The Body Shop‘s body washes are one of those feel good items for me because I’ve been using them for multiple decades at this point. I remember being 14 years old and absolutely cherishing their body washes – my favourite scents were Oceanus (RIP) and Satsuma – and I felt like I was sitting in the lap of luxury whenever I used them.
The Body Shop Spa of the World Body Washes
It’s many, many years later at this point and I’m happy to report that The Body Shop can still do no wrong with their body washes! The scents may have changed over time (please, PLEASE bring back Oceanus!) but the quality is just as good as ever. It’s one of those products where if you know you like the consistency, then it’s all about choosing what scent works for you – because you will not find a dud in the mix!
Brittany Coast Algae and Balkan Juniper Body Washes
In recent years, The Body Shop has revamped some of their range and created a more luxurious product collection – their Spa of the World range. While the quality is the same as their other body washes, the scents are more modern, more spa-centric and they really do give you that clean, spa-like scent when you use them.
The two scents featured in this post are quite different from each other, but they really do embody the whole spa aesthetic that they’re going for with this range.
Brittany Coast Algae Body Wash: An aquatic scent with a side of green courtesy of the algae. I’d almost call it a “thick” water scent because of the algae. Lovely scent!
Balkan Juniper Body Wash: This one is one hell of a “bitey” scent (it’s got a bit of kick to it), but it’s my favourite between the two in this post. I think I must like the scent of juniper because I *really* like this one. It’s not a traditional body wash scent for me – this one isn’t subtle at all – it’s almost spicy, but in a clean way. Loooove this one!
Scents are a personal matter, so what I love may not be entirely up your alley, but if you’re interested in treating yourself to an at home spa retreat, then the scents in The Body Shop’s Spa of the World collection can definitely get you there! Let me know if you’ve tried any of this range out!
The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.
Neutrogena‘s Hydro Boost skincare range keeps knocking it out of the park for me with every single item they add to their collection. I first fell in love with their Hydro Boost Water Gel back in April 2016 (I can’t believe it’s been that long!!!) and every time I see another product being added to their range I get so excited!
Let me take you through the Hydro Boost products I’ve tried out thus far.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel and Exfoliating Cleanser
I first tried out the Exfoliating Cleanser about a year ago and loved it – it’s got the perfect amount of grit to the formula so that I really feel like my face is being properly exfoliated. The particles are small and plentiful, which is what I always need – I really dislike formulas where there’s too few scrubby bits! I exfoliate about once a week, but I’ve also been able to use this a few days in a row without issue.
New to me is the Hydrating Cleansing Gel which is 100% a new favourite of mine. I use two pumps for a full face wash and the gel consistency feels absolutely wonderful on my face. I have dry skin in the winter and this range really helps to keep the moisture in, BUT it’s also thin enough that I can use these products in the summer without having to worry about them being too heavy for my skin.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum, Gel Cream SPF 15 and Water Gel
Also new to me is the Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum which I’ve been using consistently before applying moisturizer. The texture is a little bit more thin and slippery than the moisturizers, but it works really well in combination with them. I’ve used some serums that have worked AGAINST the moisturizer in the same range (which is always baffling) and I’m happy to report that this one isn’t one of those!
As I previously mentioned, I’ve been in love with the Water Gel for quite some time (see that previous post here) and it’s what formed my basis for the entire line. In short, the gel texture on this cream is thin and smooth but extremely hydrating. My face actually feels plump after using it and it’s good for both summer and winter as it’s always hydrating but never feels heavy.
In the same vein as the Water Gel, Neutrogena has also added a pump tube of the Hydro Boost Gel Cream, but this time they’ve added SPF 15 to the formula. I do like the ease of application with the pump tube (as the Water Gel is really a bit messy in the tub), however I’m not someone who generally loves SPF in my moisturizer as I’d generally prefer to apply my own separately. That being said, this product is fantastic for those who do what that extra layer of protection from their daily moisturizer and you really can’t beat the pump top for ease of use!
I don’t fall head over heels for a lot of skincare products but the NeutrogenaHydro Boost range is one that has delivered time after time for my skin and that makes me really happy knowing that the quality and consistency of the products is always there for me.
The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration. Post contains affiliate links.
Live Clean is one of those brands that you can really just feel good about – they’re created and manufactured in Canada, completely vegan, cruelty and phosphate-free AND their products are actually reasonably priced! So for all of those reasons I thought they’d make the perfect brand to do a giveaway with to celebrate Earth Day!
Bonus giveaway: To celebrate Earth Month, Live Clean is running a “Digital Detox” contest – win a week at a digital free resort! Head over here to enter that giveaway!
I’ll be talking a little bit about the products I’ve chosen for this giveaway – some of them are brand new to me, and some of them are long time favourites!
Bali Oil Nutri-Shine Shampoo & Conditioner and Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioner Spray
While I’ve tried out the bulk of Live Clean‘s products, there’s always a few that have escaped my grasp… and the Bali Oil Shampoo and Conditioner were one of those! Honestly, I was drawn to these because of my recent vacation to Bali last September and I have to say the scent of these two has certainly lived up to my expectations! The scent is a mix of coconuts and almonds… I swear I almost want to eat it.
The Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioner Spray has become a regular in the mornings for me. My hair is quite long and basically requires some kind of detangler after I get out of the shower – so this Live Clean one has been saving the day for me. I’m nearly out of my current bottle, and I’m sooo happy to have a backup now!
Live Clean Lavender Vanilla Aromatherapy Foam Bath and Green Earth Invigorating Body Wash
Are you a bath person? Or a shower person? Either way, Live Clean has you covered! I’m almost exclusively a shower person throughout the week, and Live Clean makes a ton of scents for you to choose from. Of course, the Green Earth scent seemed like the perfect option to celebrate Earth Day!
On the weekends I’m far more likely to take a bath, which is when I tend to bust out a foam bath. I know a lot of people use shower gels to get their bubbles, but I’ve personally never been a fan of doing that, so I stick to something that actually says FOAM BATH on it – like this Lavender Vanilla Aromatherapy one. Since I usually save my long runs for the weekend, getting home and jumping in a relaxing bath is definitely one of my preferred ways to soothe my tired muscles!
Live Clean Fresh Face Hydrating Creamy Cleanser, Fresh Face Nourishing Night Cream and Sensitive Skin Fragrance Free Body Lotion
Of course, keeping your skin clean and moisturized is always necessary. Right now I’ve got another bottle of the Live CleanCreamy Cleanser open in my shower and I really appreciate how gentle it is on my skin without stripping away the moisture. And honestly on the weekends, after exercising and filming for YouTube, I’m more likely to put on a night cream than a regular day cream, so the Nourishing Night Cream is a great option created for all skin types.
Of course, don’t forget to moisturize your body too! I’m fairly guilty of forgetting to do it, so I’ve tried to make it more of a habit lately by leaving moisturizers EVERYWHERE in my apartment. I appreciate how the Live Clean ones come with a pump top instead of a cap – makes it so much easier and you don’t have to be worried about gumming up the cap with your newly moisturized hands. Also a bonus? While I love the smell of Live Clean‘s products – not everyone can handle fragrance in their skincare products. The one in this giveaway is fragrance free!
Live Clean Giveaway!
One person will win:
Live Clean Green Earth Invigorating Body Wash
Live Clean Sensitive Skin Fragrance Free Body Lotion
Live Clean Bali Oil Nutri-Shine Shampoo & Conditioner
Live Clean Lavender Vanilla Aromatherapy Foam Bath
Live Clean Fresh Face Nourishing Night Cream
Live Clean Fresh Face Hydrating Creamy Cleanser
Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioner Spray
Giveaway Rules
This giveaway is open to Canadians!
This giveaway starts on April 21, 2018 and runs for one week.
One winner will receive the prize pack described above.
Please be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.
Once the winner has been contacted, they will have 48 hours to provide me with their mailing address. If the winner fails to respond within that time frame, I will pick another winner. (And so on.)
Meeting Tessa Virtue at the Nivea Canada launch party!
In my nearly five year blogging career, I think that getting the opportunity to meet Tessa Virtue at the NIVEA Canada launch party has got to be the number one coolest thing I have ever done. I was star-struck, terrified and giddy all at the same time – my 35 year old self could barely handle what was happening! (I was a trainwreck, truly.) But let’s back up a little bit…
Shortly after the Olympics ended, NIVEA announced that their latest partnership (and first Canadian one at that) was going to be with Tessa Virtue. I freaked out. I had fallen so in love with Virtue and Moir during this Olympics that the thought of potentially meeting her was mindblowing. And since I live in Toronto, which is basically the center of all brand and product launches in Canada, I had a good chance of people invited to the event since I had also worked with the PR firm who handles NIVEA in Canada. In the end, I snagged myself an invitation and I was OVER THE FREAKING MOON.
I got to the event early (it was at Malaparte – 6th floor at the TIFF Lightbox in downtown Toronto), because I know how these beauty events go – no one shows up early as most people show up fashionably late. I knew my best shot at meeting Tessa was showing up right on time.
The photos with the good lighting were all taken by a professional photographer and before anyone was allowed into the event as she was busy doing interviews to promote NIVEA. However, around 6 pm we were let into the main event area and there was barely anyone there.
Which is when she came up to me and the wonderful bloggers (Andy and Erica) I was standing with. I was floored – I didn’t think she’d be going around to people to chat with people one on one! Of course, my heart was racing and I felt ridiculous, but I told her that I was so nervous to meet her (hey, putting that out there is an icebreaker for me!) and that she had re-ignited my love for figure skating. I said I was sad that I had only just discovered her and Scott this past year and I wish I had been around for their whole journey over the years. I did say that my friend (hayyy Julie) and I were going to Stars On Ice and we were so excited to see them there. She seemed so happy to talk to us and asked me if I was still figure skating, at which point I laughed and said I was too old to be skating at this point (although that being said, I’ve now started looking into getting private lessons again). We chatted briefly about homeownership (thanks for saving me Andy – she pointed out that I had just bought a condo downtown when I started running out of things to say) – Tessa had bought a house in London but says she gets to spend so little time there (as they train in Montreal) that it feels like a “show house”.
Just act cool Chelle… just act cool…
I managed to ask her what lipstick she wore during Moulin Rouge (see that post here) and… that’s about all I can remember to be honest. We chatted for something like ten minutes and she was the sweetest person ever. She didn’t make us feel rushed, or that we were boring her, and she did her best to make sure all three of us were involved in the conversation.
Later on there was a sit down portion of the event where they discussed the partnership and how it came about (NIVEA had reached out to Tessa before the Olympics happened).
Tessa got up on stage and discussed a few things about the product – she loves the moisturizers because they’re not greasy and sticky, and she said that it’s Scott approved because she’s not sliding off of him during lifts and hand holds. She also mentioned fanfic, which had me dying – I was not expecting that at all! The context was that she’s sure there’s fanfic out there about the two of them (this was in relation to her skin and Scott comment). I’m fairly certain most of the audience was like “what on earth are you talking about?” but my eyes were like golfballs when I heard her say that because I know just how deep the #VirtueMoir fandom goes.
The brand eventually turned the microphone over to the audience and indicated they could ask Tessa whatever they wanted – be it NIVEA-based or otherwise (which I really appreciated). Most people asking question involving NIVEA, so I was the oddball out when I raised my hand. I had forgotten to ask her some questions while speaking to her personally, so I bit the bullet and raised my hand to ask her if she could do any skating jumps (I detest public speaking, but I wasn’t going to miss my last opportunity to ask her a question!). For those unaware, ice dancers are not allowed to perform jumps during their routines and I’ve always wondered if they keep up with any of the jumps that we’re all taught when we’re younger (when you start training, most people get pushed into singles skating which teaches you jumps and spins, ice dancing is generally secondary to jumps). She said that her and Scott can do beautiful synchronized axels, and she can do some doubles, but that when it came down to it, she just preferred twizzling and dancing instead of the jumps that came with singles or pairs skating.
So there we have it… my absolutely surreal experience meeting Tessa Virtue and I can’t thank NIVEA enough for it! Getting to meet someone who has rapidly become one of my favourite figure skaters of all time was a mindblowing experience and I couldn’t be happier!
NIVEA also sent us home with their latest round up of products! The NIVEACare cream is the one that Tessa was talking about loving due to the non-greasy formula. My husband has been using the larger tub of the Care cream on his dry elbows which is impressive since usually he’s averse to creams with a scent (not that it’s strong, he just tends to avoid all scented moisturizing products). Tessa also indicated that the MicellAIR products are some of her favourites as well. They’re not pictured here, but the NIVEALip Butters are my absolute favourite product by the brand – I use them as my nightly lip balm and I’ve gone through about four pots over the years!
Want to pick up some NIVEA products to try out? For Canadians, check out well.ca or walmart.ca. For those in the US, check out ulta.com or walmart.com.
I was invited to the event and the products featured were given to me for consideration.
There are some products on the market that you look at and you have to wonder if they actually work. You WANT them to work, but do they really? More often than not I end up passing over items like this because I just figure it’s a gimmick – something that the brand wants me to believe, but that won’t actually show any visible results. It’s a cynical outlook really – but I’m sure it’s one that we’ve all encountered when looking at a shelf full of skincare items that promise you better, brighter skin.
I’m so glad to say that Lomelin – a skin brightening cream that promises to brighten skin appearance from excessive sun exposure, freckles and brown spots – has turned this nay-sayer into a believer (and I’ve got the photos to prove it!)
Lomelin – Skin Brightening Cream
Lomelin, in the brand’s own words, is “a gentle, non-irritating formulation to brighten overall skin appearance and dark spots”. The targeted usage is anywhere on your body – it doesn’t have to just be on your face.
The active ingredients in Lomelin are 2% Alpha Arbutin (a new more gentler derivative of hydroquinone with all the positive suppressing effects on melanin production without any harsh side effects) and 5% Melaslow (a nature-based citrus unshiu peel extract which evens out the skin tone and reduces age spots).
The instructions say that the product should be used on the affected area twice a day – morning and night – and that results should appear gradually, but that noticeable improvement would be visible within 6 to 8 weeks. I had no sensitivities to the application and it felt like any other lotion/cream that I routinely to my body. The only real difference is that the product itself doesn’t have the best scent to my nose and I found it a little bit icky. That being said, I am *hyper* sensitive to smells and when I asked my husband to smell the container he said he couldn’t smell anything at all.
Testing out Lomelin on my arms
I decided to test the product out on one of my forearms so that you would be able to see a visible difference (if there was one). I have some sun damage and freckling on my forearms from years of playing around outside in the summer: running, swimming, soccer, etc., and I figured that would be the easiest way to show a difference.
My forearms compared side by side
I applied Lomelin solely to my right arm (marked “Test arm” above) and left my left arm (“Control arm”) alone. The photo you’re seeing above is after 3.5 weeks of using Lomelin (morning and night) and there is actually a noticeable difference! I was floored! I hadn’t been expecting that amount of freckle reduction in such a short time frame.
Initially I thought it was just me seeing things – but when I told my friend I was reviewing a skincare product for an upcoming post and asked him what differences he saw in my arms, the VERY FIRST THING he mentioned was that I had less freckles on my right arm. I couldn’t believe it – the fact that he managed to pinpoint the difference without any prompting was incredible!
Lomelin – Skin Brightening Cream
So in short, YES, Lomelin actually works to reduce hyper pigmentation! I had no side effects and it only took about three weeks to see actual results.
So let me know if this is something you’re interested in. Have you tried skin brightening treatments before? Have they worked? This is the first time I’ve ever been able to say that I saw a real difference, and I have to say I’m impressed!
