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…
Read the rest of this article »
I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a deodorant here before, but there’s a first time for everything. This happens to be a brand of deodorant that I particularly like — and, before I begin, you’ll want to note the basic difference between an anti-perspirant, which prevents perspiration by plugging up the sweat ducts, and deodorant, which allows perspiration but neutralizes it with odor-absorbing ingredients and a (hopefully) pleasant scent.
Of course, everyone’s body chemistry is unique, and what works for one person may not for another, but I’ve been using Lavanila for over a year and it’s my favorite deodorant. It works for me on all but the very hottest days of the year, and it happens to be available in a range of appealing fragrances. The newest fragrance is Fresh Vanilla Lemon, which features notes of “crisp lemon, pure bamboo and powdery vanilla.” Its ingredients do include actual lemon peel oil, as well as a mysterious “botanical fragrance blend.”
Don’t let this product’s namesake vanilla scare you off…
Read the rest of this article »
Olive & Oud is a small but very satisfying line of handmade, botanically fragranced soaps. I tend to be very particular about soap — its texture, its scent, its appearance — and very few brands inspire me to repurchase their wares. However, I tried and enjoyed two bars from Olive & Oud so much that I’ll be going back for more.
These soaps are made using the cold process method; they are crafted from a base of olive oil, organic and sustainably grown palm oil, coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and castor oil. They’re lather-y yet moisturizing, they’re cleverly tinted with natural pigments, and they have sophisticated, subtly blended fragrances.
Bonfire in the Snow soap (above left), which is off-white with a stripe of indigo and charcoal, combines cool and warm sensations in its ingredients…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Jessica
on
18 January 2013
Every day for the past few weeks I’ve glanced at the local newspapers and noticed large-type headlines about a FLU EPIDEMIC. I’m generally healthy, so I didn’t bother getting a flu vaccine; instead, I’m just trying to eat healthily, get enough sleep and wash my hands frequently. For moments when I’m on the move and I can’t get to a sink with hot water and soap, I like to carry a CleanWell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer. It’s not a magic bullet, of course, but it lessens my anxiety about germs from stairway railings, subway poles and any other unsavory surfaces I might have touched.
CleanWell offers a range of liquid hand soaps, cleaning products and disinfectant wipes, but the All-Natural Hand Sanitizer is my favorite. This is a liquid product, packaged in a slim container with a flip top and a spray dispenser; a few spritzes into the palm of a hand gives enough sanitizer for one thorough use…
Read the rest of this article »
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…
Read the rest of this article »
