New post! Check out my review on The Body Shop’s Aloe Protective Restoring Mask » http://dowantmakeup.blogspot.com
I really love the scent of this body butter: true to its name, it’s definitely lychee with floral tones and completely delicious-smelling. Smoothing some on my hands and arms in the morning is a lovely pick-me-up to send me on my way to work.
With the holidays approaching, companies and retailers roll out all kinds of goodies like gift sets with amazing value and limited edition or seasonal products.
Last year I got a whiff of the cranberry-scented products that The Body Shop offers only during the holidays. It smelled a-mazing (delicious and tart) but I had to pass in the interest of saving money :< Assuming this winter’s Cranberry Joy collection smells the same, I won’t be letting myself miss out again.
Cranberry Joy is available as a lip butter, shower gel, various accessories, etc etc but the one I’m really interested in is the body scrub. Vancouver is having a relatively cold winter this year so I’m going to need all the exfoliation I can get. Made with honey and cranberry seeds, it sounds (and smells) good enough to eat ;3
[image from The Body Shop]
The Body Shop: $20 CAD (200 ml)
If the new lip colour offering from The Body Shop is as moisturizing and deliciously fruit-flavoured as the product page claims, sign me up. Delipscious Sheer Lip Colour offers nine shades, each with its own nomful flavour (hello watermelon and pomegranate) and hydrating and conditioning ingredients such as coconut oil, coconut milk, and cocoa butter.
To be quite honest, I haven’t bought The Body Shop colour cosmetics since my very first makeup purchases at the tender age of 14, but it looks like it’s time for me to check things out again.
[image from The Body Shop website]
The Body Shop: $12 CAD
Some background info on my skin: it’s normal/dry; I get dry/flaky patches generally on my nose, my forehead, and under my eyes. My skin is pretty clear with a pimple or two a month, so my main concerns are those dry patches and dull skin.
So when I read this description on The Body Shop’s website about their Round Facial Brush:
Get a more radiant complexion with a soft-bristle face brush that gently loosens dead skin cells and impurities while stimulating circulation
I’m totally in.
The Body Shop sells their brush for $3 CAD, but when I went to go pick it up, they were also having a 25% off sale on facial accessories, so I got it for $2.25 (hey, I’m always looking to save!)
The Body Shop Round Facial Brush (with cap) with a quarter for size comparison. The brush is a little more than an inch in diameter.
A little tag was attached to the knob which pretty much repeats the website description, explaining that the stimulation of circulation and exfoliation can improve skin tone and texture. It suggests using it with (The Body Shop) facial washes/cleansers.
While at Metrotown, I decided to also check out the Face Complexion Brush offered by Sephora for $7 CAD. Instead of a knob at the top of the brush like the one from The Body Shop, Sephora’s has a red plastic handle like a toothbrush with a round head. I have to say that the Sephora brush is noticeably softer but this does not necessarily mean it is better. I am unsure if the Sephora brush sacrifices exfoliation ability for softness or if it is softer but is as good at scrubbing off dead skin cells (in which case, it would be better). The brush feels fine on my forehead and chin but is slightly uncomfortably abrasive on the cheeks. I would probably recommend the Sephora brush for those with more sensitive skin that needs gentler treatment.
Both brushes also come with a cap sort of thing to cover the bristles, keeping them clean and in shape during travel. Both stores have brushes out of the plastic wrapping, so I would encourage you to visit both and try them on the back of your hand to see which you prefer. However, I have found that the bristles, or at least the underside of the base holding them, are still damp long after I’ve used it and put it back in the cap. I don’t know if that’s good for the life of the brush or not, but it kind of bugs me.
How I use it: at night, after/during cleansing. That is personal preference because I’m generally brain-dead lazy in a hurry in the morning. I brush it over my skin in small circles in a generally upward direction from my chin, over my cheeks, and up to my forehead. I do not use this near my undereye area as the skin this is an extremely delicate area of your face.
I haven’t made a decision on whether or not it actually boosts circulation (and therefore improves complexion), so that will have to come later in a part 2. However it does exfoliate, and my face looks and feels squeaky clean after use.
I would not consider this some manual version of a Clarisonic or something, in terms of cleansing ability. Although it is recommended to be used with a facial cleanser, do not be disappointed, mad, or otherwise butthurt because it sucks at removing your makeup. It removes dead skin cells, and I do not have any expectations of it cleansing off makeup, dirt, or oil any more than an exfoliating scrub.
Stay tuned for updates on this facial brush!
The Body Shop: $3 CAD
