The Body Shop: Wild Argan Oil Body Butter

A 200 ml (6.75 oz/192 g) tub retails for $20 CDN. The Body Shop body butters are also sold in 50 ml travel size tubs for $6 CDN.

Photo credit: www.thebodyshop.ca

Now, I'm not a Body Shop girl. Never have been. Any time someone would gift me a lip balm or lotion set, I just couldn't get into it. That being said, the lotions never did anything for my skin. I might as well have been bathing myself in air. So maybe that's why I always had such an aversion to their products. Alternatively, those little tubs of body butter from Walmart that are the knock-off versions of The Body Shop scents... those probably also left a sour taste in my mouth for anything from the Shop.

Recently, my sister and I were out and about, shopping for Christmas presents, as we do. I needed to stop in The Body Shop to peruse their stock for some gifts, and I stumbled upon a colorful display with 'NEW' splayed across it. It took me a second to process that this collection was made with argan oil; which immediately peaked my interest. Let's just say, I opened the tester, took one whiff, and I was sold.

I bought a gift set for $29, which contained a 200 ml tub of the body butter, a 200 ml tub of the body scrub, and a full size massage soap. I deemed it appropriate to gift the body scrub and soap bar, but felt it completely necessary to keep the body butter for myself to give it a test run.

The packaging is... well, The Body Shop. This particular tub is a satin bronze color, with a vibrant cerulean blue label that catches your attention immediately. It has a twist off lid, and the product inside is a very thick 'butter' consistency. I am not typically a fan of this packaging; however, I don't really see a better alternative seeing as though the thick texture of this product would not allow it to be dispensed via a pump or squeeze-tube, so I think I'll get over it.

The website claims that this product provides "24 hour hydration," as well as being enriched with Community Fair Trade argan oil from Morocco.

The scent is the most divine aroma - clean and fresh, yet subtly sweet and intensely nutty with a hint of vanilla. I told my sister that I want this Wild Argan Oil scent to be my 'signature scent,' just as The Body Shop's Vanilla fragrance has been my mom's signature scent for as long as I can remember. Anytime I smell The Body Shop's Vanilla perfume, I think of my mom. Well, step aside ballers, because Argan Oil is now MY scent, haha.

As someone who's never really indulged in products from The Body Shop, I never really knew what I was missing out on as far as body butters were concerned. As most of you may know, I have severe chronically dry skin - like not just, a flake here, or only-dry-in-the-winter-months, but full on scaly-mama-beast-mode 365 days of the year. Nasty. So I'm always on the hunt for the next best moisturizer for my cray-cray epidermis.

This butter is SO luxurious on my skin - it's thick, but begins to melt with the heat from your body. It spreads into a thin, spreadable balm. It sinks into your skin quickly, but leaves an oily residue behind on your skin. I know that most people are probably like, "An oily residue!?!? HELL NO, girlfriend..." but this isn't the kind of residue that keeps you from opening doors or having objects squirt out of your grasp... it's a thin residue that keeps your skin feeling supple and looking healthy and radiant.

I love this body butter for my hands and arms, as well as my legs post-shaving. Not only do I smell like a freaking Mediterranean goddess, but my skin looks vibrant and radiant. I will definitely be purchasing a mini tub to throw in my purse on the go.

Unfortunately, my skin seems to get acclimated to new lotions and creams fairly quickly (about as long as it takes me to work my way through an entire container of product) and then they'll stop working for me. I hope that this isn't the case with this product, as it is simply too fantastic to not repurchase in the long run. I figure, even if I can't keep using it on my hands forever, I will still pick it up and use it on my legs and body after showering. 

I give this product a heaping 5 out of 5 stars. The body butter alone has me itching to try the Miracle Solid Oil for Body & Hair, as well as the Solid Lip Oil and the Radiant Oil for Body and Hair. Eeeek! If they had a fragrance mist, I'd snatch that bad boy up in less than a heartbeat. I'm pleasantly surprised and ecstatic with my purchase, and highly recommend you guys to go check it out if you happen to be passing by The Body Shop. Maybe you're not a Body Shop regular, but I encourage you to stop in and at least smell the tester...

Let me know, what are your favorite products/scents from The Body Shop? Any other product recommendations for me?

Alba Botanica Hawaiian Hibiscus Facial Toner

I purchased this 250 mL bottle from London Drugs for $11.99 CDN. On sale, however, I can find this for as 'little' as $9.99. The London Drugs by my house is the only one in my city that I seem to be able to find this toner at. I've looked high and low in other stores that sell Alba products, but I have not been able to locate it anywhere else. You can also buy it on their website: www.albabotanica.com

On Alba Botanica's website, this is marketed as a hypo-allergenic "complexion balancing" toner. It contains witch hazel and aloe vera to calm and soothe irritated, red skin. It contains extracts of hibiscus, honeysuckle, passion flower and guava to further refine and refresh the skin. It is also 100% Vegetarian; No: Animal Testing, Artificial Colors, Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Methyl Sulfate.

I was introduced to this product by one of my housemates last year. He was a male model from Singapore, and when he moved out, he left a bunch of products for us to use that he couldn't take with him on the plane home. I tried this toner once, decided that it didn't work and gave the bottle to my sister. A few weeks later, she told me that the toner had done wonders for her acne and skin overall, and that it was a 'miracle' product and she wanted more. I had her give me a small bottle of the toner - not wanting to waste it - to try for myself.

In the first two days I didn't really notice a difference. My skin seemed unchanging. Over the first week of trying it though, I saw significant improvements. My skin appeared more hydrated, my skin tone seemed dramatically evened out, my pores less visible, and my acne was clearing up substantially.

I apply this toner once a day - though sometimes twice if I'm feeling generous. After cleansing, I soak a cotton pad (not a cotton ball...) in the toner, and wipe my face with it. If I've worn a lot of makeup that day, or I feel like my skin needs some extra cleaning, I'll finish with the first pad, and soak a second one for round two. After applying, I let the toner dry on my skin before applying my moisturizer.

The toner adds moisture to my skin without making it oily. Because there is no alcohol in it, it is not overly drying or irritating to my sensitive combination skin. Occasionally, when I use this twice in a day or if my skin is particularly sensitive, it will burn the most sensitive areas of my skin upon application (i.e., the tops of my cheekbones, around my nose area), however, it goes away once the product dries and a moisturizer is applied.

I love how it keeps my complexion clear and free (mostly) from acne. I can count on this toner to help clean up and heal existing breakouts and help to prevent future blemishes from popping up. I love how it makes my skin feel refreshed and hydrated, and how my skin looks so much smoother and toned after just a few uses.

This is definitely a holy grail product in my skin care regime. I recommend it to most everyone I meet, and so far, several people have reported dramatic improvements in their skin. One of my friends said this got rid of the blackheads on her nose that she's been battling with since her teenage years.

If you're looking for a product to help with acne, to even out your skin tone, minimize the appearance of your pores, and/or to calm your irritated skin - this might be the product for you. While it isn't a necessarily 'cheap' venture, you could certainly hurt your wallet more with some more high end products. I definitely think this is worth the try if you can find it in a store near you, and definitely worth it if you can buy it on sale!

5 out of 5 stars!
* * * * *

Do you have any favorite skin care products? Anything that is your holy grail, cannot-live-without item?? Let me know!

Herbal Essences: Hello Hydration Shampoo & Conditioner

For moisturization.



I recently went to my parents' house for our Canadian Thanksgiving this year. My seventeen-year old sister was excited to share her new favorite product(s) with me - recently she had purchased Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner. I tried it two separate times while at home, and was extremely elated with the results in such few uses. After trying it at my parents' house, I went out and bought myself some upon returning to my house - I paid about $3 CDN for a 300 mL bottle of the shampoo, and about $5-$6 CDN for 700 mL bottle of the conditioner at WalMart.

The product claims to quench thirsty hair with a fusion of orchid and coconut milk. It raves that it'll leave your hair silky and supple. Those are some pretty hefty claims for a mere drugstore hair cleanser.

Most often when I think of 'moisturizing' hair products, I think of greasy, flat, super-saturated tresses. I think of hair that takes eons to blow-dry because of all the heavy moisturizers in your hair, making it impossible to groom or maintain your 'do.' I most certainly did not expect such quick and amazing results as what I have gotten in the past...week.

First of all, both of these products smell like heaven. It is not a heavy scent, but rather a light one. There are heavier notes of the coconut than the orchid...in fact, all I really smell is coconut, with a hint of floral sweetness - I suppose that would be the orchid. The smell of the shampoo lingers in your hair long after you've finished washing...however, after sleeping on it, the scent seems to have been smothered by my pillowcase and though my hair still smells 'clean'...(to me) it doesn't smell as delicious as it did just after washing.

Secondly, I have never considered my hair dry or 'parched.' Yes, it is curly, and a little frizzy at times - but never really 'dry.' However, this product proved me wrong on all accounts. My hair has never felt so healthy, never looked so luxurious, or felt this smooth. It moisturizes without being heavy. It doesn't feel like my hair strands are being suffocated by the product or weighed down by its benefits. My hair rinses clean of the product, but the benefits remain, and are felt for the whole day and even the day afterwards.

I have really been on a hair straightening kick lately, and while my hair will straighten, it has never held all day - even with heavy amounts of hairspray. HOWEVER, this shampoo and conditioner (used in conjunction) have changed my hair-straightening days forever. Not only does my hair hold the straightened style, I have less flyaways and frizz , and I barely require hairspray anymore.

Also, my hair does not get greasy anymore. Even the day after, my hair is soft, smooth, and healthy looking. It is not visibly greasy at the roots, and styles easily. Now don't get me wrong, it is still flatter than the day it was freshly washed...but it doesn't look gross.

Finally, I want to touch on the feel of my hair. If your hair could be as fluffy and soft as marshmallows, this is what this shampoo and conditioner do to my hair. It is so light and soft - it is indescribably wonderful.

If I had to recommend one of the products over the other, I'd suggest the conditioner. Both are extremely beneficial, and used together, they are SUPER! However, I'm not one to use conditioner - so I would recommend purchasing the conditioner to use on trial, before you commit to both the shampoo and the conditioner.

Now, this may not work for everyone like it works for me - everyone's body chemistry and hair styles/types are different. Maybe you don't need moisturized hair...but I would highly recommend this to everyone and anyone. All of you - run out and buy some now. Or at least pick up a 300 mL bottle of the conditioner and try it out - what could it hurt? And if you don't like it - send it my way ;)

I give this 5 out of 5 stars.
*****

"Charm is deceptive,
and beauty is fleeting:
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
--Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)