Leah Kateb’s Under-$40 'Love Island' Shower Routine Has Entered the Villa

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 9 August 2024

I’ll be honest, I’m a Love Island UK girl. Tell me which fake eyelashes Mimii Tafaras uses or every step in Grace Jackson’s skincare regimen—I’m all ears. As for the Love Island USA bombshells? I haven’t watched a single girl enter the villa. Still, my entire TikTok For You Page has been flooded with contestant Leah Kateb’s under-$40, four-step body skincare routine. It includes Lush’s Sticky Dates Body Wash, L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, Kiehl’s Whipped Creme de Corps Body Moisturizer, and Eos’s Vanilla Cashmere Lotion.

The reality star’s original video breaking down each product has nearly 500,00 likes, but when you search “Leah shower routine,” nearly 56 million posts populate. Good luck trying to get your hands on her regimen—it's sold out almost everywhere. But leave it to team Marie Claire to track down some of the last samples on the market in the name of research.

@leah.kateb
♬ original sound - leah.kateb

Within two days, every item arrived at our offices—and we wasted no time cracking open every jar for a smell test. As jars floated from person to person, we all, admittedly, found ourselves perplexed. Every product, especially the Sticky Dates Body Wash, is sweet. Think: Five-layer-cake-dunked-in-icing-and-covered-with-sprinkles sweet.

To say we were skeptical that these products blend well in a shower would be an understatement. So we sent Associate Social Media Editor Ashlyn Delaney home to indulge in the sweet shower experience. Her candid thoughts, along with a video review, below.

@marieclairemagazine
♬ original sound - G13

Leah Kateb's Viral Shower Routine, Reviewed

Lush Sticky Dates Preorder

"I totally understand why they call this sold-out-everywhere shower cleanser Sticky Dates! It’s not just the formula; it’s the scent that’s a head-turner. Imagine walking into a vanilla candy store, surrounded by the sweet aroma of decadent dates and all that 'sticky' goodness. That's exactly what this smells like.

The lather? It’s light and leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean and ready for more product layering. It’s the great base for your shower routine, and I can totally see why the Persian Queen Leah swears by it."

L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Refillable Shower Oil With Almond Oil

"I was completely speechless when I tried this product! I thought it was just a shower oil at first, but I was mistaken. I’m trying not to be dramatic here, but this is the ultimate double cleanser.

"The formula is light and the lather is like a cloud. I never knew bubbles could feel this soft. After rinsing, my skin felt rich and supple, like I just stepped out of a spa. This product is definitely making its way into my everyday shower routine."

Kiehl's Creme De Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter

"Can we call this a cocoa butter dupe? This heavily scented product brought back so many memories from my childhood. Cocoa butter was my go-to for glowing skin back then (and it still is for many people of color's skincare rituals). This product—both in formula and scent—reminded me of that.

"The butter is rich, and the scent is strong, but it moisturized my skin perfectly without leaving any greasy residue or clumps."

Eos Shea Better Body Lotion- Vanilla Cashmere

"For just $10, this lotion is a total steal. I’m definitely restocking this for my everyday routine. The sweet vanilla scent is perfectly balanced—not overpowering at all. Plus, the formula feels light on the skin, making it the ideal finishing touch to complete this delicious shower routine."

Samantha Holender is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.