Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Mint-aholics Unite for BBW's Limited Edition Twisted Peppermint!

Talk about your limited editions!  Bath and Body Works has relaunched their Holiday Traditions variant Twisted Peppermint, but for one week only!  It was a full 24hrs after this news that I made it to my local BBW and already they had sold out of the shower gel.  Unbelievable!

There it is.  Look at it standing there in all of its innocent minty glory.  As soon as I got my hands on the body lotion I eagerly opened the top and took a gentle whiff ... and the experience was Wow.  I'm not sure if it was 'only on the shelves for one week' wow, but definitely a capital letter Wow.

Its Fresh.  Its Tasty.  Its York Peppermint Pattie.  Yum.  The fragrance hits you with this wonderfully strong and refreshing peppermint while it has this gentle undertone of chocolate (and it isn't a cheap cocoa hit, but notes of dark chocolate).  For my first sniff out-of-the-bottle-in-the-store, I am very impressed with this fragrance.

At home and on the arms, I can confirm that BBW definitely got its inspiration for Twisted Peppermint from York's "Get the sensation!" tagline.  The scent is still wonderfully fresh and vibrantly peppermint with a subtle chocolate tone underneath, but on the skin the lotion has a cooling effect and it is almost a bit tingly in its refreshment.  It is definitely a sensation that adds a dynamic dimension to the fragrance and the body lotion as a whole.

So, while I'm not sure I want to walk around smelling like a York Peppermint Pattie, if you can get your hands on it, I really do recommend this body lotion - if not just to be able to say that you did!

*As a side note, they had a BOGOF deal going on so I also picked up the Twisted Peppermint Fragrance Mist.  It smells of fresh paint and is a huge disappointment - don't waste your time or money (even if it's free!) on this one.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Method Limited Editions

To tell you the truth, I am not the biggest Method user out there.  Actually, I don't think that I have ever used Method before, which is why I thought it was high time to do so.

Supposedly, 'sometimes change is nice', which is why Method launched a limited edition range in September.  The new variants include: 

Juicy Pear, Clementine, Waterfall and Lemon Mint  

Although I was tempted by the Juicy Pear, the variant I got my hands on is the Lemon Mint.  Lemon mixed with mint?  Now, that sounds interesting.

Sadly, it wasn't.  Neat, the fragrance is very functional, smelling first of sweet lemon drops and then alcohol.  There is no scent of mint, which is a disappointment.  Maybe in dilute?

Nope, not there either.  In use, it is a very earthy, agrestic lemon scent with spikes of menthol (which, although obtained from mint oil, it is a very different scent from mint!).  In addition, the earthy-agrestic notes nearly overwhelm the lemon making it quite a dirty scent.

I'm not overly enthralled with the fragrance of this hand soap, but maybe I should have known that this 'naturally derived formula' was going to smell well, natural!


Monday, November 14, 2011

Launched with style: the new Diane fragrance from Diane Von Furstenberg

Back in October I received all kinds of alerts about a new fragrance launching from designer Diane von Furstenberg: Diane.  Unlike other perfumes with their fascinating (and sometimes confusing) TV commercials, von Furstenberg opted for a modern way to advertise: the flash mob.



Throughout the course of October there were flash mobs in New York, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Warsaw and Milan.  All these flash mobs did their work - they got me excited about the fragrance and eager to learn what it was all about.

So, off to Sephora I went (the sole distributor of the fragrance) and here is what I discovered.  Diane is a very womanly fragrance, opening with distinct top notes of patchouli that are combined with layers of caramel and musk and then mixed with light florals, which bring height to the fragrance.  The fragrance is linear as it dries down, retaining the same scent throughout.  

This fragrance is reminiscent of the powerhouse fragrances from the 1980s.  Which isn't necessarily bad ... if you like that kind of thing.


Friday, November 11, 2011

philosophy: smile and be merry? Definitely with marshmallows for toasting!




What a fabulous surprise - a newly launched limited edition product just fell right into my hands - Philosophy's Marshmallows for Toasting 'high gloss, high-flavor marshmallow fluff lip shine'.  What a mouthful!

Image by © Charles Gold/CORBIS
Now normally I wouldn't evaluate a lip gloss, but this one smells so scrumptious I just had to.  The unfortunate part is that it doesn't smell like marshmallows. So, if it doesn't smell like marshmallows, what does it smell like?

Well, let me tell you.  It smells like wonderfully, gorgeously delicious maple syrup.  Wearing this lip gloss is like eating pancakes all day long, but without the caloric consequences!

Not satisfied with this delectable maple syrup just on your lips?  Philosophy has also launched Marshmallows for Toasting in a shampoo, body wash and bubble bath so you can bathe your whole body in this tasty scent!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Menthol me up! New Lubriderm Soothing Relief - Cooling Daily Lotion


Lubriderm launched a new variant in October - Soothing Relief.  It caught my attention because (and I quote from the packing itself) "Soothing Relief Daily Lotion with cooling menthol is formulated to help relieve itchy, dry skin".

Menthol, you say?  I knew menthol was a good decongestant, that it's used in some cigarettes, cough medicines, mouth washes and toothpastes, that it relieves minor aches and pains (think IcyHot), but I had never come across menthol in a lotion before.  So I did a little research.

It turns out that Lubriderm's competitors, Aveeno and Eucerin, both have a menthol itch/skin relief lotion in their product ranges.  It also turns out that the reason why these brands have a menthol variant is because menthol has itch relieving/preventing properties, i.e. it's an antipruritic - something I never knew!  No wonder these brands are adding it to their skin relief ranges!

Now being satisfied with my menthol knowledge, I believe it's time to get down to business.  How menthol-y is this menthol variant?

The initial scent out of the bottle is a very quiet, almost non-existent, menthol scent that barely covers the plastic-y base smell of the lotion.  In use, though, watch out!  The menthol comes alive and tingles the skin and the nose pleasantly with its simple, cough-drop-esque scent.

So, did I smell like I had lathered myself in Vicks VapoRub?  About five minutes after I put the lotion on my arms and legs, I asked a passerby to smell me.  Admittedly, they did look at me like I was crazy, but when they realized I was serious, they took a breath and answered 'no'.  When I asked if I smelled of menthol they also said 'no'.

Fantastic - I can confirm that if you use this lotion you will not smell like a walking medicine cabinet!  Thus, I would categorize this as a fragrance success - you get the cooling menthol benefits without the overwhelming menthol stench!