A first venture into B. Skin Products

When I went to London recently, I didn't only pick up more Pukka teas, but I had time to pop into Superdrug and get my hands on some products from the B. Skincare range. B. is a make up and skincare brand exclusive to Superdrug that is suitable to vegetarians and vegans as well as being cruelty-free, so I was intrigued. I picked up the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser (normally £6.99, currently on offer for £3.47) , the B. Quick 4-in-1 Cleaning Wipes (normally £3.50, currently £1.73) and the B. Energised Eye Cream (normally £8.99, now £3.47). As you can imagine, I was pretty ecstatic to find that there was a better than 1/2 price on selected B. products - these products are already very reasonably priced, but when you're trying out new products, it can be a bit disappointing to spend money on them only to find you don't like them. 

The B. Energised Eye Cream is from their Phase 1 range, which was specifically created for use in your 20s and 30s. The eye cream I'd been using wasn't doing much for me, and though I know when you're in your 20s the products are more about prevention by keeping your skin moisturised, I wanted a little something more. The B. Energised Eye Cream promises to keep your cool and de-puff tired eyes whilst helping brighten them up by reducing the appearance of dark circles. After two weeks I'm not sure if I've seen a noticeable difference to my dark circles, but they haven't gotten worse, and I really enjoy this. It has more of a gel consistency, so when you apply this it cools and soothes instantly, and I imagine this feeling would be amplified if I kept it in the fridge. I'm pretty happy with this, and have had no adverse reactions to it, which is always a plus. 

I've been using the B. Quick Cleaning Wipes before using the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser. I know make up wipes have gotten a bad rep in the past couple of years as we realised that on their own they don't clean enough, but I think they can be good for removing make up, especially when you're not feeling reaching for lots of different products. And like the eye cream, I like the experience of using the B. Quick Cleaning wipes: they're really gentle on the skin, don't sting my eyes and has just the right amount of product on them.

I'm not sure what I think about the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser. It's a thick clear gel, that melts into an oil as you rub it into your skin, and then when you add water it takes on a milky consistency that is meant to act as a toner to leave skin soft and supple. It's also meant to be gentle enough to remove eye make up, but I find that this does sting my eyes so I don't. So far it hasn't broken out my skin, and after using this my skin is cleansed without that stripped, dried feel that can follow some cleansers. However, this is aimed at normal to dry skin, so I wonder if it isn't a little too rich for me, even if my skin is drier in the winter months. Perhaps I would have gotten on better with the B. Refined Exfoliating Cleanser. 

Overall, this is most definitely a brand I look forward to trying more of their products; beautiful minimalist packaging that doesn't betray how affordable the range actually is, I feel more confident using their products as they have to take more care with their ingredients in order to be both suited to vegans and cruelty-free, and though I'm not yet sold on the results, I enjoy the experience of using the products, and skincare routines are something we should look forward to, not dread.

Have you used any products from the B. make up or skincare range? 

First Ever Lush Purchases: Bubblegum Lip Scrub and 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion

I have a confession to make: up until the beginning of November I had never purchased anything from Lush. Now I look back it seems crazy that I would walk past the heaven of bath bombs and be intimidated by the luxurious mix of scents that would assault my senses whenever I walked past Lush on my way to Waterstones or Starbucks. It is only now that I am fully emmersing myself in the vast ocean that is the beauty world that I appreciate the years that I've missed that I could have been draining away the stresses of GCSE's in pretty coloured baths or maybe fought my acne years with something a little more gentle than Clearasil. Sigh.

Now I live in Belgium, Lush stores aren't quite as easy to stumble across. I was sad to find that the Lush in Antwerp was no longer there, and I have yet to venture to try and locate the Brussels or the Louvain-La-Neuve stores, so when I was on my home back to Belgium after a Halloween in England with my girl friends and spotted the Lush store at London Victoria, I had to pop in.

I already knew from preliminary research that I wanted the lip scrub to remedy my dry, flakey lip problem. I was almost tempted by the Christmas version, but I didn't find the scent of Santa's Lip Scrub as appealing as the Bubblegum one. It's become a fast favourite and can see a massive difference in the texture and colour of my lips: they're softer, smoother and more pink. 

Still a little overwhelmed by the bath bombs (they really are a foreign concept to me!), I wandered instead to the skincare. I've heard a lot about the Tea Tree Toner, but in the end I settled on the 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion, which contains almond oil and dove orchid. I was a little dubious at its cleansing power, only to be pleasantly surprised when I double-cleansed with a micellar water that it had removed all the grime and make up for my face! Though the scent was a little...natural for me at first, I've grown used to it and come to find it comforting, in a cleansing sort of way. 

It really is great for days when you can't be bothered faffing about with washing your face but you still want a soft, clean smooth face. Smother this one, wipe away with a cotton pad, and you're good to go! 

I might have to face my (slight) anxiety of Lush stores in the future and hunt down my local one in the new year because it's time that I stopped missing out on their wonderful products! Are you a Lush newcomer like me or a Lush veteran? What are your favourite Lush products? I'd love to hear any recommendations!