Rather than hitting the post-Christmas high street sales and battling with the crowds, I decided to shop until I dropped from the comfort of my home. Armed with several discount codes for various stores I was in my element with my laptop, particularly as a number of the products on The Body Shop's website were already heavily discounted. I purchased a number of items; one of which was their soap free Cranberry Joy Shower Gel with this review discussing my thoughts.

We are provided with 250ml of vivid red shower gel, which is contained within a tall and elegant looking slim transparent plastic bottle with a shiny golden coloured flip top lid. As this product belongs to the festive Cranberry Joy range, the familiar logo of The Body Shop displays tiny white and silvery coloured snowflakes. The bottle offers a very enticing appearance and creates the illusion of warmth and comfort, as does the remainder of the Cranberry Joy range.

On the first few occasions I needed to apply a little pressure whilst flipping the lid open, but this task became easier over time. Whilst this is not an issue for me, particularly as I cannot bear hanging bottles in the shower where they can gather dust, I would advise that there is no hook, so the bottle needs to be stored elsewhere and will neatly sit on its firm circular base.

The shower gel is easily dispensed and offers a good consistency, which I would describe as fairly luxurious when making a comparison with other branded shower gels and as I favour using net body polishers as opposed to sponges, I found that only two small squirts were required for cleansing my entire body. The Body Shop has created the perfect festive shower gel due to the authentic cranberry aroma achieved by using natural extract as opposed to artificial fragrances. The extract is extremely beneficial for the skin due to its antioxidant properties, which are rich in vitamin C.

I always associate the aroma of cranberries with Christmas, which conjures up images of comfort and warmth and as I worked my body polisher over my damp skin, the aroma significantly intensified with the fresh and uplifting scent of cranberries bursting through the sufficient fluffy lather. I generally tend to keep specific fragrances for either morning or evening use, eg fruity scents for waking up and calming scents such as lavender for the evening to assist in promoting relaxation. However, Cranberry Joy is the type of scent that can be used at any part of the day because as well as being refreshing and uplifting, it is also very calming and relaxing.

The gel enabled me to sufficiently cleanse my skin of any dirt and impurities and was effortlessly rinsed away with water without leaving any residue on the surface of my skin. I adored the fact that the gorgeous fragrance delicately lingered on the surface of my skin for a good while afterwards, which is something I favour with showering and bathing products. It was only when I left the bathroom and re-entered that I realised that its delightful aroma had filled the room and it remained evident for an hour or so afterwards.

Whilst some brands of shower gels can be a little drying on the skin, I cannot speak of any problems with using Cranberry Joy, which was no doubt due to the Community Fair Trade honey content that offered its moisturising properties to my skin. However, I always like to follow up my bath or shower by applying a cream or butter to my entire body regardless of the cleansing product that I've used. I am half way through my bottle of shower gel, which I anticipate will last me a good few weeks despite my husband pinching some every now and again!

The only downside with this range is that there are limited products available on The Body Shop website, but unfortunately, this is no longer listed, so I presume it will reappear before Christmas. However, you can still make a brand new purchase from ebay, as quite a few sellers have listed this shower gel; some of which are offering matching products with starting bids at 99p although postage and packing costs will need to be added.

I was fortunate as I made my purchase for just over a pound and if my memory serves me correctly, prior to Christmas, The Body Shop was asking £6 per bottle, which is far too expensive. However, I cannot grumble about the price or remove any stars, but I cannot see me making a purchase from ebay due to the postage and packing charges, so I will have to wait for it to be relisted on The Body Shop's website where I can make use of a further discount voucher as well as the free postage and packing.