Scrub Away With Your Best Friend (Normandie Diamond Scrub)

Member Name: salem_witch

Product:	Normandie Diamond Scrub
Date:	14/11/07 (214 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It makes your skin super smooth, not too expensive

Disadvantages: too perfumed, lack of product details on the tube

Recently I’ve suffered with dry skin around my upper lip and round my mouth. I tried moisturising frequently through the day but it’s inconvenient and I kept forgetting. Plus it wasn’t really doing the trick. Then when I was in Tesco it occurred to me that I should get a facial exfoliator as that would help get rid of my unsightly flaky bits. I spent a while browsing and trying to decide which one to get. Previously I’d used St Ives Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin and I’d only used it as my sister gave it to me. I don’t really have sensitive skin so I thought I’d get something different even though I did like it. In the end Normandie Diamond Scrub caught my eye, as it was £3.47 as an introductory offer. It looked like an expensive product and not knowing how much it would go up to afterwards I thought I’d grab it whilst I could.

On closer inspection when I got home I discovered that Normandie Keith is a top beauty editor who writes for the Daily Mails ‘You’ Magazine. I hadn’t heard of her and thought I’d see if she has a website and if I could find anymore information about her new range of toiletries. She does have a website but it doesn’t contain any information on this product which I was a little disappointed in as the tube doesn’t really have a lot of information on it so I was hoping to find a little bit more about it online. It has only just appeared on the shelves at Tesco (I think it’s exclusive to them) so this could be why.

Undeterred at this I took the first opportunity to give it a try. The instructions on the tube are to simply splash your face with warm water, then use the scrub in circular movements before washing off with cold water. When I first squeezed some of the scrub out the first thing I did was sniff the scrub, as I was curious of how it smelt. The only scrub I’d previously used was of apricot and I really liked it so when I’d been deciding in Tesco the smell was an important factor at first which got ignored when I saw the Diamond Scrub. Nothing on the packaging gives the scent of the product away - not even the ingredients! There is the usual list of scientific ingredients, which really doesn’t help. Not knowing what the key ingredients are doesn’t help me try and describe them either.

The first thing it reminded me of was a perfume my Gran wears which isn’t good. Then it reminded me of something me and my friends did when we were kids. We used to make ‘potions’ in the sink with as many things we could grab out of the bathroom cabinet. This usually involved some of my Mums perfume amongst other things and the end result was never all that pleasant. This could also involve using flowers from the garden and at the time we had loads of roses so they were what we could get away taking without our parents noticing! I know I haven’t created a nice thought of the smell but to say it smells of a perfume using rose is the best I can come up with. It isn’t overpowering but at the same time it isn’t subtle. I probably noticed it more as I was concentrating on the area around the bottom of my nose so I got more than a whiff! The first time I used it I was really put off but not enough not to use it again. Since then I’ve just tried to use it as quickly as possible. Plus where the dry skin around my nose has improved I’ve used less around that area and not massaged it in as much. So for most people the scent of the scrub shouldn’t be an issue. It would be nice if they changed it to something else though.

The scrub is a very pale pink colour, almost clear in fact with small white bits and pink glitter. I can’t work out what they are and I’m disappointed it doesn’t say, as I like to know these things. Previous scrubs I’ve used have said they’re apricot kernels or kiwi seeds so you know exactly what you’re rubbing over you. Having said that whatever the added ingredient is to exfoliate does work (perhaps they want to keep it a secret!) It is easy to massage over my face and it lathers up enough to make the process easy. It was rough enough to exfoliate well but not too harsh that it hurt. After massaging the scrub in well rinsing it off is easy and didn’t take much effort at all. I was amazed that my skin was left very smooth and silky. The scent of the scrub does linger but this doesn’t really matter as I moisturised straight afterwards. You need to do this or your skin will dry out so I always make sure I moisturise straight away before I forget or get distracted.

I found that not only is this great for my face but also for all over my body. It is meant for your face but I’ve found it works so well I wanted to use it wherever I could. I tend to use it in the shower, as it’s easier to rub all over and rinse off when I’m ready. Also as you’re supposed to rinse off with cold water it makes it easier. I sometimes forget and rinse off with warm water but I haven’t noticed the difference. So if you’re too much of a wimp to rinse off with cold water then it should be fine. I guess the reason they suggest rinsing with cold water is so your pores close afterwards. I should mention that there is a warning on the tube not to use on sensitive or damaged skin. I don’t have sensitive skin so can’t comment on that. However, I do have a patch of eczema on my body and I used it on that (although I knew I shouldn’t) and it hasn’t made it worse. It looks like it’s helped it a bit but it could just be my imagination. So seeing as it never irritated my skin I’d imagine it would be fine for most people.

All in all I’m impressed with Diamond Scrub. It does what is says and removes all the dull bits and reveals smooth shiny skin. I’ve been using it 2-3 times a week depending on where I use it. I tend to only use it once a week on my face as I don’t want to over do it and that seems to do the trick. The patch of dry skin around my nose has gone and that’s thanks to this and a good moisturiser. I love the feel of my skin after using this that it’s become a routine for me now. Before I never used to bother which I know I should have. Still better late than never! As for the scent I’m not impressed but it’s not bad enough for me to stop using it and the end results keep me wanting to use it. So all in all I would recommend this. If you like a bargain get yourself to Tesco before the 18th November whilst it’s still £3.47 as I have no idea how much it will go up to after that.

* By best friend I meant diamonds not a friend ;)

Summary: A very good facial scrub that can be used on your body as well.