Pampering treats to welcome in the summer

The weather really doesn't know what it wants to do at the moment, switching from balmy days to torrential downpours and huge thunderstorms with barely a minute's notice. We did have a weekend of gorgeous weather last weekend though so it was great to wander about in T-shirts, soaking up the sun (without forgetting the sun cream - there were some very sore, red arms and faces on show as we wandered about - not ours, I might add !).

It's not just clothes that need to be revamped for the summer though - my beauty regime needs to be stepped up a notch in the run up to summer too. After a whole winter hiding under trousers, my legs need some serious TLC before they're ready to be bared to the world in shorts ! Sloughing off dead skin cells and moisturising are both high on my list of priorities, so I was delighted to receive a little selection of pampering goodies to put through their paces and help get me ready for the summer.

First up was Wilkinson Sword's Intuition razor for dry skin. I wasn't overly keen on the colour of this one - is it just me that likes girly pink or vibrant colours on the bathroom shelf ?!- but I do love the fact that it contains coconut milk and almond oil to help nourish your skin while you shave. This did seem to work as I didn't suffer from any irritation or discomfort after shaving, which I often do. I love the fact that it foams gently when it comes into contact with water so you don't have to bother with shower gel or shaving foam - that will save a bit of space in your suitcase when you head off on holiday !

The next product that I received is an old favourite - St Ives Apricot Scrub which is a really refreshing exfoliating scrub, perfect for revealing fresher-looking skin without feeling too gritty or scratchy. You can read a full review of this product here from when I tried it out a couple of years ago.

The final product was a Be Surprised body spray from Impulse. Well, I was surprised actually because I remember Impulse from my youth, way back in the eighties, and they've come a long way since then. All Impulse fragrances are developed and inspired by fine fragrance perfumers in collaboration with Ann Gottlieb, who is the fragrance expert behind prestige blends for Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs and Oscar De La Renta. I love the exotic, oriental-inspired blend of violets and red fruits that is really refreshing and uplifting, but if that doesn't sound like your thing, there are a wide choice of other fragrances available - Into Glamour, Romantic Spark, Very Pink, Loving Words, Hint of Musk, True Love, Tease, Temptation, Sweet Smile and Secret Smile. It's great to see that they still have names to make teenage girls giggle and squeal as they try out the testers in Superdrug, just like I used to with my schoolfriends - some things never change !

St Ives have also shared their top tips for detoxing your skin and soul :

- Use St Ives facial scrub in the evening to rid your face of all the dirt that it picks up during the day or in the morning to create a perfect canvas that leaves you with a naturally radiant glow.

- Drink herbal teas : nettle, ginger, dandelion and sarsaparilla root are known to improve liver and kidney fucntion, speeding up toxin removal.

- Fill a bath tub with hot water and add Epsom salts. This can draw out dirt from the pores and relieve joint pain.

- Aim to drink three litres of fluid daily. This will help rid your body of toxins and give your skin an even healthier natural glow.

- Increasing the fibre content of your diet not only helps combat bloating, it has a tremendous benefit for your skin.

- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. A diet of acidic and alkaline based foods will balance the nutrients that are fed to your skin

Disclosure : I received the products in order to write an honest review.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Radox Fresh & Fruity Shower Gels review

Nivea Sun Protect & Refresh review

It's not too early to break out the sun cream !