Trying Out The Body Shop Makeup on Mature Skin

Although I’ve used The Body Shop skin products for quite a few years, I’ve never really been a fan of The Body Shop makeup. But I thought I’d give it another go so earlier this year I bought a few items to see what they were like. For reference I’m 59 years old, have fair, dry skin, don’t have a lot of blemishes and just a small amount of wrinkles around my eyes. I bought the products instore and the staff were really good at helping me choose which was the best foundation for my complexion.

The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation

They’ve recently changed the foundation packaging which now comes in a glass bottle with a spatula applicator (instead of the pump) and is a liquid foundation. It comes in 40 shades and I went for Light 2W (which used to be Bali Vanilla 020). The shade range is quite extensive and they have a helpful shade match tool on the website if you’re buying online. The blurb on the website states that the foundation has a radiant, natural looking finish, has 24 hour fresh moisture and is suitable for sensitive skin. I’m not sure anyone is going to wear makeup for 24 hours but you never know! It’s also enriched with Vitamin E and aloe vera and says it should leave you with a fresh-faced moisturised feeling, comfortable not cakey.

My Experience: Overall I do like this foundation. The shade I chose is a perfect match for me and it’s actually become my everyday foundation. It applies really well with my fingers, beauty blender or my foundation brush, giving a good medium coverage first time leaving me with a lovely dewy finish. If you do have skin blemishes I’d say it does have buildable coverage. It definitely doesn’t have a cakey feeling to it and it lasts well for the 10 – 12 hours I usually wear makeup. Note that I wear a primer under the foundation and use a setting spray. I would prefer The Body Shop makeup foundation to be in a tube rather than a glass bottle as it would make getting the last bit of foundation out much easier but I understand this is to do with recycling advantages. It’s also at a reasonable price point of £18 for 30ml.

Score: 8 out of 10

Coconut Bronze Matte Bronzing Powder

I only started wearing bronzing powder a couple of years ago and now I couldn’t do without it. It really does warm your complexion up after applying foundation. The Body Shop’s bronzing powder comes in a round tin with a powder puff. The website says it is easy to use, non-cakey and blends seamlessly. It’s also infused with coconut oil from samoa and comes in 3 shades (dark, medium and fair) I chose Fair.

My Experience: I actually prefer to put my bronzing powder on with a brush rather than the puff as I feel it’s kinder to my skin as a brush doesn’t seem to drag. I use the bronzer just beneath the hair line on my forehead, on my cheeks just below my blusher and just under my jawline. I also add a little bit to my nose. It blended very well with a brush and didn’t leave any harsh lines. It doesn’t feel cakey on my skin and I feel it does give me a lovely sun-kissed effect. I would definitely buy this Body Shop makeup item again.

Score: 9 out of 10 (not a 10 because I didn’t use the puff)

Paint in Colour Eyeshadow Palette

I was drawn to the colours in this palette (I love a shimmery blue) so couldn’t resist buying it. The 12 shades come in a plastic case with a clear lid and there are 6 mattes and 6 shimmers, all enfused with Marula oil. The colours range from neutrals to a bright blue. The Body Shop states that the eyeshadows are buildable, blendable and versatile.

My experience: I have to say this eyeshadow palette has become my favourite go-to palette. These beautiful eyeshadows work perfectly for me. They blend beautifully (and I don’t use expensive makeup brushes) and you can certainly build up the colour to get a real bold pop. I have used all of the colours several times, adding the brighter blue, purple and silver to give that little bit of sparkle. It will probably be the palette I take on holiday with me! I wholeheartedly recommend this Body Shop eyeshadow palette to anyone.

Score: 10 out of 10

If watery eyes are ruining your daily makeup look read my post here on how to stop it.

Velvet Gel Pen Eyeliner

I’d been looking for a cruelty-free gel eyeliner for a while so when I saw this one on The Body Shop makeup counter I had to buy it. The eyeliner comes in 2 colours (black or brown) and I went for Black. The wesbite states it is easy to use, glides onto the skin, is waterproof and has a long-lasting intensity.

My experience: With most pencil eyeliners I’ve found that the older I got the more they drag the skin on my eyelid, which was one of the reasons I wanted to try the gel type. The Velvet Gel Pen Eyeliner has a snap-on cap and the liner itself twists up so there is no need for a sharpener (always a plus point in my book). Again I was very happy. The eyeliner does glide on very easily and I don’t need to reapply during the course of the day. My only criticism is I wish they had more colours – I’d love a blue or a green one!

Score: 9 out of 10

Matte Lip Butter

This Body Shop makeup item was an impulse buy, I was really drawn to the lovely pink colour. It comes in 6 shades and I bought the Nairobi Camellia 034. The website says it glides on effortlessly like a gloss, is long-lasting, non-drying, light-weight and has a velvety finish. It’s also enriched with Community Fair Trade Marula Oil from Namibia.

My experience: When I bought this lip butter I hadn’t realised it was matte. I normally go for more of a gloss lipstick and my lips do get quite dry and I use a lot of lip balm. It has a screw-off lid and comes with a nice sized doe foot applicator. The colour is very intense and in hindsight I should have gone for a lighter shade as I’m not used to wearing bright colours on my lips. The lip butter does glide on effortlessly and certainly has a velvety finish. Unfortunately it had worn off my lips within a couple of hours (and I hadn’t eaten or drank anything in that time). And my lips did feel quite dry while I had it on. I will continue to use it up but will apply a lip gloss over the top. I probably wouldn’t buy this Body Shop makeup product again.

Score: 5 out of 10

All in all I’m happy with The Body Shop makeup I bought. I try to buy cruelty-free makeup and skincare products so would definitely try more of their makeup products in future.

Update October 2022 – The eyeshadow palette and the gel eye pen eyeliner are only available instore at the moment.

Have you tried any of The Body Shop makeup products? Which ones do you like? Let me know in the comments section, I’d love to hear from you.

Karen x