Our shopping expert tests Sol de Janeiro’s viral body scrub and moisturiser

If you have not seen the beauty sensation Sol Da Janeiro’s rise through the beauty ranks over the last couple of years you must have been living under a rock. There is an ongoing social media joke that the brand is bankrupting parents of teenage daughters – it seems to be the product of the summer and everybody wants in. Shoppers of all ages cannot get enough of it’s “delicious” scent.

Now, with all of the hype around its scent and how lusciously soft it supposedly makes your skin feel, not forgetting it’s hailed as a “legendary” beauty product on the market, lifestyle and shopping writer Phoebe Barton decided to try them out – find out how she got on.

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Over the May bank holiday weekend, I stumbled upon a Cult Beauty sale that included discounts on the Sol de Janeiro products, so I decided to take the plunge and give them a try. A large tub of the Bum Bum Body Scrub cost me £31.20 and a large tub of the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream cost £38.40.

That’s not all, though, as Cult Beauty threw in a free gift – a small bottle of the Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Mist – a body perfume that matches the scent used in the scrub and cream. The range can also be shopped at Boots where the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream costs £32.40 for the smaller 150ml size and the body scrub is £35.10. LookFantastic has the Bum Bum Cream in the larger 240ml size for £38.45.

The Sol de Janeiro body scrub has an ultra-fine texture made up of sugar crystals and crushed cupuaçu seeds that are supposed to help help boost circulation and buff away dead skin cells. Inspired by the ‘golden sands of Rio’, the scrub also contains coconut and açai butter that nourishes and conditions the body.

As soon as I opened the bright orange tub containing the scrub, I was hit by a delicious fragrance that smelled just like summer. The scent is the same as the Cheirosa 62 Mist which is salted caramel, pistachio and vanilla.

The scrub was a little hard to scoop out of the tub at first, so I applied more water to my hands which solved the issue. Over the years I’ve used many body scrubs, but none have particularly impressed me. The majority contain big bits that hurt my skin and leave sand-like residue all over the shower tray. Thankfully Sol de Janeiro’s body scrub is so fine that it didn’t irritate my skin at all and it washed down the drain without leaving any mess.

My bathroom was filled with the summery scent after using the scrub, and it was only going to get more fragrant as I reached for Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Unlike the name suggests, it’s a rich moisturiser that can be used all over the body, not just your bum.

My main areas of concern are my arms and legs which can get quite dry, especially in summer when the sun is beating down on my bare skin and I’m shaving my legs more frequently. I was interested to see if it would give my limbs some much-needed hydration.

The Bum Bum Cream contains ingredients from South America, comprising nourishing cupuaçu butter, conditioning coconut oil, antioxidant-rich açaí, and the native Amazonian plant guaraná which is said to firm, smooth and brighten the skin. The latter gives your skin the ultimate boost as it is one of the most potent forms of caffeine on the planet.

On first appearance, the cream looked quite thick in the tub, but after scooping some onto my hand, it has a light silky texture. It didn’t absorb as quickly as other moisturisers, but after spending a couple of minutes massaging the cream into my skin in circular motions, it was fully absorbed and there were no white marks left on my skin.

As I used the Sol de Janeiro products in the morning, I was delighted to find that when I woke up the next morning I could still smell the gorgeous Cheirosa 62 scent. My body felt super soft and hydrated, and the few ingrown hairs on my legs and bikini line were gone.

Since then, I’ve used the products several times and it’s safe to say I will be using the body scrub, cream and body mist for a long time to come. Cult Beauty is selling the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub (220g) for £39 and the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (240ml) for £48. You can buy the matching Cheirosa 62 Mist at Cult Beauty for £38 for the 240ml bottle.

Alternatively, Boots is selling the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub (220g) for £35.10 and the Bum Bum Cream (150ml) for £32.40. LookFantastic has the Bum Bum Cream (240ml) for £38.45.