Bath and Body : Beauty and Fashion Tech

Thymes Gardener Sink Set

I was sent a lovely sink set from the Thymes Company Gardener Collection to try, and I found it rather unique. first, unlike the standard soap and lotion sink sets out there, the Gardener set includes a nail brush, something I made good use of after planting flowers last weekend!

It also has a fresh grass scent that the site describes as: “Freshly clipped grass, aromatic parsley, cool watercress, dewy moss and a pinch of pink peppercorn.” I really like the scent, especially in the lotion. It has a great spring and summer feel to it.The Gardener Collection is full of other interesting products as well, such as cuticle cream, soap pebbles, and a lip balm. Items from the collection would be a perfect gift for the green thumb in your life.Shop for Thymes Bath and Body Products

Popularity: 7% [?]

Davies Gate Seed and Grains: Whole Wheat Lotion, Flax Seed Soap, and Cocoa Bean Lip Balm

I first came across Davies Gate while staying at the Palms in Las Vegas. They offered some wonderful Davies Gate items in the rooms. Unfortunately, the last time I was there, they no longer carried them, so I guess I have to buy some now!

Davies Gate Whole Wheat Lotion was my absolute favorite when I first tried it in Vegas. The lotion is very soothing, and I found it perfect for my legs when they got itchy from shaving and from the dry air.

Davies Gate Flax Seed Soap was equally as nice. This rich moisturizing soap is great for dry skin.

Finally, Davies Gate Cocoa Bean Lip Balm is something I bought somewhere along the way, and it was a favorite of mine until I unfortunately sent it through the wash, where it melted into nothingness. As the name implies, this one tastes like chocolate!

Overall, this is a solid line of products.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Pattern Body Wash

Like all natural bath and body products? Like unique fresh scents? How about some good moisture in a body wash? Pattern Body Wash has it all.

There are four cleansers available that can be used on hair, face and body: Eucalyptus and Black Pepper are stronger cleansers recommended for active people that are formulated to clean without stripping natural oils. Citrus and Cucumber are moisturizing cleaners, perfect for avoiding dry skin. Pattern products contain no parabens, and no artificial fragrances, colors, or dyes. Instead, they use natural ingredients to provide gentle cleansing, moisture, and fragrance. Each product has an ingredient list available on the site, along with a glossary of what each ingredient does.

I was immediately curious about black pepper as a body wash fragrance and was told that it is a popular item. I can see why. It really does smell great! I found the smell to be more like black licorice with just a hint of pepper and found it to be quite refreshing, especially after exercising. This is also a good scent for men, who might be turned off by more fruity scents.

The eucalyptus and cucumber scents were as expected and both nice. But my favorite was the citrus scent. First, I am kind of a sucker for anything citrus, so that is no surprise, but I also loved that it was combined with the moisturizing formula, which does indeed feel nicely moisturizing and is a joy to use. Of the four scents, the cucumber is the lightest, so those looking for less fragrance, might prefer that one.

Overall, Pattern has put together a great set of body washes that I definitely recommend.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Nettie Scrub Exfoliating Body Scrub

I seem to be on roll with receiving indie products lately and I love them! Smaller companies often produce products that are both high quality and affordable. Plus, there tends to be that extra sense of personalized love and care put into the products.

Nettiescrub sugar body polish scrub grapefruit

One of the new products I recently tried is NettieScrub, a wonderful natural body polish. This sugar scrub contains grape seed extract (great stuff) and pure alpha hydroxyl acids to polish and treat the skin. It also has just about the most incredible scent ever!

I am a big lover of citrus scents, especially orange and grapefruit. I tried the grapefruit scrub and was completely in love. If you like grapefruit scented bath and spa products, you absolutely must try this one! Another bonus is just how affordable this scrub is. I found it comparable to some of the horribly expensive sugar scrubs that are out there, yet at about 1/4 to 1/3 of the price. The packaging is also adorable, with the scrub contained in a labeled glass canning jar with a spatula for stirring and applying. Do stir before using to mix the oil back into the scrub. Prices range from $7.99-$15, depending on the size. Products can be purchased at several Los Angeles area boutiques and directly online.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Skin Like Butter Shea Oil Lotion

I am a big fan of both indie products and shea butter and shea oil. So I am quite happy to recommend Skin Like Butter. Starting out at the Alamitos Bay, California, Farmers Market with a lavender shea oil product, the company then branched out to add additional items. They now also offer shea oil lotion, shea oil shower cream, shea oil scrub, and shea oil dead sea salts in 10 fragrances.

Skin Like Butter Shea Oil She Butter Lotion

I tried the Pomegranate Shea Oil Lotion and am hooked! I get patches of dry in winter, and trust me it is raging winter here in the Chicago area right now! The Skin Like Butter lotion has really done the trick in soothing and treating those areas. Plus it smells great! My husband also gave it a thumbs up.

The all natural lotion contains shea oil, shea butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, vitamins and natural essentials. It is on the thicker side, which I particularly like, and it absorbs well. If you haven’t tried a shea butter lotion before, you should, and this is a good one to start with. At $10, the price is great too! The company has amazingly reasonable prices and has trial products available for .99 cents plus shipping. Products can also be arranged for pick up at their Farmer’s Market Sunday store.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Spongelle Bath and Body

Looking for a gift for the bath lover, or perhaps something unique for yourself? Spongelle makes cleanser filled bath sponges in fun shapes and fragrances.

One side of the sponge is an exfoliating pad, while the other is a standard bath sponge. Those with sensitive skin might want to stick with just the sponge side because it gives a pretty strong scrub.

The one I received was infused with a Peony Cassis scent.

Shop for Spongelle products

Popularity: 4% [?]

Smith’s Rosebud Salve

Smith’s Rosebud Salve is great stuff. If you have dry hands, or spots of dry skin, or if you just want a bit of old fashioned salve to rub on once in awhile, this is some of the best stuff out there. The price is great too!

With a handy and easy to carry container, it is nice to keep some of this stuff around or in a handbag . It is also one heck of a good salve for dry skin. It has a nice calming and soothing feel and it protects for quite some time.

The salve can be used on both skin and lips, although Smiths also makes its product in a special Smith’s Strawberry Lip Balm as well. For more on that, see my post at Girl Gloss.

Shop for Smith’s skin care products

Popularity: 8% [?]