ProductWhores

Fresh Again!

When Bath and Body Works (sniffle sniffle) discontinued my favorite scent "Fresh Waterfalls," I sort of went into a depression.  There was a span of a few weeks where I couldn't even set foot in the stores, in a lame attempt at a protest I suppose.  Once I finally got over my disappointment, I spent time writing the company begging them to bring the scent back.  I heard nothing.  Zip.  Nada.  Now, however, it appears they are launching a new line of scents in the "Fresh" family (appropriately named the Fresh, Cool & Clean Collection) so I am hopeful they heard my cries.  The first (of two) to be sold in those itty bitty bottles (which are now only $1.00) is Freshwater Cucumber and it's delightful.  It smells of cucumber- but without the melon (as in their other cucumber scent) it has a more mature, spa-like quality to it.  The scent really lasts through hand washings and doesn't conflict at all with any of my perfumes.  I'm especially excited about the other scent - Dancing Waters - that will be debuting later this summer.  Please, please let it smell like my old fave.  If there is any sort of product God, my wish will be granted.

Red Velvety Goodness

I'm kind of fascinated with the south.  I feel like if I lived there, I'd spent the weekends sitting on my wraparound porch, sipping mint juleps and walking down to the local swimming hole to cool off.  I could be sort of like a modern day Scarlett O'Hara, only without the petticoats... or Rhett Butler... or slaves... I also really like some of the southern foods, like red velvet cake.  Why did we not have this on the east coast when I was growing up?  It's the perfect cupcake flavor!  Yes, it's a little alarming to eat something that looks like it's the color of blood, but once you taste it, its pretty easy to get past that.  When I went into Sephora today (again, I was Christmas shopping - it's not all about me, people), I stumbled upon a brand new, limited edition release that Philosophy is putting out with this scent in their 3-in-1 shower gel/shampoo/bubble bath.  It smells just like the cake, all buttery and cocoa-y, so it's perfect for the holidays.  And even better, it's a really original flavor - I've literally never seen a shower gel in this scent before, so that kind of helped me justify purchasing it (okay, fine, sometimes it is all about me...) because I know that I don't have 16 other similar smelling products in my closet.  One thing to be aware of - it's a limited edition and it's only scheduled to be on the shelves for a little while, so you should definitely go get it as soon as possible if you're interested.  The Sephora I was in had only gotten them in the night before and they were already down to just 6 bottles left, so if you wait, you might just be out of luck.  And then you'd just have to go get the real thing to make yourself feel better.  Oh wait, is that just me?

Fresh Baked Cookies

Ever since I read an article about the brand Carol's Daughter years ago, I wanted to try it.  But I'm always a little sketchy on ordering something online without having seen it in person first because I feel like it's a little like online dating - you never really know what you're going to get.  You want to believe that you're going to buy the makeup equivalent of George Clooney, but sometimes you get stuck opening the package to find Booger from "Revenge of the Nerds."  So I was really excited to hear that Sephora had decided to carry the entire Carol's Daughter line this year.  So far, the product I'm really liking is the Body Cleansing Gel in the Almond Cookie scent.  It smells just like a fresh baked almond cookie, which is a nice change of pace from the usual food scented body products.  It foams up nicely and doesn't dry out your skin, which is always a plus.  And most importantly, you can layer the scent with bath oil, body scrub, shea souffle and other items, so if you like it, you can go all out and REALLY smell like almond cookie.  The coolest thing of all is that the company was started by one woman out of her apartment and now it's grown into something so successful, Sephora wanted to sell it.  How awesome is that?  If I had any patience at all, I'd try doing the same thing, but then how would I justify all my trips to the mall?

Does Joss Whedon get residuals for this?

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was one of my favorite shows. In fact, it's probably on my top ten of all time list, so I might've been a little predisposed to liking this product just because the name makes me smile and think about the brilliance that was Buffy and Angel and Cordelia and Willow and Xander... Well, I'm happy to say that Lush has done the show proud because Buffy the Backside Slayer is fantastic. It's basically a bar of cocoa butter with scrubby bits (ground rice and almond and abduki beans) in it that you use to exfoliate. The best part is that even though it's really great at getting rid of dead skin (much like Buffy got rid of vampires), it's not drying, so you don't wind up looking like one of the undead yourself when you get out of the tub (yeah, that one was a stretch, but I'm going with a vampire theme here, so just work with me). I also love it because it makes my skin so soft after using it that I don't even need to use lotion, so if you look at it that way, I'm actually saving money by scrubbing with this. A few things - make sure you're really wet when you use it, otherwise it's kind of scratchy and the experience isn't nearly as pleasant. It's also worth noting that since the bar is mostly cocoa butter, it melts easily, so don't leave your Lush bag sitting in your car in the middle of summer unless you want your purchase to melt and disappear, much like Angel did when Buffy sent him to that hell dimension at the end of season 2. Wow, I know entirely too much about this show...

This Takes the Cake

Satin Sugar from Cake is one of those things you never knew you needed until you use it the first time and then you're hooked (I guess that makes it the product version of heroin. Or, you know, frozen hot chocolate). It's a light mist that comes in a small spray bottle that you use to "refresh" your hair and skin whenever they're asking for it. It's the perfect size to throw in a carry on for a long plane trip, although you should definitely spray it in the bathroom so the cranky guy next to you doesn't have a reason to hog even more of the armrest. I also keep it in my purse for when I'm walking around a city all day - it really cuts through the grime of city life and helps keep you feeling fresh and clean. Even better, it smells like lemon cookies, so it doesn't give you that lingering scent of alcohol other sprays do, leaving everyone to wonder if you're a closet drinker. It's hard not to feel perked up after you spray this on, and at only $16 it's worth it, if only so you don't lose that zen feeling when tourists from Iowa block the crosswalk when you're trying to get to work.

Benefit – Flamingo Fancy

Full disclosure, I am one of the palest people that I know. Like, white to the point where when I go to the beach, the sun actually reflects off my body and tans the people around me. And I can never seem to get that perfect golden brown color that others seem to acquire so naturally (Or not naturally. Paris Hilton, I’m talking to you). So I’ve pretty much given up on ever looking like I just spent the week on a beach in Fiji and instead settle for looking like I just spent the week in bed with the flu. I would like to try spray tanning once, but I’m a total klutz and just know that it‘ll all go horribly wrong, a la Ross’ Mystic Tan accident on “Friends.”

And since I pretty much exist in jeans, it doesn’t usually matter that I’m close to being translucent. But every once in awhile (AKA summer in the valley) there comes a point where you have to hang up the Citizens for shorts or a cute skirt, and that demands some sort of tanning intervention. So I decided to try Benefit’s “shimmering body slip.”

The thing I love most about Benefit is that all their products have kitschy names, like Flamingo Fancy. The bottle that it comes in has a small opening, which lets you control how much product you use, always a nice touch. It smells vaguely like tropical flowers, but it’s not an overwhelming scent, so it won’t clash with your perfume. And unlike a lot of these products, it’s a fantastic color – pink with little gold flecks in it.

At $24 for a small-ish bottle, this isn’t a self-tanner, more of a self-highlighter. I used it on my legs, and the pink liquid settled in as a nice golden color, making them look MUCH better in my new Gap shorts (basic khaki – on sale for $24.99 – go now!) I also used it on my arms and cleavage when I wore a LBD to a party and it made them glow without being too obvious. Of course, you could certainly layer it more deeply if making your boobs obvious is your goal (we’ve all had those nights when you need the girls to stand out) This isn’t an every day product, more of a special occasion shimmer, but it certainly does its job. Benefit, my cleavage thanks you!

The Triple Threat - cute, creamy and cheap

Being that I’ve spent about, oh, I don’t know – a bizillion dollars on hand creams, I always say to myself “self, you don’t need another tube or pot no matter how cute it is.”  Then, usually after I say that, I pick it up and buy it anyways.  Well, my latest drugstore find was only 99 cents.  That’s right, one penny less than a dollar.  How can you beat that?  It’s the cutest little hockey puck-like pot of Nivea Refreshingly Soft Moisturizing Crème and it’s just wonderful.  A very light whipped texture, this cream glides right into the hands.  It’s actually meant for the whole body, but with such a tiny pot I’m hesitant to go rubbing it on my thighs (seems like a waste to cover such expansive territory).  But, at only 99 cents, why not buy a whole stash of tubs to keep in those already-cluttered bins of cosmetics and bath supplies hidden in your closet?  Yes, most women have those bins.  The only drawback is the scent of this crème is the very “Nivea drugstore scent” as I call it.  Has a bit of a bite to it - somewhat like generic airport bathroom soap - but if you don’t mind the scent, the crème is very moisturizing.  Also, the scent does dissipate fairly quickly so just don’t put your hands up near your face for a while.  Instead, put them in the face of that chick who just cut in front of you at Rite Aid.  Ha, that'll show her.

There's a Reason They Were On Sale

So my dear friend BBW (yeah, that’s Bath and Body works) was having her semi-annual sale.  Since their prices are actually a bargain (unlike most of the Victoria’s Secret semi-annual sale items) I am always psyched to go and bin-dive with my mesh shopping tote.  This time around I found that most of the Tutti Dolci scrubs were on sale.  Sweet!  I loaded up with an Angel Food Cake and a Lemon Meringue and happily carted them home to use.  Now, you’ll understand my deeply saddened feelings when you hear what a mess they make.  Okay, great scent, seemingly good scrubbing sugar granules and that’s where my praise ends.  It was a slippery mess all over my body and shower.  Whatever other ingredients are in the body scrubs made my skin feel like I had rolled around in a pool of Vaseline.  It gave my skin that horrible sensation of something always being on it.  I know they were thinking this would feel moisturizing, but it just made me physically mad.  I needed to use another scrub to get rid of my Tutti Dolci scrub!  Then, once I stepped out of the shower and began to dry off my skin, it looked as though skin was actually peeling off.   I know it was, once again, the strange ingredients in the product, but it is so annoying!  Ugh.  If you’re at BBW roll your eyes at the shelves of Tutti Dolci scrubs and head over and pick up a scrub from 100% Pure – a wonderful line with no annoying traits whatsoever. 

Big Ups to my Fair Skin Hotties!

Okay, so being fair skinned, almost translucent, I’ve been burned by the sun about a couple million times.  It was finally, when I had blistering bubbles for shoulders, that I decided I should take a break and stay in the shade wearing a large hat.  We fair-skinned beauties do not need to go to such drastic measures to stay safe and looking good.  I have a few wonderful products that have made it possible to bare my white ass poolside again!  So, grab your beach bag, toss in a water, the latest US Weekly and the following products. 

Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Spray is amazingly wonderful.  It’s SPF 30, blocks both UVA and UVB rays, and is easy to spray at any angle. It’s lightweight so it melts instantly into your skin and you’ll never have those messy sunscreen fingers.  You gotta love the pump bottle!  Only drawback, as I see it, is you can’t ask that adorable guy a few towels over to rub some on your back, because you’d just look stupid.  The other important product to stash in the beach tote is a great lipbalm with a high SPF, but that doesn’t dry the lips out.  I religiously use Jack Black Lipbalm with SPF 25.  Smells minty-licious, contains moisturizing shea butter, and gives your lips a sexy glisten.  When it comes to face creams with SPF, all are not created equal.  Most are so thick and smelly.  Who wants to slather caulking paste on their face just to protect it from the sun’s damaging rays?  My favorite face cream for everyday wear is Mario Badescu’s Collagen Moisturizer.  Fantastically lightweight, SPF 15 and non-stinky.  Now, brave the Brazillian, grab your espadrilles and get out there.

Hooray for Target (pronounce with French accent, please)!

As if I couldn’t love Target anymore than I already did, they have surprised and delighted me again with the addition of their luxury line of bath and body products.  Back in March they announced they would be wowing their customers (I don’t think they actually said “wowing.”  I believe that was my addition) with shelves of beauty lines from Scotland, England, New Zealand, and Greece just to name a few.  They wanted to introduce companies, many of whom are already popular in their native countries, to Americans and offer quality department store-worthy products at reasonable prices.  Target, you are my hero!  Armed with ingredients like olives, eucalyptus, dead sea salts, honey and milk the new products will engage even the most discerning beauty consumer.  They have even upped the displays of the new lines, including testers so we don’t have to go opening every damn bottle on the shelf to find out if we like the smell of dead sea.  While I found some of the lines made me hold back vomit, most of them were perfection in pump bottles. 

Ma Provence, a line that celebrates all the French countryside has to offer, is wonderful.  Housed in aluminium bottles (apparently just like the perfumers use in the region to preserve the scents and protect the ingredients from the elements), the Almond Blossom scent is delicate and alluring.  The body lotion sunk right into my skin – no greasy mess there - and the scent lasted well beyond the checkout line.  The line carries a series of face, body and shower products ranging from $6.99 - $9.99.

Kaori, a line from Israel, uses essential minerals and salts found in the dead sea.  Hmm… spreading dead sea on my body?  Hell yeah I will!  Beautifully packaged in simple white containers, this line is delightful.  While I wasn’t a fan of the Ylang-Ylang scent (probably because I’m not particularly into floral scents) I did love the Eucalyptus (very refreshing) and the Mandarin which made my skin smell like an orange grove – delish!  The line also features Chamomile which is said to relieve stress.  Because you can get the trial pack - which comes with a body lotion, body butter and body wash for only $9.99 - I felt relaxed and stress-free.  With the money I’d saved, I could buy some Choxie candies from the Market section upstairs.

Gardeners Therapies, a line from Scotland said to pamper hard-working gardeners hands and bodies, is just as pampering to a girl who focuses on retail therapy.  This line was started in 1922 and is still run by the Ross family.  Located in central Scotland between Edinburgh and Stirling, the company has created light vegetable-scented items that soothe the skin and make you smell like you were just planting fresh tomatoes in your garden.  My favorite from this line is the much-needed hand scrub.  A large pump bottle will cost you $9.99 and will exfoliate your hands with tea tree oil and lemon.  What hard-working pair of perfectly manicured hands doesn’t need a little pampering scrub, right?

With the good, I feel I also have to present what didn’t live up to their hype.  The Sanctuary (a line based on the famous Covent Garden women’s spa in London) disappointed me.  Manufactured by the popular Boot’s chemist chain in London, I thought this line would amaze me.  The packaging of tranquil blues and oranges made me long to be walking the pebbled streets of Covent Garden, buying handmade goods from the vendors.  But as soon as the scent hit my nose, I was transported to my great aunt’s apartment where she was soaking her callused feet.  Although the line is reasonably priced (the travel pack I purchased is $9.99 and includes bath relaxer, body wash and body lotion) I don’t feel it’s worth the money when so many other wonderful lines are situated on the shelves beside it.

Now, saving the best for last, I need to cover one of the domestic lines - J.R. Watkins Apothecary.  This company was founded in 1868 by a man named Joseph Ray Watkins in his kitchen in Plainview, Minnesota.  Known to offer the first-ever money back guarantee, this man started an expansive line of medical products focusing on burns and minor aches and pains.  He soon broadened to include pampering bath products.  The line is now featured at Target and we are better relaxed and moisturized for it.  The packaging is still meant to look like old-fashioned apothecary products like your great great grandmother would’ve bought.  His hand creams are insanely fabulous.  The Lemon Cream ($6.99) makes your hands smell like a fresh-baked lemon cake and softens them with shea butter and cocoa butters.  It reminds me of the Tutti Dolci Lemon Meringue body butter, but without the steep pricetag.  The lavender hand cream relaxes you and the Aloe and Green tea is invigorating.  His line also features foot cream, body lotions and the delightful, non-greasy cuticle salve that comes in an adorable old-style tin ($3.99).  Don’t forget to pick up some of his body oils ($8.99) for that oh-so-sexy massage and his menthol rub (Icy Blue $4.99) as a pain reliever for when your man rubs you down too vigorously.  And if you weren’t already sold, check out the movie “Door to Door” which is the true story of Bill Porter, a salesman with Cerebral Palsy, that walked door to door for 50 years selling J.R. Watkins products.  Your heart will be warmed, and your hands will be moisturized.