My Favourite Cream Blushers

L-R: Stila Gerbera, Illamasqua Rude, Topshop Head Over Heels & Bourjois Nude Velvet

When I'm going for a dewy, glowy makeup look I always make sure that I've got a cream blusher to hand and my love for them has actually overtaken that of any powder blusher I own that may have stolen my heart (I'm sorry NARS Sex Appeal, I'm looking at you) I do tend to use them more in the summer but there's a few that get an airing all year around but they're bloody beautiful so can you blame me?!

Illamasqua Rude (Full review here)

If there's a brand that know how to make a cream blusher then it's Illamasqua and this was the one that started my whole creamy love affair. Rude is an orange based peach and even when blended out leaves a beautiful dewy finish and the colour lasts for as long as you do. The only thing I would say is that the blusher is super pigmented so you only need a little bit but it can easily be built up.

Stila Gerbera (Full review here)

Gerbera is a spring perfect milky coral shade and it's the gloopiest (there are probably better words to use but just go with me!) formula of cream blusher that I've come across and like Rude it leaves a dewy sheen to your cheeks which might not be ideal for the oily skinned girlies out there. I was a bit concerned about the sticky factor but it doesn't leave you with tacky face and is really comfortable on leaving the perfect flushed look if used sparingly!

Bourjois NudeVelvet (Full review here)

If you're a cream blusher virgin then the little round pots would be the perfect place to start - it's a cream to powder finish which makes it look like a natural flush to your cheeks and the colour is so light and subtle it's impossible to go wrong as well as it being easy peasy lemon squeezey to apply so no brushes are required just your fingers and about ten seconds of your time. As it is so subtle I would probably recommend it more to pale beauties but there's a whole range of shades so there's definitely something for everyone.

Topshop Head Over Heels (Full Review here)

Another cream to powder blusher and the pinkest of the bunch. This is definitely the most powdery formula and takes a bit of  building up but like the Bourjois offering of the same finish it's a lovely subtle shade that leaves a natural flush which would be perfect for a lighter skin tone. At £7.00 a pop for one of these you really can't go wrong and it's a great starting point before you splash the cash on something a bit more high end if you get the cream blush bug (I hear it's extremely contagious!)

I apply all of the above with my fingers to start with on the apples of my cheeks and then blend it out with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. If you have any cream blusher recommendations for me then please comment, additions to the family are always welcome! I'm now going to go and torture myself with the Feel Unique Sale, wish me and my bank balance luck!

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Monthly Favourites | July 2014

I hope that the end of July doesn't mean the end of the lovely weather that we've been having recently! This month has just flown by and has seemed to be all work and no play but I've got a week off work coming up so August should be a bit more chilled out - thank god! There's a couple of new bits in this months favorites that I don't know how I lived without and then a couple of rediscoveries that I don't know how I forgot about them!

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

This is AMAZING! My face has never been so clean and radiant than it has since I started using this. It gets rid of every trace of makeup that you have on your face and leaves everything so soft. I can't imagine my skin care routine without this now!

ELF Matte Lip Colour in Coral (Review here)

This is the perfect retro shade that looks like it's been pulled straight out of the sixties. I love these twist up lip pencils, they're so convenient and easy to use. This is such a lovely wearable shade, it will go with anything so it's perfect to chuck in your handbag and although it's a matte lip colour it's not drying at all and could even be described as creamy.

The Body Shop Facial Brush

I've been using this along side the Camomile Cleanser to give me the cleanest face in Leicestershire and it works so well to get right into all those little bits of your face that you usually neglect. The bristles are so soft and I feel like it's really brightened my face up and scrubbed away all the dirt!

Illamasqua Crean Blusher in Rude (Review Here)

Illamasqua really know how to do a cream blusher, I've had this for ages but must have stored it away over the winter and it was only when I was looking for something else that I came across it again and I've been using it every day since. This shade was made for Spring/Summer and the formula is a dream, it blends perfectly and leaves a dewiness to your cheeks which is all I want when the sun is out!

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Sugar Apple

How pretty is this shade?! I love the Barry M Gelly polishes, they go on so well in two coats and stay glossy and chip free for days. Sugar Apple is a gorgeous pastel turquoise and couldn't be better for these summery months!

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Illamasqua Matte Lip Liquid in Surrender

Illamasqua Matte Lip Liquid

I don't think I've ever wanted a whole collection as much as I do the Illamasqua Summer collection that was launched recently! Illamasqua are a brand known for their daring shade colours which are sometimes too scary for me but I would happily wear every single shade they have to offer this summer, they are beyond perfect for the sunny months and to make it even more perfect the whole collection is matte which I just can't turn down in a lip product!

I need every shade of the Matte Lip Liquids but bank balance restrictions meant that I had to settle for just one so I went for the peachiest shade I could which is Surrender - a bright peach based coral and is too gorgeous for words. I love the sleek, simple packaging and they are like your average lip gloss in terms of twisting the lid and voila, there's a brush! The brush can get messy so I think I'd prefer a sponge applicator much like the Rimmel Apocalips but with fingers and lip brushes that's just a small complaint to make. I tend to dab a bit on my lips and then blend it out with a finger which I found easier and applied a lot more evenly. Once its dried from a liquid to the matte finish it does feel quite heavy on the lips but what can you expect from something that lasts all day no matter how much you eat, drink or chat?! And as you'd expect with the matteness your lips won't turn down a slathering of lipbalm at the end of the day.

Application can be difficult to get right and I struggle with patchiness around the opening of my mouth but once you've got it down it looks amazing and stays put - it's definitely not put me off desperately needing the shade Exotic in my life!

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Monthly Favourites | May 2014

Why May, haven't you been exciting?! First I get to see Katy Perry in the flesh, a couple of days later my teeny tiny sister enters the world and we finally booked a holiday! We've had the smallest amount of sun and I'm already digging out all the bright colours I can find and making sure my legs are ready to be bared to the world.

Vaseline Cocoa Radiant

I cannot get enough of this stuff, it smells amazing and makes my skin look glowing and feel super soft, the only downside is that it's very greasy so I tend to use this at night time or well before I'm due to leave the house so it has chance to soak in.

Illamasqua Matte Lip Liquid in Surrender

Illamasqua you have answered my prayers, this has to be the most perfect peachy lip product I've seen in a long time and it's a matte finish which I much prefer over glossy. The colour pay off is amazing and the staying time is incredible, it feels a little bit heavy when it's on but it really does stick to your lips and did I mention it's the perfect peach?!

Daniel Sandler Water Colour Blushers in Acid and Trip

I've looked at these so many times but the colours have always been a bit neutral for my liking, well what can I say now?! Not anymore!! A neon pink and orange have been launched just in time for summer and it might not look it but once they're on and blended in they are really subtle and glowy. I am so glad I picked these up, they'll be the first thing I put in my make up bag when I pack for my holiday because they will definitely be able to withstand the heat and keep in place!

Katy Perry Eylure Eyelashes in Punk Princess

Eylure are my first port of call for lashes and I love feathery eyelashes that add a bit of drama to your look but they're not too in your face and these are perfect, they give some length and thickness but still look natural enough, my beloved 117's have some competition!

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FOTD

Last night I dug out my cat ears and spent the night in the company of my ultimate girl crush Miss Katy Perry herself! I had literally been counting down the days since I got the tickets for Christmas and despite having to wait outside in the rain for ages because of some technical difficulties she was definitely worth the wait, if you're going to see her then you're in for a treat because she is absolutely AMAZING. I've never done a face of the day post before but my outfit picture didn't turn out very well so ta da! I wanted to be prepared just in case she whisked me on a night out around Nottingham so slapped on my full face of going out make up which is very similar to my day make up just with glowier skin, more eye make up and lashes (well, if it ain't broke don't fix it!) I started with my two glowy base staples which are MAC Strobe Cream as a primer and NARS Sheer Glow (I wear the shade mont blanc) thankfully after a bit of a wobble at the start of the year my skin has sorted itself out now so after a bit of concealing, contouring and highlighting that's me done basewise. I can't get enough of peachy cheeks especially at this time of year, it gives a really fresh look, I've been using MAC Royal Sunset a lot recently which is unfortunately limited edition and I got it from the All About Orange collection (my favourite MAC collection ever, I wish they'd do part two!) I always stick with neutrals for my eyes which is where my MAC quad comes in, I used Espresso to fill in my brows and Shroom on the inner corner of my eyes with All that Glitters towards the outside and bringing it underneath a bit, I've also rediscovered the E.l.f mineral eyeshadow in Natural which is a perfect highlight for the inner corner of your eye. A flick of black eyeliner, my trusty Eylure lashes - it would have been rude not to wear Katy Perry for the occasion - and my new favourite lip product which is the Illamasqua Matte lip liquid in Surrender and I was ready to dance the night away!

I shall leave you with a picture of what I was wearing when I first ever met my lovely Joel - I have a lot to owe Katy Perry and her cupcakes! 

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Midweek Wish List #22

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1. I got a tiny little sample of Strobe Cream with a MAC order I placed and have fallen in love with it! I've been using it as a primer and it gives the perfect radiant base. You can also mix it with foundation for that glow from within kind of look or simply use it as a highlighter.

2. The Illamasqua Summer collection looks absolutely amazing, I dread to think the damage that is going to be done to my bank account. The collection was launched today and I've got my eye on a velvet blusher to add to my ever growing Illamasqua blusher collection (they do them so well!) and all of the new matte lip liquid shades but I might have to limit myself!

3. As if this wish list didn't have enough lip and cheek products on it here's one more! YSL have brought out a product that's made to be used both on your lips and cheeks and the shade range is amazing. With these multi use products and especially the ones that are made for cheeks I usually only tend to use it on my cheeks but because this has a doe foot applicator I think I'd be more inclined to shove it in my bag as a lip product which means I have no excuse to not get one as price per wear has just halved!

4. For my Birthday I went to Selfridges in Birmingham wanting to come home with a beautiful new purse because mine is years old and getting a bit tatty looking, I looked high and low and with the exception of falling in love with a Mulberry purse that was far too expensive I couldn't find anything and then I stumbled across this little beauty when I'd stopped looking for a purse - sods law isn't it?! I love stripes, I especially love blue stripes and I love gold hardware so this is just perfect!

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Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow, £17.50

I bought this quite a while ago when Illamasqua had a discount code on the go that was too good to refuse and I'd wanted to try this after hearing that it was the perfect pale girl contour product and I have to say that after a couple of months of test running it I can't argue with that statement!

Hollow is one of Illamasqua's Cream Pigments which is truly a multi use product - you name it and you can use it there, your face, lips, eyes, body. They are also matte and crease-resistant which is perfect for using it on your eyes but I've never tried this as I got it solely for contouring. I wouldn't say that Hollow is what you'd want if you were after some extreme contouring as it just looks like a really natural shadow but definitely adds a bit of definition and that is coming from a complete moon face. The colour is described as 'Toffee' and there's not a hint of orange in sight to add to the naturalness of the shade. 

I find this applies really smoothly and I usually apply with my fingers where the hollows of my cheeks should be and I say should as I've been cursed with a very round face which makes my cheek bones none existent so thank god for products like these! Once the colour is in place I blend it with my Real Techniques stippling brush or expert face brush and if those cheek bones just aren't defined enough you can build it up to a really natural sculpted look.

If you're a fellow porcelain skinned lady and contouring scares you a little then this is the perfect starting place for you!

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Monthly Favourites | March 2014

I can't believe that April is here already and I am a week away from being another year older, where has being 22 gone?! I didn't really buy much make up in March so my favourites are made up of slow burners that I've needed to use for a while for me to fall in love with them and a rediscovered love. I've been a really rubbish blogger recently so I'm making a new month resolution to up my game and start posting a bit more so I suppose I'm just going to have to buy some new bits so I don't run out of thing to post about...

Xen-Tan Dark Lotion Weekly Self Tan

Stop the press, I think I may have found my holy grail tan! This stuff is perfection, from the delicious sweet smell to the natural sunkissed colour, I don't have one complaint. Initially the 'dark lotion' made me a bit nervous but don't let it put you off because you get as much colour as you want depending on how much you apply, I started lightly and it turned me a lovely bronzed colour and then I got braver and layered it up for a deeper olive tan (I'd been watching the Kardashians and a light tan just wouldn't do!) I've not been battling with streakiness and it fades seamlessly although it's a bit pricier than I'd like the bottle is huge and should last a good while!

MAC Candy Yum Yum

I bought Candy Yum Yum about a year ago now after months of waiting for it to become permanent and not being able to live without it in my life and then when I got it I wore it once and didn't touch it again until the past month or so when it has definitely got my full and undivided attention! This is the perfect in your face, neon Barbie pink for your lips and it's matte which makes me like it even more! I love wearing this with simple eye make up and it seems to really brighten up my whole face.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

This has been my skin savior! For the first time in years I've really been suffering with breakouts around my chin and even when the offending blemish was long gone I was left with a scab or a scar because of my notorious picking ways and since I've been using this a couple of times a week I haven't had one breakout and the marks have completely disappeared.  My skin has honestly never looked so good after a really bad skin year so far so there's no way I'm going to be cutting this out of my routine any time soon.

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow

I've heard so many amazing things about Hollow and bought this as a contouring product imparticular. This is the perfect shade for pale skin, it's a really natural colour but makes such a difference at the same time. It goes on smoothly and blends perfectly - it's all I've been using to contour recently and I can't see that changing!

Topshop Nails in Disclosed

This is just screaming spring to me, it's a beautiful duck egg blue which I find that sometimes shades like this can be a bit hit or miss and come across more white and stark than they are but this is really, really nice and the perfect amount of blue - there's not a hint of tip ex fingers in sight!

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Countdown to Christmas - 6 Days to go! | My Festive Red Lip Picks

If Christmas isn't the time to rock a red lip then when the hell is?! I don't need an excuse to wear a bold lip but those reds that might not get all the love that they deserve definitely get a bit more attention throughout the festive season. I've had a rummage through my stash and picked out my six favourite reds that will take you from Christmas eve through to Boxing day and beyond!

MAC Morange

If you want  a stand out pout this Christmas then Morange is definitely the way to go! This is one of my favourite and most worn lipsticks. Morange is a vibrant orange that leans enough on the red side to make it wearable and not too scary. This looks amazing with simple eye make up making it the center of attention.

Topshop Ohh La La

Okay, this might not be a typical festive red per se but a coral this pretty, how could I leave it out?! This is definitely the type of shade that is more in my comfort zone and I reach for on a regular basis. I really like this colour and formula, it doesn't look out of place in the day but it can add a pop of colour when built up for a night out, I usually pair it with the Illamasqua lip pencil in Power to intensify the colour and make it last a bit longer - because it's glossy it tends to wear off quite quickly.

MAC Dangerous 

This is the closest that I'm going to get to a true red in my Festive picks and it's still with an Orange twist! Dangerous is from the Retro Matte collection and is perfect for a day when you're not going to stop eating or drinking because this baby doesn't budge.

Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

If a bold lip isn't really your thing then a Lip Butter is more of a subtle take on the look. Wild Watermelon is a sheer red shade and the formula is so moisturizing.

MAC RiRi Woo

Another Retro Matte that I can only describe as a deep Hollywood style red, you wouldn't look out of place rubbing shoulders with the film stars of the 50's in this! Like Dangerous it's a turkey proof finish and will stay on until you scrub it off.

Illamasqua Mistress

Mistress is a very similar vivid Orangey red to Morange but in gloss form. I'm really not a glossy lipped kind of girl but I actually quite like this, it isn't overly sticky and lasts for a lot longer than I expected and even when there are signs of it wearing off it leaves a really noticeable stain so you don't lose the colour, just the glossiness.

I don't know about you but I'm ready to get my red lip on!!

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Midweek Wish List #18

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You'll be pleased to know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth but I've just had a really rough week and blogging has taken a bit of a back seat but is there any better way to lift your spirits than making a lust list of pretty thing that you hope Santa might come across?! The post man has brought me a couple of nice parcels recently so I'm going to make an extra effort to get back to my blogging best, sometimes when the shit hits the fan you just can't bring yourself to do the things you usually love but as Elizabeth Taylor once said 'pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together' and how can I argue with that?!

1. Hallelujah, a NARS palette that doesn't include Deep Throat or Orgasm! I know that they're the most popular blusher shades but I already own both and am light years away from hitting pan so I can never justify parting with my pennies for something I already own. This is the Splendor In The Grass palette which includes three blushers and a highlighter, what a beauty!

2. We're less than a week away from December so there's no denying that party season has arrived and if you can't wear head to toe sequins at Christmas than when can you? I absolutely adore this Topshop dress but it comes with a hefty £68 price tag which I've been trying to talk myself into for a good week or so but I'm not quite there yet.

3. Roll on January, my lips are crying out for these Revlon Colourbust matte balms! I predict that the blogging world are going to go crazy over these when they finally make it to the UK. I don't think I've seen one of the ten shades that I don't want yet, Boots better have a 3 for 2 on when these come out!

4. My beloved Real Techniques foundation brush is losing bristles at a ridiculous pace and I'm fed up of picking them off my face when I'm doing my make up! I don't own any other MAC brushes but I've heard some really good things about them and Debenhams had 10% off so I'm guessing you can put two and two together, oops!

5. Surprise, Surprise another coral lipstick that I'm dreaming of - how many can one girl own before it becomes an addiction?! I love Illamasqua and a week doesn't go by without me using a product of theirs but I've never tried a lipstick so I think it's about time that that changed.

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Midweek Wish List #17

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1. I'm as drawn to a peachy lip product as a moth is to a flame so naturally this Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss is screaming out for me to take it home. I'm not usually a glossy kind of girl but this is literally peach perfection so I'm not letting that put me off and don't know how much longer I can resist this baby!

2. Isn't it pretty?! This Bobbi Brown Smokey Warm Eye Palette is definitely one of my top picks for this years Christmas offerings. I am a definite neutral eye girl so I love all of these shades - Santa if you're listening pretty please can this make its way under my tree?

3. I don't have a foundation that I love at the minute and if the base isn't right then the rest of my face doesn't have a chance! I have read so many good reviews about this and who am I to shun the hype?! This may already be on its way to me after I accidentally clicked 'proceed to checkout' when ASOS had 20% off the other day so watch this space!

4. Another typically Jade colour is this MAC lipstick in Ravishing which is described as by MAC as a 'clean light peachy coral'. Coral and peachy in the same sentence?! Be still my beating heart! 

5. The festive period is fast approaching which means that party season is upon us and I want to have the fullest, featheriest lashes humanly possibly at the party. These are apparently Kimmy K's eyelashes of choice and if they're good enough for a night in LA then they are good enough for a night in Loughborough!

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Midweek Wish List #13

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1. A tan that develops in an hour - Does this mean that brown sheets are a thing of the past?! I've seen so many good reviews on this and I really want to give it a try.

2. I need my whole house to smell like a vanilla cupcake so this candle must find its way into my life! The winter months are approaching fast and I love having a candle burning when it's dark and cold outside and I think this is the one!

3. What girl doesn't want to go to bed and then wake up in the morning with big bouncy hair?! You pop these little pink beauties in before bedtime and then when you wake up in the morning and take them out you've got hair to rival Chezza Cole. I can't imagine these to be as comfy as they make them out to be but no pain, no gain right?!

4. I'm thinking about the chilly times ahead again and if I'm going to keep my head warm it's going to have to be with this super cute net bow beanie. I absolutely love it!

5. My highlighter fixation continues and Illamasqua gleam is next on my list. Aurora is such a gorgeous shimmery champagne that I am desperate to get on my cheek bones!

6. They've had a couple of months break but as soon as the sun says goodbye I will be living in my black Leigh jeans, I love the shape, the feel, the cut, they are my perfect jeans. I saw this pair in Topshop a few weeks back and fell in love with them, they're more of a pinky red in the flesh but I think they're the perfect addition to my leigh collection to relieve my black pair and help share the load!

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Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Rude

 

 

 

 

Illamasqua, Cream Blusher in Rude £18.00

My life is finally complete now that I have this in my sweaty little paws! It took me month and months of torturing myself with Google image searches of swatches and reading rave reviews before this came back in stock and I finally had my hands on it. 

Rude is a another addition to my peachy cheek product rampage, it leans more towards an orangey peach than a 'warm peach pink' as it's described in the pan but once applied and blended out on my pale complexion the pink does show. I don't know how suitable this would be for someone with oily skin as the formula is very, very creamy (I know it's a cream blusher so that goes without saying!) fortunately my skin is more dry than anything so once applied it leaves a lovely dewy finish but I could see that on oily skin this could look more greasy than glowy. I dab this on my cheeks with my fingertips and then blend it out with the Real Techniques stippling brush, the colour can be as subtle or as bright as you like it because it's very buildable and blends like a dream. I don't know if because it is so creamy it slides off my face but I didn't find the lasting time to be amazing although it might just be this beautiful weather because my make up never seems to fair very well in hot weather but please Mr Sun, don't leave us, I can take one for the team and carry the burden of my make up moving off my face! 

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Monthly Favourites | June 2013

I didn't even realise that the end of June was looming until I saw a few monthly favourites popping up! This month has gone by in such a blur, new house, new job and a couple of messy nights in between is enough to frazzle any girls brain! The end of June also means that we're on the downwards slope towards Christmas, I need a few more sunny months before that thought starts to be less depressing though.

I think that I've spent the last 90% of this month doused in Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess (full review here) I absolutely love it, it's a holiday in a bottle and if you love a coconutty scent like me then this is perfect for you. It's limited edition though so you either have to stock up or be sparing! I really like bright blue nails when the sun is shining and Essie in the Cab-ana (full review here) is the perfect cloudless sky, swimming pool coloured blue. Good Application and long lasting, what more can a girl ask for?! I love lip products and I would go as far as saying that I'm a lipstick hoarder, out of my stash these two have been the stars of July. MAC Chatterbox (full review here) is an amplified finish in a really nice muted rosey pink colour, definitely worth looking into if you're after something that stands out but isn't too bright. MAC Flamingo (full review here) is from the All About Orange collection that did my bank account a lot of damage this June! At first I was a little bit disappointed that the colour pay off was quite weak but I've got over that hurdle now! It's just a really nice subtle pinky coral and the application is fail proof, you could do it with your eyes closed and it would still look great. I've been on a bit of a blusher binge recently and I've wanted Illamasqua Rude for ages now but it always seems to be out of stock on the website, I finally managed to get my hands on it and now I realise why it's always out of stock! It's a cream blush in a peachy colour and it has such a radiant finish, this really is the perfect summery cheek colour. I've really neglected my poor skin recently and the only thing that I've applied daily is this NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR Dry Oil from the June Glossybox it has a golden shimmer running through it which is perfect for this time of year when we're all a little bit bronzed (real or from a bottle!) it can be used for your body, face and hair but I've only used it on my face because it's only a small sample, I think that the 50ml bottle comes as a spray which would be a lot easier to use. I'm definitely going to have to invest in a full size of this because I am nowhere near ready to part with my baby soft skin just yet!

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