Soap and Glory - what a delightful brand. I've been a huge fan of theirs for some time now and I've tried various products from their range including soaps, moisturisers, scrubs, hair conditioners, cellulite busting potions and lipgloss, and I have to say, I've rarely been disappointed.
This weekend I picked up a Christmas bargain in the form of the Soap and Glory 'Big Splendour' gift set which was reduced from £60 to £25 in Boots. I was doubly excited as for the past couple of years I've missed out on their Christmas releases, so when I saw the huge towers of Soap and Glory bags stacked inside the entrance of the store I needed little persuasion to grab one and hotfoot it to the tills.
This is what the packaging looks like this year, along with an extra photograph of the initial view when the bag is unzipped;
The bag does come with a cardboard sleeve wrapped around it bearing the name 'Big Splendour', but I forgot to save it for this photo - sorry!
The set contains 10 full-size products, some of which I had not tried before so I was very pleased that they were included.
I thought I'd give you a little breakdown of each, so here goes...
Clean On Me; This moisturising shower gel claims to include body lotion to keep skin soft and supple and, I assume, ultimately save time. The creamy gel formula foams well and has a wonderfully fresh, clean scent that, to me, is the signature fragrance of Soap and Glory. It leaves my skin feeling soft and lightly scented, and best of all, a little goes a long way.
Calm One, Calm All; Similar to the Clean On Me shower gel, this bubble bath has the same delicious scent and also boasts the benefits of added body lotion. It really does what it says on the tin and after bathing your skin feels hydrated and smells devine.
Heel Genius; I hadn't tried this menthol smelling foot cream before, and I have to say that I've really enjoyed using it so far. I am partial to a bit of foot moisturisation, and this tube has now found a permanent home on my bedside table. The cream has a light, almost gel-like consistency, that doesn't cause my feet to stick to anything and everything within a metres radius. I've also found it works wonders on my nursery-worn hands!
Pulp Friction; By far my favourite product in the Big Splendour set, Pulp Friction Body Scrub is a delight to use. Unlike the other body scrubs I've used in the past, this product foams as you rub it in which is a welcome change from the usual sandblasting experience I've often found with traditional jars of sugar or salt scrub. On top of this, it smells amazing and leaves your skin feeling super smooth.
Hand Food; I've had several travel sized bottles of this rich, scented handcream in the past (that have been included in smaller gift sets) and although I can't fault it for its skin-softening qualities, I do find it a little too fragrant to use on an everyday basis and therefore I usually save it as my 'fancy' handcream. It has a thick, creamy texture which isn't too greasy, and I find just over a pea-sized amount is sufficient for silky smooth hands.
Face Soap And Clarity; I've used this foaming face wash for three days now, and although it makes my skin feel very clean and slightly tingly, I'm yet to be convinced. I'm not overly keen on the smell (which is difficult to describe, but has subtle notes of menthol) and I find it's consistency a little sticky. Ah well, you can't win them all!
Off Your Face These facial cloths claim to cleanse and also exfoliate your skin, if you apply a little extra pressure. They are said to be infused with Soap and Glory's Poreshrink-RS™ which may, with regular use, reduce the appearance of large pores. They smell of very little, are of a good size and are made of seemingly good quality cloth, as cleansing cloths go. I have to admit that I don't usually use facial wipes unless I'm in a hurry as I prefer a good old fashioned wash with soap and water, so instead of using these wipes alone, I've been using them as an additional step before applying my moisturiser. I'm yet to see any results in terms of pore shrinking, but alas, I shall persevere!
Mist You Madly; I love this body spray! After getting out of the shower last night I treated myself to an all over spritz, and the sweet, feminine scent was a lovely addition to my going-out preparation. This was the first time I'd used the fragrance and I found it was not at all overpowering, and in fact, complimented my perfume.
The Righteous Butter; I've used this body butter before and I'm often lucky enough to receive a tub on my birthday each year. Its scent is typical of Soap and Glory and its consistency is wonderfully rich and creamy, leaving the skin feeling smooth, hydrated and fragranced. As an added bonus, if ever I feel I'm in need of a bit of colour (an embarrassingly frequent occurence in my life), I like to mix a small scoop of The Righteous Butter with a blob of my Rimmel Instant Sun Shimmer, for those Oh-my-God-I-look-like-a-Vampire emergencies.
Sexy Mother Pucker in Candy Gloss This gorgeous shimmery lipgloss has turned out to be just what I needed in my makeup bag. The delicate candy pink gloss is laced with fine sparkles that almost appear irredescent in certain lights, and of course it contains the lip-plumping ingredients associated with the Mother Pucker range that claim to boose your pout. It's long lasting, but be warned - it's a bona fide hair-sticker. In fact, I'm pretty certain I could use it as a Pritt Stick substitute, given the right occasion, so I'd definitely advise applying
after going out in the wind. However, despite this slight negative, I really do love it and I'll certainly be using it over the festive season!
And that concludes my monster Big Splendour review! If you've stuck with me this far, I salute you; thank you!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! x
