In Spenny vs Penny we compare the products we love with those following in their (sometimes pricey) footsteps. I tried luxury hand wash by Jo Malone and Aldi, but which one captured my heart (and hands)?
There’s something really nice about having a posh hand soap in your bathroom. A friend of mine has Aesop soap in hers and every time I visit, I find myself spending a longer time than necessary washing my mitts and then a further half hour sniffing my mandarin-cedar-and-lavender-scented hands. It’s really good.
To some, spending £30 on hand wash is a mere drop in the ocean, while to others it’s absolutely ludicrous (I have to admit I veer more towards this latter camp).
This is why I compared the holy grail of posh hand wash, Jo Malone’s English pear and freesia to Aldi’s dupe, its No 4 luxury hand and body wash in the same scent, to see how the two compared.
Top marks for this soap from an aesthetic point of view because it arrives in a beautiful striped box with a bow – the signature Jo Malone look. The hand wash itself looks exceptionally fancy owing to another striped effect on the bottle. I find it elevates my bathroom in an instant. I’m pretty excited to get my wash on.
The smell is unlike other soaps I’ve had. I can’t say as I know what freesia smells like however you can definitely detect pear balanced well with floral notes – and it’s not a subtle smell either, you’re immediately hit by it.
It reminds me a bit like the soap you’d find in a posh hotel, which is not a bad thing. There’s a good bit of lather and the formula itself feels nice and thick, as opposed to watery (which nobody wants). Once you’ve dried your hands, a pleasant pear scent lingers for a good 20 minutes or so, and they feel nice and soft too.
This doesn’t come in a fancy pants box, nor does it have a dashing striped bottle. That said, I’m impressed by the overall look of this hand wash, especially as it’s more than 10 times cheaper than Jo Malone’s pear and freesia delight. At a very quick glance, you might not even tell the difference between the two.
But when I squirt the hand wash into my palm, the cracks begin to show. People say the scents are similar, but I beg to differ: Aldi is incredibly overpowering and floral compared to the Jo Malone version, which wasn’t subtle itself.
I’m not sure it’s a scent I’d hurry to buy, if I’m honest, but I think that’s definitely down to personal taste – I’m more of a honey, vanilla and coconut kind of gal. The other thing I notice is that the hand wash is thinner in consistency, although given the price difference I’m hardly surprised.
My hands feel nice and smooth after using the soap, even if they carry that pungent smell for ages after washing – much to my cat’s dislike. It’s not the most nourishing of hand washes, but then again I didn’t really expect it to be.
In summary, due to the smell alone, I personally wouldn’t buy the Aldi version. Jo Malone’s is definitely my favourite, because of the luxurious hand-washing experience. I still don’t think I’d repeatedly fork out over £30 for the pleasure, but I would splurge on a one-off gift for someone.
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