Energise If You're A Fly... (Imperial Leather Energising Shower Gel)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	Imperial Leather Energising Shower Gel
Date:	19/04/09 (200 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap shower gel / shampoo combo from an established name. Soap free, Cheap price.

Disadvantages: Doesn't lather, awful scent, leaves hair feeling itchy.

Imperial Leather soap and hand wash are two products which I have tried in the past and since walking around a local supermarket Imperial Leather's own shower gel caught my eye at just £1 for a 250ml tube. The trouble with Imperial Leather is that as a brand they keep bringing out old versions and putting them into new bottles hoping the consumer won't notice. Out of the ten on offer at my local supermarket for example its often difficult to find which one is the best. There is quite an extensive range of shower gel products from this company that as a result there are new and old bottles of the same formula on the shelf.


One of the aspects which attracted me to this type of shower gel from Imperial Leather is the fact that it claims to be a shampoo and shower gel in one. Tie in the fact that it displays in white lettering on the blue plastic bottle, "Energising," on a line of waves and you'd think I'd have chosen the product purely for the claim. Well top marks if you thought so, because I thought I could find something just as good as the alternative shower gel I stumbled across which really awakens me, and at the time of purchase thought that this product could be the same type.


For a start there are a lot of claims of this product that Imperial Leather go to the bother of putting on the back of the bottle. It promises to get your senses going with a blend of ginseng "...known to improve energy and vitality and Guarana, a natural stimulant, combined with a rich, creamy lather for an energising shower experience..."


Is it hypoallergenic? Is it suitable for all skin types? Well apparently it is according to the bottle being soap free and pH skin friendly. The problem is its actual scent. I've never actually smelt Ginseng before having drunk it in a Chinese wine preparation and decided I would never touch it again because it was quite bitter and Asian type Ginseng doesn't actually have a smell anyway. Guarana on the other hand has a dark ash type smell so if this product does contain these ingredients what should you expect?


First of all -and here's where I take issue - if a so called shower gel is supposed to have Ginseng in it, how is it supposed to stimulate skin when you have to take the stuff internally? Its not a wonder drug that is usually associated with body creams and potions - although Ginseng products (Molton Brown do offer one which has a mix of other herbs) do not usually appear by their own content - without additional mixtures of other herbs and oils mixed in to heighten effect.


The scent has really put me off. When I tried it in the shop I discovered that it had a nice understated sporty scent to it, not unlike other Imperial Leather products but when I got it home and used it in the shower, particularly the next morning I got a shock on the waves of the scent within the under body of its tones. Brace yourself people!! Floret fly spray is probably the closest which brings me to describe the association of the scent and its not one I want to douse my body in, no thank you! At best the scent is fresh - to begin with - but it doesn't last very long and the overall tone of the scent left in the shower/bathroom smelt of mixed flowers and fly spray.


So for its shampoo effect, I found it doesn't tangle my hair but having dry hair generally and what's left of it, the shampoo side of this shower gel gave me below average results. At the end of same-day washing, my hair felt a little scratchy and most parts of my hair had returned to its natural dry state. So for me it didn't work!


And it doesn't get any better here. Sadly there are no moisturising properties to be had from this shower gel, even if the waters in the west coast of Scotland are generally softer. Imperial Leather claim that this shower gel lathers up - but not without the use of one of those fangled net sponges - which to be honest with most shower gels, the net fabric usually allows any kind of shower gel to lather up. On its own, putting the shower gel into your hand and merely sliding it all over you body will not produce much of a "creamy" lather. Creamy lather to me should evoke some degree of richness, not weak foam!


So does this product energise? Not really. It woke me up for a brief millisecond before I realised it may well have been the fly killer scent that woke me up rather than the supposed contents - and if it is not supposed to revive, then what does the word, Energise really mean? Imperial Leather has good products generally but in my mind this isn't one of them and for £1 there are better products out there. Thanks for reading. Original review ©Nar07. Review updated ©Nar2 2009

Summary: Can you imagine smelling like fly spray?