3 Pampering Body Care Essentials for Late-Winter

   
     Welcome back!  Well everyone, we have reached the time of year where the inconsistent weather patterns and climates can really begin to wreak havoc on our skin and affect it in many ways, whether it's a cold and dry climate or hot and damp - skin changes along with the weather. That's why it's essential to take care of your skin and keep it well-hydrated and exfoliated, especially during the cold-weather months! Here I will showcase a few products that can battle the winter and keep dry, parched skin at bay, replacing it with soft, radiant, and nourished skin!

     My body skin type is bone-dry with small (albeit quite rough and gnarly-looking) patches of keratosis pilaris (i.e. chicken skin - yes, such a lovely name 😏) on both of my forearms and just above my knees. I need all the exfoliation and hydration I can get, and these are body care pampering items that have really been doing wonders to butter up, exfoliate, polish, and hydrate my skin throughout the day. Bonus that all of these products have fantastic scents that actually linger on the skin!

1. Tree Hut Moroccan Rose Shea Sugar Scrub

     Ah, yes. Post-rinse, this $8 scrub leaves my skin with the most amazing texture: my skin always feels silky, moisturized and polished after use of this. Made in the U.S, Tree Hut always puts out fine quality, affordable body care. Moroccan Rose is a sugar-based scrub that has an oil component mixed into the consistency that makes it quite a moisturizing exfoliator that isn't too abrasive - so, after the granules are sloughed away, what remains is a divine moisturized sheen on the skin from the many essential oils this has: argan oil, rose hip seed oil, and avocado oil, just to name a few. 

Scent     

     From the looks of the ingredients, this scrub contains no form of aldehydes, which is an ingredient found in a lot of floral fragrances. The scent is freaking magical: it's soft, yet so vibrant. Candied rose petals, not too sweet, with a hint of warmth and creaminess (from the shea butter) and kissed by sunshine - the rose notes aren't heady, green and loud like, say, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Rose perfume (which I love, but it can be a bit too much sometimes). I notice the scent of this scrub lingering on my skin for upwards of 2 hours after I get out of the shower. 'Tis paraben-free too! You get the best deal on these if you find them at a BOGO deal at Ulta.

2. The Body Shop Smoky Poppy Body Massage Oil

Le sigh. I was all about the limited edition Smoky Poppy collection when it was first released in 2015. I think the Massage Oil and the Body Butter were the last things I purchased from my Body Shop store before the one near me closed its doors permanently. This bottle of Smoky Poppy Massage Oil is a repurchase - I found this bottle at Marshall's for a mere 3 bucks a while back, but couldn't find the Body Butter. I polished off my first bottle of this oil while mixing it with my Smoky Poppy Body Butter for added moisture, a tub of which I have long since used up completely. I had gotten many a compliment while wearing this scent, so I just knew I had to seek it out again.

Scent     

The scent is rather unique, and very much unisex. It's sultry and spicy at the onset, with a hint of floral, and the note of Turkish poppy is evident on the skin as the oil settles into the skin after 10 minutes or so. I get a hint of smokiness to the scent (nothing that smells burnt or ashy or anything of that unpleasant nature). I focus this oil on my feet, elbows, knees and neck, just areas that need some help. I apply it onto the neck for the sole purpose of scent. 😃

Additional Thoughts

    Even though this is limited edition, there are other highly-rated Beautifying Oils in The Body Shop's range that can give a similar performance! I have so much respect to Jeremy Schwartz reclaiming The Body Shop's environmentally conscious and ethical stance, and no longer wanting to be backed into a corner by L'Oreal and putting up with their antiquated animal-testing corporation b.s. - I really need to stop supporting L'Oreal and discontinue buying their products. My L'Oreal purchases have dwindled down significantly over the years, but it needs to be at zero. Greed and elementary-level bully tactics isn't pretty, nor is it professional, and I no longer want to keep supporting a company that uses those tactics.

3. Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion

     Philosophy is a brand that advocates alternative methods to animal testing, and I've loved their Amazing Grace fragrance for years. Call me a simpleton, I don't care - so be it. 😁 In essence, I just apply this Firming Body Emulsion to moisturize areas and pulse points where I will be layering the AG Eau de Toilette over it. Since it's such a light, clean fragrance, I apply both a bit generously.

Scent

Amazing Grace is just clean, freshly washed linen with a hint of green, but I find this emulsion's drydown scent reads a bit like sunscreen, unlike the EDT, which smells nothing like sunscreen. The lasting power of the scent of the Body Emulsion actually outlives the lasting power of the eau de toilette, clocking in at around 4 hours max before I find that the scent has faded significantly. 

Additional Thoughts

     I don't have any clue as to whether or not this actually firms the skin and adds elasticity, and the consistency is a bit thin and watery. It looks just slightly greasy on the skin for the first couple minutes, then it settles into the skin, and my skin feels ultra-soft and smooth, even the areas with keratosis pilaris. 

What are your favorite winter body care essentials? Let me know in the comments, and thank you for taking the time to read this, everyone! Have a beautiful day. 

💋 xoxo-Cailee

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