The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig Shower Gel & The Body Shop Polynesian Island Tiaré Shower Gel

Hi there! Happy Friday! Today’s post is about 2 shower gels I picked up when they went on sale – The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig and The Body Shop Polynesian Island Tiaré. To be perfectly clear, I’m not the biggest TBS fan, but these shower gels were cheap, so I thought I should give them a try.

The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig is very nice. I thought it would be a random filler shower gel, but I was so wrong! This shower gel smells incredibly beautiful and natural. The fragrance is green, but also warm. It’s… wow!

The Body Shop Polynesian Island Tiaré is just as amazing! I love tropical floral fragrances, and this one’s right up my alley. I think the tiaré fragrance in this shower gel is extremely well done, and I’m enjoying it very much.

I’m blown away by these 2 shower gels! They smell amazing, and they’re gentle on the skin. I wish I had discovered them sooner! The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig and The Body Shop Polynesian Island Tiaré are available as 250ml. I paid £3 for the fig shower gel, and £2 for the tiaré shower gel.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Early Harvest Raspberry Eau De Toilette

Hi there! Today’s post is about The Body Shop Early Harvest Raspberry Eau de Toilette. I picked up the 30ml fragrance for £5 earlier this year (winter sale).

When I sniffed the fragrance for the first time, I thought it was the perfect raspberry fragrance. Because of this I bought another bottle! 😄

When the second bottle arrived, I started to wear the fragrance right away. But something had changed!

The fragrance, which I was sure smelled sweet, fruity and juicy, wasn’t really that great. I tried the fragrance (both of them) several times over a few weeks, but every time it smelled rather tangy and very synthetic.

Now, just over 4 months later, one of the bottles is almost empty (I might finish it this weekend). The other bottle is about 70% full, and I’ll pass that one on to my teenage relative.

Verdict: This fragrance is best (= wearable) when it’s combined with something else. TBS Early Harvest Raspberry plus Pacifica’s Island Vanilla makes for a decent fragrance. However, it’s nothing special, and I understand why The Body Shop discontinued this fragrance! I’ve also learnt a lesson – don’t buy back-up bottles of fragrances you haven’t tested properly!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Frosted Plum, Vanilla Chai & Frosted Berries Shower Gels

Hi there! Today’s post is about 3 shower gels that I picked up during the winter sale in January – The Body Shop Frosted Plum, Vanilla Chai and Frosted Berries.

Let’s start with The Body Shop Frosted Plum! I think this is a pretty basic shower gel. It lathers up well, but it feels drying. And the plum fragrance is rather faint. I will finish this shower gel, but I wouldn’t repurchase it.

The Body Shop Vanilla Chai is very nice. I’d describe the fragrance as a boozy mix of herbal tea and vanilla. My husband likes this shower gel (which is actually more of a shower cream) too!

The Body Shop Frosted Berries is just as drying as the plum shower gel. The berry fragrance is super lovely, but, unfortunately, quite faint.

Based on my experience I would recommend the Vanilla Chai shower gel. I would repurchase this one if TBS brings it back for Christmas and if it’s on sale after Christmas. But I wouldn’t recommend or repurchase the other 2 shower gels.

The Body Shop Frosted Plum, Vanilla Chai and Frosted Berries are available as 250ml. I paid £2.50 each (winter sale).

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Haul! New Products From The Body Shop, Dr. Organics, Sukin, Garnier, Superdrug, Yes To, Skin Republic, Asda & Models Own

Hi there! I haven’t done a haul post since early January, so let me show you what I bought since then. 🙂

I bought 3 The Body Shop shower gels – Frosted Plum, Vanilla Chai and Frosted Berries. They were £2.50 each.

The Body Shop’s Atlas Mountain Rose Body Lotion was £2, the Early Harvest Raspberry Eau de Toilette was £5, and the Fijian Water Lotus Body Lotion was £2. I’ve already reviewed the body lotions – click here.

About 10 days later I placed another TBS order. This time I bought an Italian Summer Fig shower gel (£3), an Italian Summer Fig Eau de Toilette (£6), another Early Harvest Raspberry Eau de Toilette (£5), and a Polynesian Island Tiaré shower gel (£2).

I also picked up 3 Models Own flakie polishes – the names are Golden Shore, Red Sea and Aqua Splash. The polishes were £1.49 each (Superdrug, bargain bin).

I bought 2 Dr. Organic Body Washes – Aloe Vera & Manuka Honey. These were on sale (£1 each) at Holland & Barrett.

I also picked up a Dr.Organic shampoo & conditioner combo – Aloe Vera again! And I bought Sukin’s Purifying Shampoo. These 3 products were £1 each.

I bought Garnier’s Honey Flower Cleansing Milk + Toner. These products were on special (Save 1/3 at Superdrug’s), and they were £2.29 each. Superdrug’s Cocoa Butter & Vanilla Body Scrub was £1. It looks like the entire line is going to be discontinued. 😦

I fell in love with Caolion’s charcoal face soap, and I really want to try more products with charcoal. So I bought this massive 195g Yes To Tomatoes Soap. It was £4.99 (Holland and Barrett). I picked up 3 Superdrug face masks (Manuka honey, charcoal, Dead Sea clay).  These were 99p each, but there was also a 3 for 2 deal, so I paid £1.98 for these 3 masks.

I also got 2 Skin Republic Spoil Yourself With Bubbles sheet masks. They’re £4.99 each, but they were a free gift with purchase (free when you buy 3 skin care products). I received 2 sheet masks because I bought 6 skin care items. 🙂

Oh, I also bought 2 new duvet cover sets. These were £14 each (king size) and I picked them up at my local Asda store (the photos are from Asda’s web site). Yes, this isn’t beauty related, but I’m so happy with the good quality of these sets that I wanted to say… if you’re looking for new duvet cover sets, you need to swing by your local Asda – they have dozens of amazing prints!

Back to the beauty stuff! Have you tried any of these products? Or would you like to try any of these products? Feel free to let me know your thoughts. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Calming & Protecting Hand Cream, Soothing & Caring Shower Cream And Body Butter

Hi there! Today’s post is about 3 products that were gifted to me – The Body Shop‘s Almond Milk & Honey Calming & Protecting Hand Cream, Soothing & Caring Shower Cream and Body Butter. These products are aimed at people with sensitive or dry skin.

I tried the hand cream first – and I liked it a lot! The hand cream feels nourishing, and it makes my skin feel super soft for hours. The almond milk and honey fragrance is sweet and warm – just lovely!

The shower cream is quite unusual because it’s pretty much like a cream! It feels nourishing, but it doesn’t really lather up, and it doesn’t feel very cleansing. But it smells great!

The body butter doesn’t smell as good as the hand cream or the shower cream, but it’s quick and easy to use because it melts into the skin. Having said that, this body butter isn’t as nourishing as I expected. After 12 hours the skin on my legs felt dry (the rest of my body was OK though).

I’m happy that I got the chance to test these products. However, I wouldn’t buy them for myself. Whilst the hand cream is great, I wouldn’t pay £5 for such a tiny tube!

The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey hand cream is available as 30ml, the shower cream is available as 60ml and 250ml, and the body butter is available as 50ml and 200ml.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Fijian Water Lotus Body Lotion & The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose Body Lotion

Hi there! I bought 2 The Body Shop body lotions in early January – Fijian Water Lotus and Atlas Mountain Rose. They were on sale for £2 each, and I just couldn’t resist. 🙂

I tried The Body Shop Fijian Water Lotus body lotion right away – and I didn’t like it. I think the fragrance is very annoying. It’s a mix of lotus and paper with a hint of Play-Doh. The lotion smelled rather faint when I applied it. But, unfortunately, the strength of the fragrance seemed to pick up. After a few hours the body lotion had stunk up my top, my cardie and my scarf. I gave the body lotion away the next day.

The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose body lotion is much nicer. I’d describe the fragrance as a cool “glycerin rose” with a hint of tea. The fragrance is simple, but it’s definitely pleasant and wearable. I like it. I really like it!

Two things about the formula – these two body lotions aren’t the most nourishing body lotions out there. However, they’re absorbed quickly, and they don’t feel too sticky which is great if you’re in a hurry.

The Body Shop Fijian Water Lotus and The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose body lotions are available as 250ml.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Boxing Day Haul – Lots Of New Stuff

Hi there! Today’s post is about all the stuff I bought on Boxing Day + 1 present I received. I won’t be doing a big intro today. So let me just show you the stuff. 🙂

I got this The Body Shop gift set as a present. It contained 3 Almond Milk & Honey products + 1 body puff.

I bought this Boots No 7 Youthful Skincare Collection set. It was £10.

It contained 6 products – facial oil, serum, day & night creams, exfoliator, micellar water.

I only paid £5 for this Boots Extracts Sweet Mango set. Awesome value! The set contained 200ml body wash, 200ml body lotion, 70ml body spray, 50ml sugar scrub.

I bought a Sanctuary Spa toiletries set. It was £12.50.

The set contained 4 full-size products: hand cream, body wash, bath soak, body butter.

I also bought this year’s Boots Extracts limited edition toiletries collection – for £7.

This year’s limited edition is called Tangy Passion Fruit. The big tin contained 200ml body wash, 200ml body lotion, 200ml sugar scrub, and 75ml hand cream.

I also bought this year’s Boots Extracts “4 seasons” set. It was £10. I didn’t take a picture of the packaging because it was kind of bulky. Anyhoo… the set contained 4 body washes…

… 4 body lotions…

… 2 body butters, and 2 sugar scrubs. Awesome stuff!

This is everything I bought on Boxing Day. I managed to restrain myself – I only bought the bare necessities.

Have you been sale shopping? What did you buy? Feel free to get in touch. And thanks for reading!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Oldies Stash – The Body Shop White Musk Breeze Shower Gel, Body Purée, Body Mist & Eau De Toilette

Hi there! Welcome to the lastest episode of Reducing My Oldies Stash. Today’s guest stars are The Body Shop’s White Musk Breeze limited edition products which have been sitting in my stash for ages. I’ve finally given these products a try, so let me tell you if they’re (still) any good. 🙂

The Body Shop’s White Musk Breeze Shower Gel is alright. It lathers up nicely, but it doesn’t feel drying. I also like the fragrance – it’s white musk and jasmine. The Body Shops’s Body Purée (which I have 2 bottles of) is good too. The fragrance is a little fresher – it’s white musk, jasmine and a mix of refreshing citrus fruits. However, I have to say that I don’t love the purée formula because it feels a little sticky on my skin.

Now onto the fragrances! The Body Shop’s White Musk Breeze Body Mist is a decent all-over body spray. It’s a little lighter and less dense than the EdT. I like it! I’m sure I’ll be able to finish this bottle at some point. The Body Shop’s White Musk Breeze Eau De Toilette (which I have 2 bottles of) is a true white musk fragrance. It starts out fresh but the citrus aroma evaporates quickly.

Now onto the conclusion… I’m impressed that these products didn’t go off. I really, really love preservatives in cosmetics and toiletries! 🙂 OK, here’s the actual conclusion… whilst I like these White Musk Breeze products, the white musk fragrance isn’t my favourite.

So I started to experiment a little. At first it was trial and error, but after a few days I realised that the White Musk Breeze all-over body spray is a great base for sweet vanilla fragrances. I also found that the White Musk Breeze EdT goes well with Body Fantasies’ Pink Grapefruit Fantasy. 🙂

I’m sure I’ll be able to finish the shower gel, the 2 (!) body purées and the body spray. We’ll have to see whether I’ll finish the 2 (!) EdT bottles. Let’s see if I can make an effort to use the EdT on a regular basis. Fingers crossed!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Body Mist

Hi there! I found this oldie The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Body Mist the other day. And I think now’s the time to finally use it up. I’m not sure how old it is, but it still smells yummy.

OK, so this body mist promises freshness and a sparkling, energetic scent. Is it like that? Well, almost. In my opinion this body mist smells more of lychee fruits than of lychee blossoms.

It smells sweet, fruity and juicy, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s fresh.

While it’s not cloying or overpowering, it’s certainly not anywhere near as fresh as lemon or grapefruit fragrances or body mists.

I would still say this body mist would be great for spring and summer as it is not too sweet.

It’s also not very intense, so I can douse myself in it every two or three hours without smelling like a perfume store.

I generally prefer my fragrances to last longer than that, but I don’t mind that body mists are not as longlasting. They’re obviously meant to be short-lived fragrant refreshments.

But here’s the bad news: The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Body Mist was part of a limited edition collection, so it’s no longer available. If you really, really want a lychee fragrance, you have to look for something else.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

The Body Shop Moroccan Rose

Quite some time ago I was gifted this Moroccan Rose mini set. While I’ve enjoyed the occasional Body Shop product, I’ve never been a hardcore fan of the brand. I wouldn’t have bought this set for myself, but I actually enjoyed both the shower gel and the body butter.

I found The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Shower Gel to be gentle and pleasant. It wasn’t moisturising, but it didn’t dry out my skin either. I liked the scent – rosey, feminine and pleasant – so there’s no reason to complain.

While The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Body Butter is also nicely scented, I found the formula to be rather sticky. However, this body butter did an excellent job moisturising my skin.

The Body Shop’s Moroccan Rose product line has been discontinued, but a new collection called ‘Mountain Rose’ has been introduced instead. The scent is said to have remained the same. I don’t believe I will purchase any of the new Mountain Rose products for myself, but I wouldn’t mind receiving those as a gift. 😉

Mrs Strawberry Blonde