Bath & Body

I have never taken to a hand cream/moisturizer as fast as the new Honeysuckle Rose Hand Creme by Olivina Napa Valley. Olivina uses a blend of hand-pressed olive and grapeseed oils in its products, along with other essential oils to create a highly moisturizing blend of ingredients. Plus, all of the products are free from chemical parabens, preservatives, sodium lauryl-sulfate and cruelty free.

I was first taken by the scent. Not normally a fan of rose-centric fragrances, I make an exception for this light and positively addicting scent. But what I loved about the Honeysuckle Rose Hand Creme was the incredibly lightweight formula (without it being too liquid like a lotion). It also was highly hydrating and absorbed into the skin within a minute or two after application. Plus, the scent lingers softly if you’re just looking for just a light scent to perk up your skin (and senses). The hand creme is only $18 for 2.5 oz at olivinanapavalley.com. I personally can’t wait to try out other products from this line!

Frequent readers of The Daily Obsession know that we heart Shobha and have mentioned them on our site many times, but seriously, this time, I can’t stop raving about their Ingrown Hair Relief Lotion, which has magically erased ALL razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

Forget about the semi-painful solutions you’ve found on google, suggesting warm compresses etc.  Apply the Shobha lotion to dry, clean skin once (with a double dose for a more serious situation), and you will literally wake up the next morning with smooth skin.  I’ve been informed that the lotion performs miracles with its glycolic acid exfoliate, which removes the dead upper layers of skin, the main cause of razor bumps and ingrown hairs.  It also prevents hair follicle clogs that cause the inward redirection of hair growth.

Since it’s a glycolic acid exfoliate, there aren’t any exfoliation beads in the lotion.  The consistency is shaving-cream-like, with a gentle moisturizing and soothing component, with tea tree oil and glycerin, and a gentle soapy scent.  The scent isn’t especially feminine, so it’s not male-repellent, so completely shareable with dads, brothers, and boyfriends.  I plan to pass along one to my younger brother, who recently just started shaving for the first time.

The Shobha Ingrown Hair Relief Lotion retails for $22 and can be bought on the Shobha website.

I’ve been obsessed with the CLEAN line ever since I tried their original perfume years ago and over that time, the one and only thing that annoyed me about their products was that I wanted there to be more of them!  I didn’t just want perfume, I wanted shower gels and lotions and everything else that a lot of perfume brands come out with so that you can layer your scent.  I’d just about given up hope and resigned myself to the fact that it was never going to happen when all of a sudden, there they were.  Wishes really do come true!

The new Bath & Shower Gels come in three of CLEAN’s most popular scents – Fresh Laundry, Shower Fresh and Warm Cotton.  I tried out Fresh Laundry and it was everything I was hoping for.  The scent is exactly like the Eau de Parfum – you can smell the hint of Brazilian Orange note in it here too – and it lathers up really nicely without being drying at all.   (more…)

I recently received a bath and body recommendation from a very strange source for a very non-trendy, no frills product. In this specific case, a man. Yes, I am writing about my new favorite body wash, which was introduced to me by my manly friend who has an interest in all-natural bath and body products. Even more surprisingly, this particular product, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Pure Castille Soap has been in existence since 1948, has a very unique product history, and literally has 17 uses other than a liquid body wash!

The soap comes in a variety of scents, but I was most intrigued by the almond variety, which smells deliciously like almond extract. This particular product is made completely from free trade ingredients including organic extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil, hemp oil, and vitamin E, and are certified under the USDA Natural Organic Program. Many natural bath products lack the “foaming” quality mainstream products offer, but just a small squirt of this soap on an exfoliating loofah will lathing unlike any other natural bodywash I’ve used. Plus, it doesn’t hurt (but may expand my waistline) that the almond scent has me running to the kitchen baking almond cookies after my showers!

Dr. Bronner’s has a huge selection of bath and body products I’m itching to try, as soon as I go through my stash of existing soaps, lotions, and balms. I purchased my soap from the terrific Whole Foods Body store down the street for $10, but is also available at Vitamin Shoppe and local natural product stores nationwide.

Ask anyone who knows me what my all time favorite fragrance brand is and they’ll immediately tell you that it’s CLEAN.  (Even my mom, who I’m pretty sure tunes me out on the phone at this point when I go on and on about a product I’m obsessed with, knows it.) When I found out that they were coming out with two new scents for the summer, I couldn’t ask for samples fast enough. (more…)

I fell for the Harajuku Girls fragrances the second I saw the bottles they came in (the fact that I love the scents is just a bonus!) but if possible, I love the Sunshine Cuties version of them even more.  The bottles have been redesigned so that the girls are dressed for the summer in bathing suits with tans and cute accessories.  (I dare you not to smile when you look at Love with her huge sunglasses and flower in her hair.  Adorable!)

Even better, the fragrances have all been tweaked a little to come in new, warmer weather versions, so you can totally justify buying them again because you’re getting even more fun scents.  (At least, that’s how I justify it to myself!)  It’s a tough call, but I think my favorite is still Lil’ Angel – there’s just something about the fun, fruity scent that I can’t get enough of in both versions.  Here’s what you’ll find in the Sunshine Cuties versions: (more…)

Recently, I got the chance to have some of the women from Priori come to my office and give the women (and a few of the men!) mini-facials.  It was a really nice break in the middle of a hectic work week (and it made me pretty popular around the office!)  I was also able to get a bunch of their products to test out and while I liked them all, I found a few that are definitely going to be a permanent part of my product rotation from now on.

Priori has several different lines of products, but the one that suits me the most is the CoffeeBerry Natureceuticals.  The line is based around the most potent source of antioxidants that’s found in nature – CoffeeBerry extract.  (I’m going to pretend that this means that all the overpriced caramel lattes I’ve ingested were actually somewhat good for me).  CoffeeBerry extract is actually three times more potent than green tea and it gives you great anti-aging benefits (such as reducing fine lines and wrinkles) so it’s definitely a great choice for those of us who are determined to look young for as long as possible. (more…)

I’m a big fan of the Marc Jacobs Splash scents.  I actually have two extra bottles of the Rain scent in my closet, just in case they stop selling it because I don’t ever want to go without.  So whenever they release new scents, I get very excited and race right over to the mall to give them a sniff.  The recent releases are Pomegranate, Biscotti and Apple and sadly for my wallet, I love them all.  (I was kind of hoping to hate at least one of them so I wouldn’t want to add it to my shopping list, but no such luck).

Pomegranate is probably my favorite out of the three – it’s sort of a crisp, fruity scent with hints of musk, amber and vanilla.  Apple is also fantastic – it smells fresh and juicy, like an apple picked right off the tree, and it’s light enough that you can wear it during the daytime or layer it with other scents at night.  If I had to put them in order, I’d probably choose Biscotti last, but I still really like it.  It has a little bit more of a spicy, warm scent to it, but you can definitely smell the orange blossom and vanilla notes in it.

The best part about the Splash scents is that they’re a great value – you get a whopping 10 ounces for only $68.  (Part of the reason for this is that they’re Eau de Toilette’s, but still – that’s an amazing deal!)  All three of the scents are limited edition, so you should definitely plan on picking them up soon before they vanish forever.  Check them out now at Sephora.com.

I’m one of those people who hates washing their face out of the shower. Getting water all over the bathroom sink, in my hair, and all over my clothes isn’t particularly appealing, especially at nighttime before heading to bed. After complaining to my mom that I should take better care of my skin at nighttime, she gifted a package of Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes. Problem solved!

I’ve used other face wipes in the past, but never re-buy them because I’m simply not happy with them; sure, they remove makeup and allegedly do all sorts of things to make my skin look and feel better, but more often than not, leave my sensitive face stinging and unhappy. What’s great about the Break Naked Wipes is that they’re gentle. After inspecting the package, I learn they’re fragrance free, toxin free, cruelty free, natural, and biodegradable, which left me wondering “so, what DO they have in them?!” This product is proof that natural ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, argan oil, cucumber, and vitamin E can work wonders in cleaning the skin and removing makeup. Even better, a portion of the sales go towards protecting polar bears, endangered animals whose lives have been dramatically affected by global warming.

Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes are available on the Josie Maran Cosmetics website or at Sephora for $12 (package of 30 wipes).

We all have those days where we really, really, really wish we were somewhere else. Like, say, on holiday in Tuscany, or island hopping, or lounging poolside at a beachfront resort. Even if you can’t actually go to any of these places, Not Soap, Radio introduced a line of bath and body products so that you can at least feel like you’re there. The I’m Not Here, I’m Really collection transports you to a number of wonderful places solely through the power of the scent of body lotions, polishes, and dry oil perfumes.

Not Soap, Radio sent me some samples so I could try vacationing in a quaint seaside village. This one is a really calming, relaxing scent that just may remind you of taking a long weekend at the Cape, with hints of nectarine blossom, honey, peach, black currant, and green mandarin. The packaging is downright cute and the quality of the products is excellent, especially when I tried them on my dry skin. Individually, the products range from $20-22, or $59 for the set of 3. Check out Not Soap, Radio’s fun line of products at notsoapradio.com.