I received this as a gift back in the summer as part of a Botanics, Kew Garden approved set, as the plant extracts in this body polish and the rest of the gift set components are authenticated by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. This gives it a nice little point of different, and immediately makes it feel like a lovely natural product!

PACKAGING / PRODUCT
The package has the usual, natural colours of the botanics range. The label is green and white, the product a pale minty/pea green. As is most usual with body scrubs/shower and bath products, this comes in a large plastic squeezy tube, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom where the product is dispensed. It's really in keeping with the nature-lover/gardener/Kew Gardens theme which makes it a great gift for those that way inclined too!

The product is a good consistency, not runny or too thick. The exfoliating grains are quite substantial, rather than the fine beads that you get in some body polishes. The scent is where it really excels - the label lists crushed apricot seeds and Centella as the extracts but the scent to me was more leaves, grass and fresh green things. Absolutely delicious but not too sweet.

APPLICATION / PRODUCT USE

The product is applied as usual - for use in the shower or bath in place or alongside a shower gel. Whilst the scent of the scrub is wonderful, the use wasn't quite as satisfying. I realise that body scrubs aren't designed or able to work up a lather like your average shower gel, but this one did feel a bit lacklustre.
I tended to apply with hands or with shower golves or a sponge, but whenever I used with gloves or a sponge the product tended to get lost - it doesn't work up a later and isn't quite substantial or astringent enough for you to feel the affects without one.


THE PROMISE VS RESULTS
Provenance/contents-wise the promise of active plant extracts is vouched for and verified by Kew - a tough one to argue with.

The label also promises soft and radiant skin. However the product did not feel quite effective enough on application for that to ring true to me. The gritty element of the scrub provided by the apricot seed was not quite harsh enough for me to feel truly exfoliated/polished after use. As a shower gel with added friction I loved it, but it didn't feel quite up to the job as a polish.

I suppose the main promise is in the name - but I wouldn't go so far as to say the experience is enlivening - though the smell certainly is.


VALUE
My body polish came in a 75ml tube as part of a gift set, but this product is available singly, full size. Priced at £3.83 for 200ml on the Boots website this is good value, but perhaps a false economy as I found myself applying quite a large amount on each use to get a satisfying result.