REN

Application: The instructions advise you to "Add a small amount to a full bath. The oil will disperse in water and will not leave a greasy film on the bath tub." And it's true! (One of the curses of bath oils is those rings around the tub.)

What's in it? Rose otto, palmarosa and geranium.

Effect: The oil went white as it hit the water, then dispersed. I immediately enjoyed the strong rose scent which permeated the room but was not too overpowering. In the bath, the water felt soft, and luxuriously pampering. The oils the product contains worked together to make my skin feel nourished and supple. The oil left just a light film on my skin when I finally managed to persuade myself that I couldn't actually stay in the bath forever. My skin felt delicious, and the scent remained with me all day.

Verdict: It may be ten times the price of your standard bubble bath, but smells ten times nicer, and left my skin ten times softer.

Application: The cream pumps out easily and hygienically. When I rubbed the cream into my skin, the texture was like mousse; it went on easily and absorbed quickly and well.

What's in it?: The cream is protective as well as nourishing, as it contains Pro-vitamin A, and is also healing, as it contains Vitamin C -- especially good for sun-damaged skin.

Effect: My skin immediately felt softer and smoother, and my hands definitely looked less wrinkly. (Hands can be one of the first places to give away your true age!)

Verdict: A truly hydrating body cream that leaves skin soft, protected, and sweet-smelling.

Application: I applied a pump or two to clean skin, night and morning. Some serums are so thick that it's hard to spread them over your skin. This serum is quite thin, so it spreads and absorbs quickly and easily, without leaving the skin feeling sticky. I love the smell of rose oil. This product smelt divine, and not too overpowering.

What's in it? Oils of soy bean, sea buckthorn, rosehip and cranberry seed.

Effect: I loved the effect of this serum on my skin. It made my skin soft and smooth, and gave it a glow. In the first week of use, I saw a real improvement to dry areas of my forehead and the sides of my face. By the end of a month my skin had improved so much that I stopped bothering with foundation most days!

Verdict: It's on my must-have list! The results are worth it and the smell is heavenly.

Application: The scrub has a very delicate scent and a smooth, creamy texture. I applied the scrub, as directed, to a damp face using small circular movements. The microbeads delivered a surprisingly gentle exfoliation, and the granules were easy to massage around and rinse off afterwards.

What's in it?: Sage leaf water, jojoba oil, juniper oil, peppermint oil.

Effect: After rinsing, my skin felt smooth and had none of the dry tightness I usually experience after using a scrub. After one use, I noticed that my skin was noticeably glowing and the congestion around my nose had been reduced. After using the polish three times the congestion had completely disappeared.

Verdict: Thumbs up! This polish makes me want to try out the rest of the REN range.

Application: The sweet rose scent that wafted from the tub was rather like sugared rose petals or a hand-made Turkish Delight. It felt wonderfully indulgent to slather myself in such a confection, and more relaxing than an invigorating citrus or spice scrub. When applied to dry skin, the sugar granules were quite abrasive, so it didn't take much time or effort to buff my skin smooth (the scrub can be used on wet skin for a gentler scrub). As I rinsed myself under the shower, the sugar dissolved leaving the rich oils on my skin.

What's in it? Cane sugar, natural carrier oils (sweet almond, olive), essential oils (rose otto, palmarosa, rose geranium) and natural extracts (kola nut, Paraguay tea leaf).

Effect: When dry, my skin felt perfectly smoothed, with all rough skin buffed away. It also felt hydrated and retained a little of the gorgeous aroma.

Verdict: A sweet-scented delight that leaves skin baby-soft.