Five things I’m loving this week: 26th March 2018

Back once again with some product reviews and small, affordable treats that won’t put too much of a dent in your budget.

First up for review we have Footner exfoliating socks which I found to be *insanely* effective at removing hard skin from the soles and heels of the feet. This stuff is essentially a fairly strong mandelic acid peel that’s housed in liquid-filled socks you wear for just 60 minutes, and then it takes up to 14 days for the old keratinised skin to peel and slough off after that. The results were amazing but you do have to put up with flaking skin for a few days, so I think it works best as a spring clean for the feet before sandals season gets started. If you’re going to use this product, it’s 100% essential to read the instructions and follow them exactly because it really is powerful stuff. It’s £11.87 at Amazon or £14.99 at Boots this week.

Next, it’s the Makeup Revolution Renaissance Glow palette. I bought this last year and it was out of stock for a while, but it’s back now and very handy for perking up pasty pale skin as the weather warms up. The palette contains a big mirror, a neutral toned bronzer / sculpting powder, and a pale soft gold highlighter powder. It doesn’t turn you orange and it gives glow rather than glitter. Yes, it does look rather like something by Charlotte Tilbury, but the shades and finish are arguably slightly nicer on fair-to-light skin tones, plus it’s a fraction of the price. Treat yourself for £8.00 at Superdrug, or £8.00 directly from the manufacturer at Tam Beauty. You may also like the brand new Renaissance Illuminate Palettes, really pretty satin blush and highlighter trios in three shades, also £8.00.

For healthy snacking, we have Go Ahead Goodness Bars in Cocoa & Hazelnut flavour. These are raw bars with no added processed sugar, and a short ingredients list that includes oats and dates. Yes, there is some natural sugar in there from the fruit, but it’s basically a nice little nibble that is additive free and handy for throwing in lunch boxes. It’s a bit like a flapjack crossed with a Nakd bar. Currently on offer at £1.50 for a box of four x 30g bars in Morrisons and Asda.

While fresh berries are out of season, I tend to rely on frozen ones here and there to bring in a few extra nutrients. These Sainsbury’s frozen strawberries and blueberries are a Golightly Gardens fruity staple costing £2.00 for 400g and I love them for adding to smoothies, desserts, porridge and breakfast pancakes. It’s worth chucking a few in your basket.

And finally we have DenTek Comfort Clean Floss Picks, a way to make deep cleaning sensitive or tightly-packed teeth more efficient (potentially saving you from assorted dental health related horrors the next time you visit your dentist). The pick end is slim and textured, and the floss is soft and mint flavoured. They reach easily to the back teeth and contain fluoride, and the Y-shape means you can even use them as a tongue cleaner. The ‘give’ in the floss also means you’re less likely to overdo it with sensitive gums. They have an RRP of £3.00 for a bag of 60 floss picks, and are in the big 3 for 2 mix and match dental health offer at Waitrose right now. Also £3.00 at Ocado but not in a 3-for-2 deal.

That’s it for Penny’s Picks for the week, back soon with more good stuff that works.

Full disclosure: These reviews are a mixture of PR samples and products I’ve purchased with my own money. All thoughts, opinions and words my own, etc etc. If I don’t like something, it doesn’t get included.