Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash, Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion, Review

I hope you are having a wonderfun week. No it is not a typo, so silly but this is a word I just made up. I am sure usually weeks are not too much fun but hey, today is the hump day, so hang in there.

Having done with almost all the Summer Collection Reviews, I have some fun reads like skin care, perfumes and some fluffy brushes coming up next. I also would like to review a few more items I picked up in Japan and USA during my travel month of this year, April that was. 

Recently Jo Malone London extended their Bath & Body range to offer Shampoo, Conditioner, Hand & Body Wash and Lotions with their popular fragrances. You can double or triple your signature scent in any of these products to increase the intensity and longevity by using Hand & Body Wash, apply Lotion and finally spray some Cologne of the same scent. Even more fun is to be more experimental and combine and layer different scents as you desire. Today I would like to share a combination I am loving it at the moment... Right after the jump.

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash, Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion

Are you an evening or morning showerer? I alternate between the two. I actually like showering in the morning more, but since I scheduled my exercise after I come from work, I started washing my hair and taking a shower right after that in the evening. In the morning sometimes I desperately need to get under the water to wake up. A short spa moment in the morning is all I need to have a good start in the day. For that I love fresh scents which linger in the bathroom and radiate from the skin even after the shower. 

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin is a long lasting citrusy fragrance with a touch of bitterness. It has masculine and green elements in it such as a good deal of Vetiver and Pachouli. When I spray it alone as cologne, it is a bit too masculine for my taste and a little bitter. It is hard to describe why I am drawn to it so much though. It is very distinctive and addictive too. While in Cologne form I am still experimenting with combinations, I found that as Body & Hand Wash Lime Basil & Mandarin is one of my all time favorite scents. 

The freshness, the distinctive and long lasting properties are just right in this concentration. The base notes of Vetiver and Pachouli are less pronounced too. Even after I go out of the shower, the bathroom smells divine and the scent still radiates from my skin for almost an hour and more. It is still fresh in a bitter way but not overwhelmingly so. Nevertheless if you want to make it a bit more feminine and to warm it up a little, layering is a great option... 

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash, Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion

Like adding a spoon of sugar in your lemonade, why not sweeting things up a bit? I am usually not into sweet fruity scents but in this heavenly combination of bitter and fresh topped up with a touch of fruit and honey, it becomes my description of heaven in the bathroom. Right after the shower, I treat myself with Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion. I sometimes add just one or two sprays of Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne to make sure it lasts as long as Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion. During hot summer days, I am done with just this very light but refreshing combination without using an additional perfume which can be amplified and become unpleasant with heat and humidity. 

Now a few words about the packaging.  Body & Hand Wash and Lotions come in generous 250 ml sizes and last for a long time. There is a protection plastic under the push dispenser. I wished it would be locked by twisting the dispenser other than by using a separate plastic for that. In case your shower doesn't have a stand to put them on, it is hard to hold the rather giant bottle in one hand and push with the same hand onto your other hand. I like the stripes of the design on these and the fact that they are loyal to the Jo Malone minimalistic packaging. 

About the formulas, Body & Hand Wash has a nice consistency, not too watery nor too thick. It doesn't make way too many bubbles, which I prefer. As a hand wash it also works perfectly and doesn't dry my hands although many liquid products does on me. Body and Hand Lotion is a lighter version of their body creams. It is easy to apply, glides on nicely and it is absorbed quite fast. It is a light weight lotion, especially nice for humid and warm weather when body cream would be too much. 

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash, Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion

Final thoughts: When it is too hot and humid, I don't find myself reaching for perfumes, not even EdT. The new products in Jo Malone Bath & Body range offers alternative ways to smell divine even when not wearing an additional fragrance. My favorite combination is citrusy fresh and a little bitter Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash with fruity and sweet Nectarine Blossom & Honey. I am intrigued by the shampoo and the conditioner too. All in all I love the new offerings in the range for more layering and more fun. 

The range is now available at Jo Malone Counters and online retailers. Body & Hand Wash (250 ml) costs around 30€ and Body and Hand Lotions (250ml) are around 45€. 

Do you combine your fragrances with matching shower gel and lotion? Do you use these options alone when it is too hot and humid as your daily fragrance?

Disclaimer: The products in this post were provided free of charge for my consideration. 
I am not paid for this review. All opinions are honest and my own.