The Body Shop British Rose Collection: Celebrating 40 Years

There's two event emails that raise my excitement levels to an extremity, and that's Lush and The Body Shop. This time it's the latter (although next week is the first option, eeek). Last Thursday, The Body Shop on Leeds Briggate were holding an evening of cosmetic cheer and showcasing to parade their brand new British Rose Collection and to celebrate 40 years of their face, body and soul foundation - and I was luckily invited down, along with plenty of lovely ladies and gents! Greeted with some chocolate nibbles, prosecco, lots of cameras and eager bloggers in their natural habitat, we were left to wonder round until the others arrived and were then given a short but sweet consultation and demonstration of the freshly exclusive products. 

It was almost guaranteed I'd love the range if the pretty pink packaging and blooming blossom filled displays were anything to go by, and it certainly didn't let me down. I can't say I'm a huge rose-scented lover (I often describe it as the old granny smell - shh) but this one was far from your typical fragrance; certainly not in your face overpowering opposed to a strong floral but soft, subtle and refreshing. Grown in an 100% organic justifiable British setting, the line includes everything from your shower gels and your bath foams, to body butter, hand cream, body scrub, and exfoliating soap. Then there were the more sumptuous of the selection (and my three favourites); the absolutely gorgeous Instant Glow Body Essence that left a natural, glowy shimmer on the skin, the Eau De Toilette perfume which was a lovely, uplifting scent and the Eye and Cheek Palette packed with captivation. Once again, The Body Shop split their products into separate rituals; cleanse, bathe, exfoliate, moisturise and glow, fragrance, and finish - meaning there are plenty of treatment choices and ample gift sets. The collection was actually originally released for Mother's Day but as that's been and passed, it now makes perfect sense to validate a splurge in time for Easter! 

Not only were we introduced to the British Rose Collection, but the specialised skincare and makeup experts were also on hand to provide us with some interesting, insightful presentations into their overall skincare, bodycare, and makeup. Split into three groups, we were ushered over to the skincare section first and were shown the top rated products intended to create a six step routine. Our guinea pig blogger (Jamie from www.jamiesowden.com) proved the extra time is worth it, as you could seriously notice a difference in terms of radiance and a clearer complexion (and neck; we were given confirmative advice not to neglect the neck) within that short time frame - and it's made me eager to introduce some of those recommended into my own regime!  

There were some general discussion about The Body Shop products we'd previously used and loved (fyi mine were the trusty Tea Tree, Seaweed, Vitamin C and Vitamin E) but we were blessed to hear about some newbies and take a sneak peak into the future launches hitting the stores very soon. The flourished demos were the Drops Of Youth and Drops Of Light, along with the fancy Oils of Life (and word is - the genius addition to their makeup range - the Shade Adjusting Drops that transform your foundation will also be on their way to a local store near you). We sampled them all and I was thoroughly impressed; nice texture, no heavy residue and a healthy shine concluded. 

Next up was the makeup guide, where there were rapid but glam makeovers as the MUA's took over with their skills, putting the products into action. Not before we were acquainted with the the British Rose Palette I'd fallen head over heels for at first sight, however. The palette has six gentle, eyeshadow shades and two cheek blushes, a mixture of rose tones and smoky hues to match the timeless harmonies in the general British Rose collection. Along with the Shimmer Cube Palette, the looks devised were an opposite contrast - one for a dramatic, smoky, darkened, night-time look and the other for a more daytime, neutral, nude look proving along with the Shimmer Cube Palette, that this is bound to be a staple, multiple purpose palette ideal for any occasion. It retails at £20 which in my eyes is an absolute bargain for something that does the job without the need to multi-task. 

On top of the eyes, we were ventured into the world of face and lips. I made it quite obvious I was a huge fan of the Instablur but I never get bored of trialling the cooling and smoothing paste and hearing how much of a dependable primer it is! The paired BB Cream struck a cord with me as an ideal light base, especially as it adapts to your natural skin tone which would be exemplary for a holiday (ooh did someone say summer?!). The Lip and Cheek Stains were also a hit with our group which made me want to take the time out to have a nosy over at the other lipsticks (as well as Dei from www.sunnydei.com receiving her fetching nude lip makeover). With all three available in a variation of colours from bright to dusky and promised a pigmented finish, I'm dying to give them a try and add yet more lippy to my ever growing stash.  

Finally, we wrapped it up with bodycare where we were lead over to the beautiful Spa of The World range. Of course, I don't need to delve too much into it as I attended the introductory event last year but it certainly confirmed how luxurious and heavenly it still deemed to be as the products were shown and passed around to test (the Japanese Camellia Cream is to DIE for, I swear!) and how I need to purchase the Dead Sea Salt Scrub and Egyptian Milk and Honey Bath quicker than you can say soon. 

As much as I'd have loved to have splurged with the discount on the night, surprisingly (and sensibly for my poor bank account) I left empty handed, with all but a lovely white labelled box packed with goodies that I was kindly gifted with. I can't thank The Body Shop Leeds Briggate enough! I think I've been to around three or four The Body Shop events now but I can honestly say this one was the most fun, interactive and busiest. The detail and thought put into how the team can occupy our thriving minds was super in depth, not to mention the staff were absolutely brilliant in all areas (including warmth and friendliness!). My hands were drowned in enough products to lose count of but they had a great beautification and I can't wait to head back for more, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Have you been to a TBS event lately? Have you tried the British Rose Collection yet?

Bridie x