L'Occitane Eau des Baux Stick Deodorant For Men

L'Occitane Eau des Baux Stick Deodorant had two things going for it: it's an alcohol-free formula which I thought would be great for the husband's sensitive skin, and the scent- a blend of cypress and cool incense- is beautiful.

 I picked the deodorant the last time I was at my local L'Occitane store and happily gave it to the Blond. He was delighted with the scent and eager to try it on. The good news is that his armpits have never smelled so good. The bad news is that it only lasted for a few hours before nature took its course. I tried the Eau des Baux Stick myself on a day I was not going to leave the house (a lesson learned from other deodorant testings) and had to agree- it doesn't work unless you're willing and able to reapply every three to four hours.

Bottom Line: Get the shower gel instead.

L'Occitane Eau des Baux Stick Deodorant ($16) is available at every L'Occitane store and online.

Photo: esquire.com

L'Occitane Aromachologie Repairing Hair Mask

It occurred to me that I never shared my most trusted hair care product. I did talk about L'Occitane hair care product in general, and they are, indeed, awesome. The best one is Aromachologie Repairing Hair Mask. This is a heavy duty, fix-every-hair-sin and bring it back from the dead product. If you're a normal person with a reasonable amount of hair on your head you'd probably only use it occasionally and to fix issues like over-processing, chlorinating and sun damage. It'd be too rich for you on a regular basis. But if your hair is dry, super thick and/or very long (thus requiring extra care to ensure shine and moisture), the Aromachologie Repair Musk should be part of your routine.

I have a very long hair. I keep it at mid-thigh length because that's how I like it. It's also very thick and can get dry very easily if not fed shea butter and cake (well, only the shea butter) on regular intervals. I've been using the Aromachologie mask regularly for nearly three years, some weeks on an almost daily basis if I feel the need. It's that good and is partly responsible to the health of my hair.

L'Occitane Aromachologie Repairing Hair Mask ($29, 8.4 oz) is available from every L'Occitane store and online.

Photo by Nina Leen, 1947

L'Occitane Fig Tree Leaf Diffuser

My home scenting adventure continues.

I was at the local L'Occitane store stocking up on my favorite hair products (yes, I know that a suspicious amount of posts starts with this sentence. What can I say? L'Occitane need to start selling their conditioner and hair mask in family size packaging), when I smelled something familiar and wonderful.

Fig.

My love for fig scents is well-documented here, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover the Fig Tree Leaf reed diffusers .They also come in other scents and I even got one, I think the Provencal Landscape, which I'll review when I break it open, but right now I'm all about the incredible aroma of a fig tree in the middle of summer, lush, green and heavy with fruit that is about to ripen. The thing about good fig scents is the balance between the leaf, wood and fruit, and this L'Occitane product is a really good one. Now I want a full range of body, personal care and perfume with this smell. And also a laundry line, while we're at it.

I only got the refills, not the entire set, because I prefer to hunt for nice bottles and containers in other places and I've been buying the reeds in bulk online ever since I discovered I can use diffusers all over the house as long as they are placed strategically out of cat and harm's way.

L'Occitane Fig Tree Leaf Diffuser refills ($16, 3.4 oz) are available from L'Occitane stores all over creation as well as online.

Image: Gelini's Fig Tree byDeborah J Humphries

L'Occitane Shea Butter Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body

Normal people wouldn't understand how a 5% shea butter lotion can be not rich enough for one's skin. But if you're like me and share the genetic material of a big lizard you might get it.

I was setting out the bathrooms in the new house and realized that: a) I still can't find the box with most of my full-size heavy duty hand creams, and b)I needed something with cat proof packaging. Since I was already on my way to the L'Occitane store, I picked what looked like the obvious choice, Shea Butter Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body in the pump bottle.

I'm a huge fan of L'Occitane shea butter products, but usually go for the big guns- the 15% to 25% thick creams. It makes a big difference, because while the Extra Gentle Lotion gives a quick relief right after I wash my hands, it only takes fifteen minutes before they feel tight and dry again and I need another fix.

Bottom line: I'm a freak.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body ($20) is available online and from L'Occitane stores. I bought it at my local mall.

Photo: ucsd.org

L'Occitane Shea Butter Limited Edition Collection

I stopped at the mall to stock up on my regular L'Occitane hair products (somehow I ran out. The horror!), and check out the new Limited Edition Shea Butter Collection. I'm a huge fan of L'Occitane's regular shea butter products- during the winter I want nothing other than live in one of those jars. I try to apply the body cream three times a day to combat my skin blahs and maintain the illusion I'm human and not an upright walking, lipstick wearing lizard.

The limited edition products come in four new scents, Ylang Ylang, Acacia, Frangipani and Rosebud. The Ultra Rich Cream also comes in a fifth scent, another limited edition, Vanilla, which was created in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Shea. Surprisingly, I didn't fall for that one. Not sure why, it just wasn't the most amazing vanilla ever and I passed in favor of the Frangipani.

The SA said that Rosebud and Frangipani seem to be the most popular scents, and I certainly see why- they are the most distinct one and have the best blend of top notes with the basic shea butter scent that's typical to these products (it's creamy, nutty, somewhat musky). I got all three Frangipani items- the body cream, mini hand cream and the Hand & Body Cleansing Mousse. I love L'Occitane's foaming face cleanser, and this body mousse didn't disappoint. It's an excellent cold weather treat for the body.

Bottom Line: Why did they make it a limited edition?

The Shea Butter Limited Edition Collection (prices from $10 for the hand cream to $21 for the 3.5 oz Ultra Rich body cream) is available from L'Occitane stores and online.

Photos by me. Model: Lizzy.

The Lost Perfume Series: L'Occitane Neroli (original)

The original Neroli EDP by L'Occitane is among the handful of scents that ever got me compliments from complete strangers. The others are Musc Ravageur, L'Air du Desert Marocain, Shalimar Light and Panthere de Cartier (Strangely enough, no one has ever stopped me on the street demanding to know where and how they can get a bottle of Miel de Bois). Interestingly, Neroli is the biggest traffic stopper of this group, despite its humble pedigree.

Neroli (the raw material) is an essential oil distilled from orange flowers (not to be confused with the orange blossom absolute, which is extracted through the use of a solvent). This might lead one to expect a light, ethereal and feminine scent, which couldn't be further from the truth. L'Occitane Neroli in it's original 2003 version is strong and quite aggressive. It opens up like most straight forward neroli oils you'd find at your local Whole Foods market or other places that sell essential oils. It's uplifting and full of sunshine, and I used to spray it into the air and walk into this. Not so much to lighten it up as because I wanted to coat myself and absorb as much of the perfume as humanly possible.

(I was so infatuated that for about six months this was my most worn scent and I went through several bottles before going back to my perfume promiscuous ways)

But after the conventional part of the scent, things get hot, heavy and somewhat animalic. I could not find an official list of notes, but to my nose there's quite a bit of ceder in the heart-to-drydown phase, and it's a dry and dirty cedar with the infamous hamster cage effect. I love it, but anyone looking for a demure and clean orange scent in the normal L'Occitane way would have been horrified, which I suspect was exactly the cause of the perfume's untimely demise.

Eventually the hamster is gone and what's left is a slightly sweet, ambery neroli with more than a hint of musk and lots of sex appeal. While the sillage mostly disappears after the first 30 minutes or so, what's left on the skin is quite tenacious.

As far as I remember, Neroli was marketed as a feminine and was presented as part of the (original) L'Oranger product line- there was a weird body wash with little brown moisture beads that made a mess in the bath, and a too thin body milk. But trying to objectively assess the scent I'm pretty sure that was a mistake. Neroli feels quite unisex and many men would have found it appealing. Think of Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino, which is quite masculine, and I have to say I find L'Occitane Neroli to be rounder and better.

Sadly, the original Neroli was discontinued some time between 2006 and 2007 only to be replaced with a weak and wimpy scent under the same name. The new juice is considerably lighter in color (the original started orange but ages into an almost red liquid, which leads me to believe that there was a considerable amount of natural ingredients in it, even though they also added colors to the formula, as indicated on the box). The new version is inoffensive but boring and feels like a washed out relative of the beautiful Neroli.

I was hoarding what I had left in my last bottle until last summer. Occasionally I would see an eBay auction of a bottle, but the prices always were way too much than anything I'd be willing to pay. Fortunately, last year when shopping in Paris I spotted the familiar boxes at Printemps. They had a clearance sale of what looked like old L'Occitane stock. Let's just say I now have a lifetime supply.

Photos of the bottle and box by me with the help of Kosh and Giselle.

L'Occitane Immortelle Cleansing Foam

While my mother is a big fan of L'Occitane's Immortelle skin care line, none of the creams has ever worked for me (this range is designated for mature skin, and I'm not quite there yet). This means I didn't have a good reason to buy their cleansing foam, other than the packaging: I picked it up months ago when I needed a travel-friendly cleanser, and the 5.1 oz pump bottle looked just about right.

I used it for the two weeks I was away in June and loved it. Then I put my travel bag away and promptly forgot about it until this week when I had to pack again. That was one happy reunion.

Everything about this foam is fabulous: the delicate scent, a light and airy texture, and most of all: performance. I find that it removes every last trace of makeup, including stubborn mascara (hello, Givenchy!), while giving my face the softest feel. There's no need for a once-over with a toner and my face doesn't scream for mercy afterwards.

I don't know about the promise for brightening: A product that you wash off quickly can't do much in that department. But I can tell you that it does my skin a world of good in the softness and smoothness department, and I love that it's the first and last stop I need for cleansing and makeup removing.

L'Occiatne Immortelle Cleansing Foam ($24) is available online and from every L'Occitane store. I bought mine at my local mall.

L'Occitane Hair Products: How I Became (Almost) Goop-Free

When normal people need to pack hair products to take on a trip, they either get those mini bottles of popular brands you find in every drugstore or they decant whatever they're using into empty 1 oz bottles you can usually buy at the same drugstore in their travel section.

These options do not work for someone whose hair is at mid-thigh length (I recently cut off a few inches), so I usually buy the smallest regular size shampoo and conditioner bottles of some decent brand like Matrix and ask myself if I'd ever be able to travel light (the answer to that is a big NO). Back in June I was facing quite a bit of travel, domestic and abroad , and upon taking inventory, realized I need to replenish my stash. I had several things to pick at the L'Occitane store, like their mini hand cream tubes and other luggage-friendly items, so I had a look at their hair care offering and realized they were a good size for me.

I chose a bottle of Aromachologie Repairing Shampoo and tube of Shea Butter Ultra Rich Conditioner. My expectations were mostly that the products wouldn't suck. I was used to applying quite a bit of hair goop according to need, so I never counted on the stuff that washes down the drain to provide my hair with much. But I was in for a very big surprise.

There's only so much I can say about any shampoo. If it's good, it cleans well without stripping the hair and the scalp. If it's bad it makes me itch. L'Occitane Aromacologie is good, effective and gentle enough, and also smells herbal and green, which always makes me happy. I dislike the synthetic fruit notes you find in most mass market hair products.

The big story here is the conditioner. The texture is thinner than I expected and my hair seemed to soak it up instantly, so much that there was very little left to rinse off. But the result was a fully hydrated mane, soft, manageable and healthy looking. I cut back drastically on the amount of leave-in conditioners and other styling products. I simply don't need much, especially on days when the weather isn't anti-hair.

Now, if it only came in family-size packaging...

L'Occitane hair products are available from their stores and online. I buy mine at my local mall.

High and Low- Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream

The best thing about being used to really good products is being able to identify and dismiss low performing lotions and potions. Today's underachiever is the over-hyped High Intensity Hand Cream from Bliss.

It's not a bad cream, but given a very dry skin and winter conditions, my finicky skin, which used to a daily pampering in Chanel's wonderful hand lotion and generous doses of L'Occitane products, is not impressed. The cream absorbs fast, provides some relief, but on bad skin days it's not enough, and it doesn't protect much from harsh environment.

My biggest issue with this cream is the scent. Synthetic and lemony, it just doesn't feel luxurious, and at $18 for 2.5 oz (compare to L'Occitane at $25 for 5.2 oz), the least it could do is make me smell good.

Image of Victorian hand beads: SaraJane's

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.

Out with the old? L'Occitane is playing with honey

According to the SA in my local L'Occitane store, the Honey Harvest line is being discontinued (though it's still sold for full price and the website doesn't mention anything about it being phased out). I can't say I'm surprised. I love the true honey fragrance of these products, but it's not exactly mainstream. It has a little funk, not unlike the infamous Miel de Bois (Serge Lutens) and layers well with it. Also, as much as I love the scent, the texture of both the body balm and the nectar leaves a lot to be desired (and the face cream made my skin break out). The foaming jelly and the bubble bath were fabulous, though.

The new honey range, Honey and Lemon, has probably a wider appeal. The website has labeled all the products as limited edition, so I'm not sure if it's here to stay or not. I'm waiting for clarification for their customer service department and will post when I get one.

In the new products the honey is cut with a light lemon scent, making it airy and fresh, though far less interesting and not sexy in the least. It's a straight up honey/lemon mix, more foody than the old honey scent, but it dries down to a very soft skin musk. If Honey Harvest was a good pairing for Miel de Bois, the new line is much more suitable to be layered under Lutens' Fleur de Citronnier.

When it comes to texture and performance, the body cream is as delightful as they promise. It's very rich, moisturizing and feels great on the skin. They claim it can also be used on the face, but there's no way I'm trying that, considering my previous experience with their face cream. Some things are just better kept under my clothes.

How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail? Curing Winter Skin

How doth the little crocodile /Lewis Carroll

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!

With colder weather (and indoor heating) comes the dreaded crocodile skin, and while we're definitely going to try and improve it, my suggestions are going to be a bit more practical than pouring the waters of the Nile on our scales.

It starts in the shower. The shower caddy and the shelves in my bathroom may resemble a small museum for fine bathing products, but when the weather gets rough nothing beats L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. The concept of cleansing with oil isn't that new (it's mostly found in face products), though it may seem odd to the uninitiated. I promise you that it works. The amazing part is that unlike any other soap or gel under the sun that all cause my skin to tighten up and cry for immediate relief, this oil is the most gentle product I know (Including baby products. I've tried many).

Don't get me wrong: I still need to thoroughly moisturize to get my legs to a fabulous state, but at least the march from the shower to the bedroom doesn't end with a skin that resembles this Chanel bag:

The oil's subtle fragrance can be described as a cross between baby oil and almond oil, but it's very mild and fades before I even finish rinsing my hair, so it never clashes with any other scented product, and thankfully doesn't have that sharp almondy smell you often find elsewhere. It's so delicate that I don't hesitate to use the entire range under Louve (the latest Serge Lutens perfume, the softest almond note imaginable). The L'Occitanes have no impact or lasting scent at all.

Like It, Like It Not

• I liked the Italian Cypress-Pear soap from Caldrea's Holiday Collection, but the Cognac-Vanilla-Limon is not my cup of tea. Cloyingly sweet and with a piña colada note, this feels anything but festive. How exactly do you scrub off a soap that turns into a scrubber?
  
• The new L'Occitane website is a huge improvment after the horrible and impossible to navigate former version. Now you can actually find the product you're looking for. Imagine that!
  
• Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses are wonderful. I love the drape, the fabric and the vintage prints. In theory, you're supposed to be able to find them at Neiman's. In real life, you'll have better luck shopping online. My local store had absolutely none in my size or in any of the prints I liked, while the website offered several.
  
• Why can't I find the perfect black handbag this season? I've given up on something that can hold my laptop. I just want something stylish, big enough for a sweater and the normal essentials and in proprtion to my petite frame. I might as well ask for the moon.
  
• I think I'm over those limited edition palettes that combine a few beautiful colors with a couple that would never work for me. Case in point: The new one from Chanel (available from Nordstrom). Both of them are gorgerous, but each has several colors I can't wear. Call me when you have a mix'n'match option. In the meantime, I just saved myself $85!
  

Pink with a Twist

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and many of our favorite companies have launched pretty pink items that we can buy and have a percentage of the sale donated to the good cause. You can have a look at offers from Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Collection (most items are already sold out), Smashbox, L'Occitane, Prescriptives Pink Ahead Collection and Crabtree & Evelyn.

Since I don't do pink makeup and I'm not in the market for a more hand cream, I really loved this offer from the Pashmina Store: 5 % of every pink item purchase will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, including the pink animal print silk-pashmina blend scarves. I'm all about zebra prints these days, so my choice was easy. It would liven up my dark coats on dreary winter days.

One of the questions I'm often asked is "What's the best brand?". Everyone wants to find that one cosmetic company you can always trust and buy blindly. However, as appealing as this idea might be, it's not that simple. From the sad but true fact that something that works for one person (be it a color or a skin care product) might be terribly wrong for another, to the even sadder one that every company that I can think of, including my most favorites, has some flops in its line.

I'm not entirely sure in which of the above categories to place L'Occiane's Honey Face Cream. I love their bath and body products. I use several of their body washes and lotions and consider their Ultra Rich Shea Butter Cream as my holy grail and the standard measure for any good body product. But my little skin care detour with a sample of this honey cream was pretty awful.

I should have guessed it's not for me when upon application the cream just floated there on my skin, not absorbing or moisturizing. The morning after breakouts were my punishment for this one night stand. I will not be messing up with my current routine any time soon.

Honey²- Gaultier²

I may be turning into a horrible niche snob when it comes to perfume, but I was still curious about the second-to last Gaultier offering, Gaultier² . It's being marketed as a unisex scent, an idea that I like very much. There are only three official notes: amber, musc and vanilla. The packaging is interesting. Other than the regular 1.3 oz bottle, you can also buy a gigantic 4 oz bottle (what is it with the supersizing? I'd so much rather have every fragrance under the sun come in tiny, 1/2 or 1/3 oz bottles. It makes so much more sense for those of us who own many scents and want to be able to use them in a timely manner, before the perfume turns bad), or a box that contains two 1.3 oz bottles and only costs $20 more than the single bottle. Definitely a great deal for two people who want to have a bottle each.

The fragrance is quite nice. What I smell, more than any of the official notes, is honey. Very much like the one in L'Occitane's Honey Harvest products, that don't include a serious perfume (their Gentle Water EdT is a joke- gone before it hits the skin). It's also reminiscent of what I consider the King of Honey: Serge Lutens' Miel De Bois.

Unlike MdB that earned a lot of hate (undeserving, in my opinion. I adore this fragrance), Gaultier² doesn't have any of the more complex (or funky) notes, which makes it easier to wear, much sweeter and, eventually, boring. However, for someone who likes honey but hated MdB, this would not be the case. The lasting power is very good, and overall, this is a pleasant scent.

You Know You Need It

This is making my hand twitch. It's not every day that one can get 20% off at Sephora, and there are several items that I've been eyeing for some time. I was considering a Lorac palette, but the gloss and all the shimmery stuff might be too pale and too much. There's also the lovely eye palettes from DuWop, and I think I need the grey one, though the green looks very appealing as well. An Urban Decay lipgloss is also on my list (I already have it in Hustle, so I'll get one in Deep).

But, the best part for me is the restocking on Philosophy bath and body stuff (why don't they make an Amazing Grace body souffle?) , and some Bliss foot creams. In my opinion, this is one of the best deals, because Bliss products are always full price everywhere you can get them. Same for L'Occitane. They don't have the full range of products, but with winter coming and drying up my skin, I need the shea butter cream. And I'm almost out of the Korres body butter (I love the guava scent that, thankfully, smells nothing like real guavas).

Happy shopping! (and don't forget to actually use the code FF2006 at checkout)

Not That Anyone Has Asked, But...

The bloggers that were featured in August's Allure were asked for their list of ten favorite products. Apparently, some of those lists were slightly altered (read this post by the Beauty Addict), but they did get to name their absolute favorites. So I've been trying to compile mine. It's not as easy it seems. I'm sort of cheating, as in certain places I picked a whole product range. But, it's my list so I make the rules...

1. Leave-in conditioners. There are several on the market and I alternate between a few. It doesn't really matter which one I use, as long as my hair gets its moisture fix. My favorites are Aveda Elixir and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch.

2. Body washes and creams from L'Occitane. I love everything that they make, in every fragrance and line. The shea butter products are wonderful in winter, mimosa is a dreamy summer scent and I also adore the Honey Harvest line. Their web site is horrible, though. You need to know exactly what you're looking for, otherwise you'll miss most of the products. So I highly recommend a trip to their nearest store.


3. Bliss Sole Train set. Everything one needs for feet (except for polish). The Diamancel Buffer is amazing (they also sell it on Drugstore.com, and their lotions and potions are wonderful. I only wish it all smelled like Rosy Toes. What's better than having your feet smell like roses?

4. Mario Badescu's seaweed night cream. I've talked about it before and can't say enough good things about this product. They sell the entire line in Nordstrom, and I also recommend taking their consultation online, because in a few weeks you will receive an envelope full of samples of products recommended for you. That's how I became a fan of their products.

5. Lancome eye liners. If I had to choose only one eye makeup product, it would have been eye liner, and if I had to narrow it to one brand it would be Lancome. The pencils and liquid in a pen are all beautiful, durable and easy to use.


6. Chanel Vitalumier foundation. I haven't succumbed to the mineral trend. I like the silky feeling of a liquid foundation and the fool-proof application. Vitalumier is semi-sheer. You get more coverage if you use more product. It blends well with my skin and has a lovely, natural finish. My color of choice is beige, and it's the best match for my skin out of the many products I've ever tried.

7. Dallas by Benefit. It's a blush and a bronzer. It gives my skin the perfect natural-looking glow and I have no idea what I used before discovering it. Well, I do know, but now I can't picture myself without it.

8. Besame Cosmetics Enchanting Lipstick in Chocolate Kiss. I've already declared it as my holy grail lip color. The more I use this reddish brown lipstick, the more I love it. It's very pigmented, the texture is perfect and the color is neutral enough to be wearable for either day or night, but still bold enough to be noticed and make a difference in my look.

9. O.P.I Start to Finish base & top coat. I've tried so many nail products. From the ubiquitous drugstore products to the top notch Lippman Collection. This is the best I've found. It's a 2-in-1 product that gives outstanding results. It makes applying polish a breeze and the manicure lasts for well over a week.

10. Perfume. My mother has taught me that you should never leave the house without putting on some perfume. I also wear it at home. It makes everything prettier and finishes off the look. I don't think that it really matters what anyone is using, as long as it's something they love and feel good wearing. I'm always looking for new ones, not as a holy grail thing, just building my fragrance wardrobe.