Right now I love body oil, want to know why?
Well, it’s nearly summer; a fact that I’m absolutely delighted about…except for one thing. For some reason, over the last few months I’ve developed incredibly dry skin – which isn’t ideal when I want to bare my legs and wear tiny shorts and dresses.
The good news is, I’m a self-diagnosed beauty junkie and I must say that when it comes to skincare I have my beauty regime pretty much nailed. I enjoy nothing more than a night in, hidden behind a face mask, slathering myself in half a tub of body moisturiser, all whilst watching horrific, disturbing crime documentaries on Netflix. I mean, who doesn’t..?
This tends to keep the flake at bay and normally, due to the sheer amount of moisturiser that I get through, I do tend to stick to cheaper drugstore moisturisers for fear of having to file bankruptcy for ‘cocoa butter’ reasons. Lately however, I’ve found longer lasting results with body oil, and it’s nice to switch up to something a little more indulgent by trying some of the higher-end brands.
Enter: the magical species of luxury body oils.
These beauties tend to be the cream of the brand’s crop when it comes to both fragrance and ingredients, with high quality essential oils and a good stable base oil to lock in moisture. Below are three of my favourites on the market just now; the pros, cons – and, more importantly – what they smell like…
Caudalie Thé des Vignes Body and Hair Nourishing Oil, £18
Smells Like:
- Grapes, neroli and musk
Pros:
- It’s a dry oil, so it absorbs quickly and can be used to add a glow to the skin before going out.
- It’s relatively cheap for a luxury body oil so you can pretend it’s a bargain and buy something else as well
- It comes in spray format, which means no annoying bottle tops to fiddle around with and inevitably lose, nor accidentally pouring way too much into the palm of your hand and spilling it, causing a hissy fit, spousal argument and/or new carpet.
Cons:
- It’s a pretty small bottle for the money. I tested each product for three weeks and this one was almost gone by the end.
- Although it states that it can be used on the hair, I discovered that it much too greasy for my fine locks.
Score: 3/5
Tom Ford Soliel Blanc Shimmering Body Oil, £72
Smells Like:
- Monaco on a summers day. I presume…
- Amber and florals
Pros:
- It has glitter in it. Need I say more?
- Again this is a dry oil, so it absorbs nicely and this one in particular leaves a gorgeous silky, sultry sheen on the skin.
- It’s very heavily scented and so it doubled up as a luxurious perfume.
Cons:
- It’s £72 for 100ml
- Probably the least moisturising of the three, but I suspect it was designed more to be used in addition to a body moisturiser.
- Sadly, it does not magically transport you to Monaco.
Score: 3.5/5
Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil, £38.50
Smells Like:
- Frangipani Monoi. No, I wouldnt have a clue what that was either – but it is a truly unique, sensuous and suprisingly bold scent that I just can’t get enough of.
Pros:
- It comes in solid form, so you have to warm it up on a heater or in hot water first to liquify it, making for a really luxurious pampering experience.
- It can be used in the hair and on the nails too.
- This is a coconut oil based product and so it is incredibly moisturising, reducing the need for other products.
- It smells like nothing on earth and makes you feel like a lotus-eating goddess.
- It’s half the price of the Tom Ford oil
Cons:
- The solid form isn’t ideal if you’re in a rush, as you need to wait a good 5-10 minutes to melt it.
- The smell may leave you in a trance-like state, garnering stares of confusion and disapproval from friends, colleagues and the general public.
Score: 5/5
I’m on my second bottle of the Elemis body oil now and I think it’s here to stay in my beauty regime. However, there are hundreds of luxury oils on the market to try so why not get involved and consider adding one into your self-care routine? Go on, you deserve it…
Love,
