[unpaid/sample/affiliate/prioradrelationship] Have you smelled the new fragrance – Wild Pine? Sometimes The Body Shop product names don’t quite reflect the contents and this is a good case in point. I expected a blast of loo cleaner (sorry Body Shop!) and yet what I got is a beautiful blend of lavender, sandalwood, mint and pine. It feels more forest floor than Christmas tree – there’s a zippy freshness to it that’s uplifting and combined with the sweetness of lavender that’s more about winter than any festivities. I’ve included the sweet ornament because it looks so much like Honey who we lost almost a year ago and I’m thinking about her a lot. She is still so present – there’s a gap on our bed where a little dog should be – we are looking for a rescue, but it’s very difficult. Still, I’m waiting on two applications to come back, so who knows.

Actually, I’m new to the Lotion To Oil body formula – and I like it, especially if you want a bit of light sheen over your arms or legs (or anywhere, obviously, I’m just going for the most obvious – up to you where you choose to shine ;-). This Pine & Divine Wild Pine Essentials set contains Wild Pine Shower Gel 250ml, Wild Pine Body Lotion-to-Oil 200ml and Wild Pine Hand Balm 30ml which it makes me think it’s a good gift for gardeners. Everything arrives in a fabric bag which is useful for housing just about anything when the products are gone. It’s £23 HERE. There is 25% off if you’re a club member so if you plan to buy several gifts from TBS this year it’s probably worth signing up for.

In the past I have given nieces and nephews who are just getting into personal grooming/care TBS sets and they’ve always gone down a treat. I’ve noted The Slather & Glow set for one of my nieces because it’s got a handy headband and four mini masks – she will have a lot of fun with that while learning about what suits her skin. The masks are Himalayan Charcoal (purify & glow), Nicaraguan Coffee (perk up), Japanese Matcha Pollution Clearing (cleansing) and British Rose Fresh Plumping (hydrating). It’s £23 HERE.

The Glow & Peace Vitamin C set is for literally anyone – it features a Daily Glow & Cleansing Polish, a Vitamin C Glow Revealing Serum and a Rose Quartz Facial Roller and if you are not glowing after that routine then there is no hope! Max would use all of these items and absolutely love doing so. Start with the cleansing polish and once your skin is patted dry, add a couple of drops of serum and roller it in. It’s well worth noting that each box has a QR code so that you can see exactly how Community Fair Trade is benefiting people across the globe. In this case, organic aloe vera supports indigenous female farmers in Mexico. I’m a bit of a shirker when it comes to a cold quartz roller – it’s just too chilly for me in winter… but if you like a bracing face wake up, it’s for you! This set is £38 HERE.

This two drawer Fresh & Festive set is spot on for anyone who used to love the Drops of Youth range. As I’ve explained in prior posts, Edelweiss replaces that range and in doing so gets rid of any connotations of youthful looks being more desirable. You can be beautiful and young, beautiful and older, AND beautiful and old. I’ve done a good test of this range for past posts and especially liked the daily serum for, I suppose, fortifying the skin with peptides and Edelweiss. I’ve read a couple of studies (independent) that find leontopodic acid (extracted from Edelweiss) has impact on ‘skin elasticity, dermal density, and skin thickness’ as well as supressing inflammation and skin creasing. It’s a serious ingredient and works more effectively than retinol. The set features Edelweiss Cleansing Concentrate 100ml, Edelweiss Eye Serum Concentrate 10ml, Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate 30ml and a Gua Sha Facial Massager (again, too chilly for me!). It’s £60 HERE and now would be a good time to sign up as a member to get the 25% off HERE.

Prices at The Body Shop aren’t what they used to be – they’ve risen just like almost every other brand. I think there’s still an expectation for their products to be cheap and cheerful and in some cases, they still are, but what we are seeing now is an elevation in product quality and efficacy (not to mention rising ingredient costs that they pay fairly for) that’s a little ahead of price expectations. I don’t love everything at The Body Shop but it’s got such a cross section of prices and products (you can still get a £3 shower gel) that you really can get something for everyone. It’s interesting that the most commented on product for over pricing perception is Body Butter.