Barry M Glow Beam & Barry M Heatwave Bronzers

 

Barry M bronzers have always been on my top list of must haves. I have a fond recollection of how my mother was one of the first stockists of Barry M's icon product 'Natural Dazzle', back then it came in a round loose powder format. The rep would come to our house with her briefcase full of samples and I would spend hours choosing which Barry M products my mother would sell in her shop. Natural Dazzle was one of her best sellers and this was back in the 1980s!

So I was excited to see the latest edition of bronzers. They come in a pressed compact format and in 3 wearable shades Tropical Heatwave - a lighter bronzer for pale skin tones, Island Heatwave - a medium shade and Desert Bronzer for tanned and darker skin tones. They can be used to give warmth all over the face or for some serious contouring used not only on the cheekbones but on the eyes too.  Unlike other bronzers they don't leave any glitter or shimmer trail and give a nice matte finish, perfect for the hot weather.  The packaging has been upgraded to fully recyclable and so doesn't include a mirror. As with all their products are cruelty free and vegan friendly. At £5.99 you can buy them from Superdrug or Barrym.com.

I was also sent the Glow Beam Palette £6.99. Again a very versatile palette to suit all skin tones. Use to highlight cheekbones, under the brow, on the inner corner of the eyes or just on the cupids bow. You can even apply lip balm and one of the highlighters to the centre of your lips for a fuller appearance. For sexy legs, after applying moisturiser sweep a little along the shin bones. Once again the highly pigmented colours blend seamlessly into the skin. My photo isn't the greatest here but I think you can tell just how stunning the bronze shimmer is! 

You can purchase the items at Barrym.com

L'ABU SKIN

 

I'd not heard of this brand before but I liked its USP, which is 'Pure and Simple'. Quite often our biggest dilemma in skincare is not our skin type, but by the overwhelming amount of products there are on the market. Constantly we are bombarded with new products for different skin types, skin problems and it's just all too much to take in. L'abu ethos is about the basic 3 steps in skincare that are 'cleanse, target and hydrate'. It's a simple approach yet using top quality ingredients, and born out of love from Netta and Hayley, mother and daughter! They not only have a love for their products but they also have a lot of love for our NHS and last year donated £4000 worth of skincare to frontline workers. 

I was sent the Oat Milk Cleanser £15 to test and Collagen Boosting Moisturiser £20.  Oats have been used in skincare for centuries due to the skin softening effects they produce.  This rich, creamy cleanser infused with Frangipani was a delight to use. Warmed into the palms of my hands and massaged into my face, once removed with a warm cloth, effectively and quickly got rid of my water resistant mascara and left my face feeling nourished. Often cleansers can feel stripping and leave the skin tight, but this just left my skin feeling supple.  There's a cocktail of ingredients that promotes softening skin such as rice bran, apricot kernel oil and poppy seed oil. There's Green Tea Extract, a known ingredient in skincare to help with breakouts and problematic skin.  The oat extracts help nourish the skin and remove make-up and debris from pores. Whilst you can double-cleanse I personally didn't feel the need to as my skin was left so hydrated. 

I was also sent the Collagen Boosting Moisturiser £20 and at the age of 49 something my skin needs. If it says anti-ageing I need to test it! A top skin scientist once told me that the most important vitamins in skincare are vitamins ACE as they have the most profound effect on the skin.  This moisturiser contains these essential vitamins, and in turn helps promote cell renewal and prevent fine lines.  Kernel oil helps improve skin tone and keeps moisture locked in, whilst coconut oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and ideal for breakouts.  Tocopherol or Vitamin E as is commonly known, is used in skincare as an anti-oxidant and can help with pigmentation, especially when combined with the other vitamins. Vitamin A is an amazing addition to any skincare as minimises the appearance of enlarged pores and can help with the appearance of wrinkles, as well as improving uneven skin tone. 

The reason why I like to feature these kinds of brands on my blogs, the un-known ones without all the huge advertising etc, is that it's personable to the founders and so their passion is high, and this reflects in their products. I've been a Beauty and Lifestyle Editor for many years, and I always get more joy writing about the brands that have a story, something that is slightly different. I also like to look at other reviews as obviously my perception is well just that, my opinion.  If you look at the website you'll see various reviews from people with different skin types and it's evident the products are well loved! 

For more information you can see the products at www.labuskin.com

The Body Shop Fresh Raspberry Gel Body Scrub & Whipped Body Butter

 

My son just came downstairs and asked me if he could have some of the raspberries I was using for this photo shoot. Of course I said yes, as it made a change from Skittles but I had to draw the line of him having a spoonful of the Whipped Body Butter! - Yes it smells that good, that my 12 year old thought it was a yoghurt (probably as I was arranging fresh raspberries around it), that's the hazard of photographing smellies! 

Anyway The Body Shop kindly sent me some of their summer collection and their Fresh Raspberry Collection caught my sense of smell! It's absolutely scrumptious and without being sickly sweet, simply captures the essence of a punnet of raspberries.  The Whipped Body Cream is, as my son thought an edible concoction of avocado oil, shea butter and raspberry seed oil. Slightly lighter than the original Body Butters, it sinks easily into the skin and leaves skin hydrated for up to 72 hours. I did find upon application that it had a slightly bitter top note however, this soon went and left my skin smelling lightly fragranced of berries.  

The Gel Body Scrub is almost coulis in texture and again smells like a rich, raspberry jam. Best applied in the shower before you turn the water on, the exfoliating walnut shell and raspberry seeds lightly sloughs away dry skin and leaves it feeling soft, and of course smelling utterly delicious. My only warning is, do not leave around the kitchen if you have young children! 

The Whipped Cream is priced at £18 and the Gel Body Scrub is £16. Available from www.bodyshop.com

Nourish London Skin Range

 

Nourish London landed on my desk last week as samples. I was very excited to receive these products, as the name suggests it is a British brand, and I'm passionate about supporting UK businesses (especially after the year we've all had)!  Created by Dr Pauline Hili, her vision was to bring to the market a brand that used the best organic ingredients she could find, and transform them into products that would produce radiant and healthy skin.  The products, which are vegan and cruelty free have won awards for their formulas and have been named as 'hero' products. 

I was also very excited as two of the products sent were aimed for tired tootsies, and with the amount of dog walking I do, going through the menopause - my feet are, let's just say kindly knackered.  Every night I crawl into bed, utterly exhausted and just relieved to get the weight off my feet.   The Smoothing Foot Scrub and Softening Foot Cream Duo £20 are filled with skin refreshing essential oils, including peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary. The scrub has natural almond shell particles to gently smooth the skin and Aloe Vera to freshen and hydrate, whilst the Nourishing cream has sunflower seed oil and shea butter as a base.  Lavender, rosemary and tea tree help to naturally ward off fungal infections and leave feet smelling and feeling revitalised. For an extra skin-softening treat slather a generous amount before bed time and pop on cotton socks. The cream soaks into the skin leaving feet incredibly soft the next morning.  A beautiful gift to give and receive, ideal for expectant mums, nurses, teachers or anyone on their feet all day!

I was also sent the Antioxidant Peptide Mist from £7, a beautiful spray bottle that is filled with antioxidants, anti-ageing peptides and probiotic minerals.  Just one mist over the face gives a calming effect and is ideal to keep by the office desk.  Containing an abundance of ingredients such as hydrating hyaluronic acid and skin brightening liqourice, it's a wonder multi-purpose product ideal for all skin types. The addition of turmeric, well known for its anti-oxidant properties helps guard against pollution, so ideal if you work in the city. It handily comes in a travel size or full size and perfect to take when travelling. 

Finally I was also sent the Kale Enzymatic Exfoliator £18. Used just once or twice a week as a mask, or daily as a cleanser, this rich in vitamin C and K, Kale extract will reveal brighter skin and again protects the skin from pollution.  It's gentle enough to use on all skin types and rather than an abrasive scrub formula, lets the natural acids gently exfoliate.  The essential oil of geranium, immediately relaxes the mind, making for a pleasurable skincare ritual.  My skin is very dehydrated and sapped up the exfoliator, when left on as a mask. After wiping it off, my face felt supple and my dehydration lines had disappeared!

I usually don't write up so much on a brand, but was super impressed not only by the quality of ingredients but the way the products work. Stunningly presented, each product would make an ideal gift too.  A brand that I will definitely recommend to friends and family, you can check out the rest of their range at www.nourishskinrange.com

SkinCeuticals Oil Shield UV Defense Sunscreen Factor 50

I often get asked the question 'what is my absolute must-have in skincare' and my answer is always 'sunscreen'. On cloudy days, rainy days and on sunny days it is always sunscreen.  I love the sun and as soon as it breaks through the clouds, I am the first to point my face into the sky - I even park on the sunnier side of the road during the school run. However, I am well aware of the damage it does to our skin and so will always wear sunscreen. 

Unfortunately if you suffer from oily skin you may often find it very hard to find a sunscreen that suits your skins natural texture. Many sunscreens leave a greasy film behind encouraging more oil and resulting in more breakouts. This is where SkinCeuticals Oil Shield comes in.  Made specifically for blemish and oily skin types, this lightweight cream instantly mattifies the skin upon application. A very clever cream, that not only blocks the suns harmful rays but also has Silica silicate as part of it's chemistry makeup. This is the ingredient that gives the mattifying and blurring effect making it ideal for anyone who suffers with greasy skin (you can see this on the hand photo where it has 'blurred' the skin). It's the perfect primer for makeup and will help ensure your makeup stays put by preventing it sliding off due to excess oil. It's suitable for both men and women especially those who enjoy outdoor sports. The high SPF of 50 whilst isn't an invitation to bask all day in the sun, does give UV filters (23%) to block out the suns harmful UVA/UVB rays.

Most importantly it doesn't feel like your wearing a cream due to it's light texture. My daughter has oily skin and at nearly 18 is learning about the importance of sun protection all year round. This is an ideal day cream for teenagers who may be suffering from breakouts, hormonal or otherwise.

This was sent to me as a sample, it costs £41, and is available from Lookfantastic