ProductWhores

Cerisier Rouge Red Cherry

When I was at the mall the other evening, I strolled in to see what was new at L'Occitane and was thrilled to discover a new fragrance that is so delightfully lovely I immediately took it home with me!  Cerisier Rouge Red Cherry combines red cherry with a bunch of other floral and fruity notes to make the most uplifting fragrance I've smelled in a while!  I am usually not a floral fan but this one I'm a huge fan of.  I'm especially a fan of the new Fragrance Touch which is actually a fragrance gel as opposed to a roll-on (pure genius!!)  The gel actually blends into skin extremely well and lasts the full day (I feel like rollerballs fade within a few hours).  Definitely, definitely worth the 22 bucks and would be a great gift for Mom!

The Scents Of Summer

It's really hot here in Los Angeles right now, which makes me very cranky.  It means spending a lot of money to air condition my condo, it makes my preferred exercise of hiking totally miserable and it gives me a huge craving for gelato every day.  My thighs do not like this.  On the other hand, it also means that it's time once again to try out new and lighter scents for the summer months, which makes me very happy, so I'm going to focus on that and pretend that it all balances out.  My current favorite is L'Occitane's The Vert & Bigarade.  It's actually a unisex fragrance that's a mix of fresh and citrusy, so very interesting without being heavy and overwhelming.  It has both sweet and bitter orange notes paired with green tea and yerba maté - not a combo I've seen anywhere before.  It's a Eau de Toilette that's part of their new collection that was inspired by the city of Grasse in Provence (known as the fragrance capital of the world).  I really like this one - it's different than anything I currently own, plus it layers really well with the fresh shower gels I prefer.  Now that I've found a new light scent, bring on the heat of summer!  (Not really - I hate sweating.  This is why I was meant to live in London.  Or, you know, Alaska...)  

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with L'Occitane

Some Lovely Spring Scents!

Now that spring has sprung for the better part of the country (at least it seems according to my Facebook feed filled with people outside enjoying fresh air and sunshine), I thought it appropriate to do a little reviewing of a few new-ish scents just perfect for embracing the warmer weather.

First up is cerisier aux papillons (Spring Cherry), a new fragrance by L'Occitane that I loved so much I ran out to buy the hand cream.  It's super-floral-y (Cherry Blossom and Magnolia) but smells modern-floral if there is such a thing?  I usually don't find myself drawn to a fragrance like this one, but it's so clean and refreshing it's hard not to feel uplifted when I wear it!  It's very delicate and light and even when I wear the fragrance and the hand cream at the same time, it's not overpowering.  Retails for $42.00 and it's limited-edition, so act now or forever regret it!

Another fragrance I have to share is the new Temple Tree Jasmine cologne by Thymes.  While I, myself, am not a Jasmine-perfume-wearing person, this is a definite must-have for any jasmine fan.  It smells actually really pretty and the bottle is stunning!  Aside from jasmine, the fragrance features notes of honeysuckle, ylang ylang and damask rose as well as coconut milk.  The mix is very delicate to wear and I even used it to spritz my bath towels (yeah yeah, not it's intended use) but it was pretty brilliant to do, if I do say so myself!  Retails for $33.00 and would make a fantastic Mothers' Day present - well, if your mom's into florals.  If she's not into florals, than getting her a floral fragrance would probably not be the smart way to go on May 12.

Note:  Samples of the above were sent to me by PR representatives working with L'Occitane and Thymes.

L'Occitane Free Shea Butter

Who doesn't LOVE L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream and want a free sample, right?!

Have you tried L’Occitane’s world famous Shea Butter Hand Cream? If not, now is the time to do so! It is so popular that one is sold every three seconds around the world! And so, I wanted to share with you and your readers this L’Occitane news: Starting October 1st through October 14th, log onto Facebook and click to “Like” the L’Occitane fan page to receive a free 10ML tube of the hand bag essential – perfect to combat dry hands during the colder months ahead. If 500,000 fans are reached from October 1st-October 14th, the Shea Butter Hand Cream will be upgraded to the 30ML size tube and you will receive a voucher for 15% off your next purchase that can be redeemed at any L’Occitane store, nationwide – so log on today!

Please click “Like” to receive your free Shea Butter Hand Cream: www.facebook.com/loccitane.usa

Pivoine Flora

I took ballet when I was a kid and was actually SO terrible that in a country dance where all the aspiring ballerinas were milk maids, they made me a freakin' robot.  Yes, my parents have video of all these little girls prancing around while I stood in the back, hunched over until they "wound" me up.  I remember thinking I was so magnificently special for having the prized role of Robot, that I failed to notice that this ballet studio in Vermont was clearly not the place for the likes of me.  I came away with an understanding I would never be a ballerina (and, really, I could never commit to not eating) but have always thought ballerinas to be still so beautiful (even though they are rarely robots).  When I saw the new cosmetics collection by L'Occitane, I was giddy over the packaging.  There is a beautiful watercolored ballerina on the top of the Pivoine Flora cream blush duo which, actually, is not even nearly as gorgeous as the blushes themselves!  I have been using the Abricot one every day and it's the most amazing shade of pinky/peach.  The darker shade goes on and gives you this amazing flush and then the lighter highlighter accents the apples of the cheeks.  The creams are smooth, blend in beautifully and actually have a slight rose scent which I adore. An all-around fabulous product.  But here's the catch - much like my ballet career - this is short-lived.  Limited Edition people, so stock up now!

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with L'Occitane.  

Olive Oil isn't just good on pasta

I'm already such a huge fan of L'Occitane so really it's no surprise that the very second their new line of skin care came out, I had to stop by and give it a good once over.  Creme Scintillante (say that three times fast) is a luxurious body cream that has a very light, fresh scent to it and moisturizes better than I even expected.  The creme sinks right in, so there's no waiting, and it leaves a glamorous slight sheen on the skin.  Containing olive butter, olive oil, olive leaf extract (are you seeing the pattern here?) this creme is also paraben-free.  While I do love the scent and its ability to make my skin feel soft, I am a bit panicked because it's limited edition (gasp!) which means that as soon as I get obsessed, it'll be discontinued and I'll have to scour the pages of eBay trying to buy a container that is supposedly new in box.  The entire line contains a lovely hand cream, a body lotion (without sheen), shower cream and bar of soap.  But don't just take my word for it, get to the mall and test it for yourself.  At $34.00, it could make a nice Christmas present for Mom... or yourself.  I'm just saying.

Photo courtesy of L'Occitane

A Fancy Cream with a Fancy Name Makes me Fancy

Once again I was bullied (picture kicking and screaming here) into walking into L'Occitane at the mall.  So what if my mom only stands 4 foot 11 - she can be very feisty.  While in there I was drawn to some really pretty blue glass containers (wow, I sound like a child) that sat all sweetly on a back shelf.  When I got closer the woman who worked there proceeded to convince me that I needed to try one - something about how my skin would thank me for it.  Well, I am happy to report, she was right on.  The Immortelle Precious Cream is wonderful.  I have been religiously using it for the past two weeks and my skin is softer and has an awesome glow to it.  The dry areas around my nose that usually fall victim to flaking are non-existant.  The cream is nice and thick but sinks in super fast so if you use it at night you won't have the slippery-on-the-pillow problem and during the day you'll happily be applying make-up almost immediately.  The cream smells so delightful, I wish they had a hand cream to match.  I can't quite place the scent, but it's very fresh and lightly floral even.  The glass pot looks adorable on the bathroom counter (but wow, what a mess you'd make if you drop it) and you won't use a lot so the container will last you a long time.  One of the best face creams I've used on my dry skin.  I'm a fan for life.  Now I need to try the lotion with SPF 15.  My mom must be pretty happy now, knowing her bullying has led to me writing a review.   

Photo Courtesy of L'Occitane

Butter On My Lips That Doesn't Get To My Hips

I find small stores intimidating.  I feel like if you go in one, the salesperson will follow you around even if you say the standard “just looking.”  And I find nothing more aggravating than trying to dodge a woman in an apron offering me samples of body butters and perfume.  Because of this I have always found L’Occitane to be a bit intimidating and I usually avoid the shop when I’m at my local mall.  However, now that I own their signature Shea Butter tin, I’m sorry I’ve passed on them for so long.  This stuff is incredible!  Ultra-moisturizing, smells fresh and really makes a difference on my dry skin and lips.  While it’s a little hard to get out of the tin, if you can be patient and let it melt a bit in your fingers, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.  This buttery-soft moisturizer was retrieved from the fruit of African Shea Trees (who knew shea trees even existed).  I like to picture the women in L’Occitane aprons enjoying a jungle safari, avoiding being mauled by lions, stopping every few minutes to climb a shea tree and pluck out a tin of the moisturizer.  All I really know is I’m glad my husband wasn’t too scared to go into the tiny store in the mall.  If he wasn’t so brave, I wouldn’t be this soft.

French Lessons

Despite the fact that I recently learned from one of their sales people that I've been misprouncing the name of their company the entire time I've been shopping there (my junior high french classes obviously didn't leave much of an impression on me), I like their Shea Butter hand cream. It smells kind of like what I picture summer in the French countryside is like - fresh and clean, but with a slightly floral undertone. I did find it a little greasy, but nothing that rubbing my hands together a few more times didn't eliminate. And with 20% shea butter, you know it's really moisturizing. Unfortunately, due to an incident involving me accidently leaving the tube in my car when it was 90 degrees outside for three days in a row, I no longer have a supply of it on hand. (Am I the only one who knew lotion could, uhm, dissolve in hot weather?) So now I have to suck it up and go back to the scene of my embarrassing pronunciation skills if I want to own it again. Unless any of you want to buy it for me... Anyone?