Woods of Windsor Review

Towards the end of 2016, I received a really beautiful hamper containing Woods of Windsor goodies to celebrate their new look. I have always loved their packaging because it is beautiful. However, the new packaging just takes it up an amazing notch. I can’t still believe how affordable they are because the products are really great quality. They have added a few lines to their range I believe and I was so lucky to try a selection. So here’s a little round up of some of my favourites. Right let's get into this post....

Brief Overview of Woods of Windsor

From the name alone, I am sure you can guess that Woods of Windsor is a quintessential British brand. They are a premium English lifestyle and gift brand who have been around as far back as the 18th Century and they specialise in developing amazing bath, body and home fragrance products using natural beauty from the gardens in England. They have also won the Queen's Award for Export a few times. Last year, they revamped their packaging and their entire look including their easy to navigate website. They have drawn inspiration from modern & vintage flower illustrations, the Great Park, Windsor Castle and the English Garden. You can check out their website here and their About page if you want to find out more about the brand.



Woods of Windsor Range
You can pretty much find anything ranging from body care and fragrance to home and gift items from Woods of Windsor. They are one of my favourite brands when it comes to body care and they make really affordable gift sets. I have featured them a few times on my Gift Guides as they have the best combination of great quality, amazing packaging and affordability. The categories of products on their website include Eau de Toilette , Moisturising Hand Wash, Moisturising Bath & Shower Gel, Nourishing Hand Cream, Luxury Soap, Dusting Powder and Draw Liners.  Last year, they had a collaboration with English Heritage which featured home and lifestyle products including Candles, Room & Linen Mists and Diffusers. You can check out my review here of their English Heritage product lineup. One thing I love most about Woods of Windsor is range of fragrances to choose from. These fragrances include True Rose, Lily of the Valley, Lavender, White Jasmine, Blue Orchid & Water Lily, Bergamot & Neroli, Honeyed Pear & Amber and Pomegranate & Hibiscus.




Woods of Windsor Eau de Toilette //Link //£17.99 (100ml)
I've always had at least one Woods of Windsor fragrance in my stash because they smell lovely and are affordable. The outer packaging of these fragrances look absolutely stunning and you'd never believe their prices just from looking at their packaging. They look so premium. Although they are EDTs, they are much long lasting than many EDTs I own. This is because Woods of Windsor use the purest and nature essential oils to make their fragrances. I have actually had to double check to see if they are EDTs or EDPs because their lasting power is impressive. I wished the perfume bottles had the name of the fragrances in front of the bottle instead of underneath. Other than that, I love the packaging. It does not feel or look cheap and it just sits elegant on my dressing table. I was lucky to be gifted three EDTs which include Pomegranate & Hibiscus*, White Jasmine* and Blue Orchid & Water Lily*. 



My favourite has to be the Pomegranate & Hibiscus and that's what I am currently using alongside my other favourite fragrances. It's a good balance of floral (Hibiscus) and fruity (Pomegranate). The other notes in this fragrance include Bergamot, Mandarin, Ginger, Sandalwood and Vanilla. If you are after a Winter/Spring Transition fragrance, I'd highly recommend giving these EDTs a try.



Moisturising Bath & Shower Gel* //Link //£8.49 (250ml)
I always look forward to using a nice smelling shower gel in the mornings and they really help me get ready in the morning. I have quite a large number of shower gels which I have been working my way through and a few stand out from the rest. The Woods of Windsor Bath & Shower gel definitely fall into one of my top shower gels list. I love shower gels that smell great, work up to a good lather and rinse off nicely (without feeling greasy). I can happily say that these Woods of Windsor Bath & Shower Gels tick all the boxes for me. They smell so gorgeous both during use and linger nicely after my shower/bath. I was so lucky to receive two fragrances which include the Honeyed Pear & Amber* and the White Jasmine*.



I love both of them so much but I think I have a soft spot for the Honeyed Pear & Amber because it was one of the first products I got from Woods of Windsor. I had it in the hand wash version with the matching hand cream (from their previous packaging) and I have repurchased this set at least twice. I was so happy to try out the new packaging and I am glad the quality has remained the same if not better.  All the shower gels in the range contain antioxidant rich Vitamin E which protects the skin. These shower gels are available in the following scents: True Rose, Lavender, Lily of the Valley, White Jasmine*, Blue Orchid & Water Lily, Pomegranate & Hibiscus and of course, Honeyed Pear & Amber. They are absolutely gorgeous, have great quality and last a good while too.




Moisturising Hand Wash*//Link // £6.99 (350ml)
Hand Washes are another category of products that I love because they make my hand smell lovely. I wash my hands frequently mainly because I work in the hospital but this habit even translates back to when I am at home. I love moisturising hand washes that don't make my hands feel dry or stripped especially with the current weather situation. These Woods of Windsor Hand Washes look so beautiful. I don't know about you but I always want to have a pretty hand wash and hand cream  in my bathroom at all times. It just adds to the aesthetics of my bathroom and when visitors have to use my bathroom, they always comment on how pretty the hand washes are. I was lucky to be sent three of these hand washes and they include: Lily of the Valley*, Blue Orchid & White Lily* and White Jasmine*. I can't really decide on which is my favourite but I am currently using the Lily of the Valley Hand Wash (alongside the Hand Cream) and I really like it. They look so much more expensive than they are but their quality is really impressive.



Nourishing Hand Cream & Body Lotion* //Link //£9.99 (100ml)
Again, I am a huge fan of hand creams. I find that if you wash your hands often, you'd more likely use more hand creams as well. I love hand creams and I carry them with me everywhere- in my handbag, pockets, etc and you can find them in my bathroom and bedroom (and even my dresser). For hand creams, I always look out for how quickly they get  absorbed, their moisturising and hydrating effect, non-greasy formulas and their fragrance. Not many hand creams tick all these boxes but I am happy to report that these Woods of Windsor Nourishing Hand Creams pretty much do it all. They are very moisturising and they don't leave my hands with an annoying greasy feel. I got the Lily of the Valley Hand Cream* and I think it's the perfect Spring Hand Cream. Once again, the packaging looks divine and it's such a joy whipping it out of my handbag when my hands feel dry. I am currently using it in my bathroom with the Lily of the Valley Hand Wash. The Nourishing Hand Cream comes in four fragrances including True Rose, Honeyed Pear & Amber, Lavender and Lily of the Valley which I own.




Luxury Soap* //Link //£9.99 (for set of 3 soaps)
As much as I am a huge fan of Shower Gels, soaps will always still have a place in my bathroom. I grew up using soaps and I remember being gifted nice luxurious looking soaps by my parents and relatives. When I found this soap set in the Woods of Windsor hamper, it brought back so many lovely memories. The Woods of Windsor website describe these soaps as triple milled using the finest natural ingredients. Don't you just love their packaging? Honestly, they make me feel special whenever I have to pick a new soap. I got the Lily of the Valley scent and it smells so fresh. They really do hold their shape (which is a slightly curved oval one) after many uses and it never gets messy. I am really amazed by this because some soaps lose their shape no matter how careful I am with them.  It also smells so lovely and I can still smell its slightly lingering scent after I have showered. This set will make an incredible gift and you honestly don't need to do any extra wrapping with this one. These luxury soaps come in four scents which include True Rose, Lavender, White Jasmine and Lily of the Valley and each of the soaps weigh 60 g. You get three soaps in each set and I think it's an amazing bargain at £9.99. I wish Woods of Windsor will make a mixed set containing at least one of each of the four fragrances they make as that would be an amazing way to try each soap. Nevertheless, I love this set and I am onto my second soap already!!






Drawer Liners* //Link //£9.99 
I got into Drawer Liners last year when I tried out the Woods of Windsor English Heritage range. It was new to me but I really enjoyed using them.They can be used in all drawers and my drawers are just transformed by these liners. The best part is they leave a lovely scent in my drawers and the liners last for as long as six months. Once they are done, they can be used as gift wraps. Of course, nothing stops you from using them before the 6 month mark as a gift wrap. I bet anyone who gets a gift wrapped with these liners will be over the moon. They are available in two scents/fragrances- True Rose and Bergamot & Neroli* fragrances. I was incredibly lucky to get sent these two fragrances and I have enjoyed them. The Rose Drawer Liner smells so gorgeous as expected from anything rose scented. However, I think I am leaning towards the Bergamot & Neroli scent. The lovely yellow design theme reminds me of Spring. I also love the beautiful wallet these drawer liners come in and I already use them in storing some blog documents. Love these drawer liners and you get pretty large sheets (5 sheets in total) in each wallet so it's really good value for the price.




Dusting Powder* //Link //£9.99
The last category of products in my hamper is this lovely Dusting Powder. I bought my previous Dusting Powder from Miss Selfridge and I ended up giving it too my sister because she loved it so much. Imagine the delight on my face when I saw the Lavender Dusting Powder in the hamper. First off, I love the packaging. It is beautiful and I am a huge fan of anything with a purple/lilac/lavender colour. Inside the lovely illustrated outer packaging, you get a super fluffy powder puff and the powder rests securely underneath. It has a nice label which protects the powder although I do have to say it is slightly messy when you completely take it off. I know some people are not really into dusting powders but I find them really good for evenings especially after a shower/bath on a pamper evening/night. Dusting powders also help lock in moisture while leaving your body with a nice fragrance. I don't use this everyday for sure but I use it when I am feeling extra.


Where to Buy
The easiest place to purchase Woods of Windsor products will be on their website. The website is really easy too navigate and they often do offers which you can find out about when you sign up for their newsletters. I believe you can also get Woods of Windsor from other retailers like Debenhams and Boots.  However, the best place to get the wide range of products is the Woods of Windsor website.






Overall Thoughts
I can't even describe how my day was made when this lovely Woods of Windsor hamper arrived. I was so delighted and their lovely PR included a box of fudge, a cute fridge magnet and an invite to the Woods of Windsor Castle (which I'd be using when the weather gets warmer). I love all the products in this hamper but I have outlined my favourites above. Hope you enjoyed this post. Have you tried any Woods of Windsor products?
*Gifted PR Sample, read my full disclaimer here.

English Heritage by Woods of Windsor Home Fragrance Collection

I got a really exciting invite to preview and learn more about the English Heritage by Woods of Windsor Home Fragrance Collection last month. They recently expanded their range to include a Home Fragrance Collection consisting of Candles, Diffusers, Room Fragrances, Drawer Liners and Wardrobe Sachets. The entire collection will be available to shop this July and I know many people would love it. I will update this post with links of where to get them from once they become available so do bear with me.




The exciting thing about this collection is that Woods of Windsor teamed up with English Heritage to create this amazing collection. The event was held in the beautiful Wellington Arch which I had no idea had a gorgeous space inside. All the while I just thought it was a historic site so you can imagine my shock when I was ushered inside through a door I have never noticed. It felt like I was being shown somewhere secret and I loved it. I was just very impressed by the choice of location!!




We were welcomed with some delicious breakfast and tea/coffee while networking with other beauty enthusiasts. There were also two presentations by representatives from Woods of Windsor and English Heritage who talked us through the collection and collaboration.






It was a beautiful event and I was gifted with a wide range of products from the collection to try which I am so grateful for. It was a morning event so I had to scurry back to work but it was an amazing highlight to my day.



English Heritage by Woods of Windsor Collection
English Heritage are  proud custodians of over 400 historic monuments, buildings and sites across England and they bring the story of England to over 11 million excited visitors each year. I think that's incredible and although I have never been to any of these sites, I am more than intrigued to visit especially after trying out this collection. Woods of Windsor has been around as far back as the 18th Century and they specialise in creating amazing bath, body and home fragrance products using natural beauty from the gardens in England. As a quintessential British Brand (who has won the Queen's Award for Export a few times), their collaboration with English Heritage is just spot on. The English Heritage by Woods of Windsor is inspired by three English Heritage's historic English landmarks- Kenilworth Castle, Elizabethan Garnden and Osborne and Eltham Palace. I loved listening to the stories behind each of the fragrance which I will be sharing snippets of below. You can tell a lot of detail, time and dedication went into the production of this collection and I love the results. The collection consists of Tudor Rose, Citrus & Basil and Sea Spray & Freesia and they are really gorgeous although my absolute favourite is the Sea Spray & Freesia range.


Tudor Rose
The Tudor Rose range is inspired by the castle in the Elizabethan Garden which has the most beautiful love story behind it. Apparently, Robert Dudley created this garden to woo Queen Elizabeth I and it had the most beautiful flowers ever inside. Over time, this garden was lost to the world for almost 400 years but it was re-created and is now flourishing with Tudor Roses. The notes in Tudor Rose include Green Leafy Top notes, Tudor Rose, Lily, Iris, Peony, Violet, Soft Woods and Vanilla. I feel this is one of the few Rose fragrances that both Rose lovers and non-lovers would adore because you can tell it has roses in it but it's not overpowering the other notes. It's a really beautiful feminine fragrance but with some character as well which is why I love it.


Citrus & Basil
The Citrus & Basil range is inspired by the Art Deco period which can be seen in elements of the Eltham Palace interiors including the door. This is a very energising and uplifting fragrance and I think it fits in so well with Summer. The notes include Aromatic Citrus, Grapefruit, Lime, Orange, Zingy Basil, Bay, Jasmine, Patchouli and a Woody Base. It absolutely reminds me of Jo Malone's Lime Basil & Mandarin fragrance but a much more affordable option. I think the Citrus & Basil is definitely the strongest fragrance in the entire collection and it's perfect for the living room where you want a positive vibe going on.


Sea Spray & Freesia
Let's just put it out there- This is my favourite fragrance in the entire collection and I look forward to expanding my collection. It is inspired by the rolling coastal gardens of Osborne where Queen Victoria created her peaceful seaside retreat. I can only imagine how peaceful her retreat was if it smelled anywhere similar to this fragrance. This is my calming fragrance and an instant stress buster for me. It's such a fresh fragrance with beautiful notes including Sea Spray, Citrus fruits, Freesia, Lily of the Valley, Geranium, Violet, Tea rose, Musk, Sandalwood and Seaweed. I have this in the candle form and I adore it. I think I may have to burn it again when I get home today. It's absolutely gorgeous and at the event, it was everyone's favourite fragrance.


What does the Collection consist of?
As mentioned above, the English Heritage by Woods of Windsor Collection consists of 5 products which include Candles, Room Fragrances, Diffusers, Drawer Liners and Wardrobe Sachets. I was super lucky to be gifted a wide range of these products to try out and I can finally share my thoughts on them with you. The only product I have not tried is the Diffuser but I do plan to purchase it when it becomes available. One thing that stands out in the entire range is how long lasting the fragrances are. The bag these products were housed in still smells of these products even after I have removed them.






Scented Candles* //£15.99 (will add links when available)
I have become so obsessed with candles lately and I am honestly thinking of doing a candle collection post. The English Heritage by Woods of Windsor Collection Candles are so beautifully packaged and smell so lovely. The outer packaging of each fragrance is designed based on elements of the English Heritage site it is inspired by. The candles themselves are housed in a simple clear white candle jar with the name of the candle on it. They are very sturdy and slightly heavy but I know they will make amazing makeup brush holders when I have burned them all. They are beautifully scented as you would imagine with each corresponding fragrance (Tudor Rose, Citrus & Basil and Sea Spray & Freesia). I have not burnt all of them because that will be a waste but I did burn the Sea Spray & Freesia and it was love at first burn (if that's even a thing). The candles release their scents so evenly and they linger even when I have put them out. The best part is they burn evenly but you do have to make sure you burn them for at least 2 hours and trim the wick to about 5 mm to ensure there is no soot. For the price (£15.99), it's such an impressive value for money because Woods of Windsor always deliver good quality all the time.



Room Fragrances* // £9.99 (will add links when available)
If you don't have the patience for burning a candle and you want a quick refresh of your room, I find that room fragrances are the way to go. I have tried a couple which I have enjoyed as they work so fast. I received the Citrus & Basil Room Fragrance which is perfect for Summer. It comes in a gorgeous bottle with the Citrus & Basil design (elements of the Eltham Palace Interiors particularly one door) and all the other bottles have a corresponding design. It sprays evenly which I love and I only use 1-2 spritz for my entire room. I love to give my room a quick spritz just before I leave for work and it lingers even when I come home. Sometimes, if I am having a hard time getting up in the morning (especially on Mondays), I give my room a quick spritz just before I go for a shower and it gives my room a really energised vibe when I get back to my room.  It's totally worth trying out especially at £9.99.







Drawer Liners* // £9.99 (will add links when available)
I was mostly intrigued by the Drawer Liners because I can't remember ever owning anything like this. It reminds me of what ladies in 18th and 19th Century would have in their stash and I absolutely love it. Drawer liners are used in drawers as the name suggests but mainly drawers for lingerie and other delicate things. The packaging is so beautiful and it comes in a wallet form. Without opening the wallet, you can smell the beautiful fragrance on the liner and it's even more intense when you open it. I received the Tudor Rose Drawer Liner and I am so pleased with it because is the perfect feminine scent for my drawer. The beautiful pink design tugs at my heart strings and now I have lined all the little drawers in my bedroom with them. My favourite drawer is my makeup drawer and I lined it with these liners and let me tell you, it makes me want to do my make up just so I can catch a whiff of its beautiful scent. Apparently, this would last for around 6 months and once it is completely faded, it can be used as a luxury gift wrap. I think that's a genius idea!! In each Drawer Liner Wallet, you get 5 sheets (35cm X 50 cm) and they retail for £9.99. They are quite long and I only needed less than one sheet to line my entire makeup drawer. I love it so much!!





Wardrobe Sachets* // £4.99(will add links when available)
I have actually never owned a wardrobe sachet but I found it really interesting. Again, I am sure it must be something vintage and it just felt good putting it in my wardrobe. Although they are called Wardrobe Sachets, they can be hung or placed in  drawers, cars, travel luggage, etc. I have the Citrus & Basil one and it really does an amazing job. I do need to clear out my wardrobe so it can have more air to work evenly because it is quite intense. It has a lovely black decorative ribbon on which you can hang it if you wish.


Where to Buy (will add links when available)
The entire collection will be available from this month and you can purchase them online from Woods of Windsor website, English Heritage website, selected English Heritage Sites (Osborne, Kenilworth Castle and Garden and Eltham Palace), the flagship store in Windsor and other department stores. I will update this list once they roll out and add the links as well. For now you can join the waiting list here if you want to be the first to know when they become available


Overall Thoughts
I am really impressed by the entire collection and I am very pleased they are affordable. They would make amazing gifts for anyone. I think the Citrus & Basil fragrance is definitely a unisex one so it can work for both men and women. My favourite fragrance is definitely the Sea Spray & Freesia and I think it's an amazing combination of notes!! I am really grateful that I had the opportunity to experience the collection and it's definitely worth checking out for yourself and as gifts for loved ones!! Would you be checking out the English Heritage by Woods of Windsor Collection?..xx
*PR Samples, read my full disclaimer here.