A FAB Duo…

I’ll be honest, I have received several items from First Aid Beauty that were labeled KP. For those of you who have seen KP on things and wondered what on earth it was, according to the May clinic the official definition is….

Keratosis pilaris (ker-uh-TOE-sis pih-LAIR-is) is a harmless skin condition that causes dry, rough patches and tiny bumps, often on the upper arms, thighs, cheeks or buttocks. The bumps usually don’t hurt or itch. Keratosis pilaris is often considered a common variant of skin. It can’t be cured or prevented.
Mayo Clinic

They have sample images to show what it looks like in case you are wondering if you have it. I don’t which is why I always passed on anything labeled KP on to someone else. When I looked at the FAB website though The Bump Eraser Body scrub just looked like a body scrub and the Smoothing Body Lotion looked like a body lotion. And after a brief walk through the ingredients list I decided to give it a try. The Bump Eraser Body Scrub is described as…

A body scrub that sweeps away dry, rough bumps associated with KP, strawberry skin and booty bumps to reveal healthier looking skin that feels exceptionally smooth. Safe for sensitive skin, this fast-acting body scrub uses Glycolic & Lactic acids, at a combined level of 10% AHAs, to help resurface skin’s top layer + Pumice to physically exfoliate, helping improve skin’s texture and smooth away bumps, roughness, and scaly areas, also known as chicken skin + buttne.
FAB

I took the Body scrub into the shower with me. The Tube contained enough for three showers worth of body scrubbing. I went with an every other day approach which is what I generally do with body scrubs unless they are intensive, then I go once a week or even once a month depending. This was designed for sensitive skin so the every other day approach worked well.

The scrub itself is like a very fine grained sand. It scrubs well and rinses off clean. It does leave a scrim of sandy matter on the bottom of the shower. It actually feels a bit like you have just jumped into the showier after spending a day at the beach. it does a good job exfoliating your feet during the rest of the shower, but I did have to rinse out the rest from the shower floor after I was finished showering as there was some that didn’t get swept down the drain. That could be because of my drain, but the end result is that these are not dissolving particles. They remain once the scrub is washed away.

Personally I really liked the scrub and I felt it did a good job. It is not a moisturizing scrub so I knew I was going to have to have a moisturizer after using it. Luckily I had the First Aid Beauty Smoothing Body Lotion to go with it.

I decided to use it after my shower as I would any body lotion. It is a thinner white cream that takes a little bit to absorb, but absorbs tolerably well. It is an okay body lotion. There was nothing I noticed about ti that was special or really memorable aside from it’s scent.

And the scent wasn’t pleasant. To be honest it had a scent that was a little like standing water. That sort of slightly musty scent that standing water gets. That is the closest thing I can think of as a description. The tube was sealed and it has no expiration date on it. I don’t think it has gone off. I think that is the scent.

The body scrub has the exact same scent, but the difference is that the scrub does not remain on the skin. It is there and the scent is lighter, but it also leaves as the scrub is rinsed off. The Body lotion remains. It is not a strong scent, it is very light. It is just no pleasant. If the body lotion were spectacular, then I would be able to get over the scent as it does fade away after about an hour. But the body lotion is just a general body lotion. it is fine, but not really something I would reach for or get excited about. And so the scent doesn’t make me want to reach for it.

The scrub on the other hand, I don’t mind the scent so much, partially because it does wash away pretty quickly, but partially because it is a really good body scrub. If you do suffer from KP then you might have different thoughts. If you are just looking for a really good, gentle body scrub I think this First Aid Beauty Bump eraser is a really good one to reach for, And while you will need a moisturizer after a good scrub down. I would recommend getting a body lotion other than the First Aid Beauty Smoothing Body Lotion. There are much better ones out there that you could pair with this fantastic FAB Body Scrub.

It’s Not Pot Hemp Body Cream

This Not Pot Banana OG Hemp Body Creme was an interesting body cream to try out. First despite the name (Banana OG) the version of the cream I received is fragrance free. There is a version that does smell like bananas, but I alas did not get it.

I think I might have enjoyed the cream more if it did smell like bananas. But for those of you looking for fragrance free body lotions, this has absolutely no scent to it. According to the website…

We weren’t monkeying around with this formula. Say “yellow” to Banana OG Hemp Body Crème, a daily banana smoooth-ie for your body. Packed with banana extract, niacinamide, magnesium, and cannabis sativa oil—it’s ultra-nourishing, brightening, soothing, and calming—aka your recipe for healthy-looking skin.
Some noses don’t like the scent of banana, and some skin types don’t like the feeling of fragrance. So we made a version for you, too! Despite the name, this formula is 100% THC-free, so even the littlest monkeys can play!
Not Pot

The formula is simple a thick white cream with no scent. What I found interesting was putting it to use. On dry skin (as in not wet) it is a very hydrating formula. It absorbs well and feels good. It isn’t spectacular and if the hemp and banana do anything for the skin, I didn’t really see it. I know I didn’t give it a super long test. And the reason why is because of wet skin.

When applied to damp skin, this cream does feel a little slimy and it takes a while to absorb in. I know you are thinking why not just apply it to dry skin? which I will do for the duration of the bottle. But here is the thing. There are two main times I use body lotion. One is right after my shower and the second is after I have washed and sanitized my hands.

which means the most use I have for body lotions and hand creams comes when my skin is damp. I do apply it on dry skin just before bed and that is what I will be using the remainder of this bottle for. It is an okay, but not really notable body lotion on dry skin and slimy on wet skin. I think if it was banana scented I might be more interested in using it because I don’t have any banana scented body creams. I do however have several unscented lotions, many of which I like better than this. I like the concept and who knows, perhaps long term use will show more results and I will end up posting a letter of apology to Not Pot. But for now, I have to shift the cream out of the bathing products line up and into the night stand because I just can’t take it as a post shower body lotion. I will use it, but i don’t think this Not Pot Banana OG Hemp Body Creme is a product I will be repurchasing.

Trying out the Bodylab Collagen Complex Body Lotion

This body lotion was sent to me for the purpose of review by Bzz Agent, however as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Did you know there were years of my life where I didn’t really think of body lotion. If I noticed my skin was dry I would add some but that was it. These days hand and body lotion are in constant demand. Not only is the sun drying my skin as I work in the garden or go on a walk, but my hands have coopted any body lotion in the house to try and mitigate the effects of too much hand sanitizer.

I’ve just gotten into the habit of using the hand sanitizer anytime I go out, sometimes even multiple times and my skin can’t handle it with out a back up. It has thrown hand and body lotion from a category I barely think about, to a much needed necessity.

This Bodylab Collagen Complex + Body lotion is available at Target ($7.99) For me that is an added bonus. Target is right next to my grocery store and tends to be one of the few places I shop in person so if I run out it is easy to repurchase on the fly. Providing I like it of course. According to the product page, this body lotion…

Promotes Skin Suppleness, is Nourishing & Rejuvenating, has an Innovative Moisture Rich Formula, is Cruelty free, Clean beauty and Dermatologically tested.

It also has Vitamin e which my skin adores. The body lotion looks like most body lotions. It is your standard white cream. It does absorb really fast though which I like as I am often putting body lotion on and then moving into something else. Sometimes that is getting dressed after a shower or simply moving on post hand sanitizer. I really like that it is so fast absorbing. And the moisture it provides is nice as well. I found it really hydrated my skin.

The scent I was sent s called Floral Honey. I love the scent of honey. Florals I can be on the fence about. This scent doesn’t smell like honey. It has a sweet note and the florals have a slightly cirtusy note. It is a rather nice scent, I’m just not sure it is appropriately named. To be honest, it smells exactly like the foaming hand wash that my favorite movie theater when I was a teenager used. So for me it is a bit nostalgic.

The scent is a bit strong. It fades after a few minutes but if you are sensitive to scent, this might not be the product for you. I love the way it hydrates and feels on my skin and I kind of enjoy the scent. I also love that it is both paraben and dye free and good for all skin types. It means that I can use it and set it out where everyone else can to. The pump top makes it easy to use and for hands and arms I generally find that one pump is all that is needed.

Is it my favorite body lotion? No. But it is a good one, offered at a reasonable price that I could easily pick up when out shopping and know that it would work and that it can easily be used by anyone coming into my home. I would probably look for a more neutral or at least less floral scent, mostly so that a wider range of people could enjoy this, but I would pick up this Bodylab Collagen Complex Body Lotion again.

Trying out the Velvet Rosebud Soothing Hand Cream from Beautanic Beauty

Have you ever avoided a product because you suspected there was something about it that you weren’t going to like? This Beautaniq Beauty Soothing hand cream came in a subscription box a while back. I saw the rose bud in the name and my immediate thought was, oh no not another rose scented hand cream.

So I shuffled it to the back of the drawer and left it sealed, hoping no rose scent was going to leak through. And then I slowly worked my way through the sample sized hand creams in my collection. To fight the effects of hand sanitizer even the ones I don’t particularly care for have been in high demand. While I have several full sized creams I want to try out I set all of them to the side until I could work my way through the sample sized ones. I have been pulling them out one at a time to try and somehow I managed to work my way to the back of the drawer where this little beauty was stashed. So I prepared for the rose, broke open the safety seal and began trying out the Velvet Rosebud Soothing Hand Cream.

To my surprise, there is no scent of rose with the hand cream. As rose (and florals in general) easily go overboard for me in the scented hand cream department, this was a very pleasant surprise. So I looked for more product information. Are you ready for the full description?

“The botanical rose scented hand cream is enriched with Shea Butter. The quick drying, non greasy formula protects, soothes, and moisturizes hands. Resulting in noticeably softer hands.”
Beauaniq Beauty

That’s right according to the description it is rose scented. I applied a thin layer on my hands and sniffed. There might be something…I clamped my hand over my nose and mouth and drew in a deep breath…maybe floral -ish?

The scent, what there is of it is very light. To be honest I felt like I was smelling freshly washed hands and possible soap residue from a lightly scented bar. The scent is almost a non-entity. However I will go with the quick drying and non greasy formula. That is spot on. The Hand cream when you apply it feels like shea butter. It just has that smoothing feel to it that heavily infused shea butter gets.

The cream is thick and white but it sinks in so fast there are no white streaks. While I loved it on the upper parts of my hands and arms I didn’t care for it on my palms. It dries fast so they weren’t slick in the greasy sense but they felt a bit slick. Or perhaps the best term is overly smoothed?

Whatever the term for it, I did feel the need to wipe off the palms of my hands on a damp towel after applying the hand cream. I loved it on the rest of my skin. It was quite moisturizing and really quite quick drying without being greasy, I just didn’t like it on my palms. It felt as though my palms had somehow been extra exfoliated. The rest of my skin felt quite nourished.

A quick rub on a damp towel did take away the feeling so I could apply the hand cream and take off the feeling I didn’t like even as the rest of my skin enjoyed the hand cream. Perhaps it is some element of the quick dry formula. whatever it is, I did enjoy this Velvet Rosebud Smoothing hand cream and I would buy the fill size at $9 in order to use again. I would just wipe off my hands after applying it.

Falling in love with Olay

Like many of you I have been in great need of hand and body lotion in the past…oh we’ll say two years. while before it was a nice thing to have around, especially in the winter, the massive amounts of hand sanitizer have made it much more of a necessity. I have also become a great deal pickier. Before, lotion was just lotion, some was better than others, and most were interchangable.

Boy, has that changed.

Some lotions with a strong scent didn’t bother me because I was only using them occasionally, not multiple times a day. Others might be a little greasy but those I’d just use up and just not bother with later. While I try out the various lotions that come in my subscription boxes, I’ve found that there are expensive creams I like and inexpensive ones I like. There are also expensive ones I don’t like and inexpensive ones I can’t stand. I’m finding that each lotion has to be evaluated more or less independently.

Part of that is of course the scent. If the lotion is used once a week or even once a day, it is less of an issue than the multiple times a day I am using it. while I still like my highly scented lotions, I do tend to keep them for once a day. I have been drawn more and more to the lower scented products for repeated use during the day. However I have also found that I don’t really like the no scented products. There is something about them I find slightly off putting.

I know, I can be so picky sometimes.

I picked up this Olay Nourishing Body Lotion when I happened to pass it in the aisle at the grocery store. Mt thoughts were, ‘Oh I’m out of lotion. Oh there’s Olay, I like Olay, ooh it has hyaluronic acid in it, let’s try this one.’

Yes, I know, a complicated thought process.

The truth is I did need a body lotion. I have used up pretty much all of my sample sized hoard and my skin needed some moisture. I also love Olay. While I try out different body washes I always come back to the Olay Body wash (my current favorite is the Fresh Outlast in Orchid and Black Currant). I have also used and liked most of the skin care products from the regenerate line and have a list of samples I’ve tried from the brand that I want to try out in a full sized version. Over all Olay is a reliable brand for me.

So why shouldn’t their body lotion be good?

plus you know I am a sucker for Hyaluronic acid. It is amazing at helping to minimize some of the fine lines on my face, why shouldn’t it be helpful to the rest of my body?

According to the Olay website…

Replenish your skin with the deep moisture of Olay Nourishing & Hydrating Body Lotion. This moisturizing lotion has a nutrient-rich formula crafted with hyaluronic acid and our Vitamin B3 Complex and was created specifically to deeply nourish your skin from head to toe for long-lasting, smooth skin. Why add Vitamin B3 Complex into your routine? It’s the ultimate skin-improvement ingredient. Vitamin B3 allows your skin to hold on to water so it can become its own moisturizer. It also leaves you with skin that acts younger, feels softer, and looks smoother. You’ll love your skin’s visible transformation without the greasy residue of other types of body cream or hand cream. This body lotion also absorbs quickly, penetrating skin up to 10 layers deep, leaving your skin with long-lasting smoothness and increased skin cell turnover. Make sure you take a minute to appreciate its lovely packaging—it’s definitely countertop worthy. Use daily all over your body during your morning or evening routine. Use with Olay Skin Care-Inspired Body Wash to boost effects of Vitamin B3 Complex and moisturizing ingredients.
Olay

And I have to say, I am a fan.

First let’s talk packaging. while I have gone through tubes of lotion by the score in my life, these days the pump top is king. I’ll still use tubes when I get out of the shower or just before bed, but for post washing or hand sanitizing, a quick pump is really fantastic. Because it is just a quick tap to dispense I don’t forget to add lotion to my hands as often as I do when there is just a tube of body lotion or hand cream next to the sink.

And yes I know it sounds silly, after all picking up a tube of lotion, unscrewing the cap, squeezing out the product, and putting the cap back on are not onerous things. But with a pump it is one tap and go so I forget less often. And really a product only works if you use it. The pump means that I don’t forget to use it.

Some days, it’s the little things.

The scent of the Olay Body lotion is interesting. It honestly smells like an Olay product. Which I know sounds strange. I think it is the B3 complex. It is in my body wash as well and I think it was in a couple of the skin care products I’ve tried. I think that is just what make it smell like Olay. I don’t mind that it pairs well with my body wash, in fact it helps that the scent pairs well with my body wash. While it is an Olay scent, it is light and also smells like skincare. The scent is not overpowering and I can use it multiple times a day without feeling over powered. The scent is strongest when it is first applied but then when it settles in it is barely noticeable and I just associated it with clean, moisturized skin (I think partially because of the body wash).

The formula has the consistency of a water cream face cream. It is not a thick cream. It pumps out white, but almost instantly the white disappears as you massage it into the skin. The skin looks shiny for a moment and then it absorbs in. No greasy residue, just nice clean skin.

While I like this as body lotion, I du use it throughout the day to hydrate my hands. I have never had a problem with greasiness and because it is so easy to reach for, I do. So there has been less cracking of the skin and less pain around the joints. When my skin dries the skin around the knuckles tend to be the first to go and when overly dry they crack and it really hurts. So keeping my hands hydrated is a priority.

Over all I am very impressed with the Olay Nourishing Body Lotion with Hyaluronic acid. I am halfway through the bottle and i will be repurchasing a replacement as soon as the product level dips low enough to warrant a replacement. It is a lotion I will be keeping on hand for some time to come.

Rich and Creamy Hydration with Shea Yeleen Body Cream

I have to be honest, once I saw this body cream from Shea Yeleen in my Macy’s Beauty Box, I had my fingers crossed in hopefulness. And that is due to the full name of the product. It is the Shea Yeleen Coconut Melon Rich Shea Body Cream.

While I love shea butter, the word that got me was melon. There are a lot of coconut products out there and as I am okay with coconut but don’t love coconut, the sight of the word doesn’t thrill me. I do however love melon scented body lotions. I always find the scent crisp and clean and just delightful in a boxy cream. The issue is manufacturers don’t seem to agree with me. Finding a good melon scented body lotion is really difficult. And generally when you find it, the scent is watermelon. While that is nice it will always be a summery scent to me while Melon doesn’t have that singular seasonal association for me (even if I only eat melons in the summer).

So when this arrived I crossed my fingers and hoped that this would not only be a lovely melon scent but that the cream would be delightful as well. So I opened and tried it and now the tube is completely empty. Which as it is a sample sized tube of body cream, is not surprising. As I applied it all over after a shower, the tube had two solid post bath uses.

the scent is definitely melon. There is a back note that is less coconut and more ‘something vaguely tropical’. I was thrilled by this. I would have been fine without any coconut, but as it was mostly melon I let it go.

The description of the body cream is pretty much what you would espect.

Packed with natural, unrefined shea butter, our ultra-hydrating formula is rich in vitamins and will instantly smooth your skin, leaving it glowing. This smaller size is great for the purse or bag during travel and commutes.
Shea Yeleen

My sample sized container is 30mL and the full sized is 100 mL with a cost of $20. While the individual ingredients list is not on the product page, Shea Yeleen’s website has a page breaking down all of their ingredients and why they include them on THIS PAGE. I think except for the differing scents they simply use the same formula in each of their body creams. Which makes sense. But how is their formula?

It takes a minute to absorb in as it needs to warm up

It was an interesting formula actually. The cream itself is white and thick. when you first start to massage it into your skin it leaves white streaks and you’ll be tempted to think you applied too much. Give it a minute. With most shea butter products I find they just need a minute to warm up on the skin before they absorb. This means it may take a minute for the white streaks to absorb into the skin. For me, most of the time I use it right after my shower. The warm shower not only warmed my skin but it warmed the cream slightly so it absorbed faster when I first stepped out of the shower and used it than when I applied it to my arm for the picture. It still required a little bit of massaging into the skin for fully absorb, but the warmth helps.

Conversely if it is a really cold day, it may take a little longer to get the cream to absorb. It is definitely worth the wait though. It may take a moment or two in order to absorb, but once it does you get all day moisture. It doesn’t fade and you don’t find your self suddenly needing to apply more lotion a second time that day.

Except for the hands, but that is more the fault of the hand sanitizer than the cream. With the hand sanitizer no cream is going to be a one and done. But if you are worried about winter dry arms, elbows and knees, this cream has you covered. I may have been thrilled by the scent, but I was impressed by the longevity of the moisture this cream provided to my winter dry skin. It may be a bit much for me in the summer, but this Shea Yeleen Rich Shea Body Cream is definitely a body cream I will repurchase for winter use.

Free standard domestic shipping on all orders $35+ at www.forkandmelon.com

Trying The Ritual of Mehr

Hand and body cream are items that I have always had around, but never really gave much thought to. Often times they came in Subscription boxes and I just used them and let them go. Rarely did I have to purchase them. I generally gave more thought to body lotions as they covered a much larger expanse of skin and therefore I would be stuck with a scent and all over feel I might not like.

Hand cream was something I just sort of grabbed when I pulled too many weeds in the garden and my hands were starting to get a bit rough or something I reached for when my skin felt a bit dry in the winter.

And then came the year of hand sanitizer and extreme hand washing.

Body lotions took on a whole new importance as my hands began to resemble what I like to think of as the desiccated iguana look. For a time it looked as though nothing was going to help. Slowly began the rescue from the dry and scaly look and in the process I found that there were some higher priced lotions I liked and some that I didn’t. I found several drugstore lotions and creams that were worthless and several that were ultimate rock stars of hydration.

In all honesty, scent had always been one of my driving factors when picking up hand or body cream. I figured they would all do a decent enough job of hydration o it was the scent I would be stuck with.

And if you’ve ever used a Ritual’s product, you know that sachet is a big issue with the brand. Every product I have tried from them has been highly fragranced. Most of the products I have tried have been bath related. This is actually my first body lotion from the brand. As with all lotions though, I now start them with my hands and arms. If I like the scent and feel enough then they graduate to being used as full on body lotions.

Plus I find it a good way to test any allergic reactions and I figure that if the lotion can keep my hands hydrated, than it should work well on the rest of me.

According to the Ritual’s Website…

If you want healthy, radiant and nourished skin, along with a delightfully energetic and joyous fragrance, then The Ritual of Mehr body cream is just for you. This bright fragrance opens up with a sparkling citrus top note, blended with a heart of florals and grounded with a drydown of cedar wood. Contains uplifting sweet orange and stimulating cedar wood, to help hydrate your skin while also treating your soul with energising properties.

It is also available in our eco-chic refill option, allowing you to reuse the luxury jar.

I like that it comes with a refillable option as I am always looking for ways to reduce waste in my routines. I am also not surprised to find that the Ritual’s Hand cream description sounds a bit more like a perfume description than a lotion.

As far as scent goes, it is pretty strong. And it smells of cedar and orange. I’m sure there is some sort of floral note in there somewhere, but it really buried under the cedar and orange. I don’t mind it actually. OI really enjoy the scent. I think in the summer time it would be a bit too much of a scent bomb for me. However as the days get cooler, this is a warm and rich scent that I don’t mind having around me. If it were a candle I would buy it in a heart beat.

The scent is strong though and it does linger. I put a little dab of lotion onto my hands and massaged them. After two hours the scent was still with me. If you are sensitive to scent, this may be a product you want to shy away from. If you like scent, just make sure that it doesn’t clash with your perfume and you will be fine.

But scent isn’t everything.

Using this moisturizer I found it absorbed well and fairly quickly into the skin. It didn’t leave any greasy spots and it didn’t make my hands feel slick. I think part of that is because they seem to lean more into sunflower seed oil rather than something like shea or coco butters on their ingredients list. The oil seems to absorb more quickly and easily into the skin.

While it did moisturize well, I found that it wasn’t enough for my hands. It is not a cream I could use in the morning and just not think about it all day. I found myself applying it a couple of times a day. Even on days when I didn’t leave the house and therefore didn’t need the hand sanitizer. The scent lasts much longer than the hydration.

I know, this Ritual of Mehr is a body cream. If used as a body cream it worked well. For skin that doesn’t need as much hydration as my hands it was enough. In truth this product is more about scent than it is about intense hydration. I think that this is the sort of cream I would use after a long bath or shower as part of my get ready to go out ritual. The scent is luxurious and delightful. The cream feels good on the skin, but it isn’t enough to be used as an everyday sort of product. I don’t mind having special occasion products, and I think this falls into that category. If you are looking for an orange and cedar scented luxury for those special nights, then I would go for this. For an everyday post shower moisturizer, I feel it is a little lacking. So for me, I will set this lotion to the side to use the next time I want to give myself a luxurious home spa day and look for a different daily body cream.

It’s not just Lemony Fresh…

Over the past year hand and body cream has become an important part of my world. with all the extra hand washing and sanitizing hand cream especially has come into high demand. The interesting thing has been seeing which creams stood up to the challenge.

Some of the hand creams, both expensive and inexpensive, proved to be inadequate to the challenge of fighting the chapped skin that comes with overwashed hands. Others, both expensive and inexpensive, have proven themselves excellent hydrators.

I’ll be honest, before this year, I had a couple of creams that I purchased because they worked really well and a couple that I picked up and kept around because they smelled nice. Now, those tat just smell nice but don’t work no longer get repurchased.

And I pay a little more attention to the lotions that do show up in the house. They no longer just get added to the drawer to be used whenever. I now pay attention.

The one I am currently paying attention to is the Dr. Botanicals Rescue Butter Lemon Scented All-in-One.

Like the Bloom and Blossom All in one I reviewed last week, this Rescue butter makes a case for multi-use application. According to the website…

Lemon Superfood all-in-one Rescue Butter is a multi-use, high-performance butter which can be used as a moisturiser and treatment. The 96% natural formulation is packed full of minerals, antioxidants and vitamins which work together to rejuvenate, renew and invigorate dull and dry skin.
Vegan certified Dr. Botanicals products, are made only of natural ingredients. Never tested on animals, this range embodies our belief in the potent power of botanicals.
Dr. Botanicals

So I tried it.

The first thing that hits you is the scent. It is lemon.

white at first but as it warms up it absorbs in.

Actually that isn’t bold enough of a descriptor. It is LEMON!!!!!! (please add your own jazz hands to truly get the burst on the scene can not be ignored scent that is this Dr. Botanicals Rescue Butter).

It is truly drenching the senses in Lemon scented lemon-osity. The problem is that when lemon is that intense, it almost always smells like furniture polish.

And this does smell like furniture polish.

However, after you apply it, the scent does fade pretty rapidly. The cream is thick. When I first applied it and started to rub it in memories of zinc oxide sunscreen from my childhood crept in and I thought I was just going to be coated with white. This was not the case. It was white when applied but as it warmed to my skin the white faded and I rubbed it into the skin. The cream was quickly absorbed and left no sticky, greasy film or white cast behind.

It was absolutely fantastic on dry skin. My arms and legs loved it. This Rescue butter was especially nice on my legs after I shaved them. It wasn’t intense enough to work well with my feet.

(for my feet, I still turn to my all time fave Soap and Glory Heel Genius – If you have calluses I highly recommend you check them out, a thick layer and let it sit over night and you will be amazed. After a week, fabulosity. I’m not an affiliate or anything but it is the best foot cream I have found for tough calluses.)

But besides the feet it worked well on the rest of my body. In the description i know it says moisturizer and I did try it on part of my face but it is way too heavy for the skin of my face and requires too much rubbing for me to use as a moisturizer. This is a hand and body lotion.

Dr. Botanicals Rescue Butter is a really good hand and body lotion and even with the intense in your face lemon scent, I think I would purchase this in the full size. I will be using the rest of the tube up and adding it to my list of lotions I will repurchase. Dramatically scented or not, It works really well.

Sampling the Crabtree and Evelyn Smooth and Refine Body Lotion

I don’t know about you, but the name Crabtree and Evelyn evokes memories of fancy soaps that I was not allowed to touch. When I was younger they were the soap of choice for all the ladies in church to have in their guest bathrooms. I was forbidden to go near them and it is still the first thought that comes to mind when I hear the name of the brand.

They seem to have gone through a rebranding since then. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t actually heard of the brand since I was in middle school. A few months back I received a perfume sample from the brand and then in December’s IPSY I received this body lotion.

The body lotion I received was the Smooth and Define Body Lotion. Since the sample I received was small enough that using it on my body would make it simply a one use item, I decided to use it as a hand cream. This way I could test its capacities over a slightly longer time then a one use blitz would afford.

So let’s see what the website tells of this body lotion…

Our Smooth + Refine Body Lotion is your new go-to. It moisturises, gently exfoliates and both without needing to do the dry-down dance.

Packs in hydration without the heaviness. Exfoliating apple AHAs get to work on resurfacing dry, dull skin. Leaves behind softness and our uplifting Crabtree scent

In general the description is what you might expect from a lotion. But let’s break it down by use.

The first thing we have to cover is scent. I know those of you who routinely read my posts are thinking ‘When do you not start with scent, Mimsy?’ I know, I am very scent oriented. However, with this body lotion, you cannot start any other way. You unscrew the cap and ker-POW. Scent.

It is not a subtle scent. It is not a delicate scent. It is the Crabtree and Evelyn scent. It is the same scent as their perfume. It is also oddly reminiscent of the fancy soaps I remember from way back when.

It isn’t a bad scent. It is however a strong scent. It is also a very aggressive scent. If you use this body lotion, you are not putting on any other perfume that day. There is no layering of other body product scents either. The scent of this lotion will smother them all. To paraphrase LOTR – This is the one scent to rule them all.

This has you covered. It will be with you all day long. It will fade towards the end of the day, but it will still be noticeable when you go to take your shower at night.

And I know you see apple in the description, I saw it too. Apple may be the source of the AHA’s but it is not in the scent. This is the scent of their perfume. While I don’t mind the scent of their perfume, it isn’t one I would define as refreshing. It is floral. It is rose with a back note of other florals to keep it from being just the single note of rose. It is well balanced though and not overly sweet or cloying. Oddly the perfume is not as aggressive as the body lotion. (but that is a different review)

While I like scent and could use this on my hands, I would be very hesitant to cover my entire body in this cream. I think it would just be too much to handle.

As for the cream itself, it is a thinner cream that melts to a liquid rather than putting white streaks on your skin that you have to massage in. You do need to massage it in and wait a moment for it to absorb. That being said absorption is really quick. There is also no grease factor left behind on the skin.

Once it absorbs it is a really nice cream, especially on over washed hands. Between the shea butter and the AHA’s from the apple, my hands felt wonderfully soft and hydrated from the moment I first started using it. It is actually a really good formula for body lotion. I don’t know if they have an unscented version of this lotion, but if they did I would not hesitate to purchase it and keep it next to the hand sanitizer by the sink or to keep a tube in my purse or in the shower for post shower body lotion.

It is just the scent that gives me pause. It is just so highly scented and so highly aggressive that I am not certain I could take it on a long term basis. The small tube was large enough to let me know that the cream itself was fabulous, but it was also longer than I wanted to spend with this scent. If they don’t have an unscented version then I might go for the Citron and Coriander instead as that scent might be more appealing to me. While I love scents, I find I tend to lean more into the spice and citrus rather than the florals. Even if they are as aggressively scented I don’t mind it as much. I think they have different components rather than just different scents though, so I’d have to try it out to find out if it works the same way. If I decide to go for it, I will let you know.

For now I have to say the formula of the Crabtree and Evelyn body lotion is amazing, but the aggressiveness of the scent says use with caution.

Lavido Aromatic Body Lotion

Yes my darlings, todays posts have a definite theme with the scents. This morning’s Perfume featured Bergomot and Mandarin Orange and low and behold so does the Lavido Aromatic Body Lotion in Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.

I found it interesting to test two similarly scented products so close together actually. As you know bergamot is not my favorite scent, but I adore mandarin orange. So fingers crossed, I hoped for the best.

Scent wise it was the equivalent of a horse race. I was hoping my horse Mandarin Orange would come in ahead of the perennial favorite Bergamot.

But before we see those race results, let’s talk a little bit about the Lavido Aromatic Body Lotion in Mandarin Orange and Bergamot. I received this as part of the November Petit Vour Box. Petit Vour is a Cruelty Free Monthly subscription box. I generally enjoy the products they send, many of which I would never have actually found on my own. I really like it in terms of discovery. I also like that they include Cruelty free makeup as well as skin care as it is becoming easier to find the skin care, but the clean, vegan and cruelty free makeup brands are still mostly unfamiliar to me.

I have also used a few Lavido products before and really enjoyed them. And on the label Mandarin Orange is listed above Bergamot. Hopes are high, my darlings.

So according to the product page…

This rich but lightweight body lotion leaves your skin buttery soft and restored with organic essential oils. Best for all skin types.

100% Cruelty-Free and Vegan | Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetyl Alcohol, *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), C14-22 Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic Acid, *Citrus Sinensis (Sweet Orange) Peel Oil Expressed, Allantoin, Phenethyl Alcohol, *Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, *Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Alpha -Isomethyl lonone, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool. | *Certified Organic Ingredients.
Made in Israel
Lavido

Over all pretty much what you would expect from the description of a body lotion. I love that it is cruelty free, which was to be expected considering it came in a Petit Vour Box.

As a cream the formula is a nice white cream. It is very light weight and melts into the skin beautifully without leaving streaks of white across the skin. It needed no extra massaging or warm up time. My skin simply drank it in. It left my skin feeling wonderfully soft and hydrated. Even on my elbows, which is where my skin often gets dry and cracked, especially in the winter.

But then there is the scent.

Now, I now bergamot is not my favorite. As my mother adores the scent, I know my dislike is not universal. It is not even the predominant view in my family as most of the rest of the family sides with my mother on the scent. I will say if you like bergamot, then you would probably like this scent. It is bergamot forward although there is much more orange essence in it than the Voce Vita perfume.

I actually don’t mind the scent that much. While not my favorite, there is enough orange to help balance it out a bit.

The real kicker isn’t the scent itself, but the potency of it. When they say aromatic, they aren’t joking.

I tend to use body lotion right after my shower. I also tend to take my shower at night. So I took my shower, picked up this lotion to try out and then continued on with my evening, eventually ending in sleep. The scent of the cream was strong when I applied it and strong when I went to bed. It was still quite strong when I woke up in the morning.

And I don’t mean I caught a faint whiff of it when I held my hand to my nose. I mean I was still enveloped in a cloud of scent when I went to put my coffee on to brew.

It is a potent scent.

It is a scent that lingers.

It is a scent that looks at fragrance free formulas and cackles madly while skipping off gleefully in the other direction.

I don’t mind scented products in general. I use both unscented and scented products routinely. When using this product, it is the only scent that you will be able to smell. It trumps all of them, and quite frankly is a little too much for me.

Which is really a shame.

In addition to trying it as a body lotion, I tried it as just a hand cream and placed it next to my hand soap and antibacterial gel. I thought maybe if i used less, it wouldn’t be as potent. The formula was fantastic. The rough and dry spots on my hands from far too much hand washing virtually disappeared. If the scent weren’t so overpowering I would adore this body lotion.

In fact it worked so well that I kept trying to use it.

When the scent was too much on my hands, I tried it on my feet. It worked really well on the tough skin of my feet as well. However, the scent slipped through the fibers of my socks and still made its presence known.

It isn’t a bad scent, in fact it is quite pleasant. It has enough orange to tame the bergamot so that even my dislike of bergamot is tamed. If it were more delicately fragranced I would be very pleased with it.

But it isn’t. It is a scent bomb.

And too much of a scent bomb for me. Even if it were my favorite scent it would still be too much of a powerful aroma for me to routinely wear. So it is with great sadness that I have to say, excellent cream, fantastic brand, but not an item I will purchase again.