
I’ve slowly been working my way through the many recommendations I got the last few times I posted about Demeter scents, and so far, the clear winner is Gingerale.
As with any Demeter review, this will be brief: it is not a complicated fragrance, and does not require any lengthy description. Still, some of the Demeters are better than others at evoking whatever it is they are supposed to evoke. This one is perfect. It smells like — drum roll, please — ginger ale, and the opening is almost astonishingly effective at calling up the carbonated part; it literally tickles the nose. Admittedly, the fizz part is not long lasting, but the dry down is far from dull. It is a soft but bright ginger…

Balance Massage and Bath Oil is my favorite product from Essence of Vali, a small, New York-based company created by trained aromatherapist Valerie Bennis. Bennis has been offering her botanical formulas since 2000, and her thoughtfully focused product line includes various concentrations of a blend called Sleep, for a “Bedtime Ritual,” and a citrusy, uplifting Eau de Parfum simply named E.O.V., as well as a range of nine Massage and Bath Oils. These multi-use oils, composed of various plant essences, are intended to evoke different moods and responses, including Calm, Detox, and Passion.
