2 Favourites from The Body Shop

When The Body Shop is on offer, that’s the time to strike. So recently, when they had 40% off sale, I bought one old favourite and one other product which has managed to weasel its way into my favourites list.

My old favourite is the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. (£12.00/200ml) This was the first ever cleansing oil I had ever used and to this day I still am in love with cleansing oils. I remember when this used to be the cult beauty product that so many bloggers and YouTubers spoke about years ago. Using this now, the smell is still the same - It’s so nostalgic! The consistency is quite watery but that means it’s light on the skin, it’s easy to massage into the skin and remove every single scrap of makeup. I love that it comes with a pump too, however it does make the product not as travel friendly! If you have never tried cleansing oils, they are a brilliant way to take off makeup which doesn’t dry the skin out. As an oily skinned girl, I was so afraid of using oils as my face produces more than enough, but cleansing oils don’t leave any greasy residue on your face and can remove a full face of makeup in  under 30 seconds.

If you are a fan of massaging your face, this Camomile Cleansing Oil is a good oil to use because of the consistency, like I said earlier it’s so light on the skin and a little goes a long way. Massaging is great as it's increasing circulation to your face and so can help to brighten and tighten the skin.

My new favourite is the Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 (£17.00/40ml). I think SPF is so important to have in your skincare, even if you live in dreary place like England. SPF has been proven to be a good anti-ageing product, as it is protecting your skin from UVA rays (which causes the skin to age) and UVB rays  (which can damage the skins surface). So even though it looks like the sun isn’t there, both UVA and UVB rays can still be harmful. In the past I used to ensure that my moisturiser or my foundation has some sort of SPF included, which is probably better than wearing no SPF but now I am completely sold on doing my best to protect my skin.

So back to this Skin Defence SPF, I love it because it’s so light on the skin, it doesn’t feel like a heavy extra layer. It sinks into the skin within seconds, mimicking a serum. The colour is white too, which I was hesitant about as old sunscreens used to leave a greyish white residue which would make me, an average Indian girl, look like a dull ghost. This product left no white/grey marks or any marks at all, I was amazed. It sits so well under makeup too, not interfering with it or clogging up my skin either. If you are looking for an SPF then this is the one to get. It has all the protection with none of the fuss or faff so no-one has an excuse not to wear SPF.

So those are my two favourites from The Body Shop which I am sure I will repurchase. I normally love to buy their candles too, however they were all sold out when I bought these online! I would love to know what your go-to products are from The Body Shop. Finally, be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

A Trio of Smashbox Primers

Primers are the marmite of makeup products some people love them and others just don't see the point. 

I love wearing a primer before applying my makeup as it adds an extra barrier between my skincare and makeup, and can help makeup to last longer and look more flawless.

I bought the Smashbox Holidaze Photo Finish Travel Primer Trio ($15.00/3 products) on sale in Sephora while I was out in Boston. I couldn't resist this purchase as I've never actually tried any primers from Smashbox so the opportunity to try three new primers seemed too good to pass up.

First of all, how cute is this packaging, I love the gold metallic with the slight Aztec floral theme - it's different from anything else I own. I also love that all the products are still packaged similarly to their full sized equivalent as sometimes with travel sized products brands will change the lids or nozzles. Although it's marketed as 'travel sized', you do get a fair amount of product - I think this set will last me around 3-4 months which is fab. I've tried all three primers now (my favourite type of 'homework'!) so I will outline my thoughts on all three. 

The Smashbox Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer (12ml) is a cult classic and is one of the most iconic primers out there. This primer has a slight silicone feel, which means it glides over and fills your pores leaving you with a smoother and flawless finish. I like to pat this into my t-zone, where I know my pores are more noticeable. If this is something you look for in a primer then this is the one to get, it's ideal for events where you might be chasing that perfected look. 

This product is similar to others I have tried in the past, which was probably created in the image of this Smashbox primer - the L'Oreal Infallible primer is similar in terms of function, however is more greasy in texture.

The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water (30ml) came out not that long ago and I really didn't see the hype. However trying it now, I actually really like this primer. I use it after my skincare and just spritz a few times directly onto my face, I press the product into my skin and it leaves me with a very slight tacky feel that's almost undetectable. After this, I continue with my makeup routine, and it just adds that slight barrier in a refreshing way. It's just a really nice product. It's multi-purpose as you can also set your makeup with this afterwards and also refresh your makeup during the day too. If you like the idea of wearing something super light that you can also take with you then this is the product for you. 

Lastly the Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer (15ml), which I believe is the newest out of the three primers. This primer is supposed to be a fusion between a moisturiser and a primer - meaning that you could skip the moisturising step if you wanted to. I don't do that, and I apply this as a stand-alone primer. This primer is lighter in texture and also on the more liquidy side. This is the product to use if you are looking for longevity in your primer. It's lightweight and sinks quickly into the skin ready to be followed up by your makeup. I'm a massive fan of this primer - it's similar to the Too Faced Hangover Primer which is one of my all time favourites. If you are interested I would definitely try this in store to feel the texture.

My taste in primers has definitely changed, a year or two ago I would have been besotted with the Original Photo Finish Primer because that's all I wanted from a primer, however now the Primer Water and the Primerizer are the types of primers which just helps your makeup look fresher for longer and so are great additions to my mini collection!

I would love to know if you have tried any of these three primers and what your thoughts were! If you have a favourite primer, please feel free to let me know in the comments below and I will go and check them out!