Montagne Jeunesse's Black Seaweed Peel Off & Hot Spring Sauna Masques!

Suffering from stress-induced breakouts has become way too common for my liking recently. Dissertation is taking its toll on my skin, leaving it blotchy and in desperate need of some TLC. Just as I was about to begin my daily moan about the state of my face in my bedroom mirror last week, I received an email asking if i'd like to review two new products from face mask geniuses Montagne Jeunesse and I could not have come at a better time!

This Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque* jumped out at me straight away as i've always had such great results from products that feature seaweed. The seaweed this mask contains is black Laver, all the way from Wales (fancy!) along with crushed Sea Blackthorn berries. I was in need of a deep clean, so knew this would be ideal for me. The mask is easy to apply, and with its distinct, dark colour its easy to ensure an even coverage. You are told to apply and leave for 15-20 minutes then to simply peel off afterwards. I could feel the product cooling my skin while I waited, however in future I would suggest to perhaps leave it on for over 20 minutes if possible because it didn't dry at all! I could only peel off about a third, leaving me scraping away at it with a damp flannel. With that aside, the end result was really great. My skin felt squeaky clean (the same effect you can achieve after a good facial scrub, but without all the effort!) and I could feel some of my under-the-skin spots beginning to come to the surface. I would definitely try this masque again, I just wish it was a bit easy to remove - ahh well, nothing good ever comes easy! 

I thought i'd be generous, so I gave the Hot Spring Sauna Masque* to my fellow blogger and housemate Beth to try. With exfoliating Bamboo and chopped Ginger used to open up your pores, give them a deep clean and brighten the skin, this was the ideal mask for her as a fan of polishes and heated scrubs. The application process was easy, and as it was worked into the skin the heat element kicked in instantly. The product had a refreshing fragrance, but the highlight was definitely the removal process after the 10-15 minute waiting time. The product needs to be rinsed off with water, and as the water is worked into the skin the Bamboo kicks in and the product becomes a polish. We were both really impressed with this masque as it differs from the regular 2-in-1's as with this product you can actually feel the two elements working with your skin due to the contrast of the heat and the exfoliating element. Overall her skin looked really vibrant, fresh and hydrated - what more could you ask for? 

For a very reasonable price of £1 I will definitely be grabbing these again. What I love about Montagne Jeunesse is that they have something for everyone, and although they aren't always perfect they are great value for money and are always ideal for a girly night in or as a treat at the end of a busy week.

You can view the full range of products on their website here or purchase from your local Boots, Superdrug, Claire's or supermarket!

The Body Shop Vanilla Gift Set

This little set has been in my 'to-review' list for such a long time (Since my birthday actually, as it was a present from Beth and Chloe), which has meant for about three months its been all sad and unused in a box under my bed!

Vanilla has to be my all-time favourite scent, so i've been so excited to use all of these products from The Body Shop. This gorgeous tin contains a small soap, body butter, shower gel and body polish all smelling of vanilla with a hint of honey.

Of all the products included, i'm most impressed with the body polish. It smells the most realistic out of the four and leaves my legs feeling stupidly soft and even a little bit brighter! The only annoying thing is that I like it so much that I tend to overindulge when it's not necessary meaning that it didn't last long. The shower gel has been my second most-used, but I have to say i'm slightly disappointed with the scent - it smells slightly like plasticine! However, it's gentle on the skin and lathers really well. The body butter is pretty bulk standard - the formula is the same as the traditional full-sized butters, but with the vanilla scent it makes the whole experience of moisturising a lot more indulgent and enjoyable. I am yet to use the soap if i'm honest as i'm not really a solid soap person, but i'm liking the little flecks of vanilla on the surface - I may keep it in the kitchen to give my hands a bit of TLC after doing the washing up.

Overall this is a really fun little set that's a perfect present for someone who's either really indecisive (Yeah, that's me .. I love everything.) or new to The Body Shop. I'm also really loving the octagonal tin; it's currently storing some of my nailcare :) Have you tried any of these products? What are your favourites? 

Unfortunately this set was limited edition but The Body Shop are always bringing out new versions of the butters and polishes for £5-£6 and they currently have a lovely range of vanilla perfumes.. you can take a look here!