Currently Loving: New Tone Blissful Awakening Caffeine & Vanilla Blossom Energizing Body Wash

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It's been a while since I fell head-over-heels for a drugstore body wash, but this is one that I think you need to know about (especially if you love gourmand scents)!

I sniffed this body wash at Walgreens a few weeks ago and I wasn't going to buy it (lord knows I don't need another body wash right now), but then I just couldn't stop thinking about it. The whole time I was in the store, I kept thinking, "I need that body wash. I need that body wash." So I ended up going back to the body wash aisle and I plopped it in my basket at the last minute thinking, "I don't need this. But I can't stop thinking about it. I don't need it. But I want it." And thus, it came home with me. Please tell me you've had similar conversations with yourself at the drugstore? I need to know I'm not alone!

Tone Blissful Awakening Caffeine & Vanilla Blossom Energizing Body Wash
(retail: around $5, 18 oz.)

I picked this up at my local Walgreens for about $5 (Tone is often BOGOFREE at Walgreens, by the way). You can also get it online at Walmart for $2.92. This body wash is a pretty new addition to the Tone lineup, and it's not on the Tone website yet as of the time of publication.

Made in USA

Looking at the ingredients above, you can see that this is a pretty standard drugstore body wash. There's a small amount of caffeine (less caffeine than fragrance) but what surprised me, since this isn't called out on the front of bottle, is that there are exfoliating granules in this formula. I thought they were fine sugar crystals, but they're actually Phytelephas Aequatorialis seed powder (AKA: palm tree seed powder). The back of the bottle does mention that this is an "exfoliating formula" but since it's not on the front of the bottle, it was a bit of a surprise the first time I used it. According to this website, this exfoliant is classified as "moderately abrasive" and I would agree. It feels like fine sugar, not coarse sugar.

You can't really see the palm tree seed powder to the naked eye, but here's a shot of the body wash drizzled on a white plate--it's a luminous golden color.

Now let's get to the fun part. THE SCENT. Oh my goodness. When I first took a whiff, it smelled SO familiar, but I just could not place it. The more I sniffed the bottle, the more familiar it felt. Finally I figured it out. This body wash smells like the inside of a Starbucks at Christmastime. More specifically, it smells like fresh-brewed coffee and vanilla lattes and gingerbread lattes, all mixed together in one bottle. It's intoxicating, I tell you! I cannot stop smelling it as I sit here typing this (yes, I have the bottle right next to me because I'm obsessed).

The fragrance level is pretty strong (I can definitely smell it the moment I open the bottle) and the scent sticks around on my skin for about 20-30 minutes after I get out of the shower. As for the formula, it's very similar/the same as other Tone body washes I've used over the years. Not too drying, not super hydrating--pretty standard. The lather is nice on this one and you don't need much to get lots of bubbles on your bath pouf. What I also like is that this can double as a gentle hand scrub! The palm tree seed powder isn't super dense in this formula so don't expect heavy-duty exfoliation, but I've used this body wash on my hands a few times and it does deliver some gentle exfoliation to my hands, which is a nice bonus.

FINAL VERDICT: if the idea of a body wash that smells like a vanilla latte sounds enticing to you, I suggest looking for this at your local drugstore or big box store and giving it a whiff. You may just end up as captivated by this scent as I was, in which case don't be surprised if it finds its way home with you. I seriously cannot get enough of this stuff.

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.