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.

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  

February empties - L'Occitane, Weleda, Neal's Yard Remedies, Origins, Naked Bodycare

Take Care Naked Sensitive Skin Bodycare Orange Blossom 250ml body wash – I have a ton of these. This has always been my favourite frangrance of all the Naked body washes, it has not “parfum” or artificial fragrance, just the natural fragrance of neroli essential oil which is one of the most uplifting fragrances and has long been a favourite for both men and women. I guess means that they’ll probably pop up each month in my empties for the rest of the year. And maybe the next…

Weleda Rosemary and Ginger conditioner 250ml– I really liked this, a good silicone free conditioner which I'd buy again but I think Weleda have reformulated and no longer make this.

Phytorelax Lavander Body Lotion 500ml – I picked this up at the TKMaxx clearance shelf for £1. It’s not the most natural product (you can’t see the ingredients on the back label as they’ve been rubbed off with oily hands) but at least it doesn’t have any silicone. I really liked using this at night time as the lavender helps lull me to sleep.

Naked Bodycare Star Flower 250ml body wash – I don’t like it as much as the Orange Blossom, but this is still a good sulphate free body wash which doesn’t dry me out. Plus, I have the body butter to match. I think it’s the patchouli essential oil in here which I’m not a fan of. I have a couple more in the stash as I pick these up whenever they go on offer at Boots and I want to use up my points.

Neal’s Yard Remedies Almond Moisturiser 50ml – this was a good basic day cream, a silicone-free basic moisturiser This is one of NYR’s least expensive creams at £18.75 for 50ml.

Naked Bodycare Star Flower body butter 300ml– found this in one of those bargain beauty shops you can find in shopping centres, it was £1 so I bought three. Not my favourite scent, but satisfyingly thick and just what my dry husk of a body needs in winter.

Origins Checks and Balances face wash – this is a GWP 30ml sample.  Already repurchased as I’ve bought the full size.

Origins Drink Up Intensive overnight mask – another GWP 30ml sample from Origins. Already repurchased. Twice. They had a great GWP offer that week. Don’t judge.

L’Occitane Almond shower oil 2 x 35ml. Love this, but don't love the ingredients. I've purchased the full size 250ml bottle as well as the 500ml refill. I had a voucher. Again, don't judge.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil review

L’Occitane Almond shower oil - I received these diddy 35ml travel size plastic bottles in a couple of gift with purchase bags from L'Occitane but didn't use them for months as I was a bit wary of using a shower oil. I remember my sister using bath/shower oils when we were teenagers and getting killed (not literally) by my parents for making the bath slippery.

I ended up taking them away with me one weekend when I was visiting a friend and really enjoyed using them. The fragrance is astonishing and fills the bathroom, so fresh and comforting at the same time, a blend of apple blossom and vanilla. This doesn't have the most natural ingredients (see below) but since it's a rinse off product, I'll turn a blind eye for now. 

The 250ml full size retails for £17.50 and the 500ml eco refill is £26.50. I had a 20% voucher so bought a full size and a refill so that'll last me a while.

Here are the ingredients:

Vitis Vinifera seed oil, Tipa-Laureth Sulfate, Laureth-3, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Parfum, Cocamide MEA, Sorbitan Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis, Tocopherol, Aqua, Helianthus Annus seed oil, Rosmarius Officinali leaf extract, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool.

Neal’s Yard Remedies Almond Moisturiser review

Neal’s Yard Remedies Almond Moisturiser – "protects and nourishes sensitive skin.
Vitamin rich almond and evening primrose oils are combined with geranium and lemon to prevent moisture loss and tone the skin."

This is a good, simple day cream. It offers a silicone-free basic moisturiser which can also be used as a night cream with some facial oil underneath for extra hydration if you’re extra dry like me. Sometimes, there’s simply no need to any fancy bells and whistles. This is one of Neal's Yard's least expensive creams at £18.75 for 50ml.

Here are the ingredients: 

Aqua (Water), Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil*, Cocos nucifera oil*, Glycerin, Cetyl alcohol, Cetearyl glucoside, Cetearyl olivate, Cera alba*, Helianthus annuus seed oil*, Calendula officinalis flower extract*, Sorbitan olivate, Lecithin, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil*, Oenothera biennis oil*, Chamomilla recutita flower extract*, Lavandula officinalis extract*, Pelargonium graveolens flower oil*, Citrus limon peel oil*, Xanthan gum, Tocopherol, Levulinic acid, Sodium levulinate, Potassium sorbate, Sodium dehydroacetate, Alcohol denat.*, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.

Korres Yoghurt Moisturising Cream review

Korres's Yoghurt Moisturing Cream comes in a 50ml glass jar. I suppose it shouldn’t have bought this as it’s intended for oily or combination skin, but I'd read about it and wanted to try. It was only alright. My dry husk of a face requires more hydration than this can deliver, particularly in winter, but this could be ideal for an oilier complexion. One bonus was that this light cream leaves a natural looking matt finish. I wouldn’t repurchase, but simply because of my skin type.

"Greek yogurt is an ancient healing remedy that goes back hundreds of years. In Greece, yogurt is known for its ability to instantly soothe the skin by delivering increased moisture.

The Greek Yoghurt Moisturizing Face Cream contains full-fat, greek yogurt—a natural source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals to nourish and provide instant hydration to dry skin. It also contains vitamin E, olive oil concentrate, and macadamia nuts for antioxidant protection. This nourishing cream can be used every day as a part of your daily skin routine. "

Here are the ingredients:
Water, Yogurt, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-2, Isononyl Isononanoate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Steareth-20, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Starch, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Triethylhexanoin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Amorphophallus Konjak Root Extract, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde,  midazolidinyl Urea, Linalool, Magnesium PCA, Manganese PCA, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Xylitol, Zinc PCA.