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Cruise Ship Review
Seabourn Legend - Ship Review provided by Cruise Critic
What makes Seabourn such a special experience is precisely what it doesn't offer. Indeed, there are few rules, no queues, and minimal announcements. There's no need to rush anywhere -- the ship is so small, frankly, you can go from bow to stern in about a minute. There aren't too many "attractions" competing for passengers' attentions -- so folks seem to just hang out together and talk. Ultimately, though, what put this cruise on my own "best" list was that Seabourn, legendary for its intuitive service -- from requiring that all staffers memorize every passenger's name and face to anticipating needs you didn't know you had -- exceeded my already high expectations.
My lasting memories are quiet ones.
Standing at the deserted stern, away from the hullabaloo of the pool deck on our first sea day, watching Montserrat pass by, I started to think that "it would be nice to sit here all afternoon in a lounge chair," when Ian, one of the most attentive of an already attentive crew, called out to me: "May I set you up here?" Within minutes I had a fancy tropical drink , a lounge chair pulled up to the railing, and even a little table on which to rest my book. He would have brought me lunch from the Sky Grill, too, but I declined.
Another day, I locked myself outside of my cabin. My stewardess was nearby and quickly came to my rescue. Sure she opened the door -- you'd expect that. What bowled me over -- and again may seem like a small gesture but it's really not -- was her offer to head down to the purser's desk and get me another key card.
Meeting passengers at one of the hosted tables in The Restaurant, particularly early in the week, helped forge new friendships, making it easy to join acquaintances for a drink before dinner, lunch or a shore outing.
At the Veranda Cafe for lunch, I asked about a pasta dish I'd seen on the main restaurant menu. Not being cooked in the cafe that day, one of the wait staff offered to run down to The Restaurant and fetch me a plate.
A lot of cruise lines like to call their customers guests instead of passengers. Makes it seem more hospitable, somehow, and of course cruising is very much a part of the hospitality industry. But on this ship, making a passenger feel like a very much welcomed guest is not just wordplay. It's real.
If all was not absolutely perfect on Seabourn Legend -- it's true that the embarkation process was terrible for a ship of such a small size and, as you'll see from the review below, the ship itself won't win any interior design awards any time soon (though I'm looking forward to Seabourn's new-builds) -- the experience offered a splendid retreat from hassles and hurrying of the real world.
Looking back now, it all seems like a dream. The good news? It wasn't.
DiningA major plus on Seabourn Legend was the unbelievable variety of eating options onboard for such a small vessel.
My favorite spot for dining was, three meals a day, in the Veranda Cafe. Ostensibly the ship's buffet venue, it also allows for made-to-order menu items. Breakfasts offered the usual array of cold items, from yogurts to cheeses and meats to cereal. You could place orders for egg dishes -- from poached to omelets. As well, a menu offered options like blueberry pancakes, cinnamon raison French toast and oatmeal.
Lunch worked the same way; an enticing array of salads and cold appetizers was spread across the buffet and to-order options each day included a hot and cold soup, a meat and fish selection as well as a pasta. Desserts were decadent, and there was always an ice cream of the day (including a sugar free option).
Always available was standard lunch fare, such as burgers and grilled chicken.
The quality of the cuisine at the Verandah Cafe was consistently excellent as was the service (never did you have to wait to place an order, ask for a drink refill, or request a glass of wine; house red and white was served at lunch). Wait staff also stood sentry by the buffet to carry your laden plate, and once you placed an order at the grill there was no waiting around; you found your table and it was brought to you.
Especially pleasing was the atmosphere -- tables covered with white linen were set both outdoors (my favorite spot, even on the windiest days) and indoors.
At night, the Veranda Cafe transforms itself. No buffet here, Restaurant 2 offers theme menus; one night it was bistro (outstanding -- the foie gras with quince compote, escargots classically cooked, a rich lobster bisque and grilled lamb chops ...). On another, Restaurant 2 was a trattoria and offered another fantastic menu, with starters like seared carpaccio, ricotta and potato ravioli, while mains featured a choice of osso bucco or swordfish steak. One night -- I didn't make it, alas -- Restaurant 2 was a steak house. One of its most interesting menus spotlights was tapas -- there are about a dozen small courses, highlights of which were the lobster corn dog with truffle sauce, the roasted salmon in sake ginger brine, and an amazingly decadent gingered almond and pumpkin nougatine. And you don't roll out of there groaning. The portions, quality and quantity, were perfect.
Editor's Note: There's one caveat: There's no "made to order" option during the theme evenings.
It's a testament to the chefs and wait staff at Restaurant 2 that one passenger I met, an Italian-born restaurateur who prior to his recent retirement operated a critically acclaimed eatery in Atlanta, spent most evenings here instead of the main dining room.
Speaking of which, The Restaurant, the ship's primary dining venue, was the least impressive eatery onboard. Let me qualify that by saying that the room itself was big and wide, boringly decorated, and institutional in ambience. While occasionally the cuisine would shine, just as often it would leave me cold. Literally; appetizers and entrees, while prepared to order, would arrive cool to the touch more often than they should.
And while I checked out the expansive breakfast and lunch menus, The Restaurant, whose exposure to the elements is relegated to a series of portholes, was rather depressing.
Still, dinners, regardless of the inconsistency of cuisine (and honestly, sometimes it was excellent, but at this level the food should be consistently outstanding), were a highlight of the cruise. Seabourn's "hosted tables" philosophy is a brilliant one; everyone from the captain, who on our voyage clearly enjoyed entertaining passengers at his table night after night, to members of the entertainment team, and from other senior officers to the spa director all issue invitations. It's a great way to meet your fellow passengers and also forge relationships with officers and staff. And it's not an exclusive thing, based on how much you spend or whether your conversation scintillates. Everybody gets invited -- there are plenty of hosted tables to go around.
Another alternative for dinner was the occasional grill event held out by the Sky Bar, above the pool deck. Surf and turf was the theme there one night, lamb another.
Back to breakfast, beyond the aforementioned, there's a lavish early riser's buffet laid out each morning in the Midnight Sun Lounge that goes way past the standard array of pastries you find on most ships. Afternoon tea, in which waiters serve crust-free sandwiches, scones with real clotted cream, and an assortment of beverages is also held here.
The grill by the Sky Bar was usually fired up at lunchtime and offered everything from the best gourmet hot dog ever to beef and vegetarian skewers.
And huge kudos to room service. For breakfast you can order just about anything you want, whether you use the usual card on the door or simply call down. My regular breakfast order of poached eggs on toast was always perfectly cooked and delivered in a timely fashion. You can order from The Restaurant menu during lunch and dinner; the latter is served course by course upon request (and was beautifully timed on the one night I tried it). And while not on the menu, don't hesitate to order up a serving of caviar and fixings (though it's an astonishingly meager portion) or freshly popped popcorn if you're staying in to watch a movie. The round-the-clock menu offers the usual suspects -- Caesar salad, sirloin steak, salmon, pizza, brownies and cheesecake.
The habit of placing both The Restaurant and Restaurant 2 dinner menus in each day's "Onboard Daily News" was a tremendous help in making choices.
Public RoomsMy first impression of Seabourn Legend, upon entering its small atrium, was of the absence of color. There's no outstanding design feature to catch your eye. Bland you could say. And undramatic, too, as well as a tad dated; from public rooms to private ones, the furnishings definitely won't put you in a sleek boutique hotel frame of mind.
On the other hand, I've never sailed on a ship where I've felt such a soothing atmosphere onboard. The ship's public rooms serve as a pleasant but never intrusive backdrop to good conversation. Wandering down corridors (you don't have to go far -- that's nice in its own right) I don't remember much about the decor or the art on the walls, but I do remember the way that stewardesses, waiters, entertainment stars and, yes, the captain, all say hello, offer a warm greeting, and look you in the eye so you know they mean it.
The atrium serves as the business-of-vacationing center -- it's home to the purser's desk, which handles everything from RSVP's to invitations to join hosted tables at dinner to DVD checkouts, and a shore excursion office, which honestly was closed every time I strolled by (of course it could have been a case of bad timing). But the Atrium really is a place that you walk through to go somewhere else.
Most of the entertainment venues are located forward, one atop the other, starting on Deck 5 with the King Olav Lounge; above it on Deck 6 is The Club, the cabaret lounge. (The small casino, with a few table games in a glass-walled enclosure and a handful of slot machines tucked away in a closet-like space in the back, is off to the side.) Above that is the somewhat underused Midnight Sun lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows; during the day, there are great views from the outer deck that encircles it.
On Deck 6 you'll find the library (compact but very well stocked, and I was impressed to see not only newish release books but also recent DVD's there). Adjacent is a well-stocked game room with three tables for cards and a great selection of board games (Scrabble, Parcheesi, Taboo and others); in that room, a nice morning touch, you'll find a selection of coffee, juice and pastries.
I found the ship's boutique boring -- it's rare that I don't buy something onboard a ship, but in this case the only purchase was made to replace a lipstick. It's mostly stocked with jewelry and tchockes that while pricey were in no way distinguished (I would have loved, for instance, to tote home a selection of the fabulous Molton Brown bathroom products that were stocked in my cabin.).
A deck below is the compact but efficient Internet cafe. There are four terminals and there's no per-minute option; you can only access the Internet via packages, ranging from 30 minutes for $13.50 (minimum) to 32 hours for $479.95 (there are five other options in between). The packages also apply to wireless access, available in cabins. The connections were, by and large, quite efficient. The ship does not have GSM cell phone capability, however.
There's a laundromat tucked away on Deck 4 -- two washers, two dryers, instructions in German (but crew was very helpful); though I used the ship's laundry for most attire, it's nice to have the option to clean your, er, intimates, yourself. There's no charge to use the machines and soap is available.
CabinsLike the ship's public rooms, you could call the staterooms on Seabourn Legend bland. Design-wise, they're a bit outdated. But they, too, are comfortable and peaceful. And the line has upgraded electronics and bedding, so those most important accouterments are quite contemporary.
All cabins are considered suites. At 277 square ft. the "Standards," laid out like mini-suites on other ships, are decorated in a blue and beige color scheme. Thirty-six of them have French balconies; when the ship underwent a major refurbishment a few years back, these verandahs-but-not were added to some cabins. Essentially, the difference between this and a window is the floor-to-ceiling French doors open to the breeze. Having that breeze makes a huge difference -- bringing the sea into my sitting room! Those without the French balconies have big picture windows.
Among the electronic toys offered in every cabin are a Bose CD player and a flat-screen television with DVD capabilities. There are nautical clocks on the wall that seemed to push time forward much more quickly than I would have liked. There's a loveseat and coffee table that's height adjustable (suitable for dining) and a mini-bar filled with your beverages of choice. Like other luxury lines, passengers can request two bottles of liquor (and mixers) or two bottles of wine for in-cabin consumption. Sodas, bottled water and beer are replenished as needed.
Queen beds convert to twins and are laden with an incredibly comfortable (firm) mattress, high cotton count white sheets, silky cotton duvet and plump pillows.
All bathrooms are white marble with whirlpool tubs; they're not huge, but they're beautifully designed. There's no separate shower and on this ship, no double sinks. We love the Molton Brown bath products and appreciated the way they were lavishly replenished. In the nice touch category were a make-up mirror, a hairdryer with good power, a bottle of sun block(!), and a container of cotton swabs and cotton balls.
All suites also have walk-in closets; an in-room safe is tucked away inside it. Storage space was adequate but hardly generous.
Other extras include personalized stationery, plush bathrobes and slippers.
Seabourn Legend has a handful of larger suites. The "Classic" model (400 square ft.) has a separate bedroom and bathroom, a real balcony with two teak chairs and a small table. There's also a dining table in the living area. These have no walk-in closet. The Eriksson and Heyerdahl suites (530 square ft.), classified as owner's suites, were my favorite; located at the front of the ship, these have a long aft-facing balcony with enough room for padded chaise lounges and a dining table. They also feature separate living and sleeping quarters; these have a powder room, as well.
There's another owner's suite with a different configuration; these two, located on Deck 6, feature a separate living and sleeping space, but there's no balcony.
Conversely, if on a budget there are a few of the standard suite accommodations that, because of their location far forward, have different (and not as welcoming) configurations. Cabin 100 on Deck 4, for instance, is built in an L-shaped mode; the television is only watchable from the bed and the sleeping area, with no window, is a bit dark. Others with unusual layouts include 101, 102 and 103. These are typically priced somewhat lower, but do otherwise feature the same standard suite amenities and identical bathrooms.
EntertainmentThe real entertainment onboard Seabourn Legend occurs at The Restaurant or whatever theme eatery is being offered in the Veranda Cafe. A leisurely meal, good wine, delicious food, and stimulating conversation meant that many folks spent two hours plus at the table, and that was a highlight for me, night after night. The passengers, in essence, make their own entertainment. Beyond that, this is not a ship for those who want round-the-clock activity.
The second most rocking spot onboard was found at sailaway, almost always at just about sunset, at the Sky Bar; the outdoor bar, a deck above the pool area, has small cocktail tables undercover and larger ones -- all covered with white linen cloths -- scattered around the deck. Every night was like a cocktail party.
Editor's Note: Seabourn's three ships all feature an inclusive beverage policy, so there's no charge for house wine, liquor, beer and sodas. You can opt to purchase "top shelf" items; the house wine choices in particular seemed a bit pedestrian, and I was tempted to buy a better bottle one night.
There were a handful of evening musical shows -- and while all three of the main performers had beautiful voices, the pace -- quite frenetic, with lots of costume changes, and music that spanned decades every night -- was exhausting. As well, the King Olav, the ship's primary theater venue, is a fairly intimate space -- and low ceilinged -- and so these high energy shows seemed out of place.
A pre- and post-dinner option was Viva, a husband and wife duo -- she sings, he plays the piano. They held court in The Club, the ship's secondary venue. They, too, were a disappointment -- she sang out of tune. This was the place to dance -- and it was sweet to watch couples perform the obviously well practiced ritual. The place to go for music, I discovered just in the nick of time, was the Midnight Sun Lounge with jazz and favorites offered at tea time and after dinner.
On a couple of nights movies were shown; and they were good ones ("The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland") -- right after they'd won major Academy Awards.
Easily the most joyful and plain-old-fun evening bash was the ship's Fruit Flambe Under the Stars, an after-dinner event where chefs created a beautiful array of desserts out on the pool deck and the Navigators, the ship's fantastic all-purpose band, played for people to dance. Just a lovely evening and yes, we were rewarded with a sparkly black sky.
During the day, activities are fairly limited -- this ship appeals to people who can find their own fun, whether it's meeting fellow travelers or curling up in your suite with a good book or movie. But you can participate, on sea days, in a range of activities, such as tour talks, cooking demos, bridge, casino gaming lessons, a matinee movie, galley tour, ice cream social and golf putting competition. Or you can have a long lunch and take a nap! On port days, when most people are off the ship on shore tours, social bridge games are offered. But that's pretty much it.
Speaking of shore excursions, Seabourn Legend offered a solid selection of offerings, ranging from standard island tours for less mobile passengers to more adventurous options (kayak rides, nature hikes, and horseback rides, among others).
What proved disappointing however was a lack -- at least on our cruise -- of really unique options. Ironically, the two most interesting were offered in St. Kitts (so you had to choose); one was a tour of artist studios and another was a day at Rawlins Plantation, a charming small island hotel. I opted for the second, and while it was indeed a lovely experience (complete with a West Indian buffet lunch, use of the pool, grounds, and even the grass tennis court if desired, as well as roundtrip transportation in a minivan), there were a couple of disconcerting issues that perhaps show a carelessness on the cruise line's part in monitoring shore outings.
First, Seabourn's own brochures on the tour listed spa options as an a la carte part of the day. Rawlins, it turned out, doesn't have a spa (though the owners told us they can request massage therapists and the like to perform treatments in a room onsite; reservations must be made 24 hours in advance). Obviously, the tour company that Seabourn uses on the island was responsible for the discrepancy, but a little bit of quality control by the line would have eliminated the inaccuracies. As well, the $280 per person price, which seemed outrageous at first glance, was also outrageous in reality. Pleasant as it was, that tour was embarrassingly overpriced, and fellow passengers did complain about it to the shore excursion personnel onboard.
And yet Seabourn offers one of the great experiences in cruising with its "Exclusively Seabourn" program. On our Caribbean voyage, officers and crew take over a private island with a beach bar in Virgin Gorda; there's a fabulous barbecue, open bar, watersports, and a spa hut, where ship's therapists offer 20-minute rubdowns. The piece de resistance: Two waiters wade through the surf with a surfboard on which is perched a huge mound of caviar, complete with fixings; champagne is served; and guests mix and mingle in the surf. The whole day passes like a dream -- for this Caribbean veteran, it was the most magical, relaxing, pleasant beach outing ever.
And it was clear that the hard working crew, plowing through the sand to serve drinks, provide towels and fulfill all manner of requests was having a ball, too.
Editor's Note: Folks traveling on Seabourn Legend in the Mediterranean also experience an "Exclusively Seabourn" outing, but these vary depending on itinerary. You could go to an exclusive reception at Els Calderers, a historic country manor house dating from the 13th century, in Palma de Mallorca. Or in Sousse, Tunisia, passengers enjoy traditional local delicacies and enchanting Tunisian music in an aristocratic Moorish home in the Old Town. And in Dubrovnik? It's a private evening in the medieval Revelin Fortress, enlivened by an internationally acclaimed Croatian folkloric troupe.
Fitness and RecreationA note is posted at the spa's welcome desk: "All of our therapists are currently performing treatments on other guests and we are unable to assist you at this time." A pad of paper was provided for passengers to list requested treatments and times. I found this absolutely charming -- and evocative of the ship's casual and cozy ambience. You'll get a call when someone's free, and they'll do their best to slot you in.
No question, the facility is small -- small that is if you're used to huge two-level spa/gym set-ups. But that's to be expected. And even with such limited space, the spa sure didn't stint on treatments; these ranged from stone therapy massage ($178), and body wraps from Ocean Wraps ($180) to Lime and Ginger Salt Glow ($180). There are facials -- for women and men, both -- and an anti-arthritic ceremony. The salon, part of the tiny facility, features the usual -- hair styling, cut and coloring, cleansing rituals, massages and pedicures. Pricing wise, the Swedish massage is $111 -- and that's about average, in cruising, for an onboard 50-minute massage.
One of the challenges for a spa in a ship this size is the staffing -- in this case there was one nail technician, one hairdresser and three massage therapist/facial experts. On our cruise, a seven-night sailing with a lot of passengers for whom spa treatments are a regular occurrence (home or away), the facility was pretty busy throughout the cruise, and making a reservation proved important. (A spontaneous request for a pedicure later on in the voyage was met with a "sorry, we're sold out for the week.") I was told that managing requests are definitely more challenging on the seven-night voyages than on longer cruises.
If the treatments are performed professionally and the menu offers variety, the disappointment here is the facility itself is beyond drab (and is it so hard to gussy up a massage room with a little bit of scent and some Tahitian fabrics?). At the very least replacing the hideous lighting would be a start.
Operated by Steiner, which has a lock on cruise line spa operations, I was appalled to hear that their policy of selling products, often pushing them quite strongly, was permitted on a ship of this caliber. It is, however, a reflection of the passengers who sail on Seabourn that one woman, who was suffering buyer's remorse after a way-too-excessive post-treatment shopping spree, told me she didn't have the heart to return them. "The therapist was so sweet," she said, "and I know she earns commission."
Having sworn to maintain some sort of fitness regimen, I was among those who were casually committed to some sort of routine; in Seabourn Legend's gym all but the most voracious fitness buffs will find just the right amount of equipment. The Life Fitness equipment was arranged for circuit training. And an adequate supply of treadmills and bicycles are topped with flat-screen televisions tuned to ship channels. The mini-fridge filled with bottled water, though commonly found in more upscale ship fitness facilities, is a welcome touch nevertheless.
The ship also schedules classes in Yoga and Pilates, for which there is no additional charge, and offers individualized personal training sessions and a metabolism test (for which there is).
Seabourn Legend's pool deck is actually centered around two huge Jacuzzis instead of a swimming pool (The salt water pool itself is tucked into a private alcove between a glassed-in stairwell and the Verandah Cafe.). There's plenty of space on the teak deck for lots of lounge chairs (white plastic with puffy blue cushions) both here and on Deck 8, just above. However, beware, especially on sea days: The loungers are placed along the running/walking track and clog it up, so you should plan to get your exercise either very early or very late. Sixteen laps, by the way, equal a mile.
One neat complimentary feature is "massage moments" -- therapists come on out to the pool deck and wander around, their fingers making music on bodies ravaged by airplane flights. Lovely.
Way aft is my favorite part of Deck 8 -- it's a nice broad space that, when not used by shuffle boarders, is a lovely away-from-the-crowd spot for sunning.
One of Legend's claims to fame is its fabulous water sports platform. Low down and far aft, the fold-out marina can only be used when at anchor in port, and only then from time to time. It's equipped with windsurfers, sailboats, Zodiacs, water skis, banana boat, pedal boat and snorkeling equipment. In the center of the marina is a stainless steel mesh pool (to keep guests in and sea life out). It proved a disappointment on our trip, if only in scheduling; while anchored off Nevis, our captain made a bit of a last minute announcement at lunchtime that it would be open for two hours that afternoon but for folks already off the ship and those of who had afternoon plans, it meant we missed out entirely. Too bad because it's a unique and fantastic feature that few ships can offer.
FamilyOn our sailing there was one family with young children, and though they were very well behaved -- and their parents handled them impeccably -- there was quite a bit of buzz from the mostly senior passengers about the presence of young ones. While they were well cared for, this really isn't a ship for younger children. There are few activities and facilities are nil.
Fellow PassengersInternational, upscale and well-traveled. Average age depends on cruising region (higher in the Mediterranean, slightly lower in the Caribbean), but the majority are in the 55-plus age range, and onboard entertainment is largely geared to this demographic. Seabourn passengers are intensely loyal; not only do they return year after year, but it's also not unusual to meet couples who are onboard for three or four back-to-backs. Or more!
Dress CodeAs Seabourn offers a range of itineraries, some quite exotic, dress code depends to some extent on where you're sailing. In port, respect the culture of the destination. Onboard, daytimes are in the country club casual mode. At night, there are three different dress suggestions: Casual, in which men can appear sans jacket and women are okay with a simple blouse with skirt or slacks; Elegant Casual, in which men wear jackets and women don more swishy ensembles or a cocktail dress; and, for one night on our seven-night Caribbean cruise, there's Black Tie Optional. Many men did put on a tuxedo and women wore elegant but simple floor length gowns (this is not a cruise line where you'd wear "big ship" bangles and beads).
GratuitySeabourn says that all gratuities are included in your cruise fare -- and it means it. However, you should feel free to discreetly compensate a crew member who's performed a particularly unique or time consuming request.Editor's note: Seabourn Legend was sold to Windstar in February 2013, and will be renamed, refurbished and enter service as a Windstar ship in April 2015.
In an era of cruising in which trends and innovation in design and features have become of paramount importance, my first-ever voyage with Seabourn, on Seabourn Legend, represented a whole other age of travel. I'd forgotten that cruising like this, with an emphasis on sophisticated yet simple pleasures, still existed.
What makes Seabourn such a special experience is precisely what it doesn't offer. Indeed, there are few rules, no queues, and minimal announcements. There's no need to rush anywhere -- the ship is so small, frankly, you can go from bow to stern in about a minute. There aren't too many "attractions" competing for passengers' attentions -- so folks seem to just hang out together and talk. Ultimately, though, what put this cruise on my own "best" list was that Seabourn, legendary for its intuitive service -- from requiring that all staffers memorize every passenger's name and face to anticipating needs you didn't know you had -- exceeded my already high expectations.
My lasting memories are quiet ones.
Standing at the deserted stern, away from the hullabaloo of the pool deck on our first sea day, watching Montserrat pass by, I started to think that "it would be nice to sit here all afternoon in a lounge chair," when Ian, one of the most attentive of an already attentive crew, called out to me: "May I set you up here?" Within minutes I had a fancy tropical drink , a lounge chair pulled up to the railing, and even a little table on which to rest my book. He would have brought me lunch from the Sky Grill, too, but I declined.
Another day, I locked myself outside of my cabin. My stewardess was nearby and quickly came to my rescue. Sure she opened the door -- you'd expect that. What bowled me over -- and again may seem like a small gesture but it's really not -- was her offer to head down to the purser's desk and get me another key card.
Meeting passengers at one of the hosted tables in The Restaurant, particularly early in the week, helped forge new friendships, making it easy to join acquaintances for a drink before dinner, lunch or a shore outing.
At the Veranda Cafe for lunch, I asked about a pasta dish I'd seen on the main restaurant menu. Not being cooked in the cafe that day, one of the wait staff offered to run down to The Restaurant and fetch me a plate.
A lot of cruise lines like to call their customers guests instead of passengers. Makes it seem more hospitable, somehow, and of course cruising is very much a part of the hospitality industry. But on this ship, making a passenger feel like a very much welcomed guest is not just wordplay. It's real.
If all was not absolutely perfect on Seabourn Legend -- it's true that the embarkation process was terrible for a ship of such a small size and, as you'll see from the review below, the ship itself won't win any interior design awards any time soon (though I'm looking forward to Seabourn's new-builds) -- the experience offered a splendid retreat from hassles and hurrying of the real world.
Looking back now, it all seems like a dream. The good news? It wasn't.
Dress Code
As Seabourn offers a range of itineraries, some quite exotic, dress code depends to some extent on where you're sailing. In port, respect the culture of the destination. Onboard, daytimes are in the country club casual mode.
At night, there are two different dress suggestions: Formal attire includes a tuxedo, suit or slacks (jacket required) for men and evening gown or other formal attire for women. Elegant casual attire includes slacks with a collared dress shirt or sweater (jacket optional) for men and skirt or slacks with a blouse, a pant suit or dress for women. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but not appropriate in any public venues after 6 p.m., when the dress code applies.
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text: Sit Tight Between managing work and running around to do errands, the week can make you feel as though your head is spinning. Mostly, by the time the weekend comes, we find ourselves searching for a quiet...Read More 2/1/2013 12:00:00 AM (2) comments Such Great Heights For two years, Chinese artist Xu Bing poured himself into creating not one but two beautiful pieces that together are bringing the art world to new heights. Using harvested materials from...Read More 1/30/2013 12:00:00 AM (1) comments Worldly Affair What is most captivating about a well-planned space is its ability to make me feel transported, and Michael Reeves is the latest designer taking me on a creative journey. The London-based Reeves has...Read More 1/28/2013 12:00:00 AM (1) comments Eco & Elegant Going Green has never been more inventive! Belgian designer Jens Praet makes magazines modern…literally. Do not let the marble optical illusion fool you: These surfaces are...Read More 1/28/2013 12:00:00 AM (0) comments Elements Of Joy One of our most adored linen companies has partnered up with one of our beloved designers for a collection worth talking about. Mark your calendars, because Matouk will be debuting Lulu de...Read More 1/25/2013 12:00:00 AM (0) comments Paper Hearts Brooklyn based design company Flat Vernacular is keeping on theme with the location's "hip to be square" motif by specializing in hand-drawn, hand-printed bespoke wallpapers. The duos respect for...Read More 1/24/2013 12:00:00 AM (0) comments Spring Awakening As we count down the gloomy winter days until spring blooms, our eyes are set on the upcoming season and all its charm. A great way to keep your spirits up during this time of year is to give your...Read More 1/23/2013 12:00:00 AM (2) comments More Is More "More is more. Less is never more—less is obviously less. Who wants less?" — Interior designer Michelle Nussbaumer. [via]A girl after my own heart, this Dallas native...Read More 1/21/2013 12:00:00 AM (0) comments Sven Dogs Sun Dream A silence falls over these next few months as we mourn the holiday season and anxiously look ahead to spring. It is during this period that a funny thing happens: We find little ways to loose...Read More 1/17/2013 12:00:00 AM (1) comments Suite Life If you've picked up our New York Winter 2013 issue, then you have had the chance to see our "Spirited Approach" Insider page on the hottest destinations to check out this season. If...Read More 1/16/2013 12:00:00 AM (1) comments Best Of 2012 Our Winter issues have hit newsstands and the design community is abuzz with excitement for the New Year! Before we fully plunge into 2013, our Managing Editor, Arlyn Hernandez, felt it appropriate...Read More 1/15/2013 12:00:00 AM (1) comments Magnetic Attraction I adore adding splashes of color around my home to liven up otherwise dull nooks. So naturally, I have always been drawn to blown-glass pieces and their spectacular spectrum of saturated hues, but...Read More 1/7/2013 12:00:00 AM (1) comments

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Latest update : 2012-10-24
Lance Armstrong loses all 7 Tour de France titles
Once the world's greatest cycling champion, Lance Armstrong's glittering career - and reputation - is in tatters. No longer can he lay claim to seven Tour de France titles; only that of being the biggest cheat the sport has ever known. Armstrong has always denied accusations of doping, but with former teammates now giving evidence against him, there is little hope of him ever salvaging his good name.


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Two active meth labs and 18 spent ones were taken from a Leesburg home Monday.
Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department drug task force officers were serving felony warrants in the morning at a residence in the 300 block of Smith Street when they smelled the distinctive scent, according to a written statement issued by the department.
- Kira Margaret Tuttle, 30, of Warsaw, was preliminarily charged with one felony count of possession of methamphetamine less than 3 grams and one felony count of possession of methamphetamine more than 3 grams. Her bond was set at $35,000.
- Thomas O. Rensberger, 36, of Leesburg, was preliminarily charged with felony manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine precursors and two counts of felony possession of methamphetamine. His bond was set at $20,000.


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Is this the confess-what-a-noob-we-used-to-be thread?
First toon in vanilla was a hunter.
Kept running out of mana.
Needed mana to spam arcane shot.
Heard that Spirit increased mana regen rate.
Built a set of +spirit greens for my hunter. Had some strength pieces too, for those situations where I got into melee combat.
I'm a n00b moments include:
Trying to be a melee warlock in vanilla (it was actually somewhat reasonable to make that assumption at low levels with how firestones used to work, dot it up and start meleeing, lol)
Not understanding how basic rogue mechanics worked in MC (who needs SnD & Rupture?!?! JUST EVIS SPAM!)
My first attempt at a "PvP" video, quite comical in retrospect.
It took me well into BC to realize that I should probably have a max tier talent. I ran this funky like 11/7/23 spec or something ridiculous, at a time when all warlocks had to do was spec 20/0/31 or something, bind shadowbolt to the scroll wheel, and scroll your way to victory.
I never did use Rend as a warrior until WotLK though, proud of that.
Oh... and I was TOTALLY keyboard turner/pure ability clicker until sometime pretty far into WotLK on my warlock. It was weird though, on my caster (warlock) I clicked, but on my melee characters (warrior/rogue) I used the mouse to move...
"If the world is something you accept rather than interpret, then you're susceptible to the influence of charismatic idiots." -Neil deGrasee Tyson
Twitter @Aggathon || @Tankspot || Twitch.Tv/Aggathon
Lore, how do you feel about 10 mans having the same loot and difficulty now that you've switched? Do you think that 10 mans should become casual, not really be taken seriously by anyone who raids?
Discussions inciting 10 vs 25 man raids are best left alone. If you wanna ask him something about that, send him a message or a PM. Do NOT illicit a discussion on here. It has turned into a very bad taboo on this website and normally leads us mods to wanna pull our hair out in frustration.
Please respect this and I seriously ask you this: that last part of your question, as a whole, will piss of a LOT of people. Don't even bother trying to get it replied to. If you want to take your shot, send him a PM and he might answer you in PST. Bout all I will accept this. (And please, dear gods, do not let him answer this.)
Tankspot Moderator
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We don't do a tank switch, I (paladin) tank the boss, our warrior tanks the adds.
So we just tried this last night [10 heroic]. We used a bear (myself) and a DK tank, switching off who was on the boss and the constructs. Is this the only way to do it? It seems like the DK tank would have a much easier time gathering constructs, but then again, the armor debuff after you get mangled would necessitate a tank switch anyway, right?
Pinkiepìe of <Orcland Raiders> on Silvermoon-US
We don't do a tank switch, I (paladin) tank the boss, our warrior tanks the adds.
Interesting. Do you have to use CDs such as AD, DP, etc., to survive? That seems like a much better strategy.
Pinkiepìe of <Orcland Raiders> on Silvermoon-US
We have a Hand of Protection/divine shield for each mangle phase which eliminates the need for healing me for a while (I HoP myself the first one, our holy pala HoPs the second, our retri does the third, mine is ready again for the fourth and final one. This leaves me free to use my personal cooldowns for between mangles (I try to make sure my guardian is ready for the final push from ~15% to zero because the raid is taking a large amount of damage at that point). I use divine protection (20% cooldown) before each mangle to soften the blow as the boss can sometimes slip in an unavoidable melee swing just as you are picked up, which can be 90k damage + a tick of mangle for 60k = 150k damage, DP reduces this potential burst to "just" 120k).
You only actually take about 20-25 seconds of damage between mangles.
Whoah bubble/bop clears the mangle debuff?
no, but it makes you immune to the mangle damage when picked up meaning the healers can stop other people dying.
You shouldn't be "gathering" constructs, really...you pick them up when they come out and kill them. Most of your boss DPS will be during head phases...most of the rest of the time you're basically killing constructs...you can put some dps on the boss, but it's not really your priority.
You'll probably have some time when you have two up, but you shouldn't really ever have more than that and you should typically only have one most of the time (until 30%). No tank should have any particular trouble with that (you can really just taunt them and then deal with them when they get to you).
So it is possible for me to start out on Magmaw, enter a mangle phase, get thrown off, and then pick him up again after he is no longer chained? Will the armor debuff have faded by then?
I'd say that 90% of the time, I have two constructs to tank. I just need more practice at it, as I have been playing moonkin most of this tier.
Pinkiepìe of <Orcland Raiders> on Silvermoon-US
No, you will still have Mangle
The fight goes thus for us:
@88-89% boss hp the first construct spawns.
ALL dps kill the construct.
a new one spawns about 4 seconds after the current one dies.
if a construct has less than 40% health when the exposed head comes down we kill it before focussing the head. any new contructs are picked up by the tank and held until the head phase ends. Then we quickly kill the lowest hp add before continuing to kill the constructs until the next head phase.
the boss is at about 32% (we do a damage stop then) when the 4th mangle begins, then we bloodlust when the head comes down and nuke it as hard as we can, it is at about 15% when the head goes back up and nef triggers P3.
A few more details: You should have a couple ranged out (dealing with Parasites and getting the Constructs spawning on them...so they don't spawn on the raid...which is bad) and everyone else stacking on melee (for easy heals and to stay away from the Parasites). You should have the tank stay in melee until he has to pick up a Construct, then head back in and dps it there.
When it comes to tanking I'm not completely certain on the best scenario but it is definitely doable for a tank to solo tank magmaw.
Here's a few tips I've heard:
1. Use Guardian/Battle Elixirs instead of Stamina Flasks. Mitigation is amazing in heroic fights, much more effective than stamina given that you're above the survival soft cap.
Elixir of Deep Earth - 900 armor
Prismatic Elixir - 90 resistance
Elixir of the Master - 225 mastery
Elixir of the Cobra - 225 crit
There are more options, but those are the most effective IMO. Your magmaw tank should probably be using armor + mastery, he should also have decent resistance cooldowns. A Blood DK is great for this. Use BOPs, Armor Pots, Raid Cooldowns such as Spirit Link and more to keep your tank alive during mangle. The Add Tank (Both Kiter and Non) should use Prismatic + Mastery or Crit. You could have your dps kiter keep a flask on but in my experience, 8-10% less dmg from magical damage is much better than a bit more damage on adds you're kiting.
A few last pointers I picked up on our kill:
If you're an SV Hunter kiting, remind the entire raid that your ice + snake traps root. That means that even if you have aggro on them, they will attack others when rooted. This can be avoided by anyone in the raid simply moving a few feet away whenever you root them.
Instruct your dps that is outside w/ the heals + kiter that he/she needs to keep to the same area for the most part. This will simplify the spawning of meteors + the fire they bring. If they move around too much outside of when pillars/meteors spawn, it will make your kiters job much harder.
It is absolutely amazing to have a holy priest healing on the outside. I had a disc priest, but having access to Body + Soul whenever shielded is an amazing boost to kiting. Lifegrip can be useful as well, but due to the long cooldown, you'll need to save it for the best/worst case scenario.
All players on the outside need to be aware that the tank may need a second or two to pick up the add. Give that, a hunter can solve this issue entirely, a good rogue can as well. You could also have a dps w/ an aggro drop who is stationed on the inside grab aggro on the add immediately when it spawns and then drop aggro once it gets to the add tank (the dps on the inside will be w/in a few feet of the add tank therefore it will enable the tank to simply hit the add as it walks by to gib the dps)
There is an alternate strategy which doesnt involve kiting. Instead you need atleast 3 amazing aoe ranged classes and one with a knockback. Simply move 10-15 yards away from the pillar when it spawns and use roots, knockbacks + slows to delay their progress to you while the three aoe dps annihilate them. (10m, 25 will require 7-9 aoe classes)
Last edited by Dagray; 05-07-2011 at 02:43 PM.
Try to instruct your tank to move back to tanking position earlier, shortly before the headbanging ends should solve your issue.
Have the tank in position 2-3 seconds before the head comes back up. DBM has a timer for it. Also when Magmaw becomes targetable again, the tank must taunt immediately.
Being mangled and jumping up to chain Magmaw resets those players' threat levels.
Spam this macro when the head phase ends and you will immediately taunt Magmaw when he is attackable again
Code:/targetexact Magmaw /cast Taunt (or whatever your taunt is called)
I the MT pull and tank it until the first mangle. 10 seconds before the first mangle the offtank taunts takes the mangle. My threat from before will carry over. So when the exposed head phase ends tank 2 has the debuff and I as the MT still have the most threat on the boss.
So really, it is much much much better to taunt BEFORE the head even goes down not after.
Just had a question about this encounter. It seems like our MT is taking hits from anywhere between 130-175k at what would seem like random times. The damage is not mitigated at all either. When I looked through our Logs from the raid, as well as some logs from other guilds, it seems like the big hits are coming right after a Lava Spew. Can anyone confirm or deny that this is the case, and if so, is the best way to deal with the damage to be ready with big heals on the MT after a Lava Spew or try to do some kind of CD rotation?


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The isle of Sicily has always loomed heavily in Dolce & Gabbana's collections – perhaps even more so since the twosome decided to launch their couture line last season in Taormina. Following last summer's pepper and aubergine prints inspired by the Sophia Loren film Pane, Amore e…, this season picked up the kitsch baton upgrading tourist tat for the catwalk. From maps of the boot 'n' ball printed onto scarves and cotton blouses, to Italian plate motifs, the luxury label pioneered a new world of souvenir chic.
Also on show were raffia flour sack frocks and tees, basket weave crinolines and Lego-coloured woven beach bags – all high end versions of holiday mementos. Another highlight for us was the multi-coloured tasselled earrings and necklaces – which along with the silk scarf headbands which accessorized nearly every look.
But if all this brashness was a bit more for you, fear not, Dolce & Gabbana also rocked S/S 2013's mega trend: stripes. From simple lined cotton dresses to more structured striped skirt suits, there's lots for the old-school Dolce girl to love.
After a whopping 86 looks, the catwalk was stormed by the full line up of girls, this time dressed in 50s style swimwear making for one of our favourite Milan moments so far. Retro but wearable this collection revisited classic territory for the designers. And judging by the number of FROWers clad in head to toe Dolce & Gabbana – some of whom got involved in the rapturous applause for the finale look – it's a formula with plenty of fans. The Sicilian re-visit might not have been a major surprise but as they say, if it aint broke don't fix it.


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Katie West
USC School of Journalism
Perhaps nowhere in the country more than in South Carolina does the word evoke a sense of history as rich as the smell of meat in the smoker.
How can the holiday season be here already? Wasn't it just New Year's and we were making resolutions for the year? (Which reminds me, I still need to work on a few of mine).
I know each year I typically make the same dishes for my Thanksgiving dinner. And why not? They are family traditions and wonderful.
But this year, I'm thinking about trying some of the recipes you have shared that are part of your Thanksgiving traditions.
Ten years ago, Starbucks introduced its Pumpkin Spiced Latte. The mix of Starbucks' signature espresso, milk, whipped cream and a mysterious pumpkin spice syrup was surprisingly good.
The drink has now become a fall staple for many coffee drinkers. It was different, and maybe that's what made it so popular.
Now, however, a trip down the grocery store aisles in late October reveals food companies have gone "pumpkin spice crazy."
There I was, sitting at my desk, writing a story on deadline and sipping from a tall cup of iced coffee, when I heard a comment that turned my head.
"Chris, I just have to tell you that I can't stand iced coffee," said my coworker, and occasional chef, Greg Summers. "Hot coffee is where it's at. I'll never figure out the appeal of that cold stuff. I just don't get it. Coffee is 'sposed to be hot enough to take hair off a hog's back."
Fall is on its way, and with it the foliage begins to turn, along with a slight nip in the evening air. And for my family and friends, it's football time.
The sport is big business in my part of the country - and everywhere else for that matter. Next to which rivalry is playing out on any given weekend, the most important part of the day is what's on the menu.
No football party is complete without something "buffalo" (at least in my eyes).
Love is a many-splendored thing, according to a 1955 movie of the same title, and one of the most splendid things about it is that it is not bound by time, distance, or even age.
Faye Williams, 65, will walk down the aisle on Saturday, Sept. 7 and say "I do" to 69-year-old Homer Moree, and a love that found its way to her under very unusual circumstances.
"I've known Homer for 10 years now," Williams said. "His wife, Crady, was my best friend."
Things are all a'bustle at Cedarleaf as we count down the days until Sept. 27 when we host the annual S.C. Tree Farm Field Tour.
"Field Days" are traditionally held at the current Tree Farm of the Year, and we have been busy preparing for our event over many months.
Teenage best friends share a lot – their dreams, their secrets, their laughter.
And a few months ago, four local girls shared a combined dream – to attend a One Direction concert.
The girls' determination to see the English-Irish boy band from London prompted them to begin a fundraising campaign to buy concert tickets.
Debbie Burchett, Breanna Burchett's mother, said the girls started raising money in February.
I've said it before and I will say it again; I love tomatoes.
When they are ripe and juicy, you can eat them as a snack (I may be known to do this from time to time). On their own, tomatoes are great. But once you start cooking with them, the taste factor goes to a whole new level.
The Dream Team Foundation in Lancaster is seeking for participants as it kicks off the sixth year of providing sports opportunities for special needs children in Lancaster County.
Copyright © 2014
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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am a big fan of Soap and Glory products and have used them for years now as I love their unique scents, whimsical packaging and good quality beauty products that actually work.
I have used a number of their scrubs over the years and "scrub your nose in it," is a different kind of scrub in my opinion, its more clinical and professional and works amazingly well on my face. This scrub is actully referred to as a, "Special pore refining formula AHA facial scrub," and there is a lot of science behind it which is why I believe its not your everyday kind of scrub.
The packaging is a little bit more professional looking too. Gone is the pretty pink packaging and in comes a white tube with just some simple writing on it although I would have preferred a flip cap lid rather than a twist on and off lid which is a little bit hard to do when you have wet hands applying this scrub.
So, here is the science behind the scrub. "Formulated with Soap & Glory's exclusive, deep pore detoxing D-CLOG™MICROMUD – a super clarifying, triple action, diatomaceous earth mix – it helps to exfoliate, clean and purify the skin, lift away pore-clogging dead skin cells, soak up excess oils, and stimulate fresh oxygen to your face.
• SUPERFRUIT™ YUZU - a skin energising, toning and brightening antioxidant complex pressed from natural Japanese citrus fruits
• D-CLOG™ MICROMUD - a blend of highly refined, purified, diatomaceous earth and fruit acids that help dissolve pore-clogging debris and clear away dead skin cells
• MONTMORILLITE CLAY - a soft, white, purified, highly absorbent clay that soaks up excess oils
• SUPER AHA FRUIT ACIDS - to dissolve the 'glue' that keeps dead cells stuck to your skin
• strategically formulated for oily/combination skin
The scrub has quite fine particles in it which I like because it really rubs my dead skin off well and is not too abrasive. I never end up with red patchy skin after using this srub which is good. After washing this scrub off I am left with really soft skin. I would definitely recommend this scrub to anyone looking for really fresh, clean skin.
My sister would use this product often and I once asked to try it for myself, and having done so, I loved the way it made my skin feel. I went out to purchase one for myself and thought that it was reasonably priced considering some of the face washes that are also readily available. I love the packaging and quirky bottles the soap and glory products come in and I also like that they always come with a handy bit on the back of how to use the specific product in hand for the best results. Every time I use this face wash I find my face is left very soft and feeling very fresh. I know this product can also be doubles up and used as a face mask which I have yet to do, however I will be trying this when I have the time. I think this wash is easy to apply and wash off, and it also smells pleasant and leaves a light scent on my skin which is not overbearing at all. This is now a product I have in my bathroom all the time and one I am sure I will continue to re-purchase. I think with this a little bit goes a long way and so this also makes the bottle last a reasonable amount of time. The only negative thing I would say about this wash is that it can sometimes dry on the edges of your face or under your chin so make sure you wash it all off and dry face well with a soft towel. I love this product :)
It is now more than 30 years since I used my first facial cleansing products. While I am always interested in new skin care ranges, I cannot help but feel that the large multinational beauty product manufacturers are simply chasing high profits rather than investing in the best interests of their consumers. Yes, I am a cynic. But this is also the reason that I am happy to try face care products that are low in price. Indeed it is over 20 years ago that the Australian consumer magazine ?Choice? reported its research findings that the best anti-aging moisturiser on the market was the inexpensive sorbolene. With this information in mind, I was very happy to try Soap and Glory's ?Rub your nose in it?. Soap and Glory was founded in the UK in 2006 by Canadian Marcia Kilgore, who had already experienced great success with her first spa company in New York USA. The company now operates in many countries worldwide where the familiar retro-look packaging flies off the shelf. This product: packaging The packaging has recently changed to a more modern look green and white 100ml flip top tube. The writing announces in English and in French that it is made from ?special pore refining formula? and ?AHA facial scrub?. This product is currently available at Boots and online for gbp9. this is more expensive than the gbp7 that I paid for mine approximately six months ago. It has a two year shelf life according to the packaging. This product: in use While at first this product seems to be a daily face scrub, it transpires that it can also be used as a face mask. I have used it most often as the former. Face scrub: I apply a 20 pence-sized dollop of this minty scented creamy scrub into my pal and then apply it to my pre-dampened face. I give my face a good scrub all over. I really like the sensation of this product on my face. The grains feel similar to sand; they are vey small and can hardly be seen. I used this regime three times a week. Face mask: As expected, it is easy to apply a thin layer of this product either all over your face or alternatively to the required areas and then leave for at least five minutes. I found it to be quite tingly on my skin I did this just twice as I preferred to use it as a face scrub. My thoughts and opinion I really like this face scrub. It gives a pleasant minty tingle and leaves my face feeling refreshed and with a slight glow. I have not noticed any difference in the size of my skin pores around my nose, but to be honest I was not actually expecting any difference. There is a vast array of skin care products on the market. This one is definitely worth the old price of gbp7 for 125ml. It is also worth the newer more expensive price for the smaller size. That said, I wonder how much this change reflects increased costs and how much is price gauging? I guess we'll never know. What makes this product so great? A quick glance at the active formulation list almost sees me running to a dictionary. According to the company's web site, this scrub is formulated with Soap & Glory's exclusive, deep pore detoxing D-CLOG MICROMUD ? a super clarifying, triple action, diatomaceous earth mix ? it helps to exfoliate, clean and purify the skin, lift away pore-clogging dead skin cells, soak up excess oils, and stimulate fresh oxygen to your face. Other ingredients include some kind of combination of natural Japanese citrus fruits, absorbent clay and some kinds of fruit acids. This product is formulated for oily and combination skin. I highly recommend this skin product. See if you can get it on offer, especially as the price has recently risen. NB: I may publish this review elsewhere under this or other pen names.
I love soap and glory products. Since just before Christmas I have slowly been on the descent to full-on addiction, but now I think I'm beyond help. Every time I walk past Boots I, with no free will of my own, feel the need to walk in and buy three soap and glory products on their 3 for 2 offers. If there's no skin care I fancy, then off I go to the makeup stand and vice versa The result is that my husband purposefully plans shopping trips that take me well around Boots in order to save our bank account. I can't say I blame him.
That said, this product is categorically, absolutely, 100% my favourite product of the Soap and Glory range.
So, what is it? This is what Soap and Glory have to say:
A multi-tasking scrub and mask marvel! Helps refine large pores and prevent blemishes.
The Fab Pore: apply a pea-sized dollop of Scrub Your Nose In ItTM to a damp t-zone. Massage gently in circular motions, then extend out to the less clogged places on your face. Rinse well and follow with moisturiser. Just leave a thin layer on skin 3 minutes longer for an oil-absorbing, brightening, pore cleaning mask.
The packaging is very typical of Soap and Glory, candy pink with a flip lid with the typical mixture of fonts you see on Soap and Glory products in cream and black. It claims that it leaves skin looking brighter and more radiant and comes in a 125 ml tube.
This product smells strongly of mint and has small black exfoliating bits in it. The product is a minty green/blue colour and is of quite a thick consistency. I like this as it makes it quite difficult to lose any of the product to my hands..
The guide recommends to use a pea-sized amount on your t-zone, however I tend to use a bit more, maybe a marble-worth but other than that applying it as the guide suggests. I have problematic skin (suffer from breakouts quite frequently) and this seems to clear it out incredibly well. The first time I used this scrub it felt incredibly tingly, almost to the point of being painful, but once done my skin was radiant, fresh and all my pores felt incredibly clear. It is also a little bit more abrasive than I am used to, but this only aids to get the dead skin off. After that first use, it tingles slightly but never to the same degree, and now have I tended to leave the product on my face after scrubbing for longer than the three minutes recommended, which by the time the product washes off, leaves my skin incredibly radiant. it has also succeeded in keeping breakouts at bay, despite me working in quite a greasy environment (I sit directly under a broken air conditioning unit, it's not good for my skin at all). I rarely use this product as a quick scrubs as I have other daily scrubs for that, which cost less, but whenever I have done in an emergency it has left my skin looking bright.
After use
After use, my skin looks gorgeous and also feels incredibly smooth, to the point where I want to grab the first person I see and order them to feel my face, and that's before I put the moisturizer on! It is also quite difficult to remove this product if you've used it as a mask, and parts will probably be stuck to your eyebrows or hairline if you're not careful so I tend to use this directly before having a shower.
I would absolutely recommend this product to anyone with spot-prone skin. It's refreshing and makes the skin shine, living up to its claims. It costs £7.50 in boots which I feel is a little pricey for a facial scrub, but it's always on 3 for 2, and if I'm being honest I personally would purchase it at full price (though would be a little more wary about recommending it in case it didn't work as well as it does on me!) I would not be sure to recommend if you have sensitive skin either as it is quite abrasive.
Aqua (Water), Kaolin, Solum diatomeae (Diatomaceous earth), Glycerin, Sodium cocoamphoacetate, Montmorillonite, Stearic acid, Myristic acid, Palmitic acid, Lauric acid, Vaccinium myrtillus fruit/leaf extract, Sodium chloride, Potassium hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Saccharum officinarum (sugar cane) extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Salix nigra (Willow) bark extract, Xanthan gum, Methylparaben, Limonene, Ethylparaben, Citrus medica limonum (Lemon) peel extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange) flower extract, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium pyrophosphate, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Acer saccharum (Sugar maple) extract, Dipropylene glycol, CI 42090 (Blue 1)
As a long time trusted fan of Soap and Glory i purchased the scrub your nose in it to add to my collection of girly pampering goodness!
I normally only buy soap and glory when it is 3 for 2 in boots... which is often, so its worth holding out if you want to save yourself a little dosh for your girly treats.
I use this scrub every few days whilst in the shower... its mainly designed for a brief face mask but i find results are just as good when gently massaged into the face for about a 30 seconds-1 minute then washed off. It is mainly designed for the t-zone area of the face (nose, chin forehead) where unpleasantries are most likely to occur. After gently rubbing this cool minty blue scrub in, my skin feels refreshed, clean and smooth.
I think if you wear make-up often this is great for generally cleaning and unclogging the skin... even if its just to give a nice smooth base to reapply the make up!
You only need a very small amount, i normally just squeeze onto my fingers and quickly apply to the face.
I believe it is reasonably priced (retails around £7-8) and lasts a long time!!
After receiving a gift set of Soap & Glory products for Christmas which I absolutely loved, I was keen to try more from the range. I bought myself a tube of face scrub, Scrub Your Nose In It, as part of a minimum spend offer which got a me free full size tub of body butter. As I use face scrub regularly and am always looking for the perfect one, it seemed like a good time to try Soap & Glory's offering.
The scrub comes in a tube with a similar design to most Soap & Glory products - mainly pink with text on it. The tube has a flip top lid which is easy to use with wet hands, and the scrub is easy to squeeze out. I do find that it tends to congeal a little around the opening, but that's not an issue.
At first sight, the scrub is a little disconcerting - it's bright blue, instead of the pale pink that all other Soap & Glory products that I've tried are. It also doesn't have the same lovely floral based scent which is what hooked me on the body scrub. The fragrance isn't something I can identify, but it's similar to many other face scrubs - functional, maybe slightly chemical. It's not unpleasant at all, but it's not something you'd open the tube just to have a sniff of.
Scrub Your Nose In It has a good consistency, liquid enough to be easy to use, but also not too runny as to make it pretty useless, like some cheaper scrubs. I squeeze a small amount onto my fingers, maybe about the size of a 20p piece, and then rub it into my face. I start with my cheeks, then nose and chin, and then forehead. The scrub is quite pleasant to use, it doesn't feel overly abrasive, but at the same time you can tell it is scrubbing your skin thoroughly. I can feel that it is smoothing my skin and removing any dry patches.
But Scrub Your Nose In It doesn't finish there. It has a cooling effect, leaving your skin tingly fresh, like your mouth feels after you brush your teeth. It is the opposite effect to warming face masks, and I'm not sure I've experienced it before. Yet despite the surprise, even the first time I used it I could tell that it was a good thing, that it was leaving my skin refreshed.
The scrub leaves my skin really smooth, well exfoliated and in good condition. I always apply moisturiser as soon as I get out of the shower, and this combined with Scrub Your Nose In It has been leaving my skin smooth and moisturised.
If I hadn't had a couple of samples of ESPA Refining Skin Polish over the last few months, I'd say that Scrub Your Nose In It was the best scrub I'd ever used. As it is I think they are probably tied, with the ESPA product perhaps a little bit ahead. Where the Soap & Glory scrub comes out ahead though is on price - it is £7 a tube instead of around £25 for the ESPA one. I tried the ESPA one first, and was feeling a bit desperate at the thought of getting hooked on a £25 scrub - so thank goodness for Soap & Glory.
I only ever receive soap and glory as Christmas presents and this year I decided to treat myself to a fancy face wash. Getting any soap and glory products is always a nice treat for me.
I bought it from boots for £7 which, for me, is quite expensive for a face wash but again I wanted a nice treat for my winter skin care plan.
The packaging is fun and colourful. The name "Scrub your nose in it" is quirky and modern. It draws you in to read the tube and the wording often gives me a giggle.
The scrub has a fresh and clean fragrence. The appearance of the actual scrub is an almost green colour and thin in texture. You can see the small exfoliating beeds.
The green if it made contact with fabric stained it so I have a green dot on a white t-shirt of mine.
The texture was quite watery compared to other facial scrubs I have used and I felt that the small beeds did not exfoliate my face as well as other products I have tried.
I could only used this scrub on my face a few times as I felt a burning sensation on my skin during use. I have quite sensitive skin and I felt that my skin was very dried out after using it so use a good moisturiser! After washing the product off I had red patches on my face for about ten minutes before they started to fade. Not a good look in the morning!
It is good that it doubles as a face mask as well as a cleansing exfoliator, however, as I had a bad reaction to washing I did not use it as a mask because I needed to wash my face thoroughly after use due to the burning sensation.
Over all I am not sure if £7 is great value for money as here are better facial scrubs out there, in my opinion, which are cheaper, more affective and kinder on my skin.
The soap and glory range have released some great skin care products and this one has not put me off trying others in the brand.
I, personally, would not buy the "scrub your nose in it" again due to the irritation and bad reaction my skin took to the scrub.
I was very disappointed due to the cost of the product and the over all experience of using it.
I love the soap and glory range and didn't hesitate to purchase the "scrub your nose in it" product from Boots.
The purpose of it is to prevent blemishes around the T-zone area of your face, ie. nose, chin and forehead. It also claims to refine large pores around this area too. It can be used as a scrub by wetting the skin and massaging it gently in circular motions. The tiny particles in it make it an ideal scrub to use a few times a week. It can also be used as a cleaning mask by simply putting a thin layer on the skin for 3 minutes. ****One tip ~ don't put the mask on when writing a dooyoo review in the afternoon as that will be just the time a courier appears. ******
The product itself is kind of a pale blue colour with a strong minty/cleaning product kind of scent. It's not so bad when I am just using it as a scrub but when I use it as a mask it does begin to make my eyes water slightly. (Maybe I'm just a bit of a scent freak though ~ take a sniff before your purchase it.)
It comes in a 125ml tube and costs £7.50. It is worth remembering that soap and glory is often on a 3 for 2 promotion making it better value for money. It is the usual pink design packaging with the cream writing on it ~ looks very good in my purple bathroom I have to admit!
I absolutely love this product and, to coin a phrase, it does exactly what it says on the packet. I am awarding it 4 stars however because of the strong scent which doesn't appeal to me as much as the scents from the rest of the range.
(also on ciao under my username novagirl2911)
I decided to buy this to try this after seeing that it was part of a 3 for 2 offer in Boots and I'm really glad that I did. I used to try new face scrubs all the time and couldn't seem to find one that was gentle (my skin is really sensetive!) but effective. This is definitely one of the best facial scrubs around and I've been using it daily for the past week and have already seen results. Like all Soap and Glory products this is only available from Boots and a 125ml tube retails at £7.50. While this is quite an expensive facial scrub, I do think that it's worth it because it's a 2-in-1 product, good quality and is effective; it does pretty much everything that the manufacturers claim.
The facial scrub comes in a bright pink medium sized tube which is very eye catching and you can tell just from glancing at it that it's a soap and glory product. The branding is good with lots of information written on both the front and back of the tube including a brief product description, information on how to use it, the benefits that it will have on your skin and of course a list of ingredients. The lists of ingredients is a pretty lengthy one and most of them do sound very chemical-like, although there are a few more natural ingredients including sugar cane, orange & lemon peel and flower extract. The squeezy tube stands on its flip-top lid and once I open it the smell is immedietly noticeable. Due to this having a fruit acid formula with citrus and flower extracts, I was expecting a zingy, citrussy floral scent with a sweet tone to it like most Soap and Glory products have.
The smell is actually very fresh and minty with a slight sweetness to it which stops it from smelling like toothpaste. It's a pleasant enough smell and it's certianly very refreshing, but I would prefer it to be a little more toned down and fruity. The face scrub itself is a thick, creamy consistency which was a pleasant suprise as a majority of the facial scrubs that I've used in the past have had a gel-like consistency or been too runny - this one is just right. The scrub is a light bluey green colour which makes a nice change and it is very easy to use. I use mine in the mornings before I cleanse, tone or apply any make-up and again at night before cleansing and toning. I need two small blobs teach time as I use mine all over my face but one small blob is more than enough for my T zone, which is the area that Soap and Glory advise using the scrub on. I apply mine all over, rubbing it in circular motions as I go. The small exfolating grains are reasonably gentle but I can feel them working.
While it's not a particularly pleasant sensation it is not painful or scratchy and the tingling sensation that the facial scrub causes distracts me from the feeling of the exfoliating beads. Once I've given my face a good scrub I wash it off - it comes off easily as it isn't too thick or at all sticky/greasy and my face is always left feeling soft, smooth fresh and clean - the tingling feeling lasts for a couple of minutes afterwards but I quite like it. I have noticed a reduction in the blackheads on my nose, however my pores don't appear any smaller. My skin also looks bright and healthy and my t zone isn't as dry as it used to be since I started using this so it must be quite moisturising too. When using this as a face mask (it's a multi purpose product), I simply use it as I do when exfoliating but instead of immedietly washing it off I leave it on for five minutes or so. I've not noticed any huge effects from doing this and I get pretty much the same effects that I get from using it as a scrub.
Overall I highly recommend this as it has had great effects on my skin and it's really gentle compared to a lot of other brands of face scrubs. I have never experienced any discomfort from using it despite how sensetive my skin is and I give it four out of five stars. The only minor disadvantage that I can think of is that it didn't make my pores look any different as S&G claim it will but as I don't have large pores this isn't much of a problem for me personally!!
I'm a hardcore scrubber. I LOVE scrubs, whether its a facial scrub, a body scrub or a foot scrub.. I love them! Nothing beats that silky feeling after a good scrub and as I love soap and glory I jumped at the chance to buy their Scrub Your Nose In It from boots for £7.50. My initial impression was that its bound to be good, right?
Marketing shows us that you get what you pay for a 125ml scrub this is quite expensive. As a massive fan of soap and glory, I've spent a lot of money buying their body butters, body mists and even their cellulite battling products and haven't been disappointed so for this reason I didn't mind too much spending a bit more! As far as I know, Boots is the only place I have seen soap and glory products being sold in the UK. You can buy them in store or online, and I've found that lots of people are selling the products on eBay and if you play your cards right you can get their products for a bit cheaper as they are quite expensive!
Anyway, back to the scrub. The packaging is typical of soap and glory, it has their trademark pink bottle and attractive bold (yet basic) lettering and sold in 125ml. The size is quite handy and looks nice in the bathroom, applying a fun element to my other products on the shelf! The bottle also has a flip lid which makes applications easy and less messy, I don't like pots where I have to dip my fingers in to scoop the product out.. Far too much bacteria for my liking!
The scrub comes out in a bright green colour, completely contrasting the pink of the bottle! For a scrub that promises to do all these wonderful things to your skin its very thin and to use it as a mask (which its supposed to double up as) you'd need to apply quite a bit of product to reap the benefits. I have combinational skin, my nose and forehead are prone to being oily whereas my chin and cheeks are normal! Due to the excess oil in some parts of my face my skin can become flakey and my pores are blocked, so a good scrub is a must. Using this scrub I didn't feel like it was REALLY working, especially on my nose and forehead. I had to use a little extra product on my nose to really feel like it was working as there wasn't enough scrubbing action for me! If you leave the product to dry it does feel a bit like a face mask but I wouldn't use it for this purpose, its a bit too thin for my liking. The product washes out easily but be careful, due to its bright green colour I've stained a few towels because I've missed a few spots under my chin and the product has been wiped off with a towel when I'm drying my face!
Afterwards my cheeks and chin felt soft but my nose and forehead didn't seem affected atall. My skin felt dried out and almost rough so I had to apply moisturiser almost immediately to ease the discomfort. I've been using the scrub for about 2 weeks now and I haven't noticed my pores getting smaller or having any 'definition' as promised, and I've noticed that my skin is becoming flakier around my nose. I'm not sure that I would recommend this product especially as its quite expensive and when I spend a lot of money on a product I expect good results. I'm disappointed as I love soap and glory but with this scrub its more gory than glory!
In the last year I have become obsessed with Soap and Glory products. I've had my eye on one of the two face scrubs from the brand and after finding this 'Scrub your nose in it' for only £3.50 on ebay rather than the full price of £8 I decided to try it. I have had a great usage from previous soap and glory products and I love their Porefection facemask and was hoping this scrub would give my skin good results that I could use on a more regular basis.
The scrub comes in a pink squeezey tube made of durable plastic and the lid will not brake like many other cheaper brands often do. The label is stuck on and has the classic soap and glory look about itself which I love as it's very girly and makes me feel as if I am pampering myself. The names of soap and glory are always cheeky too and I especially love this ones name. The scrub inside is a light blue colour and has a fresh minty clean smell to it but not like toothpaste or mouthwash, it is fairly thick and feels like fine sand when putting it on your face.
There are two ways to use this, as a 3 minute facemask which personally I think isn't that great or useful as it's very thin and looks like dry skin, or just as usual facewash. The scrub feels nice on the skin as you can feel it scrubbing your skin but not in an overly harsh way and there is a nice coverage across the skin unlike some other scrubs I have used that have larger grains in that often end in you using more than enough to feel like it is actually doing the job of cleaning your skin.
The first few times I used this I was really pleased with it as my skin felt soft and clean, although admitted not much different to my usual Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Scrub. However with more and more use I'm finding my skin becomes very greasy very quickly afterwards which really isn't good for me as I have oily skin. Now that I have noticed this I notice the oiliness of my skin appears within an hour of using on the scrub.
I am very disappointed with the scrub as I was expecting a lot more from Soap and Glory, especially with the pore perfection facemask they have made. I really love Soap and Glory but think they should stick to doing body products rather than face products and I would only recommend this product to people with ridiculously good skin that doesn't matter what skincare you use or to people with dry skin.
My skin type: Very Pale,Sensitive,dry/combination skin.
i Really Wanted to love this scrub, it got raved about on youtube cosmetic videos, it sucks that it messed with my face and stripped it dry.
this scrub is about 7£ you can get it at boots, it can be found on sale sometimes for much cheaper.
The Package: is not like the picture above i would say the package is more slender but taller then the one in the picture it's 125ml. and it says ''scrub your nose in it'' on a pink squeeze tube with a flip up cap.
the picture on dooyoo is of a different product from the same range.. just clarifying..
i'm not one to like pink much, but i did like the vintage look of this product,as do many people.
The Product - when popping the cap open you can see this blue gritty thick cream, i personally love the color, the product can also be used as a mask not only a scrub, so this is pretty much a two in one product.. there are a lot more gritty pieces in it compared to other scrubs I've tried, so i made sure
to scrub lightly when i used it.. if your using it for a scrub you only need a penny size amount , if your using it as a mask you will need a 2p size amount at least.
the product doesn't spread very well, it says to apply on a slightly damp face but the cream drys on your face very quickly so you have to spread it out on your face as quickly as you can to save yourself from going back for more product. i've tried doing it this way and having my face more wet.
i found if my face is more wet it's much easier to apply and there is less pulling of the skin.
the product is a fruit-acid formula it says not to use it more then twice a week, you Massage gently in circular motions and rinse, then dry face then moisturize.
Crappy experience with product-
i only used this scrub once a week maybe one time twice a week, because knowing that my skin is sensitive i thought it would be safer to use it less then recommended.. after using it a couple of times, my sink felt cleaner but i also felt as if my pores got bigger, as if the grainy bits were scratching my pores or something weird... anyway, eventualy skin started to start burning near my nose and around the mouth areas the most, and there was loads of red bumps on my nose spreading to my cheek bones like some weird rash, my skin started to peel really badly for 2 weeks ( i stopped using it once i saw the bumps and saw redness) it felt like i had tiny scratches all over those areas and it would really burn when i put a light moisturizer non oil non fragrance on it.. it took awhile for the natural oils of my face to come back.. skin was very badly dry and no amount of moisturizer cream was helping.
it was like my skin got sucked dry..
it took a week and a half for the bumps to go away completely.
and it took 3 weeks for my face to stop peeling.
i scrubbed lightly with this stuff.. it was definitely way to strong for my face.
also the product smells of Mirror Cleaner ,very toxic smelling yet had a hint of SPA type smell in it.
it took me a couple of uses to get use to the smell.
to be totally honest I'm scared to use this product again... and i don't recommend it for anyone that has large pours,acne,dry skin or sensitive skin. i would say this scrub is good for people who have normal skin and dont normally have skin problems.. if you know you have weird skin, please stay away from this stuff it is way to strong a formula.
i hope to try Saint Ives Apricot scrub next, i hope it will be more gentle then this one.
I received 'Scrub Your Nose In It' from the Soap and Glory range at Boots as part of a gift set for Christmas a couple of years ago. However, it is only in the past few months I have started to use this particular product as I'm on a bit of a drive to use up old toiletries rather than buying new as I seem to have such a lot shoved in all my cupboards. As I mentioned before 'Scrub Your Nose In It' is part of a gift set, it can be bought alone though for £7.40 for a 125ml of product, The scrub is also available to buy as part of a range of 3 for 2 range which can mean some quite good savings especially as you can also collect your Boots points.
The scrub comes in a pink plastic tube which sits on its flip top lid which makes it very easy to dispense, even towards the end of the tube. The branding on the tube is very obviously part of the Soap and Glory range with retro looking lettering and as I mentioned before a mainly pink theme.
It's suggested on the packaging that you only use a pea sized amount of the product. I've found that this really is all that needs to be used, meaning that the tube really does go a long way. The scrub has a pale green colour to it and a scent to match; it's very fresh and light although it's hard to name exactly what it smells of.
The product can be used in two ways, just as an exfoliator or as an exfoliating face mask; I've used the scrub in both ways. I find that the scrub is quite rough on the skin so it depends what mood I'm in and how clogged up my skin feels. If it's feeling in need of a good scrub I apply the product I rub it into my skin and scrub away, especially on my chin and nose where I sometimes have blackheads. If I'm not in the mood to scrub my face properly though I just apply the scrub as a mask and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Whichever way I use it though the results are the same, the scrub leaves my skin feeling clean, clear and a lot less congested. With regular use I found my skin looked brighter I tend to suffer less with blackheads.
Overall, I've been really pleased with 'Scrub Your Nose In It'. The tube really lasts well making this product great value especially as it's a two in one scrub. Most importantly though this scrub really works and it's something I'd definitely buy again and recommend to anyone in need of a good scrub up.
I received a bottle of this 'Scrub your nose in it' in a big Soap & Glory gift set that I bought myself not last Christmas, but the Christmas before. I had never actually used any Soap & Glory products before but I had read plenty of good reviews on a lot of their products, and my sister also used them a lot and so I thought I would see what all the fuss was about myself! The gift set was reduced from £60 to £25 and so I had to buy it.
I started using the face scrub about a year ago and I am still using it now. It is the full sized 125ml bottle, but because only a pea sized amount is needed each time I use it, the bottle seems to be lasting me forever!
Soap & Glory state this is 'A multi-tasking scrub and mask marvel! Helps refine large pores and prevent blemishes.'
It can be used as a normal face scrub or it can be used as a face mask if you leave it on your skin for around 3 minutes longer. I tend to use this for the latter, as I am quite lucky and don't usually suffer from spots or blemishes, I don't need to use this scrub for that reason.
I firstly dampen my skin and then apply a pea sized amount, perhaps a little more if you wish to use this as a face mask and want to cover the whole of your face, and not just the t-zone. I firstly massage the scrub into my t-zone and then work my way out to cover the rest of my face. I then leave this on for around 3 minutes before rinsing it off. I always know when its time to rinse it off as my skin starts to feel dry as the scrub feels like it is tightening my skin. It also makes your skin feel slightly tingly which I like as then you always know that it's working! It also helps to wake you up if you decide to use this on a morning. The scrub also isn't rough on the skin at all, which I know some scrub products can be, this actually feels nice and I think will be OK for those with sensitive skin too.
I love the minty smell that this scrub has to it, it is not like other Soap & Glory products which seem to have the same fruity scent to them. The scrub does leave my skin feeling radiant and very clean, the minty smell also makes it feel more 'awake'. I cannot really comment on how well this scrub actually does on cleaning up spots and preventing pores etc, as I previously stated I don't suffer from these often. If I never received this product in a gift set then I probably wouldn't have bought it, but I am glad i have got it and I love using this as an alternative to an actual face mask.
I still have quite a bit of this left and have been using this for a year now. I do only use this around twice a week though and so if you use it everyday then I wouldn't expect it to last anywhere near as long as this. A 125ml bottle costs £7.40 from Boots which is quite pricey for a face scrub, but I think it is worth it considering how long it has lasted me so far. Soap & Glory products are also very often on special offer or in a promotion at Boots and so you may not necessarily need to pay full price for this.
Scrub your nose in it is a facial scrub with a pore purifying mask included which has been created by Soap & Glory. It promises to refine large pores and prevent blemishes to leave your skin looking brighter and more radiant. It also claims to leave the face fresher and cleaner, with a shine free complexion. For someone like me who has oily skin with large pores, this product seemed right up my street.
How does it work?
The product contains Kaolin Clay which absorbs oil and impurities from the skin. These oils would have otherwise lead to blemishes and a shiny complexion so the clay helps to keep the skin clean and clear. The addition of Glycerin allows the skin to draw in and retain moisture, helping it to remain youthful looking. It also contains a special fruit acid formula to brighten the skin.
How do you use the product?
The product should be applied to damp skin and then massaged using a circular action into the t zone or anywhere that you have enlarged pores. The product should then be rinsed away and followed up with a moisturiser.
The product can also be used as a mask by applying a thin layer to the face and leaving it to get to work for three minutes and then rinsing it away. The packaging doesn't say anything about how many times you should use the product, but products of this type are usually used twice a week.
Packaging and Price
The packaging follows the same retro style that is frequently seen on Soap & Glory products. It comes in a pink tube with a flip top lid and it has plenty of funny writing on it and some instructions.
You can purchase the product for around £6 and for that money you'll get 125ml of the scrub. You can buy it from Boots or a variety of online websites.
Appearance and Aroma
The product doesn't look anything like what I expected it too. It is a mint green in colour and very clay like. You can't see the scrubbing particles inside the product. The aroma of the product is quite fruity but it is mixed in with something minty and medicinal. This doesn't go along with the usual delicious smelling products from this brand, but then this doesn't matter too much in a face product.
The scrubbing particles in this product are tiny and they are barely there. The product has a grittiness to it that is present enough to do the job but having used the body scrubs by this brand, wasn't as evident as I was expecting. The product is easy to apply to the skin and although the skin is wet, the product doesn't slip off before you have a chance to rub in.
It feels gentle on the skin and the abrasive action caused by the product is good enough to do the job but doesn't hurt or feel uncomfortable. When it's time to rinse the product off, it is easily removed. My skin feels smooth and comfortable after use, and a lot of the dry skin has gone. I haven't noticed a reduction in the size of my pores but they do seem clearer and no blemishes have formed after use.
I've used the product once as a mask and it feels comfortable on the skin, even when it's been applied for a longer period of time. It doesn't dry so you can still move your face and it is still easy to remove the mask, even I find it easier with a flannel. Afterwards my skin feels really clean and fresh. It does stay oil free for a bit longer but it doesn't work miracles.
All in all, this is a gentle scrub for the face that removes dry skin and clears the pores. It leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth, while the complexion is brighter and healthier. It doesn't leave your skin shine free all day but it does help to keep it at bay for longer.
This is great for skin with larger pores as it works as an oil-absorbing, brightening and pore cleaning mask, which refines pores and prevents blemishes.