Expert reviews: Tempting new beauty buys

Feeling bored of your beauty kit? Need a new product to refresh your body, skin, hair or general mood?

From a surprisingly scented candle to a sexy self-tan, the bh team has come to the rescue with four irresistible beauty buys (and the lowdown on what to expect from them)...

Schwarzkopf Extra Care BB Cream

bh’s Vanessa says:
"I really enjoyed using the Schwarzkopf Extra Care BB Cream. It's super lightweight, so it doesn't leave my hair feeling oily or heavy, and it doesn't have an overpowering smell to it. After using it, the ends of my strands felt smoother and healthier and I also noticed my hair looked extra shiny once I blow-dried it. The product has liquid keratin in it, which was great for helping control the frizz I sometimes get with heat styling. I think I'll be using this serum at least once a week, to keep my hair healthy and shiny!"

Glasshouse Fragrances Paris - Violet & Patchouli Triple Scented Candle

bh’s Beth says:
"I’ll admit, the first thing I thought when I was given this candle was, “Patchouli, OK, my desk area is going to smell like one of those headache-inducing hippie shops.” Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong! This gorgeous candle has a very gentle, subtle fragrance, with the patchouli blending beautifully with the scent of violet and pink pepper. It reminds me of the kind of scent you sometimes smell in a fancy gift shop, or luxurious day spa.

The scent throw isn’t huge, I’ve tried other Glasshouse candles which perform better in this area – but this wasn’t an issue as I was sitting so close to it at my desk. I also can’t go past the double wick – the two little flames look gorgeous burning together and also help the wax melt more evenly. My only issue is that I’m burning through this candle a little too fast, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have a generous burn time: The problem is I can’t bring myself to blow it out!"

St. Tropez Self Tan Dark Mousse

bh’s Sam says:
"HOLY MOLY! This tan actually smells NOTHING like your regular self-tan. When I heard it was meant to smell like "green apples and lavender", I was all like "pffffffft, whatever". But boy was I proven wrong. Even my boyfriend thought it smelt pretty good. It's definitely the best effort of masking the fake tan smell I've experienced so far – it actually smells like green apple! And the scent stays around for a good two-three hours too, it's only once it gets to the end of the development stage that the DHA smell we're all so familiar with creeps in.

I'm quite pale, but the dark shade looked great on me. I think [this was] because it has a green base so it didn't turn out orange and I just looked naturally bronzed. It lasted quite a while, up to the eight-nine day mark. It faded really evenly so I didn't have to scrub it off which I always find such a hassle.

The tanning mitt was a great partner for this tan. It protected my hands during the application and made it really easy to spread the mousse evenly. If you're still using your hands to tan, you really should try it because it makes a massive difference to the finish and really perfects the tan. I've used it a few times and it hasn’t started moulting or anything yet so I'm hoping to get a few more uses out of it."

Hivita Luminous White Age Defy

bh’s Tina says:
"Before trialling Hivita Luminous White Age-Defy, I was a bit sceptical whenever I saw the words ‘skin lightener’ plastered on a skin care product. But after using the cream for a few weeks, I could understand what they meant by skin lightening – the couple of blotches and old pimple scars on my face had faded, leaving my skin more even, brighter and healthier.

The cream has a thick, milky texture and I found it took a while to absorb into my skin – so for those who are pressed for time in the morning, maybe use it in the evening only.

The white and rose gold packaging is impressive, and the pump dispenser is a bonus as it stops bacteria from spoiling the product when you dip your fingers in to get the cream. Also, the pump top gives a sufficient amount of cream, so there is no need for a second pump. The downside of the packaging? I wish there was some sort of indicator that tells you when the product is about to finish.

Overall, I think this cream is good value for money. While $88 may be a bit of a stretch for some, it delivers on its promises of improving skin elasticity, evening out skin complexion, and moisturising the skin."
 

Which one of these must-haves would you most like to try? Are there any products you’d like us to review next?