From Russia with love

I have always wanted to go to Russia, I've seen it on countless TV programmes but I truly fell in love with it when I saw it on one of Anthony Bourdain's shows.  It was the furry hats and the thick snow that drew me in.

I'm not ashamed to say that I let out a squeal of delight when I was told I'd be going.  I got an email the other day from someone who was going on holiday to Moscow and they asked which products helped me keep my skin in decent condition whilst I was there.

Here's what I took..

1. Aveeno Skin Moisturising Lotion.  I have reviewed this before (click here).  My skin is drier than the Sahara as it is so I was applying this like it was going out of fashion in Moscow.  It kept my properly hydrated and for that I am very grateful.
2. Purity Organic Skincare Facial Moisturiser.  I am really loving this brand, I raved about their cleansing makeup remover and I have just as much love for this face cream.  It manages to hydrate my skin (which was going through a horrible dry, flaky patch before I started using this) without making me greasy.  The only issue I first had with it is that it feels a bit too solid and you have to work it into your hands and then into your skin but I have found that the massaging part helps really sink the cream in.  I used more of this in Moscow than I would in England and it did a brilliant job of keeping me moisturised without turning me greasy which is no mean feat.
3. Jessica Nails Nourish Cuticle Formula.  I have reviewed this before and of all the cuticle smooth makers (we're hot on technical terms around these parts) this is the best one I have ever used.  I was using this every morning and every night whilst in Moscow.  It also helped keep the finger tips moisturised and it healed up a cut I had on my thumb in record speed.  This is seen as a product you think you don't really need but once you start using it, you do wonder why you didn't start earlier.
4. Carmex Lip Balm.  I love this.  I've mentioned this before.  I forgot to use it on the first day and my lips were crying out for it come the evening.  I applied copious amounts of this and it never failed to work.
5. Aveeno Hand Cream.  You will see that I took two hand creams out with me, this is because I rely too much on it.  This moisturises my hands like no other so it was the first thing I put in my skincare bag.
6. Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate.  I love this for many reasons.  Firstly, it works.  It looks like a mixture between oil and water (ha!) and I find it is a very indulgent product.  This is the kind of product that I can imagine someone with a dressing table having.  The kind of person who has time to sit down at the end of a day/start of a day and look into a massive mirror whilst savouring the products they are using.  I do not have time for this..and even if I did..I don't have a dressing table (boo!) The directions say to warm it up in your hands but I find it warms itself up once it touches skin.  In England, I just used on my face and was done with it but in Moscow I decided to rub it on the decolletage because touching that part of your body is quite comforting when you're freezing *ahem*.  It doesn't leave behind a greasy film and just gets to work overnight.  My skin always looks better in the morning for having used it.  I can see it lasting me ages as one pump is all I need (double entendre FTW).
7. Anatomicals Help the Paw.  I love love love using this whilst in London as it gives me the perfect amount of moisture. My hands also really dry out when I'm on the aeroplane and this cream is the perfect consistency to moisturise but also not leave my hands so greasy that I can't hold a glass/fork/knife.

Now, about Russia.  I still love it.  If you've seen it on TV and it looks magical..just wait til you get there.  I went to Moscow and I have fallen in love with it.  I went to Prague earlier this year and announced that it had stolen my heart..it is now my bit on the side, Moscow is my love.  Me being the idiot I am wanted to know how cold -25 °C actually was so I decided to go out in the dead of night.  It was freezing..well, about 25 degrees MORE than freezing.  We did the old "take out a glass of water and see how quickly it freezes" experiment.  It was about 2 seconds before we saw little icy bits forming.

Could you be..the most beautiful balm in the world?

There was a time in my life when if you had asked me about my favourite lip smoother, I would have unequivocally told you that Nivea was the way to go.

So, how did I convert to Carmex? I was on the way to law school and horror of horrors, found that my lip balm had finished.  The Boots by Moorgate station only had Carmex and as it was only a couple of quid, I decided to bite the bullet.

I have never looked back.  Carmex is all I buy now.

All the other lip balms used to take about three to four days to make my lips feel smooth but Carmex does it from the first application.  I also found with other lip balms that if you use too much, your lips reject it..this doesn't seem to happen with Carmex.  Also, you know sometimes you use a lip balm so much that when you stop, your lips dry out? This doesn't do that, either.  When my lips messed up last year thanks to a Primark gloss, this (and some butter) came to my rescue so it really does have healing properties and goes beyond the standard "moisturising" spiel that most balms promise.

Whenever I use it, the smell ALWAYS takes me back to my time at law school, I went through so many of these whilst I was doing my LPC..isn't it funny how the slightest whiff of a familiar smell can take you back to places you haven't been to for years?

There is however, one cautionary piece of advice..avoid the tub version.  I'm not sure why it  does nothing for me at all, I assume the ingredients are the same but it must be the solidifying agent because the tub version is more solid than the version I have.  However, you can use that on cuts and the like, I've given mine to Simon who uses it when he cuts himself shaving or doing other man fings (footballing injuries).