I had always been aware of St. Ives scrubs but until recently I had never felt particularly drawn to it so had never actually tried it. A month or so ago I heard that they were changing the branding and giving out some free samples on Facebook. I love a freebie so I went to put my name down for some and I ended up really loving it! I have since bought a full sized tube.

=== Packaging ===

The packaging design shown on the Dooyoo image above had never appealed to me as I thought it looked quite old fashioned, fussy and wishy washy.

The new scrub packaging is also a squeezy tube standing on a flip top, which I find ideal as it is easy to get the product out without sticking your fingers in a pot. The tube has a straight edge at the top rather than the curved edge shown in the picture and the design is simpler, cleaner and fresher. It now has a white background with three apricots in the top left and a pink triangle in the right hand corner saying "new look". The main areaof the new is unfussy and just says St. Ives and has a coloured band showing which type it is. Mine has a green band saying "fresh skin" and that it is the invigorating scrub. There are other versions, such as my mum has one with a purple band for mature skin.

The design does not look expensive but I think the updated look is fine and I would not be ashamed to have it in my bathroom!

=== Use ===

St. Ives recommend using the scrub 3-4 times a week. You should rub it all over your damp face in circular motions, then rinse off. It feels really nice to use. The scrub has a pleasant apricot scent which is fresh but not too strong. The texture of this scrub is much grittier than other scrubs I have used in the past. I was a bit concerned about whether it would feel harsh and scratchy like sandpaper on my skin, as it contains pieces of walnut shell and the "bits" in it are quite grainy. In fact, although it does feel scratchier than I was used to, I actually love it. I think the name "invigorating" has got it exactly right! I could not think of a better word to describe the sensation of this scrub. It really wakes me up and makes me feel refreshed. I really enjoy using it. I was afraid it might leave my face feeling a bit irritated or red, as some other scrubs have done to me in the past, but I haven't suffered any negative effects whatsoever. It is very easy to rinse off with plain water.

=== Effect ===

This scrub really has an instant effect for me. It feels like my face has had a deep clean and makes my skin feel so smooth.

=== Overall ===

On the whole I am so impressed with this scrub. It is a budget product at £3.99 for a 150 ml tube (and I got mine for £1.99 on offer at Tesco) but it is really effective and feels great to use so I would definitely recommend it to everyone. It is oil free and contains natural ingredients. It also free of parabens, which some people like to avoid. At this budget price I would recommend it to anyone to at least try and I think a lot of peoüple will end up loving it, like I did. Also as the tube clearly shows with the union jack on it, St. Ives is a British company, so if you want to support our economy in these times of recession this is a simple way to buy a good British product!