As an avid and years long fan of Elemis its rare for me to slate a product of theirs, but this is honestly dumb. The Monoi oil in this product is absolutely no different in any way, shape, scent, or form to the significantly cheaper Hei Poa oil - I mean it is EXACTLY the same oil. The only difference that adds up to £30 to the price is the hideously designed Elemis bottle. Now - bit of context: Monoi oil is, to the uninitiated, coconut oil that's had botanicals steeped in it; the result is a surprisingly headily scented oil - think sherbert-y almondy jasmine-y coconutty floral - that leaves your skin feeling incredible. As its primarily coconut oil, it solidifies at room temperature - so before getting in the shower, fill a jug (or just the sink) with very hot water and float the (closed!) bottle in it - by the time youre ready to use it, the oil will be liquid, and lovely and warm when applied. Now, the best way to use Monoi is to apply it directly to soaking wet skin. It may feel counter intuitive, but DO NOT get dry or even pat dry first - literally turn the shower off, grab the bottle, and apply - THEN pat yourself dry, or if you have time just pop on a robe and "drip dry". Using it this way, your skin will feel hydrated and almost offensively soft for at least 2 days - so you don't actually need to use it every time you shower... but you deserve nice things so why would you not? :) ANYWAY - Why I would endorse the heck out of Monoi oil but actively discourage anyone from buying this one is simple: YOU ARE EXCLUSIVELY PAYING FOR BADLY DESIGNED PACKAGING. Monoi Oil isnt cheap per se, but theres a very well established, authentic brand - Hei Poa - which you can buy on here for between £9 and £15. And it is honestly the exact same product (they even have different variants if you fancy a change of fragrance; though to be honest theyre all pretty similar!). All Elemis have done is take this oil and put it in an overpriced bottle with a hideously designed lid, which is fiddly to open, easy to lose, and - with oily hands - a debacle to put back on. Ive been using Hei Poa for years, my skin is (if I do say so myself) amazing looking and feeling; but Ive also been using Elemis facial care products for years, which ARE worth the premium pricing, and thought Id try this to see if the higher cost translated to a better product experience. In short - it does not. Thats not to say the oil is bad - its Monoi oil - its fantastic (hence 2 stars instead of 1); but at the risk of repeating myself, its just the same, identical Monoi oil as any other good quality version. So please - I cannot recommend Monoi oil enough, but buy the Hei Poa one - you can literally buy 3 to 4 for the same price as this (both are 100ml so its genuinely better value), get the exact same result, support a smaller company, and the lids are far easier to open!
