Crabtree & Evelyn

Crabtree and Evelyn is excellent for ‘granny presents’ and tourists, but somewhat overpriced for everyday purchases. It is well laid-​out, with a good range of items, but not inspiring in the main. It has a good location, and pleasant staff, but access can be difficult, thanks to the nearby bus queues. I would not choose to shop here apart from for presents.

Crabtree and Evelyn is a fairly upmarket soap shop. It’s completely different from Lush, but just as good in its own way. My mum can’t get enough of their boxes of soap, and it certainly seems to be aimed at women.
They do soap in bar and liquid form (I recommend the gift sets of three bars of moisturising soap in lavender and rosewater), body butters, moisturisers, massage oil and other goodies for baths, showers, pampering and luxury skin care.
The costs are quite high — £11 for a gift set of three bars of soap, but they are good quality, luxury items and they last a long time. The staff are friendly and helpful and will ask if it’s a gift, removing prices and packaging it appropriately for no extra cost.
If there’s a lady in your life who loves soap, she will feel really pampered to get something from here.