The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil, £16.00

'This lightweight body oil gives skin an even bronzed look with a hint of shimmer'

I purchased this back in the Spring when the Honey Bronze collection was released as The Body Shop's revamped bronzing range. The whole collection looks lovely but I was really intruiged by the shimering dry oil. The bottle was a lot dinkier than I imagined it is only 100ml afterall, it's also made of glass so I have to be careful when using it as I like to drop things on the floor.

The product looks gorgeous in the bottle and has a golden shimmer running through the bronze oil. The liquid inside likes to separate out so it's important to shake the bottle well before use. To use just pour the desired amount onto your body and rub in. Whilst it only gives a subtle bronzed effect to my pale skin, it must be blended in well or you run the risk of leaving small dark brown smears on your skin.

Straight out of the bottle...

...and blended in.

The lotion is light to apply and makes the skin feel instantly moisturised without being greasy. As it's a dry oil it drys relatively quickly on the skin, however I recently used in on holiday and found the humid conditions left me feeling tacky, especially in places where you sweat naturally i.e. backs on the knees and the crook of the elbow, so it's important to let it dry thoroughly before applying clothes.

The colour is very subtle, I wouldn't even put it in the fake tan bracket it's more designed to enhance your natural skin colour and give a bronzy glow. Being so pale I often completely shy away from any kind of tanning products as they are often too orange for my skin tone however this is a light golden brown colour and gives me a nice wash of colour. 

The product has a monoi scent which is floral and exotic, at first I found the smell slightly overwhelming but as with most scents, I have grown to like it. It's fairly pungent, for want of a better word, so I don't feel there would be that much need to wear a perfume on top.

Overall it's a nice little product, I would say it is slightly expensive however as The Body Shop is part of The Ethical Trade Initiative it contains fair trade honey, which is satisfying to know and maybe the reason for the price tag. I'm not sure how effective this product would be on darker skins as the colour is very subtle, however it's perfect for me and will go someway to enhancing what little tan I have.