Haul | The Body Shop

For quite a few years now, the internet has been a buzz with The Body Shop products. I myself, as a 19 year old, hadn't bought anything from there until recently. I know I know, I'm ashamed of myself too. It wasn't a "I'm too cool for this hype" however, unlike my insistent decision to not watch Frozen unless I'm forced, then my hipster side really does come out (but that's another story). 

Until recently, I'd just never been bothered to actually buy anything from there. It sounds bad, but it's only been in the last few years that I've upped my skincare and I had no idea how many people raved about their products. Don't get me wrong, I've had Body Shop gifts from friends in the past, but I never felt compelled to go in there myself. What is this madness you ask? Well, years of "Oh look, The Body Shop - maybe I can go buy a new body!" from my mum and grandma EVERY SINGLE TIME we've walked passed, may have contributed towards this. Anyway, with the help of a cheeky 15% off sale, I recently bit the bullet and ordered some of their most popular skincare products. So I thought I'd give my unbiased opinion with this little haul.

Tea Tree Face Mask

I'll start off with the Tea Tree Face Mask. This was one of the products I was most intrigued about due to the major skin benefits that come from tea tree. Before now, I've mainly used shampoos containing tea tree, on my hair, not my face, because it's great for unclogging build up and making my scalp feel refreshed.The thing I liked most about the the face mask is that it didn't dry out my skin unlike some masks that I've used before. I found that my skin was left feeling soft, refreshed and really revitalised. The labeling of the product advises that it used regularly to keep spots at bay and I've found that just by using it twice a week, my skin truly does look a lot smoother. If your skin is slightly on the sensitive side, the mask may feel a bit too intense so I recommend a thin layer instead of the heavy usage it suggests.
Price: £10

Aloe Soothing Night Cream

I really do love a good nighttime moisturiser. Who doesn't love a product that you can just shove on your skin and gets to work while you sleep. Aloe is well known for it's soothing attributes and great for treating problems such as sunburn, perfect for the hot summer weather (or lack of it if you're living in Northern England). I'll be honest, I haven't really seen much of a difference whilst using this night cream. I suppose I'd probably get the best results if my skin was slightly on the drier side/faced the effects of the weather. I was hoping that that the aloe properties would have a cooling effect, but I'm really yet to see the benefits of using the cream.

Price: £12

Tea Tree Oil

This was another tea tree product which had me interested. Before using the oil, I'd heard many people gush about it's ability to tackle blemishes and reduce all around redness. I'm not too sure why it's called an oil, as the consistency is very runny and is best to be used on a cotton bud which is dabbed on the problem area. That being said, I have noticed a significant reduction in the redness of blemishes and it does shrink them quite a bit. Again however, the product is quite strong and will probably be a bit harsh on sensitive skin. I also have used other spot targeting creams which have done an overall better job in completely getting rid of them.
Price: £7

Vitamin E Body Butter
Who could hate on a good old body butter? Well not me, although the idea of smearing butter on your body is quite grotesque. Thankfully, no butter is used in the actual product. Again, following the healthy skin theme I wanted to try this particular moisturiser, as it contains vitamin E which is used in sun creams as it helps soak up all the goodness which prevents it from drying out. I tend to find that shaving my legs, especially in winter, can leave my skin slightly irritated and can make them slightly dry. Using the butter on my legs does after showering really does leave them smooth as a dolphin. It's a pity it can't give me the swimming power of one. But, I will say I haven't noticed a major difference when compared to other moisturisers I've used in the past, other than that I do think it lasts a bit longer on the skin.

Price: £13

Vitamin E Eye Cream

Price: £11
Yep, more vitamin E. Hurray for vitamins! Any eye cream which suggests it can hydrate, soften and reduce puffiness of the eye area gets a thumbs up from me. The pointed shape of the tube means the cream goes on like a dream. I do find the formula hydrating and the skin under my eyes is left feeling velvety soft. Other than that though, I haven't really noticed a massive difference in the appearance of my under eyes, and I'm still yet to find a cream that really has a wow-factor for me. (Recommendations are always welcome).

Many of the products featured in this most were on the 'best sellers' part of the site. I've got to be honest, although I find one or two items a brilliant addition to my skincare routine, a lot of what I've purchased hasn't really blown me away. (Alright ya Debbie Downer). If anyone has any products from the Body Shop that you think I'd be a fool not to try, then please do leave a comment letting me know!

Victoria ♥

Product Recommendation | Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash

With summer now officially in full force, yes I'm looking at you heatwave in the UK, prepping your skin is a must when dealing with hot weather. Obviously whilst drinking water, sun creams, cooling sprays etc are important, changes to your skin that may have happened in winter which you did not care about/notice may have occurred. 

Whilst I now have to regularly shave my legs so that they don't resemble the Amazon rain forest, sigh, I also have to keep my skin prepped to be officially 'summer ready'. So what does that entail? Well, for me a major problem I have is tackling an unfortunate issue with my skin which seems to occur on my shoulders/top of my back - spots. What's that I hear you cry, a young adult who has a slight acne problem? Oh no! The shame! No but in all seriousness, I feel like what is termed 'bacne' isn't really documented enough since as far as I'm aware, it isn't as common as facial acne. But since I know full well I'm not the only sufferer on planet Earth, I thought I'd recommend a product that has been a real game changer for my problem.

Bring in the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. 

(For all you English folk, I think I've been watching too much Love Island)

Before summer had even began, I'd started looking for a not so overly priced solution for my body blemish problem and that's when I'd discovered Neutrogena's £10 life saver on Amazon. After reading numerous positive reviews and finding that the price wasn't at all extortionate, I thought I'd give it a go. It quite literally only took my about a week to notice a difference in my skin. There was a stark contrast in the amount of blemishes I found on my shoulders and the colour of them looked significantly less red and angry. Whilst the product doesn't clear up the marks, which it doesn't claim to, it definitely prevents another outbreak from taking over my skin. It's like my skin is Meereen and the wash is the Unsullied. Yes, the Sons of the Harpy are going down. I have been watching too many episodes of Game of Thrones, I think I need help.

When I team this with my trusty Sudocrem, my skin honestly clears up within a matter of days. I truly recommend this product to anyone who is suffering with body acne, no matter how big or small. Obivously if it's a continuous problem that doesn't clear up within a few months I would recommend going to see a doctor, but otherwise I think I've just found a major gem.

Victoria ♥