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…
It’s Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day — take your pick. Whether you’re shopping or not, it never hurts to look, right? As we did last year, we’re kicking off this year’s string of holiday gift posts with a bunch o’ scented bath & body products. More to come over the new few weeks!
From Guerlain, Liu powder spray: “…a light-as-air loose powder that enhances the face, body and hair with an iridescent golden veil. A mere press of the bulb releases the powder, leaving Liu’s mesmerizing aromas in its wake: a composition of aldehydes, sensual roses, vanilla, iris and woody notes.” $88 at Saks Fifth Avenue…
One of the very first products I purchased during my first visit to a Lush shop (in Montréal, in 2002!) was a bottle of shower gel. It was called Happy for S.A.D., it was tinted dark blue, and it had a delightful neroli fragrance; it was unlike any shower gel I’d ever tried before. I’m still partial to Lush’s shower gels, and the company’s latest offering in this category is no exception. Twilight Shower Gel is a limited edition product for the holiday season. It’s a follow-up to the popular Twilight bath bomb (which I’ve never tried) and it’s inspired by “the magical moment betwixt day and night.”
Twilight is tinted an appropriately night-sky, deep violet-blue shade, like India ink, so it was likely to win my heart and a place in my bathroom before I even opened the cap. Its fragrance is a blend of natural lavender flower infusion, lavender oil, benzoin, tonka absolute and ylang ylang absolute, as well as some synthetic fragrance ingredients. When I sniff the bottle, I notice the lavender more than anything else. In a steamy shower, when I pour some Twilight onto a mesh puff and work it into a lather, the other elements become much more evident…
Aroma M, a New York-based, Japan-influenced “niche” perfume house, has just released the first two products in its new Aroma M Beauty collection. I’ve been a fan of Aroma M’s fragrances for a long time (my favorites are Geisha Violet and Geisha Marron), and I’ve recently become a convert to the idea of using oil treatments for hair and skin, so I was immediately looking forward to trying Aroma M’s Eastern-inspired Camellia Hair Oil and Camellia Face Oil.
According to the Aroma M website, “Camellia oil has been a Japanese beauty secret for centuries, and considered to be so beneficial and valuable that has become a symbol of wealth, virtue and happiness. It is made from cold pressed Japanese camellia (Tsubaki) buds, which is a member of the tea family.” In addition to its camellia seed oil, Aroma M’s Camellia Hair Oil contains virgin argan oil, golden jojoba oil, rosemary oil and tuberose oil, all organic. I don’t know much about the centuries-old methods of Japanese haircare, or the significance of haircare within the Geisha tradition, but I can still enjoy the simple luxury of this product when I work it into my own (decidedly non-Geisha-like) hair…
Parfums d’Orsay has launched Tilleul Pour La Nuit, a new alcohol-free ‘skincare fragrance’ inspired by the original Parfums d’Orsay Tilleul scent developed by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti…