Rediscovering Palmer's Cocoa Butter

[AD/Gifted] Somehow, Easter is just a few days away and for many of us that means a vast amount of chocolate is about to be consumed. If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll probably already know that I don't just have a sweet tooth - I'm a huge lover of gourmand beauty products too. Sometimes it's good to revisit an original and Palmer's Cocoa Butter is pretty much the OG of sweetly scented beauty products.

I think the last time I regularly used something by Palmer's was when I was pregnant; I had the stretch mark lotion which I applied at least once a day (true story) from the start of the 2nd trimester right through to delivery day. I couldn't honestly say if it was down to my religious use of the lotion or not but I ended up with precisely zero visible stretch marks on my belly (boobs are a slightly different story I might add). Either way, the ritual of massaging the lotion onto my growing belly every day was therapeutic and it kept my skin suitably moisturised and supple.

I'm currently rediscovering a few items from Palmer's and experiencing a few for the first time, so let's get stuck in and have a look at a few bits that are satisfying my sweet tooth this Easter.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Body Lotion

Perhaps the most well known and widely used Palmer's product, the body lotion is loved for its fast absorption and smoothing, moisturising formula. The rich lotion is packed with cocoa butter, an effective natural moisturiser ideal for relieving dry, rough skin and Vitamin E, an antioxidant which aids in improving the overall tone of the skin and can help to improve the appearance of stretch marks and scars. Best of all, the lotion leaves skin smelling sweet and chocolatey. Perfect for adding glow to sun-kissed skin. If you're not so keen on smelling like a dessert, there is also a fragrance free version available.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Original Solid Formula Jar

This solid formula is more concentrated and intense than the lotion and melts on contact with the skin. Ideal for really dry bits (knees, elbows, ankles and heels) or an intense overnight treatment, the solid formula has cocoa butter as the first ingredient on the inci list (meaning it's the main ingredient in the product) and is also brilliant for adding a nice sheen to (faux) tanned skin.I hadn't tried the solid formula before now but I can say that the jar will last a very, very long time as this formula is mega rich.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Body Lotion

I don't need to tell you that the safest tan is a fake one, and the Natural Bronze gradual tanner is a good option if you want a faux glow with the added benefits of cocoa butter. The formula uses DHA to deliver the fake glow and contains added Vitamin E. I used the gradual tanner years ago, so the formula may have changed, but I remember being a bit put off by the lack of guide colour. I loved the bronze shade that resulted but I would recommend to blend, blend, then blend some more when applying this so you end up with an even glow and not patchy bits. I'm looking forward to revisiting this in the coming months when the coats are put away and the legs come out.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Original Ultra Moisturising Lip Balm with SPF 15

Lip balms with added sun protection are always a good idea so I was really pleased to receive this. The formula is a solid, twist up stick form that melts on contact with lips and leaves a nice sheen and subtle chocolate scent. On the lips it feels very, very moisturising and is ideal to treat and protect chapped, wind-burned, cracked and uncomfortable lips. I imagine this balm would be perfect to prime the lips before applying lipstick and is perfectly unisex too as it doesn't make things too shiny (only talking to dudes who deliberately shy away from a shiny lip look by the way).

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream

The first word I took notice of on this tube was 'Hands' so I've been using it as a nightly hand cream by default. It wasn't actually until I started writing this post that I noticed it's not actually a dedicated hand cream, but rather a multi-purpose cream that fits somewhere between the body lotion and solid formula in terms of texture and viscosity. Like the aforementioned, the cream can be used anywhere that needs it but I can vouch that it's excellent as a night time hand cream, though it does absorb quickly enough for day time use too. The compact handbag sized tube makes it a perfect option for travelling/ stashing in your desk drawer.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisture Rich Shampoo

I'd seen Palmer's hair products on the shelves but it never occurred to me to actually try them before because I assumed that they would be too heavy for my hair. However, I tried the Moisture Rich Shampoo and Restoring Conditioner (more on that below) together the other night and am pleased to report that my hair was left feeling clean, light and smelling beautiful.
The cocoa butter shampoo features Mongongo Oil (derived from the nuts of the Mongongo tree) which is naturally high in polyunsaturated fatty acids which form a protective layer on the hair shaft and help to prevent moisture loss. The shampoo also contains Peppermint Oil which soothes the scalp and adds a refreshing tingle, making the shampoo perfect for the warmer months when that tingly, refreshing feeling is particularly welcome. The peppermint oil combined with the cocoa butter gives the shampoo a chocolate mint fragrance, so if you fancy having hair that smells a bit like an After Eight, this is the shampoo for you.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Restoring Conditioner

Featuring the same chocolate mint scent as the shampoo, the Restoring Conditioner is designed to moisturise, soften and detangle the hair. For fine hair, it's recommended the conditioner is used primarily on the ends and for more coarse hair, you can take it to the scalp and really smother it on. I did the latter as my hair is quite thick and left it on for a few mins (it's recommended you leave it be for up to 6 minutes) before rinsing. The conditioner rinsed away easily and once dried, it didn't feel weighed down or oily - just healthy, shiny and light. Just like the shampoo, the peppermint oil in the conditioned makes it a refreshing, tingly option ideal for warmer weather.

*Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturizing Hair Oil

A great complementary product for the shampoo and conditioner, the hair oil is designed to instantly add moisture to the hair and scalp. Formulated with cocoa butter, mongogo and peppermint oils, the hair oil comes in a spray on form, which I personally love because it means you don't have to get the product on your hands if you're in a hurry/ about to do your skincare. The hair oil is lightweight yet very moisturising, so perfect if you want to add a bit of shine or smooth any frizz. It can also be spayed directly onto the scalp to relive itchiness and tightness. To finish, it smells like mint chocolates too!

Palmer's is such an iconic and well loved brand so I'm really pleased to be rediscovering some of their products. The general chocolatey-ness of the hair and body products is so perfect for this time of the year when chocolate is on my mind (more than ever) and my skin needs a little extra TLC after winter. Is there a brand you're revisiting at the moment? Will you be indulging in Palmer's Cocoa Butter this Easter or do you prefer chocolate treats of the edible kind? Let me know in the comments.
You can find Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula at loads of retailers but it's always worth checking Boots for special offers.
Read more about Palmer's products on their website.

*Gifted Items/ Affiliate Links

3 Reasons to Love Clarins Renew-Plus Body Serum

Body lotions are generally not something I give that much thought to (I'm more of a facial skincare person you know) but there is one particular body-beautifier that I firmly consider as a desert island staple. Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum does it for me every time and is one of those products I have and will continue to purchase myself/ request from Santa for three very good reasons:

It makes my skin feel great

The gel-creme texture of the concentrated serum sinks into my skin almost instantly and has a welcome cooling effect that's perfect after a hot shower or bath. I hate the feeling of heavy lotions on my body during summer so Renew Plus is an ideal option for warm weather - it really does absorb so quickly that there's no waiting around in the nude, willing it to dry so I can put clothes on! That's not to say I don't use it equally as much when it's cold though. Once applied, the result is smooth, silky feeling skin that almost rivals my 4 month old in terms of softness. Almost. 

It smells gorgeous

Ok, I know that scent is a very subjective thing and I'm sure that there are some people who don't love the delicious fragrance of Renew Plus. Personally, I adore the powdery, timeless scent of the Serum and feel like it adds a glamorous touch to the act of moisturizing my limbs. If you don't like fragrance in your body products, this probably won't be your cup of tea, but personally I really like the scent and feel like it is just as wearable for an eighteen year old as it is for someone in their seventies.  The lotion also makes my pajamas (read: one of Rich's old shirts) smell lovely too as the scent tends to transfer slightly.

It improves the texture of my skin

Many people rave about Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum as a solution to rid themselves of Keratosis Pilaris and I've got to say the rumours are true. After a couple of weeks of using Renew Plus, my upper arms are significantly smoother with just a few chicken-skin-esque spots remaining- and that's not even using it every day. The serum effectively combats Keratosis Pilaris because it contains a pre-retinol and Wintergreen extract which both work to gently remove dead skin cells. In other words, it sort of 'unplugs' the keratin build-up from the hair follicles that cause the little raised bumps.

Because the Body Serum is quite concentrated, I don't use a lot at a time and only really reserve it for my arms. It's not exactly cheap but it is certainly cheerful so I'll continue to use it both for its beautiful scent and skin smoothing effect- it really is a little luxury for the body.

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.

Dr Do Good In-Shower Body Moisturiser Spray

I am not currently a gym person, nor do I lead a particularly hectic or time poor lifestyle, so I may not be the exact target demographic for Dr Do Good. That doesn't mean that I don't think it's a great little product though.

Dr Do Good is essentially an in-shower moisturiser designed to save time and deliver a dose of hydration to your skin whilst you are still in the shower.

Simply sprayed onto damp skin (shake it first to mix) and then rinsed off, Dr Do Good delivers a dose of long lasting hydration thanks to its unique waterproof oil based formula.

The waterproof formula essentially locks in the water on your skin and 'feeds' it with vegetable extracts including tomato, yellow pepper, carrot, aubergine and broccoli. 

Tomato Extract: An antioxidant to protect against premature ageing of the skin.

Yellow Pepper Extract: Rich in Vitamin C. Keeps skin looking firm/ youthful.

Carrot Extract: Rich in Vitamin A. Nourishes, maintains elasticity and firmness of skin.

Aubergine Extract: Aids in keeping skin looking healthy and hydrated.

Broccoli Extract: Contains Sulforaphane, which is a compound that can make skin look less dull and may stimulate skin cells.

Despite the addition of the above vegetable extracts, Dr Do Good doesn't have a complex scent- it's just got a light, fresh fragrance that makes it perfectly unisex so your other half can freely borrow out without fear of smelling like a big girl.

I've had this product for a few months now, which has given me plenty of opportunity to try it out on both winter-parched skin and my slightly happier springtime skin and I've been happy with the results every time.  It leaves the skin feeling smooth and well hydrated without that obvious feeling of product you get with standard moisturisers.

If you're time poor, frequent the gym or just don't like the feeling of moisturiser on your body, Dr Do Good is a very good option.  You can find out more about the wonders of Dr Do Good and purchase a bottle for £15 here.

Post contains sample

Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar Reveal - Day #12

Today, in drawer number 12, there's a 50ml bottle of Kai Body Lotion. Not bad Liberty, not bad at all. I am familiar with Kai and first tried it about seven years ago when I was still in Australia so the exotic fragrance evokes all kinds of memories for me, like taking my dog to the beach and being with my friends in sunnier climes. It's nice then, to open up this little bottle of body lotion and have those memories come flooding back to me. Excuse me while I go and have a little happy cry. I have blogged about Kai roll on fragrance and Body Glow (my fave for summer - must remember to get some next year) which you can find here. Beware - the post is fairly ancient.
The Body Lotion is obviously scented with the stunning Kai fragrance and contains Shea Butter, Safflower Seed Oil and Apricot Kernal Oil and Fruit Extract.
The full sized version of Kai Body Lotion is £34 for 235ml at Liberty and you can find the 50ml size as part of the travel kit.

L'Occitane Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream

So I'm pretty certain I've found the perfect body moisturiser to see me through the autumn in the form of L'Occitane Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream.
I am just a little bit infatuated with honey skincare products so when L'Occitane recently introduced their Melting Honey range, it was only a matter of time before one or two pieces ended up in my collection. I mean, it's called Melting Honey - how utterly luxurious does that sound?

The Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream is presented in a cute round tin with a colourful honeycomb design, making it perfectly ornamental and certainly worthy of displaying on your dressing table. Or, you can do what I do and just keep it on the floor next to your bed :/

L'Occitane say: 'By combining a high concentration of nourishing shea butter and softening honey from Provence, this silky smooth, light-textured body cream helps to nourish and protect the skin, while enveloping it in the delicious scent of melting honey.'
They're not wrong!

This super silky moisturiser contains 10% Shea butter to deliver a hefty dose of hydration yet somehow manages to stay exceptionally light in texture. In fact, I'd say that texturally, it's halfway between a cream and a lotion (a crotion?).

And the scent? Don't even get me started on how great this smells. In a nutshell, the cream smells nothing short of marvellous - like real honey- and in turn, makes the skin smell pretty darn good too. If you remember the honey facial moisturiser that L'Occitane used to do (and if you happen to be reading this L'Occitane, please bring it back!) it smells pretty much exactly like that. In other words, it smells utterly divine.

I bought my tin of Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream in store but you can find it at L'Occitane online for a fairly reasonable £18.

Lush Sympathy For The Skin Hand and Body Lotion

Looking for a lush lotion for dry skin? I've been trying something you might want to know about! A beautiful blend of vanilla, almond oil, cocoa butter and bananas (!), Sympathy for the Skin is already my autumnal skin saviour.

An oldie but a goodie, this concoction has been with Lush since the very beginning and is as popular now as it ever was thanks to its beautifully nourishing texture and gorgeously subtle scent.

The consistency of Sympathy for the Skin is fairly light due to the fact that it's a 'loose emulsion' and while it sinks into my skin pretty quickly, it does feel a tiny bit greasy, which I actually really like in colder weather but it's something that has the potential to be a deal breaker for me in the summer.

I love that Sympathy for the Skin contains actual organic bananas (you can even see the seeds in the cream) and I really love the way it smells. Vanilla, cocoa butter, lemon oil and sandalwood oil combined with the fresh bananas makes for one seriously delicious scent that I find strangely comforting, especially now that cardigan weather has arrived in London.

Sympathy for the Skin Hand and Body Lotion is available in Lush stores and online for £16 for a rather generous 240g pot. I bought mine about 3 weeks ago and I've barely made a dent in it so I think it's pretty good value too!

Fake Tan Files: Prtty Peaushun Review

In honour of the beginning of Summer, I'm going to be putting a series of faux tanners, bronzers and body beautifiers to the test and sharing my thoughts on Lippy in London.

First off the block is something a little unusual, a little different yet truly fantastic - the  Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion.

Prtty Peaushun ( pronounced pretty potion) is a body lotion with a twist - an illuminating, slimming, moisturising, light reflecting bronzing oil that hides imperfections and gives the skin an oh-so-flattering healthy glow.

What does it do?
The potion promises to minimize the appearance of cellulite, varicose veins, stretch marks and various other lumps, bumps and bits that can leave us girls feeling less than confident in warm weather.
This isn't a fake tanning product, but rather a body beautifier that contains a unique blend of plant extracts that work together to firm and tighten while you get your glow on - a very welcome bonus!

Claims such as these are often far fetched, but I'm telling you first hand after slathering this on my own body that this product delivers on its promises. Rejoice!

The Packaging:
Looking at the product, it's safe to say that this isn't your standard run of the mill packaging. This is down to the fact that its creator, celebrity MUA Bethany Karlyn is environmentally aware and aimed to reduce waste by housing the lotion in 'anti packaging' that will take up minimal space in landfills. The pouch contains 236ml of product and the flexibility of the packaging means I'll be able to squeeze out every last drop of the lovely stuff. No product wastage here!



The Scent:
Prtty Peaushun is made with 92% natural raw ingredients including Avocado Oil and Green Tea so it has a lovely, subtle sort of herbal scent that won't clash with your perfume.


The Consistency:
When I first unscrewed the cap on this, I wasn't quite prepared for how runny it would be and I managed to spill some down my shirt! This was largely down to the fact that I hadn't shaken it up first, so the oil ingredients were sitting on the surface of the formula. Once shaken, it's still considerably runny, but thick enough to keep things under control!

The Price Tag:

At £39 it is on the pricier side, but other brands such as Famous Dave's and St Tropez are in this price range too.

The Verdict:
I adore Prtty Peaushun and I can see it becoming a staple product for me.
A little of this lotion goes a long way and I can see this pouch lasting through most of summer.
In terms of longevity, this has the staying power of any other good bronzer and left my limbs gleaming throughout the day until I had my evening shower.
Prtty Peaushun is fast absorbing, bronzing, subtly sparkling and smells delish so it gets a big nod from me!
I think I'll be smoothing this on over a fake tan for extra punch this summer. Here's a before and after:

The lotion is available in light, medium, dark, deep dark and plain, which doesn't contain the bronzing elements but gives skin a sexy sheen.
Prtty Peaushun is an American product and you can find out more here.

*I found it quite difficult to showcase this product on my skin via the photographs, probably because of the rather overcast weather today, so the light reflecting particles didn't really have a lot of light to reflect unfortunately!

Thanks for reading :)

*This was sent to me for consideration, but I wouldn't feature it if it didn't make me feel confident enough to put on my short shorts!