Five things I’m loving this week: Late July

Yes, it’s treat time, so here are five new product reviews. After a pretty horrific week in both UK and World politics I think it’s time for some self care, folks. Let’s look after ourselves and each other.

Treat one is the Divine Deliciously Dark Smooth Hazelnut bar, RRP £2.39 for 90g. This is a very rich, tasty bar of chocolate that’s 20% ground hazelnuts by weight, so it’s like a big slab of truffle. Lovely stuff for the discerning choc fans out there. It’s also the only chocolate company in the world that’s both Fairtrade and farmer-owned so you can enjoy good food and do a little good for your fellow humans at the same time. Apart from being delicious, this bar is also excellent because the proceeds from its sale go to empowering women. Available directly from Divine, Oxfam Food shops, Waitrose (£2.20) or The Co-op.

Next up we have Boots Soltan Sensitive Protect Face Cream SPF50, £6.50 for 50ml. This has been saving my skin just about every day for a month now, and includes 5-star UVA protection as well as long lasting protection against burning. It was taken off the Boots website for a while but now it’s back and I couldn’t be happier. Good for sensitive skin, it’s fragrance free and dries to a soft finish without being greasy, plus the relatively low price means that you aren’t tempted to skimp on the application.

For gentle hair care I’ve recently discovered the Manta brush, £25. This was created to help someone whose hair was growing back after chemotherapy, but it’s also ideal for anyone with damaged, processed, thinning or fine hair. It’s effective but very soft and flexible, and the handle’s easy to hold even if you’re feeling poorly or have sore arms. For every ten brushes sold, they donate one brush to charity too. Also available via Amazon UK.

The Scentered Sleep Well Therapy Balm mini, £5.50, has been keeping me semi-sane during the heatwave. Although I don’t suggest that aromatherapy has magical properties I do think that the right fragrances can be very calming and relaxing, so this lovely product with palmarosa, lavender and ylang ylang seems to be doing the trick. The heatwave still isn’t over here and anything that helps to sleep better at night is a bonus, so I’ve been enjoying dabbing this on my wrists and temples as part of my bedtime routine. There are lots of other products in the sleep well range, including a larger balm stick and a matching candle.

Last of all we have Bilou Pink Melon shower foam, which is very soft and moisturising, making that morning shower even more refreshing with the scent of melon and raspberry. It’s also vegan and cruelty free. This is £3.99 and it’s also in the 3-for-2 Bilou offer at Superdrug.

Disclosure: These reviews are a mixture of PR samples and things I’ve bought with my own money. If I don’t like it, I don’t review it.