Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop sells some of my favourite body products and with their Bank Holiday deals on, I thought I would stock up on my staple body butters and a few other treats, before the autumn/winter arrives.

Since I discovered the body butters a few years back, I have been addicted. Having recently tried a sample of the Satsuma shower gel, I thought I would pick up a full size (200ml), as well as the matching body butter. Although this scent is sweet and summery, it is just lovely and definitely the first one I will use up before the colder weather sets in. I always find the scents of the body butters linger for a good few hours after applying, so hopefully by layering the fragrance, I will smell like a Satsuma for longer!

As well as the Satsuma butter, I also selected the Shea one. I suffer with very dry skin in the winter and this is truly my saviour. Not only is not greasy, it is nourishing and has a nice creamy scent. By applying after every bath/shower, I find my skin stays really soft and smooth throughout the winter.

Another of my favourite products from The Body Shop is their face masks. For my very oily skin, their Clay Mask is great for drawing impurities from the skin, to help prevent acne and blemishes. I am currently using the Tea Tree Mask, which has been ok, although I have not seen any vast improvements in my skin, so I have decided to go back to my trusty favourite. Even though these pots are only small, you only need a pea sized amount for each application, so one use a week can easily last 6 months.

My last pick was a scented candle. Only a few months ago did I pick up the Pomegranate and Raspberry candle and it was lovely. It filled the room when burning and lingered long after the flame had been blown out. Although if you don’t enjoy sweet scents, this wouldn't have been one for you. This time I have chosen a more wintery themed scent, Sandalwood and Ginger. I’m excited to start burning it now that the weather is starting to cool off, especially as these scents remind me of Christmas!

Have I purchased any of your favourite items from The Body Shop? 

Summer Nail Polish Picks

During the summer I always love rocking a bright, statement set of nails. I determine a good nail polish purely on its coverage and staying power. Strangley, over the years I have found Essie and Barry M to be some of the best, as they are long lasting and have a nice glossy finish.

Every time I go to buy beauty items, I am always drawn to the Essie stand in Boots. The shade selection is amazing and the shape of the brush is perfect for my nails. This summer I have discovered Tart Deco and Watermelon, after seeing Ingrid and Lily mention them on YouTube. Tart Deco is bright and very fun peach shade, whilst Watermelon is a bold pink, almost hinting on red. I usually get about a weeks wear from these nail polishes, which I think is great (I also believe my Seche Vite top coat helps) so they have been re-applied numerous times throughout the summer. As I have Watermelon on my nails today, see the photo below to see a true 'on the nail' look, which only took two coats as they are highly pigmented. These are available for £7.99 each.

Another brand of nail polish I really like, are the Stay Perfect Nail Colours by No 7. I have the shade Me Me Me which is a bold name for a bold polish. Think hot/Barbie pink. This is a great colour to wear on your toes throughout the hotter weather, especially when you want your toes to look nice when you wear sandals and flip flops. At £6 these are a great way to brighten up your feet for the summer.

My final pick is from my favourite drugstore brand, Revlon. I only own a few of their polishes, but I absolutely adore them and want to build a nice little collection. The shade in question is called Strawberry Cream and as the name suggests, is a milky pink. As this shade is from the scented range, it also smells of strawberry's once applied, but this fades after a day or so, which may be a little gimmicky for some. These polishes also have a great brush and build up to full opacity in 2 coats. Get your hands on then for £6.49.

What are you're favourite nail polishes for summer? Have you tried any of the shades mentioned?

Favourite Lipsticks: Drugstore/In Between/High End

For my first post, I thought I would talk about my FAVOURITE make up/beauty item, the lipstick. There is something elegant and mature about wearing a lipstick, I think and it can just pull an outfit all together. Of course there are so many lipsticks on the market, from all kinds of brands, carrying a wide range of price tags, so I have selected my 3 favourite from the bottom, middle and top of the price scale.

The drugstore or high street (as we call it in the UK) is a great way to discover new beauty treats at a great price. My all-time favourite lippies that are easily accessible are the Revlon Lip Butters, which have been talked about by every blogger in the world. Yes they aren’t quite a ‘lipstick’ and are more of a tinted lip balm which are really hydrating and come in lovely packaging. Although they are sheer, a lot of the shades can be built up into a more of an opaque look. There are 23 shades available in the UK for £7.99, which I think is a bargain. My personal favourites are Papaya, Strawberry Shortcake and Berry Smoothie. Just be careful that these products aren’t left in warm places, such as your car as they will melt!

Somewhere in between the drugstore and the high end counters, lie brands such as MAC. I really like the fact that MAC has such a large range of shades and finishes of lipstick, so there really is something for everyone, no matter what your skin tone or taste. Chatterbox is a beautiful creamy pink shade that I wear constantly. It is an amplified crème finish and is supposed to be quite moisturising, although I do find that I have to wear a lip balm under this product as it can be quite drying. On my pale skin it works well and can also be patted into the lips for a more natural, everyday look. Even though MAC lipsticks seem to keep going up in price (they are now £15), I think this a great one to try and is now a staple in my collection.

As high end lipsticks go, I don’t own many. I find the ‘counter experience’ quite daunting and intimidating as the ladies on these counters are not always the friendliest. But a couple of months ago I ventured to a YSL counter and fell in love with the Rouge Volupte Shine range. Not only are they the most beautiful looking lipsticks, in an elegant gold case, which you constantly want to get out of your handbag, they are also really long lasting on the lips. The Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks fall in between YSL’s Rouge Voulpte and Rouge Volupte Candy lines, which are more/less pigmented than the shine’s, meaning they are not as opaque as a lipstick but also aren’t just a wash of colour. I have the shade 15, which is the perfect pinky coral, think your lips but better. It is a great everyday colour, although for the £25 price tag, I must admit that this doesn't come out of my make-up bag every day. If you’re passing a YSL counter any time soon, I would definitely recommend that you take a look at these beauties. Is £25 too much for a lipstick, even if it is this beautiful? 

From left to right: YSL no 15, Chatterbox by MAC and Revlon's Lip Butter in Papaya.