British beauty brand Baylis and Harding sent me through a selection of their pampering products to put through their paces, including the Body Firming Cream and Body Mist from their newest luxury body care range, Great Body. The collection, available exclusively at Waitrose, has been designed to work on all skin types as part of a daily body regime with a 5-step routine to brighten, condition, nourish, firm and refresh the skin.
The Body Firming Cream comes in a sophisticated-looking pale blue box with shiny silver trim (which makes it very hard to get a good photo !).
The Body Firming Cream comes in a sophisticated-looking pale blue box with shiny silver trim (which makes it very hard to get a good photo !).
Inside the box is a matching pale blue tub. The rest of the range - Body Polish, Body Wash, Body Lotion and Body Mist - have matching pastel shades which really remind me of the Clinique 3 Step range. Sneaky bit of marketing there, huh ?! Key vitamin ingredients and botanical extracts, taken from British wildflower plants, are used in the products. I was intrigued by the mention of Actisculpt on the box - it is apparently a new blend of standardised herbal actives from India, utilising traditional herbal medicine, whose combined benefits help to locally break down and remove fat, allowing for shaping and firming without irritation or discomfort. My skin does feel smoother but I'm not sure it's firmer - it's such a lovely product to use that it's no great hardship to slather it all over your body when you get out of the shower just in case though ! It also contains Betaine - a naturally derived amino acid – to increase skin’s moisture retention and Glycerin for additional suppleness.
The Body Firming Cream is just the right consistency - runny enough for it to be absorbed easily into the skin and to be simple to apply but thick enough for it not to be too messy. It smells very summery and refreshing - it reminds me very much of a cucumber face mask I tried a while ago which is a soothing, relaxing scent - and it feels like a quality product. My skin felt instantly hydrated - I'm not sure I could say firmer but definitely deeply moisturised and nourished - and it may well have a firming effect if used over time. It sank quickly into my skin, leaving no greasy or damp residue (I hate that feeling when you put clothes on after using body cream and it feels all sticky), although I did need to wash my hands before starting to type up my review. It contains extracts of pansy, mallow and lady's mantle, amongst others that I'd never heard of, and is ideal for getting your skin ready to bare for the summer or for pampering sun-kissed skin on holiday.
I also tried out the Body Mist. I initially wasn't sure if it was designed as a deodorant or a moisturiser but a quick look at the bottle revealed that it promises instant hydration. It comes out as a very fine, refreshing spray that doesn't feel oily or overly wet. I sprayed some on my skin, rubbed my hand across and it felt as if it had been soaked up by my skin, but apparently it evaporates on the skin, leaving it refreshed and moisturised. It's a lovely product for the summer, containing elderflower extracts to cleanse, soothe and soften the skin, meadowsweet, whose mild astringent properties are cooling, and sage leaf, which is an antioxidant. It's lovely and refreshing when you're feeling hot or you've been soaking up the sun.
I'm very impressed with both products so I'll be investigating the rest of the range. They have a really luxurious feel to them so I was impressed with the low price tag.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £6
Available exclusively at Waitrose
Disclosure : I received the products in order to write an honest review.
Other reviews you may be interested in :
I've been considering getting a firming cream as I soo need it, thanks for the useful review :) - Natalie Gillham x
ReplyDeleteI would love to try some of Bayliss & Harding's products. They look really high end, but the prices aren't to out of reach. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pity that this range contains Imidazolidinyl Urea as a preservative.
ReplyDelete