Product testing the Boots’ Original Beauty Formula bath foam and body lotion was no hardship at all — in fact, it was a lovely excuse to escape from my computer and relax into the luxury of a hot bubble bath.
A light citrusy touch creates a lovely experience
The Bergamot & Clary Sage Bath Foam features essential oils from the peel of the citrus bergamot and from the herb, clary sage, with touches of other citruses (lemon, orange, and neroli) and hints of cardamom and rose. The result is a light refreshing aroma and essential oils that both raise one’s spirits and soothe one’s skin. The foam is light and long-lasting, which allowed me to enjoy a complete short story before the bubbles disappeared. It was a treat to walk into the bathroom later in the evening and find the scent still there, adding a light summery note to the air instead of the usual eau de kitty litter.
The Lavender & Rosemary Body Lotion relies, as one might expect, on the essential oils of lavender and rosemary for its effect and scent. These are added to a light lotion base that smoothes on easily and is absorbed quickly. My skin tends to be quite dry and this lotion really did leave my skin feeling noticeably softer, even the next morning. Longer term use seems to be having very positive effects!
Details of the gift set
The gift collection consists of 2 full-size bottles (8.4 oz / 250 ml) in an 9 x 9 in (23 x 23 cm) mauve box, with custom-made cradles to hold the bottles securely. It’s almost pretty enough to not need wrapping (but don’t try this if you want to make points). The Bath Foam comes in a vintage-designed heavy glass bottle while the Body Lotion comes in a flexible plastic bottle with a pump top. The retail price is $24.99 (£ 12.23). Both products are available separately at a retail price of $12.99 (£ 6.85), so the set saves just a tad over the two products alone and benefits from the convenience and thoughtfulness of the collection.
This gift set is from the Boots Original Beauty Formula line, a retro-line which recalls the company’s heritage, using vintage-style packaging from the 1800s; they have “re-worked the classic recipes, using traditional ingredients such as lavender, rose and geranium.”
Boots a UK institution, now expanding world-wide
The Boots company has a long heritage, hailing from the original John Boot, an herbalist who established a shop in Nottingham, England 160 years ago. By the 1880s, the family business had expanded into a pharmacy and by the 1920s and 30s, lines of soaps and cosmetics were added to the business. One of their landmark achievements was the discovery and development of the pain reliever ibuprofen in 1969 (branded in the US as Advil and Motrin). Boots is still headquartered in Nottingham, England and is a staple in the UK. According to the Boots website, their cosmetic line No7 is the UK’s #1 make-up and skin-care brand, with their research showing that “1 in 3 women in the UK have a No7 product in their makeup bag.”
Boots established a partnership in the United States with Target in 2004, first in Denver and then expanding across the US and Canada in most Target, CVS and Shoppers Drug Mart stores. In the UK, Boots products are available widely through Boots stores and online through the Boots website, but cannot be shipped beyond Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the US and Canada, their products are not yet available online through the Boots website, though some items are available through Target.com and CVS.com. By registering with the BootsClub, one can get news on product launches, insider coupon savings, and advance notice of promotions.
What Consumers Should Know
While the glass bottle for the bath foam seems to be pretty durable, it is always wise to be careful with glass in a bath, especially if one has children or pets who are apt to knock things off. The bottle is designed to be reusable (an nice environmentally sensitive touch) and is attractive enough to suggest a number of creative possibilities. If one has sensitive skin or scent allergies, it may be worth looking at the ingredients list or doing skin testing. Some of the items listed are simply the Latin names for natural ingredients, while others read more like a chemistry textbook. Both products have a generic “parfum (fragrance)” listed which could be anything. That said, I tend to be highly sensitive and have had no untoward reactions. While these products were provided from Boots to the Untrained Housewife for product review, I would (and likely will) buy them for myself or as gifts.
**This product was provided to the Untrained Housewife for review purposes.**
