When I was on holiday this Summer, I tried out a new item called the Bikini Band. The Bikini Band is a translucent, adjustable band that can be slipped over the top of your bikini, so that you can untie your bikini neck strap when sunbathing and prevent those dreaded strap marks! The colourless rubber of the Bikini Band allows the sun to still reach your skin for full tanning potential.

I found that it held my bikini up securely (and spared my blushes!), working just as well when sitting up as lying down. I was surprised at just how discreet and unnoticeable the band actually was.

Having said that, the coloured toggles can be a bit of a give away, so personally I wouldn’t walk along the beach wearing it. But for those serious sunbathers who would like a nice golden tan without any strap marks, then the Bikini Band certainly does the job!

Guest post by Paula Robinson

John Frieda has created a range of products developed for specific hair colours- ‘Sheer Blonde’ ‘Brilliant Brunette’ and ‘Radiant Red’. These ranges aim to stop hair colour from fading, and intensify the colour while maintaining healthy, shiny hair. From the Radiant Red Collection, I tried out the Colour Magnifying shampoo and conditioner. This product claims that by using ‘Light Enhancers ^TM’ it will ‘transform red strands so that they attract more light and look instantly more vibrant’.

The shampoo and conditioner has a neutral smell, but an intense red colour- so make sure you wash it out thoroughly if you use white towels! The shampoo lathered really well, and so I was pleased that I didn’t have to use too much to wash my hair- considering that it is extremely thick, I normally have to use a sizeable amount! The shampoo gave a lovely squeaky clean feel to my hair, and left it feeling quite soft.

I followed it up with the Radiant Red conditioner, that although says it contains pomegranate and plum extracts, it didn’t have the fruity aroma I was expecting. As I have some dry ends, I used a generous amount of the conditioner and left it in for a few minutes. The result once was my hair had dried, was rather pleasing. My hair looked glossy and was soft, but I wouldn’t say that it looked more red. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who has recently dyed their hair to help combat fade.

Guest post from Jessica Robinson

As I’m now over 7 months pregnant and getting a lot bigger I’ve started using palmers cocoa butter cream for stretch marks to try and prevent any stretch marks before they occur. Palmers cocoa butter contains cocoa butter, vitamin E, collagen and elastin which help to lubricate and moisturiser the skin. This is meant to help with the dryness that you can get with stretch marks associated with pregnancy.

The cream has a very chocolatey smell almost like white chocolate which is due to the cocoa butter. Its quite a thick cream that initially feels slightly greasy however when you apply it to the skin it is very easily absorbed. It leaves your skin feeling very supple and nourished without leaving any greasy residue. I had started to get a couple of small dry patches which is probably due to the bump getting bigger however after a few applications of the cream the dry patches have disappeared.

AR457 is a french luxury skincare range available in a numbr of spas, boutiques and luxury hotels. Their range is centred around the use of argan oil which is meant to have powerful anti ageing properties. Argan oil is meant to contain anti-oxidants which prevent the  ageing process and which revitalise the skin.

AR457 Hydra peel is an exfoliating scrub which contains the argan oil to leave the skin soft and moisturised. It can be used on damp skin as a gentle exfoliator or on dry skin if deeper cleansing is needed. The hydra peel has a slightly spicy fragrance which at first I wasn’t sure about however after seeing how my skin looked afterwards I will definately be using again. After just one application my skin looked and felt a lot smoother. It also looked radiant and seemed to have few impurities. I’m also using their regenerating night cream afterwards, and I felt that my skin looked as though I been to have a facial!

The dry body oil is a good alternative to a moisturiser and works especially well on your legs. I find that with frequently shaving my legs they can be prone to looking slightly dry even with using a daily body moisturiser. I love the dry body oil as it leaves your skin with a healthy sheen but is absorbed very quickly so doesn’t make your clothes greasy. It reminds me of body sprays I have tried before at spas- which is definately a compliment!

The Villainess range produces luxery products for the bath and body which are natural and ethical manufactured. The smooch scrubs are conditioning body scrubs which when used in the bath or shower turn into a light milky lotion that leaves the skin soft and moisturised. I’ve been using the decadence smooch which has a lovely vanilla and coconut scent which  leaves your skin nicely fragranced even at the end of the day. I love the fact that it actually contains vanilla bean seeds which I think help give it the lovely fragrance.

The whipped body creams are quite a thick moisturiser which feels surprisingly light on the skin due to the whipped texture. I have the posh whipped body cream which is available exclusively at Posh Brats. Its a mixture of peach, pomegranate and plumeria with a hint of sarsparilla and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth with a delicate fragrance.