I’m mainly a shower gel girl but there are times when I simply can’t resist soaps, especially pretty and luxurious soaps which contribute to an enjoyable shower experience. I used to pop into stores such as Lush Soaps simply to admire their beautiful soaps and bath bombs which came in delicious flavours such as Lemon, Raspberry and Strawberry which often sounded good enough to eat! Unfortunately, Lush is on the pricier side and I often could not bring myself to pay so much for just soap!

Luckily, there are now lots of great options available for handcrafted and luxurious soaps and one online store I particularly like is Southern Pleasures which specialises in handcrafted luxurious cold-processed soaps made in the prettiest colours! Southern Pleasures soaps are olive oil based and sometimes adjusted with almond oil or shea butter which are famous for their great moisturizing properties.

See more beautiful soap designs below.

I find Southern Pleasures’ prices rather reasonable as their soaps retail for approximately US$4.25 a bar up to US$23 for a variety of 6 different soaps. These prices are much cheaper than those in Lush which tend to be sold by weight.

They make great gift packs too if you are looking for a gift for a friend. A pretty little pack like the Last Minute Gift below (retails at US$10) which comes with a soap of your choice, a sisal cloth to exfoliate while showering and a rustic wooden soap dish. Simply indicate the type of soap you want and the colour of ribbon you prefer and let Southern Pleasures surprise the recipient of your gift!

Southern Pleasures does a variety of fragranced oil and essential oils soaps, some in delicious sounding flavours such as Black Raspberry and Apple Fruitasia which are simply bursting with fruity flavours guaranteed to leave you refreshed and sweet smelling after your bath.

For those who suffer from chapped lips, do try their variety of lip balms which come in a choice of Creme Brulee formulated with avocado oil, Buttercream lip balm which is a delicious sounding combination of avocado oil and cocoa butter and Black Cherry lip balm with the aroma of sweet black cherries. These lip balms will not only provide lasting moisture for your lips but have you licking your lips

There are some great soaps on sale at only US$3 a bar which make great gifts or a little luxury for yourself at inexpensive prices. Shipping information is available on Southern Pleasures’ site and they are happy to refund any difference should you be overcharged for shipping!

Kanebo is one of my favourite skin care and cosmetic products. Now, I have found a new favourite in the form of their Kanebo Sala Body Wash! I first came across it when they were having a warehouse sale and selling this body wash very cheap. The Kanebo Sala Body Wash comes in a pretty pink and blue option. I am unable to read Japanese so I’m not sure what each colour is for and the beauticians were unable to tell me either. But because I’m girly, I always opt for the pink one! :p

I did not have much expectations about the Sala body wash but was pleasantly surprised when I used it for the first time. It is a cream body wash that has a lovely fragrance. Some who dislike fragrances might find it a bit over-fragranced as the bathroom tends to retain the fragrance after someone has had a shower in there. What I also liked about it was that I didn’t need to use a lot of the cream shower gel to shower with. Just a few pumps of the bottle and it was sufficient for a full body wash. What a great saving!

As it is cream based, I find that it has less tendency to dry out the skin. My skin usually feels soft and moisturised after my shower which made it great for those with dry skin. Kanebo Sala Body Wash is available in 600ml pump bottles and refill packs of 500ml. They usually retail for under RM15 during the Kanebo Warehouse Sale so do look out for them the next time you are there.

There has been a recent move towards organic products as people start to realise the harmful effects harsh chemicals in our daily cleansing products can bring. Organic shampoos and soaps are starting to become very popular now. These organic cleansing products are not only good for our skin and hair but also for the environment as they do not release dangerous chemicals back into the environment. One popular organic beauty product is Sukin shampoo and conditioner.

Sukin is an Australian brand and prides itself on being absolutely organic. It contains no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (or SLS), artificial fragrances or colours, no animal derivatives, no petro-chemicals or mineral oils and parabens, no harsh detergents and no triethanolamine. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or its closely related chemical, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are believed by some parties to contain dioxane which is a known carcinogen. Prolonged use to dioxane has not been proven but some parties believe long term use may actually lead to cancer or skin irritants.

As Sukin is free from all these, it is a perfectly organic and safe shampoo to be used by everyone. As a shampoo, I found that it did not lather so easily. A few pumps of it did not seem to shampoo so well in my hair and it more was needed for it to make my hair feel clean. There is a certain distinctive citrus smell which is a little unpleasant. It could have been contributed by the citric acid, tangerine and mandarin essential oils which form part of its ingredients.

Sukin Organic Shampoo is to be used together with the Sukin Organic Conditioner. This conditioner, in contrast to the shampoo, does a fantastic job of conditioning the hair. A few pumps are sufficient for my hair and it helps to add volume and shine whilst preventing tangles.

Gentle and paraben-free, both Sukin shampoo and conditioner are safe to be used on sensitive scalps and all hair types. Look out for them in the bigger Watsons stores in Singapore.

I have never really been a user of Ginvera. Ginvera is famous for their Ginvera Marvel Gel which is said to remove blackheads and clogged pores. Honestly, I have never tried any Ginvera products until I chanced upon the Ginvera Green Tea Spa Shower Scrub. Just one try and I was sold!

The Ginvera Green Tea Spa Scrub is a refreshing and exfoliating shower scrub made from green tea essence,  tea tree leaf, jojoba beads and ginseng. The shower gel has been formulated from these ingredients to refresh and smoothen your skin. Green tea is said to prevent signs of aging, tea tree leaf to prevent skin problems through its powerful anti-fungus properties, jojoba beads restore moisture whilst exfoliating and ginseng provides nutrients and promotes skin cell metabolism.

The scrub comes in an attractive green colour and little bits of tea tree leaves and jojoba beads can be seen through the bottle. I absolutely love the refreshing scent it has. The scrub has a lovely green tea scent which lingers on your skin after you have used it, giving you a fresh smell throughout the day. It never fails to lift my spirits after a long day!

The scrub is in a gel form and the jojoba beads can be felt when you are using it against your skin. The beads do a great job in smoothening my skin without being overly harsh. The gel rinses off easily and leaves the same refreshing smell in the bathroom which reminds me a lot of being in an actual spa.

It’s my little luxury and my own little home spa at the end of every tiring day!

I’m a huge bath and shower gel fan, as I pointed out in my Loccitane post. However, I can’t always afford luxury shower gel such as Loccitane or Crabtree & Evelyn so for normal days, one of my favourite shower gels are the Palmolive Aroma Therapy range, in particular the Anti-stress one which has lovely scents of Lavender, Ylang-ylang and Patchouli to give a lovely spa smell.

It comes in a handy pump bottle which can be refilled from cheaper refill packs once the bottle has finished. It’s a lovely lavender colour and I really like how the smell washes away the stresses of your day. It has a relaxing effect for me, maybe because it tends to smell like how most spas do and my stress relief could be entirely psychological! However, the scent tends to linger long after your shower which leaves a nice fresh smell on you and your clothes.

It used to come in Green Tea too which I really liked as well, Mandarin and a new Sensual one which I’ve been told smells quite horrid due to the Jasmine overtunes. Well, it’s my little daily yet affordable “spa” luxury!

I’m a bath and shower gel girl. I love luxuriating in nice shower gels whenever I get the chance too. Unfortunately, I can’t afford Loccitane on a daily basis yet so when I got a chance to try the Revitalizing shower gel, I was over the moon!

It comes in a simply adorable bottle with a little cap that I loved. I don’t know why but it reminded me of an olden day milk can! Hehe…this particular shower gel was a very refreshing blend of mint, pine and rosemary. It was the perfect antidote after a long day of walking around and the tiring business of shopping (heh!). The mint lifted my weary mood and almost immediately made me more energized and pumped up, all ready for more shopping!

My skin didn’t feel taut and dry after showering with it like how some shower gels make you feel. I think it’s because it’s blended with a pure vegetable oil which somehow helps to retain the natural moisture of the skin so it cleanses without drying out.

I’m a Loccitane convert now!