Caudalie Divine Scrub Review and New Year Chat

Well, it’s been a while… I can’t believe how quickly 2016 has gone by. The main reason things have been so quiet here for the past months is because I recently moved to the U.K. to do my master’s degree. Being back in school has been great but it has kept me quite busy. Hopefully I’ll be able to balance things better and 2017 should see the return of more regular posting. So here’s to a wonderful new year, I hope it’ll be filled with health and happiness for you all.

To kick things off nicely, I thought I’d talk to you about a great New Year’s treat to pamper yourself and start 2017 on the right foot.  Say hello to the Caudalie Divine Scrub!

I am a huge fan of Caudalie’s body care products in general and this scrub is incredible. This is a sugar based scrub so it’s very gentle on the skin and it has a light hydrating effect. I find that some scrubs can leave my skin feeling tight after use, but the Divine Scrub always leaves me with soft and smooth skin. It is also scented with Caudalie’s Divine fragrance so it smells amazing! This has such a unique luxurious scent, it’s sophisticated and comforting. The scent turns using the product into a relaxing pamper session instantly. Exfoliating is my favorite skin treat and it seems appropriate to start the new year with soft fresh skin.

As I have mentioned, this scrub is very gentle so if you are looking for a more intense scrub the Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub might be more suitable for you (it’s one of my favorites) but the scent of the Divine Scrub cannot be beaten.

The Caudalie Divine Scrub is available from the Caudalie website as well as from many Caudalie retailers including Sephora. 

Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish

Good exfoliation is a crucial part of my skincare regime and a step I go through multiple times throughout the week. For me, exfoliating only once a week is not enough (my skin craves more), however this means I need to be careful when choosing an exfoliant because I don’t want to use something too harsh. This is why the Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish is so great.

This is a scrub with natural AHA fruit smoothers (bilberry, sugarcane, orange) and microbeads made of clay and silica (full ingredients list here). So you get both a manual and chemical exfoliation in a creamy base that is super gentle for every day. I use it maybe 3 times a week, sometimes more if need be, and it never irritates my face or makes it red so you can use it in the morning. I think it is a great product to use as an introduction of AHA and chemical exfoliation because it is so gentle. As always though, you should do a patch test before use just to make sure you skin is fine with it.  

After use, I am always left with brighter and smoother looking skin. The beads are never scratchy and I find it very easy to rinse off, no stubborn beads will stay stuck to you face and the creamy base does not leave sticky residues. The tube lasts for a long time because you only need to use a little at a time since it contains lots of beads. It also smells deliciously fruity, making the experience even more pleasant.

The Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish is a great and affordable exfoliator, you can read more about it on their website and it is available in drugstores that carry the brand like Boots. 

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Gel: A Spa in a Tub

I love a good body scrub, nothing will make your skin as smooth and soft than a good exfoliation session before applying a nice body cream. Sadly, I feel like most scrubs on the market don’t do much, they either don’t have enough exfoliating particles to make a difference or they leave an unpleasant oily residue on your skin. However, the Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Gel as renewed my faith in quality scrubs.

First let’s just all marvel at that gorgeous blue color. Isn’t it so pretty? This is a seas salt based scrub and though Lush calls it a shower gel I wouldn’t use it for that purpose. To me, this is very much a body scrub, the sea salt allows you to really exfoliate your skin efficiently without being too harsh. Surprisingly, I found it nicely moisturized my skin as well, leaving it soft but not greasy or sticky at all.  I also love the scent, a mix of mimosa blossom, jasmine and citrus fruit with a bit of saltiness that makes it super refreshing. To me it smells like the ocean and a spa, making for a very relaxing combination. 

This is not the most abrasive exfoliator I have used but it works really well. I love how this allows me to use it more often with irritating my skin. I have not tested it for this purpose yet, but I think this could be quite nice to use before applying self-tanner or a gradual tanning lotion. Rub Rub Rub can seem a bit expensive at first because the tub is not very large, however it is very concentrated so you don’t need to use a lot at a time. I suspect mine will last me for a long time and I can see myself purchasing it again.

You can get your own Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Gel from any of their stores and on their website. 

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

I figured the best way to inaugurate this blog would be by telling you about a product that has brought me a lot of joy in the last few months: Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. This product has made such a huge difference in my skin, it keeps it smooth, prevents breakouts and fades any red marks leftover by spots in about a week. It’s amazing!!

The combination of tamarind fruit acids white nettle extract in this clear toner gently exfoliate while removing impurities from the skin, leaving it supple and refreshed.

This post by Caroline Hirons is the reason I decided to try it and to use both morning and night as a daily toner. I had never used and acid based exfoliator and was a bit nervous about using but it is really gentle. It does not sting or make my skin red, which seem to be common effects of products containing acids. Since this does contain an AHA (glycolic acid) Clarins recommends using sunscreen as this can make your skin a bit sun sensitive.  I did not experience any sensitivity, but then again I use sunscreen everyday (as we all should really).  

I think the best way to sum up my thoughts on this product is: where has this been all my life!

You can get the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner from any Clarins counter or online for 34$.