A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

A good citrusy scent is unbeatable for those mornings when you just can’t seem to muster the energy to lift your sleepy head from the pillow.  It’s an energising, invigorating and fresh smell and if combined with a hint of spice then it’s in my shopping basket quicker than a New York minute.

However, I’ve come to the conclusion that citrus is a tricky scent to capture… I’ve sniffed many ‘lemon’ products that quite frankly would be better kept under my kitchen sink than by the side of my bath.

The Body Shop have just launched their Sweet Lemon range, I was given two products from the range at their recent presentation and as a veritable grumpy connoisseur of all things lemon-y… they’re up against a tough nose.

Sweet Lemon Shower Gel – £6

A soap-free, non-drying cleansing gel with luscious lemon seed oil. Lathers to leave your skin feeling cleansed, refreshed, soft and subtly scented.

The Sweet Lemon Shower Gel is nice, it definitely isn’t too synthetic smelling – it’s sharp rather than sweet and lathers up nicely.  I’d like it to leave a little more scent on my skin, but for an “in shower experience” it does the job well.  I think it comes at quite a price though… between me and Mr. L we’d get through 2 bottles of this a month easily, and I wish I could justify £12 a month on Shower Gel, but I can’t.  If your skin isn’t sensitive to soap, I’d suggest trying out a bar of the Sweet Lemon Soap at a much more affordable £2 a pop.

Sweet Lemon Whip Body Lotion – £8

Light and fluffy, this quick-absorbing, non-greasy whipped cream lotion, with rich and velvety natural ingredients, smoothes easily over the skin, leaving it feeling well moisturised, soft and supple. Provides moisturisation that lasts up to 12 hours. Leaves skin scented with an uplifting and fresh lemon fragrance.

The scent of the Sweet Lemon Whip Body Lotion (which again is sharp rather than sweet) lingers beautifully without being overpowering.  The formula feels light and fluffy, sinking nicely into my skin without leaving any greasiness.  I’m not sure how much stock I’d put into their 12hr moisturisation claims for this product as I personally need something heavier to keep my skin supple for that length of time.  I’d give the scent of the range a 7/10 but it really appeals to Mr. L’s nose, and he never gives a crap about stuff like this… so it’s definitely a product I’ll be shopping for when my current one runs out.  As it spreads so smoothly, I don’t think I’d need to repurchase too often either… well, not unless I catch Mr. L at my bottle again *side eye*.

Have you tried the new Sweet Lemon range from the Body Shop?  What are your favourite smells to get you going in the mornings?  Bacon doesn’t count.

In March 1976, the late Dame Anita Roddick founded The Body Shop in Littlehampton – a small seaside town on the South coast of England.  Fast forward 34 years to the present day and The Body Shop now boasts the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world.

I went along to The Westbury Hotel in Mayfair last week to hear a presentation on behalf of The Body Shop who are currently celebrating 22 years of community trade across the globe.  From India to Namibia, Guatemala to Samoa the world is their garden and as a company, they want us to know that they’re taking measures to protect it and the lives it supports.

It’s currently Fairtrade Fortnight (22nd Feb – 7th Mar) and The Body Shop were keen to highlight and explain exactly what Community Trade (CT) means and what it involves.

4 of the 6000 women that make up the Eudafano Women’s Cooperative (EWC) in Namibia.  The EWC supplies  The Body Shop wih Marula Oil (used in nearly all their cosmetics).

Community Trade works along the same principles as Fair Trade, but was established back in 1987 before the Fair Trade mark was available or had indeed become fashionable.  From what I understood, the main difference is that the foundations of fair trade are laid much deeper in the CT program and work to support the producer’s whole community, not just the producers themselves.  The Body Shop also made it clear that they never enter CT relationships for the short term and only commit to sustainable trading relationships that help affect real social change.

Click play on the video below to learn more about The Body Shop’s involvement with Community Trade:

Two of The Body Shop’s major CT suppliers were in attendance and it was a rare and interesting opportunity to hear how their involvement with The Body Shop affects the communities and co-operatives they represent.  It became clear very quickly that the democratic relationship between the ‘industries’ was a precious one to both parties.

Whilst I was sitting there, the antagonist in me kept thinking “What do The Body Shop get out of these CT arrangements when it means they have to pay more for their ingredients?”.  Thankfully, Christina from The Body Shop didn’t shy away from that subject and explained that it is simply expected of them to uphold the core values that, as a company, they’ve always claimed to represent.  Community Trade allows them to continue their commitments to trading with a conscience whilst benefiting from the (often ancient) knowledge of real experts and assured quality products.

I’m willing to admit that in the past, I’ve accused The Body Shop products of being overpriced and in comparison to products I can buy in other high street stores, they are.  I still may only be able to afford to treat myself to my Olive Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner when I’m feeling flush, but I will now hand over my money with a degree of contentment.  It’s good to know that every purchase made contributes to making a real and sustained difference to communities.  Communities that without the CT backing by The Body Shop would be powerless to break into global markets or risk plundering by unethical industry.

…with Pass The Christmas Parcel from The Body Shop!

Click the image above to be taken to the site where you can claim your voucher.

After you’ve saved yourself some money, make yourself uber popular by sending the link on to your friends!

You can redeem online or in store, I got a 20% off voucher and Mr. L nabbed himself a 15% off voucher.  That 30% voucher eludes us this time, can you do better?  Find out now.

As far as high street brand cosmetic brushes go… I often fall back on my beloved Body Shop brushes so when I saw their foundation Kabuki brush in my local Body Shop, I knew I had to make it mine – especially after my recent positive experience with mineral makeup.  I’m not sure how long this brush has been available but I didn’t see it last time I was in store.

Firstly, I need a little rant to say that the case it comes with is utter crap… seriously, Body Shop – why even bother with a case at all if it’s as rubbish as this one?  You should be embarassed, I know I’m embarassed for you… It barely fits the brush and is like a slippery silicone-y rubbery type floppy thing that offers little to no protection at all in my makeup bag.

Look, I mean… what practical purpose is this supposed to serve in protecting your very beautiful Kabuki brush?

Anyway, onto the brush itself before I give myself a thrombosis…

So soft… I mean so, So, SO soft.  The synthetic bristles are densely packed and allow for a generous collection of product with a single swirl.  The bristles are fairly long and this makes for really easy application in harder to reach areas like along the side of the nose.  Since it’s first use, it’s shed about 4 bristles and that’s it.  Even after a gentle wash, there was no additional shedding or bleeding.  I’m so impressed!

Hello lover!

Currently priced at £14.65 on The Body Shop’s website – I’m really pleased with it (as I’m sure you have established by now!) But I shall definitely be on the hunt for a kabuki sized case to protect it – if anyone has any recommendations, please send them my way!

Here’s another before/after (before on the left) – showing the same application as the other day of Elemental Beauty’s Mineral Foundation in English Rose, however this time, applied after watching a couple of youtube instruction vids and The Body Shop Kabuki!

By George, I think she’s got it!  Although someone needs to pin that poor lass down and give those eyebrows some shape.  And who’s George anyway?

Oh, *psst* – by the way, that Baked Bronzer I got… the one by La Femme with all the pretty gold and white veining… load of pooh, really.  I can’t get the product to show up on me.  It doesn’t bronze, brighten or even highlight.  I was hoping for subtle, but existent would have been nice.  Perhaps a darker shade would be more evident, but my opinion of it is so… *meh*… that I can’t be arsed to order another.

Flitting back to The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Foundation Brush… (what a mouthful)… I’m giving it a 4.5/5 – it would be higher but that case niggles.  So there.

‘Till next time…

[starreview]