So the dreaded half-term is upon us - already. The kids have only been at school for a matter of weeks, yet they’re off, making a mess of the house, fort-building with my sofa cushions and fighting over whose bowl of Haribo has the best sweets in it. I love my children, but I love them even more when they’re not here!

Like most mums, I try to plan some sort of daily activity to get us out of the house and make some memories, but best laid plans go to pot when it’s raining and miserable outside. Instead I’m frantically raiding the craft drawer for felt tips that work, and scrap card that hasn’t already been scrawled on.

So when Venus challenged me to take some precious “me-time” this half-term, I caved in all too quickly. It was the perfect excuse to palm the kids off onto Craig one evening, have a nice relaxing bath, and road test Venus’ best-selling razors.

REVIEW: Gillette’s Venus and Olay Razor

So, after ridding the bath of seaponies, toy squirters and other such delights, I lit some candles, queued up some podcasts, and set about the chore of shaving my legs. I’ve used a Venus razor for a few years now, but this one promises to lock in moisture thanks to a built in Olay Moisture Bar. Alongside Venus’ 5 blade technology which gently exfoliates for skin surface renewal, the flexible shave bars with added Olay, reportedly leave you with a silky smooth finish and helps to prevent those dreaded post-shave dry legs.

In fact, given we’re all now finally admitting defeat and sticking on the heating in our homes, skin dehydration is an all too common side effect. My quest for year round supple and nourished skin always ramps up a gear as the colder seasons kick in, and I spend a fortune on body creams, milk and vitamins to keep my skin looking its best. Needless to say I was intrigued to see if this made a difference.

I’ve tried razors with built-in moisture bars before, and some can look really cumbersome and unwieldy, but this one has all of the features we’ve come to expect from Venus, with it’s same soft and sleek handle, and super flexible blades. It also came with a little shower hook that suckers onto your bathroom tiles - ideal if you like to keep your razor up high away from smaller children.

Like always the 5 blades gave me a really close shave, and glided across my skin effortlessly. The flexible head helps hug curvy contours such as knees and elbows, and you don’t feel the need to go over the same area twice as it cuts through the shortest of hairs to leave a silky flawless finish. The soft grip handle and Olay infused bar releases light skin conditioners, allowing the razor to glide seamlessly without the need for foam/gel. A nice surprise was also the sugarberry scent, which lingers on the skin as you shave.

The real test however is how your legs feel out of the water. After a quick towel dry I could really notice the difference. Whereas my old razor would leave my legs visibly dry, I found them much better with the Venus and Olay combo. On closer inspection, they looked shiny and well nourished, and of course, smooth to touch. I still moisturised using Clinique’s Deep Comfort Body Butter (my absolute favourite), but they stayed lush and silky far later into the night than my previous razor.

REVIEW: Venus Bikini Precision Trimmer

I’ve wanted one of these for ages but never quite got around to buying it. Like most women I keep my bikini area in check using a variety of methods. Although most of the time I’ll plump for a quick wax at a salon, if I’m in a rush or simply too busy, I might wax at home, use a hair removal cream or whip out my razor. I’ll mix this up throughout the year to ensure this delicate area stays smooth without drying out or getting sore.

Not solely for use on your bikini area, the Venus Bikini Precision Trimmer looked good for emergencies, and for when I’m away on business, so I was delighted when the Venus team sent me one to review.

First up, it’s very cute. Being only 20cm long, and coming with a super cute little pouch, it’s tiny enough to slip discreetly into your overnight bag for whipping out when needed. Requiring 1x AAA battery, it flicks into life quietly and takes care of any errant hairs to ensure a tidy finish.

As I’m quite prone to nicking myself, I was curious about how it would handle, but the 90° angle-head is surprisingly easy and safe to use. As it’s really thin and light, it handles almost like a pen, offering ultimate manoeuvrability over all those tricky to reach places. So safe in fact, you could use it to tidy up sideburns or other unwanted facial hair.

It actually offers a really close shave too. I’m not usually a huge fan of dry shave devices as I think they leave stubbly patches, but if you pull the skin taut with one hand and go in the direction of the hair growth, you get a really professional long-lasting result. I also really liked the little 5mm comb provided. Simply attach to the trimmer atop the cutting element for trimming hair to a uniform length. This is ideal if you keep a little hair, but like it looking really tidy.

To sum up, far from staying in my overnight bag, I think I’ll use this more regularly - saving me time and a good few pennies on salons. Let’s face it, no one has time for that during half-term, do they!

More information?

To find out more or order online, head to the Gillette Venus website, or pop into your nearest Superdrug or Boots. To be in-the-know with all the latest launches, news and competitions, you can also follow Venus on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: The products described in this Venus and Olay review were gifted to me. All images are my own.