Smoothing your skin into winter wonderment

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just one of the brands of body lotion lurking by my bedside

 If you're anything like me, you've got a whole host of body lotions by your bed (and in a big box under it...and stuffed into the bathroom cabinet...) in a quest to find the best one to keep you from turning into a lizard. From Molton Brown to Bath & Body Works, and from Villainess to Body Shop - you'll probably find it all within arm's reach at any given time at my place. Heck, my collection probably deserves its own postcode.

One of the perks of blogging is that I get sent quite a few different kinds to try. One of them is Deep Heat's latest version - great for easing physical and mental stress thanks to its aromatherapeutic qualities, and its warming sensation means it's great for autumn and winter too. People tend to go into overdrive in the summer, moisturising and buffing their bodies to a state of perfection so that they're ready for the beach, but come winter they tend to let themselves go. Not I: I'm constantly basting myself not just to combat dry skin and ageing generally, but also in pursuit of a luxurious experience that will make me smell lovely. 

Some creams and oils are extremely effective - such as Astral's body lotion and Johnson's baby oil, both of which I was also sent this year by generous PRs. However, they err more on the side of functional than spa-tacular, and when I get to choose, I'm looking for a product that not only leaves me smooth and strokable (sort of like one of those hairless cats) but also feeling like a million dollars - all year round.

The Japanese Cherry Blossom body butter...one of my undying favourites

Consequently, the Body Shop bodycare collection is one that I keep going back to. Catering for every possible need (including aromatherapy, massage, deodorants, and intensive foot rescues), they also don't forget the classics that people love them for while still adding new stuff. Their body butters are one such classic (and there's 50% off them online at the moment with the code 50BUTTER, woo!), and looking at the array of scents available, it's easy to see why one is sold every two seconds. There really is something for everyone, from the summery pink grapefruit to their typically spicy and fruity winter collections (candied ginger, anyone?). 

But for those of you who don't like the thick-and-creamy feeling so much, the Body Shop's fantastic body lotion offers a lighter option, without losing that sumptuous feeling. Browsing the website makes me marvel at and fall in love with their innovative concepts all over again. The classic yet creative Dewberry and Satsuma scents that I've loved since teenagehood is still there, but there are plenty of new ideas too. You can bet your bottom dollar that once I come back from this week's business trip to the south of France (OH isn't life awful?!), you'll find me down my local branch discovering their Love Etc body lotion (which contains babassu oil and grape seed oil), as well as their Dreams Unlimited lotion (its ingredients include sesame, brazil nut, shea, coumarin, lemon and geranium).

The Body Shop's 2008 winter collection

That should certainly tide me over until the Body Shop's newest winter collection (of which no word yet, sadly). It's great to know that there are ranges you can always rely on for efficacy and luxury - come rain or shine - and that thanks to this, none of us should have no trouble keeping our smooth summer skin in a state of winter wonder.