Review: Simple - Kind To Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub

With my sensitive skin, it's always so difficult to find suitable products. I must have gone through so many products in the past few years just to find the right ones. There have been occasions where I've literally used a product once and had to throw it away. One of the brands that I can almost always rely on is Simple. Not only do they make gentle products, they are also super affordable.

One of my favourite products is the Simple Kind To Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub. I'm not sure how long it's been around for but I only came across it about 2 years ago and, since that day, I've only bought one other face scrub and that was only because this wasn't on the shelf that day. 

As with the majority of Simple products, this is scentless. It contains rice granules, which I assume is the exfoliating agent in this as I can't seem to find anything else on the tube. The granules are extremely fine and really help to buff away dead skin cells in the most gentle way possible. In terms of affordable high street products, I haven't come across any face scrub that is more gentle, fine and effective as this one

My skin is left feeling refreshed, brighter, and very soft. I've actually used this on my hands a couple of times too when they get dry in the Winter and it works wonders! It's gentle enough to make my hands lovely and soft again without feeling like I've just rubbed sandpaper onto them!

The tube is quite small compared to some other face scrubs and only contains 75ml of product for £3.29, which I guess is still very cheap in the grand scheme of things. You only need to use this once a week so it does last a while. I tend to purchase this when there are offers in store such as 3 for 2. 

Of course, if your budget extends a bit further then there are other options out there. One of my friends is a big Dermalogica fan and she was close to purchasing the Microexfoliant when we visited the stand at Westfield. I have to say, it does look like an ultra fine exfoliator and it's something I will probably try in the future but the price tag is insane. Quite frankly, I don't believe that you need to spend ridiculous amounts for good skincare. So, for her birthday last year, I put together a little goodie bag for her and included this Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub. Always a pleasure to introduce people to my favourite skincare brand and help them save money at the same time!

I'm still open to trying out other face scrubs but I think it will take a lot for a product to beat this one!

What is your favourite face scrub?

Just What I Needed

Ever have one of those weeks where you feel like you're hitting your head against a break wall? Well that's exactly how I felt last week. For me, my two favourite ways of picking myself up are to exercise and eat food. Bit of a juxtaposition, I know! Last week I felt like I'd done enough exercise to rival that of an athlete (okay... maybe not quite but you get the idea) so food was the only solution left!

I headed to the usual destination with my cousin by my side and I thought I'd share my (small) feast with you all.

The first thing that I had was this sausage bun. It's a lot more appetising than it looks. It's basically a sweet bun filled with frankfurter sausage, cheese, sweetcorn, and peas. Okay, it's a lot more appetising than it sounds as well, I promise!

Of course, I had to have a cake of some sort! I opted for this coffee cake slice. I've been staying away from caffeine for various reasons (I didn't even have any festive drinks over Christmas!) so I figured that having some coffee cake would be enough to satisfy my caffeine cravings. The cream was yummy as it was filled with fruits. Guess that counts towards my five a day....

Coconut water is so refreshing and delicious and I figured I should have at least one completely healthy thing. I don't purchase this often as I think it's a little pricey for what it is. It describes itself as "like sticking a straw in a coconut". Honestly, I've literally stuck a straw in a coconut before and nothing can compare to it. When I don't have fresh coconuts to hand, though, Vita Coco is a suitable substitute.

What are you up to this weekend?

Review: Rosebud By Design Jewellery

I really ought to have a bit of a clearout sometime soon because I seem to have accumulated so much stuff lately. There's always room for pretty jewellery though, always.....

Rosebud By Design offers beautiful handcrafted jewellery, designed to create long lasting memories in your mind. It's always nice to have something that brings back happy memories. The lovely beads and pearls are high quality and catch the light to give you that extra bit of sparkle. Reminds me of a bracelet that I own which creates a rainbow-like effect on the walls whenever the sunlight comes through.

I was kindly sent two items to feature on my blog and I hope you will all like them as much as I do!

This Strawberry Princess Bracelet* caught my eye mainly due to the colour. I'm not a major girly girl but I do love a bit of pink. The design is also something that I haven't seen before and it would be a fantastic bracelet to wear for a glamorous occasion. I've already had a few people ask me about it as it looks very unique. This would make a lovely gift for anyone who loves pink!

My favourite piece from Rosebud By Design is the Snowflake Bracelet*. This is very much my kind of bracelet at the moment, it's simple but sophisticated and it's easy to wear on a day-to-day basis without being too showy. I would also definitely wear this with an elegant evening outfit. The white Swarovski pearls are elegant and dainty, and the diamantes give it that subtle bit of glam. Pearls will never go out of fashion and I like to think I can channel my inner Audrey Hepburn with them...

Have you visited Rosebud By Design yet?

A Little Bit Of Popcorn

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved popcorn! My favourite was Butterkist toffee popcorn but I also used to like freshly popped popcorn from the cinema. As the years have gone on, even cinema popcorn doesn't seem to taste so fresh anymore. If anyone here works at the cinema and would like to shed some light on that, feel free to.....

Making popcorn at home is one way to make sure that it's fresh. You can buy pre-flavoured popcorn (normally sweet or salty) in bags that you just chuck in the oven. For more creative control over flavours, you can buy plain popcorn kernals and pop them yourself in a pan. Or you can go one better and get yourself a Heat 'n' Eat Microwave Popcorn Maker*. I was kindly sent this from the team at IWOOT.

This is so simple to use and easy to clean. You simply use the measuring tool to fill your tub with kernels, and then pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I used an 800W microwave and set the timer for 3 minutes. Et voila! Perfectly popped popcorn and super fresh! No standing by the pan. No messing around with popcorn bags. Just plain popcorn straight from the microwave, and you have full control over how you choose to flavour it. It makes enough for 1-2 people, but you can very easily and quickly make more if you needed to.

I'm more of a sweet rather than savoury person when it comes to popcorn so I decided to pour caramelised sugar onto it. It gives a sweeter taste than typical "sweet" popcorn but it's also not as sickly as toffee can sometimes be.

I can honestly say that this is the best popcorn that I have ever had. It had a lovely warm freshness to it and I could get the sweetness just right for how I like it. The only downside is that I'll probably never want to eat cinema popcorn or supermarket popcorn ever again! Speaking of the cinema, I do love to watch new releases but there's something ever so cosy about getting into my favourite pyjamas, curling up on the sofa, and putting on my favourite DVD. And now I'll even have fresh popcorn to go with it!

I love experimenting with food and I'm very pleased to add this very practical popcorn maker to my kitchen cupboards. Also, if you're trying to be healthy, plain popcorn makes a great snack! You can eat it straight from the sturdy red tub!

The Heat 'n' Eat Microwave Popcorn Maker retails at £14.99, a worthwhile investment for any popcorn lover. Experiment with some different combinations and come up with your own gourmet flavours!

What's your favourite popcorn flavour?

*PR sample.