Glory, Glory, Hallelujah..

Glory, Glory Hallelujah...

It's always music to my ears when Soap&Glory add to their roster of wonder-products. I have the privilege of testing all the latest skincare and cosmetics on the market. Though, in all honesty, too many brands deliver far more on the marketing spiel and packaging front than they do on the actual efficacy of their products. Not so with Soap&Glory. Indeed, this brand is "Glory" by name and glorious by nature. I reached the ripe but not-so-old age of 28 today. I've always been a firm believer in the mantra that prevention is better than the cure. With this in mind, my mother instilled in me from a young age the importance of looking after my skin. I celebrated yesterday with a slap up Sunday roast with my nearest and dearest. With parched skin dryer than the Sahara courtesy of my central heating and the hideous British weather, I needed some serious cosmetic TLC. So it was a case of "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" when I received four hot new products from Soap&Glory - especially as they all retail for under £12. My care package of sallow skin-busters included:

"You Won't Believe Your Eyes", a tired-eye soothing, brightening and de-puffing miracle in a tube complete with a tri-ball applicator. Suddenly that Garnier caffeine roll-on seems so last year! My fiancee practically ripped this little wonder out of my hands. He suffers from puffy eyes due to his anti-social work schedule. For someone who is a total alpha male - he seemed rather keen on the results. I have a feeling I'm going to have to hide this one. For under eye baggage to rival brand Beckham's Louis Vuitton collection, I used to swear by Hylexin. I have to say this beauty has me converted. It's priced at a wallet-friendly £9. That's a whopping £71 cheaper than Hylexin! Insert your "eye don't believe it" jokes here. With magic numbers like that, I think Soap&Glory should be running the economy! So what makes this miracle in a tube so miraculous? It's all down to the key ingredient LYCD (Live Yeast Cell Derivative), combined with some nifty light reflecting particles to diffuse dark circles. Fashion models have been using haemorrhoid cream to tackle under eye bags for decades - it contains LYCD. Don't ask me why they were using a product designed for derrieres on their eyes. I prefer not to comment - models are often the butt of journalists' jokes and it's time we stopped hating. Though, for all those who've seen Team America, that legendary line "We have lost all intelligence" suddenly springs to mind. I know, I know - meow!

"Night In Shining Armour" is a genius night cream - though use it twice a day and it's guaranteed to visibly smooth, plump and firm skin in just 28 days. A must-have for anyone who wants to say "night, night" to dull, sagging skin. It contains a superpeptide complex to smooth fine lines (clinically proven to decrease wrinkles by 44%), oxygen boosters to impart radiance and EFA antioxidants to tackle the ageing effects of sun damage, urban aggressors and free radicals head-on. Soap&Glory's tag line is "The Clean Of England" but this miracle in a jar gets my vote for the cream of England. Better yet, it smells good enough to eat. Though I think it's best you don't take my last comment literally - even if the skin guru Bharti Vyas does extol the virtues of beauty on the outside starting on the inside. I advise all girls to keep this one under lock and key after they've purchased it - husbands and boyfriends are bound to get their paws on it. Tell them to buy their own, it's only £12!

"No Clogs Allowed Deep Pore Detox Mask" is the face mask that will go where no mask has gone before. Sadly it doesn't banish Crocs - but for a mere £10 and 5 minutes of your time, when massaged onto the face, this self-heating grime-buster will slough off potentially pore-clogging dead skin cells with salicylic acid, to reveal a brighter, fresh-faced you. Possibly the only face mask on the market that shares one similarity with home pregnancy testing kits - it turns blue when it's ready, letting you know it's time to wash and go. It gives a whole new spin to "Here comes the science"!

"Bright Here Bright Now" is like one of the kids from the TV series Heroes, in the sense that the cheerleader girl's super-powers rival those of her parents. In this case, the parents could have been the pricey Clarins' Beauty Flash Balm and Chanel's Le Blanc De Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base. This instant radiance energy balm is priced at just £10 and is ideal for anyone suffering from sleep debt. It will become your best friend during the festive period, it's the perfect pick-me-up for the morning after the night before. Apricot kernel oil provides essential moisture (no doubt stripped from your skin by one-to-many glasses of bubbly), together with skin-soothing aloe vera and the face-firming Instantight2. On the cosmetic front, light diffusing particles offer a complexion-enhancing sheen to add some subtle radiance - taking you from Death Becomes Her to De-Lovely in seconds. In a nut shell, this gem is essentially a face serum/primer hybrid - and a wondrous one at that. Apply as a moisturizer throughout the day whenever you need a complexion pick-me-up or mix a little in with your foundation for a glow-getting gleam.

"The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser" is the BFF for anyone on a beauty budget - and unlike Paris Hilton, this one won't say "TTYN" (talk to you never) and is guaranteed to stick around (if only in your beauty arsenal). At a modest £9, it's approximately £38 cheaper than the best-selling Eve Lom Cleanser and comes with a muslin cloth included. Those who swear by Eve Lom have to pay an additional £12.23 for a pack of three muslin cloths, which works out at approximately £4.08 for each cloth - far from cheap and not remotely cheerful! This 3-in-1 cleansing balm melts away grime and make-up, while the natural blend of revitalising aromatic essential oils smooth away fine lines, imparting dewy baby-soft skin. What's not to love? Pore blimey, if you ask me, this one's a winner!

The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser - £9
Bright Here Bright Now - £10
No Clogs Allowed Deep Pore Detox Mask - £10
Night In Shining Armour - £12
You Won't Believe Your Eyes - £9

www.soapandglory.com

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