When I left China, I picked up a copy of Company Magazine at the airport (it’s my favourite mag). With it came a free sample of Elemis Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser, part of their Fresh skin range, which worked out great as it turned out I had forgotten to pack my face moisturiser and had been surviving on after-sun.

I’d never really tried any Elemis products until I received their Exfoliating skin wash in my January Glossybox which is also part of their Fresh Skin Range (click here to read the original post). I instantly fell in-love with the exfoliator, and whilst £11.99 for 100ml is quite steep for me, it’s still not exactly breaking the bank, and the 30ml sample I received from GlossyBox lasted weeks and weeks as you don’t need to apply a lot for each wash. So I ended up splashing out on a 100ml bottle and wasn’t disappointed – click here to buy.

(Although if you’re Iooking for a cheaper exfoliator I highly recommend trying one of Neutrogena’s Exfoliating skin wash, they range from £3.50 to £4.69 from Superdrug and are really good).

So I was excited to receive another Elemis Sample to try out – and Lord knows my skin was crying out for a decent moisturiser. I was hoping I would be as chuffed as I was with the exfoliator. I’ve been applying in the mornings and the evenings, and as I’m currently in Thailand where sun tan lotion is necessary, for my morning application I’ve been applying it about 15 minutes before I put on my suntan lotion, giving it time to soak into my skin before the Factor 50 is slapped on (yes 50!). This moisturiser is also meant to fight premature aging, which is great if like me you’re going to be in the sun a lot, or if you’re going on holiday.

I really like this moisturiser, it gives your face that tingly feeling, and after nine days without a decent moisturiser it certainly hydrated and softened my skin. It is apparently meant to leave your face ‘feeling revitalised and looking radiant’. It certainly left it feeling revitalised; although I’m not sure it looked too radiant, as I was in Bangkok for ten days where it’s far too hot, dirty and muggy to feel radiant. But what I love most about this moisturiser is its smell! It literally smells like a Spa; it is enriched with seaweed extract, rosehip seed oil and sweet almond oil. So combine the Spa smell with the tingling of the moisturiser and you literally feel like you’ve had a facial!

Unfortunately, unlike the exfoliator, the price isn’t great. I was hoping the moisturiser would be around the £12 mark too, but Superdrug are selling this for £19.99 for 50ml, meaning it’s nearly £40 per 100ml! If you have £20 to spend on a moisturiser, then I’d recommend it as it’s got everything you want from a daily moisturiser – revitalises and softens, reduces premature aging, and it smells bloomin’ beautiful. But for me, future purchasing of this item is a No No. I really like Elemis, this sample has been a life saver and I’ll definitely be purchasing more of their exfoliator, but £19.99 for 50ml is too dam steep for me, especially as a traveller on a budget.

If you want to try out some Elemis products but dont want to spend too much cash. Superdrug sell an Elemis Fresh Skin starter pack for £18.99 which includes a sample bottle of the Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser as well as two other Elemis Fresh Skin products – click here to find out more.