& Other Stories Shinjuku Bloom

A couple of weeks ago I went to the opening of & Other Stories in Ghent. I’m so happy &OS decided to open up shop a little closer to my home. Apart from the versatile fashion section, & Other Stories also has a beauty section that should not be overlooked. I’m sure as more and more shops open their doors and their products reach more people, a lot of the items will have a cult status of their own. They’re just really good. And affordable.

You might’ve guessed it, but Shinjuku Bloom is my favourite out of all of the ranges and this line is also my current all-time Sakura fragrance favourite. It all started with the Shinjuku Bloom body mist I purchased in Barcelona 2 years ago.  & Other Stories describes this as a “Fast-drying body mist with a delicate perfume that instantly re-awakens the senses, leaving mind and body revitalised. Rich blood orange sparkles amidst blooming cherry and orange blossoms with the warm caress of vanilla and sandalwood.”  I won’t go into it in more detail because I’ve talked about this so many times already. I’ll just say that if you’re looking for a fresh scent for Spring, you might want to try it out.

I’ve purchased multiple body products since then, but I hadn’t really expanded my collection of Shinjuku Bloom products until now. During the opening I purchased 2 products that had been on my wish list for a long time; the Shinjuku Bloom Body Scrub and Body Soufflé. I love the simple packaging of these. Did you know you can return your empty packaging and get a discount on your next purchase? I love it when brands do that. Not only does it help the environment, you actually benefit from it too. Double win.

The texture of the Body Scrub is really interesting. It has the consistency of honey (hard at first, but then melts in your hands and feels a little sticky), but with grains in it. Really weird. Once it comes in contact with water, it foams like a normal body wash. This both polishes the skin as well as nourishes it, making sure you don’t even need to moisturize after leaving the bath or shower. Plus it smells just like the body mist. Do you need more?

For those dry days I like to use the Shinjuku Bloom Body Soufflé. Not after using the scrub though, that would be too much as this cream is quite thick. If you prefer lighter formulas you might want to check out the body lotion instead. Since it’s rather heavy, it doesn’t sink into the skin as fast like a body lotion or any type of thinner cream would do. Instead, this was made to battle the driest of skins, flaky ones even, and does one hell of a job at that.

Lastly there’s the Hand Cream. If you love the hand creams from L’Occitane, you’ll love this too. The packaging is the same and the formula sinks into the skin just as fast, leaving a smooth & velvety surface. Only this one’s a little cheaper. It’s not the richest formula out there, but just like the ones from L’Occitane, this is gold for in your handbag. So kudos for & Other Stories for doing all of the above right at the first try.

I have one request though: could you please please please make this fragrance into a scented candle? I’ll love you forever! (Pretty please?)

Shinjuku Bloom Body Mist (150 ml) € 15
Shinjuku Bloom Hand Cream (30 ml) € 5
Shinjuku Bloom Body Soufflé (250 ml) € 12
Shinjuku Bloom Body Scrub (250 ml) € 9

The Shinjuku Bloom line is available at & Other Stories stores & online.

Have you tried anything from the Shinjuku Bloom range?
Or what is your favourite product from & Other Stories?

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Disclaimer: The products in this post were purchased.