Brand Review: The Body Shop - Cosmetics Edit

Well it's Monday guys, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. This means that its time for the second post in my Brand Review series, if you missed out on the first post be sure to check it out here. This week I decided to share with you a brand review on one of my favourites, The Body Shop.  Basically, there's nothing else to it, I love The Body Shop and after reading some comments on my previous posts I noticed that quite a lot of you share this love with me. So, I thought this would be a topic for you and anybody interested in trying products from The Body Shop. 

 All in One Face Base : £14.00 & Extra Virgin Minerals Compact Foundation: £16.00

First up is two base products which have been great to me over the years.

Starting on the left with the All in One Face Base, this is a lovely little compact with build in mirror which is great to carry around with you.  It's called the All in One Face Base because it is a foundation and powder in one neat compact. You can use it dry for a light matte finish or wet for a medium coverage. To do this I just wet the end of my foundation brush then rub it in the powder, this turns the powder into a liquid.  I mainly only ever use it wet for on-the-go touch-ups. This powder would be more suited for oily skin as if I use this on a dry day I can end up with skin flake offs. 

Next, is the Extra Virgin Minerals foundation which also comes in a mirrored compact, perfect for on the go. As you can see this product used to be much loved as I have hit pan. I say 'used to' because again this product would be more suited to oily skin and unfortunately my skin has recently changed. This is a cream-to-powder mineral matte foundation for a medium buildable  coverage. This product did come with a flat brush but I threw it away because the bristles constantly fell out onto my face, what a pain! 

I would recommend these two products to anybody with oily skin in the market for a reasonably priced matte foundation or powder. 

Super Volume Mascara : £10.00 & Liquid Eyeliner £9.00

Starting on the left with the Super Volume Mascara. If you have read my blog recently you will know that I also included this mascara in my 'Back to' Picks post,  this is one of the most wonderful and glamorous mascara I have ever used, I couldn't miss it out. It is definitely volumising and does not smudge, flake or run. There is no clumping at all and lashes actually look rather natural. 

Next, the Body Shop Liquid Eyeliner. Now, I used to be a huge liner fan, around this time last year I wouldn't leave the house without drawing my wings on first, so I have a fair bit of knowledge about good and bad liquid eyeliners. This one is perfect. It's super easy to apply, smudge resistant and it stays on all day, what else could you want? 

Lip and Check Stain in Rose Pink: £10.00 & Shimmer Wave in Bronze : £16.00

This Lip and Cheek stain on the left comes in two colours. This one is Rose Pink and the other is called 'Coral', I've used both an in my opinion this one is a lot better. This product is duel use, the lip stain is great for adding intensity to a lip gloss or as a base for lipstick and can also be used on the cheeks as blusher. It's save to say this is also a brilliant dupe for the Benefit 'Benetint', it's almost the same colour and it's of the same quality. 

Finally, and as always I've left the best till last. This bronzer is absolutely perfect, I use this almost everyday and it is definitely one of the best bronzers I've ever used. The five waves of colour blend together beautifully to create either a light tint or a built up bronzy glow. Using this product makes it easy to create a different look every time.  I often use the waves separately, sometimes I use the darkest shade for contouring and the lightest shade as a highlight. The best thing is the complements I get after I've used this bronzer, it really does brighten a pale face. 

What are your favourite products from The Body Shop?

Holley Maire 

'Back to' Picks

Well the end of the summer is definitely looming, with only a few weeks until the schools, colleges, universities are open again for the autumn term, I thought it would be a great time to share with you my 'Back to' picks. With the aim of creating an everyday look that is light, quick to apply and suitable for all ages.

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Foundation - £11.99 & Natural Collection Corrector Stick £1.99

Being a student I know what them rushed mornings can be like. The Max Factor Face Finity is a great 3 in 1 primer, concealer and foundation and is brilliant for them mornings when you are in a bit of a hurry!
Before using this product I do like use a moisturising primer because I have dry skin but if you don't have this problem the foundation may be fine without as it has a build it primer.

When applying this foundation, I firstly apply it like a concealer to the under eyes and any imperfections I may have on that day. This is quite a thick foundation which means that it does make a reasonable concealer. If not, the Natural Collection Corrector Stick may be for you.  This was  a godsend when I was at school as it removes any redness on the skin. This works as the creamy green colour of the concealer contouracts the red, colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel neutralise each other.

 After that I use a brush and buff the liquid into my whole face. This foundation leaves you will a beautiful matte finish which is really long lasting. Again, great as you probably don't have time to be topping up your make up during your school or college day.

The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara - £10 & Bourjois Liner Feutre £6.99

Next up is eyes, when I was at school I could never be bothered to get up and spend time on eye shadow, I basically only put on the bare essentials. If you like an eyeshadow add this is here.

The Mascara I have chosen is The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara, I originally bought this as a night time mascara but it surprising looks really natural on the eye lashes. This is a great quality leaving lashes looking lovely but not over done, there is no clumps after use and isn't at all messy. When I use this product it never takes much mascara to get the desired look meaning one tube will last you a long time.

If I decide not to wear eyeshadow I feel that my eyelids look to bare so I like to quickly put on a bit of eyeliner. This Bourjois liquid felt-tip like liner is perfect for this as it glides on nice and easy. As I'm going for an everyday look I only add a thin line but I feel this finishes the eyes off. This is probably my favourite liquid eyeliner of this style, its a one I'd recommend to anybody.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Santa Rose - £3.99 & MAC Lipstick in Hug Me £15.50

I've gone for subtle pink shade for both lips and cheeks, this will add a everyday amount of colour to the face, perfect for school.

This blush by Rimmel is probably one of my favourite drugstore blushers, its perfectly everyday and a gorgeous smokey rose colour. I'd say this is a great blush for anybody with fair skin but it would suit all skin colours due to the colour being buildable. The only disadvantage to this product is that it is a small size, making it hard to get an even spread on a brush. If you like a less subtle look add a darker blush or a bronzer here!

Last but definitely not least is the MAC lipstick in Hug me. If you have been reading my blog recently you will know that I've have quite an obsession with lipsticks, especially MAC ones. This one being my most recent purchase I had to give it mention as its a perfect match to the blush in my opinion! Hug Me is a darker smokey rose colour with a lustre finish meaning the formula gives a sheer coverage with a sheen. 

Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear what you think. 

HolleyMarie 

Great products for problematic skin

The Body Shop Vitamin C Facial Polish, The Body
Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser  & Dark Angels by Lush

Over the last few years I've  found it impossible to up keep with my skin, one day I'm dry the next I'm dull not to mention them days when I break out due to excess oil. Well, I've finally found a skincare combination that suits my skin even on its bad days.  

Oily skin solution 

DARK ANGELS - LUSH - £.6.40 per 100g

Dark Angels comes in the trademark classic recycled tub by Lush in both 100g and 250g. Inside the tub is a thick black powdery formula, one that might be considered strange as a facial cleanser. When applying  Dark Angels I only use a small amount of product, I usually mix it together with water on the palm of my hand before applying it to my face. This makes the product into a liquid rather than powder, when in this form you can see grains of the ingredient black sugar which works as an excellent natural exfoliant leaving the face smooth and fresh. 

The application can be a little messy due to charcoal being the other main ingredient. (So, be sure not to touch anything with them black fingers when trying to check out your coal face in the mirror) Never the less the charcoal helps dry up and wash away them oily patches. 

Dark Angels is great for acne prone skin because it has an natural antiseptic ingredient which removes any bacteria causing spots.  Rosewood oil in this product leaves your face silky soft by moisturising and cooling the skin, leaving an overall great result.  

Dry & Dull skin solution 
Vitamin C Facial Polish - The Body Shop - £11.00 per 100ml

Unlike Dark Angels, this facial polish by The Body Shop comes in tubes of 100ml only, this is not disappointing as product lasts a really long time. (This one has lasted me around 8 months of using it 2-3 times a week and I've still got a fair bit to go!) The product inside is a transparent liquid with orange micro beads to gently buff them dull and dry skin patches away.  This enhances the skin's natural radiance and making you look fresh. 

Similarly to Dark Angels when applying this facial polish I also only need to use a small amount as it buffs into a lovely lather, which smells fruity and gorgeous. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that slows down the process of any other that elements that could be damaging the skin, such as the sun. This means that vitamin C helps protect collagen and prevents dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles. In my opinion this is a real must have in your skin care routine. 

Open pore & blemished skin solution 
Tea Tree Pore Minimiser - The Body Shop - £7.50 per 30ml

After using either Dark Angels or the Vitamin C Facial polish depending on how my skin is feeling I always use this pore minimiser by The Body Shop. It comes in a thin green tube that holds 30ml of a thick creamy yellow liquid. This tube is quite small and doesn't last too long but at only £7.50 it is very affordable to go out and buy another. 

The application is easy, I tend to rub it into my skin in a circular motion on my cheeks and nose. After time this product really does minimise the pores on the skin, this doesn't happen at first but after a few weeks of using it I saw a significant difference.  Tea tree oil has disinfecting and soothing properties which make it a brilliant acne treatments, tea tree will not strip your skin of its natural oils and cause further damage like chemical spot treatments often do. This product also primes and mattifies making it an ideal base for make up. 

I hope this helps
Holley

Links - 
Dark Angels by Lush - https://www.lush.co.uk/products/cleansers/dark-angelsVitamin C Facial Polish by The body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-c/vitamin-c-facial-cleansing-polish.aspxTea 
Tree Pore Minimiser  by The Body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/tea-tree/tea-tree-pore-minimiser.aspx