A Product which glosses over the truth (Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Body Gloss)

Member Name: Rose Pink

Product:	Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Body Gloss
Date:	18/12/07 (416 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can yield good results with work

Disadvantages: Difficult to apply, strange scent and appearance, poor results, doesn't fulfil promises on label

First Impressions

Now I am a huge fan Palmer's regular cocoa butter body lotion. I found that the scent, texture and results were fantastic. Therefore when I discovered this body gloss sitting on the shelf slap bang next to my usual product, it seemed buying it was a natural transition. My first impression of it was one of trust. Since I adored the body lotion I was ale to sub-consciously transfer my faith to this one as well. This was no doubt heightened by the similarities in packaging with the traditional and prestigious looking Palmer's emblem proudly displayed. In general the packaging is aesthetically pleasing. It is a tube form as opposed to a bottle and this gives a modern air, making me at least think that the product was a bit high-tech and I conveniently forgot what a pain it is tto allow the last of the toothpaste in the tube to reach fresh air. The swirl of stars is incredibly pretty and it really does get you enthused by the gloss, you get all of these mental images of sparkle and glitter etc. The product is described as being:' Enriched with vitamin E, in a soothing emollient base. Heals and softens rough, dry skin. Smoothes marks. Tones skin. An excellent all over the body moisturizer and after tanning butter. Ideal for hands, elbows and knees.' The presence of a vitamin E which is regarded as being God-like for skin healing and renewal. In addition a promise to tone, heal, intensively moisturise and smooth scars gave me the impression that skin would look fantastic I was therefore highly excited to find this and bought it with much enthusiasm.

Appearance

I used the body gloss alone as a substitute for my normal lotion. Now I have been used to the regular Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion which is a translucent yellowy colour. Consequently I was a bit shocked when I squeezed the tube to reveal a silvery white iridescent gloop that was actually quite opaque. I was applying it in summer to tanned skin and I was therefore a bit worried that the paleness of the lotion might undermine all of my tanning efforts but reassured by the packaging's claim of an excellent after-tanning butter I gave it a chance nonetheless.

Scent

Another big let-down was the scent of the lotion. Instead of smelling rich and chocolately as I expected it smelt quite synthetic and only very faintly of chocolate. The smell isn't particularly unpleasant but neither is it a desirable thing to have scenting your skin.
Application and Results

The consistency of the lotion is thick and viscous and it is fairly difficult to apply the product evenly. An excess of product accumulates in one area, whilst leaving other areas bare. This leaves an overall streaky appearance which is as painful to look at as the process of application. It is also not readily absorbed by the skin and rather just sits on the surface. This does mean that a little product goes a long way but it is time-consuming to rub in and will never be able to quench dry skin. On using the product alone I was disappointed to not be left with a deep glow but instead, as I feared, pale and a little bit ghostly. The sparkle inside the lotion does make you glow but not in the healthy, look-at me I have spend my life exercising in the fresh air before having a body-wrap, sort of way but instead in an ethereal manner which would be great for fancy dress but doesn't really translate into real life. The case is none the clearer than on the hands which according to promises should be fine refuse to absorb the gloss and get coated to the extent that it appears silver gloves are being worn. However the product is not a complete loss. I have found that mixing half the tube with three quarters of a tube of regular lotion creates a wonderful body lotion with a subtle, natural looking shimmer. However this is a pretty pricy option and quite fiddly to do.

Value for Money

A tube of gloss costs about £4.19 from Superdrug and is about the same price in Boots. However it is worth watching out for offers, especially in Superdrug where they tend to knock off a pound for fun every so often. However even on offer it is quite pricy with a tube lasting only a month (although it might be longer if half the product didn't hide inside the tube where it will only appear in vast quantities splattered across walls when the tube is twisted ferociously.)

Sum-up

This gloss is a great idea but not the best out there. Although it promises great results, I was left disappointed by these as the reality of the situation was a marathon away from where I expected. Too many compromises are needed before satisfaction can be gained and although mixing of products can yield good results as a consumer I feel I should not really have to make the effort. I would recommend a Lush Glitter-bug any day which is in my opinion far superior. However for the brave and patient people out there it might be worth a shot, but don't get your hopes up.

Summary: A difficult and depressing product to use