I was pondering this myself lately, as I wore Breathe Delight to a Black Friday sale and received a compliment. I don't really like the scent all that well, but it carries well, lasts a while and moisturizes well. Some lotions smell good intially, but the scent fades and they don't really moisturize the skin.

Question:
What is the most important aspect of a moisturizer to you?

Choices:
Initial scent (gotta love it!)
Long lasting scent
Has to lubricate my skin
Must have a matching cleanser
Price
Other (post response)

 

I chose initial scent. I will never buy it if I dont like it from the get go. For me also I wont buy it, if it doesnt sink into my skin. I hate that "greasy" feeling

I say that initial scent is most important. The dry down scent can also be a factor. Some scents don't agree w/ my body chemistry, esp. if amber or musk is a base note.

Price is also important. Anything more than $15 is a little bit too much for me.

Initial scent (& dry down) are most important to me.
I don't really care how well the lotion moisturizes, but it's a very nice bonus when it does. I somewhat care about the price and how long the scent lasts.
So in essence it's all about the scent to me.

Actually, there are some exceptions where scent isn't the most important thing for me in a moisturizer. The scent of the PS Lychee body butter isn't my favorite, but it's tolerable. The reason I've stocked up on it is that it has good moisturizing properties & can help make skin less splotchy.

OK, call me stupid, but what is "dry down"? Is it the scent that lingers after the lotion has been on a while? Like perhaps it may have a different note after it's been on for a period of time?
Thanks!

Jercatz, that's exactly what dry down is.

Initial scent is the most important. Second to that is packaging. If it doesn't smell wonderful, but the label swears it will do something awesome, then I just might buy it.

The PS Lychee butter is a great example of that. The scent is nice, but the packaging promises to even out skin tone, so I tried it.

Initial smell is it for me

Becky's post reminded me that packaging is very important to me as well. I often buy certain items (not necessarily lotions or bath and body products), just because of the packaging even when I don't like the content.
I try not to do that anymore though, because that's how I end up with a whole bunch of stuff that either gets tossed or given away.

Initial scent is the biggest factor. Moisturizing qualities are definitely important too - and like Megan said, there are some products where the scent isn't as important because of what the product does (the PS Aloe Vera body butter is my example of this - the scent isn't all that great, but it cures any itching/irritated/sunburned skin - it was a lifesaver this summer!!)

Packaging is also important to me - and this is probably the main reason why I stick to retailers (I hope I don't offend anyone who likes etailers!!) I've tried etailers before and every time, I've been underwhelmed, and it's usually the packaging to blame. I like my bath products to look "cute", and the etailer stuff isn't cutting it for me - lotion in a plain white plastic bottle with its scent written in Times New Roman font just, to me, isn't worth spending my money on.

(ACK! I probably sound like a total snob!! But that's been my experience with etailers, and I haven't been impressed )

The one etailer that I want to try (IOE) I can't bring myself to order from because of the long turn around time.

Anyway, those are my thoughts!

My criteria seem to be different from everyone else's!

Most important to me is how well it moisturizes, and for that moisture to last. I like a very rich moisturizer.

I've actually gotten to the point where I prefer unscented moisturizers, but even some of those do have a slight fragrance to them. Like L'Occitane 25% Shea Butter cream ... I LOVE the texture, and although it's not scented per se, it STINKS!! So I like unscented that's *really* unscented.

BUT if I'm going to get a scented lotion, it has to be long-lasting. Initial scent is important, because I won't buy it if it stinks, but I also won't bother with it if the scent is gone in 30 seconds.

I would say to me its most important for the scent to last long.
The packaging is also very important but if I love the scent I can look over that.

maybe i think this because i have dry skin issues, but the moisturization is the whole point of putting on a lotion. soap cleans and lotion moisturizes. that's what they do.

next comes scent. i do want to smell nice. i can't wear Gold Bond lotion because the fragrance makes me want to ACK even though i like the moisturization properties.
believe it or not, and i know a lot of you will think i'm nuts, but i liked the old school body butters of BBW. they were greasy. but in the winter i need greasy. i'm one of those people that will sit up from a dead sleep in the middle of the night and just claw my legs off from the itching of dry skin. i have to apply baby oil to different areas of my body after a bath or shower or i will get excessively dry skin to the point of having sores on my lower back, rear end, and calves. i liked nothing better than putting on my "greasy" body butter and some sweat pants and climbing into bed.

i do likes me a purty package.

but there is no way i'll buy something if the price is outrageous. Like i never bought a Tutti Dolci item unless it was on sale.

I've switched over totally to Sheressence's 100% Organic Unrefined East African Shea Butter.
It's rich
and goes on well and does not have any fragrance.

Although I like L'Occitane's, it's rather pricey and only contains perhaps 25% shea. The Body Shop's is only 2 or 3%.

With a good quality shea butter, there are no more itches or 'scratchies' and the butter holds whatever scent you apply over it.

I've also noticed (maybe it's me) that BBW and VS lotions have a tendency to required a lot of work to make them sink in. There is a lot of 'pilling' where they just glob up. Maybe VS reformulations of the Garden line have alleviated this problem.

No problem with BBW or VS body creams or butters though.

It's a combination of both scent and moisturizing effect. It also has to be light and clear, and not leave an oily feeling on my skin.

For me it's scent, cannot be oily/greasy,and must at least moderately moisturize my skin.