Body Shop Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream

The hunt for the perfect day cream continues: The Body Shop's Vitamin E Moisture Cream is one of their tried and trusted old reliables. You know it's gonna work. I hadn't bought it for ages though and recently picked up a new pot - and they're now doing an Illuminating version too. Ooh, moving with the times, eh?

Like the regular variety, this cream feels and smells lovely, is easily absorbed and makes skin feel comfortable and smooth. The added bonus is the shimmer factor. It's got a small amount of an iridescent pink highlighter included which looks subtle but noticeable on cheeks, nose and browbones. It's just a nice little extra that gives you a bit of a glow on miserable dark mornings like we're having at the moment.

Downside - no SPF. Why oh WHY? Well, actually there's a good reason. SPFs are often omitted from skincare formulations and that's because their chemical content makes a lot of people highly sensitive to them. Bah. So because of that, a lot of manufacturers and cosmetic companies just leave them out. But as we've pointed out numerous times before, a decent SPF should be an essential part of your daily routine.

So while this cream is lovely, really it's not suitable to be worn on its own. It's perfect to use if layered over a cream containing an SPF or under your makeup - as long as that makeup contains some protection.

You can buy Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream from Body Shop branches and chemist concessions and 50ml will cost you €11.95.