by Julia, added 8/20/09

Brand: Bath and Body Works

Products: Foaming Body Wash

Fragrances:
Mango Mandarin, and Warm Vanilla Sugar

Cost: $12.00

Introduction to my Review:

If you are reading this review, then chances are you already know all about Bath and Body Works. Many of us first discovered bath products through Bath and Body Works. They've had stores in malls all across the country and beyond for years. Bath and Body Works is the store that started my whole interest in body products, so it's only fitting that my first review for Bathandbodyfind.com would be of this company.

There was a time when I didn't look for bath and body products at all. It wasn't even on my radar... until one day I wandered into a Bath and Body Works store at the mall. It was like stepping into another world. A world of clean, sparkling bottles of lotions, body washes, creams... a rainbow of colors and scents... products I had never seen let alone used before. Everything was so orderly and pretty. It was like an oasis amidst the bustling mall chaos. I can even remember how the store smelled... a tangy, fruity combination of all the different scented bath and body products.

Since that first step into a Bath and Body Works store those years ago, I've branched out and tried many other companies. Searching online for sugar scrubs and bath creams has become a regular occurrence in this house. Now I'm always looking for new soaps and scents and searching for whatever innovative products might be coming out next.

Over the years, Bath and Body Works has been successful by staying relevant and continuing to add new scent collections and products. They manage to keep things fresh, so that even today, I know that when I walk into their store, I'm going to find something new that I hadn't seen before.

Case in point... the Foaming Body Wash.

The Foaming Body Wash bottles are slim and are quite pretty with different photos on the labels depending on which scent you choose. My Mango Mandarin bottle has a picture of the fruits on it in orange tones, and Warm Vanilla Sugar bottle has a brown label with swirls of cream colored silk swirling around.

With this type of wrap around label, it was hard to see inside or tell how much body wash was left in the bottle. I could see the soap only from the bottom of the bottle. The body wash was tinted, but when it foamed out of the bottle the lather was white.

I liked the slim design of the bottles, but the caps were cumbersome and made the bottle too tall for my shower caddy, so I tossed them.

Mango Mandarin

According to Bath and Body Works, the scent notes in Mango Mandarin are"

"Luscious Mango, Creamy Magnolia, Cool Clementine, Mandarin Leaves"

This sounded like a decent combination of scent for a hot Summer's day so I scooped it up right away.

I was glad I chose this scent for Summer. It's been a really fun scent for after a day on the beach or by the pool. It smells fresh and fruity. I smelled the mango right away and clementines by the crateful! It doesn't smell quite as complicated as the description. I didn't pick up on the magnolia or mandarin leaves, but I'm sure they added to the overall scent.

This scent was nice, but not one that I absolutely must have in my scent library. It was pleasant and friendly, but not terribly exciting or different. I liked it , but wasn't wowed.

Warm Vanilla Sugar

This scent is described as:

"Vanilla Absolute, Basmati Rice Water, Creamy Sandalwood".

Warm Vanilla sugar was a choice made out of desperation. With all of Bath and Body Works scents, you'd think there would be a larger selection of foody, sweet, bakery type scents. This is probably my main gripe with Bath and Body Works as a whole. I enjoy fruity scents which they carry in abundance, but I also like bakery scents in the bathtub and those are few and far between. Warm Vanilla Sugar is the only one that even came close to filling my need for sexy, foody fragrance.

I wanted a sweet, sexy scent and I hit the jackpot with Warm Vanilla Sugar. This scent was exactly what I was looking for so I was thrilled to find it. I'm even thinking about going back for a body butter or body mist in this scent. Heck, I'd be happy with the whole line of products in this scent. It was subtle and sexy and I got a compliment from my hubby after showering with this scent.

What good is a foaming Body wash anyway? Isn't it just a glorified foaming hand soap? Well... yes. I suppose it sort of is... It foams up the same way as the foaming hand soaps do, but in a larger bottle. In the shower, though, it's way more fun than I ever imagined it would be.

Picture having a butler stand next to your shower and hand you soap that's already lathered. "Jeeves, lather up this soap for me." "Yes, Milady" That's kind of how it feels to pump out soap that is already creamy and bubbly. It's the bath and body equivalent to someone peeling you a grape.

The creamy, airy foam worked well for shaving, but it did take a lot of pumps to get enough soap for my liking. The lather seemed to dissipate quickly the same way foaming hand soaps do. The scents filled my shower and made me want to keep using more and more. It made for some long showers.

These soaps are made with apple and oat extracts and according to Bath and Body Works, they are oil free. The body washes felt like they rinsed clean, but the scent stayed, which was wonderful.



What were the results on my skin?

The Foaming Body Washes left my skin well scented, but somewhat tight feeling. I felt like I needed a bit more moisture on my skin after using these. It would be good to have a body lotion or body butter in matching fragrances to use after a shower. The scent stayed on my skin for at least an hour. After that I didn't notice it anymore.

These Foaming Body Washes from Bath and Body Works were fun, and were a nice change from the regular array of products in my shower. They are great for shaving and perfect for that pick-me-up shower after a hot day in the sun.

I enjoyed both of these scents with a new found affinity for Warm Vanilla Sugar. I don't see myself rushing out to get more foaming body washes, but if I'm at Bath and Body Works and find these offered in one of their many sales, I would certainly pick up a couple. For the price, they are worth a try, and I recommend them as a fun change of pace.

Happy Showering!

~ Julia

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