 Lush Coco Lotion (225g RRP £9.25)
I’m coming round to Lush again – as a teenager it was the place to shop, but then I grew up and started looking for more sophisticated and expensive cosmetics. Many years on, I find myself lured back to the products of my youth, partly because the good little vegetarian in me balks at the hypocrisy of buying anything that’s not animal-friendly, and partly because the recent products I have tried have been just so damn good.
Created on a base of extra virgin coconut oil, Coco Lotion is a lovely rich and creamy moisturiser that leaves the skin feeling smooth and hydrated. Admittedly, it does feel a little greasy on initial application, but it is quickly absorbed and works wonders on those tougher areas – my knees and elbows are loving it! Also, rather than having that over-powering LUSH scent, this is rather subtle and light and leaves me slightly hungry!
For £9.25, the 225g serving is generous, and being suitable for vegans it has all the ethical kudos you could wish for. Hurrah for Coco Lotion! I’m a fan!
 Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite (250g RRP £11.25)
While we’re on the Lush theme let’s have a look at their other main summer skincare lotion, Vanilla Dee-Lite. I have to say it, the scent of this one also makes me a little hungry, although the combination of vanilla and kiwi is a lot stronger than the previous lotion and I’m not sure that I’d like to have it near my face all day.
Although nicely creamy in texture, this product is very light and quick to apply, absorbing in seconds without leaving even a hint of tackiness.
Having slightly dry skin, I had to use quite a lot of this on each application to feel completely hydrated, but for those of you with normal/combination skin it should do the job nicely.
Origins Gloomaway Grapefruit Body Souffle 200ml RRP £29
Well, what can I say? What’s not to like? You open the lid of this big fat tub of creamy goodness and immediately get hit by a beautiful light citrusy scent that makes you come over all summery. I’m not much of one for buying into hype, so when the label invited me to “create a sense of optimism and contentment as your whole being is nurtured in silky-softness...” I was ready with a cynical retort, but I didn’t even get so far as to dip my finger in the jar before deeply sighing and feeling my mood lighten with a sense that summer had somehow entered my bathroom and left me feeling... floaty.
Ahhhh, Gloomaway, indeed! I’d be tempted to keep a pot next to my computer just to stick my nose in when experiencing deadline blues, but I’m slightly worried that it could become addictive! Anyway, on to the main point, as well as smelling simply gorgeous, Gloomaway Grapefruit Body Souffle turns out to be a fantastic moisturiser, leaving skin silky smooth and feeling slightly glowy. Souffle is perhaps a slightly odd description for the product – I was expecting something more aerated and whippy, but grapefruit body yoghurt probably doesn’t sound quite so attractive and it’s a very small nit to pick with this fantastic moisturiser.
Light, easily absorbed and works well on all skin types, not a bad price point for a long-lasting product too – this has to be my must-have moisturiser for the season.
 Black Chicken Love Your Body Oil 100ml (RRP £45.50)
If a product is marketed as being exclusively available from Selfridges you tend to get the hint that it’s going to be a wee bit on the pricey side, so £45.50 for 100ml doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Made from 100% natural ingredients (avocado, rosehip, hazelnut, coconut, vitamin E and essential oils of sandalwood, geranium bourbo, patchouli, lavender, carrot, ylang ylang ,and nutmeg), Love Your Body Oil is the fantastic new product from Australian company Black Chicken Remedies.
To begin with, I must admit that I was sceptical – how on earth was I going to regularly moisturise my whole body with this little container, and why on earth would I want to spend forty-five quid on what was obviously going to be a one week product? – But the thing to remember is that Love Your Body Oil is just that; oil and oil goes a very, very long way.
Totally hydrating and chemical-free, with, surprisingly, no greasy residue, this is a great little unisex product. The scent is perhaps not for everyone, being fairly strong, but being completely natural I quite like it and was generally quietly pleased with this unassuming little product.
 Beyond Organic Skincare Satin Soft Body Lotion (150ml RRP £22.80)
Now, this is my first experience of Beyond Organic products and I wasn’t really sure what to expect – the packaging had the requisite shelf-appeal (shiny and metallic does it every time!) and, well, it’s organic, so that has to be good, but I’d not heard of it and that made me wonder why.
This Shea, Rose and Green Tea-based body lotion is packed full of 97% organic-certified ingredients designed to tone, hydrate and smooth skin, while a “special lock-in moisture system” protects your skin from drying out during the day. It works beautifully, leaving the skin feeling refreshed after each application.
The scent isn’t great, in my opinion, but it is very light and dissipates very quickly, so although I can’t list it as a selling point, I’m going to put it down as a negative either. Organic, vegetarian-friendly, not animal tested and made in small batches in good old Blighty; this is a proper feel-good product and well worth a try. |
