I don’t know when I became a huge sucker for the scent of lavender, but I seriously can’t get enough of it. I think the most interesting thing about lavender is that it rarely smells the same – as in, you can have a bunch of lavender scented products, but they will all smell different based on the type of lavender used, or the mix of scents. 

Yardley London and Yardley London Botanicals (yes, they are two different companies!) allow me to use this lovely scent in two forms: through the Yardley London English Lavender Luxury Body Wash and the Yardley London Botanicals NaturallyMoisturizing Botanical Soap. 

From first whiff, Yardley London's English Lavender Luxury Body Wash is a strongly scented lavender wash with many noes and undertones of other scents. I’m not that great with determining scents, but I can definitely smell the minty eucalyptus undertones and warm notes of patchouli. Although this body wash is strongly scented, it washes off and leaves your skin with a light lavender scent – perfect for the Spring/Summer. I find this body wash also quite moisturizing and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry – but dryness in body washes isn’t something I have concerns about and/or notice, so take this with a grain of salt if this is one of your concerns.

On the other hand, Yardley London Botanicals' English Lavender Naturally Moisturizing Botanical Soap is so, so, so delicately scented with a true lavender. If you gave me this soap without the packaging, I would think that it was a scent-free soap. I’m not saying there isn’t a scent – because there definitely is – but it’s just so subtle, and I actually really like it. I normally like heavily scented soaps, but sometimes it can be a bit much if I apply perfume after my show. Plus, my fiancé refuses to use fruity soaps so I have to keep one in my shower for when he comes over, which is like once a month. But because this lavender soap scent is so faint while being super moisturizing at the same time, I think it’s really great for everyday use, AND the faint scent won’t deter my fiancé from using it – so we saved a bit of soap space in the shower. It’s a win-win, yay!

Garnier’s Ombrelle line is no stranger to the sunscreen world, being one of the more popular choices for SPF protection. I’ll admit, I’m not a frequent user of sunscreen – only applying it when I know I’m going to be out all day in the blazing sun. But do as I say, and not as I do, and protect your skin! Thanks to Topbox, my skin was protected during my time at the cottage – and boy did I need it! It was SO sunny, and the clear waters reflected the bright sunlight, turning a supposedly chilly weekend into a fairly warm one. Because I had both the SPF 60 Complete and the SPF 50+ 100% Mineral sunscreens to try, I put one on each leg to test it out and compare.

The SPF 60 Complete is called complete because it’s an all in one sunscreen! It protects, absorbs quickly, and is waterproof – three factors that I consider very important when using sunscreen. It is also hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and colorant free. Its liquid consistency not only helps in the quick absorption, but it also allows an easy and even application. I find this sunscreen sort of creates a film when applied to the skin, which is barely noticeable on dry skin. On wet skin, however, it definitely creates a glossy effect so I could tell that it was still on after dunking my legs in the water and having a go at the skidoo.

Like the SPF 60 Complete, the SPF 50+ 100% Mineral, is also hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and colorant free. However, unlike the SPF 60 Complete, this sunscreen is not quick absorbing and is only water resistant for 80 minutes. If you don’t like white casts from sunscreen, do not buy this. This sunscreen’s main active ingredient is titanium dioxide, which according to the package is a natural sun filter. Titanium dioxide is also used in products to give it a white colour, such as soaps. Because of this, this sunscreen is extremely difficult to blend into the skin, and left my leg looking very pale.

Based on my experience using both the SPF 60 Complete and the SPF 50+ 100% Mineral sunscreens from Ombrelle, I would definitely recommend the SPF 60 Complete if you’re not conscious about ingredients in your skincare products. Otherwise, I would take a gander at other natural sunscreens brands, such as Bamboo, for ingredient conscious consumers.