Elemis vs Boots Botanics Brightening Balms

Hi and welcome back to my blog!

This week I was trying the much talked about dupe for Elemis from Boots, the Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm (link).

Now I loveeee my Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm but I'm not so much in love with it's price tag. When I had heard that Boots had released their own version and people were comparing it to the Elemis I had to dive in and give it a test run too!

This balm is £5.99 and oh my do you get a lot for such a tiny price tag!

This is light and creamy, much like the Elemis balm and glides on without making your skin greasy - massive win!! This looks gorgeous under makeup and gives my skin a wonderful pop of 'glow' too.

The one thing I wasn't so sure on was the amount of shimmer this product has. When you first put it on - oh my I looked like a disco ball! But after a few minutes of letting it sink into my skin and then applying my usual foundation, it actually looked pretty nice.

Now if it came down to it and I had to pick one, I would still pick the Elemis just because it just works - it's effortless and gorgeous - on its own or under makeup. The Botantics balm I would only ever feel comfortable wearing under makeup but I would still say it's worth a go - especially if you're after a more budget friendly option!

Have you discovered any beauty dupes at the moment?

Thanks for reading!
Jess x

Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm Review

Hi there!

This week I thought I would give you my thoughts on a new product I've been trying out; the Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm.

Now honestly I hadn't heard a lot about this product before and I only tried this as my husband bought me a copy of Marie Claire and it had a sample included of this balm.

I wasn't sure how I would get on with it as it claimed to provide a lot. It's basically a light moisturiser that also claims it can also be used as a primer for under your makeup and to help shrink the appearance of pores. Also it claims to help smooth the skin and all while providing a nice and healthy 'glow' (phew!).

So how did I get on? Well.. I have oily/combination skin so a light moisturiser is great for me and in the past I've had trouble finding one that works well with my skin. This however is a godsend! After using it for a few days I actually noticed a nice glow from my skin (I actually caught my reflection and it made me gasp with delight). This stuff does give you a nice glow, I don't know how but my oh my I'm addicted!

It also keeps my skin hydrated all day and it really does help shrink the appearance of my pores! I never thought I would say that but it really does! It gives me a great smooth complexion which is perfect for then putting my makeup on too (nice primer as it also claims!). I have also noticed that any redness seems to be reduced too - added bonus!

I love the scent of the product too. It's a nice clean scent but it somehow reminds me of being on holiday - perhaps like an aftersun sort of smell - calming and balancing.

All in all I'm sold and have now bought a full size version of this stuff as I won't be using anything else. It's just a holy grail product for me now!

Have you guys tried this out?

Jess xox