4 of the Best Body Lotions for Any Season!

When the weather begins to heat up, blog readers are often inundated by moisturiser reviews and the focus is generally on getting your body ‘smooth and bikini ready!’ I like to keep my body moisturised all year round, and so have been loving a few bottles of body cream for quite some time now. Winter means scaly skin inundated with indoor heating and summer means air con ravished skin, so whatever weather you are enjoying these products are for you!

I have a bit of an obsession with the Victoria’s Secret body products, and the best I’ve tried is the Amber Romance body lotion which I bought from Sydney airport when I was over for IMATS 2012. A strong mix of “sultry amber and crème anglaise”, this is a ‘sexy’ scent and I am head over heels for it. The lotion itself is thick and moisturising but not greasy or heavy on the skin, which of course means I now want to add to my VS lotion stash as soon as I can! I’ve heard of a website called Secrets on Sale where you are able to buy VS online, have any of my readers ordered from them before? It is so hard to get your hands on here in Australia!

 

In contrast with the heavily scented Amber Romance, the Dove Body Milk* ($8.39/400ml) is a plain creamy scent that I love using when I don’t want my body lotion to clash with my perfume. It sinks in with ease and is more of a light lotion than a body cream (hence the term body milk I suppose!) though it does a really great job of moisturising nevertheless. I would say those who are in hot climates would be drawn to this, as it is a perfect summer lotion to throw on when the sun is blazing and you don’t want to faff around with luxe lotions.

The Clarins Eau des Jardins Smoothing Body Lotion Cream* is definitely the more luxe out of the four mentioned, with a lovely floral scent and a great formula that sinks in fast enough and is thick and nourishing on the skin. I have used and loved the matching Body Wash in this scent before, and the two together is a match made in heaven! The Palmer’s Skin Smoothing Lotion with Alpha/Beta Hydroxy & Shea Butter ($7.40/250ml) is a favourite of Chris’ as it rids him of the dreaded ‘chicken skin’ or keratosis he gets on his upper arms. I believe Palmer’s have repackaged and rebranded (possibly reformulated?) with a mention of anti-aging on the bottle, but if it remains similar it is definitely worth picking up! The scent is quite strong and masculine, and if I’m in the mood for a scented lotion I like keeping my skin smooth with this lotion.

What is your favourite body lotion?

What do you recommend  I buy next?

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

 

 

Sea Buckthorn from Southern Tuscany // Weleda Organic Body Lotions

The first thing I thought when this travel set of Weleda lotions hit my desk was ‘Sea Buckthorn? What!?’ I had never heard of the ingredient before, and after researching it I found out that it is very high in vitamin C! Weleda sources theirs from the mountain regions of Southern Tuscany, which definitely added to the exotic appeal of the tangy orange lotion. I had entered an Echolife competition to win this travel set of lotions and promptly forgotten about my entry, so was pleased when I found out I had won!

 I was even more pleased to find out how soft these lotions made my skin. I typically use them on my arms day and night, and though they are lotions they are quite thick and take a while to sink in, you really have to rub at them. I didn’t mind as I tend to use them while in front of a YouTube video, and they leave the softest skin behind so the work pays off. The Wild Rose scent is a bit too full on for my taste, but the Pomegranate and Citrus scents are refreshing and different to the usual scents I see on the market. Sea Buckthorn is definitely my favourite from the quartet, and I am pleased to report that the lotions are all natural, vegan, are not tested on animals and are free from parabens. Weleda, pat on the back!

The Weleda Travel Lotion pack retails for $24.90 with free shipping at Echolife!

 

 

*I won this pack from Echolife and opinions are my own. Honesty, always!

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion

I'm normally one to fall in love with sweet or sugary scented lotions, so when this Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion fell into my lap I didn't think it would steal my heart. It is fragrance-free and says it will moisturise for 24 hours. Here is what Aveeno says about it:

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion is a naturally nourishing, non-greasy lotion with natural colloidal oatmeal and rich emollients to actively soothe and protect dry skin. Proven to moisturise the skin for 24 hours, increasing the skin's moisture level by three times within four hours. Fragrance free.

Here is what I have to say about it: it rocks!

Since trying this out, I have come to appreciate it's lack of scent. It works beautifully with any perfume and does not compete, and most importantly sinks in so quickly it's unbelieveable. The one thing that can turn me off a lotion is the waiting period, when you're standing around impatiently waiting for it to sink in so that you can get dressed,so this moisturiser is perfect for me. It's sort of silky when you rub it in, but still doesn't cling to clothes at all so you can pop it on and dress straight away.

This is now my HG body lotion, and I will definitely be repurchasing when this bottle runs out. I'll also be grabbing the handbag size for my upcoming trip to Thailand.

PROS:

pump bottle means easy/lazy access (354ml size)

sinks in immediately

super affordable so you can use it all over your body

dermatologist tested

gets rid of my scaly winter legs, ready for bikini days!

non-comedogenic, so won't clog pores

CONS:

can't think of a thing

DETAILS:

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion is available at Priceline, Supermarkets and Pharmacies Australia wide, and is also popular in the US. It comes in 3 convenient sizes:

71ml for $3.95 AUD (perfect for travel!)

225ml tube for $9.95 AUD

354ml for $12.95 AUD (pump bottle)

This product was provided for consideration for review which in no way affects my opinion- honesty, always.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion

This was thrown in as a freebie when I purchased items from a blog sale recently, and all I saw was 'body lotion' before I slathered it all over myself.

Packaging: Yellow and Red tube that is easy to squeeze the product out of. Striped design reminds me of a fairground theme, very cute.

Scent: Very strong and that 'organic' smell I can't quite describe. First thing it made me think of was beeswax, which turns out to be one of the main ingredients. Scent is fresh upon hitting the skin, and remains though it doesn't fight with my perfume.

Texture: Not too thick, not too thin. Spreads well.

Aesthetics: As I mentioned above I hadn't read the tube before I used this prod (I trust Burt and his Bees, can you tell?) so was amazed when my arms were glowy when I looked down at them half an hour after application. Was I turning into Edward Cullen? Perhaps...but then I paid attention to the lotion and saw that it contained Mica, a light reflecting mineral. It gives such a beautifully natural shimmery glow, the kind I tried to achieve at Blue Light Disco's when I was younger. If this had been around then I might not have partied as a chunky glitterball!

Reapplication: This hydrates me really well, and the sheen lasts for ages so reapplication for me is once in the morning and once at night.

Repurchase: I want a big ol' tube of this so I can fake tan my legs and sheen them up. Winning! (Sorry, couldn't help myself!)

Pros: Was not tested on animals.

Contains royal jelly to nourish and sunflower oil to hydrate.

99.02% Natural
Burt's Bees rock!

Cons: Smell could be a little nicer in the beginning, but then it's a natural product.

emmabovary xx

Crabtree & Evelyn-Comforting Body Lotion

My most recent obsession is body/hand lotions. My skin is so thirsty of late, so I have been enjoying trying various creams in my quest for the holy grail. This, so far, is the forerunner. I randomly picked it up before Christmas when perusing the Crabtree & Evelyn outlet store near my uni. I went in looking for the Gardener's Hand Recovery Kit for my Mumma, and found that on sale for less than $10 (think it was around $6/$7 but can't remember...) The pack is really cute and holds a hand recovery cream and a hand therapy cream.

Now, on to the real review!

Crabtree & Evelyn Naturals Comforting Body Lotion- Milk,Soy & Sugar 50ml
"Soothing milk and soy proteins blended with clarifying sugar help condition very dry hands."
I will admit I was a bit dubious of the milk soy and sugar part, but one whiff and I was hooked! It's hard to explain but it's sweet without being sweet. Smells like dessert rather than fairy floss' fake sweetness. Creamy and very moisturizing, it sinks right in with ease and isn't too greasy. As it's a small tube (the above picture is the closest I could find, the actual product is in a plastic tube and is 'comforting' rather than 'botanical') I use it on my arms and my hands. On hands I leave it for a second and it's sunk right in, and I can keep typing. Love!

Positive:
* Great scent
*Sinks in with ease
*Cheap, grabbed it at the outlet for around $5
*Service at store was great
*Very moisturizing, non-greasy

Negative:
*Feel as though the tube wasn't full when I purchased it...
*That I don't own a huuuge bottle of this =(

So if you weigh that up, this is a surefire winner for me, and I will be repurchasing (hopefully in a larger size as well as another of the 50ml for my handbag.)