Boots No7 Beautiful Skin and Makeup Brushes

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion

No7 Eye Contour Brush 

No7 Essential Lip Brush

No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser 

Every few months Boots holds a promotion where customers who spend over £5 are rewarded with a voucher for their No7 range or perfumes. I adore this promotion, finding it an excellent way to try out products from their own brand No7 range. You may recall my previous post regarding their No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser where I waxed lyrical about how great I found this product to be. I managed to accumulate a few of these vouchers during the promotion and knew a repurchase of the cleanser was a must, deciding on a whim to try their Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion and two makeup brushes. 

The products from (left to right):  

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion: Unfortunately this was a fail for me; found I needed to use a lot of product and it didn't get off all of my makeup. My skin became heated and I can't see me daring to finish it.

No7 Eye Contour Brush: Much hyped dupe for MAC's 217, really good blending brush. Fits into my eye area perfectly without being too stiff or soft on the skin in this delicate area. I have subsequently repurchased another two brushes for my kit). 

No7 Essential Lip Brush: As a Woman of Colour I love my full lips, but find many lip brushes far too small to allow me to build up colour on my lips for a lasting finish. It was the size of the brush that caught my attention and found the firmness of the bristles to be superb. If you love a good red lip a good lip brush is essential. Yet another repurchase.

No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser: A excellent gel cleanser repurchased as I love taking off makeup with it. Trust me - it gets rid of everything!

I used to be weary of trying own-brand products but I’m glad that smart promotions such as the No7 promotion affords me the opportunity to become familiar with excellent products and at a relatively decent price point.

Have you made use of this promotion – what product(s) go you recommend?

Boots No.7 Foundation Match Made Service

 

This week we heard reports that number crunchers have estimated that the ‘Black Consumer’ spending power in the UK was worth a £300 Billion (is that all) it has come to be of no surprise to me that many of the established high-street brands have begun to try and encourage us to spend money in their stores[i]. Step forward Boot’s No.7 who, under the creative directorship of Lisa Eldridge, have developed their range of foundation to include more colours for Black Women in a range of finishes. 

Source

I decided to take advantage of a free lunch break and popped into a Boots in Hammersmith in order to try out their new No.7 Foundation Match Made Service. In order to take some of the anxiety of shopping for foundation, No.7 claim to have developed a device that matches you with the colour in their range. The device quickly takes a number of instant pictures of the skin on your jaw-line and comes up with a recommendation as to which shade you are within their range. As a Woman of Colour I wanted to see if this device would cater to my shade and so allowed the lovely consultant, Thomas, to work his magic. I was placed at ease by how quickly (and painless) the whole process was, he then gave me a run down of the various finishes and benefits each finish provided that was applicable to my skin type and preference.  

The shade Walnut was quickly identified as being the correct shade for me. I opted for the Instant Radiance range as it wasn’t matt and added a bit more dimension to my face. It took a little while for me to get the consistency of the foundation right when applying it and have realised that it works best when I colour correct my dark patches around my eyes prior to application. The finish was excellent and matched my skin perfectly. I received the best ever complement when wearing this foundation from a relative who asked remarked that my skin looked really healthy when I bumped into them at a recent party!

On the whole, I am loving the fact that a high street brand has stepped up to the plate and decided to expand it’s range to include more shades. The Foundation Match Made Service has certainly thrown down the gauntlet to other makeup brands to ensure clients are adequately matched within their range and end the appalling situation where women of any colour, are incorrectly paired to foundations by overzealous sales associates on a counter. 

What do you think of this service,  would you like more brands to adopt a gaget like this?

 

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[i] http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/black-consumers-are-worth-%C2%A3300-billion

Boot's: Natural Collection Lip Liners

I'm always on the hunt for a good lip liner and these three from Boot's Natural Collection have been keeping me going over the last few weeks. I had clocked up a decent stock of No7 vouchers and was browsing the shelves to see what products I should redeem a voucher against when I saw the three for £5 offer on a selection of Natural Collection product. A quick swatch of Ruby Rose and I was left impressed by both the colour pay-off and creamy texture these liners produced. Their £1.99 price makes them super affordable and excellent value for money considering the superb quality produced.

Although Espresso is a nice brown colour I’m still on the look out for a liner that will beat my NYX's Espresso.

 What lip liners do you use and why? Any suggestions will be warmly received. 

xBMLx

Product Rave: No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser

The gel formula makes it easy to manage. I use a cotton pad and a light hand to remove even the best waterproof mascara. The moisture the gel produces upon contact with my skin is the real reason why I love this product as I have eczema and so my skin needs moisture. I usually skip cleansers altogether as I find them abrasive; this cleanser was the exact opposite, leaving a comfortable oiled residue on my skin.

How I use it: 

Taking a cotton pad I wipe off my makeup and let the oil soak into my skin for a while, rinsing off the product when I have a shower later. I should mention that this is not how it is supposed to be used but it works for me; checking out the reviews on Boot's website I'm not alone in disregarding the instructions.

Product pros: 

• 5/5 for makeup removal 
• Love the smell - it doesn't irritate me
• Gel formula - prevents waste of product 

Negatives:

• Price (we are in a recession Boots!)
• Texture when water is applied, feel like you loose all cleansing benefits of product, hence the need to use dry.

I would recommend this product to all and sundry!

Below is information from Boots website: 

The first step to beautiful skin is effective cleansing. Specially formulated to effectively clear away dirt and impurities, No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser leaves dry complexions feeling as soft and supple as normal skin.
The gel develops into a non-drying oil to protect the skin’s natural moisture levels and hydrate dry areas at the same time. It then changes into a light milk formula for easier rinsing, so skin is left residue-free and totally refreshed. What’s more, it’s enriched with rosehip oil to really lock in moisture and offer a fuss-free approach to truly tailored skincare.
In trials, 85% of women agreed their skin looked healthier and 86% reported a more radiant complexion* after using the gel cleanser.
* Boots user trial results, March 2011
“A clever gel that transforms as you massage into the skin. Effectively removes make-up and impurities while being gentle and non-drying on the skin.” Dr Mike Bell, Boots Scientific skincare advisor