[unpaid/sample/prioradrelationship] Refill stations don’t seem to have taken off in the way that I thought they would – I seem to remember writing a lot about refills and brands installing their own refill abilities in stores but it’s gone quiet on that front even though The British Beauty Council reports a 47% increase in refillable products between January and June of this year. I think maybe part of the problem when you get a brand new product, you get a kind of ‘shiny new thing’ satisfaction that you just don’t so much with just filling up the thing you already bought and used up. It’s a different mind-set but the opportunities to make refillable pots things you never want to let go of are there and The Body Shop has kicked off their limited edition refill bottles with this much more aesthetically pleasing version by artist Kika Klat.
I remember when limited edition Coca-Cola bottles were so covetable – maybe they still are – I’ve got a couple rolling about somewhere (in Max’s bedroom I think) but think that refill collabs with relevant fashion or artistry is the way to go. You want something you never want to get rid of, that pleases you every day no matter how many times you see it – you’d have to wrench a CHANEL refill bottle out of my cold hands that’s for sure, if there was such a thing! Stella McCartney, Lucy & Yak or House of Sunny are all ethical brands that could translate really very beautifully.
So, this is the beginning of limited edition refills – Kika Klat is a Polish illustrator and artist (@kika.klat) whose work focuses on the natural female form and body positivity. Which is very TBS :-). Actually, something I didn’t know is that you get 30ml more with a refill of your aluminium bottle than you do if you buy a regular bottle. The one potential problem is remembering what you have in what bottle – scenes of trying to wash my hair with body lotion don’t seem too far from possible (I currently use the refills for hand wash only). You can find your nearest refill station HERE.
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6 comments
I use the Body Shop refills but always feel sad I can’t get the smells I want as obviously the range is limited. I bought a ‘normal’ shower gel the other day just to have a change! Agree about the labels. I have shampoo and shower gel and have to remember to check with specs on before I get into the shower which is which
yes, bleary mornings are accident prone enough!
I like the idea of refills (I always have the ginger shampoo in the bathroom) but having to buy a silver canister and pump puts me off. Do they allow you to refill the regular flip top bottle? I’d prefer that option. Also I was once horrified to unscrew a large cerave face wash bottle with a pump to discover all sorts of mouldy mildew hidden from sight…. Never again!!!
I think so – to be honest I am not entirely sure. I do not like the sound of that Cerave!
I like the idea but I’m not happy with how expensive The Body Shop has become in recent years. I feel priced out of it nowadays, and in virtually every physical store that I’ve been in recently, there have been very few customers.
Several people have mentioned this and I completely understand. There is much more resource put into ingredients and formulas – things were rather basic before (I think the change happened when L’Oreal bought it for that relatively brief time) and it’s a bit of a mind shift to think of it as a more mid-market offering when older customers (such as me!) always saw it as ‘high street’. I like The Body Shop for being punchy in their campaigns and over the years can see a big improvement in the products but as you say, if the core customer feels priced out, that’s a big shame.