If your skin is in need of some deep hydration after a scorching summer or in the cold weather, this week the Glossies have tested the best body lotions money can buy...
Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Lotion
Price: £3.55
Buy online: www.superdrug.com
Feedback: “I'm always quite cautious of body lotions, as the skin on my legs is especially sensitive. Even if something says it is fragrance free, it will still nine times out of ten make my legs super red and blotchy - not a good look for the summer! But then I have a case of dry skin too, especially due to consistent shaving, as well as small cases of eczema on my arms, due to stress. So that's why I thought I would try the Nivea body lotion specified for 'average' dry skin (the back had a scale: 1 being normal skin, and 5 being super dry - this product landing dead in the middle).
"It contains Shea butter - dry skin’s best friend, and it also has Hydra IQ technology, which "promotes a non-stop moisture supply from within the skin". So of course, I signed up! I used it before dressing in the morning; it wasn't too greasy, and the size of a 50p was a good amount to cover my whole leg. It gives the perfect 'glow' to legs, and still five hours later, they’re feeling moisturised. As for my arms, I can't stop oohing and aahing at how soft they are! I am truly impressed, and even more so for the amazing price, and the amount of product you get in the bottle. And to top it off, it isn't fragranced with synthetic scents, meaning it doesn't overpower you like some lotions can."
Reviewer: EC
Rating: 10/10
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps
Price: £27
Buy online: www.kiehls.co.uk
Feedback: “As the sensitive one of the Glossy group, I was drawn to this fairly cult product because of its simple, almost medicinal-like packaging. A quick skim of the ingredients list assured me it was fragrance free (though they don't point this out on the bottle) so I deemed it safe to test. Promising 'a skin texture heretofore unattainable' in just ten days, I had high hopes that my super dry and often irritated skin would be cured; I'm sad to say, I was left disappointed. It's not that it's bad - it's more that it's not as good as it should be.
"A thick, custard-coloured lotion, it sinks into the skin really well and leaves it feeling lovely and soft for a good few hours, but that's pretty much it. My skin didn't feel hydrated, and after closer inspection of the ingredients list I can see why; all those fine ingredients such as Shea butter, sweet almond oil, cocoa seed butter and the like are so far down the list there can't be an awful lot in there to give your skin a boost. Add to that the clinical, cheap-aqueous-cream smell and I'm truly surprised that the price point is so high. Nice, but not nice enough.
Reviewer: JJ
Score: 5/10
REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion
Price: £26
Buy online: www.renskincare.com
Feedback: “For me a good moisturiser usually has to tick three boxes: it should absorb quickly, have a light, wearable scent and most importantly, it should leave my skin feeling well hydrated. While this Moroccan-rose infused cream smelt beautiful, the texture was a bit too watery for my liking and my skin wasn’t left feeling as soft and supple as I would have hoped for considering the price tag. I did like the handy pump applicator though and aesthetically speaking, the newly redesigned packaging would ensure that it would look amazing in anyone’s bathroom cabinet. That said, I don’t think that this would be my moisturiser of choice in the future which is a shame because I so wanted to like it purely for the smell!”
Reviewer: AM
Score: 5/10
Clinique Deep Comfort Body Moisture
Price: £19
Buy online: www.clinique.co.uk
Feedback: “Fragrance-free and functional, this buttery body moisturiser sunk in quite quickly given its rich texture and soothed my post-shave pins almost immediately. I felt quite nostalgic about this classic body lotion, as my mum used to slather it on post-swim and shower and I’d sneak a squirt when she wasn’t looking. It felt like a step up from my usual strawberry Superdrug body cream, however going back to it evoked mixed emotions (getting quite deep on the subject of Deep Comfort here).
"I missed the light, lingering scent that my usual body lotion leaves behind, and was a bit disappointed that my elbows were still quite chapped after use. Perhaps I need something more heavy duty for drier areas, or maybe I should have used a larger quantity of this lotion for parched patches, but I wasn’t overly impressed given that it is marketed as quite an intensive moisturiser. That said this cream left no traces of stickiness and my limbs are still soft and silky the morning after.”
Reviewer: AH
Score: 7/10
Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion
Price: £30
Buy online: www.clarins.co.uk
Feedback: “Clarins is always my go-to for skincare so I was hoping its body lotion would be just as good. The moisture rich body lotion with added Shea butter is said to smooth dry, rough patches, improve skin tone and gently remove dull, flaky cells for a youthful glow. My legs are super dry and this lotion was brilliant at moisturising deep into the skin and getting rid of any drier patches. The cream has a rich butter-like texture so I thought it would be quite heavy and greasy – this was not the case at all. You don’t need too much of it so it doesn’t clog up the skin; I think it will be my saviour when the winter sets in as it is excellent for hydrating as well as giving skin a slightly more healthy and polished appearance.
"It absorbs quickly, so it’s ideal for when I’m in a rush, as I don’t have to wait for it to dry before dressing. The only downfall is the smell – it’s not awful but it isn’t overly enticing. It’s similar to the scent of the Clarins foot cream which is a little off-putting, I prefer a good rose scented product for the body.”
Reviewer: SM
Score: 7/10
Garnier Intensive 7 Days Daily Body Lotion with Mango Oil for Dry Skin
Price: £4.99
Buy online: www.boots.com
Feedback: “I am a huge fan of Garnier products for their purse-friendly yet effective products and I tend to stick with their body lotions for that reason. This moisturiser was just as good as I expected and is great for everyday use. It sinks in and dries really quickly so it’s ideal for when I’m in a rush in the mornings as it doesn’t stick to or mark my clothes, while leaving my skin feeling really hydrated, looking glossier and smelling gorgeous. An absolute favourite.”
Reviewer: CH
Score: 10/10
Jergens Daily Moisture Dry Skin Body Moisturiser
Price: £3.49
Buy online: www.boots.com
Feedback: “As someone who uses body lotions and moisturisers religiously I have definitely tested my fair share, yet no matter how fancy the brand or enticing the slogan I always come back to my old faithful Jergens. The best body lotion I've ever tried, it does what all the other lotions and potions promise but never fully deliver. Unlike the others, this does thoroughly hydrate my dry skin and leaves it silky smooth, not to mention rather radiant. It also comes sans fragrance, greasiness or stickiness. I simply can't sing its praises enough; its a joy to use and is forever my one constant in an ever-changing beauty cabinet.”
Reviewer: KB
Score: 10/10
Creme de la Mer The Reparative Body Lotion
Price: £125
Buy online: www.cremedelamer.co.uk
Feedback: “Before you recoil in horror at the ludicrous price tag of this product, please hear me out. This body lotion is by far one of the most special body products I think there are on the market today. (“It better had be!” I hear you cry). I’ll tell you the reasons why I love it: It is silkier than any other body cream I have ever tried and leaves skin as soft as featherdown; it manages to deep moisturise skin and banish all alligator limbs without any form of tacky or sticky residue and it has a light spa-like scent that isn’t heavy or cloying. It is, in a word, perfection. Is it worth £125? The cost of a Whistles dress or a weekly food shop for my family? Sorry kids, I just think it might be.”
Reviewer: ST
Score: 10/10