To start things off, we've got the eminently covetable (and reportedly as good as it looks) Vol de Nuit Powder Spray from Guerlain: "Inspired by the legendary Vol de Nuit fragrance, this silky, ethereal loose powder creates a light-reflecting veil with a subtle iridescent finish. The powder is perfumed with the mythical Vol de Nuit fragrance. Apply on the face, body and hair for an allover glow!" $87 for 17.5 g at Nordstrom...

Mayron's Goods' line of body products caught my eye immediately with its packaging: the bold lettering, bright red borders, and 1950s-style illustration of a delivery man and his van are upbeat and distinctive. Although most of Mayron's Goods' nature-based lotions and potions were created with babies in mind, these labels are refreshingly free of ducks, peapods, or naked infants clad in flower petals; moreover, the products themselves are suitable for anyone who needs gentle, lightly scented skincare or just prefers to use products without ingredients such as synthetic fragrance, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, or DEA (diethanolamine).

In the final weeks of this long winter, I'm finding Mayron's Goods' Tangerine Massage & Body Oil especially soothing and effective on my dry, rough arms and legs. It includes an assortment of botanical oils for moisture and it sinks quickly into the skin; even more importantly, it has a tangerine-mandarin fragrance that feels like orange juice for the soul. Chapstuff for Cheeks and Lips, my other favorite from the line, is a balm blended from cocoa butter, beeswax, soybean oil, and other natural ingredients. It smells like oranges and milk chocolate...

I've always associated the name “geranium” with the hardy plants that my mother grew in pots on our backyard patio: red-petaled flowers, fuzzy leaves, and a slightly sweaty scent. The “geranium” most often present in perfume and other fragranced products, it turns out, is more specifically the rose geranium (species perlargonium graveolens), whose leaves can be distilled for fragrance. This smell is something much more pleasant and wearable: sort of green, sort of lemony, and yes, sort of rosey — but still more “herbal” than “floral.” I find it an easy note to wear year-round, especially in fragranced body products.

I recently grabbed a small tube of Origins Lime & Geranium Hand Lotion at an Estée Lauder outlet store when I needed hand cream, and it ended up inspiring this post. It has a quick-absorbing texture, and its scent is delightful: true geranium, with an accent on its green aspect, and an added zingy lime note...

From Thierry Mugler, Angel Collector Superstar Eau de Parfum (above left): "A 38mm Swarovski crystal is delicately poised, dangling at the center of the bottle as a reflection of prestige and beauty. More than 250 gleaming Swarovski crystals surround the jewel..."

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...

I don’t know anything about the manufacturers of this balm and the others in its line, other than that they’re called On10, they’re located in midtown Manhattan, and they create “fun novelty lip balm…using authentic flavors from some of America's favorite confection and beverage brands.” I might have bypassed this particular impulse purchase if I hadn’t sniffed the Hershey’s Almond tester. This lip balm has an unexpectedly deep and wonderful scent...

The big Tom Ford gift for 2008: the Tom Ford Private Blend coffret, with 2 ml rollerballs in each of the 12 original Tom Ford Private Blend fragrances. Says Tom, "Private Blend is my own scent laboratory; it's where I have the ability to create very special, original fragrances that are unconstrained by the conventions of mainstream scent-making. Private Blend is designed with the true fragrance connoisseur in mind." Ok? $225 at Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus...

As I write this review, I am drinking a cup of coffee. It’s not an unusual circumstance for me, and I suspect that more than a few of you might be joining me in this ritual as you read. If so, you might share my interest in Perk Lip Lattes. Each of these lip balms, made by a small Brooklyn-based company called Crazy Rumors, is labeled as “a coffee break for your lips.”

So far, I’ve tried two of the six blends of Lip Latte: Coffee Bean and Mocha. Smelling the Coffee Bean balm, I felt as though I had just entered one of those little shops that roast and grind their own coffee, where you can order beans by the pound or just a freshly-brewed cup to go...

The happy badger mascot of the Badger Balm line would make anyone smile, and the feel and scent of Badger Balm’s Lavender & Orange Lip Balm are even more smile-inducing. As the company’s slogan boasts, all Badger Balm products are “100% natural, mostly organic, totally good!” This balm is an emollient blend of olive oil, beeswax, and aloe vera, fragranced with essential oils of lavender, sweet orange, and Sicilian orange...

A set after my own heart, the Comme des Garçons Incense coffret. Full sized bottles (50 ml) of all five scents in the series: Kyoto, Avignon, Jaisalmer, Ouarzazate and Zagorsk. Admittedly, I'd like this better if they were in 30 ml, but oh well! And if you're looking to buy for yourself and don't need all five, do what I'm doing and find some like-minded friends to split the set. $310 at Luckyscent...