To wish The Body Shop were back in all its 1970s glory?

[SabineUndine]

Honestly, all the earlier talk about baths has got me going. I've got Bayliss and Harding strawberry and pomegranate shower soap but it's not Body Shop strawberry body wash with sea salt. Oh, how I miss the multifarious bath gunges they used to do.

Passion fruit cleansing gel, that smell reminds me so much of 90s nights out. Our local one is always empty and the staff all rush towards you if you venture in.

I used to adore the Body Shop. My husband still gets White Musk for Men every anniversary

But echoing what pp have said, going in to the Body shop nowadays is a bit of a weird experience. The shops are ALWAYS empty and the salesgirls always approach you as soon as you enter, with a very friendly and sometimes over-familiar approach, which comes across as an air of faint desperation to engage you in conversation and secure a sale.
I don't really enjoy going in there anymore. Sad.

I would shop at Lush but I hate their anti-hunting policitising.

I still have a bottle of White Musk - I still love the smell, it takes me right back to my youth!

Bought some body butters last week. Bought the little 50ml pots on 3 for 2 and it still came on at £12, which is way too pricey imo.

I'd be surprised if it lasted much longer. The generation who remember them fondly might buy stuff out of nostalgia but they aren't capturing the love of the younger generation as they have no usp anymore.

Satsuma body and bath goo
Honey lip balm (burts bees do a very near copy though)

And those little animal soaps!

I used to drag my school stuff round in a body shop canvas bag too

I can't afford it anymore! I find lush way over perfumed though

I loved Cosmetics to Go! They did a fab bubble bath in the winter (Hot Toddy?) which guaranteed a good night's sleep. it was just so warming and wonderful.

I think it was me who personally brought them down. They had this crazy policy of free shipping anywhere in the world so I used to send boxes to my DSis and DSil as well as cousins in the US & Canada. My sister would call me and say "Did you really spend fifty dollars on mailing bubble bath?!" Erm no, I didn't.

Also loved the Ginger perfume. Gorgeous. I do like Lush but find it a bit overwhelming.

Probably worth remembering that Anita Rodderick SOLD her company to L'Oreal quite some time ago. She was happy to take the money and hand over her company. The Body Shop has hardly 'sold out it's principles', it still is one of the few companies that vigorously doesn't test on animals, and is ethical in terms of packaging, sourcing, etc. All Body Shop stores are franchisees, so clearly people are still happy to buy into the brand.

All Body Shop stores are franchisees, so clearly people are still happy to buy into the brand

But not actually shop there.

If the money goes to L'Oreal (a company which tests on animals) then unfortunately it's understandable that people see it as selling out their principles

Probably worth remembering that Anita Rodderick SOLD her company to L'Oreal quite some time ago. She was happy to take the money The entire sum was given to charities - so much that when she died there was nothing left to inherit.

I think Anita Roddick thought that L"Oreal would uphold her principles. Many business owners do when they sell out to a larger firm. It very rarely lasts (Cadbury's buyers Kraft committing to staying in the UK?)

Ah the white musk and dewberry bath and shower ranges, along with the banana shampoo and conditioner! Also remember all the bath pearls, as well as the fruit-shaped soaps? I remember Body Shop being the go-to place for birthday presents for my school friends.

I do still use Body Shop for a few things - they do the only aftershave gel stuff that doesn't irritate my DH's face, so tend to bulk buy those when there's a good deal on (frequently get 40-50% discounts on O2 Priority moments). He also likes their peppermint foot stuff. Also some of their makeup is lovely - the lip and cheek stain, despite its lurid bright colour, actually looks lovely and not too bright on, and I found their brightening under-eye concealer as good as YSL for a better price. It is a pity they sold out to L'Oreal though

DS2 bought me a Body Shop Moringa body spray for my birthday recently. It really made me hark back to my teen years as it's got such an evocative smell. I've been using every day instead of my usual perfume!

Japanese Musk used to be my favourite perfume oil, loved the banana hair stuff, and the gorgeous body butters. My favourite thing ever though was the fat eye shadow crayons made of solid powder eyeshadow, not cream. They were just brilliant.
I was a Cosmetics To Go fan too, loved the blackberry bathbombs, the Milk soap and that deep green bath stuff called something like Smaragadeen. Getting a big parcel from them was such a big treat.
Haven't been in Body Shop for years, do buy in Lush, but they are expensive I think.

Oh yes to the ginger perfume - loved that too.

They used to do the most gorgeous smelling olive oil shampoo and conditioner as well. Tried to find some more but it's rare and it goes for a bomb on eBay now.

Oh yes, what a blast from the past this thread is! The ice blue shampoo, peppermint foot lotion, peanut butter type face mask... Oh how I loved my trips to the Body Shop when I was a teen.

These days I only buy the occasional chamomile eye make-up remover but when my bulk buy has run out I won't be buying any more because I'm uncomfortable that BS is owned by L'Oreal. I found a good blog recently where a woman experimented with making her own eye make-up remover. She recommends one made from witch hazel, oil and water so I'm going to try that.

"I am the proud owner of a 1960s spray bottle of Mary Quant's Havoc perfume. I sniff it now and then and it still smells exciting. Wonder if I'm sitting on a gold mine."

Wow! Maybe. I still have some of the Body Shop perfume oils in those tiny plastic bottles from 20+ years ago; dewberry, fuzzy peach, and vanilla. I don't wear them but give them a sniff from time to time. Except for the half used vanilla one they are virtually full!

I miss the brightly coloured shaped soaps - fruit shaped, dolphin shaped, etc.

The cosmetics to go cataloguey type A4 book was printed on really thick parchment type paper
And their stuff used to come in small packing crate type boxes with straw type stuff and tied with
Raffia I think.

They were a tiny little concern in Dorset? Can't quite remember sigh I feel really old today

My daughter loves the raspberry perfume they do now

Yes I think they were based in Poole Guilty

I love the Japanese Cherry Blossom perfume but thats about all and i order online to get a discount....ive taken my daughter into the branch in Norwich but get fed up of the over zealous assistants....on a side note...i dont ever remember Body Shop not being expensive but then i did grow up in a fairly poor household.

footle

You can still buy Havoc by Mary Quant. You just have to look for it

You can make your own japanese washing grains by grinding dried aduki beans in a coffee grinder

My grandmother gave me a bottle of strawberry body oil perfume for my 17th birthday and I still use it, over 20 years later! Granted I'm not the biggest perfume user, but still.

And it still smells great obviously!