Buttering it Up with The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Stick

Above: The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Stick

I have always loved cocoa butter for its subtle nutty, vanilla and chocolate like scent and it is very rich and moisturizing too.  I especially liked Palmers Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick, but unfortunately I cannot find this product anywhere anymore. Luckily, I stumble upon The Body Shop’s Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Stick and it was on sale!  I picked one up and really liked it so far.

From reading the forums and other reviews, a lot of ladies use this to try to avoid stretch marks and pregnant ladies use these to moisturized their stomachs.  I mainly used the cocoa butter stick as a deep moisturizer for my hands, feet, knees and elbows.  I have had an on going flare up of eczema on my elbows this year and my elbows are very dry from using hydrocortisone and I find that the cocoa butter helps soothes the chafing and peeling.  It is also very moisturizing for my hands and feet too without being too greasy as it absorbs into my skin quickly.  It is also less mess then lotions in jars, tubes and pump bottles, as I tend to get to much product out from these apparatus or I spill and drip product everywhere.  When I carry a larger purse, I like to take this with me, as opposed to carrying a tube of lotion because it is neater and cleaner.  Before and after every use, I clean the surface with a tissue to prevent bacteria from forming on the stick.

My favourite aspect of this stick is the scent!  I love the nutty smell with the very subtle vanilla and chocolate scent.  It is chocolately without it being too sugary and artificial.

Above: The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Stick

No Spill Perfume with The Body Shop Love Etc…Solid Perfume

Above: The Body Shop Love Etc… Solid Perfume

I have always loved the eau de toilette version of The Body Shop Love Etc because of the lovely blend of citrus, floral and vanilla scent. Love Etc has many dimensions and layers to it that the scent changes throughout the day. It is long lasting for a light summer scent. When I received my $25 credit from The Body Shop, I picked up the solid version of Love Etc… as one of my goodies. The solid version comes in a cute little heart shaped tin with 13 grams of product that smells similar to the original eau de toilette spray.

While the eau de toilette version is sparkling, light and I can clearly smell the citrus, floral and vanilla scents, the solid version smells a bit milkier and creamier. I can only detect that I have a scent on, but I can’t distinguish the different notes in the perfume. It has almost a murkier and waxy smell compared to the eau de toilette but it is not unpleasant. The solid version is much more subtle and only lasts about 1-2 hours on me. Since the scent is such short lived, I would not wear this alone as a perfume but I would layer this on top of the eau de toilette for touch ups to add longevity to the perfume. One thing I like about the solid version is that it is small and light, which makes it the perfect size to slip into my purse for perfume touch ups.

Have Lychee Year Round With The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Eau De Toilette

Above: The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Eau de Toilette

A few weeks ago I got a $25.00 credit for The Body Shop by getting 8 points through their Love Your Body points program and Lychee Blossom Eau de Toilette was one of the goodies I picked up. The Lychee Blossom line was introduced in June and it also includes: body lotion and body butter. I believe the Lychee Blossom line is limited edition for the summer. I am really enjoying the eau de toilette and have being wearing it quite regularly as a daytime scent this summer.

The scent is light, floral, sweet and fruity. The notes are as follows lychee, guava, lychee blossom, magnolia and freesia.  This scent is very fruity and strong on the lychee and guava. If you take very deep sniff, you can smell the florals; however, when the scent dries down, the florals become more evident than the fruits. Lychee Blossom is subtle, once it dries down and you get used to it you won’t notice the scent at all but others around you will be able to smell it on you. I was surprised at the lasting power of this because after 6 hours I thought the scent was completely gone, but my friend noticed it and complimented me on it.

I  love lychee and guava, as both are my favourite fruit and juices to consume during the summer. Now I can have the delicious scent of both year around with Lychee Blossom eau de toilette. I know Fresh Sugar Lychee is available permanently at Sephora but The Body Shop Lychee Blossom is selling at $15 for 30mL at an introductory price, much cheaper and just as lovely. Hopefully, it becomes permanent after this “introductory” phase because I would buy it again when I finish this bottle.

The Body Shop Baked to Last Blush Duo in Coral

Above: The Body Shop Baked to Last Blush Duo in Coral

After a hectic semester at school, I finally had some time to redeem my $10 birthday discount from The Body Shop. I decided this is the perfect opportunity for me to try out some of their makeup, since I don’t have any Body Shop makeup. I browsed around and picked out their mineralized baked blush: Baked to Last Blush Duo in Coral.

The large side is a pink based coral and the small side is a apricot colour. Both colours have a satiny finish with micro shimmer. I liked that the shimmer is not too shiny and over the top, giving a very subtle sheen to the cheeks. When I swirl the two colours together it creates a nice peachy coral. You can create a more pink or apricot colour by add more of the choice colour. Both the pink and apricot side are equally pigmented but the apricot side  is more shimmery. Personally, I like the apricot colour side better. I also liked that both sides are big enough to be used separately with my MAC 129 brush. The texture is velvety and finely milled.

This blush is baked in Italy and contains marula oil, organic olive oil and jojoba. This costs $18.00 CAD.

Above: MAC Baked to Last Blush Duo in Coral

Above left to right: Pink Coral (large side); Apricot (small side); and Peach Coral (combined)

Help Clear Away Those Zits with The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

Last summer, I started using The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil because my forehead was breaking out constantly with the heat and the sweat. I was never a fan of the Tea Tree Oil smell but it was on sale and I needed to try some alternative blemish clearing treatments, so I decided to give it another shot. The smell is still very strong  and I still don’t like it but I find my dislike of the smell outweighs the benefits.

I use this as a spot treatment at nights and sometimes in mornings on the weekends when I don’t plan to go out. The Tea Tree Oil dries my minor and small pimples as quickly as overnight and clears up within three days. I used this along with the Tea Tree Oil Night Treatment when my breakouts are a bit more severe to help smooth away the bumps and to limit and prevent scaring. For more serious breakouts I find the combination of the oil and night treatment works for me in about one week.

Although it is an oil, I don’t find it greasy at all. It absorbs quickly onto my skin. A little goes a long way and one bottle lasts me about three months. I just drip three to four drops on to a cotton ball and dab it on my blemishes. Sometimes, I would smooth it all over my forehead when I feel I need it. I know many people don’t like the packaging because they have difficulties getting the oil out, but I like the packaging because I am clumsy and I can easily spill stuff like this. I can control the flow easily by putting a cotton ball close to the mouth and easily get the amount I want without getting to much or too little.

For Your Lazy Days: The Body Shop Tea Tree Cleansing Wipes For Quick and Easy Light Makeup Removal

Above right to left: The Body Shop Tea Tree Cleansing Wipes and Tea Tree Oil Night Lotion

These wipes are from The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil skin care range and is suppose to help breakouts and unclog pores. The lemon tea tree and tea tree oil contain anti -bacterial properties are suppose to help fight blemishes and prevent new ones from forming and Tamanu oil has a soothing effect to calm irritation and redness. Unfortunately, I don’t use this regularly enough to test its effectiveness to combat breakouts and minimize pores because I only used this when I want to remove my makeup quickly and when I am wearing minimal makeup. As for blemish fighting, I find the Tea Tree Night Lotion and Tea Tree Oil Treatment more effective.

In contrast to the Tea Tree Night Lotion, I don’t find the Tea Tree Cleansing wipes as drying. I think my skin feels very soft and moisturizing after using this to remove my makeup. Of course, I would still use a toner and my regular moisturizing regime to lock in moisture. I would use this to remove light and non-waterproof makeup because I have had difficulties removing my  foundation,waterproof mascaras and MAC Fluidline liners. For waterproof makeup, I needed to use a light cleanser or MAC cleansing oil either before or afterwards to ensure my face is really clean; however, if I am just wearing the bare minimal of concealer and non-waterproof liner and mascara these Tea Tree Wipes work well. I do like these wipes because they are soothing and affordable. The scent is not as strong as the  night lotion, which I like. I would like to use these more regularly along with the Tea Tree Night Lotion and Oil Treatment to test its effectiveness for combating and preventing blemishes.

These are priced fairly well, costing about $12 CAD for 25 wipes.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Night Lotion

Above: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Cleansing Wipes and Tea Tree Oil Night Lotion

I purchased The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Night Lotion in September and have been alternating this with my Clinque Even Better Skin Tone Corrector. Even Better in the mornings and Tea Tree Lotion at night. I quite like this lotion and find it a nice alternative to Retin-A because Retin -A gets very drying after one week. In contrast, I find the Tea Tree lotion gentler and lightweight. A little bit goes a long way, I only use between half to one pump each night and it was enough to smooth all over my face; however this lotion is a little drying, as it is suppose to clear away blemishes.

Tea Tree Lotion is a treatment, not a moisturizer and I highly recommend wearing your regular moisturizer on top. I find that this is effective in clearing my pimples and smoothing away the bumps. I have mild acne and I see results in a about one week. It even helps prevent breakouts. Although this is effective for me for clearing away the bumps, it is not as effective in lightening existing dark spots and scaring. I find Clinque Even Better Skin Tone Corrector more effective for me for scaring.

A little bit goes a long way because sometimes I only wear it on my problems areas, most notably my forehead. Sometimes I would use it all over my face. One 30mL bottle lasts me about 4 months. I like that it is pump bottle, which keeps the product sanitary and prevents contamination. The one thing I dislike is the scent because I find it strong and a bit medicinal.

The Body Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

Above: The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector.

Alas, a posting finally. I do feel bad about going MIA for so long, as real life got in the way with school and work. My camera decided to go missing as well. I picked up the Hemp Hand Protector a few months ago during one of The Body Shop Canada’s 30th anniversary sales.

My hands are chronically dry, especially during the fall and winter seasons. I have heard some good things about hemp being a great moisturizing ingredient, so I gave the Hemp Hand Protector a try. I quite like the moisturizer as it it is rich but not greasy. It also absorbs into my skin very quickly, softening and moisturizing my hands for about 3-4 hours. It feels fairly light for a cream with a rich and thick texture.

The Body Shop lists the three main ingredients as:

Hemp Seed Oil, which has high concentration of essential fatty acids that repairs skin’s moisture barrier to restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness.

Allantoin, which helps relieve and soothe dry skin.

Panthenol, which improves flexibility of the nails and helps reduce flaking a breakage.

I have been using the cream on and off for a few weeks now and the only benefit I notice is that it does moisturize and soften my hands quite well. It does seem to help soothe the eczema patches on my elbows from itching like crazy. I haven’t noticed the cream strengthening my nails yet. Overall, I like this cream, but the only thing I don’t like is the scent is too grassy and woody for my taste.

The Body Shop Pomegranate & Raspberry Body, Room & Linen Spritz

Above: The Body Shop’s Pomegranate and Raspberry Body, Room and Linen Spray

The Body Shop’s Pomegranate and Raspberry Body, Room and Linen Spray is sweet and fruity. Although these are classified as room and linen sprays by The Body Shop, these sprays can be used on the skin as a light body spray. I also have Vanilla & Lime Blossom and Green Tea and Lemon and I like them both. I really like the light sweetness of  raspberry but I don’t really smell the pomegranate. The notes of this fragrance include: red currant, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, guava and coconut. I like that there isn’t any alcohol scent in the initial spray of the fragrance. All the body, room and linen sprays I own compliment each other well and I like to mix and match Pomegranate and Raspberry with Vanilla and Lime Blossom. The only thing I don’t like about these sprays is that they only last 1-2 hours on my skin.

The Body Shop Green Tea & Lemon Body, Room and Linen Spray

Above: The Body Shop Green Tea and Lemon Body, Room and Linen Spray

I have recently discovered some of Body Shop’s Body, Room and Linen Sprays during some of their sales. Although, these are meant to be for rooms and linens, they can be used on the body too. I find most of these sprays too light and fast fading for me, but I like the scent combinations and they mix and match very well with each other, so I bought I few to try since they were on sale. I find Green Tea and Lemon very light, much lighter than Vanilla and Lime Blossom and the scent fades faster. On my skin it only lasts about 1-2 hours. Green Tea and Lemon smells refreshing and fresh. The lemon is fresh but not overly sparkling or tangy and citrus, which is softened by the green tea. Besides the top notes of green tea and lemon, other notes include Lily of the Valley, Orchid, and precious woods. It is also infused with lemon essential oil and Community Trade honey. Although I think these sprays are almost too light and fast fading, I like that I don’t smell alcohol during the initial spray or at all, just the pure scent of lemon and green tea.