Over the years, I have slowly curated a set of preferred shower products — just another frontier in my endeavors to outfit every aspect of my life as thoughtfully as I can. (Why not make one of my favorite relaxing rituals as luxurious as possible?) I will first ‘fess up to owning three distinct robes, and using all three all the time. I like Hill House’s hotel robe for when I am just out of the shower (preferably with a Weezie bath mat underfoot — nice and plush but not too thick, and has grippies on the underside). It is thick, warm, enveloping–and I love the botanical/tile print. But it is much too heavy and hot to use while styling my hair. For that, I use Weezie’s short robe, usually layered over an Eberjey romper (so, so soft and chic). The Weezie short robe is a lighter pile to begin with and also has those genius short sleeves, which prevent me from overheating while heat styling my hair, but I also like it for washing my face / doing face masks / applying makeup because then I am not dragging thick cuffs through water / getting my sleeves all wet / constantly shoving them out of the way while applying makeup. Finally, I have Weezie’s French terry robe, which I usually wear any time else, but specifically love wearing over my pajamas before bed and in the morning. I guess it’s not so much a shower product, but I had to mention it because it is easily one of my most favorite belongings. And if I had to choose, I’d probably buy it over the short sleeve Weezie one because you can roll up the sleeves on the French terry one and it is a nice, thin material anyhow. The length and weight are beyond incredible, and I love the scalloped trim and color options. Just a lovely product.
Anyhow, sharing in detail a few of my current favorite shower products/finds below.
01. WEEZIE FRENCH TERRY ROBE — see effusive rave review in headnotes. Truly a Magpie must-have. Beg your husband for this for your next birthday, mother’s day, etc! It is a treasure.
02. TERRY HEADBAND — Looks ridiculous but actually really handy if you’re applying a face mask.
03. SHOWER CAP — Truth be told, I collect shower caps from hotel stays, but my point is: I need a shower cap on hand at all times. It’s not uncommon for me to want to shower/shave but not have to fuss with drying my hair.
04. FRESH HESPERIDES BODY LOTION — I keep coming back to this lotion, which I’ve used on and off for probably a decade or so. It has a great grapefruit scent, and the formula is ultra-rich but not greasy. I also appreciate the price point — currently under $20. I will admit that I once tried Byredo’s ultra-luxe, ultra $$$ body cream in the Blanche scent and it temporarily ruined me for all other body lotions…the scent, the texture, the results!!! It is divine. But I was getting indigestion thinking about how much money I spent on a body cream, and would mete out as small a measurement as possible after each shower. That’s no way to live! It feels good to go back to something more affordable that I can apply liberally. Still, if you’re out there in a mood to try something totally extravagant, treat yourself to the Byredo!
05. BILLIE RAZORS — Still an enormous fan of these inexpensive, attractive razors, principally because they ship replacement blades to me at a regular cadence and I literally never have to think about buying razors again. I also love the little magnetic mount — brilliant way to keep the razor away from small hands / not rusting on a bench or in a puddle.
06. SERENA AND LILY WAVE TOWELS — My latest obsession. So soft!
07. OLAPLEX CLARIFYING SHAMPOO — I used this for a few months this year and found it left hair very clean-feeling. I personally prefer products with a scent (I know I’m the vocal minority here) so I always wished it had a little something going for it in that department. I also found it left my hair pretty tangly after.
08. OLAPLEX BOND SMOOTHER — After I’ve towel-dried my hair, I apply the dpHue leave-in conditioning mist (more details below) all over and then this bond smoother on the bottom half of my hair. The bond smoother’s chief virtue is halving the time it takes to air dry my hair! It is phenomenal. Also serves as a protectant.
AMAZON LOOFAHS. (Forgot to number it in the collage!) I know people say these are breeding grounds for bacteria but we replace ours frequently and I just can’t get the lather with a wash cloth…so, here we are. These cheap and easy guys.
09. AQUIS HAIR DRYING TOWEL — Anything to abbreviate the hair drying process. Left to its own devices, my hair takes probably 1.5 hours to fully dry. It is fine but I have a lot of it. Anyhow, I like to let my hair air dry until nearly 70-80% dry and then finish with the Revlon One-Step, and this towel, in conjunction with the Olaplex bond smoother, dramatically reduce (as in, like halve!) the time it takes to dry.
10. AMIKA COOL BLOND SHAMPOO — Just started using this. I’d been using the Olaplex which I thought was good and gave me a clean feeling (see above), but it also left my hair really tangly. I thought this would be a good product to try given how long I’ve been highlighting my hair blonde. Initial observations: a bit on the thin side as far as shampoos go, but with a light scent and a nice sensation of coating the entire strand thoroughly. My hair did look brighter/shinier after. But will report after more sustained use.
11. DAVINES OI CONDITIONER — This is probably my favorite scent of any bath/body product I’ve ever used. Just gorgeous — elegant. The conditioner product itself is also bananas. Ultra-hydrating and detangling. I adore it. I know a lot of you are big fans, too. I have been rotating in and out of other shampoos but will not give up on this conditioner. 100% worth the price.
12. DAVINES BODY WASH — I’ll be honest that this is not the best body wash — I actually prefer Molton Brown’s formula, especially in the Rhubarb and Rose scent. With the Davines product, I don’t like that you have to pour it out of a bottle (I always spill too much out), it doesn’t lather particularly well, and the scent doesn’t last long enough on the skin. But! While in the shower, it boasts the most divine perfume. It’s almost Pavlovian for me. I smell it and feel immediately relaxed and cared-for. I supplement with this near-prescription-grade gly/sal cleanser, which REALLY works if you are prone to body breakouts.
13. dpHUE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE — I use this every month or so when I feel like I need a thorough cleanse of my hair/scalp. It leaves hair feeling squeaky clean. I still find its application a little tricky — never sure if I’m using way too much or way too little? Since its a liquid and sort of runs all over? But it is a nice way to hit the reset button.
14. TANGLE TEEZER — This little palm brush makes detangling wet hair a breeze. I use it right after I get out of the shower.
15. CLIPS — These inexpensive guys are a must for sectioning hair while drying.
16. OXO SHOWER CADDY — As with all OXO products, very thoughtfully designed, with shelf heights that actually accommodate most bath products, a soap dish, and grippies that keep the entire thing suctioned to the wall.
17. dpHUE LEAVE-IN MIST — Still obsessed with this leave-in conditioning spray. It leaves hair SO soft and lush, and is great at detangling if you’re prone to tangles like I am.
18. REVLON ONE STEP 2.0 — Still obsessed with this and still turning everyone I know onto it. If you have the original version, you should contemplate upgrading to the 2.0. It’s more powerful, lighter-weight, and does not get as hot. I know MANY of you swear up and down about the Dyson AirWrap as a meaningful upgrade from the Revlon, and I hope to one day join your ranks. Somehow I always find more compelling ways to spend $600, but I am envious every time I hear you talk about them…
19. LINEN WASH DETERGENT — For years, I used The Laundress’ fancier detergents for our sheets and towels (and Tide on everything else). I found they were much gentler on clothes and also left sheets/towels (which you are frequently burying your face in!) beautifully scented. Unfortunately, as you probably heard, The Laundress found high concentrations of bacteria in its products and recalled many of them, and so I chucked everything we had. I have just been using plain old Tide on everything since but recently realize that my favorite ironing starch spray also had detergents by the same line. Going to give a try as a replacement for Laundress!
20. HILL HOUSE ROBE — My favorite for just-out-of-shower. See all details in headnotes.
So many great picks here! I still have my eye on that longer Weezie robe. I am also a Davines Oi devotee, but my current Davines favorite is the MOMO shampoo + conditioner (side note, I love how their conditioners are scoopable! I feel as though I’m not as prone to wasting it)
On the topic of loofahs — I use one of those little silicone scrubber things (like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VMPBV6M/) and it lathers just as well, without wearing out as easily or getting as funky (I just pop mine into the dishwasher to clean). Highly recommend!
Also happy to have Mia’s sea salt scrub recommendation — going to try that for sure!
xx
Love the idea of being able to clean your loofah in the dishwasher!!! Mindblown!
You will love that Weezie robe…!
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You should try the Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt! It’s so good and I can’t believe more people don’t talk about it. You massage it into your scalp and rinse it out like shampoo, followed by any deep conditioner. My hair is so soft and bouncy after. I think it’s best for people with straight/finer hair, especially for oily scalps. It’s a little pricey but you don’t need much at a time and you shouldn’t use it more than weekly anyway.
Yes!! I tried this a few years ago and thought it was fabulous, too. Like your hair feels springy at the roots! It’s incredible! I need a new tub!
xx