From ESPA with Love

As you'll probably already know, Michelle and I attended the last FABB Events bloggers meet in Manchester - #fabbbloggersmanc - hosted by the beautiful Ray and Tor.  Although the goody bags and products in them were mainly geared towards women - my mum and sister have ransacked practically everything - I was pleasantly surprised to find I could spend the £30 ESPA gift card on myself!

I bought a Special Agent set - how cool does that sound? - which luckily for me was on offer for the special price of £28, down from £35.

With any purchase you were also able to choose four Star Performer samples.

I chose the two mens options available in the sample section which were the Dual Action Shavemud and The Hydrator.  In addition to those I decided to opt for the Pink Hair & Scalp Mud, and the Body Smoothing Shower Gel.  Sadly I've not had chance to try the latter two out yet but I'll let you know once I do.

 I was drawn to the Special Agent set as I always find sets in general more appealing, and in this instance it seemed to cover all your grooming needs.  Included in the set: Dual Action Shavemud (70ml), The Hydrator (35ml) and Energising Shower Gel (70ml).  Now I've had a chance to try them out I've included a small review of each.

 

The Dual Action Shavemud is designed as a shaving cream that doubles as a deep cleansing mask.  When applied to my skin it was clearly noticeable that there were cleansing qualities; shaving felt smooth and easy, and my skin was left feeling soft and hydrated, where other shaving creams and/or foam at times have left my face feeling dehydrated and tight.

To compliment the Dual Action Shavemud, the set also includes The Hydrator, which is a hydrating mens moisturiser.  The cream was very light and a small amount covered my face easily.  It left my skin feeling soft, supple and healthy.  The only slight negative I felt was that The Hydrator lacked any Sun Protection Factor (SPF).  Typically I opt for a moisturiser with SPF in order to give my skin that extra protection, and with weather like we're having at the moment some sort of SPF would be beneficial.

I do like the sleek design of The Hydrator pump which looks sleek.

 

The Energising Shower Gel smells great, and its zesty fragrance made my shower that much more enjoyable.  It lathered to create a soft cleansing foam that left my skin feeling clean yet not dry, which can all too often be an issue with mens shower gels or body washes.

Overall I was very impressed with the ESPA range and the quality of the luxury products.  I'd suggest that they're definitely worth a try.  However, my top pick would be the Dual Action Shavemud due to its versatility.

I hope you've enjoyed my first real beauty review - does that make me a fully-fledged beauty blogger now?

Neil x

p.s.  This message will self-destruct in THREE, TWO, ONE...