After I wrote my review of i Profumi di Firenze Frangipane e Cocco last week, I started craving a fragrance that actually smelled like frangipani. I couldn’t find anything fitting that description in my sample drawer, and then I remembered the sample packets of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse that I had tucked into the bathroom cupboard a month or two ago. Voilà! Just the kind of thing I’d had in mind, even if it came in the form of a body product.
Nuxe is celebrating Huile Prodigieuse’s twentieth anniversary this year with a limited edition bottle and a bit of fanfare over its “multi-usage dry oil.” This product can be used to moisturize the body, hair and face; it’s a blend of “six precious oils” (borage, St. John’s wort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut and macadamia) as well as other botanical extracts and synthetic ingredients. To my nose, and my imagination, Huile Prodigieuse has a “fancy French suntan oil” smell: a breath of neroli, a drizzle of coconut milk, a shimmer of musk. And, yes, it features a creamy note of frangipane (or tiare) flower petals…
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Posted by Robin
on
2 May 2013
Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, 12 May — here is our final set of gift ideas in case you’re still shopping. If you missed it, check out part 1 and part 2.
From Charlotte Olympia, hinged perfume-bottle-shaped clutch purses made from colored perspex. $1295 (gulp!) each at Neiman Marcus…
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Posted by Robin
on
14 December 2012
I’m not generally a big user of body oils, in fact, I can’t remember the last time I bought one. But a body oil with organic frankincense made for Leonard Cohen? Ok, twist my arm. Mandy Aftel of Aftelier says Cohen uses her Ancient Resins body oil and hair elixir every day, and I’m glad to hear it because he must smell lovely and hey, doesn’t Leonard Cohen deserve to smell lovely?
Ancient Resins goes on oily and thick, but the organic jojoba and fractionated coconut oil formula soaks in nicely…
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Posted by Robin
on
23 November 2012
It’s Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day — take your pick. Whether you’re shopping or not, it never hurts to look, right? As we did last year, we’re kicking off this year’s string of holiday gift posts with a bunch o’ scented bath & body products. More to come over the new few weeks!
From Guerlain, Liu powder spray: “…a light-as-air loose powder that enhances the face, body and hair with an iridescent golden veil. A mere press of the bulb releases the powder, leaving Liu’s mesmerizing aromas in its wake: a composition of aldehydes, sensual roses, vanilla, iris and woody notes.” $88 at Saks Fifth Avenue…
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Nearly two years ago, I reviewed some fragranced soaps from a small brand called Anjolie Ayurveda. I was impressed by them on various counts: their natural scent blends, their high quality, their artistic packaging, their interesting back-story. I don’t think I’ve come across any other soaps that quite compare to these. I was happy to learn recently that Anjolie had added scented body butters and body oils to its catalog, and the unpredictable warm-to-cold, dry-to-humid weather of the past few weeks has given me a good opportunity to test the moisturizing effects of these new products.
Anjolie Ayurveda’s Aromatherapy Body Butters are offered in four scents: Lavender, Neem Tulsi, Sandalwood Saffon, and Neroli Lemon. I was drawn to the Neroli Lemon because I’m a great fan of neroli in general: I find it cheerful, cleansing, and calming all at the same time. Anjolie promises that “neroli brings a romantic and sophisticated air while lemon adds bright citrus notes” to this blend, and I agree. It’s a simple, satisfying fragrance. The Body Butter’s formula feels more like a thick cream…
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