The Best Boots Own Brand Products

For those of you who don't know, I work for Boots - not in a sponsoring way, but I physically work in a Boots shop so since I've been working for Boots, I've tried a lot of their own brand products. These products are all products that I have repurchased or just love and it is my 100% honest opinion. A lot of people don't know that brands such as Natural Collection, Seventeen, No7, CYO and Your Good Skin are all created by Boots. CYO is the new replacement for Seventeen, which is being discontinued between now and August, however, currently you can still purchase Seventeen on their website and in most stores and you can also buy CYO online currently. I was going to include a few haircare products in this post, as I love their hair mask and colour shampoo, however, they are no longer on the website so I think they have been discontinued.

Natural Collection Blush & Glow (Pink & Bronze) - £2.49 each
- These products were released when they repackaged Natural Collection and brought out new products last year. I picked these up mainly because the Pink shade had a white highlighter shade (to go with my super pale skin) and just thought I'd try the Bronze shade as well (because you can never have too much make up!) but I didn't have high hopes for the Bronze shade as I wouldn't be able to use the gold shade as a highlighter. I actually LOVE both of these and am constantly reaching for these. The bronze shade I use a bronzer brush swirled into both the gold and the matte bronzer and it gives a beautiful glowy bronze without it looking too shiny / glittery. The blush is a lovely shade that is the right level of pigmentation and the highlighter is great too - I use these two separately as a blush and highlighter although you could mix the two together. For £2.49 each, you can't go wrong with these!

Boots Essential Maximum Hold Hairspray 450ml - £1.99
- Boots do a whole range of hairsprays, in different sizes and different strength of hold with some unperfumed and some perfumed. I chose the Maximum Hold, which is one down from the strongest (Extra Firm Hold) and it is the perfumed version. It smells like a standard hairspray, which doesn't bother me, but you do have the option of unperfumed if you don't like the hairspray scent. This hairspray keeps my hair in place without leaving it crispy or greasy looking and it brushes out easily. I don't use hairspray a huge amount so the 450ml bottle lasts forever for me! These are also often on offer for 2 for £3 or similar. If you do use hairspray regularly, this is a great alternative for the likes of Tresemme, who charge a lot more for a very similar product.

No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder (Translucent) - £11.50
- I've mentioned this powder before as it's a great face powder for pale skin. No7 is a pricey brand for the drugstore, but you do get the quality in the packaging and No7 do £3 off make up vouchers every few months, so if you wait until then, you can get it for £8.50 which is much more reasonable. The packaging of this powder is sturdy and you get a mirror inside. The powder itself doesn't take the coverage away from your foundation and doesn't leave your skin looking cakey. It keeps my skin looking matte for most of the day (I have oily / combination skin). The powder is quite finely milled so it doesn't kick up much powder when you swirl your brush in it, unlike a lot of other powders I've tried!

CYO Lifeproof Long Lasting Foundation (101) - £7.50
- I've spoken about this foundation recently in my updated blog post of the best foundations for pale skin. As I mentioned, CYO is a new Boots brand that is replacing Seventeen and it's been available on the website for a few months now and will be being released into stores over the next few months. The shade 101 is a great pale skin shade - it is beige toned instead of being yellow / pink, which is definitely my personal preference. This doesn't oxidise and gives good coverage. It is a dewy finish, but can be set with a powder and is very long lasting on my skin. The bottle is plastic, you get 30ml of product and it comes with a pump. This is one of my new favourite foundations that I keep finding myself reaching for and for £7.50, you can't go wrong!

YourGoodSkin Blemish Clearing Anti-Blemish Base Lotion - £9.99
- YourGoodSkin was a new Boots skincare range that they released about 6 months ago, it actually replaced the range 'Time Delay' although most of the products in this range are more expensive and not anti-aging. This particular product is the only one I've tried from the range so far and the main reason I purchased it was because it contains salicylic acid which my skin loves. I use this on both make up and no-make up days and it works on it's own or under foundation as a primer. I find it mattifies my skin and keeps my skin matte for longer. It feels smooth and refreshing to apply and it sinks into the skin quickly. I'm not sure how much this clears my skin as I use a lot of different products, but it definitely doesn't make it any worse. It doesn't have a strong scent, you get 30ml of product in the plastic bottle and it comes with a pump. I haven’t included a photo of this as I actually finished the bottle a few days ago and I forgot I needed it for this post and binned it! I will definitely be repurchasing it though.

Natural Collection Hydrating & Radiance Primer - £2.99
This primer is also a relatively new product from Natural Collection that was released last year when Boots repackaged the brand and brought in lots of new lines. For £2.99, I had to try this primer and I’m super glad I did! This primer has quite a thick consistency so you don’t need to use much to cover your face and it is very illuminating! You can either cover your whole face with this for a radiant glow or just use it on the high points of your face such as your cheek bones, bridge of your nose etc. I’ve tried it both ways and it works amazingly for both. Even with full coverage, matte foundations over the top, I find the glow still shines through but without looking metallic. I didn’t find that it made my make up last any longer, but it doesn’t claim to do that and it didn’t make my skin any more oily than it is without a primer. You get 30ml of product in a squeeze tube and it doesn’t have a strong scent. Overall, this is a fantastic product for only £2.99!

Boots Simply Sensitive Hydrating Eye Cream - £2.50
- This is a great affordable eye cream if you have dry under-eyes or just want an affordable eye cream. My skin is not sensitive and I don't actually have dry under-eyes, but I like using an eye cream as part of my skincare routine every few days. It is very moisturising without being greasy or oily and it leaves my under-eyes feeling hydrated and refreshed. It sinks into the skin relatively quickly and I don't have any issue applying make up over the top of it. Because it is a squeeze tube, it's easy to get a controlled amount out and you only need to use a small amount at a time so the tube lasts a long time. The Simply Sensitive range is also often on offer for 3 for 2 and I've tried other products in the range and there are some great basic products in the range.

No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Face Wipes x30 - £7.50
- I know a lot of people are of the opinion that make up removing wipes are bad for your skin, but I've used them for years and have never had an issue with them. They do not take off all of my make up, but they take off the majority of it and then I go in with a cotton wool pad with micellar water to take off the rest. These particular wipes are bigger than other face wipes I've tried and they are much thicker. The packet comes with a plastic lid which seals the pack, keeping the wipes damp. They are good at removing most of my make up and all of them in the pack tend to stay damp, unlike other face wipes I've tried. I definitely would not buy these wipes for £7.50 however, as with the make up, No7 do £5 off skincare vouchers every few months, making these wipes £2.50 I always keep a stock pile of these so I know I will never run out!

Seventeen Dolled Up Mascara - £6.99
- I spoke about this mascara in my last blog post about my most repurchased items. Although Seventeen is being discontinued between now and August, I do think the CYO (it's replacement) is matching most of the mascaras so chances are, you will still be able to purchase a similar product, and this mascara is still available online and in most stores just now. This mascara is my absolute favourite for natural make up days and for my bottom lashes. The wand has a plastic curved applicator, which is great for giving a curl to your lashes and this really lengthens them. I agree with the 'dolled up' name because it does give you doll-like lashes. It doesn't add much volume, hence I use it on my lower lash line but it also doesn't go clumpy. I've found that this doesn't dry out quickly and one tube lasts me a long time, so for £6.99, you can't go wrong! This doesn't transfer onto my under-eyes and the curl and length lasts all day. (This mascara is currently £2.09 in Boots because of the brand being  discontinued!)

Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Charcoal Face Scrub - £4.99
- This is one of my favourite skincare products. This has a thick formula, which is grey in colour and contains exfoliating beads and you don't need to use a lot to cover your face. It's pretty gentle on your skin considering it's a scrub and leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth afterwards. I use this a couple of times a week as part of my skincare routine and I do feel like it helps my skin - specifically with the texture. The tea tree scent of this is not overpowering but it does have a scent. My only criticism of this product, although I have found the same with most face scrubs, is that the beads are quite hard to get off your skin afterwards, it takes quite a lot of rinsing to clean your face off. To me, it's still a great product and I will continue to repurchase this! You get 150ml of product in the tube.

Let me know what your favourite Boots products are down in the comments below.

Sarah (aka. Pale Princess) x