The five best luxury body moisturisers

After months of keeping those legs shaved, tanned and moisturised, now they are hidden underneath leggings, tights and jeans, not to see daylight until May 2019 (or maybe your work Christmas party). Just because you can’t see any skin for more than half the year doesn’t mean it should be neglected. It’s colder in the mornings which makes it tempting to jump straight back into the dressing gown and skip the moisturiser, because who wants to be in the nip any longer than necessary when it’s cold? We firmly believe it’s an important self-care step no matter the temperature as it will keep skin soft and supple all year round.

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps, €32.00 – €55.00 at Arnotts.

This is my holy grail body moisturiser, and and apparently the only one Kate Moss uses (if it’s good enough for her etc). Kiehl’s straddles the line between a clinical feeling brand and a luxurious one, which is exactly how this product feels. It’s not messy to use as it’s packaged in a pump bottle, so there’s no excuse not to run this along your limbs every morning. With a formula that leaves a gorgeous sheen on the skin, it is surprisingly non-greasy and sinks in quickly. Stock up on the extra large bottle at the airport and it will last you almost a year.

Laura Mercier Soufflé Body Crème €63.00 at Brown Thomas.

I think I have received a jar of this body creme for Christmas every year for the past 5 years, and is an absolute favourite. This is a rich, buttery body lotion that feels luxurious on application. My personal favourite is the Coconut and Almond scent which people always compliment when I wear it. As it is so heavily scented, bear in mind if you wear a very distinctive perfume as it will interfere. Personally, I love it worn alone with no fragrance as the smell is so heavenly it needs nothing else.

Jo Malone Body Crème; €65.00 at Brown Thomas

A Jo Malone body moisturiser is about far more than just hydration. The brand has the most amazing range of scents to choose from. Layering different scented body moisturisers with their perfumes is encouraged and you can create your own signature scent this way. My personal favourite is the Amber and Lavender fragrance layered over the Blackberry and Bay body lotion, nourishing, not too sweet and the bay makes it a little bit musky.

Chanel Gabrielle Chanel Moisturising Body Lotion; €56.00 at Brown Thomas

Now unlike Jo Malone we would not recommend fragrance mixing here, go over the top and layer your favourite Chanel perfume over it’s matching body lotion. This type of layering is decadent and totally bouji but we love it. This will help your perfume last all day so make sure to take it all the way up the neck and right down to the wrists. You’ll be super-soft and smelling as decadent as you feel.

La Mer Restorative Body Lotion; $195 at LaMer.com

Entering into the realm of utterly outrageous here but La Mer, the epitome of luxury, known for their face cream, also do one for the body. Infused with the brand’s famously secret ‘Miracle Broth’ this promises to nourish and heal the skin. After hearing a horror story over the summer of a family friend’s husband who used an entire tub of this thinking it was cheap after-sun, I would recommend keeping this one away from prying hands. Keep it just for yourself as a truly extravagant treat in the depths of winter.

When it comes to the pricier, scented ones I always stick to my Grandmas’s advice; “Put the cheap stuff on your legs”. She wouldn’t dream of putting a Chanel body cream on her lower half as she wants everyone to be able to smell it, herself included, so stick to neck, arms and decolletage for the really fancy stuff. Whichever you decide to use, keep the lizard legs at bay and slather on that body butter all winter long, your skin will thank you when it’s time to flash the flesh again.