| Product: |
Other St Ives Swiss Formula |
| Date: |
22/11/04 (84 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Smells gorgeous, really cheap, leaves skin feeling soft
Disadvantages: smell doesn't last long
St Ives Apricot Exfoliating shower gel has been around now for a few years. With it's naturally derived ingredients including swiss glacial water and swiss botanicals, this handy little gel creates a luxury lather that gently and thoroughly cleanses the skin. Not only that, it's 100% natural exfoliators are used to wash away any impurities which in turn leave healthier and brighter skin.
Developed and dermatologist tested in Sweden, all of St Ives body washes are moisturising and have a luxurious smell that will leave you feeling fresh for hours.
** My opinion ***
I've always seen St Ives Apricot products as being top of the range and really good for the skin. A while back there wasn't a time I could turn the telly on without seeing an advert for one of their products. But the main reason I chose to buy was the smell I'd heard so much about and boy was it worth it!
*** Let's talk about the smell ***
For me the most important thing in a shower gel (apart from the obvious) is it's fragrance. I prefer something a little fruity and something that will linger for hours after I've got out of the shower. So when i saw the St Ives Apricot shower gel I knew it couldn't get much fruitier than that.
When you open the flip-top lid, you are instantly greeted with a pleasant, sweet smell of Apricot. It isn't too strong so it doesn't make you want to throw up which is a plus point, but it isn't too weak either. For me it reminds me of a lolly I once had when I was little. It really does smell like something you could eat (but obviously you can't so don't try!).
Smelling it again, the smell starts off quite powerful (without the throwing up factor) and then it kind of drifts up the nose and down the back of your throat leaving a nice, soft fragrance that really calms the mind. It's very fruity but I can't decide whether it's a girly fragrance or not. I'd say guys could get away with using it, but it is very sweet so bear that in mind.
When washing the smell is there all the time. As I said it relaxes you and it's a really nice, fruity, sensational experience. Definitely 5 stars out of 5 from me!
*** How to Apply ***
You can apply the gel either on a sponge, washcloth or your fingers but don't forget to moisten whatever it is you will be using.
Personally i use my fingers but I read on another review that if you use a sponge it's easier, better and it uses less so after trying a sponge I'd say that is the best thing to apply it with. I haven't picked one up yet though so for now I just use my fingers.
If you do use your fingers you'll find you can't create as much of a lather as you could with a sponge. It quite easily falls through your fingers too so be careful when you are applying it.
So first things first squeeze some of the gel into the palm of your hand (or sponge) and slowly rub it in the desired areas and make as much of a lather as you can.
You will feel the little exfoliating particles working but mostly you should feel the soft, moisturising gel.
Then when you are satisfied simply rinse off and enjoy the nice soft skin it uncovers. Not exactly rocket science but still worth explaining just in case anybody gets confused.
*** Skin Effects ***
As it says on the bottle, this is an exfoliating, moisturising body wash and it is supposed to leave skin feeling soft and new, but does it? Well I've found it does.
You can clearly see the exfoliating particles through the bottle as it is see through. They add a little shimmer to the gel and it actually looks quite pretty. On applying the gel you do feel the hard bits but I don't think they are painful or anything like some exfoliating products can be. I know in the past I've been left with pins and needles in my hands because of rubbing the particles, but this isn't like that at all. It's just strong enough to lift off dead skin cells and to leave skin feeling smooth.
After rinsing it off I found my skin is really soft and it looks shiny and healthy too. I also feel quite clean which is a good thing!
So all in all I'm really pleased with the immediate effects and I love the feel of my skin. So 5 stars out of 5 for it's results.
*** Lastability ***
Now as I said, I like products that create lasting effects. It's all well and good smelling nice and fresh in the shower, but what about when you step out of it? Do you still smell good? Well after using this I'm afraid not.
I am really disappointed with the length of time the smell actually stays around. I cannot smell it after 15 minutes of getting out of the shower. Do I still feel clean? Yes but I'd have loved to have smelt good too.
With it being such a nice, powerful (ish) smell, I'd have expected it to last at least an hour afterwards but not even 15 minutes is pretty bad in my opinion. Obviously the main thing is that it makes you feel clean and fresh but I feel that could be better too. I think the actual effects of the body wash last around 2-3 hours so it isn't too bad but of course it all depends on what you are doing during the day. If you are sitting down all day you won't feel as sweaty and dirty as you would if you were rushing around.
So not pleased with the length of time the smell stays around but apart from that it isn't bad which means this gets 3 stars out of 3 for this section.
*** Price, size and availability ***
I paid 1.99p for this from Wilkinson but I've seen it at Tesco's for the same price too. For that you get 400ml which is a big bottle! They say size isn't everything but with beauty products I like to get more for my money so something big and long lasting is definitely a plus for me! I've been using it every day for a month now and I still have just under half the bottle left and I use quite a bit of it. I use my fingers to apply it but as I mentioned earlier, you can use less wit a sponge and it will last even longer. so 1.99p a month is definitely not a bad thing in my opinion!
5 stars out of 5!
*** All In All ***
Despite my disappointment at the non existent smell after the shower, I am really pleased with this product. It keeps my skin soft and clean and it washes away dead skin cells leaving my skin looking more healthy.
I particularly like how long the product actually lasts and the price is extremely good too.
I will definitely be buying this again but I will still be looking around for better products on the market.
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