Hands up if you've managed to keep up your new year's resolutions that involved healthy eating or trying to lose a bit of weight and are now nervously looking at the calendar dreading Easter and the traditional pile of Easter eggs ?! Well, did you know that Hotel Chocolat have a range of beauty products as well as their oh-so-lovely indulgent chocolates?
I received a bottle of their "Repose" Shower Creme from the Cocoa Juvenate range to review and I was instantly impressed with the striking packaging that made it seem really special and luxurious. As I scanned the description on the bottle, my eye was instantly attracted to the words "argan oil", an ingredient I love since discovering it (and the "goat trees" it comes from - click through to see our holiday snaps if you don't believe me !) in Morocco last year.
Argan oil isn't the only fab ingredient on the list though - it contains olive oil, mango seed oil, coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter, which are all great for nourishing your skin. You can feel your skin being thoroughly pampered as you smooth it over your skin in the shower. It doesn't lather up at all so it almost feels more like a moisturiser than a shower gel, although you do feel clean and smell nice when you get out of the shower too !
Speaking of smelling nice, I was slightly thrown by the fragrance the first time I used it. Coming from Hotel Chocolat and containing cocoa butter, I was expecting a chcocolatey scent but it actually smells flowery and exotic. The label mentions "the warm scent of roasted cocoa and an exotic bouquet of spiced white florals, musk, sandalwood and leather". I'd say the floral and musky scents dominate. It's very nice - it's a really relaxing, feel-good fragrance - but it just wasn't what I was expecting.
The product promises to help nourish, soothe, relax, pamper and protect and I would agree that it does all of that. My skin felt wonderfully smooth and soft and didn't need moisturising. I also had a big smile on my face and felt thoroughly chilled out when I got out of the shower.
As it comes out as a rich cream rather than a runny gel, I did find it quite hard to get it out of the bottle. The plastic bottle could have done with being a bit less rigid so it's easier to squeeze but that's the only very slight niggle. I'd be happy to receive this in place of a calorie-laden Easter egg (although I would have a sneaky nibble or two from the kids' stash when they weren't looking !)
star rating: 4.5/5
RRP : £12.80 for 200ml (was £16)
for more information : http://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/shop/collections/products/cocoa-juvenate/repose-shower-creme
Disclosure : I received the product in order to write an honest review.
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this sounds amazing, a chocolatey treat without the calories! so many nourishing oils too, very luxurious
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