WASS Skin Food Summer Body Balm*
If you read Jules’ post about her favourite local, natural skincare products, then you’ll already be familiar with the brand WASS. WASS uses locally sourced organic and natural ingredients to create a range of ‘skin food’ inspired by the seasons. The products don’t contain any nasties, so no parabens, sulphates, unnatural preservatives, silicones, dyes, synthetic perfumes or fragrances.
This ‘summer’ balm comprises of a blend of botanical oils to nourish and restore dry and damaged skin, and it will also assist with the healing of scars, and the treatment of burns or eczema. I love the colour and scent – it really does look and smell like summer. The consistency of the balm is quite firm, so it takes a bit of elbow grease to scoop it out, but once you’ve done that, the heat of your hands will quickly melt it into a delicious oil. This is best applied on damp skin to help give the oil a bit of extra slip, but it works just fine on dry skin too (it just takes a bit longer to apply). Whilst I don’t use this every night, on the nights that I do, I go to bed smelling extra delicious and my skin is buttery soft the next morning.
Retails for 280.00/100ml, either online here, or through one of their stockists.
Max Factor Long Lasting Performance Foundation*
I must admit, when this foundation landed on my desk, it didn’t appeal to me: long wearing formula + matte finish = not my flavour profile. I like dewy, creamy, moisturising foundations, and I assumed that this one would be too drying on me. However, after Jules tested it and told me that the finish was actually quite dewy, and that it performed like a high-end foundation, I promptly got to work testing it for myself.
My verdict: it’s utterly glorious. The finish is, I think, very glowy (tremendous) – I don’t know how this could look matte on anyone, quite frankly. It wears exceptionally well – I experienced no patchiness or absoprtion issues whatsoever, and neither did Jules. We have very different skin types (Jules is oily/combination and I’m dry), so it’s quite unusual for us to like the same formulation. Last week I wore it for 15 (fifteen) hours, and it still looked fantastic when the time came to wash my face. Can you remember the last time you wore a foundation with such impressive staying power (sans primer)? I can’t.
Retails for R195.95 from selected Clicks stores. Available in 4 shades only.
Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturisers*
Moisturising your body can be a bit laborious, especially in summer when some lotions and potions can leave you feeling hot and sticky. Fortunately for us, this continuous-spray lotion from Vaseline has a wonderfully lightweight formulation that ensures fast absorption and soft skin without any fuss! If you’ve been reading All Dolled Up for a while, you may remember that I’ve mentioned this product a few times over the past couple of years. It was something that Jules and I hauled back from overseas trips as it wasn’t available locally, but I’m delighted to tell you that it has finally launched in South Africa!
It comes in three variants:
- Restore: aims to restore the skin for up to three times longer – perfect for coaxing dull, dry winter skin out of hibernation. I actually keep this in my shower and spritz it all over damp skin to ensure maximum hydration!
- Revive: enriched with cocoa butter, this will nourish the skin and lock in moisture to keep your limbs looking soft, smooth and glowing. This lotion has a richer, creamier formulation than the other two.
- Refresh: contains aloe to soothe and condition the skin. This is a summer essential as it helps relieve the effects of too much sun (we’ve all been there). I like to keep this in my fridge so that it’s nice and cold when I apply it.
I am such a big fan of these – they are quick and easy to apply, they sink in fast, and they work! Plus, they’re a snip at R89.99 each – such good value for money.
*PR Sample