Clicks have been adding a lot of new beauty brands to their shelves lately and two of the most recent include FaceB4 (they claim to be the UK’s ‘most effective face wash’) and Transformulas, yet another cosmeceutical brand that claims to sort of/kind of mimic that things promised by Botox and fillers.

Of all the new goodies they sent me, however, these were the items I liked best:

Clicks Tissue Oil body lotion, price TBA.

If you’re the type who likes mixing oils into their body lotions you’re going to like this boy; a body lotion formulated with a host of skin lovin’ ingredients that include hydrating glycerine, olive oil, soybean oil and avocado oil. There’s also a dash of skin smoothing retinyl palmitate (a very mild version of retinol) and other beneficial botanical extracts like skin tone evening lemon peel and circulation-boosting ivy.

I like that the texture’s nice and rich – indulgent even – but it sinks in fast. Then there’s the price. Errrrmigod! There are a million other body lotions on the shelf that’ll cost you more but thanks to being formulated with nothing more than glycerine and cetearyl alcohols won’t do much more than merely ‘hydrate’. This baby will do that and a little bit more and that’s what I call good value. Nice one Clicks!

*Cetearly alcohol is a fatty, waxy substance used in just about every hydrator on the shelf. Don’t freak out when you spot it in the ingredients list; despite having the word alcohol in its name it’s very different to ‘regular alcohol’ and won’t dry your skin out in the least. Promise.

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 foundation (R240) and Color Elixer Giant Pen Stick (R130).

I like so many of Max Factor’s foundations particularly Ageless Elixer 2-in-1 serum + foundation; it literally glides on and offers very nice sheer and natural-looking coverage.

If, however, you want a bit more coverage, you should take a look at new Facefinity All Day Flawless with an SPF of 20. It promises to act as a primer, concealer and foundation in one.

In a way, it reminds me a lot of Estee Lauder’s Double Wear foundation in that it offers very matte-looking solid coverage that lasts for ages. It also didn’t oxidise (change colour) on my skin or aggravate my oily T-panel which I keep in check with a few sweeps of MAC Blot powder throughout the day. I still needed concealer for the circles under my eyes, however but that suits me just fine as my ideal, really, is to use as sheer a foundation as I can get away with and then heavier concealer only on the areas that really need it. When it comes to make-up, less is more girls.

If you like full coverage foundations, this is definitely worth a bash. If, however, you prefer a sheerer, more natural-looking finish or have a more mature skin type that needs a slightly more luminous/dewy finish, you probably won’t be friends.

Now let’s talk about Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick. While it’s been given the most unimaginatively ‘blah’ product name I’ve heard in ages, all is forgiven ‘cos it’s actually pretty fabulous.

Unscented and unflavoured, these immediately reminded me of Clinique’s Chubby Sticks and Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable balm stains. The pencil is a little smaller though which makes it easier to handle and the finish is a little stickier, a little glossier than that of the aforementioned. Also, the stick doesn’t wind up, so you might want to make sure you’ve got a pencil sharpener that’s big enough or aren’t likely to slice your hand off should you go the knife whittling route.

I was given a shade called Foxy Amber (fourth from the left in the pic up above) and am kind of in love with it;  a reddy pink that’s not too red with a very glossy-looking yet pigment-rich finish but doesn’t slide off your lips too quickly or dry them out.

Next time you’re in store, be sure to check them out.

Love, love

Leigh

UPDATE: Just so you know, selected larger Clicks stores are now stocking Bourjois cosmetics. I spotted them in Clicks at the V&A Waterfront over the weekend and had to stop myself from buying a Healthy Mix serum gel foundation.