If you missed it, see Holiday fragrance gifts 2010 part 1.
From L’Artisan Parfumeur, two coffrets: Les Masculines, shown above, with 15 ml bottles of Timbuktu, Fou d’Absinthe and L’Eau de L’Artisan; or Les Best, not shown, with Mûre et Musc, Premier Figuier and La Chasse aux Papillons…
Once again, a drool-worthy holiday candle collection from Diptyque. At left, Pin (“fresh and familiar, green and resinous, the scent of pine needles and a hint of patchouli”); at right, Orange Épicée (“With its emblematic note of sour orange with a mix of essences of winter spices: Indian ginger, star anise from China, clove”). Not shown is Oliban, in blue…
Now that fall is on the way, I’m ready to return to perfumes and body products with stronger and sweeter fragrances, including a few gourmand scents. In my recent review of Wiggle Perfume’s Bee perfume oil, I mentioned my occasional honey craving. So, when I found out about One Bath and Body, its honey-oriented products were the first ones that piqued my interest.
This new company has a “green” agenda: according to their website, “ONE is committed to promoting natural beauty without compromising the beauty of the earth, providing eco-friendly products in recyclable, plastic-free packaging to rejuvenate the spirit and save the planet.” Sweet Honey Soap and Honey Please Bath Fizzer both have relatively straightforward ingredients lists and simple, paper-based containers: the soap is tucked into a little hinged cardboard box, and the spherical Bath Fizzer is housed in a sturdy cardboard cylinder…
Last weekend I raved about Anjolie Ayurveda soap, and now I’m back with a few more recommendations.
I’ve long been a fan of John Masters Organics haircare, so I was happy to notice that the company has introduced a small group of all-natural soaps. From one olfactory angle, John Masters Organics Birch & Cedarwood Cleansing & Shaving Bar reminds me of homemade birch beer; from another, it evokes fresh wood shavings in a carpenter’s shop. That might sound like a strange combination, but it works. And this soap really is gentle enough to use for shaving…
Anjolie Ayurveda’s fragranced soaps are some of the prettiest-looking body products I’ve seen in a while. They’re circular and generously sized, and they’re wrapped in vibrantly colored handmade papers that are neatly pleated and sealed in the back. Anjolie’s lotus motif is a reference to the company’s practice of ayurveda (through formulations of beneficial herbs and natural oils) and to its manufacturing location (India, in the foothills of the Himalayas). Anjolie also hits the right notes by mentioning its commitment to fair trade practices, sustainable farming, collaboration with women-owned enterprises, and the use of facilities that provide education for their workers’ children.
However, all this visual appeal and these statements of ethics wouldn’t motivate me to review Anjolie Ayurveda unless the soaps themselves were enjoyable and effective products, which they definitely are. Anjolie’s basic soap recipe includes glycerin, olive oil, and aloe vera, plus other cold-pressed oils; it is available in ten different scents composed from natural essences. I started with Indian Lotus…
"Reinventing the Rose: Is perception affecting your ability to stop and smell the roses?" article at Cosmetics Mag http://t.co/y6gT43iH Sunday SOTE? I'm wearing Parfums de Nicolai Eau Exotique (mango!) Chocolate: Vosges Pink Salt Caramel (not my favorite) TV: Sherlock Denise Hamilton looks at some recent perfume books (including Alyssa's & Denyse's) in the LA Times http://t.co/FbuPTNrq "Does the perfume industry have it wrong? New tests suggest most seductive scent is our natural one" at Mail Online http://t.co/iUfAzRE7