Favourites - L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Almond Shower Oil

After reviewing one of my favorite things - the L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait, I realized that I should talk about  my other favorite thing that i almost always use with the first. These two favorites are amazing individually of course BUT when they get together in my shower, their awesome powers combine and make me feel at least ten times as fabulous. 

Some of you already guessed what superhero I am talking about (plus the title kind of gives it away, duh!) but a proper introduction is still in order! 

Enter the amazing L'Occitane Cleansing and Soothing Almond Shower Oil!

Description;

This customer favorite, with its divine texture, helps to hydrate and tone the skin. It foams up when in contact with water, creating a luxurious lather. It will leave a satin-like softness all over your body, and a delicious sugary scent. A great product for men & women.

Key Ingredients;

Rosemary

Grape Vine

Almond Tree

First of all the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil has got to be one of the most indulgent and decadent body cleansers I have ever come across. In fact before I   tried this I didn't really have any kind of a strong opinion when it came down to body washes. Sure, I had tried a fair number of them but never really noticed any kind of a big difference when it came down to performance or how my skin felt afterwards. 

Well the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil changed all that with a single use! Isn't instant gratification great, you guys?

As the name implies this really is an oil-based body cleanser that is to be used just as a regular body wash in your shower. With the Almond Shower Oil I prefer to only use my hands but that's only because I feel that using a loofah or my salux causes me to use more than normal. Since this cleanser is definitively a little spendier than some of my other choices, I tend to ration it and use it only a couple of times a week, usually when I feel I need a bit more pampering. 

The texture of the L'Occitane Almond is definitively lighter and runnier than the average body wash but don't underestimate the hydration kick this "liquid gold" gives. The first time i used it I was a bit concerned because of that feature but what really annoyed me was the "light foaming" action. 

I kind of have a slight bubble addiction happening - for the longest time I just couldn't get past the notion that I could be clean without the "bubbling action". Fortunately my now-extensive use of cleansing balms changed my mind about the "foam crack" so when the shower oil only foamed a bit, I decided to give it a chance and keep an open mind for once. The bottle is designed well, its very easy to hold on to and the pump is amazing as well so no need to freak if I drop this during one of my many "clumsy" moments. 

The scent of the Almond Shower Oil is very similar to the Amande Concentre de Lait but maybe a touch less sweet, with some added "freshness" to it. Nonetheless the fragrance is still comforting to me, invoking nostalgic memories and a sense of calm each time I am wrapped in its goodness...

L'Occitane indicates that the shower oil can also be used for shaving and I have read a lot of reviews confirming that fact however I love this so much that for me that would feel too wasteful! 
It's just too good to be used for secondary things like that :-)

My favorite pampering formula has got to be: dry-skin body brushing, then warm shower with my Almond Shower Oil followed by the Amande Concentre de Lait. This combination makes my skin soft, silky, smooth, hydrated, comforted and ready for my favorite pj's, a soft bed, fluffy pillows, ice tea and a good book. In fact I think I will be engaging in just that kind of activity this evening! 

The L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait and the Almond Shower Oil can be found on the L'Occitane website, our trusty Sephora  and Amazon. 

**Just a quick hint, if you love this and want to save some money, so your pampering sessions can become more frequent consider getting the refill 500 ml size, which is only $34.00 The other sizes are - a mini 75 ml for $10 and a bigger 250 ml for $24.00. My math skills are not stellar but the refill sized 500 ml is definitively your best choice and its available only on the L'Occitane website. 

I hope this was a helpful review! 

Have you tried the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil? What is your favorite pampering combination? 

XOXO

ANJA  

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-) 

Favorites - L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait

The L'Occitane brand will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

Every time I catch a glimpse of their apothecary styled, glass jars or sense even a faint whiff of Shea butter, all I need is to close my eyes and just like that  I am a little girl again, clasping my grandmothers soft hands pleading for just 5 more minutes of play time. 

In fact as I search my memories I quickly realise that L'Occitane is probably the only brand that has consistently been a part of almost every chapter of my life. It's so funny to remember my 13 year old self spending every last cent saved from various babysitting jobs on a huge L'Occitane Shea Butter Collection Basket. It was probably the first time I felt a little more grown up so the fact that I was able to buy it with my "own money" was a huge deal for a girly girl like me...

So much time has passed since then but my love for the L'Occitane pamper session never died out and today so many of their products are present in almost every room of our house. 

My taste has obviously matured since I was younger so even though the Shea Butter is still being used in our household, my heart today definitively belongs to the Amande (almond) based products. 

Today I want to introduce you to one of my absolute favorites  - L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait, which has been repurchased countless times before as I always like to have at least one jar on hand. I might be a little heartbroken if L'Occitane ever discontinues this lovely body cream! 

Official Description; 

L'OCCITANE blends almond proteins and silicium into a silky, concentrated milk that nourishes and smooths the whole body. The light, creamy and silky texture absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue while skin is left feeling satiny-smooth and is enveloped in the fresh and delicate fragrance  of Almond blossoms.L'Occitane Amande Concentre de LaitL'Occitane Amande Concentre de LaitL'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait

Made with Almonds sourced from Haute Provence, the Almond Milk Concentrate also supports the sustainability of almond trees in the region, as these trees are a staple to the beauty of the Provençal landscape.

Ingredients; 

Water**, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin**, Cetearyl Alcohol**, Methylsilanol Mannuronate**, Triethylhexanoin**, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil**, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Protein**, Cetearyl Glucoside**, Mannitol**, Menthyl Lactate**, Fragrance, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Biosaccharide Gum-1**, Methylisothiazolinone, Sorbic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Xanthan Gum**, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopherol**, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, PPG-26, Buteth-26, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil**, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate**, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Limonene**, Linalool, 

**Natural Origins**

The thing that first drew me to the L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait (almond milk concentrate) was the soft, milky, not overly sweet almond spiked scent, which evokes a certain feeling of comfort and familiarity. 

Despite the fact that I am keenly aware of my sheer inability to describe fragrances I do want to mention that the scent almost reminds of freshly baked marzipan cookies with maybe a tiny bit of coconut flakes thrown in. 

Either way descriptions of what something smells like are highly subjective so that fact coupled with my own clumsy attempts to make accurate guesses will most likely not result in a very accurate picture for you to go by. I can, however at least vouch that if you are not a fan of typical gourmand fragrances then this particular Amande cream will definitively not be the right fit for you 

For me the scent is pure heaven. 

The texture of this cream is incredibly rich and silky but also still light enough so it absorbs almost instantly, leaving no greasy residue behind but definitively hydrating deeply and more than adequately. The soft Amande scent lingers only slightly, therefore you don't have to worry about it interfering with your daily fragrance or any other scented products you might be using that day. Personally i am completely smitten  with the scent so if anything I would want the scent to be a lot stronger so it can linger a lot longer! Maybe L'Occitane will consider making this as a fragrance? Wishful  thinking I guess...

The packaging of the L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait consists of a heavy-duty, luxurious glass jar and a very chick "French-feel" outer cardboard, whose design gives the body cream a very apothecary, exclusive  vintage feel. 
I should mention that L'Occitane includes firming and smoothing claims with this body cream however I honestly don't know how to gauge that kind of effect. I wouldn't really care either way when it comes to that particular point simply because everything else about this formula is pure perfection and I don't want to criticize and be petty about one of my favorite things :-) 

The price point of L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait ($59 for 7 oz.) is fair when you take into account that this is a superior formula with quality ingredients that really pampers your skin. Because of the price I tend to really ration this cream and whenever possible purchase it in bulk during L'Occitane's annual sale events or try locating it on Ebay as well. 

The L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait ($59 for 7 oz.) can be purchased at our trusty Sephora and sometimes even Amazon

I hope this review was helpful to someone 

Have you tried the L'Occitane Amande Concentre de Lait ? Do you have a favorite L'Occitane product? 

XOXO 

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)