Is anyone else just finished with The Body Shop?

[QuimReaper]

I "rediscovered" TBS about 5 years ago (having had them firmly pegged in my head as '90s purveyors of elephant-shaped soaps and "bath pearls") and found I really liked their stuff, have used them pretty consistently since then. I order several times a year, whenever they have a good offer on (which recently is all the time - as another poster put it earlier this year, soon they'll be paying us to use their products. Not a good omen) and buy people presents from there.

However, in the last year or so they have:

• Changed the eyebrow pencil I liked from a good stiff one to a useless smudgy crayon which literally looks like you've finger-painted your brows on with clay, and half the pencil is this gold "highlighter" thing which is a waste as it gets used at about 10% the rate of the eyebrow bit
• Discontinued my favourite Honey & Oat face mask, which they always touted as an OMG-bestseller and were frequently sold out of, until they abruptly discontinued it to usher in an inferior and much more expensive product
• Discontinued the Rainforest Volume shampoo & conditioner which I used to buy.

But the most recent and weirdest thing they've done is to the plain flannel headbands. I accidentally left mine in a hotel bathroom so nipped into my nearest Body Shop to buy a replacement, and found that they've changed it so that it's a bizarre, tiny little thing with no stretch, so you more or less break your nose and garrotte yourself trying to get it over your head That's such a basic product to get wrong, it suggests to me that they literally don't care any more. I was so cross about the headband that I actually marched it back into the store the next day for my £4 back on a matter of principle, and the shop staff passed it around amongst themselves in disbelief at the change. One of them was so convinced it must be a mistake that she took another one from the shelf out of its packet, but of course it was the same.

It's not even that I'm boycotting them (although I am) so much as that I've literally run out of products to buy from them. Every single thing I was loyal to has been changed or discontinued, the only thing left in their whole offering which appeals to me is shower gel, which I can get absolutely anywhere.

Is it just me?

Just remembered, I also used to love their beech lip liner, and the last one I bought just had no colour coming off it. I was dragging it over my lips to no avail. I complained online to them and just got a standard reply to say take it back into the shop if I wasn't happy with any product.

I like The Body Shop, but not all of the products, and I find it really expensive.

I was in a Body Shop on Tuesday (in Spain, where I live) and they had a petition against animal testing so, as some previous posters have mentioned, perhaps getting back to their noble roots? Let's hope so.

I always buy the peppermint foot scrub; it's a wonder product as far as I'm concerned. Delighted to see the product is identical now to 18 years ago when I started using it.

I used to buy Body Shop foundation but have stopped wearing foundation since two years ago so no idea if the product is still good. I liked it because it was light, kind of sheer, and moisturising.

I still use the Body Shop blusher on the rare occasions that I wear make-up.

I love the facial skincare but only buy it as a treat like if I get "birthday money" (and even then I tend to buy stuff that's reduced). The Vitamin E and Vitamin C ranges are lovely. My everyday skincare is No. 7 Protect and Perfect which I find highly effective and better value for money.

DH uses the ginger shampoo which is the only thing that works for his tender scalp psoriasis after years of expensive prescription treatments and other remedies from all over the globe. A friend with a formerly painfully tight, dry scalp says it's the only thing that works for her too.

Sometimes I buy the shower gels in the sale (3€) and all of the family like them although they're not really any different to using our usual Sanex / Petit Marsellais from the supermarket.

Never buy the body moisturisers as one gave me a terrible, itchy, red rash on my legs and arms about 10 years ago and I've been fearful ever since. Others have mentioned a similar allergic reaction (it was one of the flavoured body butter). I'm not allergic to any other skincare products that I know of.

I know someone who works there and they have gone very corporate.
They are fucking tyrants to their staff.

I don't go there anymore, like others, the animal testing thing.

I loved them since being a teenager. Nowadays they have too much competition but instead of upping their game, they've reformulated or discontinued everything I used to go out of my way to buy. Last stepped foot in one a couple of years ago after I realised I was no longer comfortable being in one of their shops because of being followed around/pounced on by the staff. Not bothered enough to order anything online.

Hasn't Lush also taken a lot of the clientele away?

Hemp hand cream is why I go in there. And also stock up on shower gels if on offer.

I did try to replace my usual mascara with a slightly cheaper version and tried a TBS one. Sales assistant said it would not budge - huh rubbish, I was panda-like. Pah

I like their stuff and buy from there occasionally. The staff tend to be a little too keen.
Everything I try in there seems attractively packaged and good quality but I'm not sure who is its target customer.

I like and repurchase the ginger shampoo, I love it, although I tend to stock up at our nearest outlet. Their moisture foundation in no2 is the best colour match I've found too.
Other favourites are the Midnight Jasmine and Black Musk perfumes, but I don't buy anything else from them.

I love their cranberry body butter,
Also although they have been taken over by Loreal, ours has a big notice in the shop saying they still do not test on animals
Although loreal still do on their own brands

I like their Touché Eclat-style concealer, but that's it. Got a mascara from their recently and its rubbish.

I've been wedded to them for over 20 years. Oh how I remember White Musk perfume oil. I used to dab that on when I was meeting my future husband. Their Vitamin E cream was a good moisturiser. I used to clean my make up off with cucumber cleansing lotion. It was just all so good.

However, we had a parting of the ways earlier this year.

I went to their flagship store on Oxford Street, London. Nothing wrong with it but, as other posters have remarked. Quite a lot of things discontinued.

Their make up range used to be excellent. It's gone right down. Seemingly to make room for yet more shower gel and soap and shampoo and moisturiser. Boring.

I bought a lipstick and when I got home I could see the hygiene seal had been broken even though there was a tester available.

I got another couple of things too that I wasn't that impressed with. The things I like have been discontinued.

So, sorry Body Shop, it's time I moved on. For what I'm paying at TBS I might as well go and rediscover Boots make up and go and have a look at other make up suppliers too.

RoseLavenderBlue that's interesting - I have been wedded to that crayon con delayer for for years and am v disappointed with the new one! The replacement I got is more like a creamy stick though - not shimmery. It doesn't have the staying power of the other one though, so I will check out Superdrug!

They are being sold by L'Oréal- they won't be owned by them anymore soon

I never got over dewberry being discontinued.

I actually bought something in body shop today - the first time in about 30 years.

I bought their spf essence.

Very little else appealed to me - although I tell a lie - I bought their chamomile cleansing oil last year.

Have to sat I wouldn't be without the hemp handcream or the camomile cleansing Balm. Both fab.

They are discontinuing their Fuji green tea range too 😞

Got banana shampoo though 😀

I like the banana shampoo and conditioner and the olive oil shower gel, the really big one and I always buy them with 40% off.

I love the shower gels but only ever bulk buy when they have an offer on. And never go in store, they are way too aggressive. I actually asked one once if I looked like a shoplifter, as I couldn't think of any other reason why she was hovering over me.............

How do you all get such discounts? it looks so ££ to me. I went into the their outlet store and it was so pricey and dull looking. No offers anywhere.

Ah white musk and dewberry was my fave but I stopped being a customer of BS a long time ago.
I now shop in lush, it reminds me of BS of old and their products are lovely and ethically sourced.

I get the body butters in the sale but they have now got rid of brazil nut - luckily I have a stockpile. I used to like their tea tree skincare as a teen but have found other, far cheaper, brands that suit my skin. My big loves were the liquorice bath foam, seaweed shower gel, Oceanus perfume oil and all things dewberry. All long-since discontinued.

Body Shop just doesn't seem to know who it is selling to any more. It used to be fun products you couldn't get anywhere else with its ethical side front and centre, now Lush has taken over that territory. Its skincare is quite pricy to say it doesn't get great reviews and the make-up is just bland, never has anything new and there are cheaper brands outperforming it.

userof iirc some of the lush design & management team used to work for BS many years ago. Then they split, taking some ideas with them and became cosmetics to go then Lush. So if you look carefully you can sometimes spot the BS ideas pop up in Lush. I believe the Lush charity pot cream is the same scent as the old BS evening primrose cream.

Why neither of them can't permanently bring back Ice Blue Shampoo and pineapple face wash (I didn't dream it?) I'll never know.

I stopped using their products after their conditioner gave me red raw blotches on contact with my face and awful dandruff

How do you all get such discounts? it looks so ££ to me.

They usually have a 40% off sale online each month or thereabouts..