Lush Honey Beehave Dusting Powder

We're entering body powder season and even my dry skin needs some anti-sweating help on occasion. And it better also smell nice. I actually bought Lush Honey Beehave Dusting Powder last summer, so I have no idea why it took me so long reviewing it, especially since it looks like I'll have to buy a backup before this summer is over.

Two things attracted me to this specific Lush product. First, Lush Silky Underwear body powder has been a constant in my arsenal for years (long before I started blogging). It's a brilliant powder because it's based on cocoa butter (don't ask me how), and while the powder is devoid of grease and stickiness it's also moisturizing and nourishing. Then there was the honey scent. I love the smell of honey in any shape and form, so I had to try Honey Beehave.

Now, Lush Honey Beehave Dusting Powder is a very different product than Silky Underwear. It can't be used in the same way and I completely avoid it during the winter. Honey Beehave is a traditional body powder based on sodium bicarbonate (that's baking soda to you and me) and kaolin. This means Honey  Beehave is an absorbent- it dries the skin and calms it. Important if one is prone to heat rashes and the like, but not a good idea on croc skin days. I use the powder on hot, humid and sweaty days or when I'm wearing a dress that has a built-in synthetic slip, as I can be sensitive to such fabrics and the kaolin is a great help.

The scent is more honey-soap than pure honey, so don't worry about getting the Miel de Bois treatment. It's surprisingly clean, very pleasant and doesn't linger or clash with my perfume.

Bottom Line: I'd be thrilled to have a Honey Beehave scented version of Silky Underwear

Lush Honey Beehave Dusting Powder ($11.95, 3.5 oz) is available from Lush stores and thankfully also online, so one can skip the stinky boutique.

Photo: Rafi Ben-Aharon via http://shredsomething.files.wordpress.com

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter looks, feels and smells like a sinful indulgence. It might be made of soy milk and honey, but the scent is all yellow cake with thick frosting. The whipped texture and the sweet smell are so dessert-like one hesitates a little before slathering it on parched limbs. Sometimes I enjoy the scent and its cakiness, but it can get a bit too much, especially if all I want is a skin treatment that wouldn't clash with my perfume.

I find that the cream absorbs faster on my arms than on my legs, which can be annoying when in a hurry to get dressed and quickly pull on a pair of opaque black tights, the ubiquitous accessory of the season. Still, this Kiehl's body butter provides hour of relief from dryness, and coat the skin in a thin protective layer. I've noticed that once the layer wears off, there's no long-term improvement in the skin's condition, and that's quite disappointing. Then again, my skin is much more dry than anything normal people experience, so my expectations might be too high. After all, this is a decent body moisturizer, especially if you don't mind smelling like vanilla frosting.

Bottom Line: I prefer L'Occitane or Crabtree & Evelyn.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter ($35, 8oz) is available from most decent department stores and kiehls.com.

Photo: elanaspantry.com

Crabtree & Evelyn Citron Body Collection

About ten years ago I had a serious Crabtree & Evelyn habit. One of my favorite lines was their original Citron, a sparkling tangy grapefruit, mandarin and lemon blend that could perk up even the slothiest anti-morning person. When it was discontinued I stocked up as much as I could and kept buying the shower gel on eBay until the prices sky-rocketed. Obviously, I wasn't the only fan.

Crabtree & Evelyn have been slowly rebuilding the brand and emerging from their too long-rut. The first thing I wanted to know about their new Citron range of products was if it was anything like the original. Well, it isn't. The 2011 Citron is decidedly warmer than the sharp and crisp version of yore. This is a completely new scent with notes of citron lemon, lemon rind and lemon leaf, sweet honey,  juniper, cypress and peppery coriander seed. It's more lemony but less tangy, if that makes any sense, and the dry-down of all the products I've tried was a warm woody musk. None had a very strong projection or longevity, making them ideal for morning bathing before applying the real scent of the day.

The three Citron products I've tested are the bar of soap ($10), Body Scrub ($22) and Body Soufflé. The quality made me very (very!) happy- excellent texture, kind to my winter-dry skin and very smooth. It really felt like the good ol' days of Crabtree & Evelyn, which is really about time. A couple of years ago I was shocked to see how bad were some of the body washes, they didn't look, smell or feel like  C&E products. But that seems to be over now and if these new line is any indication I might be willing to go back to some older favorites.

Normally I'm much more of a shower gel person, but the Citron bar of soap is really good. It doesn't dry my skin at all and the combination of scent and texture takes me back to some glycerin soaps from my childhood (my mother probably remembers the mandarin and apple ones). The body scrub is very creamy, with bigger but fewer grains than I expected. The performance was good, but I would have preferred smaller and rounders particles. It's a comfort zone thing.

 I love the body soufflé. I can't have enough good body creams and Citron is definitely one I enjoy. It's rich, melts into my skin and gives me hours of relief from dryness and a smooth feeling that lingers all day, even if the scent doesn't.

I know some of you are curious about comparing the scent of this C&E line to the discontinued Honey & Lemon by L'Occitane. They're not even close. The L'Occitane was very musky to my nose and had a lot more honey. I always used their body cream when wearing Serge Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier. The new Crabtree & Evelyn is more zesty than floral and not very sweet.

Crabtree & Evelyn Citron Body Collection is available online (crabtree-evelyn.com) and from their stores at your local mall. The products I reviewed here were sent for my consideration by the company.

Art: Italian Citrus by Giovanni Ciuccio

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand And Nail Cream

It's no secret that I'm a hand care zealot and quite picky about the products I use on my paws. Many a face serum sample get delegated to hand duty, especially if I don't have enough of it for weeks of testing on my face (seriously, what am I supposed to do with a single use packet?); I usually choose hand creams with strong anti-aging property. Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand And Nail Cream might not be quite in that category, but it's an excellent moisturizer that gives both my hands and nails a boost in the way they feel and look.

The ingredient list is full of natural oils and extracts (but also contains castor oil and dimethicone, so take note if you have issues with either). I'm especially in favor of the high dosage of sweet almond oil and avocado oil- both have always been good for my hands. I use the cream daily and apply extra when doing my nails- the cream absorbs on touch and doesn't leave any greasy residue, so my laptop is almost as thankful as me and my cuticles.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand And Nail Cream also smells very luxurious, like a good floral perfume. The scent remains there for a while and contributes to the pampered feeling I get from the cream.

Bottom Line: It's quickly become a staple.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand And Nail Cream ($19, 75ml) is available from various online and offline retailers including beauty.com. A press sample was sent by the company for my consideration.

Photo by Stephen K. Willi