I like the three wick candles---- when they're on sale. Used to like the wallflowers, but now they're packaged singly and way more expensive. The hand soaps--- yeah, I always have those around. But the shower gels and lotions--- nope. Maybe it's the new scents--- most of them are not appealing to me--- a 12 year old, maybe, but I don't like the quality either. In fact, I feel like the general quality of the store and the products has declined over the years.

Although I used to really like this store in the late 1990s/ early 2000s, the scents in this store have gotten really bad. Fake, synthetic, cheap & cloy. Way too strong. I agree with the reviewer who say it's like air freshener for people. Human Febreeze. My husband pretty much hates anything that I have tried to bring into the house (hand soaps, body wash) because of the strong perfumed scents & they make his skin dry and cracked. I give it a 2 because I still like the shampoos & conditioners which don't smell as strong on the hair (cherry blossom & coconut lime verbena), but you can only order online. The unscented hand sanitizer is good, which has a light citrus scent from the mandarin & orange oils that it contains but it does not contain artificial fragrance like the other ones. Also, quite a few people who I know like the hand soaps, so I buys those as gifts. Interesting, I noticed on their website that they only post certain reviews, so you get a very skewed picture of what people think of their products. That seems kind of shady. continued >>

I came to BBW late in the game, I guess...I've only been stopping by there for a year or so, and I'm really not that impressed.

I admit it's a colorful, cheerful store, and browsing around, looking at the scents and the candles, is a fun experience. But when it comes to actually buying anything, I find almost nothing. Last Christmas I bought a Winter Woods candle. The throw was just okay. I got stronger fragrance and better throw from some Glade candles I picked up at Walmart.

As for the fragrances, I can't stand the prevalence of sickeningly sweet scents at this store. For some reason I liked Twilight Woods, which is a sweeter and more vanilla type fragrance than I have ever liked before. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why people want to go around smelling like baked goods or sugar or crap like that. The thought makes me want to vomit. I snagged a couple of bottles of Rainkissed Leaves lotion at 75% off, which proves to me that BBW sold a clean, fresh fragrance at least ONCE in its history. But I guess that's in the past, and the shelves are given over to the cupcakes and the frosting and the candy. Blech.

Bath and Body works has really gone down hill in the past few years. Their scents used to be exciting. Now they smell just like every other fruity floral nightmare. every scent really smells the same to me. Boring! Nothing has really excited me since their launch of Twilight woods. I do love their candles though. And I do appreciate that you can get some of their older scents online.

I'll keep purchasing their hand soaps because they really are the best out there. But their prices for their lotions and body washes, ETC are way too high for what they are...

Oh where do I begin...

Bath and Body works has been in my life since I was around 16 years old back in 2003.

Their scents used to be amazing. I loved Juniper Breeze, Country Apple, Pearberry, Lemongrass Sage, and a whole slew of other scents that have now been replaced by crap, crap, and more crap. Save for Cashmere Glow, Carried Away, Forever Sunshine, Pink Chiffon and Sparking Blackberry Woods which I love. Everything else new has been a major bust for me.

Everytime I go into a store anymore. There's hardly any other shoppers. Not even during the semi annual sale. Also. The price increase is ridiculous. Especially since the new Fine Fragrance Mists last hardly no time on the skin like the old splashes did. As I'm setting here looking at my old splashes. The ones in the 2003-2008 packaging. The bottom price tag says $10.50. Now the sprays...are $14. That's an insane price difference in just 4 years time. Especially since the quality has gone down hill. I will still shop here occasionally. But, only for the mini sprays since they are the old formula, and when they have the Hello Yellow sale.

I guess my overall feeling of B&BW is so-so.
Pros:
*Great for last min gifts
*Somewhat good deals from time to time
*Ability to purchase 'discontinued' scents from the website. I say 'discontinued' because some of their smells are still around, just not carried in stores.

Cons:
*Most of the smells are pretty similar. As a lot of other reviewers have stated, its most likely because of the cheap ingredients they use.
*They discontinue things very quickly, seems like they only keep the crappy smells around.
*Their sales really arent that great. If you're buying a lot, it can work well for you, but usually for me Im only buying one or two things.
*Their sales people are pushy and annoying. I get they have a sales structure and everything, but if I told you twice Im just browsing and no I really dont need to buy 5 things, LEAVE ME ALONE.

In conclusion, its just so so for me. Good for last min gifts you dont really have to put a ton of thought into, or if you are under 21. continued >>

I stayed away from BBW for a long time and I don't really know why. Anywho I entered the store with family and found myself buying small bottles of lotion along with them. I'm currently using Paris Amour and I think it is a decent scent. It moisturizes and feels like a lotion, but yet there is something about the store that makes me doubt I want to go back. The items feel cheap to me as in bad quality. I don't think the ingredients will kill me, but I think I deserve better quality as it is going ON my skin. I will use the small bottle of lotion I have since it's convenient having lotion all other the place as I have dry skin, but I think the next time I buy lotion I will choose a better brand.
Also as someone else noted, the scent is a bit strong. I use it more as an emergency perfume when I'm out and start smelling like food or something. Overall it is a decent product. I think it's fine to use, but this is definitely not the best product out there.

Generally speaking BBW does use just about the lowest quality ingredients (with some non-petro-chemical oils sprinkled in their for labeling purposes) - parabens, lanolin, petro chemicals( such as petroleum and mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic perfumes etc...


They have an interesting marketing strategy of having sales nearly 80% of the time, buy 3 get 2 free is the usual 'sale' and twice a year they have buy 3 get 3 free. Monthly promotions of giving away product with purchase, usually quite genrous.


I stay away from all their lotions because of the low quality base ingrediants and their known ability to cause either allergy or worse. I'm not going to make specific accusations, I'd suggest you research them yoruself.


However, I absolutely can't resist the foaming bacterial handwash!!! The foaming action is soooo convenient, it's already lathered-up when it comes out!! There are some really fabulous scents, the kind that makes you want to cup your hands around your nose after you wash them.


My favorites are the 'Coconut Lime Verbena', 'Fresh Lavender', 'White Citrus' and 'Fresh Market Apple'. I stock up at their best sales event and use coupons. Heck I've got about 17 bottles right now, 3 open and the rest on stock and should last me until the next buy 3 get 3 free.


My rationale is, that since it is a soap, most of the product is washed off.


So the 2 stars is for having the foaming anti-bacterial handsoap.


*I really loved the 'White Citrus' and 'Fresh Market Apple' so I got the the anti-bacterial lotion as well. I put on the apple before I started writing because I love the smell of it... but now my eyes are watery and I've a tiny headache from it. I'll be returning these in exchange for more foaming handsoap :/

I vacillated between giving the B&BW store 2 lippies or 3 lippies. Maybe I'm just feeling uncharitable today. It's not a terrible place, but it's also not a house of fine fragrance-- not by a long shot. B&BW is fun, colorful, and enticing when you're in the mood to browse loads of "product,", but when you get your tubes and bottles home, the quality and consistency just isn't there. It's like a dollar store in that way-- you think you're getting a great deal until you bring the toy or household item home and discover it's a mass-produced piece of junk that falls apart on contact.

Most of the fragrances at B&BW seem like air freshener for people-- crudely interpreted florals, vague musks, and plasticky fake fruits. I often can't tell the fragrances apart; they all seem to my nose like someone took a huge vat of alcohol and dissolved a few Life-Savers and Glade Plug-Ins into it. It also bugs me that the products lack a sense of luxury, intimacy, and individual expression. With the hundreds of tacky-looking bottles and jars stacked up at every store, I can visualize the assembly lines in which hastily concocted scents like Holiday Rhubarb Crisp or whatever get cranked out by the truckload.

All that said, the store gets 2 lippies rather than one because I do like Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cherry Blossom enough to wear them when I'm feeling low-budget and low-maintenance. They are competent fragrances and I get compliments on them. However, I'd say two home runs are likely just due to chance rather than care and artistry.


continued >>

Oh BBW how I used to love you so! Unfortunately, the love has faded. What the ****** is up with all these old musky scents??? Seriously, why in the world would anyone want to smell like the secretions from the gland of a male musk deer? And do they know where that gland is located? Gross. BBW used to have all kinds of clean, refreshing, fruity, floral etc scents WITHOUT added musk. I just can't handling making myself and the people I care about sick with that nastiness. Come on BBW! Get with it already!