Summer is just around the corner, and if you’ve been neglecting your skin this winter, you’ll have some work to do in order to get your limbs gleaming again. Here are my top picks for banishing lizard skin and getting back to your soft and supple summer self…
The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Body Butter & The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Butter (Limited Edition)
If you’re a regular around these parts then you will know that both Jules and I are big fans of The Body Shop body butters. They are affordable (there is almost always a deal of some kind on the go), they smell great and, most importantly, they do a great job. My two current favourites are the Fuji Green Tea body butter, as featured our two most recent Monthly Favourites videos, and the Virgin Mojito body butter. I would say that Fuji Green Tea is slightly more moisturising than Virgin Mojito (I thought all of The Body Shop body butters were created equal…perhaps not?) – in the mornings there is still a slight residue on my skin when I use Fuji Green Tea, but not with Virgin Mojito. They both smell absolutely incredible (I am on my third tub of Fuji Green Tea already) and Virgin Mojito is particularly yummy for summer – the lime/mint combination is so refreshing. Fuji Green Tea is a permanent collection, while Virgin Mojito is Limited Edition, so hurry and stock up while you can!
Clarins Tonic Body Balm
This stuff makes me swoon. I got it as a Christmas present last year and as soon as I opened it I immediately asked my Mom to put it on my birthday and Christmas gift lists for the rest of time. It is enriched with all sorts of delicious essential oils which make your skin impossibly soft, and also leaves you smelling as though you’ve just sauntered out of the most luxurious spa day of your life. The scent does unfortunately fade, but a handy tip from their lovely PR is to mix in some of the Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil to prolong it – it really works!
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter*
This whipped body butter from Kiehl’s is utterly delightful and feels as light as air on the skin. Seriously, just look at that consistency!
This is my second tub and I love it more and more with each application. Not only does it smell scrumptious (like the oat crunchies my Mom makes *yum*), but it packs a serious punch in terms of moisturisation and leaves my skin smooth and glowy for hours on end. As a caution, the scent is quite strong and does linger, so I wouldn’t recommend applying a fragrance during the day unless it’s something quite sweet, like vanilla – anything musky or floral will clash horribly.
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Light Weight Body Lotion
This lightweight offering from Kiehl’s is equally wonderful. I find that it does a top job of banishing dry skin and it sinks into the skin quickly so you can pop your clothes on and head out the door, basically – no more wrestling to get your jeans on (I know you feel me on this one). Unlike it’s Soy Milk & Honey counterpart, this lotion has a very mild scent that disappears almost completely on application, so you won’t have to worry about your fragrance disagreeing with it.
Fresh Sugar Lemon Body Lotion
This body lotion isn’t available here, but I thought it best to include it anyway in case any of you were heading to the US/UK soon and were feeling spendy. This lotion, although lightweight, totally hits the spot for me: it sinks in quickly so it leaves no real residue on the skin, but it really does restore the skin’s moisture balance and keeps it nicely topped up. The scent is, of course, outstanding – the delicious mix of sweet (sugar) and sour (lemon) is summer-in-a-bottle. The only downside is that the scent isn’t particularly long-lasting, which is a shame because I would happily forgo perfume if I knew I was going to smell of sugar and lemons all day!
So that’s it…those are my holy grail body lotions. Have you got any favourite summer body lotions to share with me? Please let me know in the comments section below!
*PR Sample
Feature image via. All other images by me.