I'll be honest here: There are a whole bunch of trending beauty products on Instagram and TikTok that are simply not worth the hype. And when I say a whole bunch, I mean most. I feel confident enough to say this given my job. It is, after all, a beauty editor's task to look at every aspect of a product (ingredients, packaging, marketing, claims, results, etc.) and weigh up whether or not it is really worth its price tag before recommending it to the masses. Call me biased, but it's for this reason that I always recommend going to beauty editors for honest advice before buying a product—for the most part, we have no incentive to recommend any beauty product to you. If it's good, we'll suggest it; if it's bad, we'll tell you.
Given this insight, the beauty products that I typically consider to be the best in class are the ones that receive social media hype and sit pride of place on beauty editors' shelves. And one that springs to mind straight away when I think of products that reside in this very elite group is Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Despite being all over Instagram, it is the body cream of choice for all of my beauty-editor pals (myself included).
Before I delve into why it's such a great body cream, it's important to know that it is not an everyday product. To start with, the £45 price means it's barely an affordable enough option to justify daily use. The most important reason for not buying this stuff as a daily moisturiser, though, is actually that it packs quite the shimmering punch—but not in a way that makes it feel cheap. The shimmer in Bum Bum cream doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball but instead delivers a sunlit glow that has limbs sparkling under the summer sun in a way that makes it look like you've stepped out of a glistening sea. Instead of being an everyday reach-for, Bum Bum is the sort of body cream you buy once a year as soon as things start heating up and reserve for special occasions when you want your skin to look its most hydrated, glowing best. To sum it up, I like to use Bum Bum whenever I want J.Lo skin.
The biggest selling point of Brazilian Bum Bum cream, some might argue, is its scent, which is like a tropical, sun-drenched paradise with notes of pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla. It's summer skin in one mouth-watering, richly hydrating formula. Speaking of which, the formula is also worth writing home about. Packed with caffeine-rich ingredients, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, Bum Bum works to boost skin health from every angle. It will bust dry skin, helping to plump and smooth while it works.
Do you need Bum Bum cream? Absolutely not. But is it worth the money? Sure. Unlike, say, a cult cleanser, this body cream is far from a necessity. However, as a beauty editor who really champions the power of a great body product, believe me when I say that this body cream is still worth every penny of the £45 it costs. So much so that I have been through at least five tubs of the stuff. As soon as the mercury hits 20, you better believe I'm slathering my limbs in Bum Bum.
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With the same delicious scent as the body cream, this scrub helps to buff away at dull, dry skin while leaving limbs looking full of moisture.
Sol de Janeiro's hair products are amongst some of the best I own. This hair oil helps to deliver deep moisture to dry ends while protecting them against heat, too. Oh, and it means the smells of Bum Bum follows you around all day long.
The latest launch from the brand, Beija Flor Elasti-Cream smells significantly less fruity than the other products in Sol de Janeiro's offering. A little bit floral and a whole lot fresh, this body cream helps to smooth, hydrate and plump skin.
If it's glow your limbs are lacking, look no further than Bom Dia. With dead skin–busting alpha-hydroxy acids and antioxidant vitamin C, it will help skin glow for days after just one application.
This is without a doubt my favourite lip product to dig out come summer. It's rich and nourishing and smells good enough to eat.
A total underdog in Sol de Janeiro's product line-up, Coco Cabana has a cooling gel-cream consistency that soothes skin as it works. The scent reminds me of coconut, gingerbread and baked goods—it's easily one of my favourite body creams ever made.
Who doesn't want their summer showers to smell coconutty and leave their skin feeling silky-soft?
Next up, whenever I wear this product, people ask me if I've been on holiday.
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