Generally, I love fresh, citrusy scents but when winter’s chill kicks in I start to crave warm, spicy deliciousness so I was quite keen to try Spalicious’ new limited edition Gluhwein collection.

For those who don’t know it, Spalicious is a ‘local is lekker’ bath and body line that’s exclusive to selected spas. If you have a bit of a browse online you’ll find many of their products lean towards the yummy and delicious side of life. Cocoa Marshmallow scrub anyone?

Anyway, let’s get back to Gluhwein. I was sent three of their products to try – a body butter, scrub and soak – and each smells fantastic. Like a mix of cinnamon, clove and sweet candied orange peel. If they ever create a candle like this I’ll snap it up in a flash.

Of everything I tried, I most liked the sugar scrub. It’s not as exfoliating as other scrubs I’ve tried, so I won’t rely on it for a heavy duty job like stripping off self-tan, but it did leave my skin feeling super smooth afterwards (possibly due to it’s clay content) and I LOVED that it didn’t leave an residue in its wake despite containing a bit of sweet almond oil. So many scrubs are oil-based and when you’re left feeling like an oil slick after use it kind of defeats the point of having exfoliated from a ‘prep for product application’ point of view.

As for the bicarb-based soak, I liked that too. It’s an easy way to get your sensorial fix of spice but I did wish it was more potent in the scent department. To compensate I found myself using loads of it, not the suggested tablespoonful, which makes it an expensive way to roll.

If you’d like to try Spalicious products yourself you can find them in selected spas. To locate one nearest to you give the brand a shout on (011) 312 7840.

Next up? L.O.V Cosmetics, a sister brand to essence and Catrice, do some very nice eye shadow. Remember the ultra lustable palette I featured a while back? Let’s get a little flash back, shall we?

Ja.

Mooiness.

Anyway, you don’t have to splash out on a palette. L.O.V do singles too and I was recently sent an absolute gem – Unexpected eyeshadow in Merlot Divine (R134,95, selected Dis-Chem stores).

Girls! This shade is suuuuch a goodie. A highly pigmented metallic, it’s the kind of hue that would suit all eye colours and is striking enough to be used as a simple wash. Just slap it on all over your lid, slick on some mascara and BOOM! You’re ready to roll out into the night. I say night ‘cos it’s got a bit of glitter in it which would usually make me scream ‘KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!’ but somehow, God knows how, perhaps the fact that it’s finely milled, it manages to look grown up with a dash of rock star, not ‘Hey, I’m 12 and don’t wear a bra’.

Moving on, Eucerin sent me a few of their UreaRepair Plus products and the timing is great. I always switch to a more hydrating body lotion in the chillier, dryer months but most appreciate lotion formulas, not thick, heavy body butters. It’s a misconception that ‘thicker’ means more hydrating. It’s much better to rather look for formula’s packed with ultra hydrating ingredients, many of which can penetrate deeply but don’t feel heavy. (Hyaluronic acid is a perfect example.)

Anyway, Eucerin’s magic bullet is urea. Aside from being moisture-binding, it’s also got mild exfoliating properties so it can slough off dead skin and make it even easier for other beneficial ingredients to penetrate. Two more plusses? It’s antimicrobial and has anti-itch properties making it a good pick for seriously dry skin that’s also troubled by things like eczema and psoriasis.

Of the two lotions, I’m keen on the 5% version (R159, Dis-Chem) as it’s ever so slightly lighter feeling than the 10% (R178, Dis-Chem) but the difference is so subtle I’ll end up using up both. Both absorb well, but the 5% sinks in faster and I’ve always got a need for speed. I also like that neither formula is fragranced.

Urea aside, you’ll see each lotion also contains lots of gylcerin, Shea butter, a dash of hydrating ceramides and a li’l exfoliating lactic acid. In short, if you’re dealing with very skin, toss that body butter and try one of these guys. I know you’ll be impressed.

Love, love

Leigh