Banishing Dry Skin with Yves Rocher | Bourbon Vanilla Sensual Sugar Body Scrub & 3 in 1 Nourishing Cream Lotion Review

Spring will soon be upon us, which means warmer weather, which in turn means more skin will be exposed. The effects of cold temperatures are manifested in a number of ways on our skin but mostly, they all result in dry, flaky skin which I think we can all agree is not a beautiful sight. Moreover, we tend to drink less water in winter which can lead to skin dehydration.

I am not immune to altered moisture levels in my skin but since the people behind botanical beauty brand Yves Rocher (Malta) reached out to me to try their Bourbon Vanilla Sensual Sugar Body Scrub and the 3 in 1 Nourishing Cream Lotion with Oat Extract I agreed to try the products and see how they work in restoring glowing and moisturized skin all over.

I couldn't wait to start using the products, thus I did so right away but more on the results later. Here are a few words about the packaging and products' texture first.

Bourbon Vanilla Sensual Sugar Body Scrub - €9.95 for 150ml 

This sugar based body scrub comes in a 150ml transparent plastic jar with a green lid bearing the Yves Rocher logo. The scrub is sealed with a protective foil. The commitment of the Yves Rocher brand towards the environment is truly visible with minimal packaging that can be reused or recycled. Back to the scrub, it is yellow in colour and has a thick, buttery texture with exfoliating granules. As soon as you open the jar, the smell of Bourbon Vanilla immediately takes over your senses and vanilla being my favourite scent, I found this scrub very appealing. 

It is very easy to employ this scrub to slough away dead skin despite it's thick texture as it spreads very easily over your skin without the granules being too harsh.

3 in 1 Nourishing Cream Lotion with Oat Extract for Very Dry Skin - €9.16 for 150ml

The next product I was offered to try is this nourishing body lotion. Again the packaging is environment friendly as the tube contains 25% less plastic than the previous one for this same lotion. This cream features a white, rich formulation that is easily absorbed into the skin to quickly hydrate the skin. It has a subtle fragrance and the oat extract contributes towards softer feeling skin. The lotion's formula contains more than 94% ingredients of natural origin, is mineral oil free, colorant free and paraben free.

Now for the results. I have used both of these products religiously for the past 10 days or so and have applied the lotion everyday after I shower and I have used the scrub twice a week. I have nothing but words of praise for both of these products as they do exactly what it says on their respective packaging, and I now have smooth, supple skin ready to face shorter skirts and sleeves!

Yves Rocher has outlets in Paola, Valletta and Sliema and they also house a Botanical Spa at their Paola outlet.

PR Samples

Review | The Body Shop Early-Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub

In last month's favourites, I have included this body scrub by The Body Shop. Most of you know I swear by their Coconut scrub which is my all time favourite but I decided to give this one a go in one of my last trips to their newly opened shop in Paola.

 

Packaging is the same as for all other scrubs by the eco-conscious brand and I quite like it in all its simplicity. The jelly-like consistency is what reeled me in and when I opened the tester to take a whiff, I was transported to a candy shop thanks to the scrub's sweet smell.

 

 

The Early-Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub is obviously mostly composed of the fruit's extract and the seeds are the main exfoliating ingredient. Although it is pink in colour, it does not stain the skin and since it is much less abrasive than some of the other varieties, I would recommend this for people with not so dry skin types and those with more sensitive skin.

 

I use the scrub twice weekly and like the other Body Shop scrubs I have tried, this one leaves my skin soft, smooth and radiant and the raspberry scent lingers on for quite some time without being overpowering.

 

As a concluding remark, I will definitely add this scrub to my list of favourites from The Body Shop and will gladly repurchase!

 

The Body Shop Early-Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub is available from all The Body Shop outlets across Malta & Gozo and retails for €12.50 for 200ml.

Review: The Land of Corfu Olive Oil Organic Body Scrub

Last year I made my dream come true when I visited the beautiful and peaceful island of Corfu (Greece). I've been wanting to visit Greece and the Greek Islands since forever mainly because of the scenery that surrounds the lands. Then, when I found out that my great great grandfather was actually born in Corfu I really wanted to go asap to visit the beautiful country. I really enjoyed my whole stay; people are friendly, breathtaking views surround you from every corner, historical sites (one of which is directly related to Malta), etc...

Here's a taste of Corfu before I start the review:

I was really amazed at the quantity of Olive trees in Corfu... everywhere you look it's olive trees, olive trees & more olive trees!! In fact, most of the country's income is from products of the olive tree besides tourism.

When we visited Corfu Town (capital city), there were quite a lot of shops selling gifts crafted from the bark of the olive tree such as photo frames, kitchen utensils, chess boards, jewellery, home ornaments, you name it! There were also a number of shops selling beauty goods made from the products of the olive tree. These shops to me were like heaven :P and I spent a lot of time going round one of the teeny tiny shops to see what to get my hands on and I got *drumroll* not one but two tubs of Organic Olive Oil Body Scrub :D I also bought a lavender scented olive oil bar of soap, some olive oil to take home, a bracelet and a pair of earrings carved from the olive tree bark. Here is a picture:

And now on to the review...

I am a big fan of body scrubs and consequently, I am always on the look out for new ones to try. At the time I purchased these two, I was running out on my previous scrub (I think it was from The Body Shop and it was Shea Butter) so I decided to stock up and bought two (they cost €7 each for 200ml). The fact that the scrub is organic and a natural product made me go for it instantly. It contains (among other ingredients) olive extracts, aloe, almond oil, vitamin E and provitamin B5. We are all aware of the moisturizing properties these key ingredients have on our skin. I also use the scrub as part of my manicure routine since olive oil is known to strengthen nails.

When you open the jar, the smell of kumquat (typical fruit) welcomes you. There is also a protective plastic cover which you can replace when ready. The scrub has a really thick, creamy, consistency with small-sized orangish granules. Thereby, due to its consistency, the scrub is perfect for dry skin. The granules are not that harsh either so sensitive and easily-reddened skin might benefit from this product.

Personally, I use the scrub every other day and it lasts quite a long time (the first one last me like 7 months and this one is still going on). The scrub has a 6 month expiry period but past that, it still carries out its function properly without compromising consistency (at least for 1 month past the expiry date). I like how it smoothes my skin without being harsh and at the same time make it smell lovely.

I found this product so good, I think my hunt for body scrubs will stop here as I intend to buy more of it online from the company's website www.thelandofcorfu.com and probably even try out some of their other products