Apivita deep exfoliating cream with olive

The first time that I came across an Apivita product was when I was in Tenerife airport. Fresh off the plane and about to begin an internship, I avoided packing basic toiletries (more room for bikinis), and bought a shampoo by the brand at a chemist in the arrivals lounge.

The shampoo (sunflower and honey), was amazing, and best of all 100% organic and silicone free, like everything from the brand. The only problem was, as the products were made in Greece, they were an absolute pain to get hold of in the U.K. So, imagine my joy when I spotted that a whole Apivita shelf in my local Marks and Spencers!

Casting my trusty St Ives to the side, I decided to try the more sophisticated looking and eco-friendly deep exfoliating cream with olive. In all my years of scrupulously exfoliating so far, this is one of the best scrubs that I have come across. 

Some scrubs tend to maybe not have enough grainy bits in, they seem to be more of a cleanser, and are quite gentle on the skin, this product refrains from falling into this category. It is not as abrasive as St Ives, yet the grains give a thorough, refined scrub, and seem to get into the nook and cranny areas on the T-zone with ease. Because the grains are so densely concentrated a little goes a long way, you literally only need a pea sized blob. When I used it, I scrubbed vigorously for about 2 minutes, and the end result was polished and glowy, my complexion looked revived and healthy. The smell is nice and natural and not over perfumed.

I am knocking one star off because my only criticism is that there simply isn't enough of the product! At 40ml, it is more or less travel sized and the bottle is by no means filled to the brim,  I would say that is only about 50% full, and €11 will give you about ten applications. Overall, an amazing product, and I shall be stocking up again shortly, I just hope that they  will one day introduce a 250 ml version! 

Where: Apivita, Marks and Spencers,

Cleopatra Beauty Soap

First appearing on the market during the 60s, Cleopatra beauty cream was originally introduced as a luxury soap, created to compete with household favourite Dove.

 It's unmistakable smell has made it a cult classic- and when I spotted it in a shop recently for €1, I thought I'd give it a try- and see whether it still lives up to its name half a century on, despite changing ingredients and manufacturer. 

The gold and blue foiled packaging is in-keeping with the pharaoh theme, and looks great on the bathroom shelf, my only criticism is that i wish it came in a soap dish, as it is quite unhygienic to leave it lying around the bathroom sink! The scent with hints of jasmine and rosemary,  an overall fresh, clean fragrance, and refrains from being too heavy or granny-smelling.

The soap lathers up a dream into a creamy texture, massaging it into my face it did feel quite luxurious, and it washed off my foundation well, however like all soaps, it's really not suitable for taking off eye makeup! My skin felt soft and supple after however there was an over-so-slight waxy residue. According to the package it's made of 98% natural ingredients, and there are no parabens. There is no need to use a toner after, however I would advise using quite a heavy moisturiser such as Cetaphil. It is most suited to oily/ combination skins, however I think that it might be a little much for those prone to dry patches. Overall, it is no miracle product, more a reliable basic. 

a nice simple alternative to complicated beauty regimes, best for cleansing on make-up free lazy days.  

Where: Rossman

Thermal sprays- La Roche Posay vs Balea

Cetaphil Crème-Hydratante

L'Oreal UV Perfect Ultimate Protection Fluid (6/10)

I bought this product when I was briefly waiting for a changeover in Abu Dhabi airport. 

Eau Thermale Avène Cleanance Gel

I am on my second bottle of this french produced soapless cleanser which I first bought when I moved to Germany. Whether it was the city air or stress of starting life in a new country, I noticed that the relocation had been taking it's toll on my skin, and purchased this is an attempt to rescue my grey pallored face. 6 months down the line I have still remained loyal to this product.

It is technically a gel, but has the same consistency of washing up liquid, and lathers up just like it as well. You only need a pea sized amount for the whole face. I've read some reviews from people complaining that they have been left with residue on their face, this has never personally been a problem for me. I suspect that such reviewers have been using great big dollops! 

Although it is designed for acne prone skin, something from which I have never really suffered from, I have noticed that I have been largely pimple free since using it. This cleanser is great at taking off heavy makeup, and even eye makeup, I normally massage it into the face for one or two minutes and wash off with cold water. 

My face feels squeaky clean and neither too dry or oily but nice and fresh, It is fragrance free and is made especially for sensitive skin and so far my face hasn't reacted badly or flared up after use. 

At 13 euro for a 200ml bottle, this cleanser is mid-range, however as I mentioned, it took me half a year to get through and I used it practically every day. Although the packaging is basic, I think the salmon writing and turquoise colour bottle doesn't make it look too offensive on the bathroom shelf. I would say that the only downside to this product is regarding the lack of pump, which would be much more practical and hygienic than the twisty nozzle it currently has. 

Overall, more than a temporary fling, this product is one that I will stay loyal to (for now). 

Rating: 4/5

The German Pharmacy: Glysolid Hautbalsam

Since I have been living in Berlin for the past 6 months, I thought that I'd begin this blog with a section on 'The German Pharmacy' and what it has to offer. I always feel a sense of excitement wandering around foreign shops investigating the shelves scrupulously. In fact studying all of the exotic products feels like more of an anthropological mission to unveil the beauty secrets of German housewives nationwide, the kind they pass on for generations. Anyhow, somewhat bored of flashy packaging and the fake promises they adorn, I've decided to start testing back to the basics products, in a bid to find hidden gems, and through examining the packaging, improving my German. 

So I was looking around my local pharmacy in Neukolln and was drawn to this bright red clinical looking 

GLYSOLID HAUTBALSAM

With little much of a clue as to what the plastic tub contained, I thought that at 2 Euros it was worth a risk. 

One quick google translate later and I admit I was hardly mind-blown at the revelation that it was 

an intensive skin balm for dry and cracked skin, however I was still intrigued. 

Consistency: I would describe this as a cross between German favorite Nivea, and the trusted Petroleum Jelly that Vaseline consists of. It is a balm, so it leaves a nice sheen after application. Before you go slathering it all over the face, it's very heavy and greasy, so I would recommend that it's used sparingly in targeted areas.

Uses: I would say this is more of a night time beauty product, not something you slap on and go outside with unless you want to go out with a shiny greasy face. Conventionally, the product is used to treat dry patches of skin and cuts. However, I think that it works nicely as a lip treatment.  After exfoliating my lips I smothered this on before bed and voila, woke up in the morning with fresh pillowy lips. Quite a versatile product, it also works well as a hand cream. 

Rating: It is a basic, says what it does on the tin (if you can read it!) product. Like I say I think it works perfectly as a night time lip treatment. At 2 euro a pop, it's purse friendly and a little goes along way, so this 100ml tub will last me a good few months! Obviously at this price, there is nothing Organic or Anti Aging with regards to it's ingredients, however it has no added dyes, ifragrances, or mineral oils and best of all it is free of silicones!

3.5/5