Shea Love

Many beauty products take pride in having shea butter as part of the ingredients, due to its very effective moisturizing properties. In fact, shea butter is widely used in Africa to moisturize and protect the skin from the dry dessert and extreme heat. That being said, I go straight to goodness' source with The Body Shop Shea Body Butter. Regular readers of my blog would know my addiction towards body butters, as they're the only cure for my perennially dry and flaky legs.

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

The Body Shop Body Butters have gotten an awesome makeover. The new packaging looks more fun and youthful, while remaining classy and straightforward (as the main ingredient is featured on the lids). The shea nut is on the lid of this one. Also, the tub is now a matte light brown shade as opposed to the glossy tubs they had before.

Also, the back part of the packaging which houses the label has this new feature: a scannable barcode which enables you to discover amazing community fair trade ingredients stories. Interesting!

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter is thick, dense, creamy, but never greasy. I appreciate it because even though it's made for very dry skin, it doesn't have a slightly sticky feel (unlike the Mango variant which is also made for very dry skin). This body butter is easily absorbed and leaves the skin super soft and smooth to the touch. And it smells like powder, which I really like.

I think that my legs are the most vulnerable part of my body when it comes to sudden weather/temperature changes. When it's cold, it could sometimes get itchy and flaky, and that feels very uncomfortable for me. Also, I wear skirts to work so the all-day air-conditioning makes it even drier. When I massage on this body butter, I get instant relief from the itching and flaking, and I am left with moisturized and shiny legs. The flakes are gone, just like that! No kidding. I therefore rank this variant as my new favorite body butter. (The Body Shop Mango Body Butter places second though. I still can't totally forget or get over it since it has been my fave since high school!)

And because I love this body butter so much, I'm bringing these handy sachet samples with me to trips (just because I don't like lugging around big tubs when I'm on a vacation). I got this samples from the Pulse event because these were included in the loot bag for the Love Your Body members who confirmed and attended.

Another interesting new product from The Body Shop are their Body Mists!

The Body Shop Shea Body Mist

Our Shea takes on a fresh new form. Spray this light scented body mist all over your body for a gentle burst of delicious nuttiness. It's irresistible.

    Delicious nutty fragrance
    Light and fresh
    Use all over body

Now I get to take with me the sweet, nutty, buttery scent (with hints of vanilla!) with me everywhere I go! The nozzle of the atomizer dispenses the fragrance in light mists so the scent would scatter all over your body, which makes for a deliciously refreshing treat for the senses.

Also, like the Shea Body butter, the back part of the Shea Body Mist has the same scannable barcode for the community trade story behind the product.

I'm also eyeing the Vanilla Body Mist from this range. I might get it next when my Shea Body Mist runs out. Have do you like these new products from The Body Shop? :)

Love,

Helen

The Body Shop Spa Fit Toning Bodycare

Wouldn't it be nice to have a perfectly toned body without exercise? I'd love that! Even if I'm blessed with a slender frame, I eat a lot and I barely exercise (since I'm too lazy and my body burns the food I eat instantly anyway). That being said, anything that would tone my body even more is a plus in my book. (One serving of washboard abs, please!)
 

The Spa Fit take pride in delivering the skin firming and toning benefits of a spa retreat at the comforts of your own home. This range features the Smoothing & Refining Body Scrub (P1,695.00), Toning Concentrate (P1,195.00), and Massage Oil (P1,195.00). Every product is powered with citrus ingredients and caffeine, which is known to reduce the unsightly dimpling of the skin. Use these product together with the Spa Fit exclusive massage techniques below for best results.

Spa Fit Exclusive Massage Techniques:

Arms, Legs, Thighs, Hips, and Buttocks: Stimulate and Exfoliate

Use the Spa Fit Massager and Smoothing & Refining Body Scrub

Legs and Thighs: Knead and Tone

Use with the Spa Fit Toning Concentrate or Toning Massage Oil

 

Stomach, Arms, and Thighs: Roll and Firm

Use with the Spa Fit Toning Concentrate or Toning Massage Oil

  

The product that I have up for review is the Spa Fit Toning Concentrate, which tones and refines the skin's texture. It is enriched with 100% natural-origin citrus and caffeine ingredients.
 

The Body Shop Spa Fit Toning Concentrate
 

This zesty concentrate contains 100% natural-origin citrus ingredients. It will leave skin looking smoother and more toned. For best results, use with other products in the Spa Fit range.

    Refines and tones
    Zesty citrus scent
    With lemon and grapefruit essential oils

 

The Toning Concentrate has a gel consistency that feels wonderful and tingly cool on the skin. Despite the yellow gel, it dries clear and no visible tint is left on the skin. It smells like lemons and menthol combined (and it reminds me of Maxx Honey Lemon Menthol Candy). I massage it on my stomach and waist (since that's the part of me that needs improvement), and my skin feels velvety smooth and toned afterwards (considering that my torso always has dry skin). The feeling of having smooth velvety skin is so addicting that I sometimes also use this on my arms and legs (even if I don't really need to), especially when I'm wearing sleeveless tops or shorts. This product won't cause any miracles, like cellulite disappearing all of the sudden, as it's more of a skin enhancing/improving product. Plus, unlike other body creams/gels that promise to melt off the fat and make your skin warm and sweaty, this product gives the opposite effect. It's cooling (which feels so good), and the scent is refreshing and uplifting.

The Body Shop's Spa Fit is all the rage because it's bikini season on the other side of the globe. Here in the Philippines, bikini season might be over, but it could be rainy today and summer again tomorrow. Hence, the Spa Fit range would be a nice addition to our body care arsenal to look fabulously toned everyday!

Love,
Helen

Snoe Hard Candy Lip Color

Presenting the cutest, most amazingly kikay keychain ever: Snoe Hard Candy Lip Color! The first time I saw this, it thought that this would just be like 3 regular lipsticks in a cute little case that's made for kiddies, but I was so wrong. It's actually 3 bright lip stains in a pot. You'd think twice before buying pricey lip stains after you've tried out this one.

Snoe Hard Candy Lip Color

About the Product:

Candy-colored and yummy shades? Yes! Convenient and cute packaging? Yes! Change your lip color anytime? I'm afraid not. The color you use the on the first application stains your lips so you can't really change the color in a snap (unless you use a makeup remover). You can either just reapply or blend it with other shades.

Bubblegum | Strawberry Shake | Milk Chocolate

The colors are so rich and pigmented, and they won't budge on your lips no matter how much you drink or snack. I use it in the office, and I drink water every so often, and by midday, the color is still vibrant! (If I don't eat oily food during lunch time, the color does not come off as well.) After lunch, I brush my teeth and the color is still there. I have to reapply a little bit to make it last the entire afternoon. When I go home, I remove my makeup with a cleansing cream, and it does not totally come off. I use my little finger to apply this lip color (as I find using lip brushes a hassle), hence my pinky always has a rosy stain.

Swatches:

Bubblegum

True to its shade name, the pink shade looks as sweet as bubblegum! On some days when my lips are particularly dry, I find it hard apply this shade evenly because the inner parts of my lips end up having a darker pink tint. I love using this pink shade on top of the Strawberry Shake red shade below though, as it gives me the most amazing berry shade when mixed together!

Strawberry Shake

This one is my favorite shade among the three! It's a lovely blue-red shade with hints of pink. This one is easier to blend compared to the Bubblegum shade. I can also vary the intensity of this shade. If I want a natural tint, I apply a little amount (and it goes a long way). If I want bloody/berry red lips, I pile it on, blot, and reapply.

Milk Chocolate

I expected this shade to look brown because of it's name, but it's coral! However, I'm not a fan of coral lips so I rarely use this shade. This would look great on darker skin tones.

You'll be surprised to know that Snoe Hard Candy Lip Color costs just P159.00! You get 3 amazingly pigmented lip colors (that work like lipstains) that come in a cute keychain packaging. Plus, another bonus you'd love is that the lip colors smell like chocolates. Yum!

Go rush to your nearest Snoe store/kiosk now and candy-fy your lips! :-*

Love,

Helen