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.

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.

Take Care Naked Bodycare Orange Blossom sensitive skin body wash review

Naked Bodycare Orange Blossom body wash – I have a ton of these. This has always been my favourite frangrance of all the Naked body washes, it has no “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 wasn’t seeing it stocked at my local Boots, but when I checked if it was still available on the Naked website a few months ago, it was on offer at £1. Since I figured that they had discontinued the fragrance and they offer free delivery when you spend £20, I ended up buying twenty of these. That’s right, twenty! Turns out they were just clearing stock as they had slightly changed the top of plastic bottles and they’re still offering the Orange Blossom through the website so I needn’t have hoarded like a shelf-clearing extreme couponer. 

"This gentle foaming body wash helps sooth sensitive souls with delicate skin. Neroli oil from orange blossom is known to be calming and soothing for dry and irritated skin and this bodywash is great for all the family to use. "


The 250ml plastic bottle usually retails for around £3.99 and has a lid which is seperated in two so you press down one side and the other side pops up to release the gel. Here are the ingredients:

Aqua, Cocamidopropyl betaine, Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, Sodium cocoamphoacetate, Coco glucoside, Glyceryl oleate, Chamomilla recutita extract, Citrus aurantium amara (Neroli) oil, Aloe barbadensis extract, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, Citric acid, Glycerin, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate.

January empties - Neal's Yard Remedies, Naked Bodycare, Korres, 4711 and Unique Nature

Unique organic shampoo and conditioner from the TK Maxx clearance shelf. Herbal scent, easy to rinse out the conditioner. Good for someone who wants all organic, all natural hair products. Would repurchase if I see them again.

The Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose beauty balm is expensive at £37 for 50g but this is one of Neal's Yard's star products, often spoken about in magazines and beauty blogs. This is an oil based cleanser which can be used in multiple ways, as a facial cleanser, as a body balm on elbows or feet etc, left on as a mask, or my favourite which is as a pre-shave massage treatment. I thought I’d never get through the tub within the recommended three months, but I used it in as many ways as Neal's Yard suggests and just about managed to get there. Would repurchase, but pricey! Recommended.

Neal's Yard Remedies Aromatic Foaming Soak – I wasn’t a fan of this, the scent of pelargonium often overpowers other scents for me and this bath oil was no exception. I wouldn’t repurchase.

Soft Touch Naked Bodycare Starflower body wash 250ml - one of my favourite body washes, already repurchased. Recommended.

4711 50ml – 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.

Korres yoghurt face cream 50ml – I suppose it shouldn’t have bought this as it’s intended for oily or combination skin, but I thought it might make a suitably light day cream. It was only alright though. My dry husk of a face requires more hydration than this can deliver, 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.

Neal's Yard Remedies Aromatic Foaming Soak review

Neal's Yard Remedies aromatic foaming soak. I'm usually a fan of Neal's Yard's products but unfortunately I'm not a fan of this. You see, it's the scent of pelargonium here which I find often overpowers other scents for me and this bath oil was no exception. I don't smell any lavender or marjoram, just a lot of pelargonium. 

That said, it is hydrating and calming but don't expect masses of bubbles from this sulphate free bath oil. Available from Neal's Yard Remedies for £15 for 200ml.

Here are the ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Lauryl glucoside, Cocamidopropyl betaine, Polysorbate 20, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) extract*, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) oil*, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil*, Thymus mastichina (Marjoram) oil*, Citral, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.