Aesop is one of those lines where you’ll try one thing, fall in love and feel like you want to switch everything in your body care routine to their brand. I’ve been a long time devoted fan of the Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser, Geranium Leaf Body Scrub and Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque and I’ve converted quite a few of my friends to these three. The line is unisex so it works for both men and women. I have a lot of girl friends who love their masks, and my husband and also brother use the body care line. If you’re new to the brand and don’t know where to start, they have some good travel sets that can work as a great introduction to the line. I’ve partnered with Spring, a relatively new online retailer, to share a closer look at my favorites and to also try some new items. They carry a wide variety of brands where you can shop multiple items from different stores and they’ll handle the shipping and fulfillment for you like a one-stop-shop. Occasionally they’ll have some pretty good promos and sales as well. The beauty selection is quite extensive – they have Aesop, Charlotte Tilbury, Fresh, SK-II, Tarte and much more.
First are my favorites from Aesop. The Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque ($45 for 2.4 oz/60 ml) is my all time favorite purifying mask. It comes in a squeeze tube and is an anti-oxidant clarifying mask for deep cleaning. For my sensitive skin this is the most gentle but effective mask I’ve tried to refresh the skin, draw out impurities and clean pores. You only need a very tiny layer to cover the face and let it dry for up to 15 minutes and then rinse. Skin is left feeling just the slightest bit firmer (not too tight or dry) and completely clean. Sometimes I’ll just use this as a spot mask on areas like my nose or where I feel like a pimple is surfacing. I usually find it dries within 10 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.
The best body scrub I’ve tried is the Geranium Leaf Body Scrub ($35 for 5.7 fl oz/170 ml) which has a blend of bamboo and pumice to stimulate the skin from scrubbing. It has just the right amount of grittiness to remove dead skin and give the body a good cleanse. The scent of this is really natural with a geranium citrus feel. When I use it I literally feel like it’s scrubbing off any stress or anxiety that I’ve had, and the worst days it helps reset my brain to a relaxed and calm state. For hot summer months it leaves the skin feeling refreshed and you feel like a brand new person. I use this 1x per week.
Aesop seriously has some of the best gift sets that I think would suit any type of person regardless of taste or style. I’ve never kept any of the ones I bought though as I’ve purchased them as gifts and they’ve always been well received. This round I decided to keep two for myself. One is The Constant Gatherer ($72) which has two body care staples, a full size Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser (16.9 fl oz/500ml) and Rind Concentrate Body Balm (4.1 oz/121ml). The body wash is a staple that I try to keep stocked at our home at all times. It’s a low lather shower gel that just smells like an earthy citrus like kind of spa. It leaves the skin feeling clean and soft without any film or residue.
This was my first time trying the Rind Concentrate Body Balm which has the most amazing citrus grapefruit like scent in a thick balm form. Given how thick it was I was pleasantly surprised to find it did dry down nicely and didn’t leave any greasy feel. I like it on the elbows and knees or at night. It leaves the skin feeling soft and well nourished.
The set comes in a large black felt-like zippered case. There’s a cardboard divider/separator inside to keep the tube in tact until you gift it which is nice. The full size body washes always come with a pump and this one is stored inside separately. The case is something I feel like anyone would get use out of for travel as well.
Next is the Boston Travel Essentials Set for Women and Men ($75 for 8 travel-sized minis). It comes in a black zippered case that’s a bit smaller in size compared to the Constant Gatherer version but just as still functional and perfect for travel.
I absolutely love this set and think it’s a pretty good deal for the price. Some items were new to me so I’ll add thoughts on what I liked and didn’t:
- Classic Shampoo 50ml / 1.7 oz and Classic Conditioner 50ml / 1.7 oz – these are the only two items I’ve tried from Aesop that I wasn’t 100% in love with. They are both basic shampoos and conditioners. I’ve bought both before in the full sizes and used them up completely, but prefer something with a little more moisture. For me they are good just not great for my hair type. If you have normal to oily hair I do think these are worth trying out.
- Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser 50ml / 1.7 oz – always love for this one!
- Rind Concentrate Body Balm 50ml / 1.7 oz – notes on this above 🙂
- Fabulous Face Cleanser 15 ml / 0.5 oz – I was particularly impressed with how clean my face felt after using this. It really took away all the excess grease and sweat from a hot day. I would definitely consider buying this in the full size.
- B & Tea Balancing Toner 15 ml / 0.5 oz – Trying new toners always make me nervous because my skin is sensitive and balancing ones usually end up making my skin more oily. This one was perfect – it balanced the skin after cleansing to add a bit more moisture and freshen the skin. This is another one I will be buying in the full size.
- Primrose Facial Hydrating Cream 15 ml / 0.5 oz – this cream comes in a tube in the set. It’s described as being for normal to dry skin and I was worried it would be too rich for me. With the Florida humidity but hard water my skin has become mixed. It gets oily with humidity and sweat, but the water dries it out, especially at night. I need something different for day vs night. This cream has the perfect amount of moisture without feeling thick – it’s just what I needed. Most creams that have more moisture are simply just too thick or emollient for my taste. This one has a nice dry down. I’m going to use the tube up entirely before splurging on the full size but first impressions are positive.
- Mouthwash 50 ml / 1.7 oz – this is one of the most gentle mouthwashes I’ve tried. So many minty ones are really sharp and super minty. This one has a smooth taste and feel while still refreshing the mouth. It’s so different from anything I’ve tried – I’m a bit undecided on it although I do love that it’s gentle and doesn’t sting.
I really love the Boston Set and think it’s a great way to try a lot from the brand and also perfect for travel. If I could recommend just two things though, I would hands down still recommend the Geranium Body Scrub and Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque. I’ve lost count of how many tubes I’ve used up and repurchased and I love that my husband likes these too so we both get use out of them.
If you have any Aesop favorites let me know in the comments. Would love to hear if you’ve tried any of the other hair care products like the masks or any of the hand washes and if you think they’re worth the splurge. You can shop the post below – all items are from Spring.
Many thanks to Spring for partnering to sponsor this post.
