ProductWhores

Is There a Twelve Step Program For This?

You guys, I think I have a problem.  And maybe it's finally time that I admitted it.  This past weekend, while browsing at a Bath and Body Works store, I came across the new Jacqua scent, Cocoa Buttercream Frosting.  I knew I shouldn't smell the Body Butter, but I'm weak, so of course I did.  And it smelled every bit as delicious as I wanted it to - like sweet vanilla frosting on a chocolate cake.  So what's the problem, you might ask?  The problem is that, even though I already own their Buttercream Frosting Body Butter AND their Chocolat Body Butter (which they don't even make anymore - probably because so many people compained about the missing "e"), I can already tell that I will break down sometime soon and buy the Cocoa Buttercream scent.  In fact, I pretty much guarantee it.  But that's insane!  I don't need it and really, if I wanted, I could just combine the two I already have and create my very own version at no extra cost.  I would still get the delicious scent and the smooth, yet non-greasy moisturizer that I've come to expect from Jaqua, but it would cost me exactly zero dollars.  That would be the smart thing to do, so I think we can all agree that I'll own this product by the weekend.  In fact, I'm kind of impressed that I've managed to steer my car away from the mall this long.  And that is sad, just sad.  Okay, I'm taking a deep breath.  The first step is admitting that you have a problem.  Here goes.  "My name is Stacey and I'm a Product-aholic."  Ahh, that felt good. 

Okay, now that I've said it out loud, can I go ahead and order the Cocoa Buttercream Body Butter online now? 

Go Brazilian

Some people pray for peace, some to end world hunger. All valid (and selfless) thoughts. But when I'm asking for things, inevitably, my wishes turn to something beauty related. And one of my most frequent wishes is that a scent I like will come out with multiple products so I can layer the smell. It may sound silly, but I hate it when I'm forced to use a shower gel with no matching lotion or vice versa. It throws my whole day into chaos. And for years, I've been using The Body Shop's Brazil Nut Body Scrub with no matching lotion in sight. But finally (finally!) my prayers have been answered and they've introduced the new Brazil Nut Whip Body Lotion. I love this scent. It's nutty and warm and comforting all at the same time, which isn't easy to achieve. The lotion is great - moisturizing, but not greasy, which would be a deal breaker, and at only $12, it's a bargain. Especially now, with The Body Shop's buy one, get one half off offer. Now if they could just come out with a Brazil Nut shower gel so the trifecta would be complete, I would really be a happy woman. I guess I'm just never satisfied, huh?

I Will Happily Dance in These Waters

The day finally came, July 9th, when Bath and Body Works released their newest scent - Dancing Waters.  I could hardly wait for work to end so I could run over to the mall to smell the new member to their signature line.  I am so happy to report that Dancing Waters is everything I wanted it to be.  A fresh, cool, light scent that makes a wonderful daily lotion.  The scent is very soothing, but not too overpowering so you can definitely wear your perfume over it.  I got talking to the saleswoman about my obsession with their previous water collection (Fresh Waterfall Mist, Crystal Blue Waters and Mountain Springs - does anyone else remember these?) and she explained that Dancing Waters is their new answer to that retired bunch of scents.  She did add, however, that since they are really just using Dancing Waters as a tester fragrance they are only only releasing the scent in a lotion, shower gel, body mist and perfume until they see if customers are responding to it.  Just for that, I had to buy one of each and plan on going back to stock up on more.  I realize I am only one person, but I am one person who is determined to see Dancing Waters in a body scrub.  And people have said I wasn't driven enough... clearly they were wrong.

How To Shimmer

I'm not really a sparkly makeup kind of girl. I sort of feel like once you pass the age of, oh, say 25, you really shouldn't be wearing anything with glitter anymore. That might just be because I live in L.A. and have seen way too many grandmothers rocking around in miniskirts, but it's just how I feel. I do, however, like to wear a good shimmer lotion every now and then, as long as the shimmer is subtle and doesn't make me look like it's the 80's and I'm on my way to Studio 54. My favorite right now is Bath and Body Works Fresh Pineapple Shimmer Lotion. I bought it when I was at the Semi-Annual Sale last week because it was REALLY cheap. Like, $3 or $4 cheap, which is unheard of (I can't remember which one it was and I'm way too lazy to go search for the receipt right now). It has the pineapple scent that I'm obssesed with at the moment and goes on smoothly, leaving behind the faintest shimmer that's almost hard to see if you're not looking for it. It's perfect for when you're going out at night and want to feel a little more "sparkly" than normal. I'll bet it looks great with a tan too, although I can't verify that right now since I'm currently pasty white again after my vacation color faded. Now I just need to get invited someplace cool so I can actually wear it out of my apartment, because there's nothing sadder than shimmering yourself up to sit on the couch and watch television. Even the miniskirted grandmothers would probably laugh at that.

Hand it Over

There is nothing more satisfying (okay, I'm sounding dramatic here) than having a hand cream that is completely non-greasy, sinks in quickly and is only lightly fragranced so it doesn't interfere with your perfume or body lotion.  The Hand and Nail Cream by H2O+ is exactly all that and more.  This wonderfully light hand cream really moisturizes and helps to repair even the most red and chapped of hands.  I took it on a ski trip with me and it saved my hands from pain and suffering (and my elbows, in fact)!  It smells fresh like clean laundry but is by no means overpowering.  I only smell it if my hands are near my face, which I really like.  That way when I'm wearing my expensive Viktor and Rolf perfume, I will still smell that over my hand cream.    I have been consistantly carrying the Hand and Nail Cream in my bag for years.  It's no surprise that it wins magazine award after magazine award year after year.  This stuff is simply delightful:  simple-yet-elegant packaging and inexpensive pricing make this cream a must-have in every woman's tote bag.

Intensive Rescue From Ridiculously Dry Skin

If it weren't for my insane insensitivity to temperature changes, I wouldn't suffer from the ridiculously dry skin patches that make me feel like a beast!  I get them on my legs and on my underarms (as if you needed all the gory details) and until now I had to use prescription lotion to get them back to looking luxurious.  But, with the sweet release of Vaseline's Intensive Rescue Heal & Repair Balm I am saved from visiting a dermatologist!  This stuff works wonders!  I used it for just a few nights and my scaly, icky patches went away.  I still can't believe how well it worked!  For $7.99, this little pump bottle has made me happier than re-runs of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer."  The balm has no fragrance (so no stinging of really dry skin!) and contains glycerin to hold in moisture.  It is slightly on the greasy side, but you won't care when you see how amazing the results are.  I not only use it on dry patches, but also slather it on my knuckles and feet nightly.  I haven't used any of the other moisturizers in this collection but I can imagine they're just as wonderful.  Thank you Vaseline for saving me from driving all the way to the doctor's office!  I owe you.

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.

Super Groovy

My friend swears by Carol’s Daughter products.  She is downright obsessed with the Almond Cookie Shea Souffle, which is what led me to peruse the shelves at my local Sephora.  My friend is definitely right about the butter – what a wonderful product!  I actually bought Groove Shea Souffle because the scent is so sexy and alluring, I couldn’t not own it.  Groove contains peach, pineapple, vanilla, chocolate and musk which sounds like a bizarre mix, but it smells so delicious, you won’t be able to stop smelling your buttery-soft skin.  The Souffle is extremely moisturizing and a little goes a long way.  But, be forewarned, because it is pure shea butter (along with cocoa butter and almond oil to name a few ingredients), it does not sink in quickly so expect to wait a bit before getting dressed after applying it.  Regardless of its sinkability (yes, I just made that word up) you will not be disappointed with the results on your skin.  The scent lasts all day (yum!) and the moisture lasts for hours.  One negative to the cream, however, is it states on the jar that you must use it within six months so it’s at its peak freshness.  It is a big jar, so I fear I won’t get through it all in that amount of time.  But, for the money (only $25.00 for a HUGE jar) I guess I can re-stock my shelf in six months.  Or, go on their website and order the smaller jars.  They turn out to be more expensive, but you’ll be sure to get through them in time.  Plus, with the smaller jars, you can actually get a few of the different scents.  It’s always good to mix it up a bit.  (This coming from the chick who can’t stop buying black sweaters).   

Who Doesn't Love Sugar

I have eaten so many Christmas cookies that I think my insides may just have turned to sugar.  So, why not match my inside with the out and cover myself in a wonderful sugar lotion.  Archipelago Botanicals (happily out of Los Angeles) has Sugar Lotion for the body in Brown Sugar & Vanilla which smells decadent on the skin.  Sinks in quickly, not greasy at all and contains real sugar which acts as a natural exfoliant.  Even though you don’t feel the grainy texture of sugar, the company swears it’s in there.  The lotion also contains jojoba oil to help moisturize and pure vanilla extract to give the lotion its delicious scent.  I swear my arms smell like cookies.  Hmm, is that a good thing or a bad one?  As long as I don’t nibble off my own extremities, I think it’s a good thing.

I like Germans for more than just beer

I’m a bit of a packaging freak when it comes to beauty products, so when I caught sight of the adorable daisy on the Herbacin Kamille hand cream, I was sold.  A product of Germany (I’m also a fan of Oktoberfest, and drinking in general) this hand cream is absolutely a must-have for every handbag.  It’s made with glycerine and silicone which help to hold the moisture in which is really appreciated during the dry winter months.  The cream sinks instantly into my hands and even has the cute little phrase “hand cream for protection and care” on the front.  This cream actually cares for my hands!  It says so right on the tube!  How many products actually say that to me?  And also, how many products almost have the power to make me buy a flight to Germany for some much-needed binge drinking and lederhosen?