I tried the Body Shop make up for the first time, is it a go or a no-go?

The Body Shop is a store were I went to when I was a teenager but somehow I forgot about it. So that’s why I’ve never tried their make up before up to recently. It’s funny how things in life go and that you forget about brands or products, even when you were very positive about it.

memory lane

When I went to high school it was the classic gift to friends, a present from the Body Shop. I guess the ’90 are back on all levels! They wrapped the goods in a little basket, with some decoration like the bath pearls and wrapped it in plastic. Life goes on and without knowing it I forgot about the brand and its store. I got older and the presents became different. Also my favorite watermelon flavoured lip balm I used so often that up to today I can’t stand the smell anymore. The positive side is that I remember how nice the products were and all good it stands for. I don’t see why I don’t go there more often?

the Body Shop

How fortunately, I got to try out some of the new products. Actually I expected to receive one, but I ended up with a box full, lucky me. Like a kid I was exited and after unboxing I immediately tried it out. Very carefully because I had to photograph all the items for le blog, of course. So after making the photos I finally could give it a good try and work with it for a while. I always want to try out the items several times before writing a review.

A couple of fun facts about the Body Shop, as I love to discover more about a brand. I didn’t care about it when I was 14 but now I do! The very first shop was opened in 1976 in the UK and a couple of years later one opened in Belgium. From the early ‘80s each month a new shop was opened as a franchise. The company stands for good causes and in 1990 The Body Shop Foundation is founded. It offers financial support to groups who stand for human rights, animal wellbeing and the environment.

It’s been here much longer then I thought. the most important part is that the products are made with natural ingredients and that there’s no animal testing envolved. Besides that, all products are 100% vegetarian so the brushes are synthetic as well. It’s free of gluten, no crimen, petrolatum or mineral oils. Or how I like to call it: there’s no junk in it.

make up

So I’ve never tried their make up products ever, besides the lip balm many years ago. The last two years I’ve been trying out new brands or new products. I’m still not sure what products work best for me, so I’m still searching for those ideal items. There has been a huge change on the contents of my bathroom cabin and also the content of my make up bag. New products are always a bit tricky, as you never know upfront if it will be good or not. So my main focus is the right color, material and natural ingredients.

matte clay skin clarifying foundation & foundation brush

The name of this foundation starts with “matte” which is exactly what I’m always looking for. I love all things mat. There were two colors in my package, a dark one with a yellow tone which is called moluccan nutmeg 055. The other one was a very light one with a beige tone, which is called hamerza dune 026. This would be a great way to start contouring with foundation but this is not something I like to do on a daily basis.

When I tried it, I applied both colours together on my hand, not like on the photo. I mixed it with a brush until it was the right color and applied it. I used the brush which I received in the parcel as well. It’s lot like the one I always use and is the M83E brush. Because of the fine ends of the brush you get a natural effect and it really spreads and blends well. I applied the light color underneath my eyes, the top of my nose and forehead, a little strobing after all.

• foundation 30 ml € 13,-
• review both colours aren’t my skin colour but they match the tone. By mixing it because the right colour though I find this a lot of work to do each day. If it was the right color it would be a perfect product as it’s matte and has a nice coverage. Not too much, for blemishes you need to apply a little extra, but this way it looks much more natural as well. I would buy it but only in the right colour, strobing and matching isn’t something I want to do each morning.

• fresh nude foundation brush € 17,-
• review a nice brush, easy to use and a great result. It’s that I already have such a brush which I use daily, or I would have bought this one as  well. The alternative like a beauty blender work nice as well but again, takes me too much time. This is quick, easy and has a nice result. If you don’t have a good brush for your foundation or BB cream I could really recommend this one.

drops of glow

This product is what made me curious, a liquid highlighter which you could mix with your foundation as well. I love all things matte, so I can apply highlighter where I want it to glow. In stead of glowing allover which is my natural look. I applied it on my cheeks, the tip of my nose and above the lips on the filtrum. It gives a nice, natural tone. It’s called drops because that’s all you know to apply, one drop.

• drops of glow 75 ml €16,- 
• review when applying the glow is very nice, it’s subtle and a little pink but I think it will match all skin tones. Though when I was finished doing my make up I decided to apply a little extra powder highlighter as I’m used to a little more flow. I think these drops are perfect for when you want to go for a natural looks. So it’s coming along for my holiday for sure, it will look perfect on a sun kissed skin.

instamatte

Again, that little word matte is like magic so this was also a product I wanted to try out immediately. I applied it on my nose as this is the worst to keep matte all day. Also my make up doesn’t stay put on that area, what do I do with my nose? You can use this to make anything more matte based, even on your eye lids. Also can be applied over your lipstick to make it matte.

• instamatte 10 ml €15,- 
• review the product does what it says, it makes the base more matte. I’m not always happy to use such products as they often just clog up the pores and leaving me with blemishes for the rest of the week but with this product no issues. However my make up didn’t really stayed on longer unfortunately. However I’d still buy it myself for that matte base. It looks expensive as it’s small however you only need a little drop, like in the photo.

make up setting spray

A spray which you use last after doing your make up is such a spray, to fix it. The scent is very neutral, a little fresh but nothing strong. You only need a couple of sprays for your face which is easily applied. It dries up immediately and you’re good to go.

• setting spray 60 ml €11,- 
• review the spray has a wide output (how do you call that?) though it does spray a lot of product. So you only need two pumps and it does solve immediately. The bottle is small and fits perfectly in my make up bag. Because you use little of it, you can use it quite often. I can’t really compare the quality of the product as I just recently started using this. So I don’t have enough to compare it with. It’s little but more expensive compared to other brands, but it’s safe to say it’s an honest product and also has no alcohol in it. Based on this I would consider buying it.

I loved trying out all these products. It still is a wonderful brand and I love the basic looks of it. Some of the products I’ve been using almost every day already like the brush and the instamatte. Some products are more for other times of the year, the drops of glow (hello summer holiday) and the foundation for winter. Do you use products from the Body Shop, which one you think I should try?