The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain

A girl asked me recently on Facebook about the Body Shop Lip&Cheek stain. It made me realise that, as much as I rave on and on about this little thing, I've never actually documented why I love it, or why I recommend it to everyone I know.

So here it is- a review on probably my favourite blush, ever!

The Body Shop Lip&Cheek stain has been around for years; it was one of the first items that drew my attention back in my early teens, along with a few other TBS classics like White Musk perfume and the delicious Strawberry shower gel.

Now, as far as originality goes, Benefit must have been the pioneer in cheek stains- according to Wikipedia, what we know as Benetint was first produced during 1976 and marketed as "Rose Tint", a nipple stain for an exotic dancer (!).
Urban myths aside, here's how I compare the two stains:

The Body Shop Lip&Cheek Stain          Benetint
affordable (€11)                                 expensive (€30-ish)
sophisticated enriched formula              dated formula, very few ingredients
100% cruelty free                                CONTAINS CARMINE!!!

[In case you didn't know, Carmine is derived by a chemical procedure that involves boiling dried insects (source). Sorry Benefit, I'm not the biggest animal rights advocate in the world, but applying crushed beetles on my cheeks feels wrong.]

This is why I'd advice you to skip the Benefit version and head for the Body Shop one!

Back to the actual product:

The rosy-red liquid looks transparent in the tube -see the above pic?-, it's also quite watery and runny. It's best to be applied after foundation, before powder and concealer. However, I've tried it under foundation and looks just like a natural healthy flush. It sets fairly quickly, so make sure you do one cheek at a time! Once it dries though, it fully absorbs on the skin to an almost waterproof stain that is going to last until you take off your makeup. I say "almost" because it depends on the foundation you're wearing underneath!

What you'll be left with is a gorgeous cool-toned rosy pink flush that looks so beautiful on olive/mediterranean skin colouring! You can obviously build up a second layer for an intense look- provided that the first layer has fully dried, otherwise you'll end up with a patchy mess. Also, keep in mind that it sets on the skin; that's why it's best for oily to combination skintypes that don't do well with cream blushes. If you have really dry skin, this product will most likely suck the life out of your face to an unflattering matte finish.

    Swatch, straight from the applicator

    Blended into a heavy layer

     Disadvantages:
* It's not the best product to use on your lips, as it tends to sit into fine lines.
  To be honest, all such stains do...
* Because of its watery consistency, it can dry out faster than you think!
  Make sure you close it tightly after each use and store it upside down.

As if you couldn't tell by now, I'm in love with the Body Shop Lip&Cheek stain! It's my pal, my "old faithful" during spring and summer season. The quality is fantastic, plus you can't beat its price! If cream blushes don't work with your skintype, go get it- no second thoughts!!! I vouch for it ;)

Disclaimer: I'm only raving about the Body Shop Lip&Cheek stain in the shade #01-Rose Pink. A second shade was launched 2-3 years ago (#02-Bronze Glimmer), but it's miles apart from the awesomeness!!! of the rosy stain.

I'd love to know your experiences with cheek stains- love them? hate them?
Have you tried the Body Shop Lip&Cheek Stain?

Evi   xx