Josie Maran Argan Oil

Josie Maran Argan Oil is a fabulous product.

The oil is labeled a face product but I actually bought it to use on my body and especially my legs as a pre-summer and mini skirts treatment. It worked great and I liked the oil well enough for the occasional use on my face.  The oil sinks quickly into the skin and doesn't leave a greasy coat. It softens rough patches and I'm pretty sure it helped a a scratch and a bruise heal more quickly than usual. After a week or so of use on my legs I noticed an improvement and no longer needed as much moisturizing. There are some magical anti-aging properties attributed to the oil from the argan nut. I don't believe in miracle potions, and face-wise I still prefer creams to oils, but this Josie Maran product is great and so far made a real difference in my body care routine.

However.

Pure argan oil is not just a cosmetics product. It's also a condiment and can be found in delis and upscale food stores. I bought a bottle at Fairway (our Whole Foods didn't have argan oil at the time) and we used it occasionally for salads (then forgot all about it and ended up tossing it out when deep-cleaning the kitchen cabinets before we moved). The oil had an orange color and a nutty-toasty aroma and taste. I should have used it on my legs instead of letting the precious oil languish on the shelf.  The thing is, the current price of a 250ml  (8.5oz) 100% organic argan oil bottle is about $43-$45. A 1.7 oz (50 ml) Josie Maran 100% organic argan oil costs $48.

See my problem?

Josie Maran Argan Oil is available from Sephora. It comes in a brown glass bottle with a dropper (quite convenient). The oil is actually colorless, which surprised me. I tasted a little and did not get any nutty scent or flavor. It makes it more appealing for cosmetic use, but I don't know why and how it differs from the bottles you find at the grocery store.

Photos:
Goats on an argan tree in Morocco from neatorama.com
Argan oil from gourmet.chefshop.com

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (Multipurpose Dry Oil)

Or: My Mother Knows Best

Last year in Paris I saw the ads for Nuxe products all over the city. I had every intention to check the dry oil which seemed to be in every drugstore/pharmacy (there are two things I envy most about living in France: baked goods and drugstores), but somehow never got to it. I was happy to learn that unlike decent croissants, Nuxe is actually available on our shores from several online retailers. I kept meaning to order the famous Huile but, again, somehow never got around to do it, until my mother, who apparently has been using it for ages, sent me a bottle and a firm order to use it.

And she was right, as always.

While I'm not adventurous enough these days to attempt using the dry oil on my face or hair, as recommended on the bottle, when it comes to my limbs and other body parts this is a fabulous product. Easy to spread and fast absorbing, it's never greasy and won't give you the Gwyneth Paltrow finish. It softens, moisturizers and makes even my cuir de crocodile look and feel normal with no sticky residue, which is especially appreciated in the summer.

The scent is this faint beachy-white floral thing with a hint of clean musk in the drydown. It doesn't project and won't interfere with perfume, as it disappears within 20 minutes or so.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multipurpose Dry Oil ($44 for 100 ml that last a very long time, and be aware that there's also a gold shimmer version, but I'm utterly not responsible if you get that one) is available online from beautyhabit, apothica and beauty.com. Or if you're in France, just about on every street corner (but you probably already own a bottle and don't need me to tell you about it).

Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil

I can't help it. This time of the year I'm on a constant quest for soft and supple skin, and the result is a cornucopia of bottles, tubes and jars popping up on every flat surface in the house waiting to be slathered on skin (or rolled on the floor by a cat).

Body oils are often extra easy to spread, which makes them very suitable for cold days wen you just want to put something on and get dressed fast. Of course, they also need to be absorbed quickly (but I can't remember the last time I came across one that wasn't).

Initially, I was not impressed with Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Oil. It sank in nicely, but about six hours later my skin was already showing signs of thirst. I tried it sporadically, but ended up neglecting the bottle in favor of other treats. Recently I unearthed it (or a cat did) and started using it regularly with much more impressive results. It seems like this oil performs a lot better over time and my skin definitely benefits. It's been weeks since the last time I got that tight and parched feeling (and dry earth look that comes with it).

My only complaint is, surprisingly, about the scent. It's a lot less Rosy than you'd expect and (thankfully) very low key, but I often feel like I'm smelling the main ingredient, peanut oil, over the rose extract. It's a bit disturbing, actually, and not very luxurious. As much as I like my Thai stir-fry, I'd rather not smell like one. In any case, the scent is faint to begin with and fades quickly, so it doesn't clash with my perfume.

Bottom line: You can't argue with a happy skin.

Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil ($35.95) is available from stores specializing in organic and natural beauty products and online from the company's web site , C.O. Bigelow and Beauty.com, which is where I purchased mine.

Reconsidering Summer: Bobbi Brown Beach Body Oil

I buy the weirdest things in the dead of winter. That's the only way I can explain the bottle of Bobbi Brown Beach body oil in my possession. Actually, it almost makes sense if you consider the gloomy weather and the dry skin. A product that promises to make you smell summer and solve that cuir de crocodile problem sounds like the best thing ever.

The only problem was that it didn't work. At least not back in December.

My first issue was the scent. It's my fault, considering I knew exactly what to expect and still bought it. I grew up with the European ideas of what a perfume should and shouldn't be, and this little creature that smells of suntan lotion and sunny sand falls strictly into the "shouldn't be" category. I have friends and readers across the Atlantic and I can't for a moment imagine any of them smelling this with approval. I didn't approve, either.

The second issue was with the oil itself, that seemed to just sit there and not do much to improve the scary look of my legs. I had to recheck the ingredient list twice to make sure it really listed all that good stuff, oils of olive, sesame, avocado and jojoba. While it sank in enough as to not make my legs look and feel oily, it still acted more as barrier and less as skin nourishment. I put the bottle away after a couple of tries.

A few weeks ago I dug it out and started applying it again. The scent hasn't changed, but it makes more sense in a summery context. I'd never buy the actual perfume from this line (or any other beachy fragrance), but it's pleasant enough for the few minutes it's still detectable. It could have been another one by Philosophy, maybe one named "Summer Grace". There are some muted, washed flowers, sun and ocean bleached woods and a very soft, clean musk drydown, if you can even call it that. It doesn't remind me of the colorful Jersey Shore and won't make you start singing "Under the Boardwalk". It's not even nostalgic for me, as a beach scent reminiscent of my childhood would have to be more salty and have notes of French fries and sticky, synthetic orange juice. I'm not sure I want to re-smell any of that.

As for performance, apparently the oil needs more time to do its thing. First application didn't differ much than what I remembered from last year. However, since I had it on all day and didn't wash it off in the first couple of hours, I noticed that eventually my skin has begun to accept the oil. The next day started with legs that weren't so dry, and the oil sunk in quicker and seemed to do a better job faster. The same happened in the following days.

Since the scent disappears quickly and I only apply it to my legs and (maybe) lower arms, it's not a factor in fragrance choice and doesn't require more consideration when layering than your average soap. I'd avoid it on sticky humid days, because once your legs are no longer at the scary stage of dryness, there is some residue which is the last thing you want to feel on a hazy summer.

Beach by Bobbi Brown products can be found at most decent department stores (Macy's isn't one) or from the company's website, which is where I bought my bottle ($28).

Image: Anne Packard: At the beach, from Vinnings Gallery.

The Crocodile Files: Quench Shea Body Products

It's cold outside, which means we're in danger of getting in touch with our inner crocodile and letting it take over our skin. For me, this means time to bring out the big guns and big butters. And shea. Lots of shea.

Quench Bath and Body have several shea products, and I got to try both the oil and the body whip. Out of the two, my favorite is the oil, mostly because the ease of use. It spreads evenly and is immediately absorbed, leaving no oily residue while fully moisturizing and making the skin feel comfortable even when it's bitter cold and snowing outside. It's quick, easy and effective, and as an added benefit it also extends the wear of my perfume of the day. This oil is unscented and has a faint smell of a nutty vegetable oil that fades as soon as it's absorbed.

All that doesn't mean that the body whip isn't a good product. It's made of 20% shea butter, which is quite rich. But the buttery texture demands more time and elbow grease in order to work it fully into the skin. The result is great, but considering my favorite body cream from L'Occitane, Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream, has 25% shea butter and a softer texture that makes it easier to apply, I'm not swept off my feet.

Quench Shea Body Products are available from the company's website. I got mine as a PR freebie.