Why aren’t there more Yves Rocher shops in the UK!? It drives me nuts there’s only one in the whole country in Marylebone, London Central. If you’re not familiar with the brand, they’re a very comfortable cross between The Body Shop and Avon. Their products are wildly underrated, providing excellent efficacy, with good formulations and natural ingredients – topped off with excellent prices.

However, writing this whilst I’m out in Spain, one has opened up at the local shopping center. Yves Rocher do have more stores throughout Spain, which exploits a great market opportunity as there’s very few The Body Shop or Lush stores out here. Over the last 5 years Spain has finally jumped on the ‘naturals’ band wagon and I can now get Almond Milk and gluten free pasta out here (honestly, I do hear it).

Anyway, the Yves Rocher store opened here 3 days ago and I ran in on launch day. Everything I picked up can be bought in the UK from Yves Rocher’s online store with free delivery on orders over £28.

I grabbed 5 items, all new to me: Almond Orange Blossom Shower Gel; Mango Coriander Shower Gel, Powder Exfoliant, Vanilla Lip Balm and the Exfoliating Hand Treatment.

Both these shower gels are amazing and smell exactly as they claim to smell like and both contain a large amount of aloe vera. There’s also mango fruit extract in the Mango & Coriander and Sweet Almond Seed Extract in the Almond Orange Blossom. Delicious!

Very similar to the Aesop Tea Tree Leaf Exfoliator and Alex Carro Exfoliating Powder but even more powerful and a fraction of the price. Yves Rocher Scrub to mix is 100% natural with Pumice, Apricot Kernal, Cellulose, Chamomile Flower Extract, Sugarcane, Illite Clay, Kaolin Clay, French Montmorillonite Klay, Calcite and Skullcap root extract.

Mix it in with any facial cleanser (ideally gel) and create your own exfoliator. I’ve been using it with the La Roche Posay Effaclar Cleanser and it’s works excellently.

The lip balm is not wildly notable but does an excellent job and has my favourite Yves Rocher Bourbon Vanilla fragrance; doesn’t leave lips shiny either!

The hand exfoliating care oil whilst not the most exfoliating, is excellent at hydrating my dry, easily chapped hands. Work it under water and watch it do that magical thing where the oil completely breaks down and emulsifies leaving no trace in your bathroom whilst your hands are moisturised. No silicons or mineral oil and works with the power of arnica extract smelling absolutely amazing.