We all know about Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula – it’s been around for years and has a bit of cult following, I reckon. Except for me. I honestly can’t stand the stuff. It’s scent is just so darn sweet in a way that feels suffocating. Bleh. In fact, let’s make that a double bleh plus a shot of humble pie scoffing surprise because I totally thought I’d hate, hate, hate the brand’s new Shea Formula but what do you know, it’s a winner!

Unlike it’s Cocoa Butter boetie, Palmer’s Shea Formula Raw Shea moisturising body lotion (R59,95, Clicks and Dis-Chem) has a subtle, uplifting vanilla scent that makes me think of the real vanilla paste I have sitting in my kitchen cupboard. It’s not synthetic or sickly in the least and reminds me a lot of the plain old vanilla body lotion The Body Shop used to make back in the day, before they got all fancy pants and started throwing other notes into the mix, things like spice and white chocolate.

As far as texture goes, it’s feather-light and absorbs in a flash so it’s perfect for my ‘normal’ skin that I’d never characterise as dry. Also, like I said, the scent is a soft, pretty vanilla, but it doesn’t linger and would never interfere with your perfume.

Ingredients-wise, notables include hydrating African Shea butter as well as marula, sunflower and soybean oils plus soothing oatmeal extract and antioxidant vitamin E. The formula’s also free of parabens, phthalates, sulphates, mineral oil, gluten and colourants.

In all, if I didn’t have ten million zillion different body products languishing in my flat (the joy of being a beauty blogger) and was wandering the aisles looking for a new body lotion, I’d happily toss this boy into my trolley.

Love, love

Leigh