I'm a Beauty Editor With Expensive Taste, But I Still Buy These Cheap Products
My name is Eleanor, and I love a luxury bath product. An indulgent bath can bring so much joy, and it's the ultimate way to relax. I love to incorporate aromatherapy into my bath time to help me get a better night's sleep or just to clear my mind or soothe tired muscles. However, I'm always drawn to luxe bath products like body scrubs, fancy bodywashes or an indulgent body butter—anything that looks good on my bathtub shelf, smells divine or has a beautiful texture.
I'm lucky in my role as a beauty editor that I'll occasionally be sent products to test. However, I'll be honest, if I didn't work in the job I have, there's no way I'd be dropping over £20 for a body product. Let's be real; I'm running out of my Jo Malone London Hand Soap, and you can best believe it will be refilled with Curex in a matter of days.
The thing is, while I'm more than willing to invest and splash out on efficacious skincare, I'm less willing to on bath and body products. I want my skincare to do the hard graft, whereas I just want my body products to smell nice and feel luxurious to use, without the huge price tag. Because at the end of the day, our bath products mostly end up down the drain, so I like to spend less money here. My happy middle-ground is choosing something which will still look chic in my bathroom, but make far less of a dent in my bank account than some of the more premium brands.
One brand has totally nailed this balance, and that is & Other Stories. If you've spotted the products in store, you'll know that the products still look pretty and luxe, and while not as cheap as your regular shower gel, they're certainly more affordable if you want something a bit more elevated in your bathroom.
So, what are the best & Other Stories bath and body products to try? From bodywashes to hand soaps and body scrubs to lotions, I've shared some of my favourites below.
If the glorious texture of this body scrub from the photo alone doesn't convince you, I don't know what else will. It buffs away dead skin to leave skin silken and the scent is also incredible. Perle de Coco smells of holidays, with milky coconut, bamboo, creamy vanilla and tonka bean for an indulgent scent.
The corresponding body wash in the same delicious scent also deserves a mention, which has a subtle pearl shimmer and creates a moisturising lather. It's almost too pretty to use.
The perfumer (or nose) behind several of & Other Stories' scents has also created fragrances for Byredo, Phlur and Vilhelm Parfumerie. So, if you want a luxe scent at a fraction of the cost of expensive hand soaps, then I'd recommend this one. Arabesque Wood is fresh and clean smelling, with lemon, ginger and watery notes up top, before mellowing into earthy amber, moss and agarwood. It makes for a perfect hand soap and hand lotion as it's refreshing, a little bit woody, but not overpowering.
I'd add the matching hand wash to my basket, which leaves hands delicately scented and looks stylish on any basin.
Love a heady and mysterious scent? I'd recommend anything from the Sardonyx Fire fragrance range. It's all amber, wild vanilla and wild flowers, which make for a beautifully intoxicating scent. A body lotion is the ideal way to wear a heavier scent if you find a perfume too strong, and this body soufflé has such a luxurious texture that feels way more expensive than its price tag.
Prefer a lighter body lotion? This lightweight one in the same scent sinks in quickly while leaving limbs moisturised.
This might be one of my favourite scents from & other Stories. As the name suggests, the fragrance transports you to sunny Sicily, relaxing among the lemon groves. This body mist delicately scents your skin with zesty lemon and grapefruit, before drying down to sun-basked cedarwood and amber. Sprtiz whenever you need a pick-me-up.
& Other Stories hand creams are really hydrating (that will be the shea butter, macadamia seed oil, and sweet almond oil) and they're the perfect size for throwing in your bag or keeping on your bedside table.
If you want an uplifting shower wash to help awaken your senses in the mornings, then pick up a bottle of the Miami Muse body wash. It's an optimistic mix of guava, pink pepper, raspberry blossom, tempered with musk, patchouli and just a hint of pink cotton candy.
Meadowfoam seed oil, Macadamia oil and sweet almond oil leave skin velvety soft, and this Havana Blues scent is a luxe mix of wild fig, black pomegranate, jasmine petals, patchouli and cedarwood.
The hue of this body scrub drew me initially, but the scent is just as pretty. Delicate mimosa mingles with bergamot and musk to leave skin delicately scented and polished thanks to the sugar crystals.
If you want to elevate your bath time, then you can't go wrong with a scented candle to set the mood for a bit of R&R. & Other Stories candles are seriously chic and elevate any bathroom, Punk Bouquet is a moody floral that's perfect for unwinding in the evenings.
This herbaceous hand soap is the perfect addition to your kitchen sink or bathroom basin. Not only does the bottle look far more expensive than it's price tag, but the verbena scent is so refreshing and uplifting.
Up Next, These Budget Skincare Buys Are Just as Good as the Expensive Versions
Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.
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