The Body Shop vs. Hydrea London
Scrubby or bath gloves are an important part of my life. I use them everyday with one of my many shower gels from my extensive collection. As far back as I can remember I’ve always used Body Shop gloves as they are made really well and last about 2 – 3 months before I have to replace them as the nylon starts to slacken. They always come in different cheerful colours and are thicker than the ones you get at pound shops so I think they are worth the £4.
When I saw the description of the Hydrea London gloves on the Lookfantastic website I thought they might be a bit different and I was sucked in by their marketing blurb. Here’s an excerpt from the LF website:
Be amazed by the remarkable health and beauty benefits of Hydrea London Carbonized Bamboo Shower Gloves. Helping discharge the body of positive ions from the electronic devices of modern day life, these gloves will leave you cleansed and relaxed. Releasing far infrared waves which help energise the body and metabolism as well as regulating body temperature, Hydrea London Carbonized Bamboo Shower Gloves have a perfect exfoliating texture which washes away dead surface cells while boosting circulation and encouraging skin cell rejuvenation for silky smooth and radiant skin.
Well carbonized bamboo, ions, and infrared waves aside you can see from the pictures above (compared blue Body Shop ones) the quality of these gloves are truly awful. Yes they were only £4.50 but they aren’t fit for purpose. As soon as I put them on they were stretchy and loose and started to fall apart because the stitching is appalling. I didn’t even get one use out of them and they went straight in the bin. I could have returned them but they sat around for a month before I got around to using them so the Lookfantastic returns policy was no longer valid. Hyrdea London make lots of other bathing accessories including sponges and brushes. I don’t know if I can be asked to find out if they are any better than these poor excuse for exfoliating gloves!
I’ve since stocked up on TBS gloves so that should keep me going for awhile just in case you were worried! Lol
As much as I love MAC Brush Cleaner I can’t always be bothered to visit MAC when I run out – clearly I don’t visit the counter as much as most beauty bloggers do. I bought the The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash to take with me on my trip to the US and honeymoon in Aruba as it’s something both James and I could use. Did I remember to pack it – no of course not because I officially suck at packing suitcases.
What I did discover when I got back home (which seems like months ago now) is that my makeup brushes and sponge were in a state from two weddings and all the travelling I did. Plus I’m sure my cousins borrowed them at some point too so they were in need of a good clean. Having finished my bottle of MAC cleaner ages ago I grabbed my unused and unloved TBS Tea Tree Facial Wash and went to town watching all the foundation, blusher, glitter and other makeup goo wash down the plughole. Now keep in mind my brushes are synthetic ones from Sonia Kashuk and Clinique, my makeup sponge is from Superdrug and my eyebrow brush is Ruby and Millie so none of these items were super expensive. I don’t know if this would work on brushes made of animal hair as it may dry them out. Over time I don’t know if it will dry mine out like a haystack but I’m willing to take that chance as they smell fresh and clean afterwards. If it’s a good enough for my face, it should be good enough for my brushes right?
What is it?
Murad Activating Body Scrub
Why was it such a let down?
I love a thick body scrub as much as the next person but this is so condensed that scrubby bits (sugar and jojoba beads) get lost in the goo they are suspended in. If you have a nice manicure you are likely to ruin it from scooping this out of the tub. The instructions say to rub over wet skin but it just slides around, so I used it on dry skin to get some friction. The exfoliation you do get is very gentle which is okay but it’s not worth the faffing around when you get the same results with a cheaper scrub. The only redeeming feature is that it has a lovely crisp citrus scent similar to lemon sorbet.
How much did this beauty bust cost me?
This retails for £31.65 for 200ml at Michael John Boutique. I bought mine from Bath & Unwind but last time I looked it said it was being discontinued and I can see why. £31 and change is a lot of money for lemon scented goo!
What is it?
Origins for Men Skin Diver Active Charcoal Body Wash
Why was it such a let down?
I had been admiring the Active Charcoal range from Origins in House of Fraser for ages because I know charcoal is great for drawing out impurities in the skin. I bought the scrub and wash at the same time and I reviewed the Charcoal Body Scrub back in January and was quite happy with it. This however is just a run of the mill shower gel and I found it really drying. However James likes it and told me it has a good consistency and strong manly scent.
How much did this beauty bust cost me?
This retails for £14.00 at Origins counters but I paid £12.60 at House of Fraser when they had a 10% off beauty event and even that was too much!
What is it?
Body Shop Honey & Oat 3 in 1 Scrub Mask
Why was it such a let down?
I’ve used this mask in the past and really liked it. I loved the scent, the consistency was nice and thick and the oatmeal scrubby bits felt good on my face. It’s been several years since I’ve bought this and I was having a bit of nostalgic moment a while back and bought it along with the Blue Corn Scrub and Mask. Either my memory is failing me or Body Shop have changed the formulation of this mask but it’s not as thick as I remember and the oatmeal bits are pretty wimpy for exfoliation. I’ve used it as a mask a few times but it doesn’t really do anything for my face and has a slimy texture that I found off putting.
How much did this beauty bust cost me?
This is £8.00 at The Body Shop but I got 10% off with my Love Your Body card.
So what beauty disasters have you encountered lately?
