AHAVA Mineral Foot Cream - the best foot cream I have ever tried!

Finding a good foot cream is one of my life's missions! Having worked as a beautician, I've worked my way through many a professional foot cream (OPI is the most effective and most-loved by clients in my experience - the OPI green foot file is amazing at sloughing off dry skin!) right through to pharmacy-based brands like Flexitol (another fab brand for smoothing rough heels) but this Mineral Foot Cream from AHAVA's Dead Sea Water range tops the lot.

I've hit upon a seriously good product here for anyone with rough cracked soles, or those who simply like to look after their feet and give them the TLC they deserve.

For me, this foot cream combines the beautiful packaging and silky smooth  formulation of a spa brand with the results-driven efficacy of an advanced chemist-based treatment. After just one application my feet felt like I'd just stepped out of the salon having indulged in a spa pedicure. They felt so smooth (like wearing a pair of silk stockings!), delicately scented and had a  lovely light, cool 'walking on air' feeling.

What was really impressive was that silky soft feeling lasted, even after I'd showered, right through to the next day when I re-applied. The gorgeous scent lingers too, it's a beautiful light, almost powdery-smelling fragrance, which smells really comforting, just lovely!

I've also noticed a huge difference in my hands since using the cream, my cuticles are smoother and my nails have grown quicker.

It's also really handy for smoothing onto heels before you go out wearing strappy sandals. It re-hydrates dry heels instantly, leaving them looking so much more attractive, and with regular use gets to work on banishing those unsightly cracks for good.

Just like all the products in the AHAVA range, the cream is packed full of the natural skin-friendly elements found in the nutrient-rich Dead Sea region, including the area's mineral-filled water, mud, salt and plants. Perfect ingredients for hydrating the skin, increasing moisture and restoring skin balance. The range is paraben free, contains no harsh synthetic ingredients and is free from petroleum-based ingredients, making them suitable for sensitive skin too. 

I'm blown away by how good this product is, and I think you will be too. 

As a PS to this post, I've recently been trying out the AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream too, a luxurious, pampering treat for the hands which is just as divine. It's infused with aromatic green plum and sandalwood and smells delicious. It's as effective as the foot cream, leaving hands feeling like they're covered in silk, and the scent lingers on the hands throughout the day.  

If you'd like to experience hands and feet at their softest, smoothest and most supple best, click here www.ahava.co.uk. 

AHAVA Mineral Foot Cream, £13.30, for 100ml.
AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream, £13.30 for 100ml.

Living Nature's fabulous Firming Flax Serum

My ears pricked up when I heard about Living Nature's Firming Flax Serum, not only because I love any product which promises smoother skin with finer lines, but because it recently won Best Skin Serum in the Natural Health magazine Beauty Awards 2011 - the Oscar's of the natural beauty industry - quite an accolade!

I've had to seriously re-think my skincare regime lately. The years are ticking by and, at 37, those fine lines and wrinkles are definitely starting to show! I wanted to add something into my nightly routine that would be a little more powerful and potent than my average moisturiser, and a product that would get to work overnight, helping the skin to repair and replenish itself. What better time to put this 100 per cent pure, oil-free product, described as 'Nature's Wrinkle Defence,' to the test.

The Harakeke Flax, a native plant of New Zealand, is not an ingredient I was familiar with, and to be honest didn't sound that appealing until I read about all the clever things it can actually do! Hailed by Living Nature as more powerful than aloe vera, this plant feeds moisture along its leaves, and can do the same for our skin to leave us with a firmer, smoother complexion. It also acts as a mild astringent, causing the pores to contact, which prevents moisture loss and therefore can reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

I've been smoothing it on after cleansing every evening for a few weeks now as part of my new anti-ageing routine (you could use it in the mornings too), making sure I apply over expression lines around the eye area, upper lip area and also on the neck. I've also been sleeping on my silk pillow which doesn't wick products like serums away from the skin during sleep like a cotton pillow can.

It's very nourishing due to the addition of active Manuka honey, and the rosehip oil is rejuvenating on the skin, too. The scent is subtle and the formulation is light, silky smooth and a joy to apply, sinking into the skin effortlessly. You can apply a moisturiser, such as the Living Nature Nourishing Night Cream, over the top too, but I've been using it on its own.

My skin now looks as if it's had a visible moisture boost, with the dullness I put down to age (and stress) replaced with a brighter more youthful glow. For such a small and simple tweak to my nightly skincare routine, adding this potent product has made a big difference. It's well worth the investment, whatever your skin type.

Living Nature's Firming Flax Serum is available from www.livingnature.com
priced £22.45 for 13ml.

Elf - Flawless Finish Foundation and Matte Lip Colour

Eyeslipsface.co.uk ... if I had a spare tenner and wanted a new make-up look, that's where I'd be clicking! Just lately I've been trying out the lovely new elf Flawless Finish Foundation, £6.50, and the Matte Lip Colour, £3.50, two fine products at jaw-dropping prices!

This lightweight and oil free Flawless Finish Foundation, complete with SPF 15, has a semi-matte finish and can be blended according to how your skin is on any particular day. If you want a silky sheer effect, blend it in completely with your brush or sponge, or for those days when you need a little help, simpy blend in less for fuller coverage and to even out skin tone.

It comes in a lovely matte glass chunky square bottle with a pump dispenser and looks far more expensive than £6.50! It's slightly perfumed when first applied but if you're not a fan of scents, it's only a light fresh smell which quickly fades. 

I tried shade Porcelain, the fairest shade, as I tend to be the lightest on any foundation colour range. It was pretty light, even on me, so I think the next shade, Sand, would probably be spot on. For other skin tones there are also four more shades, Buff, Caramel, Almond and Coco, so there's bound to be something to suit.

It's easy to apply and blend, even when using fingers, and stays put throughout the day. I liked the semi-matte finish for reducing shine, expecially on sunny days, and the SPF 15 gets a big thumbs up from me!

Elf's Matte Lip Colour finished off the flawless base perfectly. It's a twist-up jumbo sized pencil (hurrah no need to sharpen!) which makes filling in lips a dream as it's much speedier than a traditional-sized lip pencil. It has a lovely creamy yet matte texture, enriched with vitamins A, C and E for lovely luscious and hydrated lips. Personally I've been wearing it with a gloss over the top, which I know defeats the object of the matte effect, but it works well either way! I've been testing out Natural, a suit-all shade, perfect for daytime, but three other gorgeous shades are available - Coral, Tea Rose and Praline, for just £3.50 each.

I've also got my eye on the Matte Finisher Clear Nail Polish which turns shiny nails a fashionable matte, just £1.50!

Got a spare tenner and fancy a pick-me-up treat? Visit www.eyeslipsface.co.uk to buy a few make-up goodies for yourself today!