Had Gayatri Brown, the lady behind the brand Gia Bath And Body Works, been a student at Hogwarts, she would have undoubtedly been Professor Snape’s favourite student in Potions. Because honestly, her body butters, body washes, body polishes and all other deliciously scented concoctions are nothing short of magic! I have used some of her products earlier (and her body butter is by far the best foot cream in winters) and was super excited to try out some of her new creations. She has revamped the packaging and the formulations, added new fragrances and, basically, created some more magic. Here are some quick reviews of some of her awesome products….
About Gia Bath and Body Works
“Gia Bath and Body Works is a premium brand that makes luxurious, handcrafted bath and body treats. Gia (named after Gayatri’s adorable daughter Georgia) is known for it’s stunning soap cupcakes and attractive bars. The Gia products are made in small batches giving each product the attention that your skin deserves. Skin loving oils like virgin olive oil, castor bean oil, virgin coconut oil and avocado oil and butters such as shea, cocoa and mango make our products so indulgent. No preservatives, SLS, SLES in these cruelty-free products that are handmade with love.”
For more information or to order the products, check out their website:
Or the Facebook page here.
Here are the products that I got:
- Cupcake Soap in Sweet Sin
- Butter Creme Whipped Soap in the fragrance Mark Jacobs Daisy
- Coconut Rose Body Polish
- Satsuma Body Polish
- Papaya Body Butter Creme
- Body Wash in Water Lily (not in pictures)
It was only when I was editing all these pictures did I realise that I had forgotten to include the Water Lily Body Wash here since it was in the kiddos’ bathroom (will review it separately later). Yes, the Gia products are absolutely safe for kids as well. Perhaps with the exception of the body polishes since that would be too abrasive for their delicate skin. Let’s take a closer look at each…
Cupcake Soap in Sweet Sin
Price: ₹200 for 100g
Just. Look. At. This! I’m so glad I could capture the details on this cupcake soap. See how beautifully it has been crafted? See the glitter on it? These aren’t just soaps. They are objets d’art that cleanse the skin while leaving it delicately fragranced. I don’t think I would even bear to use this pretty little thing! And it smells like a spa. You know the fragrance you can smell when you enter a spa? The essential oils blended with a base oil? Yes, that! It smells exactly like that.
Butter Creme Whipped Soap in Mark Jacobs Daisy
Price: ₹475 for 150g
A sheer delight to the olfactory senses, this whipped soap is FABULOUS! It is soft, lathers incredibly well so you need just a teaspoonful for the whole body and fills not just the bathroom, but the bedroom as well with it’s delightful fragrance. The texture is light, like solidified ghee and “melts” easily too so that you can spread all over your body easily. Also, since you need so little per use, the 150 jar will last around 2-3 months!
Gayatri has blended the fragrance/essential oils to perfectly recreate the Mark Jacobs Daisy fragrance. I do wish that the fragrance lingered on the skin a bit longer though. All I need now is a MJ Daisy scented body lotion and body mist and I’m set 😉
Coconut Rose Body Polish
Price: ₹590 for 150g
Remember the Forest Essentials Rupam Body Polish that had me going gaga? Well, this Coconut Rose body polish is like a drier, more affordable version of it. I admit that it is a bit difficult to work with since you have to scoop out the required quantity in a bowl, add then emulsify little quantities of it with some water and apply. After using it a couple of times, you get the hang of the quantity you need as well as the amount of water you need to add. While it is nice and exfoliating, it doesn’t feel harsh or abrasive on the skin. As you massage, it emulsifies and becomes milky and is easy to rinse off. No greasy feel, it just leaves behind soft, smooth skin.
I have never been too fond of a coconutty fragrance in products and the same holds true for this one as well. Thankfully the fragrance doesn’t linger too long on the skin, especially since I follow it with the lovely Papaya Body Butter Creme.
Satsuma Body Polish
Price: ₹590 for 150g
A citrusy fragrance perfect for summer in this lovely body polish. Texture wise, it is almost identical to the Coconut Rose Body Polish and needs to be worked the same way as that one. The Satsuma fragrance is very similar to that of The Body Shop’s Satsuma Body Polish and is so refreshing in this heat!
The reason why these body polishes need a little bit of emulsifying is because they do not contain ANY preservatives and hence using a wet spoon/fingers is a no-no.
Papaya Body Butter Creme
Price: ₹750 for 200ml
With the colour, texture and fragrance of a fruit smoothie, you’d be forgiven for wanting to drink this. Let your skin do it instead and become hydrated and smooth without the slightest greasy feel. It is easily absorbed into the skin and moisturises it well without feeling to heavy or oily even in the summer months. Besides the butters and oils, it also has vitamin E and papaya extracts that nourish the skin and make it healthier. Since it is summer, I need a very little quantity of the butter creme for the whole body so it is surely going to last me long.
While I love the pump for products such as body lotions, shampoos etc, it makes them impractical for travel once the pump is opened. So you need to take some out in a smaller, travel-friendly bottle if you are travelling.
My Views
Each time I use the Gia Bath and Body Works products, I am left impressed. Impressed with the quality and the fragrance, impressed with the textures and most of all, impressed with the fact that these are handcrafted with so much love and passion. And super impressed that there are no baddies in them – SLS/SLES/Parabens/Phenoxyethanol/Mineral Oil – none of these in her products. While they certainly are luxury products, they are priced at very affordable rates. I truly want to try out the other fragrances in the whipped soap because I’m sure they will all be amazing. If you haven’t tried out her products yet, you are missing something and I highly, highly recommend them!