Another Body Shop product, I can almost SEE your eyes start to roll, you guys have to know that I really think The Body Shop has some incredible skincare ranges and I am obsessed with the Resurfacing Liquid Peel and the Youth Cream but I have been honest about my opinion regarding their beauty products such as the CC Cream which was a massive disappointment. I just kinda have a problem with the The Body Shop in the sense that I cannot walk out of there with just one thing so I end up buying a few!
You guys already know that I am paranoid about my ever aging face so was on the look out of a little eye cream when I spotted (with my saggy eyes) The Drops of Youth Eye Concentrate, I just saw the words "youth" and "eyes" and knew I had to have it! Like the Drops of Youth Cream this product also has plant stem cells such a Edelweiss, Sea Holly and Criste Marine.
It's an unusual little contraption isn't it? Basically it's a pump and applicator all in one! You press down on the little black part which deposits the eye cream around the silver roller ball and then, as instructed by the packaging, you massage the cream around both eyes in a figure 8 motion and then you simply pat it in with your fingers until it is completely absorbed. I'm not gonna lie to you guys but this took me a little while to even remember to keep using, for some reason I really struggled to work it into my skincare routine but I eventually did.
The Youth Eye Concentrate is a really lovely product because it's so fresh and light, it also has a cooling quality to it which is helped by the roller ball. I definitely noticed that this product made the skin around my eyes appear more lighter and brighter but I am lucky in the sense that I have quite pale under eyes anyway so don't often have "bags" as such! I have read the reviews online and many people have said that it reduces fine lines which personally I haven't noticed, for me this product is more of a hydrating cream than a cream to reduce wrinkles which I actually wanted.
It is a lovely product but I think I want to go for something that is a little more tightening and wrinkle reducing as opposed to birghtening so I won't buy this product again but that's not to say it isn't a great product because it is, I just need something a little stronger to tackle my aging eyes!
What eye creams do you recommend?
I know what you're thinking, "another bloody cleanser" on the blog and I get that, I definitely think this year I have been open to trying lots of different products because I really want to have a good skincare routine, I don't wanna age!!! Whilst I think there is no ONE cleanser that is perfect I definitely want to use products I truly love. I have heard SO many incredible things about the Camomile range from The Body Shop but more about the cleansing butter but as I have a lot of creamy type of cleansers I wanted to try out the Silky Cleansing Oil.
I have mentioned in a few posts that I wanted to try more oils on my skin and I thought that this cleansing oil would be a good match! I also really wanted a cleanser that would be really quick and easy to use because sometimes, at night, I can be a bit lazy with my routine. When I bought the Silky Cleansing Oil, I thought I would just whack it on a cotton pad a few swipes on my face and I will be done with it...I was wrong. When I first used it the product just sank into the pad and I couldn't get anything on my face and when i read the back there aren't actually any instructions which made the whole thing a bloody big faff! I had to go on the website to find out how to use the damn thing!
This product should be used on a dry face first, applied with your fingers/hands and really work it into the face, then you wet your hands and rub them over your face again which then changes the consistency of the product a little and then you wipe off with a muslin cloth or whatever. So it is super easy but it's not as lazy as I had hoped, that said I bloody love this product. My skin feels SO smooth after using it and I had noticed that the smooth feeling lasts far longer than it usually does with other cleansers which makes me question whether my face leans more on the dry side these days because the oil is really making a difference. It's an aggressive pump so be prepared to try and catch the oil in your hands, it also worth noting that a little goes a long way, I literally use one pump but the first couple of times i used two and totally didn't need to!
The Silky Cleansing Oil is also vegan, suitable for sensitive skin and removes water proof mascara - it really is a wonder product! I have noticed I got a couple of spots since using this product but that is typical of my skin when trying anything new and they're hardly anything too dramatic.
What cleansing products are you lovin' right now?
So I have this thing with The Body Shop, I mean I can't seem to control myself lately every time I go in I end up buying too much and this time I walked away with The Roots Of Strength Firming Shaping Serum which at £32 is very much a "considered purchase". To be honest, I'm 30 next year and I feel this blind panic to really try and do something with my skin and whilst I have always had a little dabble I really want to find some hero products this year. I was reading Hayley Hall's blog and she mentioned this serum in her Four Fab Skincare Gems she was honest but saying she hadn't noticed a huge difference but it does leave her skin feeling good and it is a product that she likes using so I thought, "that's good enough for me"
Roots of Strength range is inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and infused with 3 root extracts which are ginger, ginseng and rucus root so these products pack a mighty scent so if you don't like strong gingery scents this probably isn't for you my dear. I went for the serum over the face cream simply because I already have a face cream that I am loving right now which is TBS Drops of Youth facial cream so I thought I would use something a little richer and targeted beforehand. I have been using this product for about 7/8 weeks now and I have to be honest that whilst I haven't noticed my skin that much firmer, I have noticed that it looks fresher. I actually started using this product at the same time I started using The Ordinary Peeling Solution so it's hard to pinpoint what it making my skin fee so good right now but I do believe this had contributed to some of it.
When I first started using it, I was using it every day and I must admit I don't think my skin liked it too much, my skin is a bit fussy and it doesn't really like to have multiple different products on it. I noticed that my skin felt a little clogged after a couple of weeks so I dropped down to using it every other day and that works a lot better for me.
Roots of Strength Firming Shaping Serum is a really nice product, it's great to apply and melts into the skin beautifully, I'm still not sure whether it's something I would buy all the time but we'll see how I feel when I run out.
What facial serums do you love right now?
I know, I know ANOTHER Body Shop post, seriously I don't know what's happened but recently all I have to do is walk in for like 3 minutes and I walk out with a whole bunch of stuff. More recently this Drops of Youth, Youth Cream is something I walked out with but you know what I am bloody glad I did!
I used to be obsessed with the Olay Essentials Day Cream (old post alert!) genuinely it was a really fantastic product and was the only thing that would help my dry skin when I was on roaccutane but since the switch to cruelty free products it's meant I have had to find something else. I recently used the Superdrug B Confident Day Cream, which I did like, it was quite a rich cream but it definitely wasn't a replacement for my Olay, so when I ran out I thought I would try out something new. I love the layout of the skincare ranges in The Body Shop, I love how they are all grouped together and obviously getting a bit paranoid about my ever aging face I was drawn to the Drops of Youth range. The first thing that drew me to the Youth Cream was the scent, it's very light and fresh so you know it's not going to be overpowering when you apply it. Then I put a tiny bit on the back of my hand and this stuff just melts into the skin so of course I bloody bought it!
I have been using this Youth Cream for just over a month now and surprisingly I have noticed a difference! Now let's not get crazy here, this product does not make me look 10 years younger (woe is me) but lets focus on then things the product does do such as leave my skin looking smoother and more full of life, even, dare I say it, more plump! As mentioned before I said this product melts into your skin but this also means that it sits really well under make up! The cream has 3 plant stem cells, Edelwiess from Italian Apls, Sea Holly and Criste Marine from the Brittany Coast and I think these ingredients are what make the product feel so fresh and light, it almost has a cooling sensation on your skin so I would imagine that people with sensitive skin may like this product.
What skincare products are you loving right now?
A couple of weeks ago I had a little splurge in The Body Shop, it's a place I have have only just shopping again and after my first successful trip I thought I would take a browse in the make up section. You guys will have seen my post on the Honey Bronzer which I was left a little underwhelmed by and unfortunately this is going to be another slightly meh review!
The reason I picked the Instaglow CC Cream was because generally speaking I do love a CC cream but I guess I was expecting something similar to a tinted moisturiser like my Sleek Make UP CC Cream which this product is not. It definitely leans more towards the moisturiser/primer type of product which you can see in the picture below, there isn't any tint at all so can only really be used underneath make up for me.
I tried using this product in a few ways but could never wear it on it's own, I have a lot of scarring from acne years ago and have a bit of redness as well so to go out with just this product is not an option. I would say this is something you need to consider when pruchasing, if you have great skin anyway then this might be a nice product but if you have a few areas of concern then this product will not cover it up at all. I tried using it combined with my other CC cream for a more natural/minimal make up and I just found myself adding more make up on top of it. I then used it as a primer and to be honest I still wasn't that thrilled with it, it didn't make my make up last any longer in particular
The product does have SPF 20 in it which is a positive and when you apply it to your face it definitely has a brightening quality to is but it's not shimmery at all more just white. This product sells for £15 which personally I think is too much for what it is in my opinion, maybe I'm just not using it in the correct way or maybe it just doesn't suit my skin but whatever the reason I just couldn't get it to work for me.
What products have you been disappointed with lately?
I have heard SO many things about The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder and basically I have taken my sweet time at getting round to trying the damn thing mainly because I always felt it looked a little orange. However when I went in there recently I thought I would revisit these little bronzers and see whether I could find a shade that I would like.
Now, I have a very pale/fair complexion but I tried the lighter shades and when I swatched them they were just too orange so went for a the much darker 06 shade which isn't that dark but wanted to use it as a contour instead of a typical bronzer has I have heard so many use it in this way, I thought a darker shade might be good.
I have to be a little honest here guys, I was a little underwhelmed with this product! It is just too orange for me and I used it as contour and it's OK but I think I just prefer the more ashy tone in my Sleek Face Contour Kit. I mean, this isn't a bad product it does last all day and blends in quite well and if you are looking for more of a subtle look then this product might work for you, and it does work for lots of people, just not me so it would appear! I haven't used it as a bronzer just because I feel it would look too heavy/orange on me.
I definitely don't get the hype of it and considering it costs £14 I do feel like I have wasted my money a little bit and I would also note that the colour The Body Shop show on their website for 06 is no where near as dark in real life so go in store and give it a little swatch.
Which products have you been a little disappointed with?
Cleaning brushes is just the worst isn't it! Like why do we use to many of them? And let's face it we know we should wash them weekly but every so often they get left just a fraction longer because it's such a chore!
I was fuss-potting around The Body Shop recently, looking at some beauty bits and I spotted this brightly coloured silicone thingy and thought, literally ANYTHING that makes cleaning brushes just that tiny bit easier, I am all for so I had to buy it. It was actually £5 which I don't think is too bad considering just how much use the damn thing is gonna get.
I noticed that the underneath of it has a little gap presumably to pop your fingers in instead of just using it in the palm of your hand. That said after a while I just cupped the thing which also fits really well in your hand and the reason I did it was because water kept going in that little gap and every time I moved my hand water kept being flung everywhere! It was a little chaotic for my liking but that's probably me using it and not a fault of the product. I soaped but my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush up and then just gave it a whizz around on the little Silicone Brush Cleaner and was seriously impressed with how easy to clean that dense brush was. No more being bent double painfully swirling my brush in the palm of my hand, nope it's now so much easier.
I did however find the fluffy brushes a little bit harder to wash and I actually have a Mac 217 eye shadow brush that I simply wouldn't use on this brush cleaner but that's because it's a fussy little brush that gets out of shape really easily. Let's face it there are loads of little silicone brush cleaners available and I am a little late to the party but this is bloody life changing, never washed my brushes so damn quickly before!
What tools do you use to clean your brushes?
Ok , ok, I know what you guys are gonna say, I'm behind yet again! All the hype over the newly released face Masks by The Body Shop but I must admit I just never thought to go in there or check out these ranges for myself! Especially since everyone was obsessed with the Himalayan Charcoal Mask but I kind of have a love hate relationship with clay masks so I opted for the British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask.
I think I am coming to the realisation that I really love floral scented things and this mask is like being smacked in the face with a bunch of roses (without the thorns, obvs) Like this face mask has a very strong scent so if flowers aren't your thang you need to stay well away from this.
As you can see it's a very gel like consistency and actually has little shreds of rose petals actually in it which I honestly adore, I like products that go that extra mile and lookswise this totally does. Now, the thing about gel like face masks is that you never see a difference right away like you do with clay masks. This Plumping face mask has aloe vera, rosehip oil as well as omega 3 and 6 so it has a lot of deeply nourishing properties but it's something that improves skin over time.
This mask doesn't dry which I actually really like because it means that when I wash it off, it comes off with ease and I don't end up having a bright red face that feels all weird. The British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask is one for the people out there who maybe have sensitive skin that wants something super gentle, who wants to inject a bit of moisture into their skin. I only use it once a week after I have cleansed and used my Pure Resurfacing Liquid Peel and I really like it! The mask is £16 which I actually thing is really expensive for a face mask but it's something that does exactly what I want, so I don't mind too much but after I run out I'm still a little undecided as to whether I will repurchase.
What are you favourite face masks?
Ok so if you saw my Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil post you know I bought a lot in The Body Shop recently so I have been trying out new products which means today I am talking about a product from the Drops of Light range called the Pure Resurfacing Liquid Peel.
The Body Shop seems to split their products by ranges, whether it be by scent or by specific ingredients, however I found myself looking at the Drops of Light range and very nearly picked up the Brighten Serum until I saw the Resurfacing Liquid Peel and thought it sounded really different so I had to give it a go really.
It's kind of an odd gel because it's something you use a couple of pumps onto you hands and massage it onto try skin for about 20 seconds and these weird little clumps start forming the more you massage, seriously, check out the pictures below....
How weird is that?
I don't quite know how it does it but essentially it is a gel that kind of draws out impurities and removes dead skin to leave behind a much smoother and brighter appearance. I was seriously impressed with how smooth my skin looked after using it for the first time, but I must admit all those little clumps was a bit grim but doesn't put me off using this product at all. I have read some reviews on this product since buying it an a lot of people say it's really drying on their skin but I have sensitive skin and I don't have any problems whatsoever with this peel.
It's something I use 2-3 times a week just because my skin can be really fussy I don't want to use it too much but each time I fall in love with it! I actually left the house the other day without any face make up on and felt really happy with how fresh my skin looked! This one is £18 for 145ml so again it's a little pricey but it's a really unique product!
Have you tried anything from the Drops of Light range?
We have something deliciously indulgent and a new brand to my little blog today, The Body Shop and I am talking about the divine Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil. I must admit, I haven't shopped in The Body Shop in actual YEARS! It's a place I never think to go but recently the L'Oreal owned company was sold to Natura Cosméticos which is a Brazillian brand who have the same ethical values as TBS in that they don't test on animals! Due to this buzz with the cruelty free bloggers out there it got me thinking that I should go in and check out the store again.
I used to have a rather dated view of The Body Shop, I just can't help but think about super fruity body butters and that's about it, but this time I decided to walk straight past that stuff and head to all the other lotions and potions and well, I spent a lot, like a lot in a very short space of time! Eeek! So I will write about the other stuff in separate posts but I just had to start with this Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil, seriously oh my god!!
Let's start with the scent, like what the hell is monoi oil anyway? So monoi oil is simply Tahitian gardenia petals soaked in coconut oil but I would say that the coconut is hardly detectable as personally I am not a fan of coconut but I didn't even know it had it in there until I googled it! From the first use I knew this would be an instant repurchase because not only is the scent delightful but how good my skin looked after using it and even the next day! I am still clinging onto a tan from when I went to Portugal and let me tell you this oil has given it a new lease of life!
I'm probably using it about 2-3 times a week and because it's an oil a little does actually go a very long way, I was guilty of being a tad liberal at first but I'm just obsessed with it! Another great benefit to this oil is that you can use it on your hair as well, which I haven't yet because my hair is very fine so oil always weighs it down but I have read reviews that it works miracles! The bottle retails for £18 for 170mls which is quite a lot but I think this is a purchase that should be considered as an essential luxury because of how great your skin feels after!
Are you a fan of body oils or have you tried this little gem before?
