Before I start with the negative review of Rituals Dream Collection I must add that I’m a very regular customer of Rituals and love almost all of their collections. I’m quite the Rituals addict. I adore the ritual of Karma, Jing, Aruvedya, Sakura, I use the room sprays, the body wash, the scrubs, shampoo, car fragrance, everything as I think little beats their products, the quality of the ingredients, the moisturising affect of the oils in the scrubs. I’m a huge fan and stop by every time I’m in the city for a little shower or bath treat.

HOWEVER

As soon as the Rituals Dream Collection launched I paused. The marketing is completely different to what’s come before and although the images look stunning, it was a far cry from the sophisticated golden hues that I’d come to know and love. It’s lilac, which is nice, opaque, which is strange, and very very girly, young girly, which is what I think they’re trying to attract.

I asked an assistant about it, it went like this.

Me, “I’m surprised at the new marketing, it seems so off brand. I thought they may launch a new ritual?”

Assistant, “Well it is a ritual, it’s a ritual of….. erm….kind of like….DREAM! It’s the ritual of dreaming.”

O.K.

In my mind I changed the product already to a slightly shimmering amethyst tub with a gold lid for the body scrub. An aubretia ombre fading to silver sparkles for the body wash. Deep, royal purples, sparkling stars, precious metals, rich, indulgent ingredients, oils and heavy scents.

I gave my head a wobble and told myself off for judging. I’m a marketer and copywriter by trade, I’m forever criticising brand launches, I told myself I was being too harsh.

Let’s try it.

The Rituals of Dream Whipped Shower Gel and Fluffy Body Scrub

I bought the whipped shower gel and fluffy body scrub along with the lip oil. I had to get my oils from somewhere. I was excited. This Rituals Dream Collection is brand new and they have to know what they’re doing? I am about to have a dreamy shower that lets me drift off on a cloud of supreme aromatherapy like most other Rituals products do. Oh my.

In the shower I tried the whipped shower gel first. First pump, it disappeared instantly. I tried to shave my legs thinking it may be sitting on the skin somewhere and ouch! Not the usual glide I’d expect from the foaming shower gels at Rituals. Pump number 2 reminded me of the Sunday shower Mousse from Urban Outfitters, I’m not keen on that one either but it is a third of the price of this one, so maybe I should have… Nope, let’s be positive.

Pump number three and finally I’ve got small white bubbles on my legs but the nozzle breaks. I shave and wash the rest of my body with the Rituals Dream whipped shower gel, using half the bottle in the process as it kept dissolving into the air. When I finished I felt flat. My skin felt tight and dry, I could smell nothing, there was no aromatherapy hit to the shower air, I didn’t even feel clean. I used a trusted ESPA shower gel afterwards to make sure I was clean.

Again, I wanted to stay positive, so I tried to open the Rituals Dream Fluffy Body Scrub. Little tip – open this before you get into the shower and be prepared to use your teeth!

With wet hands I found it really difficult to manhandle the pouch and squeeze out enough. It looked like a unicorn’s turd, so they’re definitely appealing to the under 10’s market. (Sorry I was a little upset by this point, first world problems I know). It did scrub well, it smelled great, I will give it that but a lot was needed and they have yet again (as with the apothecary range) used micro beads (natural, biodegradable ones) that you have to really wash off or you’re forever finding them in your cracks and crevices for the following 24 hours. Why not stick to salt and sugar? We love it. We love YOU for it.

I used almost half the entire pouch to get a good sensory experience and two feel throughly cleansed and polished. Part of me felt like I was using a LUSH product (nothing wrong with LUSH but it doesn’t scream decadence, sophistication and sexiness like a lot of Rituals products do) and I left the shower feeling let down.

Why Rituals, Why?

Why Rituals? This is not you. There is no ritual of dream! Why go so very far off brand that you risk losing an entire demographic? There are so many better ways you could have marketed this, so many better ways to be on brand and slay it. I don’t understand.

You could have had the Ritual of Hypnos, the ritual of Pasithea, the Ritual of Morpheus. Even the ritual of Somnum or Somnium, which translates from Latin as the Ritual of dreams or sleep.

I’m not loving this collection and I’m glad it’s limited edition. Such a shame.

The lip oil is quite nice though but it’s the only fragrant oil you’ll find in the entire range.