Vaseline Spray and Go Body Moisturiser

RRP: £4.99 for 190ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Moisturises in seconds so you can put your clothes straight on. Instantly leaves skin soft, not sticky or greasy. Dispenses evenly with one all over continuous spray."

--Packaging--
The vibrant colours reflect the essence of each available scent (cocoa, oat, and aloe vera), while the plant-based illustrations also portray a degree of natural provenance. The spray mechanism is efficient, and the swivelling top means there's no pesky lid to lose, either, with the chances of leakage in your bag also being significantly reduced as a consequence.

--Application--
Hold 10 cm from the skin and spray where desired, before rubbing in. This is easy, with a little of the product going a long way.

--Appearance--
All variants spray on white and rub in invisibly.

--Scent--
While I haven't yet had a chance to try the cocoa butter variant (sadly!), Vaseline did kindly send me the oat version, which smells pleasantly neutral (think freshly laundered cotton), and the aloe vera version (which smells vaguely botanical, but not overwhelmingly so) - neither of which should interfere with perfume.

--Texture and consistency--
Rubs in quickly and easily, as promised, meaning you can get dressed straight away without worrying about the product staining your clothes.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin is left quickly moisturised and non-greasy, in both the short and long-term.

--Value for money--
This is at least £1 more than Vaseline's standard body lotions, so you really have to want this format and consistency specifically. However, other brands selling the same size package, including classic body moisturiser Atrixo, are roughly the same in terms of both cost and result. Crucially, though, this product currently represents something new and different, with only Palmers offering a similar product. So if you're one of those who likes to be first on the scene, you definitely won't be disappointed by this fragrant and functional product. Look out for good deals on the high street for even better value, too.

perfect partners
Lip Therapy, £2.10
Intensive Care Healthy Hands + Stronger Nails Hand Cream, £3.99
Pure Petroleum Jelly, from £2.19
Intensive Care Aloe Fresh Roll-On, £1.69
Active Fresh Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Spray, £1.90

Noble Isle Fireside Body Lotion

RRP: £25

--What does the promo say?--
"Fireside kindles the warm, spicy aromas of a country inn with cinnamon and cypress oil, comforting vanilla and vitamin-rich organic beet extract."

--Packaging--
The rustic logo and minimalist text create a clear brand identity, and the bronze embellishments and black pump-action system add to the classiness of the look also. Clear plastic bottle a bonus as you can always see how much is left.

--Application--
Rub into clean dry skin. The only annoying part is that the pump, while efficient for small areas of the body such as the hands, only dispenses a small amount of lotion at a time, which means moisturising your whole body can take a while.

--Appearance--
White, but quickly rubs in clear.

--Scent--
None of the stated fragrances stand out individually, but blend perfectly for a balanced aroma that appropriately evokes the desired wintery, fireside atmosphere. It's oriental without being too masculine or woody (although him indoors described it as fruity, meaning that the grapefruit is possibly more detectable than I'd imagined).

--Texture and consistency--
Completely smooth; is absorbed without a hitch.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin is effectively moisturised, both short-term and long-term.

--Value for money--
While perhaps a little pricy, dispensation is efficient and the results are clear. This would also make a beautiful gift for anyone you care about.

perfect partners
Fragrance Sampler, £12
Mini Traveller, £15
Mini Love, £15
Warm and Woody Trio, £19.50
Bath and Shower Trio, £19.50
Fireside Bath and Shower Gel, £20
Deluxe Traveller, £29
Bath and Body Gift Set, £29
Bath and Shower Gel Duo Deal, £34
Fireside Candle and Snuffer, £39

Dr Hauschka Almond Body Moisturiser

 RRP: £24 for 145ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Ultra-rich care that gently nurtures the senses. Provides intensive, nurturing care for dry, sensitive skin, helps your skin prevent moisture-loss throughout the day, and helps your skin restore and harmonise its natural balance."

--Packaging--
A glass pump-action bottle that would look elegant anywhere. Sadly, no smaller sizes are available for travel.

--Application--
Massage into dry skin, ideally before bed or before getting dressed in the morning.

--Appearance--
A pale, cream-coloured lotion that sinks invisibly into the skin.

--Scent--
The almond scent is obvious as soon as the lotion comes out of the bottle - you don't even need to rub it in for the scent to be activated. Basically makes you smell like cake, which is always a winner.

--Texture and consistency--
Wonderfully creamy and luxurious. Not at all sticky or watery. Takes a bit of time to sink into the skin, however.

--Effects on the skin--
Skin is left beautifully soft both short and long-term, meaning that you wouldn't even need to use this daily to keep up the effects.

--Value for money--
As noted in other Dr Hauschka reviews, you don't get the best value by buying this in the UK - especially given my estimate that 25ml of this stuff will only moisturise your body twice at most (meaning that 145ml will only do 12 applications, tops). In Germany, this is priced at €17, so a much more competitive £14 in today's money, and even in France, with its RRP of nearly €22, you'll save a good £6. Definitely take the opportunity to buy this when in mainland Europe - it's a luxurious yet practical product that ticks all the boxes.

perfect partners
Almond St John's Wort Body Oil, £20
Almond Soothing Body Wash, £13
Almond Soothing Bath Essence, from £3
Moisturising Mask, £38
Almond Desires Gift Set (contains the almond body moisturiser and a soothing body wash sample), £24 

Johnson's Baby Oil

RRP: from £1.30/100ml

--What does the promo say?--

"Locks in moisture for baby soft skin. It's a silky soft moisturizer for silky soft skin. JOHNSON'S^® Baby Oil locks in up to ten times more moisture on wet skin than an ordinary lotion can on dry skin, leaving your baby's skin soft and smooth. This gentle oil is also easy to spread, so it's ideal for baby massage.

For baby:

• Moisturizes baby's delicate skin and helps protect from dryness
• Pure mineral oil forms a silky barrier to help prevent excess moisture loss
• Great for baby massage and parent-baby bonding
• Clinically proven mild and gentle formula
• Dermatologist and allergy-tested
• Great for your skin, too!

For you:

• Locks in up to ten times more moisture on wet skin than an ordinary lotion can on dry skin
• Use to soothe and relieve dry, rough patches
• Leaves skin glowing and baby soft
• Clinically proven mild."

--Packaging--

 The clear bottle combined with pink and blue colourings makes it easy to see how much is left and gives as unisex an approach as is possible (although a gender-neutral colour, such as yellow or white, would be even better). However, Johnson's run into problems when trying to promote this product as a product for adults due to the safety cap (tricky to get off when you're supposed to be applying it to wet skin right after a shower or bath!). In this case, a pump-action lid would be better.

 

--Usage instructions--

Johnson's advise massaging the oil all over the body for baby soft skin - ideally into wet skin for even greater amounts of moisture to be locked in. This is not problematic aside from the packaging issue mentioned above.

--Appearance--

A clear, quite runny oil which leaves no visible residue on the skin.

--Scent--

A powdery scent which is not unpleasant. The problem is that Johnson's Baby Oil is so ubiquitous that the scent is almost universally associated with babies! If the company is trying to target the product at women, they should perhaps consider adding a line of the same products with different scents - for example, a fresher or woodier scent - or indeed even a totally scentless range. However, saying this, the initial scent certainly doesn't linger, so wouldn't interfere with any perfume you may be wearing.

--Texture and consistency--

As mentioned, this oil is quite fluid, and sinks quite easily into the skin. It's not at all greasy, and its fast-acting mechanism means it's good for working women on the go.

--Effects on the skin--

Definitely locks in moisture for longer, with silker skin being noticed for days after just one application. Also makes a noticeable difference to distinctly dry or flaky skin, especially after sun exposure, and is as good for younger skin as it is for more mature skin. Truly a product for the whole family!

--Value for money--

A little of this product goes a long way, making it excellent value. However, a different dispensing mechanism would not only make it easier to use but also make it even better value, as it would reduce any wastage that may occur. The product also works well, completing the Holy Trinity of price, quality, and longevity. We'd even go as far as to say that if you used it on a regular basis (not even necessarily every day) you'd probably never get dry skin, ever. A great product to incorporate into every woman's bodycare routine.

perfect partners

24 Hour Body Lotion with Vitamin E, £3.05 

24 Hour Moisture Radiance Body Lotion with Shea & Cocoa Butters, £3.05

Baby Bedtime Oil, £2.80

Baby Softwash Extra Care, £3.35

Baby Lotion, £2.50

Skin Perfecting Oil Spray for Stretch Marks, from £9.99

Baby Soothing Naturals Nourishing Lotion, £3.35

24 Hour Moisture Hand Cream, £2.09

Moisture 2 in 1 Body Wash, £2.09

Baby Aloe Vera Oil, £3.35

Betty Hula Body Moisturisers

RRP: £14.99/120ml

--What does the promo say?--

"Here at Betty Hula we believe in honest, natural beauty. All of our products have been handmade using traditional techniques and the finest quality, fairly traded natural ingredients. This stylish range is laced with a selection of delicious and exotic Hawaiian inspired scents to stimulate your senses as your body is pampered. Traditional values with a contemporary twist. Delicately applied every day your skins youthfulness will be brought to life. Good for relieving signs of stretch marks, scarring, dry/sensitive skin, combination skin, oily skin and for soothing sun burn."

--Packaging--

The Hawaiian theme of this brand is pretty, cheeky, feminine and exotic, as well as being very different to other brands currently on the market. But don't mistake this for some wishy-washy brand: the pots' bold colours also pack a punch (orange for Champagne & Spice, green for Kiwi & Lime, and pink for Rum & Blackcurrant). The sample sizes I was sent didn't feature these, but the screw-top lids look secure and durable.

--Application--

The Betty Hula website advises "[applying] delicately to your body after a shower or bath or as part of your nightly routine." This is not only easy enough to do but the strong scent also relaxes you in time for bed, too.

--Scent--

And speaking of which, the scents of these body butters are not only distinctive and authentic but true-to-life too: what you see on the packaging is definitely what you get, with the Champagne & Spice being my clear favourite as well as the variant that strikes me as being the most unusual. The least true-to-life is possibly the Rum & Blackcurrant scent, with the rum not coming through as clearly as I had thought it would. It's also unclear where the scents come from; given Betty Hula's philosophy, I'd like to hope these come from natural sources such as essential oils, but this is only going to go so far (when's the last time you walked into a hippy store and found a rum essential oil on the shelf?) and so it would be nice to have the origins of the different scents made more transparent to go with the basic composition of the body moisturiser (which, FYI, is made up of shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E).

--Appearance--

All of the moisturisers are an off-white colour, which sinks invisibly into the skin.

--Texture and consistency--

Not at all greasy or slippery; thick and luxurious while still absorbing quickly and well.

--Effects on the skin--

Keeps skin soft and smooth; I haven't had a beautician complain about my dry body skin for months, which is something I used to hear quite frequently. Would definitely consider this as a long-term maintenance product for between waxes for use around the legs and arms, as well as on the bust and stomach as a luxury product.

--Value for money--

We are really in luxury territory here with this being more expensive than any body butter you will buy on the high street for the same ml. However, to my mind it really is the perfect product, combining effective body improvement with the feeling of a luxury at-home spa experience. Would definitely have that Champagne & Spice smell filling my bedroom any day of the week.

perfect partner

Betty Hula 'The Secret' Anti-Ageing Oil, £15.99/50ml

Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion

RRP: £25 for 16 fl.oz

--What does the promo say?--
"Philosophy's Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion (473.1g) is a brilliant, body-firming moisturiser! The perfumed, polyphenolic emulsion is a multi-tasking moisturiser that revitalises dry, aged or wrinkled skin with a unique blend of antioxidant vitamins E and C, shea butter, macadamia nuts and olive oils."

--Packaging--
Much like the matching shower gel, it comes in a rounded, hard plastic bottle with a black flip-top cap (though the picture shows a pump-action bottle, so I'm going to assume it's still available in both types of bottle). Nothing difficult about this.

--Application--
Apply liberally to arms, legs, breasts, and stomach...basically anywhere apart from your face that needs it. Rub in to leave a light sheen on skin and leave to sink in.

--Scent--
Slightly cottony; reminiscent of freshly laundered bedsheets. A perfectly acceptable, neutral and pleasant scent that won't interfere with perfume. However, this product presented the same problem that I've had with other Philosophy products: there is no indication anywhere on the packaging of what the scent actually is. Even the ingredients list just says 'fragrance'. Now, don't get me wrong, while the scent does arguably embody the essence of 'grace', that doesn't mean that I don't want to know what the scent actually is. In fact, it concerns me: if Philosophy were using natural scents in their products, surely they would want to say? If this really does contain shea butter, nut oils etc, I'm surprised that they don't want to make more of it on the bottle, rather than just giving it a passing mention in the promotional material.

--Appearance--
A white, smooth lotion.

--Texture/consistency--
Basically perfect: not too runny or thick, definitely not sticky, and seems to sink into the skin quickly.

--How does your skin feel afterwards?--
Pretty smooth, so on the surface of it, it appears to do a good job. However...

--Long-term effects on the skin--
...it apparently doesn't actually work. I've been moisturising my entire body with this stuff for a couple of weeks now and had been thinking that it was doing a fairly good job. But then today I went to have my legs waxed, and the beautician asked me if I used a body lotion on my legs. I said yes, thinking she was going to say that she could tell because my skin was soft, or something. However, she said quite the opposite - that my skin was dry! Great! So at least one skin professional thinks that this stuff does not work...

--Value for money--
Given the above, and given the price of this, I would definitely not buy this again. It's nice enough, but not worth the price tag, and for something that is artificially fragranced (come on, there's really no need for it), doesn't contain an SPF AND apparently doesn't work, I'll be avoiding like the plague. Go for a Lush, Body Shop or Liz Earle body moisturiser instead.

perfect partners
Amazing Grace Shampoo, Bath and Shower Gel, £17.50
Grace Fragrance, £29
Amazing Grace Eau de Parfum, £38
Pure Grace Hot Salt Scrub, £19.50
Pure Grace Shower Cream, £17.50

Jergens Skin Firming Body Moisturiser

RRP: £2.44
also available in Skin Hydrating, Age Defying, and Extra Softening versions

--What does the promo say?--
"Made with 96% natural ingredients, this highly effective formula visibly moisturises and firms cellulite prone skin in just one use. Key natural ingredients are pomegranate (source of powerful antioxidants, known to savage free radicals, which reduce skin elasticity), aloe (for moisturising, cooling and firming) and white tea (anti-inflammatory; contains anti-oxidants). Other ingredients are jojoba seeds, soy beans, cotton seeds, sunflower, palm kernels, grape seeds, green tea leaves, greater celandine, and dog rose."

--About the brand--
"Since 1901, Jergens® body moisturisers have been the smart choice for those who want soft, smooth and beautiful skin. As America’s best-selling bodycare range – beloved of Hollywood stars and top make-up artists for over a century – Jergens® skincare experts have now created and brought to the UK a range of highly effective natural moisturisers. All our products are formulated from the finest plant-derived extracts, delivering effective body moisturisers for women of all ages, and for a variety of skin types. Jergens® Naturals™ products work with your skin’s natural processes to provide instant body hydration. They’re 95% natural and 100% effective - no compromise. The experts behind the Jergens® brand passion for the environment runs as deep as the hydrating action of its body moisturisers, with all of the products made in the UK, keeping carbon miles low, not tested on animals and paraben free. Say goodbye to synthetic moisturiser, and hello to naturally healthy skin."

--Packaging--
A lovely, graceful-looking plastic tube that stands freely on its lid. A sort of yeasty colour, it's decorated with a willowy leaf pattern, with the 96% natural ingredients claim, product name and brand name made clear and kept simple. The tube is generously-sized and seems to close securely.

--Application--
Apply liberally to thighs, bottom, and anywhere else where you'd like to target the appearance of cellulite.

--Scent--
The pomegranate does come through, but it doesn't seem as fruity as other products containing it that I've used recently (e.g. from Lloydspharmacy). Perhaps other products have had the smell enhanced artificially; perhaps in this product the scent is tempered by the inclusion of the other, also rather fragrant, ingredients. Who knows? Somewhat bizarrely, though not unpleasantly, I was also reminded of the smell of baking bread while using this product.

--Appearance--
A perfectly smooth off-white lotion. No visible residue is left on the skin.

--Texture/consistency--
A little runny perhaps, in that it slides down your fingers a little when initially squeezed from the tube, but it doesn't squirt excessively from the tube, leading to wastage, and nor is it greasy or slow to absorb.

--How does your skin feel afterwards?--
Adequately smooth and moisturised. It also seems to have the added bonus of calming my legs, acting as preventative care from the weird itchy/prickly heat I seem to experience as summer approaches.

--Does it fulfil its promise?--
This product promises to reduce the appearance of cellulite, and it definitely does this - I don't know that I'd subscribe to the theory of it doing this in one or two uses, but I certainly noticed a difference within a week. Skin feels firmer and cellulite appears reduced. SCORE.

--Value for money--
Just excellent. Why would you buy Clarins', L'Oreal's, or any other company's overpriced anti-cellulite treatment when you can have this? Jergens don't use parabens in their products, they don't test on animals, and they keep their prices honest. An ethical bargain. All they need now is to release hand creams, facial moisturiser and cocoa butter body lotion for stretch marks, and they'd be completely set.

To celebrate the launch of Jergens®, America’s best selling body care band, Ruby Hammer, International make-up artist and Jergens® Naturals™ fans will be marching for natural beauty.
The lively march will start at Carnaby Street and end In Leicester Square. The team will be campaigning to highlight the importance of caring for your skin naturally – come down and witness this event first hand. There will be a few surprises in store!
Mannequins of all descriptions will be joining in the march, and the mannequins say it all - our skin is not synthetic so why use a moisturiser that is?
Where:
Starting at the bottom of Carnaby Street (12.00), walking up towards Argyll Street, onto Regent Street and finally finishing at Leicester Square
When:
Tuesday 26th May 2009, 12.00pm