Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

With a name like that, there was simply no way I wasn't going to buy Sol de Janeiro's Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. It's incredibly clever marketing on the one hand but on the other, it's also a really lovely product. Sol de Janeiro is a US brand all about Brazilian beauty philosophies with a strong emphasis on caring for and maintaining the appearance of the bum bum (pronounced boom boom in Brazil) and this pot of cream has reached cult status thanks to its cheeky name, creamy formula and delectable scent. 

Designed to be applied to your bum bum and anywhere else that you want to firm up and add a little shimmer to, the Bum Bum Cream is rich in Guarana, which is high in caffeine and said to stimulate circulation to keep bottoms smooth and tight! Personally, my butt is going to need a lot more help than what any cosmetic can possibly offer but it's a really nice product all the same.

The cream features a blend of Cupuacu butter, Coconut Oil, Brazil Nut and Acai to nourish and soften and is spiked with a tiny amount of Mica for a subtle shimmer - the perfect finishing touch to an already beautiful formula I think.

The cream is thick and absorbs beautifully but the real kicker for me is the scent. Sweet mercy, this stuff smells delicious. Officially, the scent of the Bum Bum Cream is pistachio and salted caramel but I reckon it also has a bit of a sexy, almost boozy fragrance note in there somewhere. Maybe a bit like an alcoholic milkshake? I find that the scent does linger but dries down to something much more subtle than how it starts, so even if you're not a great fan of smells-like-you-could-eat-it fragrances, you'll probably still enjoy using the cream.

While I haven't used the Bum Bum Cream often enough (or paid enough attention) to comment on how well it firms the skin, it's still an absolute winner in my book and a definite recommendation for the summer and beyond.

I have the travel sized 75ml version of the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream (£18), which is brilliant if you're off on holidays or you'd like to try it without hurting your wallet but it's also available in a large 240ml tub (£44).

You can find Bum Bum Cream at Space NK, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic and many other retailers.

New Aurelia Body Cleanser + Serum

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare is one of those natural skincare brands that I have loved watching grow over the years. It really has gone from strength to strength and earned itself quite the reputation for its collection of effective natural skincare formulas. With that in mind, it's so great to see the award-winning brand adding to their range of bodycare products that will undoubtedly be just as covetable as the original lotions and potions that started it all.

To me, warm weather calls for refreshing bath and body products and the new Aurelia body products are a beautiful example of this. Zingy, uplifting, citrusy formulas are the perfect accompaniment to warm summer days and offer the ideal antidote to sweat and humidity. Housed in a convenient pump-action bottle, the Aurelia Restorative Cream Body Cleanser (£32) strikes a perfect balance between zesty refreshment and nourishing hydration thanks to a combination of geranium, clementine, rosemary and mandarin steam distilled essential oils.

The sulphate free formula offers a surprisingly generous lather from the aloe vera and Sodium cocoyl isethionate base (Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a gentle surfactant derived from coconut oil). 
Packed full of botanical ingredients including baobab and hibiscus, the bio-organic Cleanser is equally as refreshing when used first thing in the morning as it is soothing and comforting when I lather up with it before bed. I also find the scent to be quite unisex- not overly floral or typically feminine- so it's a perfect cleanser to leave in your shower for all to enjoy (if you can resist keeping it all for yourself, obviously). A really lovely point about this cleanser is that it leaves me feeling fresh, uplifted and above all, clean, but doesn't make my skin feel tight or 'stripped' in the slightest. Win.

The Firm & Replenish Body Serum (£48) is the perfect follow up product to use after the Restorative Cleanser. Featuring a similarly zesty citrus vibe, the serum is designed to be smoothed all over the body for an intensely nourishing, lifting effect. Featuring the same pump bottle design as the cleanser, the milky serum contains mandarin, angelica, bergamot and cedar wood blended with a coconut oil derivative and sweet almond oil for fast absorption that leaves skin silky. Since I had my baby in April, my skin has been so incredibly DRY so I'm really enjoying the hydrating and soothing effect of the serum without the heaviness of a thick body butter, which is a feeling I really can't tolerate as soon as the temperature gets above about 20 degrees! For now I've been using the Firm & Replenish Body Serum on my arms and legs but once my c-section scar has healed properly I imagine I will be slathering this liberally on my tummy and abdomen in an effort to firm things up a bit. It's worth mentioning that this is apparently a fantastic product for mums-to-be to keep growing bellies moisturised and supple.

If you're keen to try the new Restorative Cream Body Cleanser and the Firm & Replenish Body Serum (or anything from the bodycare collection really) I have a little treat for you - just enter the code BODY15 at the checkout for 15% off anything from the Bodycare range. Valid until 30th June 2017.