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Review: Bali Mango Scrub from Bath and Body Works

Bali Mango was a spring release from Bath and Body Works in 2011. It is limited edition and will exit at the June Semi Annual Sale. It is part of a set with Hawaii Coconut and Fiji Passionfruit. It is available in their three-step-ritual - lotion, spray and shower gel, but Bath and Body Works have also released these in scrubs. I am reviewing the scrub version here. There are no body creams/triple moisture shower cream/EDT versions of Bali Mango as it is limited release.

Pics to come!

Scent

The website describes this as: "An exotic getaway of juicy mango, sugar cane, pink passionflower and luscious nectarine." This is not a bad description, for once. The scent starts sweet and mangoey, the middle is a bit muddy but the base has the lovely passionflower which adds a really pretty floral to the sweet fruity smell. This sticks around a while on your skin as long as you leave it for a few minutes in the shower, to be absorbed. There is a floral, sweet perfumey air to this which is a nice touch. The mango is nice but it isn't a pure mango scent. You won't get a Sunset Mango dry down from this, if that is what you're looking for you'd be better off with Escada's 2011 perfume release Taj Sunset which is mango-tropical and very linear.

Sweet, pleasant and with a nice floral scent this is quite nice for whatever time of day you happen to shower.

Scrub and product overall

This is an amazing scrub, probably the best I have tried. It has a really great lather (for a scrub) and you don't need to double up with another soap of any kind. I can't believe how much this lathers for a scrub, loving it! The consistency is quite thick and creamy, it is like the St Ives Apricot Scrub but with a proper lather and creaminess.

The scrub is even, consistent and has great exfoliation, it isn't scratchy but it is nicely course, to give your skin a good work out.

As you reach the bottom of the tube you might want to unscrew the cap to let some air back in, mine got a bit sticky when it wasn't getting any airflow back into the empty tube. Make sure you do this while the tube is upside down so product doesn't run out. You should find a very healthy flow right after doing this so take it easy. I also had to clean out the nozzle once as the scrub had accumulated a bit inside the cap. This only took a moment and helped with getting every last bit out of the tube.

Loving this product, don't forget it will be gone in June as stocks dry up so get it while you can.

Review: Spiced Vanilla Scrub from the Body Shop

I am pretty late reviewing a winter-christmas scent, but I don't stop into The Body Shop that often and I only just finished my previous scrub in order to try this one. I bought this on clearance after christmas for a couple of dollars, just the small travel size. I haven't tried the lotion yet, maybe I will review that another day. This is for the scrub only.

Before I describe this, I should put a brief disclaimer: there is something in The Body Shop products that my nose doesn't like and has never liked. This product unfortunately continues the tradition. To me this is an unholy combination of yogurt and cheap sunscreen. There is no real vanilla to my nose, just a yogurty sour base, with some dry spice that is quite stale and uninteresting. Nothing sweet, nothing creamy, and nothing like a holiday scent to my nose. 

There are huge differences in the scrub consistency, varying from giant pieces of nut down to useless, squashy pieces. While some people might find this useful, I prefer a course and consistent scrub. This just seemed to be spreading pieces of dirt around and with no good exfoliating action because it was so varied.

In the picture you can see the scrub pieces. I think they are far too large to be useful, and a lot of the cream just washes off with no exfoliating action. This product doesn't lather, so its impossible to keep it on your skin for long. I smelled like I spilled some yogurt on myself when I got out of the shower, but the scent was thankfully gone within minutes of towelling off, so it doesn't have much longevity.

Sorry Body Shop, but this one is a fail in my opinon.

Review: Tropical Spice from Bath and Body Works

Tropical Spice is available in Bath and Body Works full home fragrance line. That is, 1.4 oz, 4 oz, 14.5 oz candles, wallflowers, room spray and fragrance oil. This is a spring release, new to 2011. I am confident it will be phased out in the summer, and my personal opinion is that they won't renew this next year, I just don't feel it has been that successful.

The scent is described on the website as “An exotic blend of cinnamon bark, spiced rum and Tahitian vanilla.” The picture on the front is of an exotic colored flower, but this is really not a floral at all.

 

Honestly, this seems like some of the notes used in the christmas candles were left over and combined together into something that could be marketed for the spring. It is a bit unusual but don’t think that I don’t like this scent, I do. Cinnamon is definitely present, as well as a rich blend of the usual nutmegy-cloves that you find in the winter line. They have combined it with a tropical fruity scent (nothing in particular, just the usual mangoey-apple-peachy blend that is called tropical) in order to make this more appropriate for the summer months. The scent is still quite heavy, but the throw on the candle is only average, so they even out to be quite pleasant. There is a certain smokiness to this that I like, and sometimes I even get reminded of apple-pie, although it is by no means an apple pie scent, just a wiff now and then of fruity crust.

The oil is more of the same, average throw, maybe a little fruitier. I haven't tried the wallflower, I am phasing out my use of their wallflowers as they don't last more than a few days.

This is a strange spring choice for Bath and Body Works but it is something different to their tangy and sweet fruit offerings that are basically just alcoholic drinks in a candle (or bottle).

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