I’ve never referred to myself as a “chocoholic.” I enjoy chocolate, but I’m an equal-opportunity sweets lover, and I’m usually more likely to seek out cookies or ice cream or a really good piece of apple pie than a cocoa-based dessert. Today, however, I rounded off my lunch with a slab of chocolate cake. I think the last long weeks of winter have finally gotten to me. In this spirit of unexpected cravings, I’ve rounded up a handful of chocolate-fragrance body products for your delectation.
I’m fond of Villainess’ vaguely steampunk aesthetic, not to mention its range of unusual scents. Its Dulces en Fuego (“fire candies”) blend mixes cocoa with cinnamon and black pepper and a touch of musk. The dense, sugar-based Smooch! Warming Body Scrub actually does seem to give off heat when it’s first applied to the skin, and the matching Dulces en Fuego soap (shown above) looks dangerously dark before it foams. The scent of Dulces en Fuego reminds me of the tiny cups of rich, spiced “Aztec” chocolate served at Mariebelle in New York, although it probably doesn’t taste as good…
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Posted by Robin
on
2 March 2010
SJP NYC is the latest release from Sarah Jessica Parker. It’s a tie-in with her upcoming movie, Sex and the City 2, and is meant to be a reflection on the fictional character Carrie Bradshaw as opposed to a reflection on Sarah Jessica Parker herself. Which works out very well for Coty, apparently, since they’ve found that Sarah Jessica Parker is not always an easy sell:
In the case of actress Sara Jessica Parker, Coty has had varied experiences. Lovely, which was easily relatable to Parker’s television persona, was a success. Covet, meanwhile, which tapped into a different side of the celebrity, proved a bigger challenge. [Catherine] Walsh explained that Coty’s next launch with Parker, SJP NYC, again focuses on the personality that the consumer wants.1
And the personality that the consumer wants, apparently, smells like strawberry. I suppose I should stop here and admit that I was never a fan of Sex and the City, although I did sit through several episodes at the urging of friends who found the show mesmerizing…
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Posted by Jessica
on
27 February 2010
Just when I had finally realized that the niche fragrance and toiletry company TokyoMilk is a younger “sibling” to the longer-established Lollia, another line comes along to join the family. Love + Toast is a little sister to Lollia and TokyoMilk, and its range of perfumes, hand creams, and lip balms seems to be aimed at preteen and teenage girls.
I’m fond of several TokyoMilk scents (particularly Waltz), but I initially wondered whether Love + Toast might be a little bit too youthful for my taste. Several of the Eau de Parfums are, in fact, sugar-fruit concoctions that would appeal to wearers of Bonne Bell Lip Smackers (although the tart Gin Blossom would make a wearable warm-weather scent for a broader age group). All the same, I was so charmed by Love + Toast’s packaging that I picked up two of the hand creams, or Handcremes (as the company spells it); they’re still fun, but they fit more easily into my own regimen. (Who doesn’t need hand cream, after all?)
Each Love + Toast Handcreme is decorated with a whimsical, 1960s-inspired illustration…
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Posted by Kevin
on
17 February 2010
Ancient Egyptians believed sycamore trees grew on the border between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. Greek myths tell of humans transformed into trees. In Japan, pine trees represent longevity (even immortality) but cherry trees’ fleeting blossoms are a reminder that life is brief. Where I live, several Northwest Coast Indian tribes carve clan histories into revered cedar wood, creating large totem poles and house posts. I’ve always loved the story of Siddhartha Gautama reaching enlightenment (and becoming the Buddha) while meditating in the shade of the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya in India.
Trees are interesting as cultural and religious symbols, but they’re also beautiful plants whose bark, wood, roots, resins, leaves and fruit make perfumes smell “divine.” Infusion Organique Buddha’s Fig Eau de Parfum was inspired by a particular Bodhi tree — the ancient Sri Maha Bodhi located in Sri Lanka.
Buddha’s Fig contains certified organic fig extract, rose geranium, lemongrass oil, hyacinth, iris, wood, and amber. Buddha’s Fig begins with notes of fig leaf and “green”/barely opened hyacinth flowers…
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Posted by Robin
on
16 February 2010
Kim Kardashian, in case you didn’t know, is a “TV star, entrepreneur, model, actress, and trendsetter”, in addition to being “one of the world’s most idolized women”. So says Sephora, where Kardashian’s eponymous debut fragrance recently launched and is reportedly a top seller.
Kardashian said she wanted “something rich and creamy and sexy, but still youthful”;1 what she got was a big white floral, very similar to the recent Mariah Carey Forever, which of course was very similar to Marc Jacobs for women. Kardashian’s effort, developed by perfumer Claude Dir, is lusher than Forever, and heavier on the tuberose…
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