Review: The new Body Shop Beautifying Oil

Recently, being a sucker for anything that smells delicious, I brought a bottle of The Body Shop's new Beautifying Oil to try. It comes in a range of yummy fragrances - I, of course, had to have my all time favourite - Satsuma. The bottle reads: "Dry oil with Satsuma oil and three precious nut oils: kukui, sweet almond and Community Fair Trade marula oil. Apply to damp or dry skin and dry hair." I was very excited to try this product in on my very dry elbows and in my hair as a serum.

What I liked about it:

It smells like heaven. True to The Body Shops reputation for products that make you want to eat them, once I had finished lathering myself in oil from head to toe, I proceeded to sniff myself for the next few hours like a weirdo.
When you apply it to your skin it has quite an interesting finish. As opposed to being slimy and greasy like I expected, it actually was rapidly absorbed and left a silky feel to my skin.
Evidently you can use it anywhere on your body - including your face and hair. I guess that would be good for people with really dry skin on their face or very coarse, dry hair.
I also love the body shop brand, I have many different products from there which I love and will definitely be reviewing at some stage in the future.
And of course, The Body Shop products are all cruelty free.

What I didn't like:

I really wanted to love this product, but unfortunately I wasn't really impressed.
As I mentioned before, I get particularly dry elbows, so bad that if I don't moisturize them heavily twice a day or more, they start to crack and become very itchy and sore. I thought this oil would be a really great product to moisturize my elbows, but unfortunately it made very little difference in their condition.
Although I knew this when I brought it, I wouldn't use it on my face as I have quite oily skin, and I would worry that it would cause me to break out.
It really wasn't suitable for my hair type. Even though it made my hair smell divine, it was definitely too greasy for my fine, european hair - it made it look lank, stringy and unwashed, even though I only applied a small amount to the ends. I do think, however, that women with very coarse hair, who use baby oil or the like as a serum, could possibly find this product quite useful.

Cost:

This product cost me $30. Even though I loved the smell, personally I wouldn't buy it again.

Your thoughts:

Have you tried The Body Shop Beautifying Oil? What did you think of it? Would you recommend it?
If you don't already have it, would you consider trying it? Let me know!!

Stay tuned:

Stay tuned for upcoming reviews on other products from The Body Shop as I recently brought and am testing out some of the Tea Tree skincare range - specifically the facial wash, toner and moisturizer.

#9 Favourite Product - MAC Blacktrack Fluidline Gel Liner

Number 9 in my countdown of my favorite products is MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack.

If you are really new at applying liner with a brush, you might find it quite difficult at first and need a bit of practice to get it, but this is irrespective of the product itself - in fact in my opinion it is one of the easiest creme or gel liners to use, and definitely a step easier than liquid liner.

Why I like it:

It has a super silky texture and applies with great precision, like a liquid liner but easier.
Once you put it on, its on! Blacktrack lasts all day without shifting or smudging, especially if you set it with a black shadow. Basically, after applying your liner, use a brush to press a black shadow over the top, thus setting the liner and giving it extra staying power.
It can also be used on your waterline, and has actual staying power unlike the majority of other liners or pencils. Once again, if you set it with powder, it will last even longer.
Because it has such great staying power, it is really good even for people with super oily eyelids.
You can use an angle brush or a liner brush to apply it.
You can make the line as thick or thin as you want to get your desired shape/style.
You only need the tiniest bit of it to get an opaque line, meaning the pot lasts a really long time.
It is super smooth to apply - it dosnt drag like a pencil or bleed or run like a liquid liner.
I can be used for more than just lining - for example, before it sets, you can blend it out with a fluffy brush to create a great base for a dark smoky eye. 
It is easy to remove with an oil based eye makeup remover.
It comes in a sturdy little glass pot with a screw on lid, so there is little chance of it accidentally opening and drying out, and doesn't shatter if you drop it.
Fluidline comes in a few other colours as well!!

What I don't like:

Unlike a pencil or liquid liner that you would apply straight from the bottle, you need to wash the brush you use to apply it after every use.
I doesn't come off with just water, so you cant cheat and just try to wash it off in the shower.
If you take too long to apply it and the liner dries off on the brush, you will need to give the brush a quick clean before starting again.
You need to give it a sec to dry after applying before opening your eyes or it may transfer to another part of your eyelid. If you set it with eyeshadow straight away however, this wont happen.
After it had been on for 6 - 8 hours, you might need to refresh it with a new coat to keep it looking sharp and polished.

Cost: 

 

$38 NZD. Seems expensive for what appears to be a small pot, but honestly it lasts forever. You would probably go through twice that price in pencils or liquid liners before you even got halfway through the pot!! 

Your thoughts:

Have you tried the MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack or any other colour? What did you think of it? Would you recommend it?
If you don't already have it, would you consider trying it?

Review: L'Oreal Liss Ultime Serum

Only just missing out on making the list of my top 10 favorite products, I bring you the L'Oreal Liss Ultime Serum.
Finding the right serum is quite a difficult task - there are soooo many on the market these days that it is very hard to choose. I have tried many different types and brands of serum but the Liss Ultime is definitely my favorite.

Why I like it:

It is very lightweight and non-greasy. Many serums try to weigh down the hair to stop it from appearing frizzy, leaving it limp, slimy and greasy. Liss Ultime, however, absorbs into the hair leaving it noticeably smoother and and softer. I think this is because the formula isn't as thick as some other serums on the market so it absorbs into the hair and works from the inside instead of sitting on top of it.
It smells nice, which is a must in any product I use. It could be the worlds greatest product, but if it smells bad, I wont use it!!
You can also mix it with your other favorite hair products - I mix mine with my leave in treatment.

How to use it:


Directions for use are to apply 1 - 2 pumps to clean, towel dried hair, style as usual, do not rinse. To expand on that, I would recommend only applying from the mid lengths to ends of the hair (not the roots) as the roots of your hair get enough moisture from natural oils, and you risk making your roots look greasy. Start out with just using one pump, and each time after you wash your hair, increase the amount you use until you are happy with the result. For instance, I have long, very thick hair, so I use up to 4 pumps.
When you apply the product, pump it into your hands and then rub them together to warm up the serum, then gently run your hair through your hands until your hair is coated and the serum is gone from your hands. Finish by using a wide tooth comb to de-tangle your hair and ensure the serum is evenly distributed.
Applying the serum to damp hair will help smooth it down and soften it, but if you are after an even smoother result and a beautiful shine, try applying it very sparingly to your dry hair. Start with just half a pump, warm it up by rubbing it between your hands, and smooth over the mid lengths to ends of your hair. Very slowly build up until you are happy with the result. Be careful though, because if you use too much your hair will; quickly start looking limp and greasy!

What I don't like:

I wish the bottles were bigger, because I can go through a whole bottle in around 3 months, which really isn't that bad, considering I use at least twice as much as the directions state. But it would still be nice if it was bigger!

Cost:

Around $31 NZD for a 125ml bottle. That's about $10 a month for me, so not too bad at all.

Your thoughts:

Have you tried the L'Oreal Liss Ultime Serum? What did you think of it? Would you recommend it?
If you don't already have it, would you consider trying it?

#10 Favourite Product - Smashbox Contour Palette

Well here it is - the first product on my countdown of my top 10 favorites - the Smashbox Contour Palette.
Contouring is one of those things that few people know how to do, but is a really good trick to slim down and add shape and definition to your face. 

Why I like it:

It comes with the perfect wee brush. It is just the right size to fit under your cheekbone into the hollow of your cheek, allowing you to apply the perfect contour shape. Plus... it comes with the palette, free. And we all love free stuff.
It has an easy to understand diagram of where to place each colour on the face which is really helpful.
The contour and highlighter suits virtually any skin tone.
It is compact, portable and durable. I have dropped mine several times and it has never broken. The inside of the lid is a mirror which is extremely handy.
It lasts for AGES even if you are using it every day (or several times a day like me!).
You only need the tiniest bit on your brush to create a subtle, natural contour, bronze or highlight. Slowly build it up to a level that you are comfortable with, being sure to blend well as you go.  If you use too much, it is likely to look far to dark/light and not blend well.
The highlighter is matte - so no shimmer. It gives a really nice "barely there" highlight for day time. If you want something brighter or more dramatic, just use as a base, and apply a shimmer product over it!

What I don't like:

I feel like its a bit backwards - I prefer to highlight first and contour last using the same brush to save on brushes and cleaning.
The bronzer is quite orange. It works for darker skin tones, but not really the paler ones. On the bright side, I use it as a brow definer because my hair is copper.
The contour is too pale for very dark skin tones.

Cost:

$62 NZD, which when you think about how long it lasts, works out pretty cheap. I have had mine for around 7 months and have used less than half of it. So if it lasts about a year... I think that's a pretty good deal!

Your thoughts:

Have you tried the Smashbox Contour Palette? What did you think of it? Would you recommend it?
If you don't already have it, would you consider trying it?

Introducting TALC...

Ok, Ive finally done it. Ive been talking about writing a blog for a while, and here it is!

Every day, I meet women from all walks of life with all types of skin, faces shapes, hair types, and plenty of questions. I wanted to create a place where I could share some of what I know about different hair, makeup and skincare products, as well as professional tips and tricks on makeup application, do's and dont's, and much more!

I also wanted somewhere that women (and men!) could come to me and ask about different products and what is right for them. If there is a product you have been wanting to try, but would like me to test it out for you first, let me know!

Over the next few weeks, I will start by bringing you my top 10 favorite products, as well as reviews on products that didn't make the cut, and quick lessons on things like contouring.  

See you soon!
Paige xx