The Body Shop Strawberry Prime Selection Set Review

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

I have been using Body Shop products for so many years and I usually end up loving their stuff, especially the skincare range. I usually like the fruit scents that they offer but the strawberry range has got to be my most favourite one! I’m not sure if I’m just being biased because strawberry is one of my favourite fruits ever (mango and strawberries are my faves). I also own some make up products from Body Shop, which are pretty decent but I think there are a lot of better products out in the market. However, Body Shop skincare has always been part of my routine.

The photo below is ‘The Body Shop Strawberry Prime Selection Set‘. Most of Body Shop’s boxes/gift sets can be purchased individually but they usually work out cheaper when bought together. In addition, they come in pretty boxes or pouches that I use for storage.

It retails for £28, which I think is amazing as you get five products in the box. It includes: strawberry shower gel, body butter, body polish, body mist and hand cream.

How I use it? I usually use the body polish in a circular motion to exfoliate, though I don’t use it everyday (currently using it alternatively with my other body scrubs). I like using the shower and the body butter onto my skin as they are moisturising and of course they smell so good. I use the Spritz Body Mist in different ways; I sometimes use it on the body or clothes but usually I will spray it around my room to make the whole room smells nice. I use the hand cream as normal but I also like to bring this in my bag. I transferred some of the hand cream in a travel container which will be more convenient for me to bring anywhere.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would recommend it mainly because the products are actually good. I personally like the smell, I love how moisturing they are and I think that they are a good amount of product sizes. If you don’t like the strawberry smell, Body Shop offers a lot of other alternative scents. I’m pretty sure you’re bound to find a scent that you will love. In addition, you can always just buy the products individual if that’s what you prefer to do rather than buying them as a whole set.

What are your favourite Body Shop products? Do you have any other alternative that you can recommend?

Lots of love from,

30Mar2016

March favourites

Posted in Beauty by denissesamantha

Time is definitely going way too quick, I can’t believe that it’s already March and the month is just about to end. It means that spring is here then obviously summer is coming. Both spring and summer are my favourite seasons throughout the year. It feels like life gets better and people get so much happier when the sun is out! Here are most of my March beauty/skincare favourites:

Batiste Dry Shampoo: I absolutely love this stuff, I have been using this product for a few years now. I have also tried other scents such as blush, sweetie and floral essences.

These four products are all re-purchased. They are my most used combination of products as I use them for my everyday make up look. This is the reason why they ran out so fast especially the concealer! With the blushers I tend to not use the cream formula but I hit pan on the two powder forms. Left to right: Sleek Blush by 3 in pink lemonade, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer and Makeup Revolution Ultra Cover and Conceal Palette.

Left to right: Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Liner in midnight plum and sweet pink, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Gel Liner in black, Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liner in black and Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in nude.

Molton Brown Soothing Hand Lotion SPF15: This is super nourishing and lightweight when blended on the skin. I find it so moisturising that I don’t just use it on my hands but sometimes also on my arms and legs too.

NYX Baked Blush + Illuminator + Bronzer: This was given to me by a lovely friend of mine and I’m so thankful for it. I love how pigmented this blush is and it’s not overly shimmery. The good thing about it is that the product is buildable, so if you think that the first swipe is too sheer you could always top it up without it looking cakey. Also, the packaging is so cute especially the bow bit on the side.

Quick FX Eyelift Cream and Pimple Eraser: Unfortunately they do not sell this in the UK and I got it when I was on holiday. At first I was skeptical about it because of its claims but it was so cheap that I thought I should just give it a go. I have been using them for few moths now and they’re okay. However, I can’t speak whether their claims are true as I use these products alternatively with other creams.

Clean&Clear Oil Control Film: I love this one! I own quite a few of this product as I’m scared to run out of it. I have tried other ones that are more expensive (MAC blot film and Shiseido Pureness Oil Control Blotting Paper) but I would still choose this. It is inexpensive and does the job, so I can’t ask for more!

Left to right: ELF Moisturizing Lipstick in ravishing rose, ELF Mineral Infused Mascara and Eyebrow Kit in both shade medium and dark. I can’t even remember how many ELF eyebrow kits I have purchased throughout the years (lost count already, way too many).

Revlon Colorbust Lipstick in blush: I obviously have loads of different nude lipsticks in my collection (which girl doesn’t?) but for some reason I have been using this one quite a lot this month! It goes on creamy, it is very moisturising and I love how this particular shade matches my skin well unlike my other nude lipstick that washes me out in pictures.

Seventeen False Lashes in electronica: I initially only bought this from my local Boots store because it was on 70% off but I ended up loving it. I was so happy that I picked up a few but if I knew earlier that these lashes are so pretty I definitely would have picked up some more! Also, it was such a bargain, they’re just like demi wispies but more crisscrossed.

I hope you enjoyed my March favourites. Have you used any of the products mentioned above and what are your recent beauty favourites?

Lots of love from,

7Feb2016

Drugstore Skincare Review (Garnier, Bioré, Simple and Clean & Clear)

Posted in Beauty, Reviews by denissesamantha

Garnier Pure Micellar Cleansing Water

Micellar water is a very popular skincare in the market especially now that it is not only high-end brand that does them. There are a lot of inexpensive drugstore brand that offers it like Garnier, L’Oreal and La Roche-Posay. I’m not going to lie; I do have my lazy days when I am not bothered to wash my make up off and micellar water becomes my best friend! I like how convenient it is to just use a cotton pad, wipe my face, eye area and lips without any rinsing required. I love how it removes make up, cleanses the skin without having to rinse. I very much prefer to use this than a cleansing wipe just because I tend to find wipes too drying for my face afterwards.

Pros

Cleanses and purifies the skin, eye are and lips

Convenience due to not needing to rinse after use

Gentle and suitable for sensitive skin

Does not irritate eyes

Effectively removes make up

Leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated

Very affordable and good value for money

Dermatological tested

Cons

May need to use more of the product than usual especially when taking off waterproof make up

Bulky packaging

I give the Garnier Pure Micellar Cleansing Water 3/5 mainly because it does what it claims for. However, I disagree with its claim of ‘200 uses’ especially when using waterproof mascaras and eyeliners. I tend to use more of the product than usual (two cotton pads in average to have the waterproof make up completely removed). I enjoy using micellar water and it will definitely be part of my skin care routine. I recommend the product and will definitely repurchase, as it is so inexpensive (£4.99)!

Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

This product claims to ‘draw out dirt and impurities, purify pores and leaves face deeply cleansed and smooth’. I was skeptical at first when I read it as I feel like most products in the market claims to clean and purify pores. It states that it is infused with ‘Japanese Skin Purifying Technology’, which I thought is just one of its marketing strategy to make the product interesting. However, I have been aware of good skincare products that has charcoal as an ingredient such as Dark Angels from Lush. So I decided to give it a go and I was surprisingly happy with it.

Pros

Draws out dirt and impurities

Leaves skin feeling cleansed and smooth

Innovative technology that claims to clean pores twice as clean after one use

Tingly feeling without stinging the eye area

Leaves skin feeling fresh and cool

Great value for money (£4.99)

Cons

Thick consistency gel cleanser that might not be appealing for some people

Heavily scented (I personally like the smell of it but this may mean that it is not ideal for sensitive skin)

I give Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser a rating of 4/5 because I really enjoy using it. I am currently on my second bottle and so far I’ve had no problems with it. I’m glad that it works perfectly well with my skin. I like how it leaves my face cleansed and feeling refreshed after use. I will definitely repurchase as I feel that this would be one of my staples for my skincare routine.

Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

This product claims to ‘keep your skin hydrated and nourished all day long’, which is suitable for sensitive skin. I can’t comment much about the benefits of it for sensitive skin users as my skin type is more on the normal side. However, I read some reviews that people with sensitive skin like this product and finds it okay.

Pros

Ideal for everyday use- not heavy/greasy

Leaves skin feeling soft and healthy

Affordable

Cons

Not as amazing as how they claim the product to be

I feel like it was lightly scented

I give Simple Moisturiser a rating of 2/5 because it is pretty decent but it is not as amazing as how the product is marketed. The company emphasised the ‘perfect blend of active ingredients and vitamins’ which is supposed to restore moisture, softens and smoothen the skin but I feel as if it was just a normal moisturiser. After few months of using it, I didn’t see any improvements on my skin.

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Energising Daily Facial Scrub

I decided to pick this one up to replace my St. Ives Apricot Scrub that I have been using for years! I initially wanted to replace it with a product that I can use more often rather than alternating with other face scrubs. When I saw the ‘daily facial scrub’ I immediately wanted to try it.

Pros

The tiny beads really scrubs well

Leaves skin feeling refreshed and clean

Refreshing smell

Affordable (£3.99)

Cons

Too drying for daily use

I give this product a rating of 3/5 because the beads are perfect for scrubbing, which leaves the skin clean and refreshed. I also like the smell of it. However, I disagree with its claim of ‘daily scrub’ as it is too drying for daily use.

What are your favourite drugstore skincare products?

Lots of love from,