R&R Luxury (Shea)

[samples] The thing with shea based products is that their texture can vary wildly so you really need to know what textures you prefer. When it comes to shea butter balms, I’m in the work-it-in camp especially for feet and elbows because the massage element makes you feel you’re really doing something for your skin.

Shea can be quite reactive to surrounding temperatures, so more solid in colder climates and more liquid and soft in warm – if you like a very liquid texture, you’d choose a shea oil. I’ve been testing out the Whipped Shea Butter in the Serenity fragrance and the Shea Sugar Scrub in the Revive range. The butter is less whippy than I’d expect but saying that, it’s cold!! The over-riding scent is the typical nutty shea one with lower notes of lavender and ylang ylang. It’s really lovely – like a sort of holiday scent. I’d say it’s best for very dry areas rather than a whole body hydration because it’s not like a lotion, but I spent a happy time massaging it all over the backs of my hands, my fingers and my feet, all of which were quite silky afterwards. It’s so reasonable as well at £13 (annoyingly, sold out at the moment but there will be more stock to come) and you can also use it to bring your tattoos back to life with a skin sheen.

It looks like ice-cream in the tub! The scrub is a huge blast of lemongrass – I see why it’s called ‘revive’ because it’s deliciously lemony. I’m not sure the sugar is in the right proportion to the base – I’d like to have seen more grains – but I can guarantee soft skin that feels properly pampered afterwards. It’s £18 and again, I’d recommend as a dry-bit solution rather than the full body treatment. There’s a good selection of products including body oils (all in stock) and that’s your preference, head to lemongrass.

The formulas are all refreshingly simple (and vegan)  – for example, the whipped shea contains Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Lavender Oil, Bergamot Oil and Ylang Ylang Oil and that’s it so they tap nicely into the trend for less being more. At the same time, the shea is processed by a women’s co-operative in Ghana (where the entire range hails from) and packaged in recyclable plastic. The Geranium candle has been on the burn in my kitchen over the past couple of days and gives a beautiful blast of geranium that won’t knock your socks off but will just nicely wrap you. You can find R&R Luxury HERE with oils, soaps, lip balms and body creams.