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Tuesday 21 December 2021

Shein obscene

I can't believe I've not posted for so long! This year really has flown by. I've just been getting on with life and enjoying classic activities like meals out and trips to the cinema! Things not to be taken for granted after 2020 times. I've also been buying stuff. So much stuff that I'm also having to sell old stuff to make up for all the new stuff!

I discovered Shein. Disaster! They have too much good stuff. It's cheap, fast fashion, but I couldn't resist trying some bits and when I realised that they sold some really cool stuff I got a bit.... hooked! I feel like my mad shein obsession has finally calmed down, but I've kept some stuff that I'm genuinely in to and wanted to share. 

So.... they go to 5xl (uk26) in some pieces but generally 4xl is the biggest size. Happily the reviews are super helpful so you can normally work out what size to get. It comes from China and it's generally quite cheap, but more so because things are always on sale and there are constant discount codes floating around. Not the fanciest fabrics but not everyone can afford fancy fabrics.

I just managed to get some cute stuff that is amazingly hard to get in plus size elsewhere. Like good belts for instance, or affordable lingerie that isn't just bra and pants or a bodysuit.... i have baby dolls now and alllll sorts. I'm obsessed with thier soft lace teddies!

So anyway, here are a few things I've bought and kept. If they've sold out, I'd bet you that they have other super similar items available. I apologise in advance if you also get obsessed with Shein!


 
I'm not going to lie. I have no idea when I'd wear this, but I am so in love with it that I had to have it! I can't believe I own such a cool dress! Living my best Arabian nights dreams in this!

Fully obsessed and in love with this dress. So wearable! 


Nurse? School summer dress? Just feckin' excellent?! Love. It!


Cute isn't it?! Pretty pretty pretty! This comes in 3 colours. I went for the yellow because I don’t have many yellow dresses, but I love the blue and pink too. Very synthetic fabric that’s a tad sheer, but I care not!




POW! Toying with the idea of sewing up the neck a bit, just because sitting down would probably mean an insane amount of cleavage. But I like insane amounts of cleavage so…… we shall see!


Sometimes you want a selkie puff dress. But most of the time you can't afford over £200 for a dress you'll only wear a few times. Bam!


This is so wearable that I've worn it a number of times already. Comfy and so cute! This is now available in numerous colours and I’m sooooo tempted to get more. It’s very comfy and is also super flattering!


I'm still on that cottagecore tip! Loving the porcelain colour scheme. Anyone who knows this blog probably knows how much I love teal.


I love a long sleeved blouse. Planning to order some more to try as they're so handy for work! This is so soft and comfy. Worn to work and just love it!


I added a hook and eye at the top to close up the coat and keep my neck warm (and I changed the button because I didn't like the gold one it came with) but otherwise, this lightweight fury coat is fecking dreamy!

I have some other bits that are exceptionally special, but they’re being save for special occasions so I’m not going to show you yet! You’ll see some stuff in my festive season post after the new year, but for now, I’ll give you a little list of some of my favourite lingerie because there is soooooo much on the site that it can be overwhelming!


So firstly, I’m gonna mention this bra because I have some very low cut, square neck dresses that I’ve really struggled to get a bra for, and this is exactly what I was looking for. I have been looking for a true balcony bra (one where the straps are right on the sides on your boobs (which seems easy if you’re a standard size!) and finally I found one! My boobs are burgeoning out of it but that’s exactly what I needed - lift without the bra showing. Very tricky for a back my size to find straps this far round, which always makes square necks a right pain in the arse!


I have a few of these now. They’re the softest lace and fit like a dream. So comfy! I used to buy super soft lace knickers from m&s that are the exact same lace as these teddies. Absolutely love them!


I sometimes don’t want to wear underwire when at home, but I find that most bralets ride up or fold over and don’t support my tits anyway. I really like the love sets from shein. They are so comfy.


I just like how unusual this one is. I felt so sexy in it that I wore it the same night it arrived. It had a good effect on my significant other!


I have been looking for vintage style plus size lingerie for YEARS! I almost ordered some from a little emo site in America.last year, but the custom charges put me off. Then I found Shein and they have awesome vintage style undies and nighties…. Proper pinup cuteness and period drama nightdresses! I’m saving this set for Valentine’s Day, since it’s pink with hearts on. So effing cute!


What an absolute cracker! I’ve got the turquoises one but it’s sold out. I didn’t see this colour but I might have to have this one too. It’s so soft and pretty! Sera stretchy and would easily fit size 28 and 30!



Sunday 19 September 2021

Plus size cottagecore


Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know that sometimes I like to be a bit whimsical. I often like clothes that remind me of flower fairies or sometimes princesses (but maybe not too Princessy!). I hadn’t heard of the term cottagecore until recently but many of my clothes fit quite nicely into the aesthetic. I had a search for plus size cottagecore and couldn’t really find any much about it. Or at least nothing that would help me shop! I figured I would put something up because I have a bit of a lady boner for it at the moment. 

(It is very dangerous that I've discovered Shein! This is a 5XL / UK 26 but it's generous and has a bit of stretch and elasticated waist / tie bust, so it would easily fit bigger! Comes in mustard yellow and nude pink too! So much cottagecore on Shein!)

There are a number of reasons why I think cottagecore is such a good look for plus size women. For one it’s hyper feminine and I think us fat birds are so often overlooked when it comes to pulling off super girly looks. So many of the cuts are hella fitted and flattering or hella loose fitting, so you can go full smock if you don’t feel comfortable in form sitting clothes, or you can nip everything in at the waist and get your norks out! Although many of the dresses are short, a ton of them are midi and maxi, so no worries about chub rub shorts showing out of the bottom. Oh and the sleeves! Firstly most of the dresses have sleeves which is great for those who are paranoid about their bingo wings. Additionally the sleeves tend to be big and puffy or elasticated or loose, which is heaven for me and my massive upper arms! It’s honestly my favourite trend in years, hence the whole post dedicated to it!


What initially drew my attention to this new fad was Selkie, the spectacular dreamlike, inclusive clothing shop that creates dresses you'd normally only see in movies! Probably a sexy, historical film set in Versailles and full of innocence being lost! There would be frolicking ladies picking flowers, pulling apples from trees and just generally floating around outside spaces looking like a daydream. I decided to buy a Selkie (after seeing the above shot of Tess Holliday!) because I am planning an event and I wanted something unusual and magical. I’m not going to put it on the blog because it’s a secret at the moment but I’ve got a 5XL and it’s a glorious fit…. I’d say it’s a good size 26 in UK sizing. But buying that dress reminded me of how much I love what I always called flower fairy dresses and nowadays people would call fairytale or cottagecore, also sometimes farmcore, all of which basically means floaty, floral - maybe gingham  - and super feminine clothes with a bit of a nod to vintage historical looks.


There are a few pictures on this blog of me wearing dresses where I sort of look like I’m in fancy dress and I’m not scared of people looking at me. It’s funny when I look at my wardrobe how many things I have that fit quite nicely into this particular style of dress. I have quite a few floaty, girly, over the top dresses, many of which I just wear whenever I fancy and not for special occasions. Old dresses aren’t  going to be much help to my readers because you can’t get to them anymore, so I thought I would Investigate the plus size retailers to see what they are offering and then try an absolute shit load of it on! I'll post that up when I've had time to collate everything. I have gone a bit bananas to be honest and I’m not allowed to keep too much of it, but I will certainly keep some! 


In terms of stuff I already have that you can still get (or very similar items anyway!) I have to give Boohoo a real shout out. They have porcelains prints, big puffy sleeves, square necks and so many cottage core dresses at the moment! I loved this pink one so much that I also got the blue version. The pink is 24 and the blue (now sold out!) is a 22. They're both really generous so a size 28 could easily wear a 24 without it looking tight! this is so cute and can be worn with the sleeves off the shoulders too! I LOVE this dress. The pink one is still in stock and is only £14!

 I got this delicious dress I got from ASOS a while back (size 26 but 24 would have been fine too!). Lots of people complained about this dress because it’s very low-cut and as you can see it doesn’t really leave much to the imagination in the old boob area! You will need a very good plunge bra or small boobs. I really wouldn’t advise to wear a top underneath this I think it really would ruin the look! So be brave or maybe try one of the other similar dresses I've found! 


 There was a white version of this as well but it’s sold out otherwise I would’ve had it too, hundred percent! I feel like absolute sex bomb and princess in this at the same time. It's so comfy, it’s so pretty, it’s so flattering, I absolutely love it with a passion. It’s only available in a couple of sizes now but interestingly both Asos and River Island have dresses that are very similar here and here that are both and are both totally awesome! It’s hard because I keep seeing them And wanting them but genuinely they are pretty much the same dress in a slightly different style so I don’t need them now. They do look like they’re not quite as low-cut though so for those of you who find this one a little bit too booby they might be perfect! If you are more pear shaped then the Shein version here would be good as reviews say the bust is a bit small.... it comes in lots of colours too!


I'll be back with some new frocks and some sent back frocks in the cottagecore family very soon! I know winter is coming but I'm going to be frolicking indoors, in floaty dresses, for as long as my boiler is working!


Thursday 19 August 2021

Asos sale.... the old stuff!

 

Elvi plus embroidered dress

It took me ages to post these items because they keep going in and out of stock, but I figured I'd put them up anyway. This Elvi dress is just so pretty! Linen-like fabric with thin lining. It has bronze glitter thread that catches the light so beautifully. I got the 26 and I 100% didn't need to size up in this, but it has a tie waist and kimono style sleeve, so it didn't matter too much!
I wore this to my first lunch with a group of friends at thier house since before covid and felt very floaty and pretty in it!

Trying to capture the fabric on the overground.....

Sort of captured it?! Almost little hearts.... it has already had two outings!


Cute dress. Fabric is a tad rough but I suspect it would soften after a few washes. it reminded me of the many vintage dresses I own so I decided to send it back. Sized down to a 22 and it was a lovely fit! Reccomend for anyone who doesn't have a collection of mum dresses from the 90s! Quite a stiff but not unreasonably thick textured fabric.

Fashion union jumpsuit 

Why oh why is this lined?! It makes it sort of unwearable because it would be super hot even though it is a summery style with short sleeves! Tried the 26 (which was tight due to the lining) and this one, the 28 which was good on the lining but too big on the actual jumpsuit.... the waist fell too low and my torso is LONG! Shame, could have been cute but just not quite right in a few irritating ways!

Asos Curve Smock dress

Arms are way too tight. I'm not even saying more.... size 24.

Tuesday 10 August 2021

A Belle and some crappy jumpsuits

 I tried some bits from asos. Mostly disappointing but one keeper!

There are a few things that drive me absolutely mad. All shoes being mules at the moment, so many backless dresses and fake pockets. Somebody PLEASE explain to me why any designer looks at a piece of clothing and goes "pockets would look cool there, but don't actually make usable pockets". What is wrong with these fools?! Anyway. I might have been more into this very lightweight and slightly cheap feeling jumpsuit if the pockets were real, because it would be great in hot weather. Nice bright colour, stretchy bodice and super wide legs. Lots of reviews complained about the straps being too long but I didn't have that problem at all. If anything I'd have liked to have them a bit longer! Very much depends on your height I suspect! This is a size 22. I sized down after reading the reviews, which was definitely the right decision! Oh and this isn't red, it's orange..... never seen a tomato this colour!

Size 26. This one was hella disappointing! If it's too long on the body for me then it will drown most people! The bust darts are on my waist and there is no shape. It's like a long tube of fabric. And it's a nice fabric so a real shame!


Designed by a giant perhaps?! I liked the fabric and loved the pattern and colour, but the jumpsuit itself is a bit of a disaster sadly. Unless you're a very large busted 6ft woman, in which case this might fall in a good way!

Size 26. Similar problems with this one. I rolled the legs up but it's very long in the body, very low cut and therefore it doesn't fall well as the hips and pockets don't hit at the right place.


I did consider folding over the shoulders and sewing them to get the hips in the right place and make the neckline higher (because this could be kinda cute!) But what stopped me was the fabric. It's itchy. I was hoping it would be like my massive sun yellow asos jumpsuit but it's like fake scratchy linen. I sent it back, even though I kinda wanted to keep it! Hopefully I'll find this sort of style another time and in a better fit and fabric. Or I'll get this one again in the sale, modify it and hope a wash with make it lass itchy!


Size 26. This was one of those lovely moments on Asos where I looked in the sale and found tons of stuff that was never listed in the curve range. Sometimes they drop a bunch of clothes from other brands straight into the sale section so I always go to the sale or outlet and order it by "new in". I have found some genuine gems this way! I knew I had to try this little cutie! The size 26 fit perfectly!

My boyfriend told me I looked a bit Disney, so this has been christened my Belle dress! It's so pretty! Very good on the bust! Nips in under the waist. It doesn't give you much of a curvy hip hourglass look (unless you already have that glorious shape!) But I think it's still innocently sexy. It certainly had an effect on my partner anyway!


Nice framing Parsnips! Now one of the best things about the design of this dress is that the straps are adjustable and it's designed to be quite high on the back. Thank god! I hate strappy dresses with super low backs.... what about my massive plus size lady bra?! This one managed to cover a longline bra with 6 hook and eyes!

The fabric is thin but firm and has a bit of stretch to it. The creases are my fault.... I'd been wearing it all day (with it rucked up around my waist while I sat on my bed with my laptop between my legs!) before I took the photos!


I recommend this one.... perfect for bieng the buxom wench you always wanted to be!

Friday 30 July 2021

Skin!

My skin is a bit sensitive. I try to choose toiletries carefully so I thought I’d give you a list here because I’m 39 and to be honest, my skin needs more TLC as I age..... the emphasis here on the TENDER! I've been writing this periodically for months so I can comment on more than just a day or two using each product ;)



Having to wear masks a lot hasn't done much for my skin. I get more spots and dry patches now where the mask touches my cheeks, or steams up my chin. Plus let's face it, I'm nearly 40 and my skin is changing, so recently I've been on a face moisturiser odyssey. Finding something natural is tricksy, but I'm gonna try to give you a good overview of what I've tested in the hope it might be helpful!

I had been using the same moisturiser for.... how old am I again?! My God, well over 35 years! My parents used it on me when I was a little girl, on pretty much any bit of skin that needed a little bit of moisture or was a bit sore. Nivea cream was my bae. I have yet to find a part of my skin that this doesn’t soothe. Sore skin, red skin, dry skin, just alllll skin. This was my daily routine in terms of moisture. Straight after a shower I slathered this on to my face, neck and elbows. Often my feet too, then rub the rest into my hands. It was also my night cream. When it comes to a cheap and easy to find cream moisturiser for sensitive and dry skin, I cannot recommend this enough. It has served me well and I will probably always have a pot in my room. Plus you can get it easily in the massive tins now so you don't have to stress about the single use plastic pots. They even have the big metal tins in Poundland right now for £4! I find the smell extremely comforting too and was chuffed to see Nivea make a creme perfume! When I look at the notes I can see why I always loved the smell.... freesia, mandarin and rose are very much in my olfactory wheelhouse. So even if I'm using this less often, I can still enjoy the smell. What I'm saying is that if you have dry skin, are on a budget and don't care about natural ingredients, get Nivea Creme... aka blue nivea. It is a true all-rounder and a classic and frankly, it feels a bit disrespectful to swap to something else because it's got my skin to where I am now! 

Okay so the whole more natural, less chemical thing has turned me away from my one true love. Fine. But I'm not gonna swap it out for just any old shit! I learnt the following in my research; there are lots of "organic" or "natural" moisturisers out there which range from 'well, I guess you can't get more natural than coconut oil' to 'natural my arse!' in terms of ingredients. And they can be £5 or £150. I also learnt that the name indicates the water content, so lotion has a high water content and is therefore good for greasy skin but crap for dry. Cream has a medium water content so is good for combination or average skin. Ointment has a low water content and is great for dry skin but disastrous for greasy. I used to have combination skin but as I've aged it's become drier. My nose can still get greasy but generally speaking, I need some pretty deep and oily cream for my skin!

The first thing I tried was lush (of course!). Skin drink specifically. It wasn't for me for a number of reasons. Firstly it's so expensive.... £21 for a tiny pot. I wouldn't mind if it worked miracles on my skin, but I actually ended up with little dry patches around my mouth. Possibly the sesame oil wasn't great for me? Not sure, but it seemed to irritate that area so it's a no from me. Plus it smelt and felt like rubbing tahini on my face. Not into it. I returned this for an exchange as it just wasn't the right product for me. On the plus side, makeup stuck to it quite well! Not for me but other people seem to love it. The danger with LUSH though is that they keep discontinuing their products so it's risky to train your skin to love something that might not be available in a years time! I hate their new website too so I'm in a huff with lush right now! I digress! Lush are still using plastic but they used recycled plastic and you can return posts to them when you've finished (or re-purpose them for other things like I do of course!). To be honest I still wish they'd move to glass and metal along with their naked products, because plastic can't be recycled indefinitely!

Dream cream isn't going anywhere though as it's a best seller! It's really supposed to be a facial moisturiser, but replacing Nivea creme requires a thick and pretty hard-core cream. That actually seems to be pretty hard to find in a cream designed specifically for the face! My dry skin was simply not having it with skin drink (the thickest face cream available at lush and according to reviews, the most oily!) So I thought fuck it! I tried dream cream on my hands and it felt incredible so I bought it. Its £4.50 for a pot the same size as the £21 skin drink, so worth a punt! It's awesome. I can see why it's their best selling item frankly! Quite a similar texture to Nivea when rubbed in but more runny in the pot. Not mad for the smell but it's inoffensive. Some people love it! To me it smells like Lush products before they started to make stuff smell fruity or sugary. This stuff is quite gentle. Genuinely usable on every bit of the body I'd say, but certainly the best thing for the hands I've ever tried. I'm tried using this for my daytime cream and it soaked into the skin enough to add makeup to, but still left the layer of moisture I need to to avoid feeling tight and a bit flaky! I didn't have a ny negative skin reactions to using this on my face for a week or so, even thought it'snot advertised as a face cream. Ps, I accidentally got the old recipe and not the self preserving one (which is more natural!) Because I'm a slap dash doofus when in shops! *UPDATE! I now have the self preserving one. Still great. brilliant on any and every bit of the body. 

YesTo are a good company if you want more affordable but still slightly more natural products. I love their scrub sticks (even though I wish they would start moving their packing away from plastic) so thought I'd test some moisturisers! 

How to describe this Yesto Grapefruit moisturiser..... the texture is very similar to the E45 you get in the pot. And it feels similar when you rub it in too. Cooling and sort of thick, wet, watery and oily at the same time. It smells very lovely though! Light grapefruit scent. I like it but it stings a bit due to the citrus but it's good for tightening the skin and shrinking the pores. I've been using it occasionally in-between my more oily moisturisers but it's not thick enough for every day use on my thirsty skin!

I took a bit of a chance with this one as I knew it would be a bit lightweight for my skin in it's current condition, but my god I'm glad I bought it. It smells fabulous.... just like watermelon sweets! It's so fresh and cooling and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be my day moisturiser during the really hot summer days. Let me explain why! *update.... it is great on extremely hot days!


So it's a gel. A thick-ish gel that goes on well, feels watery and leaves a very slightly sticky residue. That makes it a brilliant primer! I tried it with a more matte tinted moisturiser and it looked too matte! I like dewy so I then tried it with my garnier tinted bb cream that I use in summer and it was perfect! This will be wonderful when I'm more sweaty but still want my eyeliner to stay on. Into it. 


This one is harder to find but it might be worth your while tracking a pot down! It's much thicker and sits on the skin more but it's gentle and fragrance free. It also has SPF15! I like this a lot. Ps I originally ordered it from Beauty Bay and it never turned up. I've made a few orders from Beauty Bay and thier customer services are shit so I don't recommend getting any of the Yes To products from them even if thier prices are a tad lower than elsewhere (unless you're cool with a slow "not my fucking problem" sort of response when your delivery gets messed up or the product has exploded all over the parcel!)


This is the thickest Yes To moisturiser I've tried and it's certainly good for dry skin. All the Yes To pots are £10 for a small 50ml pot, which is okay for the quality and cheaper than Lush. I really do hope all these companies trying to be more natural do something about the amount of plastic they use soon though! It sits on the skin and feels more spf-ish but I wore this to Kew Gardens Recently, my make up went on fine and stayed put and I didn't get burnt (although obviously I has a spray SPF for my face too because it was 28 degrees and I'm not a dumb-ass!


I read about this in an article about natural moisturisers recommended by dermatologists. One of the Drs wrote that this was wonderful for people with dry skin. So I ignored the baby element and just focused on the natural lotion. It's a similar price to the other moisturisers I've tried but at £8.99 for 210g (210ml) but is in a much bigger pot, so better value! Oh and it smells wonderful. Sweet and honey-ish (obviously!).


Texture-wise, this is the closest to Vaseline of the bunch. It's thick and unctuous and feels so intensely moisturising. Very gentle. Doesn't sink in for ages so not one to be used in the morning before putting on makeup, but this will be a great night cream when I'm feeling particularly dry. Also will be fabulous on all dry areas of skin that need some tlc, so an all rounder really. Obviously no good for vegans but I think this one is a must have for anyone with dry skin conditions.


This is one I found on google when searching for natural moisturisers. There are a number of things to love about this moisturiser. Cheaper than lush. Made in the UK so low carbon footprint. Totally natural ingredients. Glass pot with metal lid. Finally, a face cream without plastic! It's not a large amount for for £10 (60ml), but that's still cheaper than lush face creams and that was what I was aiming for!


This smells delicious, like banana foam sweets! Texture-wise it's actually not too far from nivea. A bit greasier but still quite thick. Somewhere between a cream and a lotion. I wasn't sure how well this would work in the morning after shower / before makeup, because it is pretty oily. Buttery might be the best description! It dries down a bit, but not completely. However my makeup actually went over this without issue! It didn't tingle or sting or itch or irritate me at all, apart from if it got too close to my eyes (which you have to be careful about as it's oil based and can easily get in your lashes and melt down, then it stings!). It's super gentle on the skin though and feels wonderful. This was my new bae for a few months so I got better at not rubbing it into my eyes(!) and my skin liked it a lot. It works with make up if you don't use much of it, but I was using this as a night cream for a month or so and it's very lovely. I even got a second pot to keep at my parents house for when I visit! The only thing I'd say is that the oil forward nature of this cream made my skin more thirsty in-between applications. I would feel pretty dry in the evening and very dry first thing in the morning because the oil had totally soaked in and my skin wanted more. That is where the next product came in handy.....


This oil is like a lighter version of the face cream. It's lovely! It actually sinks in and dries amazingly. This is going to come in handy for me when I just feel a bit dry in-between showers. I need something that sits on top of my skin a tiny bit more after a shower, but I really do like this. Like the cream it's gentle so perfect for sensitive skin. It also has a banana scent but it's stronger than the cream and a bit faker. I love it but some may find it a bit odd. The smell doesn't really last long on the face though so I don't think anyone should be put off by this. I've been trying to put my finger on it and I think it smells like banana liqueur! It has that banana candy thing going on, but with more of a tangy hint. Hope that's a helpful description?!

*just a quick note about Purechimp. They seem like a genuinely ethical, natural company who strive for zero waste packaging. They're also super responsive to customers! I contacted them via their website (using my private email address and not mentioning my blog fyi!) to say I love their face cream but wondered if they were planning to produce a day cream with less oil so that people could use it under makeup?. I got a super quick reply from Dean - the Purechimp founder no-less - that said it's hard to produce as adding water to face creams tends to mean that chemicals have to be added too (in order to stabilise it), but he would speak to the UK manufacturer! I really hope they manage it because I already feel like they might be one of my favourite brands..... green tea and all! I think if you are like me, then maybe this one will make your skin too reliant on the oils. It's a bit like some brands of lip-balm in that once you start using it you have to keep topping it up more and more! BUT! if you are already used to oil based products then I think this is the winner of this batch and I highly recommend Pure-chimp for your face cream and oil needs! I love their cleanser too, I use it in the shower between my rougher exfoliating sugar scrub days as it's super soft!


I REALLY wanted this to be my day cream even though at £18.99 for 50ml, it's almost as expensive as Lush face creams!. But it has a glass and metal pot, natural ingredients, recycled argan shells and coffee grounds.... that's amazing in terms of zero waste! VERY sadly it just doesn't seem to be hardcore enough for my dry skin. I felt constantly tight when it dried down. Again, maybe good for super hot days but sadly not the one for my daily moisturiser!


It's a typically creamy texture, not thick but not watery or greasy. I think many people would love this and it would be perfect for combination skin. I'm not at all keen on the scent myself but I suspect that's the argan. I've never liked the smell of argan products, but this also has a citrusy smell that makes me think or Bergamot..... another smell I just don't like! So, great company but not my jam. They've won tons of awards though so this is clearly not how many other people feel about it!


Okay so finally is a discovery that I am sooooo excited about because it has truly ended my search for good! I'm not sure I even remember where I saw the good soap company.... my cookies are pretty much all zero waste / natural moisturisers at the moment so it could have been many places, but thank gawd I found them! This concoction (the base ingredients that are in all their tinned moisturisers) is so wonderful! Metal tin. Amazing price point at £5.50 for 85g (85ml) and only a small amount needed for each application. This stuff is absolutely fucking brilliant!


Let's talk scent! These are properly natural and they smell natural. Very pleasant, not overpowering, but not as yummy or exciting as some of the other creams that have perfume rather than just essential oils or extracts. Having said that, they smell quite like you'd imagine! Orangey, lavenderish, vanillafull! The frankincense one is quite citrusy and the rose one straight up smells like Turkish delight! Rose and tangerine are my favorite smells from this batch although the mint one packs a real punch so might be good for very tired days.... would wake you right up(!), but honestly they're all lovely! The website has info on all the balms and what the individual benefits of the additional ingredients are. 


It's a balm. It's thicccc like me! The closest texture I can think of is a non-greasy lip balm like texture. It's waxy in a very wonderful way. I ordered the lavender and the tangerine & orange balms first and I was instantly impressed. It feels so good on my face. Intensely moisturising but not oily or greasy. It's super smooth and leaves a layer of slightly waxy moisture on the top of the skin. It's absolutely perfect for dry skin. Amazing. I've been using the lavender at night and the tangerine in the morning. I've had no tightness, hardly any dry flaky skin, no irritation, no new or unusual break outs and no stinging eyes.


I loved the first ones I bought so I got over excited and ordered 3 more! One of which is very similar to what I already had. The frankincense balm has the same waxy feel. Its got a nice scent and it's supposedly good for older skin. Oh and my make up goes over this stuff really well! It's almost like putty primer without the quick dry down, now I come to think about it! The vanilla and rose have a slightly different texture due to the addition of cocoa butter. Slightly more greasy but not in a bad way! These are still great on my face (might be ideal for winter!) But I'm using them mainly for other bits of skin. My whole body loves them!

There's no two ways about it, the good soap make my favourite new moisturiser! Natural, non-greasy, great under makeup, gentle, zero waste and deeply nourishing on my face. Only £5.50 for a decent sized pot?! I have all 6 of the tins now and I ordered a pot of the lavender for my mum! I've now got  some of their other products too but I've not tried them yet so won't comment on them all (the lip-balm is brilliant!). They also make moisturiser bars, so 100% zero waste but I struggle with bars as they're just a bit messy no matter how careful you are, so I've not tried those. However, if you want to be a true hero then maybe try one?! The reviews are great. 


So for now it's looking like this. I wash my face in the morning (with Yesto tomatoes charcoal scrub for detoxing, purechimp cleanser for gentle cleaning, or homemade manuka honey and brown sugar scrub for hardcore exfoliation) then moisturise with the good soap tangerine skin balm before doing my makeup. In the evening I remove my makeup with Yesto coconuts micellar water and moisturise with the good soap lavender skin balm! Oh and at the weekend if I don't wanna shower straight away I might use 3 drops of Purechimp face oil to rejuvenate my skin so I can lounge around! My skin is feeling pretty happy right now so I think I have finally found my natural alternatives to Nivea Creme (may she rest in peace!)