L'Occitane Shea Butter Defense - Supreme Winter Protection

So what happened to spring? Just the other day I was wondering what springtime fragrance I should wear as the weather was getting milder (well, the whole winter had been pretty mild in the UK to be fair, up until now that is) and my Harajuku Lovers holiday fragrance was beginning to feel a bit out of place. And then bang! The temperature suddenly plummeted and last weekend it even snowed. So what better time to be sent some lovely shea butter face care products from L'Occitane to try out.

Firstly I'd like to point out that I don't normally suffer from dry skin (on my face anyway), my skin is normal with oily bits (T-zone). But even so, when the temperature is near zero and the wind is blowing in your face, a bit of extra moisture doesn't hurt anyone. I was sent two kinds of face creams to try out, the Ultra Rich Face Cream that contains 25% shea butter and the Ultra Gentle Moisturiser that contains 8%. First one is recommended for dry to very dry skin, so I thought I'd try it as my night cream, in case it makes my face more oily, and the second one as a day cream as that is recommended for normal to dry skin (and also sensitive skin). I was also sent a 100% pure shea butter beauty balm that is handy on the go and ideal for chapped lips.

Carry on reading to find out what I thought about these products!

Ultra Rich Face Cream

Ultra Rich Face Cream

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream is quite dense but it isn't greasy or oily and is perfect for me as a winter night cream. It didn't leave my skin greasy as it got absorbed quickly, yet it kept it well moistured. I also love the slightly sweet, but not overpowering scent of the shea butter. You get 50 ml in a pretty glass jar for £29.50.

Ultra Gentle Moisturiser

L'Occitane Ultra Gentle Moisturiser comes in a tall bottle with a pump, it's a slightly runny white lotion. This has no scent and is also hypoallergenic, so suitable for sensitive skin. I don't have sensitive skin, so obviously can't comment on it myself, but it certainly didn't have any adverse effect on my skin. The lotion absorbs quickly and doesn't leave my skin greasy or oily, so it's an ideal daytime moisturiser. The only one thing it's missing is UV protection which I think is essential nowadays and I would prefer my moisturisers to include it, but L'Occitane does offer a Protective Cream that has a 15% shea butter content (so is midway between the two products) and includes SPF20. I did not try it out, but if you're interested, it is also £29.50 for 50 ml. The Ultra Gentle Moisturiser costs £24.00 and you also get 50 ml.

100% Shea Butter Beauty Balm

100% Shea Butter Beauty Balm

Finally the 100% Shea Butter Beauty Balm is a nicely moisturising balm and is as effective as my beloved Vaseline. It is very hard though, so ideally you need to warm the tin in your hand for a few minutes before applying which I do find a bit inconvenient. Also the tin has a very loose lid and if I carried it arround in my bag, it sure would fall off. Although you can bend the edges of the lid a bit to make it more secure. This one is 8 ml and costs £6.00. I personally prefer Vaseline over this, but I will be happy to use it up nonetheless.

There are lots more products in the L'Occitane Shea Butter range and you can check them out on the L'Occitane website or in store.

*The products featured in this review were sent free of charge for consideration, however all opinions expressed in this review are my own.