Scentsy Layers Bath & Body Review

Hi everyone! As many who follow me on Instagram (@kskybeauty) know, I’m a HUGE fan of Scentsy scented wax bars and their adorable bulb warmers. I USED to be a big fan of flame candles, that is, until I had a toddler… oh and that major gas leak in our garage a few months ago that could have caused a huge fire in our home (or worse!) had I been burning one of my Bath & Body Works candles instead of running my Scentsy warmer. (Thank God we are all ok and got out in time and we had all the leaking pipes replaced, but here’s a reminder to get some natural gas detectors installed in your home!) In any case, I had been curious of course about Scentsy’s line of bath and body products from their “Layers” collection and liked the idea of having lotions and body sprays in some of my most favorite bar scents! But I was also skeptical as well… Would these products last as long as say, a comparable brand such as Bath & Body Works and could they hold a candle (hehehe, corny pun, I know!) to my high-end fragrance creams and sprays from the department store? Plus, scent-factor aside, how well did these products work to condition and clean my skin? You know I had to give them a try!

Scentsy Layers Bath & Body Haul

First up, Layers Body Lotion in Luna ($10.00 for 8oz/230g), a smooth, creamy lotion I used on my arms, legs and body… not too thick but not very runny either. Honestly… this stuff feels like SILK gliding over your skin! It sheers out super easily and absorbs really well into your skin so you don’t feel like it’s sitting on top and not penetrating to work it’s magic. It leaves my legs with a nice glow- no sparkles or anything like that- it’s just that I do get a lot of moisture from one application and my skin looks dewy and glowing, again, without leftover residue. I know it’s keeping my skin soft and moisturized, especially after shaving my legs and especially in this cold pre-winter weather! And the scent? Ahhh… I LOVE Luna! It’s a floral scent with jasmine, sweet pea and freesia but add some juicy berries and a touch of sandalwood. A fresh, yet decadent fragrance. I HIGHLY recommend this scent. I also think it might be one of Scentsy’s most popular or best-selling in their Layers line. And how did the scent last on me throughout the day? Actually surprisingly well for something that really soaked into my skin with no residue. In fact, when I took my jeans off at the end of the day- I could smell Luna on them and still on my legs. Lovely! This was MY FAVORITE product from the line and I will for sure be ordering more scents!

Scentsy Layers Body Lotion in Luna

Next up, Layers Body Spray in Luna ($8.00 for 4.4fl oz/130mL) and their Layers Hand Sanitizer in Lucky in Love ($9.00 for 0.3fl oz/8.87mL). I have the body spray in Luna because I like to pair my body creams and perfumes- I always think it helps the scent last longer on your body. Clearly that’s the major reason Scentsy named the line Layers: you “layer” each product from their shower gel or bath tablets to their body lotions and top it off with their body sprays for a pleasant experience. I’ll start off by saying I liked the body spray- the scent was exactly the same as the lotion which is great: no inconsistencies there. I also compared the scent to my wax bar in Luna and again, very consistent. I liked the pump spray tip which dispensed a perfect misty cloud around me and I found I only needed one or two pumps to get the job done. No residual scent of rubbing alcohol either- I hate when body sprays have that chemical smell mixed in with them. My only complaint with this body spray is that it didn’t last as long and wasn’t as potent as the body lotion. I wore both independently of each other for a few days before combining them in that “layered” routine and I felt I got better scent results with the body lotion and it lasted longer on my skin than the spray. Now, that might be a very good thing for those of you who are afraid of of strong perfumes and get headaches easily from scented bath and body products. You might like a light and airy mist around you that won’t linger all day and that’s so strong that you feel like you’re choking on it. I just personally prefer perfume formulas over body sprays for the reason that I really want those one or two pumps to last me a good 6+ hours. I actually don’t even own any body sprays, aside from Luna, because I’d rather just buy the perfumed version if they have it. Which, unfortunately, Scentsy does not offer at this time. That’s my hope: they’ll release a stronger perfume version that I can buy. Until then, on days when I am wearing Luna body spray, I just freshen up and put some more on when I’m in my bedroom next to my perfumes and then I’m good again. I also like to spray this on right before I hop into bed. Hubby thinks I smell sexy…

Layers Body Spray in Luna and Hand Sanitizer in Lucky In Love

Their hand sanitizer is FANTASTIC! And for multiple reasons! #1: It too, is in a pump spray so it’s not some messy, slimy gel that slides right off your hands when you’re fiddling with the cap, your purse and your fussy, wiggly toddler. #2: It dries super quickly and still gets the job done by killing germs, plus you’re left with a wonderful fragrance on your hands. #3: I not only can spray it on our hands when we are out and about, but I can also spray it on my daughter’s toys and stuff animals she’s always carting around. That last one may not be what Scentsy had intended for their hand sanitizer, but hey, it works for me! I got the scent Lucky in Love: a sweet bouquet of mandarin, bergamot and orange with hints of peaches and berries. Similar to Luna, but I wanted to try something with fruity notes. Love this one as well. Again, I highly recommend this product and I’ve been using it for about three weeks now, sometimes three times a day, and I still have a good amount left in the bottle. This will last me for awhile.

Layers Hand Soap in Luna

On the topic of hand sanitizing, I also tried out Layers Hand Soap in Luna ($6.00 for 8fl oz/236 mL) for my bathroom sink. Another great product from Scentsy! It cleans really well: as some of you know, I’m a fine artist and graphic designer, so my hands are always covered in some kind of paint or pen ink… and makeup too! I have no issues pumping out a small amount like in the photo above and scrubbing my hands and fingers together to get everything off. This stuff works awesome. And it’s got that wonderful, consistent smell of Luna that lingers after I wash and dry my hands. It hasn’t “gunked up” my sink area either and the pump bottle works great and just looks so cute too with it’s curved, plump shape. Next purchase will be their Layers Shower Gel because if I like this hand soap so much, and it hasn’t dried out my hands, then I’ll probably love their shower gel for my whole body.

I also received a sample of their Layers Bath Tablet in Enchanted Mist too, which was a nice surprise. I like this scent a lot: a romantic blend of juicy apples, enhanced and sweetened by rose petals and rich jasmine. I don’t take baths too often but I did for the purpose of my review and I loved how decadent my tub smelled when I dropped into the hot water. My skin did feel a little softer than usual when I dried off so that was a bonus as well. It’s a treat if you’re a big fan of taking baths! I’d like to maybe try their French Lavender tabs sometime! I bet those are great after a long, stressful day!

Finally, even though it’s not “beauty-related”, I thought I should mention a little bit about Scentsy’s Layers Laundry collection. It’s based on the same principle as their bath and body line: you layer the products as you go about doing your laundry to get an awesome fragrance on all of your clean clothes, towels and bedding.

Scentsy Laundry Layers Collection in Scentsy Clean

I tried samples of their Laundry Liquid, Washer Wiffs and Dryer Disk in the scent Scentsy Clean which smells like white florals with a touch of spring: everything that fresh, clean laundry should be! Very impressed with all three! First I used their laundry liquid: a high-efficiency laundry detergent that is ultra-concentrated. It delivers the perfect amount of fragrance and packs as much punch in a few easy pumps as a capful of my old detergent. The formula supposedly transforms the way cleaning agents bond with dirt and stains, lifting and washing them away and leaving every load of laundry super fresh and clean. Then I added a small amount of Washer Whiffs directly to my washer drum. They’re basically pure indulgence: extra fragrance that enhanced my load. And finally, when the laundry came out of my washing machine and went into my dryer, I added their Dryer Disk, another added bonus to infuse my clothes with scent for up to fifteen loads. After all was said and done and I began folding my laundry upstairs in our bedroom, my husband came in and said, “Wow! The clothes smell GREAT! New detergent?” I found the scent has lasted on our clothes and towels much longer than my usual Tide does. Plus my bedroom smelled great hours after I had put everything away. As for the cleaning power: everything looked great and felt super soft and ready to be worn. I am impressed with Scenty’s Layers Laundry collection, that’s for sure! And I love the fresh, clean scent too!

Overall, I think Scentsy did a fantastic job with their Layers line of bath and body products and laundry products! I love the fact that I can pair scents together and match them with my favorite wax bars I buy for my warmers in the house. Scentsy has high quality products: I’m always impressed by their packaging and how well everything has held up over time. I find their wax bars last longer and smell stronger than my old candles and I have found that their Layers Bath & Body collection is indeed a better value and quality compared to Bath & Body Works and very comparable to my high-end department store bath and body products, save for the body spray, which was not as long-lasting as I had wished (in fairness, I cannot really compare it to a perfume formula) but still a wonderful spray that can be used a few times throughout the day to make it stronger. I love the concept of “layering” all of these products to create the best fragrance experience! After all, Scentsy knows fragrance and it’s never a disappointment! I’m excited to try more items from these collections and I will most certainly post updates to keep you all informed!

As for purchasing, you may or may not know that Scentsy is a multi-level marketing company so you’ll need to order your products through a rep that works for the company. In my case, I have a friend Katy Hawalka who is an Independent Scentsy Consultant and she’s been fantastic with helping me order my waxes and warmers and now bath, body and laundry products! In fact, for the 2014 holiday season, I ordered a bunch of Gallery Warmers with the logo of my advertising business on them to send to all my clients with a wax bar in the scent “Thank You”. I think they’ll love this holiday gift and it will make their offices smell great! Katy is super sweet, never pushy (which I love), and is very knowledgeable about all Scentsy has to offer. You can tell she loves this company and loves what she does for a living. She’s passionate and friendly and I highly recommend you give her a call at 732-266-7019 or reach out to her on her Facebook page if you have any questions about any of the awesome products Scentsy has to offer! And please, feel free to leave me a comment below and let me know if you have ever tried any Scentsy products, especially ones from their Layers collections and how you’ve been liking them!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stay tuned… I have a MASSIVE makeup blog sale coming up soon!
xo,
Kathleen

Tawes Creek Soap Company Review

For a few weeks now, I’ve had the pleasure of testing and trying out some great samples from Tawes Creek Soap Company, a small, handcrafted soap and beauty product business located here in NJ. Carol and her daughter Erin are friends of a close friend of mine and when my first daughter was born last year, I received some samples of baby products from their “Sapling” line to try with my girlfriend who also has a baby the same age. I immediately LOVED everything we tried (and not just for use on my little one! Even my husband was loving the creams and lotions!) so I knew I had to place a full order for some of my favorites.

When I contacted Carol recently to tell her how much I particularly LOVED her “Baby Bump Butter” and that I wanted to purchase a full size, she gave me more information about how awesome and unique their company and products really are compared to soaps, lotions and creams I was buying from mass retailers. Then she sent me a ton of awesome, deluxe size samples with my order so I could test out even more of their offerings! I knew I had to blog about Tawes Creek at that moment because it’s very rare in this day and age to come across a company, even a small business, who not only puts out excellent products that work but a company who really does care about their customers!

Take a peek at all the goodies that came with my recent purchase:

Tawes Creek Soap Company Samples

First, my favorite two items and what I had ordered from their website, Baby Bump Butter and Whipped Mango Body Butter:

Tawes Creek Body Butters

I could rave about this stuff forever! Their Baby Bump Butter ($9.95 for 2 oz.) is made with cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil and sweet almond oil and is originally intended for use during pregnancy on your “bump” to help protect and nourish your tummy while preventing stretch marks. However, this past winter into the spring, I was using my small sample (which lasted a longgg time!) on my cracked hands as well as some slight eczema on my daughter’s legs and arms. Worked like a charm! No other lotion or cream- not even my organic pricy baby brands- could help clear away her dry patches but this stuff did the trick within a matter of days. And if I switched back to my other creams for her, the dry skin would make an appearance again! See how creamy it is and it melts right into your skin in the photo above? Just love it! The scent is ah-maz-ing too! Their Whipped Mango Body Butter (also $9.95 for 2 oz.) has been great this summer for relieving insect bites as well as healing skin rash and peeling after sunburn! I expected it to have a really fruity scent but it has more of a “natural” light scent so if you shy away from anything mango, you might want to try this anyway because mango butter has some fantastic properties to it that are really beneficial to your skin!

Tawes Creek Soap Company Samples

Next up, Tawes Creek’s soaps, powder, facial masks and creams and body scrubs! I’d say Tawes is most known for their wonderful handmade soaps and they offer a huge variety on their site. I was lucky enough to try a lot of them thanks to Carol, but hands-down, my most favorite of the bunch has to be “Waimea Bay”!!! One sniff and you’ll know why I’m so in love! Tropical, sweet, yet clean and fresh at the same time… Ahhh I could use this in my shower every day! I’m actually all out now so I’ll need to place a new order soon but I love the way this soap conditioned my skin, never left it feeling dry or filmy and I never noticed any residue left on my shower walls either, which is a pet peeve of mine with other bars of soap. I also enjoyed the soap called “Jersey Fresh” because it reminds me of the ocean and salt water air scent down here at the shore where I live! All of Tawes Creek’s soaps are very moisturizing and have soft scents that are not overpowering. Give them a try- you won’t be disappointed!

As for their body and foot scrubs, another hit! I plan on using these more in the winter when I get dry skin, but I did like the way the Menthol Foot Scrub felt on my feet when I worked it in- very relaxing after a long day! What I am using a lot during the hot summer months is their Rose Geranium Body Powder right after I get out of the shower. Sprinkle a tiny bit of this on your upper back, shoulders and décolletage… you won’t be sweaty as the day goes on! It’s light and refreshing with a hint of rose scent, which you all know I love, and the best part? TALC FREE!

I did enjoy using the samples of Tawes Creek’s face creams and masks and they never made me break out, which is a blessing because I have acne-prone, oily skin and always have a terrible time finding face products that won’t irrate my skin! My favorite from the bunch? Their Silky Face & Body Cream which I will say is a VERY CLOSE DUPE to LUSH’s Vanishing Cream which goes for $40+! The light weight feel was so nice and I loved how it gave me instant moisture where I needed it! I plan on trying out some other face creams from Tawes in the near future because I want to see how I’ll do after using them a good month or so. Will keep you updated!

Other awesome samples that Carol gave me to try and I loved were their yummy cocoa butter and coconut oil lip balm and Ladies Shave Soap, which, you guessed it, is a bar of soap that you use to lather up your legs or underarms and then you have a nice, thick foam to protect your skin while saving. She also let my husband try the men’s version and he loved it! Same wonderful, all-natural ingredients found in their soaps but with a foaming property that feels so cool when you apply! The only sample I have yet to try and I’m excited about is their Tub Tea which you drop in your bath right before getting in and it will not only soothe and nourish your skin, but the aromatherapy provided by the natural ingredients will help your mind start to relax as well. I just haven’t found the time to take an actual bath yet with my busy schedule and chasing my 15 month old around but I plan on doing so soon!

Overall, I am super impressed by all of these wonderful samples that Carol from Tawes Creek Soap Company gave to me after my recent order and I highly recommend checking out their website, www.tawescreeksoap.com, if you’re interested in any of the products I’ve mentoned today in my post. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have about a particular product, as I probably left out a few details here and there but I didn’t want to make this post too long. And Carol is so lovely to speak with, so I know you can message her through their site or on their Facebook page as well and she’ll get right back to you. If you do end up trying anything, please come back and leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts! I love hearing what other’s think about products I’m passionate about and have thoroughly enjoyed! Thanks so much for stopping by!