Friday 14 May 2010

The Body Shop Reviews

I'm on a big skincare review kick at the moment :P After this i have some Soap and Glory reviews and then i think i'll have talked about everything i've used up (or enough to review) or far.  I hope you enjoy reading these toilettrie based posts as well as makeup ones :)

Also coming up soon i will be posting a series of blog sales including makeup, clothes, accessories, shoes and miscellaneous stuff. I am absolutely skint at the moment and have an entire room full of stuff i want to sell (i'm serious, a whole room! D:) so i figured i would actually finally get round to photographing it all. I'll be offering it at prices i think are fair but i want to get rid of as much as possible (everything that doesn't sell here will be going on ebay) so i will be up for haggling :) Sorry if you're not interested in blog sales but i do have some nice stuff and want to offer it to my readers first :)

Anyway here comes the body shop post, hope you like it!


 






Raspberry Body Scrub


They say:
'A luxurious body scrub with natural exfoliating particles to ease away dead skin cells, leaving skin soft, smooth and delicately scented with the sweet berry fragrance. Suitable for normal skin types.
with:
Raspberry extract - To moisturise the skin.
Raspberry seeds and ground walnut shells - To exfoliate .Community Trade organic honey. - To Moisturise and condition the skin.
Zambia based, North Western Bee Products are the suppliers, for whom we have been trading with since 1991. The Zambian Honey we use in our products comes from the remote tropical forests of north west Zambia, where it's farmed using traditional methods that preserve the forest and beekeepers' way of life.'
£12.50 for 200ml
 I say:
Ok firstly in order to like this product i think it helps if you like raspberry jam, which luckilly i do. This might sound a bit strange but if you try this you'll see why. Using this is basically like rubbing raspberry jam all over your body! I quite like it, it's fun, but other people will probably find it really disturbing. It smells exactly like raspberry jam, the real scent of raspberries but sweetened a little, it's the perfect red colour of fresh raspberry juice, it's a sort of non-firm jellyish texture and it's even full of real raspberry pips (which i think is a really nice touch). I really enjoyed using it though i always found a few raspberry pips lurking in my bellybutton after rinsing :P
It works quite well as an exfoliator, leaving my skin quite soft, but i've used better body scrubs before and since, there didn't seem to be any moisturising benefit in the scrub itself so i think it was purely the scrub parts that softened my skin by exfoliating. It leaves your skin smelling beautifully fruity though. It's really pricey but at least i managed to get quite a lot of uses out of the tub (probably about 5 which covered my whole body). I don't think i would repurchase as i like using an exfoliator that really makes my skin ultra soft and smooth, but i do really like this. I love how many natural and community trade ingredients are in it which i guess is why it's expensive.

Passionfruit Body Scrub


They say:
'A refreshing, gel-based, gently exfoliating scrub that helps remove dead skin cells and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Passion fruit seed oil - Moisturises the skin. Provides natural fragrance.
Corncob granules and kiwi seeds - Gently exfoliate the skin.
Panthenol - Moisturises and helps to condition the skin.'
£12.50 for 200ml

I say:
This was very similar to the raspberry scrub in texture and results, my skin was exfoliated but it didn't seem to add any extra moisture. Again it has a lot of natural ingredients including kiwi seeds which i really do think is a nice touch, i've never seen an exfoliator using seeds as the grains before. This time the smell is not entirely like passionfruit, there is a hint of something herbal and almost tea like as well as the passionfruit scent. This makes it smell a bit more like your average exfoliator than the raspberry one which really was exactly like rubbing jam into your skin.

As this is a clear, very light yellow jellyish substance with blackish spots (the seeds) it looks a little like frogspawn to me :P  It's not as disgusting as it might sound though, it's rather fun to me. 
I liked this one less than the raspberry simply because the scent wasn't as appealing to me so i wouldn't repurchase it.

Cocoa Butter Body Butter



They Say:
'Doubly rich for extra dry skin with a yummy chocolate-and-vanilla scent. An excellent moisturiser that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth for up to 24 hours. Containing Community Trade shea and cocoa butter.
cocoa butter - Is an excellent moisturiser that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth.
Shea butter - Moisturises and helps soften the skin.
Cocoa Butter For centuries the women of Ghana have used cocoa butter to moisturise and cool their skin in the African heat. Since 1995, The Body Shop has been buying cocoa beans from the Kuapa Kokoo company in Ghana, a fair trade co-operative with over 30,000 small-scale farmers. The money made by the co-operative enables the development of community projects such as schools and village wells in addition to providing the farmers with income to support their families.
Shea butter from Ghana, is one of nature's great moisturizers. Ghanaian women have used it for centuries to protect their skin from the dry Saharan winds. So who better to buy ours from than the Tungteiya Shea Butter Association, Northern Ghana. An association of around 400 women from 10 villages, we ensure a fair price for their product. Since trading with The Body Shop the women have been able to dramatically change their lives with water pipes and wells saving hours of water collecting, better housing, medical care, food, and self esteem. Importantly, they are also able to give their children, particularly their daughters, the chance to go to school.'

£12.50 for 200ml

I say:
The first thing i have to say is that i tend to collect TBS body butters, they come in such a lovely range of scents (i think around 18) and there are tonnes i like. However they are ludicrously expensive for moisturisers (maybe i'm cheap but paying over a tenner for any kind of skincare, no matter how amazing it is seems like extortion) and as such i refuse to buy them at their full price. Luckilly they are often on special offers at half price or buy 1 get one free or things like that so i have been able to try a few.

They all seem to have a very similar formula (they claim to work best on different skin types, for instance this one is for very dry skin but i haven't noticed any difference) which is a rather thick, greasy cream. After rubbing it in I am instantly left feeling much softer but it does  tend to leave a bit of a greasy film over me. After it's fully absorbed into my skin (which does take a bit of massaging) i really do feel the benefit of smoother, softer skin that also seems a bit plumper and is fragranced. I really like them a lot. I find that it can get a bit hard to rub in if you apply too much so instead of scooping a lump of the cream from the pot (as i usually do with these sort of products) i like to rub my fingers across the surface a few times. This melts the butter a little and lets me apply just the right amount :)

The cocoa butter fragrance is very nice, it's rich and yet mellow at the same time. It's reminiscent of chocolate but not exactly the same. I prefer fruity frangrances but this is very nice! And i think i would repurchase this as a nice alternative to the scents i usually buy.

Wild Cherry Body Butter


They say:
'An intensive creamy and fragrant all-over moisturiser with tantalising wild cherry to moisturise, hydrate and delicately scent the skin with a light fresh cherry fragrance. Absorbs into the skin easily to condition and soften. Provides moisturisation for up to 24 hours.

Wild Cherry Oil - for it's moisturising benefits.
Community Trade Olive Oil - leaves skin soft, smooth and supple
Community Trade organic olive oil - helps to condition the skin.'

£12.50 for 200ml

I say:
I'm not going to review this fully as it is much the same as the cocoa butter one except that i think this was ever so slightly less rich and so was easier to absorb.
However i really didn't like this scent (i bought it online during a special offer so i didn't test it first). Instead of smelling either like real cherries or even cherry flavoured candy it smells... just weird. Like cherry mixed with almonds but then it's gone off somehow. I don't know how to explain it but it's not nice (to me anyway). Definately would not repurchase.

Muslin cleansing cloths


They say:
'A pack of three cleansing cloths to mildly exfoliate and deep cleanse the skin, whilst boosting circulation. Use daily for regular and effective deep cleansing and circulation boosting. Turn cleansing from a chore to a pampering ritual.

After use, splash your face with cool water to close the pores. Follow with a toner and moisturiser from our Skin Care range suitable for your skin type'
£6 for 3

I say:
Where have these been all my life? I can't believe how different my skin care regime has been since starting to use these. Basically i just use them to remove my cleanser, exfoliator or face mask but it makes such a difference to just splashing the products off with water. The muslin cloths really gently scrub away any tiny dirt particles or dead skin. It just helps brighten my skin and maes it absolutely squeaky clean. And i think £6 for 3 is really well priced, these will last for years (at least i think they will) you just need to pop them in the washing machine when they get a bit grubby (they come in a little bag which is probably meant for you to wash them in but i haven't done so). I highly recommend these!

11 comments:

  1. I love your reviews - you are always so detailed, keep them coming. I am definitely wanting to try out those muslin cloths now.

    After the last few of these reviews I was wondering, are there any 'holy grail' products that are your must haves? For instance I am curious to know what your favourite exfoliator is! I imagine you must rotate through a lot of products given the sheer amount of stuff you have :) but I thought it would be fun if you did some kind of 'awards' post where you listed all your favourites! (unless if you have done something like this before and I have just missed it??)

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  2. All I read was: "I might be selling some of my kickass thights!"

    Then I re-read and it didn't say that at all. :(

    Thanks for the review. I might have to go and check a few things out! :)

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  3. I love the body butters! I do the same as you, I seem to have a ton.

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  4. Lovely post sweetie :) Also, its reminded me that I have a sample of one of the body scrubs that I've been meaning to use for agggges sat by my computer! Think I might have a little scrubby shower :D
    Also, uber excited about your blog sale *imagines the possibilities*

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  5. I love the cocoa butter moisturiser, it's delicious and so effective, but like you, I refuse to pay the full price, it's ridiculous imo to charge that much for a tub.

    There are some free with a mag this month tho, small pits, I think it's Marie Claire :)

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  6. I was given the Cocoa Butter one for christmas and fell in love. I have not tried any of the other body butters but that wild cherry one is calling my name.

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  7. i love the body shop body butters. ive been using them everyday for a few years!
    never tried their body scrubs before, i really like 'spa paradisa' sugar body scrub from superdrug, it smells like passionfruits!

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  8. eeee! excited about the blog sale :) xxx

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  9. Great reviews - you describe products really well. I like the sound of the raspberry and passion fruit ones, they sound very summery :) xo

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  10. I am definitely going to try the muslin cloths!

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  11. Ziggy:
    Thank you! I highly recommend the muslin cloths :)
    That is a really good idea for a post, and i shall definately be doing it for my makeup! However it will take a while before i find my 'Holy Grail' skincare stuff because, to be honest, i only started taking good care of my skin recently, and so i'm just trying new things at the moment. Hopefully soon i will discover some holy grail products and can stop roaming :P
    Thanks for the idea! :)

    Luna Soeth:
    Hee hee! I actually will be selling some tights!

    Phyrra:
    Which is your favourite scent (of body butter)? :)

    Emily:
    Thank you :)
    I hope you enjoy your little scrub sample!

    Small Town Gal:
    They are really stupidly overpriced, i don't know why because a lot of their other products seem reasonably priced :/
    How exciting, i must go check out the girly magazines! ... for girls that is, not porn :P

    Dissolved Girl:
    I suggest you give the cherry one a good sniff before you buy, it's really weird in my opinion! :P

    Kerry!:
    Oooh i'll have to get to Superdrug and try that, i love the smell of passionfruit and i bet it's a lot cheaper :D

    The Postcolonial Rabbit:
    :)

    Emma:
    They are pretty summery, particularly the passionfruit, it's very fresh and quite light :)

    Rebecca:
    You should, they're great! :D

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