Frank Body Balm: A Brief Review

I absolutely adore Frank, that's no secret. I started out using scrub Frank three times a week - now I use it everyday. Naturally, when I found out there was a new product coming out I was straight to the website as soon as it was released to order it. I've used it every day for three weeks now. Lately I've had particularly bad dermatitis on my hands, I've used steroid cream once in the whole time while usually I'd use it most days. I wanted to substitute Frank body balm instead to see how he coped with my angry skin. 

Frank Body balm claims he'll help with the same things the scrub fixes - eczema, cellulite, dry skin. Again, like the scrubs this product is cruelty free and vegetarian (not vegan this time as it has beeswax). 

Essentially what happens is my skin cracks and gets very dry and irritated - just drying your hands with a towel after washing them is very painful. I used Frank on my hands several times a day and always before bed - I think this is the best time to apply creams as they really have time to sink in while you rest and your skin heals and renews itself. My skin is still quite dry but no longer painful at all and the redness is completely gone. Scrubbing my hands gently every night has also helped get rid of the dead skin from the dermatitis break out. I'm amazed at how gentle this product is to use as well - it's quite fragrant when first applied and is a real balmy/buttery texture and melts very quickly when it comes into contact with the skin and doesn't sting aggravated skin at all. It's a little bit gritty but once you've rubbed it into your skin a bit it's not noticeable at all. The smell is gorgeous, if you're familiar with the Original Frank it's just like that - a coffee and orange scent. 

Aside from my hands I also thought I'd test it out on the seasonal eczema I get every summer. The heat tends to inflame my skin, particularly on my legs where my skin is in contact with chairs while at work. I used this little tube of "smooth love" every night and not only did my skin improve markedly (no photos unfortunately) but I've noticed a major improvement in the cellulite department. I didn't have masses before but it's still something I was conscious of. My thighs and bum have never looked better (despite the fact I've been slacking off on going to the gym lately...). My skin is smooth, bright and always smells delicious. 

Tl;dr: As a gorgeous a product as I expected from the makers of one of my favourite beauty products in my arsenal. Do purchase it and really give it a go - the results are beyond the price tag and feeling a little sticky for a while. 

Claire x

Top 3: Hand and Nail Care

Lately my hands and nails have fallen into ill repair - meaning I've had to bust out the heavy duty products. I thought I'd share, anyone with brittle or easily chipped nails and dry hands will benefit from these three wonderful pocket sized products.

One. Start to Finish Top and Base Coat, OPI.
I've used this one for years and it's great in my books partly because it kills two birds with one stone. Rather than having two products you can use this for creating a smooth canvas to put colour on over the top and helping prevent chips. It really helps maintains the condition of your nails as well - I don't get that peeling or cracking on the top layers of my nails (unless I pick at it when it chips...). A tad on the pricey side but if you paint your nails a lot this will be well worth the investment - I get through a bottle in a little under a year and that's with painting my nails every week too.

Two. CND Solar Cuticle Oil.
A recent addition to my collection but this is a super nail saver - particularly if you're into getting gel or Shellac nails. It helps the nail to grow out strong while it's still forming. Applying this every day makes my cuticles less cracked and dry and my nails a lot shinier and healthy feeling too. Aside from that it smells like marzipan - which might allude to the almond oil that's a main ingredient (along with jojoba). This wee bottle is pretty generous and will last quite a while - for 20NZD it's actually pretty cost effective too. 

Three. Burts Bees Banana and Beeswax hand cream.
I've mentioned this one in my recently rediscovered products post here. It's the only cream I've ever found that really combats that painful dry skin that can arise from dermatitis and really lasts on the skin too. It smells beautiful, sinks in and really helps repair your hands. I love applying this one after I've washed my hands - I find that's the best time to apply because the warm water softens your skin and allows it to absorb more easily and skin is more delicate when it's been in water (particularly if you have dermatitis/eczema). 

Having soft and well tended to hands always look lovely and prepare your nails for polish - something that always makes me feel more put together. 

Claire x