inoffensive; lightly fragranced and almost like the smell of baby oil, all soft and clean. I love this because it means that when I spritz on some perfume the scents don't have to compete against one another. 

Although it's an oil, No7 Dry Body Oil sinks into the skin and is completely dry within a couple of minutes. Although I wouldn't advise getting it in your hair, the formula is astonishingly non-greasy and absorbent. Unlike other oil-based body products, this one won't leave an unpleasant film on the surface of your skin. 

Performance

No7 Dry Body Oil immediately gives your body the kind of softness a good primer will give your face: that soft, dewy sheen that illuminates your skin (but doesn't make it shine like butter left in the sun). I use this every day after showering and find I can really tell the difference; someone even accidentally brushed my arm the other day and commented on how soft it was..! 

The Bottom Line

Considering how luxurious this product feels on your skin and how long a 200ml bottle lasts, No7 Dry Body Oil is a fabulously budget-friendly body product. It's hypo-allergenic, its effects are long-lasting, and Boots often run promotions where you get a £5 off No7 voucher with any purchase. That means that if you time it right, you can get hold of a bottle for just £3.75. Bargain! 

Recommended for anyone looking for an intensely softening spray-on moisturiser that won't break the bank. 

Rating: 10.0/10

How to tell if your new Benefit bargain is a fake

Fake-up: it's a dangerous thing. Regardless of whether you've got delicate skin or not, putting untested, unregulated chemicals masquerading as high-end beauty products on your mug is not a good idea. Applying these products around your delicate eye area can be especially dangerous, so exercise every caution when ordering your beauty fix off the internet. Even if the substance is safe - and there is no way to tell - it's still a waste of your hard-earned cash and once your money's gone, it's usually very difficult to get it back. Covetable brands such as Chanel, Mac and Benefit rank highest as the most-counterfeited items and nine times out of ten it's easy to tell when a product isn't genuine. These high-profile beauty houses put a lot of time and effort into the design and manufacture of their products, so if something doesn't feel quite right and it came from a questionable source, it's probably a fake.

Where do these fakes come from? The majority are made cheaply in China and sold online or wholesale to small businesses who don't realise what they're buying isn't real. I actually saw a Benefit Brows-A-Go-Go set (RRP £26.50) on deal-of-the-day site Wowcher for a tenner about a month ago. I emailed the company who was going to fulfil the orders and they assured me the set was real. To prove a point, I ordered one to see what arrived. Sure enough, the one that arrived was a shoddy imitation; I quickly contacted Wowcher and they refunded me.

While I worked at Benefit, people sometimes came to the counter to ask whether a product they'd got off a dodgy website was real or not. The answer was always 'no' - if you have to ask, it's not genuine. I even had a girl come to swap her fake Brow-Zings for a different shade. She swore blind she'd bought it from House of Fraser or somewhere until I sat her down, showed her the difference and threatened to call security.

Auction sites such as eBay are plagued by counterfeit products and in extreme cases have been successfully sued by high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton for failing to control the problem. Even though there may be some legitimate sellers on eBay, it is always best to just save up and treat yourself to the real thing. Be aware that counterfeits do sometimes turn up in unexpected places; my sister once bought me a Benefit Bad Gal Mascara off her school's Young Enterprise group, and it turned out they'd just bought in a shipment of cheap ones from China and were selling them at half the retail price.

So how do you spot a fake? If in doubt, take the product to your local counter and the beauty advisor will tell you in seconds if it's real or not. If you can't wait that long, here are some easy giveaways:

Packaging
Packaging is the easiest way to tell if an item is real, especially if you're already familiar with the product.

• The packaging should be flush; everything should fit perfectly. This is especially easy to detect in sets such as Smokin' Eyes and The Realness of Concealness where glue residue is often visible and make-up containers don't sit quite right in the box. 
• For some reason, counterfeiters often have a job getting the font and character spacing absolutely right. If you've owned the product before, you'll smell a rat. If not, see if ASOS stocks it; it has a pretty hardcore zoom feature so you can properly compare the packaging. 
• The ribbon Benefit uses in its sets to pull out from under little tubes of product in sets is always red and cut off at an angle. 
• Counterfeit items are often torn in places from shoddy manufacturing.
• Most Benefit cosmetics have a peel-away sticker somewhere under which the ingredients are listed. On many fakes, the top of this sticker is reproduced on the packaging but it doesn't peel back. This is a  great tell-tale sign for higher-quality, more convincing counterfeits. 
• All Benefit cosmetics are made in the USA - it if says it's manufactured anywhere else, it's not real.

Product

This is obviously specific to individual items, but generally products just won't feel...quite right. Blushers are dusty and off-colour, concealers are soft and greasy and liquids such as mascaras and glosses are too watery. It's always worth giving your new prod a sniff; Benefit products are delicately fragranced and smell clean and expensive. If you've smelt them before, you'll know what you're looking for. 

What to do if you've bought a fake

If you've bought a fake off eBay and paid through PayPal, contact the seller immediately. Tell them you've received your item and it isn't real. If the buyer is aware his or her goods are counterfeit, they will usually refund you immediately rather than risk an eBay investigation. Accept the refund, then report them to eBay. Sites like these need the support of buyers like you to help make them safer for everyone. If the buyer isn't aware their items are fake, they may argue. They may ask you to send the item back to them so they can inspect it. I wouldn't recommend this; the postage you spend returning it to them won't be recorded on PayPal and you'll ultimately be out of pocket. Simply take the matter to eBay and the seller will be forced to refund the full amount. Then throw the item away.

If you bought online with a credit card, contact your card issuer immediately and file a dispute. Go over the sellers' feedback with a fine-tooth comb and use it to compile evidence. Keep a record of all correspondence with the seller. The important thing is to move quickly; the longer you put it off, the less likely your refund will be. 

If you bought online using a debit card, it's unlikely your money will ever be returned to you. Try contacting the website owner, but the chances are they know exactly what they're doing and won't return your emails. Cut your losses and accept you've learned a lesson: buyer beware. 

Top tips for avoiding counterfeit goods

• Look out for sellers selling multiple items. If somebody is just selling one blusher and has a history of selling other bits and bobs, it's probable they're just getting rid of an unwanted gift than running a crime syndicate. 
• Feedback is not always an accurate indication of genuineness; if other people have been duped by the fakes then they will be giving the seller positive feedback. 
• Avoid items that are illustrated with a stock image. 
• Stay away from foreign sellers.
• If possible, always pay with a credit card or PayPal. This makes claiming a refund much easier (and much more likely to be successful). 
• Check out dodgy-looking sites on WhoIs, which supplies information on how long sites have been registered for and their track history. 
• Do not be afraid to ask a beauty advisor to verify your doubts; the worst you'll get is a dirty look and that's much better than you smearing untested crap on your face. 
• Stick to established discount sites; ASOS often have sales and voucher codes and sites such as CheapSmells often carry cheap, discontinued lines. 
• Do not buy from any shady sources if you are purchasing a gift for someone.
• If you do find yourself in the situation of asking a seller for a refund, stay civil. You're more likely to get a response if you keep calm and polite, even though you're boiling with rage inside!
• Finally, use your common sense. If something is too good to be true, it usually is!

Product Review: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment

Elizabeth Arden's Intensive Hand Treatment is a spin-off product from its successful Eight Hour Range, which is renowned for its soothing, long-lasting moisturising properties. It's expensive for a hand cream, but you can often find it on 3 for 2 deals at Boots or cheaper online. I always get mine from CheapSmells.com.

Packaging
Elizabeth Arden Hand Treatment comes in a 75ml squeezy tube. It's hygienic, doesn't explode in your handbag and lasts for absolutely ages. It's pretty hardcore as hand cream goes so you don't need a huge amount to really feel the skin-softening effects. You can expect a tube to last around 6 months with regular use.

 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment, £24 at Boots

 

Application
Elizabeth Arden gets a lot of complaints about the smell of its Eight Hour range, which is a slightly off herbal scent. If you haven't smelt it before, I would definitely recommend going to have a cheeky sniff at your local counter before you consider buying it online because some people are so turned off they can't bear to use it. Personally, I don't find it unpleasant, and I've found it definitely grows on you. I started using this product when a friend recommended it for my sore, chapped hands and I was trying to avoid using skin-thinning topical steroid creams. Initially I wasn't a huge fan of the smell, but I soon got used to it. It's not the scented wonderland of the Soap & Glory range, but it does work and I find it doesn't aggravate sensitive skin. I'm prone to dermatitis on my palms and fingers and I find this product doesn't make my skin feel like it's having acid massaged into it.

Performance
As somebody who has really, really dry hands, I can't uphold with Elizabeth Arden's claims of eight hours of softness, but it's still a fantastic hand cream. The formula absorbs easily and doesn't leave a greasy residue - I once used it on my face at the gym because I'd forgotten my mug moisturiser and it worked fine, although I wouldn't recommend using a hand formula on your face except in emergencies!

The Bottom Line
Elizabeth Arden Intensive Moisturising Hand Cream is an effective hand cream and makes a great luxury skincare gift, but the recommended retail price of £24 is a little steep. Fortunately, there are loads of deals available in-store and online (although always ensure you're buying from a reputable source!) so your bank balance doesn't have to take such a walloping. If you don't mind the smell, this prod is a handbag essential.

Recommended for sore hands that need an effective but non-greasy formula for long-lasting softness.

Rating: 8.5/10

Product Review: Estée Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Liquid Make-Up

Estée Lauder has a reputation for being for more mature ladies (I blame their Pure White Linen fragrance entirely) but its foundations offer surprisingly good coverage. When I worked in a beauty hall, I was obviously required to be a zit-free zone; my job relied on my mug being as blemish-free as a baby's bottom. Unfortunately when you have skin that is constantly threatening to go on strike (rather like British railway employees), this is easier said than done. A colleague gave me a sample of Estée Lauder DoubleWear Foundation and the coverage was great, nay, spectacular. It was heavy but looked light, I was in love. Sadly, within a few weeks its thickness had taken its toll and I was riddled with pimples and angry red blotches. I switched to DoubleWear Light, which was an improvement, but it was still messing up my skin. In the end I returned it and opted for the Nutritious Vita-Mineral Foundation, which is a creamy, liquid mineral foundation.

Packaging
Even if the product itself hadn't been enough for me to switch to Nutritious Liquid, the packaging may well have been. DoubleWear comes in a heavy glass jar and you need a cotton-bud to apply it without making a huge mess. Nutritious Liquid comes in a squeezy bottle - my favourite! - and doesn't take up as much room in your make-up bag.

Estée Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Liquid Make-Up, £26.50 from Debenhams

Application
Nutritious Liquid is a dewy formula which, interestingly, is described as 'make-up' while its powder counterpart is labelled as 'foundation'. The reason for this is soon clear - the coverage is very light. I'd liken it more to a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, which is perfectly fine if you only need something to even out your skin tone. I've found this product is always better applied with fingers and then worked into the skin with a foundation brush, but fingers will do the job all the way if you prefer. If you apply it entirely with a brush I find you overload your skin (and your bank balance when you get through half a tube in a week).

Performance
As this foundation is very light, you definitely need to use a primer underneath it. If you don't you'll have to touch it up every few hours, which is a) inconvenient and b) a waste of product. I found it still broke me out a little bit, but if you've got nice, friendly skin which only needs a bit of a pick-me-up rather than full-scale coverage, this is a great product.

The Bottom Line
Although this product wasn't perfect for me, I've seen the results on other people to see that this is a good lightweight foundation, even if its performance isn't up to mineral standards. Estée Lauder get massive points for their excellent staff, however. Their consultants will give you a generous sample to take home of any of their foundations and if you buy a product and find it isn't for you, they will swap it to one they think might suit you better with no questions asked. I swapped my DoubleWear for a brand-new Vita-Mineral after using it for four weeks!

Recommended for people who want a radiant, dewy product with a little more oomph than your standard tinted moisturiser.

Rating: 7.5/10

Product Review: Benefit Boi-ing

Benefit's 'industrial-strength' concealer, Boi-ing, is a bit of a cult favourite; when I used to work as a consultant for them it was probably the best-selling product on counter, except possibly Bad Gal Mascara. Although Boi-ing is available in three shades, no. 3 is such an unnatural shade of orange I never saw anyone ever buy one. Even the girls who look like they've been pickled in Lucozade steered clear and went for the much more flesh-toned no. 2. Benefit is notoriously bad for anyone with darker skin tones, which is a real shame. One of my old workmates is black and had to be excused not wearing 100% Benefit make-up when she was at work because none of the concealers, foundations or blushers suited her skin tone.

Packaging
The packing of Boi-ing was actually changed fairly recently (okay, like two years ago, but I'm still pissed) from a little compact with a mirror to a little screw pot with a clear lid. Why? Why would they do that? A mirror on a product is ALWAYS a good idea, especially if a monster zit rises from the depths and you can't easily peg it to the nearest powder room.

Benefit Boi-ing, £16.50 from House of Fraser

Application

Boi-ing is a creamy consistency that works best when slightly warmed, so it's recommended you use your fingers. It blends easily into the skin, but frequently people find that the shades don't match their skin tone too well. This isn't a huge issue if you're wearing a foundation over the top, but if it doubt, always choose the lighter shade.

Performance

Boi-ing is Benefit's solution for zits and blotchiness and claims to be the only concealer with an anti-bacterial agent. Now, I was made to say this to customers because it was one of the product's sales points, but unfortunately for me I've always found that applied on top of break-outs it exacerbates the situation, even though it does a great job of covering it. I had a few customers with similar skin types who had experienced the same problem, so this is only an issue if your skin is super-sensitive or you know for a fact you're allergic to any of the ingredients. Generally though, most people adored this product, and with a good primer it will stay on your mug all day. 

The Bottom Line

If you fall in Benefit's target demographic, which judging by its marketing is white girls with money to burn and a penchant for pretty packaging, many of their products are great buys. The packaging is always charming and whimsical and the products generally do what they claim to. Boi-ing is touted as a great product for teenage skin with its creamy formula, good coverage and so-called anti-bacterial properties. Be warned, however, that the formula does not sit well with dry skin and causes it to flake all over the shop if you're not well-moisturised. 

Recommend for fairer-skinned folks with oily to normal skin looking for a high-quality concealer with good coverage. 

Rating: 7.0/10

Product Review: Lush Dream Cream

High street natural skincare giant Lush is renowned for its huge stock of smelly, fizzy, gooey products, many of which are touted as excellent for those of us with sensitive skin. I think some of their products are shameless gimmicks - the fizzing shower 'EmotiBOMBS' are the most ludicrous at up to £2.55 a pop - but some are timeless, classic skincare prods. One of Lush's best-selling products is Dream Cream, a tub of yellow goo that claims to "contain everything nature makes for soothing your skin", including lavender, camomile and cocoa butter.

Packaging
I know Lush are all about minimal packaging that can be recycled - they do a scheme where you can get a free face mask if you take back five empties - but moisturiser in a pot is one of my pet hates. Unless you keep your pot in the bog and use it only after you've washed your hands, it's going to get germs in it, especially if other people borrow it.

It does come in two handy sizes though: 240g and 100g. I keep a small one at work and a big one on my dressing table.

Lush Dream Cream, £10.75 from Lush

Application
I'm not going to lie, this ain't no Herbal Essences in a jar. It doesn't smell unpleasant, but it doesn't have the delicious scent we've come to expect with all our beauty products. This doesn't matter though, because Dream Cream goes on smoothly, absorbs easily and doesn't leave an after-smell. As with most beauty prods, a little goes a long way, and you can expect 2-4 months out of a small pot with regular applications.


Performance
I actually first tried this years ago when I did a four-week stint at Lush as a Christmas temp, and I was delighted with the results. If you are unlucky enough to suffer from eczema or dermatitis, this is one of the only moisturisers I've ever found that does not further irritate broken, inflamed skin. Before I found Dream Cream, I used a bog-standard Norwegian formula hand cream and just grimly tolerated the burning sensation as it softened my dry hands. Since then, though, it's been my go-to product in winter-time when my hands need a bit of extra care to stop them cracking.

It is good to always have a pot knocking around somewhere regardless of season though, because it is excellent not only for dry skin conditions, but for sunburn, blotchiness, razor burn and tattoo after-care. If you were truly standing behind the door when the skin was handed out and have to be super-careful with your hands, then slathering them in Dream Cream and wearing some cotton gloves is a great quick-fix. You do tend to look like a bit of a lemon though, so I'd recommend doing this before you go to sleep. 

The Bottom Line

Dream Cream is a fantastic hand and body moisturiser that does exactly what it says on the tin unhygienic but environmentally friendly plastic pot. Lush also sources its ingredients from fair-trade producers and doesn't test on animals. Hurrah!

Recommended for anyone with soreness or dry bits on their hands or body, but if you don't have problem skin you can get nicer smelling products that'll work just as well for you. 

Rating: 9.0/10 

Product Review: No7 Protect & Perfect Lipcare

It's been warm in London recently and the air conditioning in our office has been on full whack all day. As I have the circulatory system of a fully-grown ox, I am totally down with having it set at 19 degrees all day, but it does play absolute havoc with sensitive skin. The important thing is to moisturise CONSTANTLY. Keep it on your desk or leave it in the bogs so you get into the habit of using it after washing your hands. A few years ago when I was a student, I got a job over Christmas at the local cinema. Because it was indoors and windowless, it was climate-controlled like a bitch. Every 45 minutes I ran to the loos to slather myself in Lush's Dream Cream and, unbeknownst to me, got a reputation as the most lubricious cinema minion in the building (!) But at least my skin was soft and not cracked and sore, which it would have been had I not been so obsessive over it.

I digress. What I am really getting it as that we often moisturise our hands but we often don't start moisturising our lips until they start to feel sore. If this is you, no NO NO - you are doing it wrong. If you protect your lips before they start to chap then you won't have to put up with unsightly smackers and the indignity of having to use a straw to keep your lips dry.Unfortunately, I didn't listen to my own advice and waited until my lips were really sore to reach for the No7 Protect & Perfect Lipcare.

Packaging
There really is no truly germ-proof way to practically package lip products, but the broad squeeze-action applicator can at least be wiped down with a wet wipe if it gets a bit grim.

No7 Protect & Perfect Lipcare, £7.99 from Boots

Application

This lip balm went on thick and greasy and wouldn't absorb into the skin. I suspect this is because it contains petroleum jelly, which is the devil in the form of pore-clogging slime. I can't be 100% sure because No7 has done a very good job of hiding the ingredients from me online and I no longer have the box, but it had the same sort of effect on me as Vaseline except it tasted a little bit like cocoa butter, i.e. something you shouldn't be putting near your mouth. 

Performance

Half an hour later my lips weren't chapped but felt incredibly sore and still greasy. I would have mugged an old lady for her Lush Honey Trap if there had been one available, but clearly these octogenarians are sly wenches when it comes to hiding their lip balm from me. 

The Bottom Line

The thing is, this product has had great reviews on Boots.com and independent make-up review sites, so clearly its poor performance must be something to do with my poor, over-reactive and angry skin. I'm not that bothered though, because at £7.99 a pop, No7 Protect & Perfect Lipcare is bloody expensive for a lip salve. 

Recommended for anyone who wants to spend nearly eight quid on what is effectively Vaseline. 

Rating: 0.5/10 

Product Review: Organic Surge Eye Gel

I got Organic Surge's Eye Gel in the post a couple of days ago, which was just in the nick of time as my teeny weeny Chanel sample had just finished having the life squeezed out of it. At just £7.99 it's a bit of a bargain, especially when you consider how long 15ml lasts when you're using the right amount of product.


Packaging
Organic Surge Eye Gel is packaged in a little pump-action pot, which is great as it won't get contaminated by whatever's sitting under your fingernails. Nobody likes a gammy eye gel.

Organic Surge Eye Gel, £7.99 from OrganicSurge.com

Application

I cracked this out expecting it to smell like Organic Surge's other skincare prods, but in fact the scent is disappointingly average. It's not unpleasant, but smells just like every other de-puffing eye gel I've ever tried. The product comes out a little quickly, so when using this you only need a quarter-pump to get the right amount on to the back of your hand. The gel is, it must be said, indistinguishable from ordinary hand sanitiser at first glance - the stuff you find in hospitals and farmyards and that I carry in my handbag to sterilise public toilets with. The difference only became apparent when I actually tapped it in under my eyes because wowzers trousers, that stuff tingles! It contains a double-whammy of menthol and witch hazel, which makes it deliciously cold (and explains the smell). 

Performance

I tried this at 5:30am in the morning when I was so sleepy I would have bitten off my own foot to be allowed to go back to bed and within ten minutes my eyes were feeling wide awake. The tingling sensation stays with you for quite awhile and the skin feels super-soft as well, which is a definite plus as witch hazel and menthol are both extremely drying on the skin. 

The Bottom Line

Overall, this is a pretty amazing eye gel, tingly and non-drying. The second time I tried this I popped it in the fridge overnight and it was like I'd been smacked in the face with a wet kipper. But in a good way. Man, I was awake. Organic Surge's products are made purely from organic ingredients and aren't tested on animals, which means you can enjoy your new-found wide-awakeness without the guilt. AND they contribute to efforts to support some of Africa's most impoverished and vulnerable children. How fab is that? 

Recommended for: early risers, especially those with dry skin. 

Rating: 8.0/10 

Product Review: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay's Primer Potion is probably the most celebrated primer prod out there because it a) comes in nifty packaging, b) comes in different shades and c) works pretty bloody well.

Packaging
They've actually just redesigned the packaging, which is great news because the previous genie-bottle design was effectively a nail polish bottle with a lip gloss wand and it was impossible to ever get the last little bit out of the pot. Behold, the brand new squeezy tube!

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original, £14.50 from Debenhams

Application

The Original shade is a nude, almost clear shade, so is great for light, neutral shadows. The consistency is much more watery than other popular primers, which tend to be more paste-like, and you do have to use your finger to properly spread it around the eyelid area. Because it is quite greasy, this primer is best for non-oily lids and I wouldn't recommend using it as an under-eye concealer primer. You also need to leave it to set for a couple of minutes before you embark on the application of your blaze of colourful glory!

One thing Primer Potion does have over others is that in comes in three additional shades: Eden, Sin and Greed. Now, these swatches are VERY misleading: Sin is a beautiful bronze shade which is a great base for shimmery party make-up and Eden (my personal favourite) is a neutral matte shade - probably your best bet if your lids are slightly too oily for Original. Greed is touted as a golden version of Sin, but in fact it goes on a very pale-yellow colour. If you've got blotchy, red eyelids then a yellow base will even it out.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden, £14.50 from Debenhams

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin, £14.50 from Debenhams

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original, £14.50 from Debenhams

Performance
Primer Potion's stamina is respectable if you don't have oily lids but it doesn't last quite as long as some of its competitors, such as Too Faced's Shadow Insurance, which is also more matte in finish. Sin, however, is a gorgeous shade, but it's a shame my greasy lids make it less effective. After you've had it on awhile, though, the effect is quite drying, so make sure you rehydrate your eye area properly with a good eye cream.

The Bottom Line 
Overall, Urban Decay Primer Potion is a solid make-up bag essential, but it's not the best primer out there.

Recommended for people with non-oily lids looking for a primer in a variety of shades (but not people with extremely sensitive eye areas).

Rating: 6.5/10