I must apologise to the lovely people at Apple & Bears who sent me their Grapefruit & Seaweed Luxury Body Care Gift Set for a feature last Christmas because I am only getting round to posting this blog this Christmas! It’s not because I didn’t enjoy the products, it’s more that I ran out of time prior to Christmas last year!

When they got in touch they asked me to choose my fragrance of gift set, so I plumped for Grapefruit & Seaweed to help energise both skin and senses, and I was in for a treat. The set comes beautifully presented in a gift box handmade in Great Britain by a company who have been making bespoke gift boxes for yonks – since 1816!

Apples & Bears is designed with both the guys and girls in mind. The products are suitable for all skin types, vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and paraben and SLS-free. Apple & Bears are also certified natural and organic by Ecocert Greenlife, with 98% of total ingredients from natural origin, and

12% of the total ingredients from organic farming. All gift sets sold pledge 5% of all product sales (that’s sales not profits!) to Breast Cancer Care.

Now onto the product reviews!

First up Apple & Bears Grapefruit & Seaweed Body Wash.

This body wash is a fairly thick gel formula with a deliciously fresh grapefruity but also soapy, clean fragrance. It’s low-foaming, as one expects from an SLS-free body wash, but does leave skin feeling soft and clean. Both seaweed and grapefruit are stimulating so this body wash (and the body silk for that matter too!) help get the blood flow going and bring the circulation to the surface of the skin. A great choice for those needing to get going in the morning!

Along with the two ingredients in the namesake, you’ll find hydrating aloe vera (so that’s why my skin feels so soft!) uplifting bergamot, lime, orange, lemon and mandarin oil (that’s why the fragrance is so well-rounded!) green tea extract, cardamom, nutmeg, juniper, basil, rosemary and clary flower oil – all very stimulating and aromatic herbs! I sometimes find straight up grapefruit scents a bit much – reminiscent of air freshener, toilet cleaner or cheap perfume, but this combination is a winner in my eyes!

Next up, Apple & Bears Grapefruit & Seaweed Body Silk

I must say that I usually prefer a body oil over a cream. Oils just absorb so much quicker into the skin and are easier to apply on the whole. Apple & Bears Grapefruit & Seaweed Body Silk is a lovely product that falls between body cream and body oil. It’s a lightweight cream (hence the name “silk”) that is easily absorbed by the skin and leaves the skin feeling silky to touch, with no residue as can sometimes be the case with body creams. In my experience, as with most moisturisers, it’s best to apply this within a few minutes of getting out the shower, do slightly damp towel-dried skin.

Have you tried any Apple & Bears products? We’d love to hear your favourites!