Dead cool!

Buying from a skincare range with the word dead in it doesn't evoke much confidence does it?

But when it comes to Ahava, you really should!

Ahava is a beauty brand from Israel and is based on the shores of the Dead Sea. We all remember from school that the Dead Sea is the saltiest stretch of water in the world which means that, yes you float and that nothing can grow in it. However, the plants which grow on the shoreline are extremely precious and unique as they are brimming with skin-enhancing minerals. Brilliant!

I've been trying out a few products in the range and have also given some to my friends to try out.

The brand has four main pillars: Time to Smooth, Time to Hydrate, Time to Clear, Time to Revitalise. So there really is something for every kind of skin-type and age. Ahava blend totally natural ingredients with some more techie scientific ingredients which together are very powerful.

I was expecting the creams to smell unpleasantly, knowing that the Dead Sea area has a strong stench of sulphur. But no, they are very light and sweet smelling, so all good there!

The Time to Hydrate range is very good indeed. it glides onto your skin effortlessly and quenches the skin. I felt that after a few days my skin seemed clearer - less tired-looking and generally healthier. I combined the Essential Day Moisturiser, £28, with the Essential Reviving Serum, £40, and my skin felt good all day long. Sometimes, my face feels like it needs a moisturising top up towards the end of the working day. not with these products!

A couple of friend tried Age Control Day Moisturiser, £42, Age Control Night Nourishment, £45, and the Age Control Intensive Serum, £45. The verdict was a resoundingly positive one! The products all contain SPF 15 which is good and the minerals in the creams can help protect against sun damage too. The serum gives the skin a real lift and helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, while the moisturisers are very nourishing and so your skin looks fresher and more youthful.

While this isn't the most budget range on the market now, to be honest they do give your skin an extra zip, so I think well worth the money!

Product of the day!

Today's star is…Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub!

I love a good exfoliation - there is nothing like it to make your skin glow and feel smooth.

I also love the top quality Aussie brand, Aesop, the entire range is beautiful, useful and indispensable!

So when the two are combined it is a winning formula to my mind!

So, what's so great about it?

It is not skin-type specific for a start, which means it's a great little product that you can keep in the shower and everyone can use, so you get more value for money.

Unlike some other scrubs which feel like you are being rubbed down by a wire wool pad, this is a gentle exfoliator.

The product is mildly abrasive rather than skin-flaying and it also has a detoxifying quality, as such it feels like you get a deep down clean; something more intensive than your average scrubs.

I love the feeling after using this scrub - your skin does look and feel smoother, but you also feel hydrated in some way. What more could you want?!

Available from www.aesop.com for £21

Product of the day!

So, every day I will post a teeny-tiny update on what my product of the day is. I'll also tweet about it - you can follow me: @beautybagsecret.

Let's kick this off.

My top product for today is Shu Uemura Stage Performer.

it is described as an Instant-glow, immediate radiance skin perfecting cream.

Sounds good-and it is!

This really is a can't-live-without beauty-buy.

It is a primer, come-moisturiser-come-foundation-come-highlighter.

Okay, so Shu Uemura don't say that, they say it is a primer, but I say you can use it for virtually everything!

I love it for a fresh-faced look during the day - it really warms and evens your skin tone and gives you the prettiest glow.

In the evening I actually don't put foundation on top as I feel it gives a much better effect with a bit of powder and bronzer swished over it.

For a healthy and dewy complexion this is a super and very versatile purchase so it's £30 well-spent!

Enjoy!

You're so sensitive!

My skin used to be like the hide of a rhino.

Honestly, it did.

I could put anything on it, it would stay put, look good, not breakout, go red, chap, crack or flare up. I was so lucky and I didn't even know it!

But then 10 years ago or so, everything changed!

Nothing worked, everything hurt, I was all breakouts, redness, flaring and chapping. My skin was fragile and I had to learn to pamper it and really look after it. After all, no matter what people say, they ALWAYS notice that spot, that cold sore, that chafing.

I've tried lots of different products over the years and have settled into a very strict beauty regime to ensure my skin stays in tip-top condition. People compliment my skin a lot now, and it makes me feel so good after all the trials and tribulations I've been through. The things is, it has meant that I stick to the cleansers, toners and moisturisers that I know and love and more importantly, trust.

Recently, however, that rigidity and regiment has changed as I have come across two brands that I had only noticed in passing and now consider them to be beauty bag staples.

My first new beauty favourite is balance Me. It does what it says, balances your skin.

All their products are incredibly soothing and smell delicious. In fact my bedroom and bathroom have a beautiful lingering scent of roses as a result of using these products lately!

Like all skin types, sensitive ones require exfoliating, but the difficulty is in finding one that doesn't irritate.

balance Me have a wonderful product called radiance face mask, £18, which very gently exfoliates and brightens but is not abrasive. I have been complimented on how fresh my complexion is looking lately and I know it is down to this great product.

The moisture-rich face cream, £24, is very delicate and so ideal for tricky skins. it is so hydrating but not oily, so your face doesn't feel tight or dry nor does it feel like it needs a good wash though!

I used these products morning and night as some night creams are a bit too heavy for me and I am really delighted. To finish off my beauty routine I slather on the rose otto body cream, £18, and really, you'll be hard pressed to find a rich body cream which is so protective of your skin, so hydrating and smells so heavenly!

I think I even slept better as a result of the fragrance!

Another brand that you must check out if you are plagued with the most sensitive skin is Queen. It is a real vintage company, having been around since the late 1920s and was formulated by dermatologists for those with very delicate, super-allergic and sensitive skins. I had to give them a go!

The medicated cleansing lotion, £15.25, is one of the best I have ever tried. It is light but gets down to business immediately, no matter how heavy your make up is. It also leaves your skin feeling deep-cleaned rather than just surface-cleaned.

I followed this by using the Skin Freshener toner, £15.25, which I must say left

my face feeling so light, so residue-free and remarkably hydrated, I even thought I might not need moisturiser! Of course, I didn't just head off to bed at that point.

No, I did indeed use an extra something.

Rather than moisturise I experimented with the Queen Sensiderma Renew and Refine Serum, £35.95.

It can be used under your moisturiser or instead of. I opted to use it without an added moisturiser and am so chuffed!

If softer and firmer skin is what you want from a serum, than this is the one for you.

I have not used it for a prolonged period of time, but my skin looks and feels better even after a few

days. Queen say that in one month of daily use, fine lines and wrinkles will be reduced substantially. I totally believe them. This is a wonder-product.

So, the morale of this story is, that we sensitive skin types are very cautious and actually frightened about using products. We are never sure of the outcome, never know how long the ill-effects of using a product which doesn't agree with us will last.

But with these two brands, balance Me and Queen, we can be sure that our skin won't react adversely, on the contrary it actually benefits from trying them. So let's not be shy, let's give them a go!

*To find your nearest stockist or for more information on these products and others in the ranges, go to

www.balanceme.co.uk and www.queen-cosmetics.com