The Body Shop- consultation

Hello There,

Last Sunday I talked about my desire to get back into wearing make up, if you didn't read this post click here to read it.
So last Friday I had an appointment booked for a free Skincare consultation which covered everything from cleansing to moisturising, make-up and taking it all off at the end.
What I really wanted from this whole experience was a new set of make-up and a load of tips on how to use it and what worked best for my skin.



So I went in armed with a concise list of questions I needed answering, including:

• How to use concealer properly?
• Should I use BB cream or Foundation?
• Subtle eye make up that is not my go to gold a neutrals? 
• What's my Skin Type? 

I had a plan, I was confident and ready but I was tripped up at the first hurdle. Petra, my consultant, asked me 'what is your regular routine?' I had no answer for this because since January I just haven't done anything, I quietly panicked thinking she would think I'm mad if I did nothing.
After a few seconds of silence (it felt like much longer) I was honest, I said I wash and exfoliate my face quite a lot because I like the clean feeling it leaves on my skin, I moisturise everyday because I know you should and I cleanse and tone when I remember but I'm not really sure what their benefits are. Oh and make up, well mascara, if I can find it.

I relaxed a lot when she didn't laugh, she simply said Okay and that she will start from the beginning and explain everything. She started with cleanser and toner, she used the Aloe Calming cleanser and toner which is formulated for sensitive skin. She told me that my skin is a little sensitive as I had mentioned my intolerance of face paint and issues with face packs and masks.These felt really gentle and cooling (so lovely I bought them).

She followed this with a moisturiser from the same range and a special serum, both of which felt nice but didn't impress me enough to buy them. She did also mention that I have quite dry skin, which I never really thought I did, she told me I need to moisturise more, she is probably right as I only use a tiny amount each time. Next was a face primer and an eye primer, both of these felt quite clumpy until they were properly worked in (which took ages) I decided that it was probably too much effort for me in the morning so I didn't buy them either.

So far so good, I was relaxed and happy, then Petra asked the dreaded question 'why did you stop wearing make-up?'. I paused for a minuet, I have never really discussed this with anyone. When I fist stopped using make-up I told my friends that it was because I didn't felt I needed it and it just took time in the morning that I could be sleeping.

But for some reason I was ready to tell the truth, for the first time I spoke about why I stopped and I t was to a complete stranger.
I told Petra that I stopped because I was mentally ill, depression and anxiety. I didn't go out with friends much so I didn't need it, I drifted in and out of reality so I rarely took note of my true appearance. The only time I did was when I was gathering myself from a panic attack, I would normally hide in the toilets and when I was about to leave I would look at myself in the mirror to see the running mascara and the blotchy face where half my foundation had fallen off. Not wearing make-up would make it harder to tell if I had had a panic attack.

It was the heartbreaking tush but it was such a relief to say it. I knew that taking care of myself was sign that I am getting better and hopefully staying better.

Anyway onto the make-up. Petra started of by applying the lightening touch concealer (something I have never touch before), she explained that It should be one shade lighter than my foundation and should be applied on any blemishes and redness and works really well under the eyes. She also taught me all about blending which is a skill I have always lacked when applying make-up. She followed this with the All In One BB cream, which comes in one shade to match all so you won't end up with the wrong colour (something I have achieved one to many times).
Both of them went on really well, looked natural and felt very light while still covering what it needed too, so I bought them both.

She finished of with a light dusting of blusher which is something I have always been quite scared of, I always think I will over do it. She told ,e to just not get too much on the brush and that it should only be a very light dusting on the apples of the cheeks. All pretty obvious but hearing it from a professional gave me the confidence to try it out.

Last but not least was the eye shadow, she used their Christmas Special pallet of almost neutral colours with pink undertones and a very slight shimmer. It seems quite similar to what I would usually go for but it wasn't so gold and I really liked it. It also has a brown for very light eye liner, I'm still working on this one but I do keep trying, I'll get there eventually.

Both the blusher and eye shadow allow me to dress up and down my make-up look which makes thw whole thing more versatile.

Of course she did add mascara and lip stick but it was only really to top up what I already had on. I swear by my Natural Collection Mascara from Boots, its only about £3 but I really love it. My lipstick was the Pixi Shea Butter which I got in my Birchbox, it is super moisturising bus has a really lovely and intense colour which I love.

By the end I had spent £44.55, it should have been more like £65 but they had a 3 for 2 offer on everything I bought and I get 10% off with my membership card. For a whole new set of make-up I don't think its that bad, it will last me a while and it is all good quality; I'm seeing it more as an investment in me than a regular purchase.

Overall, I had a great time at The Body Shop and it felt as though it was really productive, also I really did learn a lot.



So a few tips for anyone heading to the beauty counters or some kind of consultation:

• Have a plan of what you want to try, buy and ask- this way you will get the most out of your time there. 
• Don't feel pressured into buying anything- at the end of the day they are sales people but If you don't want it then they won't drag you to the counter and force you to buy it. 
• Set a budget,- I wanted to spend around £30, which I did go over but considering I had close to no make up before I think my speeding was pretty reasonable. However setting a budget will stop you from buying things you don't need. 

Thanks for reading!
In the Comments What are your tips for buying new make-up/ Skin-care?
Claudia x

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