Oh my. My second bloggers event already, and I’m just about starting to feel like less of a phoney…

On Friday night I was kindly invited along to The Body Shop Aberdeen for an evening of exploring their new ranges and rediscovering some old favourites.

I have to be honest, it’s been a very long time since I’ve shopped with the Body Shop, we’re talking years here. As an ex Lushie, you’re still ingrained with that slight feeling off infidelity when you even shoot a flirtatious side glance into a Body Shop store while still exuding that familiar Lush scent that becomes semi-permanent after years of slinging soap and unpacking bath bombs. The truth is, Lush and the Body Shop share a closer history than most people realise, and I’ve come to justify that if after all these years they can still play nicely together, then there’s no reason that I can’t engage in a little cosmetic ménage à trois too.

So I entered the Body Shop with a blank canvas and an open mind to what skin perfecting beauties I might find, and possibly even invite to join me and my never ending Lush stash in polyamorous matrimony.

We were greeted with bubbles and goody bags; a nice touch I thought, as there’s nothing worse than recieving a goody bag right at the end just to find out that it already contains that extra item that you decided to splash out and treat yourself to.

The lovely Holly introduced us to the reason that we were all there, the launch of the new Facial Mist and Body Yogurt collections, a range of expectedly divine smelling summer essentials. We then had the rest of the evening to slather ourselves in heavenly scented lotions and potions, take advantage of hand and arm massages and scrubs, and to delve in to the wealth of skin care expertise that we had at our disposal for the night.

Lending my hand to a fabulously indulgent scrub and massage using the Brazilian Cupuaçu scrub-in-oil from the spa range..

Rediscovering the make up range after a ten+ year long (yes I’m old..) hiatus. These Drops of Glow were a definite favourite.

The new light weight, fast absorbing Body Yogurts. Delicately fragranced and non-greasy, these are a holiday must have!

Ok, let’s get down to it. With such an extensive range of sensory delights, I could go on all night, but instead I’ve decided to give you a run down of just a few of my favourite products that I bagged, and recommend that you do too.

1. Facial Mists in ‘Coco Calming’ & ‘Mattifying Mint’ – £6/60ml.

I have something to confess.. My name’s Becca, and I’ve recently become a fully fledged face mist addict. They may be the in thing at the moment, but a face mist is something that I can see firmly remaining a part of my skin care routine for the forseeable future, so I was particularly intrigued to see how the Body Shop’s latest offerings compared to the competition. FYI, my can’t-live-without-it misty favourite right now is the Superdrug Vitamin E hydrating mist. The Coco Calming spray boasted similar ingredients and effects to this, so I was delighted to find it in my goody bag to give a whirl. I have to be completely honest, it wasn’t as hydrating as I hoped it would be, but the summery scent and refreshing fine mist did leave my skin soft, and I would definitely say try it out for yourself. The real hero for me though was the Mattifying Mint. Despite having a lot of underlying dehydration, my skin also turns in to a complete oil slick in summer, to the point where you can see your reflection in my freckle covered forehead, so after giving it a good test run, I’ve decided that this is definitely the one for me. Mint and aloe refresh and tone, while kaolin powder soaks up that shine. A winning combination for a sweaty Betty like me! Top tip: These can be used over make up when you’re on the go, but when it’s not in your handbag Keep in the fridge for extra cooling loveliness.

There are five nature inspired variations, so pop in to your local TBS and give them a spritz to find out which one is perfect for your skin.

2. Camomile sumptuous cleansing butter – £10/90ml.

If you haven’t heard of this little baby yet then WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! My guess is under a giant rock…that doesn’t have wifi.

With Youtube stars such as Belle Jorden amongst a hoard of others singing it’s praises, I’ve been blue with envy (geddit? Camomile blue? Oh never mind…) over the multitude of people that have tried it before me, so I was pretty pleased with myself to get my well moisturised hands on some at last. This cleansing butter claims to ‘melt away make up and inpurities, even waterproof make up’, while staying sympathetic to even the most sensitive of skins, and oh boy does it!

The best – and most fun – way to use this is to scoop out a small amount, rub between your fingers and just go to town gently massaging the days make up away, then once you’ve gotten over the fright of temporarily looking like a Marilyn Manson impersonator, wash away with a hot cloth to reveal the softest smoothest skin imaginable. I adore this product, and can see it taking pride of place in my bathroom cabinet for a very long time. Just wow.

3. Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner – £6.50/250ml.

This was a risky one for me having been a long term fan of the Lush Tea Tree toner water, but this is a year of breaking habits and trying new things, so I decided to give it a bash.

As afore mentioned, I have the most indecisive skin imaginable, but in general I go for fairly hydrating products. However as a former acne sufferer, I have to be careful not to over-do it on the moisturisation front, so I decided to go for something to add a little balance to my routine. With these surprisingly hot days, I’ve been breaking out a little more too, so this seemed to be the right guy for the job. The intense tea tree essential oils definitely pack a punch, and you can feel the effects almost instantly. This toner also contains mattifying powders to eliminate shine, although for me this is a bit of a redundant point as I would always moisturise after toning anyway. Regardless, I really am loving this toner, and will continue to use it until we have a change in weather, which I hope won’t be any time soon!

Bag yourself this cute free gift when you currently spend over £20 in store. Also pictured are a few samples that I was given including the banana hair care range, which smells good enough to eat!

So there we have it, my childhood love affair with the Body Shop has been well and truly rekindled, and I can see it being a love that stands the test of time. One of the best things I discovered at this night was also that they offer an in depth skin consultation service using fancy hydration and oiliness tests to provide you with a taylor made skin care routine unique to you. Unfortunately they were in high demand on the night, but I’ll be popping back in to have one myself soon for sure.

Holly from TBS Aberdeen giving an expert consultation.

See you lurking round my local Body shop scouting for new favourites soon!

B x