If you are to rule over your own planet, how will it be like?

I faced this thought-provoking question as I received an invite to The Body Shop's event last week. It got me quite curious since they didn't reveal what they'll be launching. I had so many answers in mind, and so many questions as well.

Brace yourselves for a long photo-heavy post, as I share with you what's new and what's up with The Body Shop!
 

Each one of us certainly wants to have a better world, but how do we actually define better? Is it a cleaner world, a peaceful city, or greener surrounding?

The Body Shop has always been famous for being a cruelty-free brand with their mantra Beauty with Heart. They are the pioneer of using Community Fair Trade ingredients in each of their products, which are directly obtained from poor farmers and not middlemen suppliers.

It was my first time to go to Le Petit Souffle at Century City Mall, and I loved how the place is like lush and tranquil garden. Food was awesome and so photogenic, too, so they deserve a separate food post. :) 
 

The Body Shop has always believed that business can be a force for good and change. The new Commitment, entitled Enrich Not Exploit, embraces the bold ethical principles from which The Body Shop was built. The Body Shop is celebrating their 40th anniversary this May, and they've set a significant goal to be the world’s most ethical and truly sustainable global business.

 

Enrich our People

• Double our Community Trade programme from 19 to 40 ingredients and help enrich communities that produce them
• Help 40,000 economically vulnerable people access work around the world
• Engage 8 million people in our Enrich Not Exploit Commitment mission, creating our biggest campaign ever
• Invest 250,000 hours of our skills and know-how to enrich the biodiversity of our local communities

Enrich our Products 

• Ensure 100% of our natural ingredients are traceable and sustainably sourced, protecting 10,000 hectares of forest and other habitat
• Reduce year on year the environmental footprint of all our product categories
• Publish our use of ingredients of natural origin, ingredients from green chemistry, and the biodegradability and water footprint of our products
• Develop an innovation pipeline that delivers pioneering cosmetic ingredients from biodiversity hotspots and which helps to enrich these areas

Enrich our Planet

• Build Bio-Bridges, protecting and regenerating 75 million square metres of habitat helping communities to live more sustainably
• Reduce the environmental footprint of our stores every time we refurbish or redesign them
• Develop and deliver three new sustainable packaging innovations
• Ensure that 70% of our total product packaging does not contain fossil fuels
• Power 100% of our stores with renewable or carbon balanced energy
• Reduce by 10% the energy use of all our stores every year

One of their initiatives I admire was them making use of air pollution and turning them into plastic packaging for their body butters. It almost sounds too good to be true, but they've done it! Instead of creating more plastic waste, they've turned waste into something good.

In line with how they want to brighten up your day and add to the peacefulness of the night in your world, The Body Shop has also launched two new skincare lines.
 

Drops of Life

The Body Shop is proud to have a "no retouch policy" in their ads, so what you see is what you really get. To help us achieve the #NoFilter beauty, it all starts with beautiful and healthy skin. The NEW Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Range makes use of red algae extract to brighten up your skin. Their 5-in-1 formula improves healthy brightness, translucency, evens skin tone, minimizes the appearance of pores, and leaves skin feeling smooth and supple.
 

Drops of Light Foam Wash 125ml (P895)

Cleanse and clarify your complexion morning and night with this rich, creamy foam wash.

 

Drops of Light Pure Translucency Essence Lotion 160ml (P1,295)
Hydrate and enhance translucency morning and night. The first essential step after cleansing, this refreshing gel‑to‑water texture boosts hydration and activates skin for the next step of your skincare regime.
 

Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Serum 30ml (P1,895)
Replenish and illuminate skin with this lightweight, fast‑absorbing, non‑sticky serum. It glides effortlessly to deliver efficient brightening whilst leaving skin feeling instantly supple and hydrated. After 4 weeks skin imperfections and yellowness are reduced, pores look minimised and skin looks brighter and more translucent. 
 

Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Day Cream 50ml (P1,595)
Nourish skin with this highly moisturising day cream. Its silky texture melts onto your skin and is clinically proven to significantly reduce the number, size and intensity of dark spots while delivering 24H hydration. Instantly skin texture is smoother, softer and re‑plumped with moisture. After 4 weeks skin is brighter, looks healthier, more even toned and clarified.
 

The star product for this range is the Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Serum, which is a lightweight yet potent skin brightening serum. It reminds me so much of Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. I can't wait to review this one!

Tip: If you want to score a bottle of this serum for free, take the challenge and get a chance to be one of the top 3 scorers to bring home the NEW Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Serum! To join, click this link: https://dropsoflight-runner.com. The contest ends on April 30, 2016.
 

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Oils of Life
 

In an ideal world, we'd all get 8 solid hours of sleep per night, but with so much things to do, that seems like a dream in itself. I've heard of Korean sleeping packs before, which are somewhat like no-rinse face masks that you'd apply before you sleep so you'd wake up with a healthy glow. The Body Shop was quick to catch up with their newest product from the Oils of Life range.
 

Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream (P1,795)
A night time cream to deeply nourish, visibly revitalize and intensely firm while you sleep. We searched the world and selected 3 Precious Seed Oils known for their revitalizing and repairing properties. By infusing them with 7 Powerful Essential Oils into a refreshing yet cushiony cream, we've created an Intensely Revitalizing Sleeping Cream that replenishes like a dream (almost).

A pea-sized amount is more than enough to cover your entire face (and neck even). This one is made of oil, but it comes in an almost gel-cream texture that spreads like butter on your face. It smells really divine and relaxing. I'd say, it's a spa-in-a-jar for your face! Because of its rich texture, this works best for those with dry skin.
 

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Before the program started, I roamed around the venue and spotted these new face masks. My oily skin loved the Mineral & Ginger Warming Massage Clay Mask most. It's so soothing! Since it warms up the skin, I could imagine my pores opening up as the clay absorbs all the oil and impurities. Love!
 

After The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit's reign, here comes the new 2-in-1 Brow Definer. It's a double-ended brow pencil with a natural brown shade on one end, and a highlighter on the other end. The highlighter enhances the brow bone, and it reminds me of Benefit's High Brow. Only this could be the more useful and practical thing to get, since it's 2-in-1. The cap comes with a brow brush, too!

 

During the program, I learned that there are 1.4 billion people who are still living in darkness, with no access to basic neccesities such as electricity and light. The Body Shop shared with us SALt's cause of bringing light to our less fortunate brothers and sisters by using their innovative saltwater lamps that require no fuel. Let's support movements like this! Imagine, a single saltwater lamp can illuminate a household for years. This can also help the little children to study and attend to their homework for a brighter future.

  

We were also given a chance to create our own ecosystem! It was fun, and I wished I had brought along tiny humans (like those little Polly Pocket dolls) to put inside.

To answer the question, if I were to rule over my own planet, I'd preserve as much greenery as I can. I'd love for it to be a garden of all sorts - filled with flowers and fruits. I'd create a very efficent road system, so there won't be a need for automobile transportation. I'll also harness the natural power of nature, solar, wind, and water alike. Lastly, anyone caught littering or polluting nature's beauty will be expelled to outer space. Haha! :P

 

Hello, Doly! :D

 

Afternoons spent with The Body Shop are always insightful and fun learning experiences. This is one of the few brands I'd brave the afternoon heat and traffic for. ♥

Facebook: The Body Shop, Philippines
IG: @thebodyshopph

Love,
Helen

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