Cheap but fancy bath / shower gels?

[rougechaotic]

I'm looking to put some bits and pieces in our guest bathrooms and want some affordable yet fancy looking/smelling shower/bath gel – basically the Aesop vibe without the Aesop price tag! Any suggestions?

Also, any suggestions of what to put in guest bathrooms would be great – I have some spare toothbrushes, toothpaste, am getting some shower gel... anything else I should put in there? Or that you really like when in a guest bathroom?

I bought four amber glass bottles with pumps in them from eBay. They are labelled and filled- tresemme shsmpoo and conditioner and Waitrose value brand grapefruit shower gel and bubble bath- they are cheap and easy to refill!

Alternatively, M&S apocethary (cannot spell it!!) range smells very much like Aesop- especially the ‘calm’ fragrance.

Have a rummage in TKMaxx, they always have a nice toiletries.

Little soap from Waitrose looks similar and much cheaper (but not cheap cheap)

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/little-soap-handsoap-pure-rose-geranium/634020-454288-454289

But while I was checking out what Aesop looked like, I found what is probably the most MN product ever, Aesop post poo drops, £20 for something to disguise the smell so you can pretend that your poo doesn't leave a smell

http://www.everythingspeachy.co.uk/product/aesop-all-natural-post-poo-drops/

Good quality dispensers/bottles are the answer, then just test out the options on the high street. At the cheapest end of the market, the Aldi Jo Malone and Primark dupes are popular and Waitrose Essentials have nice smelling shower gels. M&S, Le Petit Olivier, Le Petit Marsellais are a bit more expensive. John Lewis stocks lots of mid priced brands like Crabtree & Evelyn, Roger & Gallet< Claus Porto, Ortigia. T K Maxx often have bargains. IME unisex cologne type scents are most popular and smell expensive! I really love Alvarez Gomez Agua de Colonia. It's similar to the classic Acqua Di Parma Colonia (lavender, lemon, rosemary, thyme, geranium). Liberty used to sell it in their bath department (rather than the perfumerie).
https://www.beautytheshop.com/uk/hygiene/bath-and-shower/shower-gels-and-soaps/alvarez-gomez-agua-de-colonia-concentrada-shower-gel-300ml-4

If you like the brown glass bottle look, you can easily buy the bottles (both glass and plastic) online. I use a mix of antique and new apothecary jars and bottles. I bought the new ones from here:

https://www.ampulla.co.uk

If you are using them for products that have a shelf life once they are opened shown on the container (eg body lotion), you should sterilise the bottles/jars in the dishwasher or with Milton fluid before filling/refilling.

We swear by Aldi own brand. Put in dispensers if you want to disguise