I had very high hopes and expectations for this glossy, luxurious, and very beautiful looking shower wash. Its rich red colour with pearlescent sheen made it immediately stand out on the shelf. The word 'sublime' emblazoned across the front of the bottle and the promise of a 'richly moisturising' gel and a 'truly pampering experience' had me sold immediately - the 99p it would cost me for 250ml was a happy bonus. The star flower and jojoba oil promises wonderful moisture for the skin and the pomegranate promises to restore and keep skin smooth. Along with these lovely effects of this so called 'sublime' wash was the beautiful scent I could smell from the top of the bottle- I could imagine myself being surrounded by the beautiful smells in my shower, closing my eyes, and drifting off into relaxation.

Boy was I wrong!

I could not have been much more disappointed when I used this. There is nothing special about it to my senses. It is just a bog standard wash, and I have used many more that surpass this by a long shot. It is described as a cream, but I find it very hard to call it this. It is a basic gel! Nothing more. The scent of the gel is so faint once out of the bottle that, to be honest, the first time I used it I did not notice it. I noticed it more other times when used in the bath, but even then, it was negligible. As for any hope of the scent remaining on the skin - don't count on it. This is hugely disappointing considering the strength and beauty of the scent when you pop the lid.
It is a fairly thick gel, and the pearlescent look of it is truly very pretty. But, in my mind this is not enough to create a pampering experience as claimed. It does foam up well on my bath puff, and it did clean me thoroughly, but this is all it did. I did not notice any evidence of moisturising. I got my hopes up to begin with as the lather did feel very soft on my skin, but no. Once dried off with a towel my skin did not feel happy. If anything, it felt a little drier than before!

The bottle itself is very attractive, and Imperial Leather has clearly gone out of their way to make the gel appear to be very luxurious. It is a shame so much time was not spent on the wash itself actually performing in this way! The bottle is the usual curved Imperial Leather shape (which allows a good grip even with wet hands) and is clear so the beautiful colours can show through. There is floral detailing around the logo, and then in simple font the empty promises of 'sublime' and 'richly moisturising'. The lid is functional and of good quality - easy to flip open and dispense the gel. Easy to fasten again securely, and to date, prevent any leaks. You do have to shake a little to get the remaining dregs out though as the bottle cannot be upended - the lid is wavy and cannot support the bottle upside down.

So all in all, a big let-down from Imperial Leather. A beautiful looking product, with big promises, and low performance. How this can be described as a 'sublime' and 'richly moisturising' wash I will never know. It has only redeemed itself in the fact that 1) it is functional in that I am clean; 2) It foams well and; 3) the bottle design and appearance of the gel are both lovely. Other than that? Well, let's just say I am glad I only paid 99p!

2 stars are being very generous for a big bottle of disappointment.