In the first Beauty Product Showdown, I will be comparing two body lotions - Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction VS Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed, and how they fare against each other.
After I got married several months ago, I started sleeping in an air-conditioned room every night at my new home. I guess my skin wasn't used to the sudden drying effect of air-conditioning as I noticed my skin getting drier and drier with each passing day. I needed to do something to save my skin! So I went out there and bought not one but TWO body lotions because I liked both their scents in the shops. And, I was Kiasu (a Singlish term for not wanting to lose out on an opportunity).
Going forward I will refer to the Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Hydrating Body Lotion as VS-PS and the Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed Skin Quenching Body Lotion as CE-PR.
The Showdown
Scent : Let's face it, most of us purchase lotions/body wash from Victoria Secret or Crabtree & Evelyn because their products smell amazing.
I picked VS-PS at the store as it smells sweet with an exotic blend of flavours, consisting of red plum and freesia. However, as I continued to use it for the next few days, I found the sweet scent to be a little overbearing for me at times. It isn't really suitable for an enclosed office as your colleagues will be able to smell you several feet away, although the men won't complain. The scent lasts for a long time. Sure, there were compliments from both my female and male colleagues, and even my husband who says the scent is yummy. But I personally prefer a lighter fragrance that is not overpoweringly sweet for everyday use.
CE-PR smells both sweet and fruity, a really good combination as most Crabtree products tend to lean towards floral or herbal scents but this has changed in recent years with additions such as Pear and Pink Magnolia
and Tarocco Orange. I really love the scent - it makes me smell sweet and fresh all at the same time, and I can use this anywhere. The only gripe is that the scent doesn't last as long as VS-PS but this can be easily solved by layering with a similar fragrance in the Pomegranate range to make it last longer.
Consistency: Both lotions spread easily and absorb readily into the skin. Although CE-PR has a slightly lighter texture, both do not leave any stickiness or residue.
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| VS-PS is light pink while CE-PR is whitish |
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| Both formulas are quite lightweight and spread easily (VS-PS on left, CE-PR on right) |
I used each lotion on different nights before going to bed. In the morning, I wake up to smoother skin for both lotions, with CE-PR giving me considerably softer and more touchable skin. It contains ginger extract to help protect your skin while the blend of pomegranate, argan, sesame, grapeseed and almond oils nourishes and conditions. Formulated without mineral oil and parabens, CE-PR definitely does a very good job as a body moisturiser.
Although
VS-PS does hydrate my skin with aloe, oat, grapeseed extracts,
antioxideant Vitamins E and C, I don't think the hydration is sufficient
for areas prone to dryness like elbows.
Packaging:
Both lotions contain 250ml of product. VS-PS comes with a golden press-open cap and an almost opaque pink plastic bottle, which will definitely appeal to girly girls. CE-PR comes with a convenient pump dispenser with a removable lock. If you are bringing the bottle in your bag, the lock is important so that the product does not accidentally spill over and make a mess to all the other items in your bag. As you can see from the picture, CE-PR is good for 24 months while VS-PS is good for 12 months once opened.
Who is the Winner? I will choose Crabtree & Evelyn's Promegranate for its scent and superior moisturising quality. That being said, I know some people really love the Victoria Secret Pure Seduction. I guess, scents are subjective? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.














