Naked time!

I love Groupon. They've had some great deals in the past. I recently purchased the Naked deal, where you paid £8 for a £20 voucher to spend on Naked products. This has been mentioned very little in the blogging world so I'm guessing not many people purchased it. I must admit, I only purchased it because I had Groupon credit, meaning I got the deal for free. Because of this, I only had to pay for P&P. So what did I buy for £3.99?

• Scrub Up Naked - Sea Minerals Salt Scrub - £6.99. This smells like the ocean, which I thoroughly enjoy. I've already discovered that a little goes a longgg way.
• Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner - Frizzy, damaged hair - £3.99.
• Spoilt Rotten Coco De Mer Collection - £9. I wanted to get the body butter (I have far too many but still want more!) so I thought for £4 more, I may as well get the bundle, which includes another two products: body wash and bath foam. These contain passion flower and coconut oil, so understandably have a floral scent, with a hint of coconut. Not a scent I'd usually go for (I like fruity/sweet scents) but I quite like it.

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Boots Botanics Pore Perfecting Deep Clean Mousse and Toner

I've been using these products for nearly three weeks so thought it was about time I reviewed them :)

Boots Botanics Pore Perfecting Deep Clean Mousse £4.07

'Botanics range combines active plant extracts in carefully balanced formulations to give you the right product for your skin type. Pore Perfecting Deep Clean Mousse for Blemish Prone Skin is formulated to be non pore blocking, containing Rosemary which combines antioxidant properties with antimicrobial action, helping reduce skin bacteria and also helping to protect skin from damaging free radicals while Willow Bark exfoliates and clears the skin, Plant extracts at levels that really work, combined and formulated for unbeatable product performance.'

I was a bit apprehensive about buying this at first because the formula looked very watery. However, when you pump the product out, it turns into a foam. You can definitely detect the scent of Rosemary and this product smells very fresh.

I use one pump to cover my entire face. A small amount will spread across your skin well and feels almost creamy when applying. Afterwards my skin is left feeling matte and thoroughly cleansed.

Boots Botanics Pore Perfecting Toner £3.05

'The Botanics range combines active plant extracts in carefully balanced formulations to give you the right product for your skin type.

Botanics Pore Perfecting Toner for Blemish Prone Skin leaves complexion soft and matte. Containing Rosemary which combines antioxidant properties with antimicrobial action, helping reduce skin bacteria and also helping to protect skin from damaging free radicals, also contianing Amazaonian clay which absorbs oils to keep the skin oil free and fresh. Plant extracts at levels that really work, combined and formulated for unbeatable product performance.'

Again, the product in the bottle doesn't look very appealing; a murky, muddy water. This is because of the clay. A large amount of clay is at the bottom of the bottle and will not budge! This doesn't affect the product though. When applying, it doesn't sting as such but feels a little like antiseptic. This isn't a bad thing and I don't think many people will notice.

How have these products improved my skin?

My pores are a lot smaller than they were, that's for sure. Before, if I ran my finger over my forehead, I could feel little bumps. Now, it is smooth :) I still get a few blemishes like before but this is going to be natural for blemish prone skin and no products can stop that completely. Although I still have blemishes, my skin feels better, smoother and 'pore tightened'.

I would recommend these :)

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Simple Facial Washes

Click to enlarge

Simple do a handful of facial washes, each suitable for a specific need (Age Resisting, Radiance Brightening, Oil Balancing, Spotless Skin) but the two above are the two main facial washes in the range.

Left- Refreshing Facial Wash Gel: "Tired skin will look revived as you gently rinse away make-up, dirt and pollution with our Kind To Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel."

Right- Moisturising Facial Wash: "To avoid tight skin after washing use our Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash for thoroughly cleansed and nourished skin."

Both are fragrance free and soap free, perfect for sensitive skin.

They also lather well and remove all traces of make up.

& you can save a few pennies with these being just £2-3 each.

If you're looking for an affordable, simple, everyday facial wash which will not irritate your skin, then these are perfect for you :)

For more information, visit Simple's website: Simple.

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Simple Derma Intensive Relief Cream

Simple Derma Intensive Relief Cream for very dry, sensitive skin prone to eczema & dermatitis.

Price: £3.99

Simple say: For skin that is very dry, sensitive or prone to itchy irritating conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. This unique and innovative Simple Derma range prepared by our sensitive skin experts, gives you immediate soothing effects and long lasting care that will calm and help relieve irritated skin.

Specially formulated with a highly effective naturally derived humectant Aquaxyl™ and Canola Oil, this concentrated, fast acting Intensive Relief Cream deeply hydrates, restoring your skin's natural moisture levels as it protects and prevents further moisture loss.

It works by wrapping a protective barrier around your skin that locks moisture in and keeps allergens and irritants out, enhancing your skin's natural barrier function and helping to restore and maintain skin health.

My thoughts: My skin is normal, and not even close to being dry but I use intense moisturising products because I want my skin to be the softest it can possibly be. I've been using this for a couple of weeks; on my neck, chest and hands. I've been using it in these places as these are the places that give away your age. I'm hoping that deep moisturising will help me age gracefully.

This cream absorbs well and leaves my skin extremely soft straight away.

How is this cream any better than the other intense moisturising products on the market? I here you ask. Well for some people, it isn't. It's just another rich cream for very dry skin. However, if you have sensitive skin this product will be beneficial to you. This product, like all other Simple products contains no perfume and no colour; the two main causes of irritation to the skin.

I have also been reaching for this over my other products because it looks and sounds professional and medical. That, and having used other Simple products, I trust what they have to offer.

Would I recommend? Yes I would :) and having just looked up the price, it's very affordable for such a great rich moisturising cream.

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B.liv by Cellnique Skincare Reviews & Free Sample

Last month I was contacted by B.liv skincare, a brand I'd never heard of before, to review a couple of products. Intrigued, I said yes. I've been using the products for a couple of weeks and can now give you my opinion.

First of all, my skin type is oily so I received products suitable for me. They offer a wide range of products suitable for every skin type.

Get your freckles out!

Before and after photos; two weeks apart.

I was going to do full face photos but they didn't really show anything. I had a couple of blemishes but even without the products, they would have gone in a few weeks. I was most concerned with the blackheads around my nose and they would show me improvement. Sadly, the photos do not show me improvement. The after photo actually looks worse but you have to ignore the blemishes. The blackhead issue has slightly improved, but not a great deal.

Lets talk about the products:

Squeaky Clean Cleansing Gel (Click to go to the website/more information on the product.)

"This ultra-gentle exfoliating cleansing gel added with micro-beads helps you kick out impurities and remove excessive oil. The cleanser lets you say ‘hi” to clean pores and “bye” to those heads by making blackheads and whiteheads removal simple."

The formula of this product is a green gel with teeny tiny micro beads. To me, it smells like herbs/mint; not something I particularly like as I prefer sweet/fruity scents but the smell of a product will not put me off using it. The good thing though is that the smell is refreshing and instantly awakens you.

I love that this is a 2 in 1 product; cleansing and exfoliating at the same time. The micro beads are gentle and do not irritate the skin. My skin feels refreshingly cleansed afterwards.

Oil Leviate

"Infused with potassium azeloyl diglycinate and grapefruit extract, this mattifying gel perfectly regulates your sebum secretion, helping your skin feel less oily and in need of attention. Its fast absorption and weightless gel texture ensures a healthy and quenched face."

The formula for this is a clear gel with little scent.

Again, I love that this is a 2 in 1 product; mattifying and moisturising at the same time. Afterwards my face feels slightly tight (But I've always love that haha), clean and hydrated. This will also last quite a long time as two small pumps are needed for your entire face.

Overall, I like both products, especially the Oil Leviate and there are no negative points.

Price:

The prices are in USD and as currency exchange rates are always changing, I can not give you an accurate price in GBP. Squeaky Clean is 25USD and Oil Leviate is 35USD (Around 15 and 25 pounds).

This blog is called Affordable Treats and obviously these are not affordable, so the question is, are they worth it?

In my personal opinion, I think you can buy a cheaper skincare routine which give similar results. There are a lot of oil reducing products on the market so you should be able to find something.

The photos above don't show great results but I do think they have made my skin slightly better. But then again, most skincare routines will show improvements. I just think I need to extract all the blackheads first and then these products will help prevent future ones.

Would you like a free 3ml sample of Oil Leviate? This is for the first 50 readers.

All you have to do is email your full name and shipping address to fbfreesample@blivskin.com with the subject affordabletreats.blogspot.com.

You can also send your blog's URL and may stand a chance to do a product review.

Hurry as this is only available for a week!

Thank you for reading,

x

Simple Eye Make-Up Remover Pads

Price: £3-4

Simple say:

Simple Cleansing Eye Make-Up Remover Pads will remove all eye make-up even waterproof mascara and won't sting or irritate your eyes.

My thoughts:

These are so cute! They fit in the palm of your hand. If you're lazy like me then these are great; I just can not be bothered to put eye make up remover onto a cotton wool pad haha. These already have the product soaked in the pads so you just pop one out and off you go. They have just enough product on and remove waterproof mascara well.

You could use a normal cleansing wipe but as these are designed to use on your eyes, they do not irritate the skin.

Each pack contains 30 pads which should last you a couple of weeks (If on average you use 2 a day)

I couldn't really tell a difference between the normal and brightening pack, both do the same job.

Would I recommend? If you're lazy then yes :)

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Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser Review

Price: £4-7 depending on the store you purchase from. Superdrug is cheaper than Boots.

Simple claim:

"When your skin's happy and glowing, you feel healthier and happier too! Our Brightening Moisturiser SPF10 is a perfect blend of active ingredients and light reflecting particles to protect, condition and illuminate your skin throughout the day. Perfect for even sensitive skin."

My thoughts:

The cream is thick, sinks into my skin well and leaves it feeling deeply moisturised, but this isn't a product suitable for me. My cheeks are a normal skin type, meaning they're not dry, oily or blemish prone, and because of this, the product looks great on my cheeks. The product is however, another story on my T-zone. My T-zone is oily and this moisturiser highlights that.

It does give you a glow/shine doing exactly what it claims but is not suitable for oily skin types.

I think this product would be great for people with dryer skin.

Overall - It's a good product, but not if you have oily skin as it will highlight this. A great product for dull/dry skin.

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Simple's VIP of August Prizes!

I am Simple's VIP of August and my prizes arrived today!

It was like Christmas!

Eeek!

This is meant to be £50 worth of goodies but me and my sister worked out that it is a lot more than that. Even if everything cost £2 each, that would still come to £82. Most of the products there, excluding the travel products and face wipes, are around £3-4 each. (After Sun Lotion £7 and Sun Sensitive Facial Lotion £10 are two examples of the higher priced items!)

Looks like I'm set for life.. ah who am I kidding? This is being written by a beauty addict on a beauty blog hehe.

Thank you Simple so so soooooo much!

xo

Simple's VIP of August

is me!

I'm a very happy Louise :)

Just thought I'd state this in case anyone left an offensive comment:

I was not chosen for publicity, as Simple know nothing about my blog. I was chosen as I have been a loyal VIP; referring friends, leaving comments, taking surveys and earning points.

x

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash Review

I've been using this for a few weeks now and have seen a few reviews on samples of this product so thought it was about time I reviewed it :)

Why did I buy this?

It was just a random buy to be honest, plus it was pink and smelt of pink grapefruit :)

A couple days after I bought this, I saw the advert and just cringed. Unbelievably cheesy, bad miming and a fake voice. If I had seen this advert before I bought it.. well, I wouldn't of bought it haha and this is because the advert makes it look gimmicky and not very good.

Price:

I bought mine in Superdrug when it was on offer for £2.99 so I think the usual price is around £4.

What it claims:

"An uplifting daily facial cleanser for clear, fresh and healthy looking skin everyday.

• With powerful MicroClear technology, the formula cleanses deeply to help eliminate spots and blackheads.
• The refreshing gel gently purifies the skin without overdrying, while a wave of pink grapefruit uplifts the sense with a burst of invigorating freshness."

My thoughts:

I bought it because it was pink and smelt of pink grapefruit and I like it because its pink and smells of pink grapefruit aha,

No but I do like this product; it has a pump, smells great, is refreshing and removes my eye make-up well.

Would I re-purchase? No I probably will not, only because as a beauty addict, I am always searching for new products :D

But I want to purchase the facial scrub in this range :)

x

Bargainacious!

The Body Shop. I walked in there today and was a good girl. Why you ask? Well some of their body butters were on sale from £12.50 down to £5 and I didn't buy one!

They didn't have any hair brushes which is what I went in for in the first place so off I went.

I'm so glad I didn't buy the body butters because I've just been on The Body Shop's website and they have been reduced even further to just £3!

The Body Shop can be expensive but you can get some real bargains when they have a sale. I also love that you get free delivery when you spend £15.

Here's what I have just purchased:

Raspberry Body Butter 200ml £3 in the sale

Almond Body Butter 200ml £3 in the sale - My sister has an Almond body butter and it smells like Cherry Bakewells!

Paddle Brush £5 in the sale

Small Cushion Brush £3 in the sale

Nail File £1.50

The four Body Butters I like are Coconut, Cocoa Butter, Raspberry and Almond so I'm glad two of them are in the sale. I really really really wish they did a Vanilla one again as that's my favourite scent.

So go on! Go have a look at what they're offering :)

x

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula

'COCOA BUTTER, enriched with VITAMIN E, in a soothing emollient base. Helps smooth and blend unattractive marks and scars. Tones skin. An excellent all-over-body moisturiser and after tanning butter. Use immediately after following exposure to the sun and wind. Ideal for deep moisturisation, including overnight treatments. Widely recommended for stretch marks during and after pregnancy. Use daily for soft, youthful appearance.'

WOW! So what does this claim?

• Smooths and blends unattractive marks and scars
• Tones skin
• Great after tanning butter
• Good with skin exposed to the sun and wind
• Recommended for during and after pregnancy to prevent stretch marks
• Helps give a youthful appearance

^ All moisturisers do these things; these are the benefits as to why we moisturise aren't they?

Palmer's have just brought these benefits forward to sound better than other moisturisers on the market, and good for them.

The smell

I loveeeee! It has a chocolate vanilla scent so it is very sweet. The scent is strong so some people may not like it.

The formula

It's like a tub of Vaseline - a solid balm. You cannot scoop it out like a normal body butter because of it's solid consistency so I 'moosh' it up before using.

This is VERY greasy, the greasiest product I have used in fact. It takes a while to absorb into the skin so it is best used at night or when you're not planning on going out.

It melts at body temperature so feels warm when applying which is really nice. This would be perfect for a massage! Any takers?

Although it's greasy, it leaves my skin extremely soft afterwards. I used it on my legs for a few days then decided to try it on my feet, hands,elbows and lips - Adventurous, I know ;) Gotta live on the edge! :P Wherever applied was left soft :)

I was a little disappointed when I purchased this product because I was looking for a body butter and this is a greasy balm. But, this smells great and leaves my skin extremely soft so the pros outweigh the cons. Another good point about this product is that it is cheap, costing around £3 so that's 3-1 for the pros.

Would I repurchase? This pot will last me ages! But once finished, probably not. It's a good product but I'm always changing what I use and by the time I've finished this, I will have my eye on something else.

x

Aveeno Discoverers Programme

Aveeno, the skincare brand, have a Discoverers Programme; people within this programme help spread the word of their products.

Here is what Aveeno say:

We are very passionate about our products, naturally active ingredients and scientific production processes. We are also proud that our products can help people overcome their dry skin and maintain it at a beautiful, healthier state everyday, in an enjoyable and gentle way.

Based on a lot of feedback we have received, we understand that our products can make a positive difference to peoples’ lives who are suffering from dry skin. We believe that by spreading the word of AVEENO^®, we will be able to help more and more people enjoy the benefits of healthier-looking and feeling skin.

A while back, I applied to be an Aveeno Discoverer (The usual filling out a form malarkey). Months went by and I completely forgot about it until one day I had an email saying I'd been accepted! My profile says I have been a member since March, but I got the email in June so don't know what happened there! Within the next few weeks, my welcome package arrived, along with another to give to a friend or family member.

Here are the products I have received in my welcome package:

Daily Moisturising Lotion with Lavender, Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion, Daily Moisturising Lotion and Hand Cream.

I'm not too keen on the smell of Lavender but hopefully it is subtle enough to use.

I'm really excited to start using these products because I've only recently got into moisturising regularly.

Reviews on these products will be up in a few weeks :)

I have been accepted on to the AVEENO^® Discoverer Programme, helping to spread the word about AVEENO® products. I get sent free AVEENO^®samples and have the possibility of being rewarded with additional benefits.

Collective shopping

I love reading haul posts; to find great bargains, to see what is currently in stores, to decide what to buy next and if there is anything that I've been 'umming and arring' about, they usually make my mind up on whether to buy it! Here is what I have purchased in the last two weeks:

BodyShop had 30% off for bank holiday weekend woooo!

I could have ordered soooo much (Their eyeshadows and make-up brushes are great. Their lipstain is also one of my favourite lip products) but unfortunately I'm a wee bit skint at the moment. I couldn't even spend £15 to get free delivery because I didn't have that much in my bank! Bad times.

First of all I went to their lipcare, saw their lipbalms and thought 'Omg, down to £1.40, I have to have them alllll!' *Add to basket, add to basket...* but I then remembered I didn't have enough money to buy dozens of lipbalms and lip butters :( The funny thing is, I rarely wear any lip products, including lipbalms but their still an addiction of mine and when I have the money, I shall be buying quite a few of them hehe

My order was dispatched Wednesday and came Thursday! So much for 'if you paid for standard delivery, your items should take 5 days to arrive'. Express delivery takes 2 days and mine came before that!

So here's what I bought:

Passion fruit facial cleansing gel £2.79 (normal price £3.99), Vitamin E facial cleansing bar £1.75 (normal price £2.50), Facial brush with lid £2.10 (normal price £3), Double ended blackhead remover £2.10 (normal price £3)

Next up is Newlook

I ordered Wednesday, expecting them to arrive Saturday like most of my orders have (3 days) but nope! and because of bank holiday Monday, I had to wait until Tuesday!

White pumps £6, White metallic lace dolly shoes £14 - I normally wouldn't pay this much for a pair of dolly shoes but their to wear for a special occasion.

Primark:

Light wash mini shorts £7 - I really like these!, Briefs £4 - I normally buy shorts or thongs but I thought I'd go for a change.

Shorts £5. These are for my dad as part of his fathers day present. He doesn't like getting presents because he'd rather I spend the money on myself but I still do anyway. He doesn't like expensive brands (he likes a good bargain ;) and if I did buy him something expensive, he wouldn't be happy and would want me to return it haha. I bought him a pair of these a few weeks ago in a different design and he loves them so I thought I'd get him another pair.

As for the other part of his present, I'm not sure.. he's trying to get fit so that means no chocolate.. but I might buy him Chinese; he won't say no to that :P

Tesco:

Just a few essentials :)

Cotton wool pads 55p each, Nivea facial cleansing wipes £1.49 (half price), Dove deodorant stick £1.99

Boots:

I have £7 something on my advantage card :D Man it took a while to get that much. A while ago my friend bought a £40 perfume and she put all the points on my card as she doesn't have one. That built my points up a fair bit! Plus they also have deals like: spend £5 on so and so and get 250 points.

I was going to buy a Barry M eyeliner, two Rimmel nail polishes and a few things from Natural Collection (I want to try Apple Blossom lipstick to see if nudes suit me) but one of my Boots are always low on stock with half the shelves are empty and my other Boots only has a few stands of make-up :(

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