The Body Shop

I have used this product since it was first released (previously under the name of Skin Boost) and have loved it so much, I've never stopped using it. I think that's been for about 10 years. I'm please to say this product is VEGAN and The Body Shop does not sell in China and have a completely 0 animal testing policy.

I have dry skin and I use this product after my moisturiser, as a makeup primer, because it enables me to work with/blend my foundation. Once I've set my foundation, I do not have any slip or slide of my makeup throughout the day. I would however, imagine this would be a problem for anyone with normal to oily skin.

PRICE: I would say this runs middle of the road (RRP £17) when compared against other serums and primers.

PACKAGING: Simple pump bottle which is easy to use and ensures that every drop of the product is used. One pump is sufficient for my entire face and jawline.

SCENT: Nice citrus smell.

FEEL: a soft, velvety feel when applied but without feeling greasy or that there is a film of product on your skin

I really wanted to like this, tried it on in the shop. Perhaps I got a dudd, then again hands have a different skin texture to rest of body. There is nothing to endear me to this product, quite the opposite. The fragrance is so strong while it’s lovely to begin it becomes cloy and heavy. The big scrub bits are useless to scrub. They are pretty harsh but hardly do any damage because they flick off easily anyway. The base lotion is so heavy in oil and minerals I felt like I was slathering greasy butter over me not scrubbing. It held promises of hydration. Stepping out of shower can feel the moisturiser .. 1 hour after and my skin is squeaking dry and feels weird, not moisturised but like a plastic coating on top. Is it the minerals? It did nothing but make me itch. I had to go back and shower it off. And realise my towel has this coating too. I only used a small almond size amount for the whole body too! On another occasion when I realise scrubs bits falling off, I had dug in tub to get more scrub bits to scrub. Major mistake, felt like I was wearing a body suit after. I have dry skin and moisturiser and body oils just sink in within seconds. This is just weird stuff that sits on top making skin feel drier. I personally don’t like tubs for scrubs, water gets in and it’s gets grotty in the shower. Such a ware of money. I gave it 4 attempts because I thought maybe needs a cooler climate. Wrong. Each 4 x I hated it and regret using it and wasting good money on this.

Expensive product was £26! But is worth it!! Makes my skin feel really glowy and healthy! Really does brighten your face this paired with the liquid peel is a great combo!

My go to foundation is the Dior Diorskin nude air serum. I know these foundations are nothing alike, but Ive been testing all sorts of foundations for something with more coverage and would be good over time (and the summer) for my oily, acne-prone skin. I got a generous amount of this tester from the body shop and had really high hopes for it. It has a bit of a scent to it which I don't mind. It is a full coverage foundation, and can go on a bit thick, but I realized after I few uses that I didn't need the amount I was using. Unfortunately, it oxidizes very quickly and really settled into my pores, even with mousturizer and primer. What ultimately disappointed me was that it dried out my skin, but in all the wrong places. It would patch up on my cheeks, which is an area that has always been baby soft and oil/acne free. After a week of using the product, my cheeks would retain those dry patches even with the makeup off. As for the parts that are oily, it would stay matte longer than most products, but was much too heavy for my acne. It would emphasize spots where I have acne and scarring, and didn't do much for healing them. I would stick with serum foundations as they are able to let my skin breath and acne heal faster. I really wanted to like the product especially after reading the reviews. Unfortunately, I will not be using this product again or recommending it to anyone.

This is a great, non-silicone, moisturizing (non-protein), deep conditioner for my type 4b/c natural hair. Not cheap but products that do a comparable job are 2-3 times the price. Just what I was looking for after a microdisaster with fresh bananas!