What’s In My Shower?

Hi friends!

So today I thought I’d give you all a bit of a peek into my shower. Nothing too saucy, sadly. Sozzie! This was initially going to be a ‘what’s in my bathroom?’ post, but then I realised that that would include the shower, cabinet AND the shelving in front of the mirror (a bonus in our house), and then everything just got a bit out of hand!

Luckily, I whittled it down to solely shower products today, and seeing them all spread out on my kitchen table has me swelling with pride/hyperventilating a little. Every time I’m in there, I get a teensy bit overwhelmed by all of the stuff I have to use, but mostly it’s just heaven for me. As you know, I am trying to use up a lot of my products (so that I can buy new ones…?) so I’ve just chucked everything in there to encourage myself to finish some things. We don’t have the biggest bathroom cabinet/shower shelving (who does?) but I’ve certainly made the most of our limited room!

So… what’s in my shower?

(Firstly, a quick PSA: I took the initial photo on our table during the daytime, and then realised how wordy this post was and that I would need to include more photos… which I didn’t have. And I surely couldn’t leave you waiting! Cue a panic photo session on my bathroom floor  this evening with a little bit of contrast to brighten them up a bit. Dat’s it. Just wanted to be clear that I wasn’t trying to fool you and that I didn’t think you wouldn’t notice! My readers be smart, yo!)

Firstly, you may notice the giant bottle of Head and Shoulders 2-in-1 Shampoo in the top left corner. Yes, that’s a thing in our house. Gav loves this stuff and swears by it, and to be honest I’ve sort of become a bit of a convert. Well, I mean to say I’m not so snobby about it now and I realise that it actually works. The reason for this is the secret ingredient… zinc! As y’all know, I love my zinc, and it is so important for keeping my skin clear. This shampoo actually seriously minimises any flaking (cough dandruff) I experience, which can only be a good thing.

Next, is my Nature Republic Skin Smoothing Grapefruit Body Scrub. I loooove the smell of this stuff. It is so fruity and tangy and not too overpowering. As with most bottled scrubs, I find it a little bit abrasive and have to be gentle using it. However, for rough areas such as elbows and knees it is perfect, and once diluted with water it’s fine. It’s just delicious. Yummy.

Besides that you may notice Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturizing Body Oil. Most of you will have had some experience with their (in my opinion) delicious body butter, and this is the body oil to complement that if you’re into layering your scents. I have become a fan of body oils, and this is a nice creamy one to use that leaves your skin feeling moisturised and supple. Gav isn’t a fan of the scent, and although it is slightly different to the actual body butter, I quite like it and actually really enjoy using his rejects!

Moving across the top, you will see Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash. I think Gav bought this in a 1+1 deal and it is basically just a nice, calming body wash. I actually don’t use this too much (because I am so stressed trying to finish up my other products… so maybe I should) but it seems to do the job. Not too much to comment here, sadly!

That nondescript white bottle in the middle is none other than Muji Face Soap. Yep, that’s it. No wonder boosting, wrinkle-annihilating, retin-A H2O-miracle needle-injection potion for the famously lowkey Muji. What you see is what you get, and it is just face soap, right? I love Muji on principle, ever since my first visit to Japan last year where I saw their bangin’ fragrance diffusers and fell in love at first sniff. This is the first of their skincare products to try (although I have a few waiting in my cupboard…) and it’s… nice. It is a foaming face soap which is probably meant for hardier skin than mine, as I do find it dries me out a little bit if I use too much. However, it is fragrance-free and quite gentle, which I like. I probably wouldn’t repurchase this, just because I need to be really careful with what I use, but after pre-cleansing with a moisturising oil, it works fine for me.

Next to this one you will see Innisfree Camellia Magic Styling Shampoo which I have actually just started using… and don’t really love, to be honest. This is meant for straight hair, and mine is kinda wavy, and that may have nothing at all to do with anything but it just seems to be drying out my hair but leaving it a bit limp and greasy at the same time. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it seems to be managing it! As I write this, my hair has somehow become frizzy on the ends and greasy up top, and I’m in the mood to blame this product. However, this could of course just be a personal thing and it could be fine on different hair types. Moreover, the perceived shortcomings of this shampoo is giving me even more of a boost to take the plunge into the #nopoo movement… perhaps a blog post will be coming on that soon!

You may also be eyeing off that delicious-looking bottle of pure gold body oil, and yes, that’s L’Occitane‘s Almond Body Oil. Heavens to Murgatroyd Batman, this stuff’s fantastic! This is un/fortunately Gav’s product, which I bought for him (Girlfriend of the Year much?!), and although I have an open invitation to use it, I often feel bad using up something so luxurious. It feels amazing on the skin, and you do only need a little bit so it lasts quite a long time. This oil is so smooth and smells… almondy? It’s really yummy and it lathers so nicely. I have never really used a body oil before Korea (the Palmer’s one came after this), but hey, this place is a world of firsts for me! I can’t get over how much more moisturised my skin feels after doing so. At approximately AUD$36 a bottle it’s expensive, but it actually works. As is the case with most L’Occitane products, if you’re in the market for absolute pampering, this is the one for you.

That little pink bottle (aww!) is Etude House‘s Milk Talk Strawberry Body Wash. So sweet, la~! As you may have guessed, I love things with a strawberry scent and this is no different. I basically bought this when EH were having a sale, and I know I keep banging on about how I don’t love them and then turn up with their products on here, but I am quite enjoying this one. It’s sweet, it’s cute and it works!

That fancy-looking green bottle is none other than Nature Republic‘s (who else?) Professional Pro Intense Hair Pack. One thing I have learned since moving to Korea is that I need to get my reviews and recommendations of products out FAST… because soon enough they will stop making them. Seriously, you have to be quick. Some, like Skinfood’s bestselling Black Sugar Mask, last for 10 years while others fall by the wayside. It’s just how it is. The fast and the furious. #thuglyf. This one, sadly, is one of the victims of time and although I’m not sure if there is any point reviewing it any more, I’m just going to go ahead and do it anyway (quickly, I promise!). 

This is a wash-off treatment for damaged hair (guilty) and is super thick and rich. I actually use this in place of my conditioner sometimes, as it does the job on its own. While I haven’t found anything particularly outstanding about it, it does its job and I enjoy using it. I am actually really excited to try Nature Republic’s Argan Essential hair collection. They started with the Argan Essential Hair Treatment, which I bought a while ago and haven’t yet used (oops!) and they have since rolled out a whole range including shampoo, conditioner and wax. I tend to love anything with Argan oil (see here) and so can’t wait to get my paws into this!

I really love Nature Republic‘s Chamomile Cleansing Oil and have been using this twice daily. It has a smooth consistency and a nice mild (chamomild?) scent. I’ve never used a face oil before, and I found in summer when I tried to use this my face turned into The Oil Slick of Doom. However, with this dry-ice winter here (which is thankfully pretty much over!) this cleansing oil did a great job cleansing and moisturising my face at once. I admit that I am yet to try a cleansing oil I don’t like (as this is my first…) but this seems like a good’un to me ^^

What’s that familiar-looking bottle tucked in the side there? Oh why that’s Dove’s Damage Therapy Deep Moisture Conditioner. I bought this soon after arriving here, when I was young and naive and had no idea about the greatness of Korean products. Little did I know that they would CHANGE MY LIFE. I guess it was just a panic buy (and a fairly expensive one at that, for what it is). I didn’t use it for ages, but have since decided to try and use it up and have found myself quite enjoying it. I am sure it is loaded with silicone and other chemicals, but it does leave my hair feeling silky and conditioned. I am surprisingly happy with this product, which is always a nice feeling!

I’ve also got a tub of Skinfood‘s Rice Wash-Off Mask, which I bought a while ago and still haven’t quite finished, although I really like it. It smells so fresh and is quite a gentle exfoliator/mask. I sort of gently rub it in circles around my face and then rinse off, and my skin always feels really clean and smooth afterwards. This is a good alternative to their aforementioned Black Sugar Mask if you have really sensitive skin or don’t like that granular feeling (even for a little bit!). When I first started using this mask, it occasionally made my skin tingle a tad, but that doesn’t happen now. Plus I have the most sensitive skin ever. Let me just remind you of that. However, after the initial adjustment period it now feels like heaven on my skin and it smells so delicious! Mmm, rice ^^

And that’s all, folks! Phew, I’m beat! I hope you enjoyed this sneaky peak into my bathroom shower and I would love to hear any recommendations you have for products (as I surely need more). I am hoping to do a Part 2 soon, delving into the creamy, dreamy, well-fragranced depths of my bathroom cabinet, so look out for that one. I hope this was of some help/interest to you and of course I would love to hear what products you love as well!

SHOP THE POST:

Until next time,

Steph x