Posted by Robin
on
18 December 2011
The 8th and last of our 2011 series of holiday gift posts. Today’s focus: budget gifts and stocking stuffers, listed in order of price (low to high).
If you missed them, here are links to part 1 (scented body products), part 2 (travel sizes & coffrets), part 3 (more travel sizes & coffrets), part 4 (home fragrance), part 5 (men’s fragrance), part 6 (solid perfumes) and part 7 (luxury).
If you know of a fabulous (scented) gift item that we missed, do post it in the comments!
From Bath & Body Works, the Signature Cello: “Your favorite pampering pair is wrapped in gingham and ready to give. Set includes Shower Gel and Body Lotion, 3 oz. each.” In Paris Amour, Twilight Woods, Sweet Pea, Moonlight Path and Japanese Cherry Blossom. $5 a pop…
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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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The rose has probably received more tributes in writing and song than any other flower; without even trying, anyone can easily think of a famous rose quotation or two. I recently realized that my own formative literary encounter with rose imagery was the classic children’s book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The Rose is an important secondary character in the story: she is vain and coquettish but secretly vulnerable, and her relationship with the Prince symbolizes some of the complexities of love. (As a child, I was also very impressed by the depiction of the rose in the film version of The Little Prince.)
Although rose is my favorite note in perfumery, I try not to discuss rose-scented products too often, just because I don’t want to be monotonous. However, June is the month of roses, so I’m going to indulge myself by mentioning a few recent favorites here. And, because we should still stop and smell the proverbial roses even (or especially) during a difficult economy, all of these products are available for $10 or less…
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Posted by Jessica
on
7 February 2009
We can get sick any time of year, of course, but winter is a particularly treacherous season for illnesses that sweep through the household or the office, dragging us down for a few days or even a few weeks: the many-symptomed cold virus, the stomach bug, the dreaded flu. And yes, we should all protect our own good health by eating well, getting enough sleep, taking vitamins, and exercising. I also like to supplement my efforts with some good-smelling products that help me to fight the unavoidable millions of germs around me.
The small, whimsically named company Buddha Nose sells several “aromatic products” that promote physical and emotional wellness. Its I Booster Salve contains a blend of essential oils (all organic or wild-crafted) that are known for their anti-bacterial properties, to bolster the immune system against infection. The salve looks like a dark-yellow wax, and it’s packaged in an easy-to-carry tin, like a shoe-polish container. This product can be applied as soon as you start to feel under the weather…
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Posted by Pia
on
10 August 2008
I don't normally coo over 'everyday' hand soaps, but indulge me for a moment to share with you how thrilled I have been with my recent purchase of EO Peppermint & Tea Tree liquid Hand Soap. I bought a couple of EO soaps not too long ago, having read good things about them and, as always, appreciative of anything both eco-friendly and indulgent. They have all kinds of lovely organic ingredients, and are pretty reasonably priced (very much so when compared to high-end lines!). I put the Peppermint Tea Tree soap in the guest bathroom, thinking it would be good disinfectant for people coming in from outside (especially gardening), and the Rosemary Mint soap in the kitchen, thinking the herbal scent would work well in there.
It was a while before I got around to trying the Peppermint soap. The Rosemary Mint is pleasant enough, mostly herbaceous and slightly menthol, a bit weak on the lather but nice enough for the kitchen where it does not conflict with any cooking smells…
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