ROADTEST: 3 women try the savey bodycare from Coles.

Life is way too hectic these days. 

Which is why I’m such a strong believer in everyday things being embraced and enjoyed as luxuries. 

Take the humble shower, for example. It’s not just a place to get clean and do some of your best thinking (Google ‘shower thoughts’ if you don’t believe me). With the right products, a shower can be restorative, invigorating and indulgent. 

Enter the KOi range. They're cute and vegan friendly, and will leave you with change from a $20 note (okay okay, no one is using cash these days, but you know what I mean). What’s not to love?

The range is exclusive to Coles, so I, and two other slightly frugal beauty lovers on the Mamamia team had the pleasure of trying out three KOi products each. Their whole range includes everything from bar soap, to bath fizzers, even hand sanitiser – so we each tried these trusty basics: a body wash, body scrub and body lotion. 

We all had different criteria on what we were looking for too: while Lisa has reactive skin needing gentle, sensitive-friendly formulas, Annaliese is a busy mum, so these products need to be perfect for dual use on her kids' skin as well as her own. And I just wanted something that smells great and made my morning routine that little bit more boujee – but without the spendy price tag.

Here's exactly what we thought of them.

Emmeline

First up, I put the Blood Orange & Ginger Invigorating Body Wash to the test. This creamy and thick body wash lathered up pretty perfectly, but for me, the absolute best part was that scent. Seriously, can KOi make a blood orange and ginger chocolate or cocktail based on this product?! Because it smells delicious. My skin was soft and clean-feeling afterwards, but without any of that squeaky-clean ‘tightness’ that can come with other skin-stripping body washes.

Next, the Arabica Coffee & Shea Butter Energising Body Scrub. It's actually a super gentle scrub (read: it didn’t feel like you’ve given yourself a once over with some steel wool). The shea butter gave it a gorgeous silky texture as well, but again it was the smell that won me over. It smells like a smooth, milky latte. Makes you want to drink it (which we wouldn’t recommend but it's nice to imagine).  

Image: Supplied.

To round out my routine, the Bergamot & Magnolia Awakening Body Lotion is very nourishing, without feeling heavy or too rich on your skin. The delicious floral scent was not overpowering, so you can slather this one on morning and night. Plus, check out the super cute packaging!! A super cute addition to pop on your nightstand or bathroom bench for access, whenever you need it. 

These three savey KOi products have now become part of my daily routine, and with their generous sizing, they also won’t be running out any time soon. I'm so impressed with the value, and love that they're Australian made.

Image: Supplied.

Lisa

There is no greater feeling than finding products that just fit seamlessly into your daily routine. Products that tick all the boxes, don't break the bank and actually play nicely with your skin.  

As someone with insanely reactive and sensitive skin, this has become one of my biggest self-care struggles. 

I'm constantly on the lookout for anything that is gentle yet effective, and often doubt these unicorns in my price range actually exist. So discovering KOi was a damn delight. It was love at first patch test, really. Love that they're also vegan and use natural ingredients – and my skin has actually behaved in the short few weeks I've been using them! 

Let's take a moment for the beautiful packaging too. Sleek bottles paired with the gorgeous pastel illustrations. They're honestly products you're happy to display in your bathroom. Let's not pretend this doesn't really matter because it absolutely matters. 

I mean look at this:

Image: Supplied.

I started my nighttime shower routine with the Arabica Coffee & Shea Butter Energising Body Scrub. The name checks out: it's a creamy scrub formulated with cocoa butter, shea butter and macadamia seed oil while using natural walnut shell and Arabica coffee for a gentle exfoliation. 

This product felt nourishing on my skin, and wasn't harsh and coarse like I have found other scrubs to be. I started using the scrub one night a week to ease my skin in, but in being so happy with the results I upped this to 2-3 times a week as recommended. 

I then moved onto the Blood Orange & Ginger Invigorating Body Wash which is a fun second step to wash away any leftover body scrub. KOi's body wash is formulated with lilly pilly (a good skin purifier with antioxidant properties) and vitamin E (excellent for softening the skin, and helping to protect your skin's moisture barrier) – making my skin feel super smooth. Along with the blood orange and ginger essential oils meant the smell was divine and left my bathroom (and me!) smelling so fresh. 

I'm usually not a full body moisturising type of person... but KOi may have just converted me. The Bergamot & Magnolia Awakening Body Lotion is beautiful and lightweight, yet still gives me nice hydration without it feeling heavy or sticky. It's a bedside staple because my skin just drinks it up, and it's packed with jojoba oil, macadamia oil, shea butter and vitamin E, even some Australian Davidson Plum in there too for that added hydration boost.

I'm so surprised at the savey price point with such high quality ingredients! Definitely worth repurchasing.

Image: Supplied.

Annaliese

Okay, I jumped at the chance to try some self-care saveys from the KOi range, especially when they're Australian made, and giving spendy vibes with quality skincare ingredients (and cute packaging!).

I know it shouldn't matter what something looks like on the outside, ~but~ I love the fact they have vibrant, funky packaging that really pop in my bathroom, and make me feel very happy when I see them there. But they don't just have a pretty face: they're made from naturally derived, skin-loving botanicals and essential oils. Such a win for the accessible price point. For me, my favourite thing about them was that I didn't have to swat my kids away from using them (because of said price point). 

The Energising Body Scrub gave a really gentle exfoliation, and was impressed at how nourished and moisturised my skin felt after drying off. The Invigorating Body Wash (just like the gals said) smelled good enough to eat! Such a refreshing and zesty fragrance that felt like a little luxury before starting my day (morning shower person here!).

Image: Supplied.

Finishing my morning routine with the Awakening Body Lotion, it honestly felt like something as luxurious as a Nigella Lawson desert concoction. Bit much? You see where I'm going with this though. Definitely a contender for my favourite of the three, as it awakened my sleeping senses in the morning, and left my skin feeling beautifully smooth and hydrated.

All three of us are *very* keen to get our mitts on more KOi products – they honestly do add those extra touches of self-care to your routine. It's not too cheeky to want a few more of those, right? 

Shop the KOi range of skin, body and hair products, made with natural fragrances and feel-good ingredients. Exclusive to Coles.

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.