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L'Occitane Men L'Occitan Shower Gel
by Nar2
Sometimes there are a few products that have entered my life that prove their worth from the way they perform and are worth being used minimally as a treat rather than a product I'd use every day. The choice of company in the past came down to Molton Brown toiletries for men because some of their scents are really appealing and if you ... have read my reviews, you'll know I'm a fan of MB's Black Pepper body wash. Initially then "L'Occitane L'Occitan" shower hair and body gel was given to me as a Christmas gift from December 2011 and alongside two bottles of different Molton Brown body washes (one of them being my favourite Black Pepper wash) as well as a disappointing Toko Orange shower wash by Molton Brown, "L'Occitan," had a lot to live up to against the Molton Brown products. But rather than prove or compare as I do with most of my other reviews, I thought I'd give this product an isolated chance to prove its worth - and here's the catch - this product commands a cheaper cost price as Molton Brown yet this French offering manages to be twice as strong on scent and delivery!
The French company also produce five other ranges of different name scent families for their men's toiletry section alone, so its not a market solely for ladies.
L'Occitane, the company were formed in 1976 by Oliver Baussan who wanted to promote and preserve the traditions of his region, Provence in South eastern France. The actual name of the company translates as "the woman from Occitania," whilst the secondary title of this product, "L'Occitan," translates as the "the man from Occitania," with Occitania being a historical country. This product was originally and apparently founded on the distillation of lavender process that Oliver discovered when creating this shower gel and the likewise products that have followed after. I often wondered what the words meant at the front of the bottle as they are mostly in French with an English translation, "A man sits on his stool at the distillation."
For the standard unique "beer bottle," or "hip flask" 250ml design with a dark clear brown plastic finish, "L'Occitane L'Occitan" body wash for men costs £9 to £13.00 on average. It seems to be a product that appears seasonally in shops as opposed to all the year around, even though I have since shopped for it online for better availability than visiting the colourful and often fragrant shop in Buchanan Street, Glasgow; the nearest franchise outlet to me. The bottle comes in a classy conservative French navy blue and light brown box that is both inviting and unique; it also has a smooth feel in the hands due to its cardboard construction and general design (I have added the correct stock photo as the one shown on Ciao UK is the wrong product!).
Largely as with Molton Brown body washes, "L'Occitane" promises to refresh, cleanse and moisturise, even though it seems there are hardly any moisturisers in the product due to its clear liquid look. I love the macho design of the shower gel bottle though - it is very macho in terms of its hip flash mock silver cap and a delicate but novel tiny hinge in which the cap can be swung over - so much more than just a cheap flip catch with a poor hinge that may eventually fall off with use. It is a darn sight easier to use than the traditional twist off cap and-leave- somewhere approach with Molton Brown!
This product also claims to refresh, add shine to hair and more over, is designed to act as a cleansing luxury shower gel not just guaranteed by the so many scent and oil tones added or the rather unique looking design. The company make the following statement where its scent is concerned:
"...With a base of nutmeg, Cade, cedar and musk, middle notes of lavender and top notes of black pepper and bergamot, this is a complex, spicy and sexy fragrance."
Scent wise, if you are a fan of White Musk for Men by The Body Shop for Men, then this shower gel is going to appeal on many levels but it isn't too flowery but rather very similar to what L'Occitane claim. It is almost as if they have achieved a level balance of flowers and dark burnt woods. The Provence company adds A.O.C lavender that has been naturally produced and accredited from its organic and natural growth order and I was really attracted by the dark woody aromas that evoke passion and warmth. From sniffing the fragrance out of the top of the bottle, it is clear that black pepper emanates and dominates. The shower wash also highlights nutmeg and hints of cinnamon that, personally due to my love of likewise scented candles seems to be a scent that seems to work well on my body too. Bergamot is quite an extensive, expressive tone that seems to pervade and strengthen the herbs and oils on offer and the scent is gloriously oriental in the way it has been mixed together, even though you'd never know it from the clear, thick and gloopy gel that comes out of the bottle.
Thus the strength of this product is strong and an obvious fresh and clean attractant to many. But, its herb backdrop and musky edge provides a comforting and warm aura about it without being so heavy that you'd feel intoxicated after use. Warm to my skin and indefinitely glowing with the spices on offer, this is one shower wash I'm proud to say I've gone on to buy again; when I was heavily ill with flu recently, this was one wash gel I used continually for de-coking my sinuses before discovering the newer product launch of the year for 2013, Deep Heat bath oil. L'Occitan has a very natural depth about it where its scent is concerned, not able to give a Vicks vapour type performance if you are ill with a cold or flu, but rather lifts the mood of feeling ill surrounded by its warm feeling on skin.
Using a shower puff is probably one of the most economical ways of using a premium product, especially with Molton Brown shower products and the same process works well with L'Occitan. A light and creamy lather is on offer here with the shower gel easy to rinse off quickly, just as easy as it is to wash with.
Compared to Molton Brown shower washes where most of its scented oils die out within half an hour of usage, L'Occitane has an explosive nature of cooling the air with its strong tones of peppery laced scent and it seems to hang around for longer, also tainting the air in my shower room heavily with its macho scent. My skin also seems to glow in scent with this product to the point that it can take longer for the scent to die down before adding my own choice of aftershave, but I find that I don't have to apply anything after showering with this premium product.
Downsides, Other Sorts & Final Thoughts
Although the shower wash promises to add shine to hair, I find that its general performance on what is left of my hair does tend to make the hair feel clean. It lacks that itchy, dry and foreboding nature that a lot of aftershave orientated body washes can sometimes leave behind and it doesn't leave my skin overly dry either. Though I have not seen much shine to my hair (which is naturally dry and damaged due to its origin), L'Occitane L'Occitan leaves my hair soft and clean. Of course the scent of this product won't appeal to all either, but there are other ranges of this product available should men or others wish to pursue this product range. The following prices are given on average:
* L'Occitane EDT 100ml spray £39-00.
* L'Occitane Shaving gel 150ml £14-00.
* L'Occitane After shave balm 75ml £20-00.
* L'Occitane Roll-on deodorant 50ml £12-00.
* L'Occitane Gift Set (100ml EDT & 250ml Shower Gel) £52-00.
* L'Occitane Soap 100g £4-50.
Despite my love for Molton Brown's Black Pepper body wash, "L'Occitane L'Occitan," is an extremely classy and powerful alternative that is worth the price over more expensive and not as well produced Molton Brown products for men. Ok so you lose 50ml for a cheaper price than £18 with Molton Brown but you get more of an individual approach here with the scent and feeling alone. Due to the product initially being given as a gift, I have since purchased the same product again due to the tones of natural oils that have been produced here.
Potent, powerful and premium, "L'Occitane L'Occitan," has been a real eye opener and due to its wide ranges available, the company have nearly closed my mind to the company I used to prefer. Certainly if you love your man, this is one shower gel that may raise the embers of his interest! Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2013.
www.uk.loccitane.com
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L'Occitane Shea Butter Shower Cream
by HelenW
Someone I know has given me lots of L'occitane bath products for my birthday and Christmas over the last few years. However, they've been piling up in my 'nice things' basket, as for a while, I didn't tend to treat myself to a relax and the use of some nice products!
Recently, I picked out the Shea Butter shower cream and ... added it to my shower ready to start using. The packaging looks quite posh and gives the idea of a quality product. The packaging has now changed from the one above, the bottle is more rounded and the label has been redesigned. However, the lid still has the same style as the picture above. Opening the lid, which although quite small, is easy to open, the hole to dispense the shower cream from is larger than you would expect. It also doesn't have one of those dispensing plastic things covering the lid as many shower gels now do.
Squeezing it out onto my hand, you have to be quite careful. The plastic of the bottle is too thick to be squeezy and unlike other shower gels, it doesn't dispense too easily. After putting the lid back on and giving the bottle a good shake, opening the lid meant it came out much easier than before.
When it comes out, it came out slightly thinner than expected after whooshing out of the bottle particularly fast (ok, perhaps an overly vigorous shake on my part), it smelt nice and quite delicate. It doesn't have any particularly strong fragrance, although it smells slightly of coconut I thought.
Upon using the product, I'm not going to dispute that it works, it's a good shower cream, I felt that was about it. It didn't feel particularly moisturising, it wasn't particularly 'bubbly' and it didn't smell amazing. After getting out the shower, it definitely wasn't one of those products that makes your skin feel lovely and soft, although it did do what it was supposed to!
This product is quite expensive, at approximately £13 for 250ml. Now I'm sure you probably can get it cheaper elsewhere. Mine was a present, so I don't know where it was from or where could offer you the most competitive price.
Overall, it's an ok product. I expected better for the brand and the price tag, but it does what its supposed to do. I wouldn't buy this for myself when the bottle runs out, but it's usable!
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