My NSpa Daily Skincare Routine

NSpa is a brand of skincare, bodycare and haircare created by the experts at the UK's Number 1 Day Spa - Nirvana spa.  The products are all dermatologically approved and paraben free, and none of the products or raw ingredients are tested on animals.  

After trying out the NSpa Beauty Rituals Beauty Box, I picked up a few more of their products and have fallen into a skincare routine that works perfectly for me, and my skin has never looked or felt better.  I've even switched to a light/sheer coverage foundation. I never thought that would happen! 

The Beauty Rituals Skincare range is a 4-Step system with multiple options for each step, which allows you to create a skincare routine completely tailored to your own personal needs and preferences. The first step is Cleanse, second is Exfoliate, followed by Treat and then you finish up with Moisturise.

For my cleanser, I use either the Melting Cleansing Gel, which you can read my review of here, or the Ultimate Cleansing Tonic, which I tend to use the most.  It's a one-step cleanser which is half water based and half oil/silicone based. You shake it up, squirt it onto a cotton wool pad and well, wipe your face until your makeup's all gone.  It has Witch hazel for toning and Ginseng for moisturising, so my skin is left soft and healthy rather than tight and dry.

Step 2 is exfoliate, and the product I use most is the Skin Renewal Gel.  It has no exfoliating beads, but uses natural fruit extracts to exfoliate instead.  Orange, lemon and bilberry extracts break down dead skin cells and leave my skin smooth and fresh.  And it's gentle enough that it does the job without irritating my sensitive skin!

The third step is Treat - my favourite step and probably my favourite NSpa product!  I use the Deep Hydrating Facial Oil.  It comes in a 50ml bottle with a dropper, and you use about 3 drops for your entire face and neck.  Again, it uses natural oils to give your skin a well deserved treat - Baobab oil, rich in vitamins A, D, E and F helps improve skin elasticity, Rosehip oil helps restore and strengthen, whilst Avocado and Jojoba oils rehydrate and condition the skin.  It's not too greasy, you only need a tiny bit as it goes a very long way, and it keeps my skin soft all day.  I honestly think that this product has something to do with my acne scars having lightened over the past month or so.  I love it.

Finally, I moisturise.  I use two products for this step - the first is the Youthful Eye Cream, an intensive moisturiser for the delicate eye area, that still feels super light and absorbs really well.  It's a tiny pot and it lasts a really long time because you need so little.  I can feel a difference as soon as I put it on, and it really helps to refresh my eyes after a long day at work looking at a computer screen.

The second moisturiser I use is the Night Repair Cream - a silicone based, very rich moisturiser with ceramides, ginseng, Vitamin E and sweet almond oil to make your skin feel super super soft and hydrated.  It's a light pink, very thick cream, and a little goes a really, really long way.
The great thing about this product (apart from that it works really well, obviously) is that it has a dual purpose that NSpa could really make a lot of money from if they decided to - being silicone based, it makes an AMAZING primer.  My makeup glides on over it and stays in place all day.  And I don't get annoying dry patches, because my skin's so moisturised.  Double winner.

All of these products are available at ASDA stores, or on the ASDA website, and are currently on offer for an amazing 2 for £8.  I cannot recommend these products enough!

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried the products, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

NSpa Beauty Rituals Beauty Box Review

Skincare is something I reeeeally try and keep up with, but generally skincare = lots of money, and if it's not lots of money, it's lots of chemicals and irritants disguised as rejuvinating, revitalising, refreshing and resurfacing goodness.  But my skin is so sensitive that even the high end stuff, like Elizabeth Arden, just breaks me out and makes my skin gross and teenage again, so I'm always a bit sceptical when I try something new, and pretty much feel like buying skincare products is the equivalent of throwing away my money.

So a couple of months ago I was walking around ASDA and saw that they had an NSpa range, and didn't even think twice about buying it, it would break me out and it'd be a waste, but then my boss pointed out that it was paraben free, and I looked closer, and the ingredients were just so nice! I picked up one of their beauty boxes with 4 products for £10, and decided to give it a shot - It's not like paying £30 for a face cream that would destroy my face, and at £2.50/product, it wouldn't be too bad if I hated them.

Spoiler alert: I don't think I'll ever use a different skincare brand. Oh My God, I love this stuff.

I'll run through the basics of NSpa before I go into detail about the products I have, for those who - like me - had never really considered them as a 'legit' skincare brand, and thought they were more of a 'supermarket's own' type of thing.

NSpa is a brand of skincare, bodycare and haircare created by the experts at the UK's Number 1 Day Spa - Nirvana spa.  The products are all dermatologically approved and paraben free, and none of the products or raw ingredients are tested on animals.  

It's a 4-Step system with multiple options for each step, which allows you to create a skincare routine completely tailored to your own personal needs and preferences. The first step is Cleanse, second is Exfoliate, followed by Treat and then you finish up with Moisturise.

So the beauty box that I got came with a melting cleansing gel (which sounded great seeing as I've completely cut out foaming face washes), a hot cloth polish (the one I was using previously was discontinued, sadface), an illuminating beauty serum and a brightening day cream with SPF 15.  They're all 50ml tubes, a pretty generous size for a trial-type product.

It's packaged in a really cute white box, tied with a bow, and opens up at the top in a way I can't describe with words, I'd need to use my hands, but it's really unusual and a nice touch.  The products are all individually wrapped in tissue paper and it makes the whole unboxing feel extra special.  It would make a lovely christmas or birthday gift!

The melting cleansing gel comes out of the tube as a gel (duh), you massage it into your skin in small circles for about 2 minutes, and it breaks down into an oil, which is so so good for removing makeup, and then you use a little bit of warm water so it turns milky, and wash it off.  My skin has never felt so clean without feeling tight and dry.

The hot cloth polish is really nice - it comes out as a thick creamy paste-y type of consistency (?) and you massage it onto dry skin, again in small circular motions.  I like to leave mine on for a few minutes to let it really get into my skin, then then rinse the muslin cloth (included in the box, and with the hot cloth polish bought alone) in hot water, wring it out and wipe away the cream.  There's a video on the NSpa YouTube page which shows the best way to do this, and I found that pretty helpful - they have videos for most of their products showing how to use them.  It leaves my skin so smooth, and again, doesn't dry out my face - the formulation is gentle enough to use daily as it uses natural fruit oils and citric acid to exfoliate rather than harsh synthetic chemicals.

Next up is the Illuminating beauty serum, which you apply 1 pump of to a clean face, after exfoliating.  It gives a nice glow to the skin and can be used over makeup for a pick-me-up part way through the day, without ruining your makeup.

And the Brightening Day Cream is applied as any other moisturiser would be, and is super light and non-greasy.  It has sooo many natural fruit oils and works really well for any skin type.

The box is currently on offer in ASDA for £8 and is DEFINITELY worth picking up, either for yourself or as a lovely christmas gift (the packaging is adorable) or if you don't fancy the sound of all of the products, the full-size ones are available at 2 for £8 at the moment, too!

So it's safe to say I loved that box, and instantly felt the need to pick up more products - which I will review separately to this, as it's getting a bit long and I'm sure everyone is sick of me by now!

As always, thanks for reading and if you've tried the products, or found my review helpful, leave a comment below! You can also like my Facebook page to be updated with new posts, or follow my blog on BlogLovin' 

Rach xo

Dermalogica Deals

Since I got Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant in my November Glossybox, I have been a bit obsessed.  It was the first exfoliating product that actually worked for my skin.  The rest just left my skin feeling too tight for my face, with a horrible dry-shine.

So considering the miracle properties (to me anyway) of the Daily Microfoliant, I went on the hunt for more Dermalogica products... and saw the price.  My favourite product was RRP £38.80.  Not to be discouraged by this, I turned my bargain-hunter side on, and scoured the internet for the best Dermalogica deals I could find... which I will share with you now.  You lucky, lucky people.

Daily Microfoliant with two free gifts £29.60, BeautyFlash.co.uk

First off, I asked my mum to get me a Daily Microfoliant set for Christmas, I found the best deal on it at Beauty Flash.

£29.60 (RRP. £51.50) for a full size Daily Microfoliant (75g), and travel size Precleanse (30ml) and Gentle Cream Exfoliant (10ml).

That's less than the price of the Daily Microfoliant alone!





After trying both the new products I had from that set, and liking the results, I continued my search for Dermalogica deals, and one advert in particular kept on popping up at the side of my facebook - WhatsInMyHandbag.com were advertising the MEET DERMALOGICA KIT - Exclusive Try: Dermalogica's hero products for £9.50.  

Meet Dermalogica Kit £9.50, WhatsInMyHandbag.com

This kit includes travel size versions of Daily Microfoliant (13g), Special Cleansing Gel (50ml), Skin Smoothing Cream (22ml) and MultiVitamin Power Firm (5ml). 

Individually, these products cost £8.95 each, so you're paying less than 1/4 of the price.  Ever the cheapskate, I searched for discount codes and found WIMHLAUNCH which gives £5 off a £10 shop.  Of course, the kit costs £9.50, which doesn't qualify, but buy 2 and it comes to £14 instead of £19 - essentially £71.60 of products for £14, with super fast delivery too, about 2 days from placing the order.

Finally, Pure-Beauty.co.uk offer 5 free samples (of your choice) of dermalogica products with every £10 spend.  They also offer gift cards with instant email delivery (check your spam box, mine got sent there!)

I got sneaky about it and maximised my samples by first buying a £10 giftcard and selecting my 5 free samples, then spending the giftcard on the product I actually wanted (Bedtime For Breakouts £11.95) with another 5 free samples for that one.

The great thing about Pure-Beauty.co.uk is that you earn reward points, which are instantly redeemable as cash against purchases, at a rate of 1 point per £1 spent.  However, I spent £11-something, and have had 56 points so far - 22 redeemed and 34 still available, so there must be a bonus for signing up and placing your first order.

I definitely recommend the giftcard method, stretch your money and get free samples of the products you want to try next - they're not huge samples but enough for you to give them a proper try over a few days.

Don't forget to select your 5 samples and add them to your basket before you check out!


I hope this helped anyone looking for a deal on Dermalogica products, and if anyone has any more to add, feel free to leave details in a comment below!

Related Post:  Skincare Routine

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Skincare Routine

Like I said in my last post, I have sensitive skin with hormonal acne.  Pretty sexy.  So I do what I can to disguise the mess it gets into and that involves mainly washing, exfoliating and camouflaging.  The first two, I will talk about now.  Camouflage later.

I received this gift set for Christmas, after trying Daily Microfoliant from my Glossybox a couple of months ago and falling in love.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 75g with two free gifts
RRP £30.80




When I wake up I wash my face with Dermalogica Pre-cleanse - I massage a few drops into my (dry) face and then add a bit of water and massage some more, in small circles.  Then rinse.

'This plant-based cleansing oil, fortified with Olive and Kukui oils, thoroughly melts layers of excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual skin products that build-up during the day.' 


Dermalogica Precleanse
RRP £31.50/150ml

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 

RRP £38.50/75g

Next, I use Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, 1/2 a tsp onto very wet hands, rub into a thick paste and then rub onto a dry face, again in small circles.  I do this for about 2 minutes, making sure I get every single mm of my face and neck scrubbed, and then rinse it off.

'A unique, Rice-based enzyme powder that activates upon contact with water, releasing Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes to smooth the skin and accelerate cell renewal.  The unique Skin Brightening Complex of Bearberry, Aspergillus, Grapefruit and Liquorice helps to balance uneven skin pigmentation.  A super-soothing blend of Green Tea, Ginkgo and Colloidal Oatmeal calms inflammation, leaving the skin extraordinarily clear and refreshed. Gentle enough to use on a daily basis.'

My face now feels squeaky clean and lovely but very very dry - moisturiser.  I have tried SO MANY moisturisers - from cheap own-brands to chemist brands to more commonly recommended ones to high-end ones - and the only one I've found that doesn't make my skin greasy or dry it out more or break me out is this one, from ASDA's Skin System range - the Day Cream with SPF 15 and Co-enzyme Q10.

Asda Skin System Day Cream SPF15 

RRP £3.00/50ml

'Specially developed for 20 skin. Anti-oxidant youth blend. Fights first signs of ageing. Collagen damage protection. Dermatologically tested. Suitable for vegetarians. Q10 day cream SPF15 About this Product: Q10 Day Cream with SPF15 has been formulated to help prevent the first signs of ageing. Coenzyme Q10 protects against collagen damage and works to keep the skin firm. An anti-oxidant blend of pomegranate, cranberry and green tea helps to protect skin from free radicals, while rosehip oil moisturises and nourishes the skin. Asda is against animal testing & funds research into alternatives.'

It is my miracle cream.  I use a small amount every morning (and night, I'm not keen on the night cream they have) and it keeps me perfectly moisturised ALL day.  Looks like they've changed the packaging now, but the ingredients are the same.  And it only costs £3 so that makes me happy.

At night I pretty much repeat this step by step, the only difference being that I remove my makeup first with Witch Cleansing and Toning Makeup Remover Wipes.  I feel like they just give an added protection against overnight spots and they do a pretty good job of removing my eye makeup, too - so that's a bonus.  I got them from Tesco on a whim as they were the same price as Tesco own-brand sensitive wipes which I used previously.

'Witch Cleansing and Toning Wipes quickly remove make up and dirt to reveal cleansed, tingling skin that feels soft and supple.  Cleans skin and helps tighten pores.  For more than 40 years, Witch has used nature's clever ingredient Witch Hazel. It naturally cleanses, tones and soothes, leaving your skin perfectly balanced, soft and healthy looking.'

Witch Cleansing and Toning WipesRRP £1.99

This pretty much keeps my skin in check, every now and again I'll mix it up - I just got Dermalogica's Bedtime for Breakouts, so I'll start using that tonight and see if that makes any difference, whack a review on here when I see any change.

So that's my skincare routine as of the start of Jan 2012 :)

Please leave comments below to let me know anything you'd like to see!

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