I have always used shower puffs or shower 'lilies', as they are sometimes called, rather than sponges. Shower puffs are much easier to rinse through after use so you don't end up with a gunge filled centre as you might do with a soft sponge. I also think it's easier to get your soap and shower gel products to lather on a shower puff. Shower puffs also feel wonderful on the skin, giving you a gentle exfoliation every time you use them. Until recently I thought all shower puffs were basically the same and so usually opted for buying the cheapest in store. Then I noticed my latest cheap one was ripping into bits and had thick porous rope hanger at it's core that smelled a bit horrible after a few uses. I got this Soap and Glory shower puff with a giftset at Christmas but you can also buy the puff indiviudally at the pricely sum of £3.57 ( from Boots).

The Soap and Glory Shower Puff is designed to compliment the other products in the brand's range so it is coloured a pale girly pink and has a cream coloured ribbon attached which you can use to hang the puff up to dry after use. You can also use the ribbon to attach the puff to your wrist when you are showering so you don't drop the puff. The ribbon has a loop that measures 5 inches and my hand fits through very easily. The silky ribbon is also embossed with the Soap and Glory logo and it looks very pretty.

The puff is the largest I've ever seen and used. It measures approximately 7 inches wide and from the ribbon tag to it's bottom length is about 6 inches deep. The puff is comprised of a plastic mesh material which looks like a honeycomb pattern. The material is then folded in on itself to create a big ruffle or rosette style flower. If you dig deep into the material you can find a thick rope at the core of the puff which holds all of the folds together.

I first used this puff with Soap and Glory body wash and found out immediately that the puff was rather difficult to use. The problem is due to the puff's gigantic size. If you apply any brand of body wash or gel to the puff the amount of liquid you apply is never enough to get enough bubbles on the exterior of the puff. The bubbles sink into the core of the puff and vanish, meaning you either have to apply a ton of gel or make do with a very weak foam.

Another problem with the puff is that it is totally inflexible. The material is compacted so much that it is as hard as a loofer and when you try and rub your skin it is like trying to wash with a bowling ball. It is awkward to try and reach certain areas on my body, like my back, as the puff's size makes it difficult to move around. I need to really grip this shower puff to keep a good hold of it but my hand isn't big enough to hold the thing! When I'm holding it the shower puff is double the size of my hand with some material spilling out of my fingers.

One good thing about the puff is that it's density means it feels a bit rougher on the skin than other puffs might do. It therefore has a dramatic exfoliating effect. I find that it feels nice to use this puff on my feet, knees and lower legs. However, on softer skin like arms, stomache and chest area the puff just feels too hard and uncomfortable to use. It makes my skin there feel too tender.

I have gotten so frustrated with this puff that I recently took a pair of scizzors to it to try and reduce it's size but after having removed what seemed like miles of material it is still too large to handle and it still is too big to allow any soap product to lather into a decent amount of foam. I have therefore just bought another shower puff from the Bodyshop which is half the size and whose plastic material feels a lot softer and I will be putting my Soap and Glory puff aside for use when I need special exfoliating attention on any dry skin areas.

I would not recommend buying this if you are a regular user of shower puffs as you will just end up cursing in the shower when you try to use this! If you are looking for a branded shower puff for yourself or to give as a gift I'd recommend the Bodyshop over Soap and Glory.

The Soap and Glory range is showcased on their website at:

http://www.soapandglory.com/