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Is anyone else just finished with The Body Shop?

106 replies

QuimReaper · 11/08/2017 12:17

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 Confused 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?

OP posts:
Ollivander84 · 13/08/2017 00:39

bakedbeans- I have a sample and am using it on a scar. Seems ok, but can't really review any more yet!
I do love the almond and honey hand cream as completely not greasy. And the shower gels

littlebillie · 13/08/2017 01:27

I stopped using them when I was burned using their sunscreen as useful as marmalade. The sales assistant told me it was my fault as it takes much longer to soak in. I haven't bothered since!

bakedbeansandtuna · 13/08/2017 03:19

@Ollivander84 thanks! I want it for a scar too. I think I may get some - I need to moisturise it anyway. Using aveeno body yoghurt ATM but I feel like I'm having a bath in custard or something with it (!)

princesscasino · 13/08/2017 03:27

I think it sold out a long time ago.
It's too generic, too sterile, too mainstream now. The beauty of it was that it was a bit rustic , more like Lush is now. It had ethics but it had a certain uniqueness too and the prices weren't so high - and I'm not just talking about inflation.

The packaging was basic but whole point was that consumers werent paying so much for the actual packaging and now they are hence higher prices. You could also concoct your own fragranced products which was cool. I often wonder how they keep on going with so many stores.
Wood Musk and Dewberry were the essence of the early 90s for me :)

DailyMailFuckRightOff · 13/08/2017 03:51

I miss ice blue shampoo and Japanese washing grains.
Also a friend has started being a body shop at home consultant. Pushy does not even START to describe it. No I do not want to pick a number, hold a party or choose a lucky dip. Her posts are becoming more and more desperate and I wonder how much she is buying to meet the sales targets.

chipscheeseandcurrysauce · 13/08/2017 04:03

I like the tea tree range as it helps my skin a lot and I don't think it's that expensive but I mostly order online as I can't deal with the 'pushy' customer service... which is mostly the reason why I don't like Lush.

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