April empties - Origins, L'Occitane, Saaf, Korres, The Bath House, The Body Shop

Body Shop massage oil – I wanted to like this, but I was disappointed. It sounded promising and exotic, but it smells too much of ginger. It might as well be called Ginger massage oil. I would not repurchase as there are other oils in the range.

Saaf face oil serum – love a facial oil. My face is dry and needs hydrating throughout the year. Have already repurchased. I’m very interested in this range of products. 

L’Occitane Jasmine and Green Tea soap 100g – love this and I’ve already repurchased, it looks like it’s discontinued but it sometimes crops up during sales so I stock up whenever I see it.

Origins Night-A-Mins 30ml sample – I've been using silicone-free products lately so this feels way too silicone-y for me and I didn’t really notice much difference after regular use either. I wouldn't repurchase. 

L’Occitane Verbena shower gel 500ml – this massive body wash came as part of a gift set of Verbena products from L’Occitane. I love the authentic fresh fragrance of this body wash, but don’t love the drying sulfates, would repurchase only if L’Occitane ever decide to reformulate to remove the SLES.

L’Occitane Mango flower hand cream 30ml – this is one of the really thick formulations that I prefer to use in cooler weather (the summer ones have more of a gel consistency). I’m not crazy about the fragrance. I have other hand creams in the stash.

Korres Guava Lip Butter – I really like this. I don’t wear this during the day as this guava one turns your lips white, but I use it each night as an overnight treatment. I used to wake up with parched lips each morning and the first thing I’d reach for would be a lip balm, but this works at keeping the lips hydrated. I’m not keen on the ingredients though, looks like there’s nothing but a bunch of plastic in there. I have the Pomegranate one to try next.

Pretty Perfect Orange Blossom shower gel – a sulfate-free body wash bought on clearance from TKMaxx. Great scent, quite unisex with sandalwood. Would repurchase, but I believe this is discontinued. The Bath House offer several other fragrances.

Spring - Four favourites and a fail - Origins, 4711, Woody's & GeoSkincare

Origins Checks and Balances frothy face wash 150ml – I originally received this as a GWP sample which I paid no attention to and  chucked into the stash of minis which I save for trips. Eventually I put it in the shower to force myself that I’d use it up and it turns out that I really like this. I was looking for a cleanser which I could use during my shower and just rinse off with water as I’m not in the mood for faffing around with face cloths first thing in the morning. Although it’s intended for people with combination skin, it’s fine with my dry skin and doesn’t leave any tight feeling afterwards. Definite repurchase, this has become my favourite morning cleanser in the shower.

Origins Drink Up Intensive 50ml - an overnight mask with a satisfyingly thick consistency which is easily spreadable and a fruity, apricot scent which I wasn’t crazy about at first, but now I’m used to it and even find it soothing to fall asleep to as I now associate this scent with sleepytime. I often use this instead of a night moisturiser. Already repurchased. Twice. The full size is 100ml but a 50ml size is available from their website at half the price so I prefer this size as it means I'm using up a fresh product.

4711 75ml - the only way I could love this any more is if it lasted more than twenty minutes on my skin. It’s inexpensive sure, but having to reapply throughout the day means you get through a bottle quickly. I splash it on my hair and around the neck of my t-shirt to help the fragrance last. I used to only wear this in the summer, but this year I’ve been using it in the cooler weather too and it’s equally as gorgeous. Definite repurchase.

Woody’s Pomade – love this. I picked this up from my favourite place, the clearance counter at TKMaxx for £1. I’d noticed that I’d started to develop small bumps along my hairline and although I didn’t know what was causing them, I suspected the petrolatum ingredients in some of my hair styling products was the cause. This smells green and fresh, a bit like an Aloe Vera gel. The consistency is a thick jelly and it styles hair without leaving it looking greasy, crunchy or sticky. I’ve been using it to give a Just Got Out Of Bed look (I was going to write “Just Been Fucked”, how rude!) and it keeps a casual messy look in place all day. It also rinses out easily the next day. Definite repurchase, highly recommended for short hair styles or people wanting to avoid petroleum in their hair styling products.

GeoSkincare for men skin repair - yes, this is my fail. I used this on my face initially but didn’t like it as it felt greasy and all I could smell of it was the patchouli even though it’s the smallest ingredient. I had to stop using this after a few days as my chin area started to look a bit red and bumpy. So I decided to relegate this to be used up as a body butter, but it triggered a rash all over my legs, arms and neck. It looked like I’d been struck by a bad sunburn. I’ve tested a small patch on my arm since and it came up in a rash within a couple of hours. I have idea what’s causing this rash. Have a look at the ingredients below, does anything look like an allergen to you? I’d used their toner previously and that was very good and I repurchased a couple of times. I would not repurchase this.

Organic botanical infusion, organic cera alba (beeswax), organic theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, organic butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), organic ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, cetearyl wheat straw glycosides and cetearyl alcohol (xyliance), organic macadamia intergrifolia (macadamia) seed oil, organic persea gratissima (avocado) oil, gluconolactone and sodium benzoate (geogard ultra), zanthomonas campestris (xanthan gum), tocopheral (vitamin e), potassium hydroxide, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, urtica dioica (nettle) root extract, rosemarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, vitis vinifera (vinanza grape) seed extract, triticum vulgare (wheatgerm) oil, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil.

Pretty Perfect Delicious Orange Flower Body Wash from The Bath House review

Pretty Perfect Delicious Orange Flower Body Wash 260ml - a body wash picked up at TKMaxx. This satisfyingly thick gel is sulfate-free and scented with orange blossom, sandalwood, lily, neroli, tuberose, amber and vanilla. This fragrance is discontinued, but The Bath House offers several other fragrances.

Here's a list of the ingredients:

Aqua, Sodium Cocamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco-glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycerin, Parfum, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Vitis Videra Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Seed Extract, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Asorbic Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-isomethyl Ionone, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol.

Korres Guava Lip Butter review

Korres Guava Lip Butter 6g jar – I really like this. I don’t wear this during the day as this guava one leaves your lips with a pale white cast, but I use it each night as an overnight treatment. I used to wake up with parched lips each morning and the first thing I’d reach for would be a lip balm, but this works at keeping the lips hydrated. I’m not keen on the ingredients though, looks like there’s nothing but a bunch of plastic in there! I’ve already repurchased though as it’s worked better than any others I’ve tried so far. Once this is finished, I have another Korres lip butter in Pomegranate lip and also some Body Shop lip butters to try.

 Here's a list of the ingredients:

Polybutene, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydroxystearic Acid, Polyethylene, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Tocopherol, Dicalcium Phosphate, Aroma (Flavor), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Oryza Sativa Cera (Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax), Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Extract, Limonene, Citral, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide). 

L’Occitane Mango Flower hand cream review

L’Occitane Mango flower hand cream 30ml – this is one of the really thick formulations that I prefer to use in cooler weather (the summer ones have more of a gel consistency). It has a screw cap which can be fiddly when you've just used some, but that's ok. The only thing I don't like about this is the scent. I’m not crazy about this mango fragrance as it’s very strong and fruity, even for me.

Here's a list of the ingredients taken from the back of the tube as the ingredients aren't listed on their website:

Aqua, Butyrospermum Parkii, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloydimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Brasica Campestris Sterols, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Ceteareth-33, Polysorbate 60, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ethylhexlglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Limonene.

L'Occitane Verbena shower gel review

L’Occitane Verbena shower gel 500ml – this massive body wash came as part of a gift set of Verbena products from L’Occitane which also included the shampoo, body lotion, the shea butter and bonne mere soaps and a hand cream. The usual 250ml size offered is £13 and a 500ml eco refill pouch is £19.50. 

I grow lemon verbena plants outside in the garden in pots each year (it's tender so I have to bring the pots in for winter) and I love the authentic fresh fragrance of this body wash, but what I don’t love is the presence of drying sulphates and I would repurchase only if L’Occitane ever decide to reformulate to remove the SLES.

Here's a list of the ingredients:

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Chloride, Lippia Citriodora Flower Extract, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Parfum, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Cotronellol, Limonene, Linalool, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Cl 42090/Blue 1, Cl 19140/Yellow 5, Cl 14700/Red 4.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-enriched renewal cream review

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-enriched renewal cream - this 30ml sample was a gift with purchase from Origins. I've read good reviews for this product but I'm not a fan. It feels too silicone-y for me once applied and I didn’t notice much difference the next day after regular use. 

I liked the fresh citrus fragrance but I wouldn’t repurchase this or buy a full size as I prefer my Neal's Yard Remedies silicone-free night creams. A full size 50ml jar is £34.

Here's what Origins has to say about their product:

"Put dullness to rest. Wake up radiant & refreshed. Now nature's famed night cream is newly fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers plus Vitamins C, E & H, minerals & moisture-rich replenishers. While relaxing aromas lull you to sleep, skin sloughs away dry, dead layers. Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins™ helps the appearance of dullness.

98% of those who tested it agreed - used regularly, skin was renewed and refreshed in the AM. Helps the slumber deprived wake up on the bright side of the bed. So why face dull skin. Sleep it off tonight."

And here's the list of ingredients:

Water, Methyl Trimethicone, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 40, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Myristyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Orange Peel Oil, Orange Flower Oil, Valerian Root Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Lead Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua Resin Oil, Bitter Orange Peel Oil, Vanilla Fruit Extract, Orange Juice, Citral, Linalool, Limonene, Raspberry Leaf Wax, Fennel Seed Extract, Chestnut Seed Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Coleus Barbatus Extract, Wheat Germ Extract, Barley Extract, Panthenol, Biotin, Folic Acid, Pantethine, Glyceryl Stearate, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosterols, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Palm Oil, Salicylic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocotrienols, Calcium Carbonate, Carbomer, Hexylene glycol, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol.

L'Occitane Jasmine and Green Tea soap review

L’Occitane Green Tea and Jasmine soap 100g – this is one of my favourites and I’ve already repurchased as it looks like it’s discontinued. It sometimes crops up during sales so I stock up whenever I see it. 

Jasmine is naturally uplifting and traditionally used to help relax and clear your mind. The green tea stops this soap from being too sweet and floral. This soap isn't drying and lasts me about two weeks of daily use in the shower.

Here's the list of ingredients:
Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua, Parfum, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Cera, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Palm Acid, Sodium Chloride, Palm Kernel Acid, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Citral, Eugenol, Cl 77492 Iron Oxides.

Saaf Skincare Ultimate Moisture Face Serum review

Saaf Skincare Ultimate Moisture Face Serum – I love a facial oil and I've been using more and more this year. This 30ml facial oil serum has a recommended six month use by date once opened and comes in a glass bottle with a pump dispenser. As you can see, the box is a bit bashed from where I pulled off the price label.

My face is dry, always has been, and needs hydrating throughout the year. I can use this in summer in the evenings instead of a night moisturiser or use it underneath face creams in cool weather to add extra hydration instead of relying on thicker creams. I've enjoyed using this oil and I've already repurchased. Saaf is a UK based company.

Ultimate Moisture Face Serum is extremely nourishing and healing and helps boost normal to dry or mature skin. 

This ultra-rich serum is extremely nourishing and healing. It’s light and satisfying to use, leaving skin feeling fresh and velvety smooth. The unique blend combines ultra-effective natural ingredients to promote skin regeneration and help boost levels of collagen and elastin, making the skin appear smoother and firmer, while balancing impurities and soothing any irritations. Used frequently, Ultimate Moisture Face Serum will help restore skin suppleness and even out skin tone.

Ideal for:

• Use day or night as a skin rejuvenation treatment
• Dry skin
• Prematurely ageing, mature or sagging skin
• Sun damaged skin
• Rosacea (redness or uneven skin tone) and hyper pigmentation

Here's the list of ingredients:

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorious Seed OIl, Tocopherol, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Cironellol, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Linalool.

The Body Shop Sensual Massage Oil review

The Body Shop Sensual Massage oil 150ml £10 – I've been looking for an oil to use at the gym after showering instead of carrying around a body butter. This one looked promising, but it smells too much of ginger. Frankly, that’s all I can detect. It might as well be called Ginger massage oil.

This massage oil blend is inspired by traditional Polynesian massage rituals. It has a warm and sensual aroma.

• Suitable for all skin types
• Conditioning
• Ideal for couples

The oil has a flip lid which prevents any oil from spilling out when stored in a bag. It works alright as a hydrating oil, but the scent is too one note for me and dominated with the ginger. I wouldn't repurchase this one but The Body Shop has other oils to try.

Here's the list of ingredients:

Glycine Soja Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Zea Mays Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Olea Europaea Oil, Limonene, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aleurites moluccana, Sclerocarya birrea, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Cananga Odorata Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum Oil, Linalool, Canarium commune, Pelargonium odoratissimum, Vetiveria Zizanoides Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Zingiber Officinale Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Amyris Balsamifera Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Oil, Citrus reticulata, Geraniol, Tocopherol, Myroxylon pereirae, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Acacia Decurrens Extract, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Illicium verum, Farnesol, Benzyl Cinnamate, Elettaria cardamomum, Eugenol, Isoeugenol, Rosa damascena, Santalum Album Oil.

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