Are you a bath or a shower person? For years the latter was seen as the quick and functional way of washing compared to a bath time’s luxurious lather up, but the best shower products can make your shower experience just as special—and one of them features on my birthday and Christmas wish lists every year.
As a beauty editor I’m lucky enough to get sent lots of lovely products to test out, but L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil is one I regularly rebuy and request from friends and family. The formula is divine; yes, it’s an oil, but not one that leaves a greasy film over your skin or has you slipping over the shower tiles. Instead it emulsifies into a milky lather that washes easily off the body yet somehow still leaves skin feeling soft even once you’ve towelled off.
But it’s the fragrance that I’m truly obsessed with. I’m a lifelong marzipan lover so its almond aroma was always going to win me over. Even if you’re not a fan of the sweet treat (apparently not everybody scoffs it by the slice like I do) I think you’ll still like this. It’s sweet, creamy and comforting, yet not at all sickly—like a slice of posh cake.
And speaking of posh, this is another reason why I think this shower oil makes a great gift. At around £20 for a 250ml bottle, it’s luxurious enough to look like you’ve made an effort (I’m not sure that wrapping up a bottle of Original Source would have the same wow factor...) yet not extortionate, and it’s easily available from L’Occitane’s high street stores and its website. You can also buy the 500ml bottle from Cult Beauty.
The original will always have my heart, but L’Occitane occasionally brings out limited-edition variations, such as the Almond and Flowers Shower Oil that's currently in my bathroom, in which fragrance notes of olive blossom and citrus are combined with the gourmand almond base. You can also complete your almond-flavoured ‘everything shower’ with the Almond Shower Scrub and Almond Milk Concentrate.
My one problem? Making sure that my boyfriend, who uses approximately a third of a bottle of body wash each time he showers, doesn’t get his hands on it. But if any loved ones are reading this, you know what to get me for my next birthday.
Other L'Occitane Almond products
Other beauty editor-approved shower oils
Working equally as well as added to a puff or sponge in the shower as poured into running water in the tub, this foaming gel from ESPA has a floral scent that smells like a luxury spa.
Aromatherapy Associates’ essential oils blends are iconic, and really do what they say on the tin. This one combines zingy grapefruit with neroli and juniper berry to create an energising start to the day.
