This is one of those products that you don't realise how good it is, until you go without it! When I first got The Body Shop Instablur, I didn't really think it did much. So I stashed it away until I re-found it a few weeks ago, and thought I'd give it another try. I'm so glad I did, as this little beauty is an absolute make-up saviour in the summer heat!
My face gets incredibly shiny in the summer, regardless of whether I wear make-up or not, it just gets oily fast. I've accepted this, but that doesn't stop me experimenting with products to make the best out of a bad situation. Some products unfortunately make this worse, especially heavy moisturisers, spfs or foundations, and I'll literally see pools of oil (super gross I know!). No product has made it better, until, this one.
The Body Shop All-In-One Instablur (Universal shade), to give it it's full title, is a primer/base product that claims to reduce the appearance of pores, control shine for up to 12 hours, hide blemishes, extend makeup and unify your complexion, all for £14. From the reviews, this seems to be a love it or hate it kind of product (with the texture being the main issue), and fortunately for me, it suits my skin fantastically! It is a very thick, almost silicony type gel texture and smoothes in like a dry oil or even mousse and kind of disappears into the skin (very strange!). Nothing I've used before compares to this kind of texture! Its clear and very lightweight, dries matte, and doesn't look oily or greasy. To be honest once it was on I didn't feel like I had product on at all!
When I first used this product, it was winter, and my skin was a little dry and I had very little issues with shine throughout the day. I mainly bought it for the pore diminishing properties, but I couldn't really see whether it made any difference (I don't exactly have large pores to begin with) so I stopped using it. Flash forward to last week, my makeup was melting off my face within hours of application, and my face was just getting hideously shiny. I was looking for products online that would make my face look like a normal human face, and not an oil slick, for my graduation ceremony - as there was going to be a lot of photos taken. That's when I re-found the Instablur and thought I'd give it one last go before buying something new.
Now, with a full face of makeup in the summer heat this product was put to the test and it sure passed! I tried it with minimal makeup, with heavy makeup, and with a full going-out face - and each time it noticeably made my face less shiny for the full 12 hours it claimed. Result! It also seemed to make my makeup last better - it didn't slip as much or crease in my laugh lines. Still no obvious pore-diminishing or 'complexion unifying' properties, but I don't mind, anything that stops me getting shiny is A-OK in my books!
So far I've used this product for job interviews, trial shifts, nights out, graduation and even on an every day basis when it was really hot, and I love it. I don't use it every day, just so my skin can get a break, but for times when you need to look your best, this is your new best friend. Perfect for anyone with oily or combination skin that has issues with shine!
The Body Shop All-In-One Instablur (£14) is available on The Body Shop website or in-store.
What products are you currently loving? Let me know!
PS | To find out more about the cruelty free status of The Body Shop, click here.
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