Expert Trial Team: our latest beauty finds

We’ve all had a bad experience with beauty products. Some we forget about and move on, but others may scar us for life. Lucky for us, we work in an environment that allows us to overcome our past experiences and move on with the latest and greatest beauty products available. For those that have ever suffered a fluoro, streaky fake tan, Liv has the spray to change your mind. Steered clear of eyeshadows in case of a smear? Never fear Sam is here! Struggled to find the perfect pretty blush? Carli comes to the rescue. And for those that believe no moisturising cream could ever plump their struggling skin, Di has the product to prove you wrong.

Reef Beach Glow Tanning Spray

bh’s Liv says…

"I have been using Reef oil for years. The coconut smell instantly transfers me to a state of happiness that you can only reach by laying on the beach under a big umbrella with a cool ocean breeze sweeping over your skin. It's the perfect product for summer – and for that reason, I was beyond stoked when they launched a tanning range. My happiness was confirmed when I realised that the scrumptious coconut scent had transferred into the tanning products and that was enough ammunition to have me desperate to get my mitts on the tanning spray. Before I began, I laid down a towel and used a tanning mitt to get a more even coverage. The spray applied easily to my skin and covered a wide area, meaning that I didn't have to use as much elbow grease to ensure the colour was even and totally absorbed. The mist was tinted with a bronze hue, which meant it was easy for me to recognise where the colour had been applied. After I'd applied the product to my whole body, I slipped on my baggy pyjama pants and was pleased at how quickly the product had seemed to dry. I didn't feel sticky or 'tacky' like I often do after tanning. Fast forward to the next day, besides a hint of bronzer on my pillow, my sheets are tan-free, the colour on my body is subtle but radiant. You can tell I have a tan, but it's a spring-appropriate tan, around 2-3 shades darker than my natural skin colour. I don't look like I've been to Cancun - and that's a good thing, because I didn't want to!"

Face of Australia Budgeproof Eyeshadow 

bh’s Sam says…

“I hardly ever wear eyeshadow. Mostly because it tends to end up in the creases of my eyelid, resulting in an unwanted stripy effect when I was aiming for a shimmery smokey eye. So when I heard about Face of Australia’s Budgeproof Eyeshadow – an eyeshadow that doesn’t move or smear and lasts all day ­– I thought it would be too good to be true. First impressions: the texture is amazing! Soft to the point of creaminess, so applying it is a dream. I used the Bronze Phinx shade and loved how the colour complimented my blue eyes while adding a touch of shimmer. I alternated using it as a subtle colour for work and as a bold night-time look, and found that it was an easy buildable colour to work with. And the best part? No unsightly crease marks! The eyeshadow refused to move one tiny bit and lasted all day, I was almost scared that it wasn’t going to come off but found it was easy to remove using make-up remover. My only negative is that it isn’t available in enough colours. Release more please!”

Benefit Rockateur 

bh’s Carli says…

“I've been a fan of Benefit blushes for a long time (the Sugarbomb is one of my favourites), and I was not disappointed by the new Rockateur. 

First off – I LOVED the pattern. Call me superficial, but I love a product that's as pretty as it is effective. Onto the colour: I needed to swish the brush in the box for a while initially to get enough pigments on there, but once it was loaded with some blush, the colour was great. It's a really beautiful (slightly shimmery) colour that adds the perfect amount of colour to look a little flushed. I did find that I needed to use less of this in comparison to Sugarbomb, so just be careful when applying – you don't want to end up with clown cheeks!”

Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream 

bh’s Di says…

“I have been using this moisturiser on my face and neck for just over three weeks now and am really liking it. You only need to use a small amount which makes it great value and it spreads really evenly over your skin and is absorbed quickly, leaving no oily residue. This makes it easy to immediately apply your make-up and I found I didn't need to use a primer. After use, my skin feels soft, plumped and really hydrated and this feeling stays with me for the entire day. I don't always use a moisturiser at night, and tend to only if my skin is feeling dehydrated. The times I have used this before bed have left my skin still feeling quite hydrated in the morning. All in all this is a very impressive cream and I would be happy to continue using it.”

Want to know if one of these products is right for you?

Check out our Expert Trial Team beauty profiles to see if they’ll suit you, too…

Have you tried any of the products tested by our Expert Trial Team? If not, which product are you dying to try?

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