The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter Review

Hey lovelies,

Today I'm featuring a review of a recent cleansing balm I've been obsessing over. Ever since, I fell in love with the Emma Hardie cleansing balm (review here), I've never strayed from it. But, due to the price I've always had to wait until my birthday or christmas to stock up, which led to me wanting to try out the Body Shops' offering instead for a much more student, purse friendly alternative. As you can probably tell, if you've been a fan of Victoria Louise Beauty for a long time I'm a massive fan of The Body Shop's skincare, and by clicking here, you can view all the reviews I've done of their products so far!

The Basics

Brand: The Body Shop

Name of Product: Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter
Purpose of product: Remove and melts away makeup leaving the skin clean, soft, smooth and refreshed.
Price: £13 | Link
How much product do you get: 90ml
Who it's aimed for: All skin types - specifically those with sensitive skin.
Where to buy: The Body Shop

Product Description

An indulgent cleanser that gently melts away makeup, suitable for the whole face leaving skin feeling clean and petal-soft whilst being perfect for sensitive skin and contact wearers.

How To Use

I use this as my second cleanser at night, after either going in with my favourite cleansing oil (review here) or my Bioderma, to take away the main chunk of my makeup and more specifically my eye makeup. I massage the balm/butter into the skin for a good 5-10 minutes, then dampen my Emma Hardie muslim cloth and gently wipe away until my skin is soft and clean.

Pro's

Overall, this cleanser actually surprised me! The cleanser felt silky and luxurious for a drugstore offering, Also, it left my skin makeup free, soft and smooth from the first use. Although, it expectantly didn't live up to my Emma Hardie balm it definitely put up a strong fight, and I would honestly recommend for a cheaper alternative. Although the smell wasn't my favourite, it did give off a calming effect and didn't irritate my skin nor eyes at all. I sadly cannot comment on the contact wearer claim as I don't personally wear contacts. Even more so, even though I have oily to combination skin it didn't leave my skin super oily afterwards and thoroughly removed all the dirt and grime throughout the day. Furthermore, I've had this for a decent time now and it's still going strong purely because a little seriously does go a long way.

Con's

Personally, I don't have any major cons. My only issue is; even though the price isn't majorly expensive - I feel for the size of the product you get it is a bit steep for a drugstore skincare product. I also found even though it did remove my makeup it didn't have any other extra skincare benefits besides a simple makeup remover. Whereas, I'm a massive fan of 2 in 1 products.

Should I Buy It?/Do I Recommend?

Yes! Definitely I recommend it and say you should go out and buy it now! I personally feel everyone should at least once try using a cleansing balm, and every skin definitely benefits from it. So, why not a try a silky balm with a drugstore price?! This is definitely great for oily to dry skins and is a perfect introduction to a more sophisticated, in-depth skincare routine that in all honesty every skin needs and desires.

Rating

8/10

Thank you for reading!
Please let me know if you've tried this cleanser or any other good cleansing butters out on the market as you can probably tell I'm nearly out of this one!

The Body Shop Aloe Skincare Collection Review {Sensitive Skin}

Hey lovelies,

Today I'm doing a review on one of my all time favourite skincare brands: 'The Body Shop'.  Nearly all products I've tried from there I've enjoyed, their packaging is also always adorable and I love that each skincare collection is categorised based on particular skincare concerns. Previous to this I have reviewed their entire seaweed collection which is aimed at combination skintypes - which I am. You can have a read of that by clicking this link.

Basics:
Brand: The Body Shop
Name of Product: Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser, Aloe Gentle Face Wash, Aloe Soothing Night Cream, Aloe Soothing Moisture Lotion SPF 15Purpose of Product: Soothe sensitive skin, irritation and reduce signs or irritation or rednessPrice: Cleanser: £8.50 | Link , Face Wash: £8.50 | Link , Night Cream: £12.00 | Link , Lotion: £12.00 | Link
Where to buy: The Body ShopHow Much Product Do You Get: Cleanser: 200ml, Face Wash: 150ml, Night Cream: 50ml, Lotion: 50mlAimed For: Sensitive Skin - including anyone that has redness, irritation or possible allergies (would have to double check ingredients)

How To Use

For mornings I first go in with the 'Calming Facial Cleanser' to gently remove any dirty - especially around my sensitive eyes. Then, I wash my face with the 'Gentle Face Wash', then after toning I apply the 'Moisture Lotion'. At night time, I still use the 'Calming Facial Cleanser' to clean my skin - I either use it first on days where I haven't worn makeup or second after using a cleansing oil on days where I have. Then, after completing my night time skincare routine I go in with the 'Night Cream'.

Pro's 

Personally I'm a massive fan so far of this whole range because it does what it says on the tin - soothes sensitive skin. I've noticed when using these products my skin hasn't been as itchy nor as red looking which is great for me as I can now get away with using less foundation! My all time favourite product out of the bunch is the 'Night Cream', its thick and luxurious and lovely to apply to face but doesn't leave my oily-combination skin greasy in the morning. I also adore how gentle the 'Calming Facial Cleanser' is - as I can get away with using it on my eyes without irritating them. I also think the packaging is simple and easy to work with, furthermore the price points for these products are great. Especially, due to the fact The Body Shop has regular sales and offers on online and instore.

Con's

Overall, I don't have any major negatives to say about the products apart from how I felt they worked with my skin. As even though my skin is pretty sensitive, it's also a combination-oily mess so finding the right balance can be tricky. For example, as gentle as the 'Face Wash' was I found it didn't really clean my skin nor get rid of any of the grime that had built up over the night. Furthermore, I'm honestly not a massive fan of the aloe fragrance but have grown used to it due me using this skincare. I also wasn't a massive fan of the 'Moisture Lotion', as even though it has SPF it isn't very high to make much of a difference. I also find it left a white cast on my skin and made me super oily after only two hours of wear!

Should I Buy It?/Do I Recommend?

Overall, I definitely do recommend The Body Shop Aloe Skincare collection and will most definitely be purchasing other products from the line. Out of the products mentioned I would definitely recommend buying the cleanser and the night cream as I personally feel any - and all - skin types will work well with these two products.

Rating

7/10

Thank you for reading!

I hope you found this helpful, and please don't hesitate to check out any of my other social media,

My Current Beauty Wish List

Hey lovelies,

Today I thought I'd do a quick post featuring the current things I've been dying to purchase. I'm trying to stick to making wishlist's and then only buying products off of those, to prevent me splurging on things I may desire at the time but 10 minutes later realise I didn't even really want!

1. Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum | Link - I've been dying to purchase my first ever serum and this one seems like the perfect choice. So many people rave about this and the effects it gives on the skin.
2. LUSH Eau Roma Water | Link - I love spray on toners and the refreshing feel they give - so this is next up on my hit list. This is also perfect for when the days start to get a little hotter and you need something to cool and calm your face down.
3. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask | Link - I've already tried the 10 minute version of this and absolutely adore it, so I'm excited to compare this one to the quicker version.
4. The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner | Link - After all the harsh conditions of winter are finally starting to pass, my skin has gone into complete breakdown mode. Therefore, I'm hoping this calms my skin down and helps with the daily redness I struggle with.
5. Benefit Gimmie Brow | Link - Everyone constantly raves about this and after trying a few drugstore brow gels I'm highly optimistic that this will be as good as the hype surrounding it suggests.
6. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion | Link - I have an awful collection of blackheads around my nose and no matter what I use they always seem to stay, so I'm hoping this may win the battle of the blackheads (sorry I couldn't help myself).
7. Soap and Glory Trick and Treatment | Link - I've been dying to try this out, due to it covering my awful dark circles and hopefully treat/improve them at the same time.
8. Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash and Body Scrub | Link 1 and Link 2 - I adore the smell of this product and have previously used both of these and loved them! 
9. Nip + Fab CC Cream | Link - I adore a good CC cream especially for a light coverage for days I'm not feeling like wearing much makeup. They're especially great for when I'm on holiday and I don't need as much coverage as I do back home, without a tan. It also has SPF 30 which is great for a drugstore product, especially as lighter skins need a higher SPF coverage. 
10. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation | Link - I've been dying to try a Bobbi Brown foundation and this particular one has received such great reviews. 
11. Chanel Tan De Soleil | Link - This has been on my wishlist for so long! Especially, after trying the Bourjois drugstore dupe for it I'm eager to get my paws on this one and compare the two!
12. Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara | Link - I'm on the final end of all the mascaras I own and one of my all time favourite mascaras is the original Max Factor False Lash Effect and I love it! So, I'd love to try this new and improved version!

Thanks for reading lovelies!

Please don't forget to follow me on my social media,

Samples Review

Hello lovelies!

First of all I'd like to say a humongous apology for not updating my blog. I had a lot going on in the last few months, from university to exams! But now everything has calmed back down I feel I can finally devote my time back to this! A while back I received a tonne of free samples and have been meaning to do a review on them. I no longer have every single piece of packaging as once some had emptied I ended up throwing them away - so even though you can't see them they did exist!

A bulk of samples I received were from Kiehls - a brand that does pretty pricey skincare and I haven't really tried much from. But, previously I'd only heard raving reviews so was ultimately super excited to try anything and everything they threw at me. The first thing they sent me was the 'Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser', which is designed to eliminate toxins and reduce the appearance of pores. I absolutely adored this and have already purchased the actual size. This didn't irritate my sensitive skin and left it unbelievably smooth; I used this as a morning cleanser. Second item I received was the 'Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Eye Cream', which I used nightly. I obviously don't have any wrinkles yet but I still really enjoyed using it. This is supposed to strengthen the under eye area, which is perfect for me as I have extremely bad dark circles - so hopefully after a more prolonged use it could reduce it. The third and final product by Kiehls was the famous 'Skin Rescuer', a moisturiser I used/use every night. This is honestly amazing and would recommend to anyone with dry or dehydrated skin, or just patches of redness. I'd heard multiple YouTuber's raving about this so was nervous about testing it, but after applying it at night and waking up in the morning all the redness has either gone or been extremely subdued on my cheeks! I repurchased this straight away after using the sample and believe this has now become a staple in my skincare.

The next sample I received was Sunday Riley's 'Good Genes', which is supposed to be a brightening, anti-age treatment/mask. I used this as a mask and found it left my skin red, really dry and tight. Also, it tingles quite a lot so for people with sensitive skin like myself, beware. So for the jaw-dropping price it is, I would not recommend it.

Philosophy was the next in line to be tested and I'd luckily received the much talked about 'Purity Made Simple' cleanser. This is a pretty simple cleanser that can be used for both the face and eyes, and doesn't actually irritate my eyes. I'd recommend this to a beginner to cleansers/skincare and any type of skin type - it worked lovely on my sensitive skin. I found this worked best applying to a cotton wool pad, rather than applying it directly to the face. But, ever since trying this out with my Clarisonic I've realised it's true potential! Furthermore, it smells lovely and you hardly need a large amount so even though it's quite pricey for how simple it is, it will last you ages.

Next up was the Body Shop with their 'Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter', which is supposed to leave hair soft, glossy and tangle-free. Unfortunately, for me even though the smell was a lovely fruity/foresty smell the product just didn't do anything for my hair. All it did was leave my hair heavy and waxy.

And last but not least, I tried the GlamGlow 'BrightMud Eye Treatment', that is designed to basically make your eyes look super awake and reduce your dark circles. As soon as I saw the claim on reducing dark circles I was instantly excited about trying it out. But sadly it didn't follow through, I found it stunk and product was awfully awkward to apply. And then after all the hassle of sorting it out and dealing with the stench it then did absolutely nothing, so for the price I most certainly would not recommend.

Thank you for reading,
Victoria Louise x

June Favourites

Hey lovelies,
It's finally time to showcase my monthly favourites! Now I realise the last time I did a favourites was way, way back in the bitter days of February, check out here, but I've managed to narrow down my much-loved products to my top five.

From L-R: Clean & Clear Wash, Kiehls Moisturiser, Jurlique Serum,
Botanics BB Cream & The Body Shop Shower Gel

Skincare

My first major favourites at the moment have been in the skincare category, purely because during the summer months I wear less make-up so I like my skin to look it's best as easy as possible.

1. Clean & Clear 'Morning Energy' Daily Facial Wash. Now, I adore this for multiple reasons; it's cheap, smells lovely - like oranges, definitely wakes me up in the morning and doesn't leave my face feeling tight like most face washes. It claims to contain bursting beads which I can honestly say aren't harsh or abrasive, if anything I barely notice them. Furthermore, the product is oil-free which is great for my combination skin, especially in summer. Even more so, I really like the packaging as it's easy to dispense just the right amount of product and you can easily see how much you have left, so I know when to go buy more. I've also enjoyed using another face wash previously which has also featured in a monthly favourites here.
2. Kiehl's 'Skin Rescuer'. Even though this is pretty pricey it is definitely worth it! It is purely amazing and removes nearly all the redness from my face and leaves my skin feeling so soft I have to restrain from sitting and stroking it, weird I know. I normally apply this to my face at night purely because I like to have a moisturiser during the day to be more light-weight and contain SPF. I would recommend this to anyone with dry, dehydrated, sensitive or combination skin!
3. Jurlique's 'Herbal Recovery' Advanced Serum. Now, yet again another pretty pricey skincare product but is most definitely worth it! I'm not going to go into much detail as a full review will be coming up shortly on my blog but this is amazing and everyone should definitely check it out.

Make-Up & Body Care

Now I don't have many make-up favourites mainly because I've not been wearing any apart from when I go out at night so I thought I'd merge my body care and makeup category together.

1. Boots Botanics 'BB Radiant Youth Cream'. Now, this stuff is amazing for how affordable it is! It's got an SPF of 30 which is perfect for summer and has quite a creamy texture but feels lightweight on the skin. It also leaves my skin looking healthy, glowy and dewy and I find it lasts a good 4/5 hours on the skin before I start having to touch up with powder. I have it in the shade 'Light' and my only slight letdown is that I wish they did a lighter shade as I find this is a bit too dark for me at the moment.
2. The Body Shop 'Raspberry Shower Gel'. This is just a really nice shower gel that smells amazing and leaves me feeling ready for the day. Definitely will be repurchasing!

Thank you for reading!

Please don't hesitate to comment with your monthly favourites and don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin!

Victoria Louise x

Spot-Fighting Drugstore Skincare Review

Hey lovelies,
Sorry for the lack of posts but I've just been so busy with exam prep! I thought I'd do a post today reviewing three products I've been using for at least the past three months now, as I've been trying to reduce the amount of spots I get, read on to find out if it worked.

Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Treatment Gel

I bought this a while back in hopes I could tame any spots that appeared on my face through stress or just hormones, as my previous spot treatment didn't do a single thing, and wow did it work! Now I honestly love this treatment as even though there isn't a lot, it's cheap and you only need the tiniest of amounts. It states it will "After 4 Hours, spot size and redness are noticeably reduced". Now I can't comment on the four hours as I only apply spot treatments at night as I don't like how it sits under makeup but that could just be me. But after waking up my spot has either completely gone or dramatically reduced! I think I will definitely repurchase this and the fact there's still loads left when I've been using it pretty often highlights how much you actually get for the price.

You can purchase it here for £3.49.

The Body Shop Blackhead Tea Tree Exfoliating Wash

I've had this for a while back and after researching this wash to put a link to it when I uploaded this post I realised this is no longer being sold. But, honestly you're not missing out. I found this exfoliating wash did nothing for my face nor the blackheads on my nose I was trying to combat. The wash was a nice creamy texture which was the only plus side, but the fact it didn't reduce any blackheads - it's main purpose, I found left it to be a great disappointment. Even more so, the 'crushed apricot stones' were too harsh for my sensitive skin and even more so I could not use this as a wash. I had to limit my use to it to once-to-twice a week. 

Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cleanser

And last but not least, is Biore's anti-blackhead cleanser and this is undoubtedly my favourite product! I've purchased this for a second time and absolutely adore it. Firstly, it's cheap which is always positive. Secondly, it warms up when you're massaging it into the skin which is a) SO COOL and b) helps you realise it's actually doing something. Now, I must admit it didn't dramatically reduce the amount of blackheads I had but it reduced the amount of breakouts and also reduced the amount of spots I had that were under the skin. I also really like the smell and find it's just a really lovely product. But, although it's not too harsh I did find it better to limit it to using it every other day due to me having combination skin but besides that it's lovely! My only wish would be to change the packaging so that you could see how much product is left as you can't tell as it's all white.

You can purchase here for £4.99.

Thank you for reading!

Please let me know in the comments if there are any spot fighting drugstore products you know of that work miracles! Don't forget to subscribe and/or follow me on BlogLovin!

Victoria Louise x