==Reason for Purchase==

The Beauty Parlour is a brand I had never come across before. Being quite boring when it comes to beauty products, I tend to stick to a few brands, especially when buying face care products as I do have slightly sensitive skin on my face. On one recent occasion, however, I had run out of moisturiser and didn't have time to get to the shops to shop round. I ended up buying this from my local Home Bargains, at a bargain price of 99p for 100ml.

==The Brand==

Although I wasn't familiar with this brand when I bought this moisturiser, I have since seen it stocked in Superdrug, and was surprised to see it has quite a few items in the range. It focuses on skincare, but also offers additional items such as shower caps and cosmetic bags.

The style of this brand is very similar to Soap and Glory. It is quite retro and tries to be quirky, with lots of old fashioned pictures of women on their packaging. The colours are all pinks and purples, so there is no doubt this is a brand definitely aimed at women. It does have a bit of a childish/teenage feel to it, with the cartoon style packaging, but I care very little about what's on the outside as long as the products work.

It's difficult to decide if this brand is trying to be a premium brand like Soap and Glory, or if it is attempting to be a budget brand aimed at the younger market. Looking on the Superdrug website, the moisturiser I bought originally cost £7.99, but has been reduced to £1.99. I picked mine up from Home Bargains for 99p, so I don't know if they're just trying to get established in the market, or if they will be a brand that can be picked up for a decent price. I have had great success with the moisturiser, so I will be keeping an eye out for their other products.

==The Product's Claims==

The product I am reviewing is the "Saving Face Day Cream " which has SPF 8 built in. The moisturiser is advertised as being suitable for all skin types, and it claims to be "a light, non-greasy and fast absorbing cream that protects against harmful rays" (www.superdrug.com). It also contains Horse Chestnut (that's a new one for me!), and cucumber, to leave your face refreshed, soft, and supple.

==My Experience==

Despite being apprehensive about trying this moisturiser, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of this product. I have quite sensitive skin on my face, so am always careful about what I use, but this hasn't caused any irritation or problems at all. The moisturiser is white in colour, like most, and has a lovely subtle fragrance. I can't quite put my finger on what it smells of (Horse chestnut probably!), but it's really pleasant and not too sweet smelling. The smell doesn't linger after applying it, but it's uplifting when I use it which is first thing in the morning with it being a day cream.

The packaging makes it easy to apply this moisturiser, being a flip top lid. It comes out evenly so you have full control over how much you want to apply. The consistency is very pleasant, it's not too runny or too firm, but just perfect in my opinion. It absorbs rapidly, but feels like it's giving good moisturisation at the same time. I usually apply this, then follow with my foundation, and it has usually absorbed by the time I open my foundation and start dabbing it on my face. It doesn't feel heavy or claggy, but leaves my face lovely and soft.

I can't really comment on the effectiveness of the sun protection which is built into this moisturiser, because we haven't had enough sun lately for this to be a concern. My face is only at risk of burning if it's extremely sunny, so I haven't needed to think about this as a concern. However, knowing that I have that extra little bit of protection does put my mind at ease, on those days the sun sneaks out for a few hours when I'm out and about. I'd like to think that burning aside, my skin is being protection from signs of ageing which are associated with the sun, and this moisturiser is helping to keep those wrinkles at bay.

==Final Thoughts==

Although the motivation for buying this product was mainly desperation (!), I have been so pleased with its results I will definitely keep an eye out for this in future. Especially if my local Home Bargains keep stocking it for 99p! The other items in this range are stocked in Superdrug and some supermarkets, and I am already keen to try these to find out if they are any good. The low price coupled with the quirky packaging would also be a good idea for a teenager's gift set, if you had a nice basket to put it together yourself.

(This review may also be posted on Ciao under the username Gingerkitty)