Soft Summer Skin with Juara's Coffee & Creme Smoothing Body Ritual

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I've been hoarding my Birchbox points and waiting for a discount code, so when my June Birchbox included a 20% discount, I treated myself to the Juara Coffee & Creme Smoothing Body Ritual set ($49).  This was a blind buy as I haven't received samples of this line to date from Birchbox, but the reviews were glowing and with it being shorts weather, I thought this set was the way to go.  So was it?

Oh, yeah. This stuff is all that and a box of chocolates, or more accurately coffee and cream.  The Invigorating Coffee Scrub is full of fresh roasted Indonesian coffee, walnut shell powder, and sulfate-free cleansing agents for a vigorous but gentle exfoliating scrub.  It definitely has that coffee grind smell that java lovers will appreciate. 

Taking my cue from the name of the set (Smoothing Body Ritual), I did not rush through the scrub but instead turned the shower off and took my time massaging the scrub in circular motions all over my body.  The recommendation is to use the scrub 2-3 times a week, which should give the exfoliating and enhanced circulation benefits without overworking my skin.  The downside of coffee scrubs is the mess, as coffee grinds covered the bottom of my shower afterwards.  I let them dry and then swept them up as opposed to rinsing them down the drain, as I'm leery of clogging my older home's plumbing. 

The second step in the Smoothing Body Ritual is the Candlenut Body Creme, which features the nourishing benefits of Candlenut oil as well as Illipe Butter,  Rice Bran Oil, and Avocado Oil.  The consistency of the body cream is thinner than a shea butter and does a great job of soaking into the skin without leaving a greasy residue.  What I get is extremely soft skin that I kept wanting to touch, it felt so good - even hours later.

 

The body cream does have a light fragrance that feels tropical without veering into coconut or suntan lotion territory.  If I had to guess I'd say it's based on white tropical flowers (I'm seeing Tiare and Jasmine featured in other Juara products), but I'm really just going with the tropical feel I get from it.  Whatever it is, I like it.

If you are as unfamiliar with Juara as I was, here's a bit of information from the Birchbox site:

The nature-based skincare line is rooted in an east-meets-west philosophy, pairing ancient Indonesian healing ingredients with modern technology and packaging. Inspired by the centuries-old medicinal tradition of Jamu (which is still used in spas in Bali today), the products rely on plants and botanicals to thoroughly nourish and improve your skin. Bonus: The 100 percent vegetarian line is also cruelty-free.

The Coffee & Creme Smoothing Ritual set ranks right up there with another luxury body care line I love (Pure Fiji, reviews here and here), so that's high praise indeed!