19 March 2014

Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream.


Holy Grail is a thing which is eagerly pursued or sought after. I have often heard YouTube beauty gurus use this term, usually to describe a face product or some other necessity. Some have holy grail foundations, others have holy grail bronzers and what not. I always thought I'd never find my holy grail face product since my skin is extremely sensitive and would turn into mush the moment I put any sort of face product onto it. Boy, was I wrong.

 So, there I was, months ago, at The Body Shop counter in our city - walking around, sniffing everything when my eyes fell on their BB Creams. Now, my sister had used their colour-changing BB Cream and wasn't particularly impressed by it nor was I (I used it too, after much begging and crying). I saw this particular BB Cream not only because it was pink and cute, but also because it was from their Vitamin E range. Their Vitamin E range has always been a favourite with me, so I thought I'd give it a go. The price tag burns quite a bit, you have to pay ₹995 for 50 millilitres. So, when the cashier gave me a mere five rupee coin in exchange for a beautiful and crisp thousand rupee note, my heart cried. I saw that they make only one shade of this range; I tend to like those type of products more - they're confident about the power of their product so much that they don't see it fit to have more colours. That also means that the product is more everyday than explicit. Which is something I'm all for.

Now, this BB Cream is more of a tinted moisturiser than a BB Cream. BB Creams tend to have more coverage and some added benefits like SPF, longevity, blemish hider etc. This BB Cream does not have an SPF, which may be an issue for other people but it's not an issue with me. I pledge guilty to never using sunscreen because I'm cool like that. No, seriously, the sun is so powerful here in summer that it will make your sunscreen turn into ash. Yes, really. Most people in Assam do not care about sunscreen and UVA or UVB rays. It's inexplicable, we just don't bother - which is a bad thing in the long run, I know. But that's another hurdle for another day. Where was I? Oh, yes. This BB Cream may not do much for you, especially if you're not into BB Creams in the first place or if you feel your face needs more coverage. I honestly think it's best to use when you already have good skin and you don't need much coverage. I'm not saying I have perfect skin or anything (trust me, it's far from being perfect) but it provides a glow to my face and it gives me the tiny bit of coverage that I like and prefer.


What this BB Cream essentially does is that it nourishes your skin, provides a glow, protects it and freshens or brightens up your face. It may not have other itty-bitty superpowers like most BB Creams, but it nourishes your skin for 12 hours and it provides a tiny bit of coverage - which is all I want. It fulfils all my needs of being a face product that's lightweight, hydrating and non-irritating. My only qualm is its hot price. Then again, The Body Shop is the queen of offers and sales, so it just makes more sense when you snag this when it's on sale or something. You may enjoy it if you're like me, armed with sensitive skin and appreciative of light textures. I occasionally dilute it with a Baby Cream for a more dewy finish. I am very fond of dewy face finishes; I find it more beautiful than matte finishes.

So, yes, this is definitely my first ever holy grail product. I use it when I need to look good for someone *wink wink nudge nudge* or when I have somewhere important or impressionable to go to. It's like it's just your skin, but a touch better. Go figure. If I run out and I'm unable to find a good equivalent for it, I'm definitely repurchasing it. Even if my heart will cry when it comes face-to-face with the price. I guess the price you pay for good skin is rather high.