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Beauty reviews: October

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Beauty Booty: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Golden Perfection Self-Tanning Spray for Body, R355
Reviewer: Leigh van den Berg, Beauty Editor
You wouldn't know it to look at me, but I'm actually a deathly pale kinda gal. I practically bathe in self-tanner to maintain some semblance of a healthy appearance. In my quest for a Jennifer Aniston-esque glow, I've used just about every brand on the shelf and have very few favourites. Everything I've tried either streaks, smells like dead animal or fades in a flash. Estee Lauder's latest offering, however, is like liquid gold in a bottle. Its scent is simply delish (think pina coladas and a tropical breeze), it glides over your limbs before drying in a flash and then develops into a colour that's a true, deep bronze. No Oros-coloured pins over here! I also love the convenience of its spray bottle packaging. It's great to lightly mist the product directly onto areas that only require a dash of colour (think ankles), or spray great big pools into your hands so as to slap them onto bits that really need help (think bums and boobs). This is definitely my favourite high-end self-tanner – I'll be wearing it long after summer's come and gone.

Beauty Booty: Vichy Lipidiose Nutritive Body Cream for very dry skin, R179
Reviewer: Kele Scheppers, Entertainment and Fashion Editor, Women24
Usually my skin feels tight after a shower, but the moment I smear this body cream on, it's soft and supple. The product claims to help restore comfort and elasticity to your skin – and I'm a testament to this truth. Apparently, the secret is in the cream's formula, which is enriched with "Dermoglucide" and macadamia oil. I love the fact that my skin did not feel sticky. The only downside is that the cream, which is meant to smell of white musk fragrance, smells a little medicinal when first applied, although the scent wears off after a few minutes.  The design of the package is not particularly exciting with a plain white background and a bundle of text (in fact it reminds me of something you would find at a pharmacy). But the flip-top plastic bottle makes for easy dispensation with little mess. The best thing? My skin usually goes scaly after swimming and I hate the sticky film that Vaseline leaves after application. So imagine my surprise when, after one blissful Saturday spent at the pool, I applied a little of this to my elbows and knees and my skin was immediately felt supple and soft, despite the water's chlorine!

Beauty Booty: Estee Lauder Cyber White Extra Brightening Moisture Creme, R655
Reviewer: Zinta van Rensberg, Account Manager, Women24
I have thoroughly enjoyed this cream. It's got a beautiful silky texture without being oily or greasy and doesn't have any weird, chemical smell one might associate with a lightening product. On application, it melts into your skin just like a sorbet would melt in your mouth – delicious! Within six weeks of use, my skin tone has improved dramatically. Where my skin was clear and un-pigmented, it now looks like a new born baby's skin that hasn't been touched by the environment. As far as my pigmentation marks go, those have lightened up drastically. You almost can't see the contrast between the fairer and darker parts of my face. I truly believe that if the whole Cyber White range is used, consumers would be 100-percent impressed with the results. I found it amazing.

Beauty Booty: Vo5 Deep Nourishing Elixer shampoo and conditioner, 200ml, R19,99 each. 
Reviewer: Kelly Atherton, Intern
Vo5 have repackaged and reformulated their shampoos and conditioners. The range now caters to just about every type of hair, be it coloured, fine or in need of a moisture boost. I got to try their Deep Nourishing shampoo and conditioner with "Cashmere Keratin Extract" that claims to "strengthen and repair dry, coarse or brittle hair". Naturally, I have oily hair, so I was a little sceptical about trying a shampoo and conditioner that contained not one, but five different treatment oils. However, these oils are revitalising and don't leave your hair looking or feeling greasy in the least. In fact, my hair felt vitally light, alive and less brittle! I also love the fresh scent that lasts a good two days. So, if you want hair that looks five times shinier and smoother and feels five times more manageable, I would definitely recommend this range.

Beauty Booty: Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base, R285
Reviewer: Lili Radloff, Deputy Editor, Women24
As a girl who likes to wear eye make-up (and who always manages to look like a panda at the end of an evening) I jumped at the chance to try this. You apply it to your entire eyelids and it works as a foundation for your eye shadow, making it last longer and putting an end to creasy-looking lids! Also, because it contains light-reflecting pigments and has a slight yellowish tinge, it evens out the appearance of blotchiness, redness and tiny veins! What I loved most about the product, however, is that it's silkily smooth texture. It has none of the dryness and flakiness you might get if you were to use a normal foundation on your eyelids. In fact, Instant Light feels like a super moisturizer for your eyes. Lastly, it contains an "anti-pollution complex" that protects your skin against free radicals and harmful environmental aggressions. It is the bomb!

Beauty Booty: Bourjois Volume Glamour mascara, R89,95
Reviewer: Caro de Waal, Resident Chef, Food24
I am a huge mascara person. I would rather stick hot pins in my eyes than go out without it. If I don't wear my "eyes", I feel like a tired old hag and look like it too. I've never really found a mascara that I love, so I was happy to try this new one. Its silicone-enriched formula claims to increase volume by 50-percent without clumping. Having given it a bash, I can say that I found it lived up to its promise, but I needed to apply at least two to three coats before my few strands looked like anything special. However, once the layers were on, my lashes curled up nicely and looked quite thick. I also liked that it didn't make them look lumpy or fiber-y and the definition was good, even after three slicks. Over all, it's not the best I've ever tried, but certainly not the worst and I would use it again.

Beauty Booty: Bobbi Brown Creamy Eye Pencil, R215
Reviewer: Cristle Mokwape, Intern
Ladies, we know applying make-up can be a task that needs great effort for good results. We apply these things in hope that someone will compliment us, right? Lucky for us, Bobbi Brown has reformulated their creamy eye pencil to be even creamier! Compared to my usual eye pencil that requires you to stand the pain of scratching your eye, this one just glides over. It's also got a handy rubber "smudger" on the back end, making it all too easy to create smoky-looking eyes, correct a mistake or wipe away the odd tear. (I wear glasses and have super-sensitive eyes). You have to love this one. I know I did.

Beauty Booty: The Body Shop Love Etc. ETD, R195
Reviewer: Tammy February, Book Club Content Producer, Women24
Packaged in an oh-so-pretty, colourful and environmentally-friendly little box, Love Etc. is a delicate, floral and ethereally feminine fragrance. I immediately fell in love (and so did my mother, sister, aunts, cousins and friends - all of whom just had to help themselves to my perfume too). I found that the initial notes of pear, bergamot and neroli quickly give way to a delicate combination of sweet-smelling jasmine, heliotrope and lily of the valley before settling in with the lingering notes of vanilla and sandalwood. I was worried that a combination like this would make for something sickeningly sweet, but my fears soon proved to be ungrounded as compliments about my light and tantalizingly sweet (not cloying) scent soon came barrelling in my direction. My only gripe? It's not as long-lasting as I was hoping it would be – I found myself dipping into the bottle more than once a day – a prospect which makes me quite sad as it means I'll be out of perfume before you know it. Still, if you're looking for spring in a bottle, Love Etc. is an absolute must-have.
 
  
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