Zoella Beauty: Sweet Inspirations

If you're reading this, chances are you already know who Zoella is. If you don't, she's a beauty YouTuber and blogger who now has her own beauty and lifestyle product range. I've been watching Zoë's videos and reading her blog for about 4 years now and I love her taste in makeup/beauty and her attitude towards life.

I'm going to be honest with you; when I first saw the release of her Classic Collection I thought it was more suitable for her younger audience as I think it is based around fruity and young scents and therefore I wasn't sure whether to buy it myself or not. Then the update to the Classic Collection came along which I started to warm to a bit more, and now we have the Sweet Inspirations Collection which I think is the most Zoë out of all the collections, which made me want to buy it because I consider Zoë and myself quite similar in terms of makeup, skincare and general beauty product choice. I love Zoë and I'm so proud of her for releasing this amazing range of products.

I only bought 2 out of the 8 products from this collection as I wanted to try them out first before going all out but I love them so much I will definitely be going back to get the rest... And to re-purchase these ones once they run out. Hehe.

Firstly, let's talk about the packaging. Words that have been circulating in blogger reviews and Zoë's videos herself are 'French pâtisserie', '1920s' and 'sweetshop decor' and these are words I would definitely use to describe the beautiful packaging. The 'Bath Latte' is designed like a milk bottle, with a metallic gold lid and divine pastel blue and metallic gold wrapping and the product inside even looks like milk. It all fits together so perfectly and I can already tell this collection was so well thought out. 'Le Fizz' is a fizz-bar that is clearly inspired by a chocolate bar. The packaging is also metallic gold with some pastel pink and the actual bar comes in little cubes like a bar of chocolate.

I would describe the main scent of these products as sweet, milky and even slightly musky. The fizz-bar is described as 'macaron scented' and it is definitely sweeter than the Bath Latte which is 'enriched with nourishing sweet almond, cacao and honey'. You can wear this scent all year-round because even though it fits perfectly into Summer thanks to its sweetness and its similarity to a moisturiser you would use on holiday, it's also slightly musky - perfect for Winter. You definitely have to go to your nearest Superdrug to have a sniff of this because my adjectives don't do the scent justice. 

To see if the actual use of these products was as beautiful as their appearance, I ran a bath and tried them out. When the bath had finished running, I turned off the tap and put 3 fizz cubes in (the recommendation is 4 but it comes in rows of 3 and I didn't want to be left with an odd amount at the end). They fizzed a lot for their size, and left the water smelling splendid. These would be perfect for a calming pamper night when you don't want any huge bubbles, just a nice-smelling, relaxing bath. However, I did want some bubbles and was desperate to try out the Bath Latte so I went ahead and turned the tap back on and poured some under the running water and the result was divine: big, fluffly, nourishing bubbles that left my skin feeling super soft. When I got out of the bath, dried myself off and got my smoooooth body into some PJs, the scent lingered for a while which is great as it shows you're definitely getting your money's worth.

These products are so up my street and I honestly can't recommend them enough. They're perfect for a pamper night or a gift for your best friend, and they're not pricey at all (Bath Latte, £6; Le Fizz, £5.50). I can tell Zoë had a lot of input into their creation as they're so her - elegant, girly, sweet and beautiful and I'm so excited to return to Superdrug soon to spend my pennies on more Zoella Beauty products and also see what else they release in the future!

What's your favourite Zoella Beauty product? 

Libby

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Effaclar Duo+ - Does It Work?

Around two years ago, I went through the process of trying to be prescribed Roaccutane and I finally succeeded. During this time, La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo+ was recommended to me, and although I doubt it could've solved my intense skin problems that I had back then, it definitely does a good job of maintaining the healthy skin I have now.

La Roche-Posay is popular among dermatologists and I can definitely see why. For such a small price (£15.50, Boots), I can imagine it is rare to find a skincare product that does as good of a job as this does. On the La Roche-Posay website, Effaclar Duo claims to correct the appearance of blemishes, help pores look less clogged, make skin texture feel smoother, help reduce the appearance of red and brown marks and provide 24-hour hydration... And MY GOD does it do this. I apply it to my face and the top of my neck before bed, after cleansing and moisturising, and I wake up the next morning with smooth, even-toned skin. Even after washing it off with water and then moisturising, I have a perfect base to apply primer and foundation. If I go a few days without using this cream, I definitely notice a negative change in my skin - it looks dull, red marks reappear, and I start breaking out; so I know this product definitely aids in preventing breakouts. Also, if I do get a few spots as a result of stress or my period, I can apply a tiny amount of this to the area and the next day it is visibly clearer. This tube also lasts a really long time as I use less than a pea-sized amount for my whole face each time I apply.

This product definitely does do what it says it does, and I would recommend it to anybody - whether you've got spot-prone skin, a bit of redness, over-oily or over-dry skin. It is such a good buy and definitely makes beautiful and clarified skin seem easily achieved.

Have you tried Effaclar Duo or any other La Roche-Posay products? What do you think of them? Let me know below!

Libby

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The Body Shop Products You Need To Try

The Body Shop has been a favourite of mine for many years when it comes to must-haves such as cleansers and body scents. These products are just 5 of my rather large collection of TBS favourites, some of which are old buys and others new tries.

Aloe Calming Foaming Wash - I can't be the only person out there who is instantly drawn to the words 'fragrance-free, colourant-free, preservative-free, alcohol-free'. This means the product is perfect for sensitive skin, which is my skin type. I cleanse my skin with this foaming wash once a day and it is definitely appropriate for daily use, as aloe, its main active ingredient, is soothing and moisturising. To me, 'foaming' makes the formula sound light (which it sure is!) and therefore perfect for everyday use. I have been re-purchasing this for around 2 years now because it's one of the only skin-care products I've had nothing but good experiences with and wouldn't trust another product to do as good of a job.

Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt - I love baths, and I love products that make the experience even more enjoyable - whether it be bubbles, a potent smell, or skin benefits. This bath melt does all 3. The strong sweet but soothing honey scent lingers on my skin (which is now unbelievably smooth) for hours after my bath and it creates just the perfect amount of bubbles (not a pathetic amount but not an overflowing snow bath). This bath melt is a must-have for the bathroom cabinet, however it seems to be discontinued on the website. Try this product for a similar experience (tried and tested by me!).

Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask - OK, I have so much to write about this one but I'll try my best to keep it short! Every single product in the Expert Facial Masks range looks incredible! The consultant in the store and I were chatting for a good 20 minutes about the range and I finally decided to go with this mask. This product has many ingredients that are known to benefit skin in different ways.

Ginseng root extract - anti-ageing, toner, treats dark circles (evens skin tone)

Shea butter - moisturiser, reduces inflammation (evens skin tone)

Sesame seed oil - anti-ageing, repairs damaged skin cells.

How do I use it? I use this mask twice a week and I apply a medium-thickness (it is a clay-like formula so it's very thick to begin with). To make the product last a long time I wouldn't recommend using a huge amount each time (it's a fairly small pot). I'm sure it will be beneficial if it is just applied onto the t-zone, but I have acne scarring on my cheeks and I'm hoping that this mask might reduce the appearance of this over time, therefore I apply it to my whole face. I leave the mask on for around 10 minutes, then I gently exfoliate for a few seconds before washing it off and cleansing my face afterwards with the Aloe Foaming Wash, followed by moisturising.

My opinion? This mask definitely improved the overall appearance of my skin after use and this lasted into the next day. It left my skin feeling matte (kind of 'waterproofed') and soft, which is probably due to the exfoliator. If you're looking for a new facial mask that does a great job yet won't break the bank (RRP £16), I'd definitely recommend this one!

Black Musk EDT & Fijian Water Lotus EDT - The Body Shop definitely wins the game when it comes to affordable, unique scents. I mean, the names 'Fijian Water Lotus' and 'Black Musk' are definitely not names of perfumes I've heard before. Black musk isn't too feminine, which I think is one of the things I love about it. I'm not very good at describing scents but somebody said in the reviews for this EDT that it smells 'dark and spicy' and I thought 'YES THAT'S IT!'. So yeah. Dark and spicy. I'm also a fan of the White Musk EDT from TBS. Fijian Water Lotus is more light and summery, and it reminds me of a potent-smelling flower or leaf. It definitely also reminds me of scented water. The names for these perfumes are just tooooooo accurate!

I hope this post has inspired you into a little Body Shop haul. I don't think I'll ever stop purchasing these products.

I would love to know what you think of these must-haves or anything from The Body Shop (I'm always trying out new things from them).

Libby

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