Pretty in Pink Packaging
Before I write the rest of this article, I’d like to make a few disclaimers :
1. I detest pink. The only place it is welcome or appropriate in my life is on top of Gala Darling’s head.
2. None of the products about to be mentioned can be described as “haute”, “macabre”, or even “slightly spooky”.
That being said, I’ll get right down to it. I like to smell nice. I’d bet a shiny nickel you like to smell nice, too. Even though I don’t like pink, I truly am a girly girl at heart, and stock pile bath products like Howard Hughes and his Kleenex boxes.
Soap & Glory is my favorite brand, by far. It smells fabulous, has clever little slogans and puns on its packaging (despite its pastel palette), and is very reasonably priced (topping off at about $16.99). Here in the States, it’s available at Target, but I believe is more widely distributed in the U.K. and in Canada. There’s also the magic supermart Amazon for it, as well.
My usual routine involves the Clean on Me Body Wash, Flake Away Body Scrub, The Righteous Butter moisturizer, and once or twice a week I use the Sugar Crush Body Scrub. I compulsively buy most of their products, but those four have turned out to be my favorites.
I’m also a huge fan of Bed Head’s Brunette Goddess shampoo & conditioner. It makes my head smell like cake, and we all like cake. Recently, I started wearing Pink Sugar eau de toilette spray, which has a mix of vanilla and caramel scents, but I’m still looking around for my perfect perfume. I’m going to try the Chocolovers spray next.
What do you guys use to keep from stinking like a hobo?
May 1st, 2009 at 7:36 AM
In general I use Bath & Body Works Moonlight path, but when I feel like getting luxurious I go for Slinky Minks products (sold through Dark Candles).
May 1st, 2009 at 8:12 AM
To keep non stinkage to a minimum, my favourite products are Arcana Soaps (esp. their “Compline” scent: “A favorite of monks everywhere, Compline is the gentle essence of the last prayer of the night. Restful lavender, sweet clove, vanilla, mallow, and hypnotic mugwort. Made with organic cream, organic milk, sweet almond & peace silk.”, and right now my perfume preference is rotating around Creed Angelique Encens and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Melainis…
May 1st, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Did you know that if you use the same scent over and over your body actually can start to absorb the smell and mimic it? At least that is what both my high school Biology and Chemistry teachers told me.
With that said, I don’t use scented lotions. I have pretty sensitive skin (when I was in the hospital they took blood from me once and I was bruised for a month–no joke– and the constant blood pressure monitoring left me with red streaks on my arms. The nurses asked who was beating me…) so I can’t tolerate scents. I broke out in hives once when I used Caress.
I do like to use moisturizers with jojoba oil in it because it is really great at moisturizing. I also make my own sugar body scrub from brown sugar at home. They work just as well as the stuff you buy from a specialty store.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:31 AM
I use Benefit’s body so fine balm from the Bathina line. Its essence is soft and feminine and is perfect when you want your gams and decolletage to have that alluring dewy look. It has the benefit (excuse the pun) of not being overwhelming for daytime which is excellent because I don’t want to overwhelm my co-workers with my personal fragrance choices. For nighttime drama , or whenever I feel very confident, my choice is Givenchy’s Ange ou Demon eau de parfum which has the scent of coconut orchid and rosewood. I preferThe original “demon” version, not the tendre “ange” version. If I use it in the daytime, then I simply spray it on the inside of my heels.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Is it wrong that I actively steer clear of any perfume that is pink or contains a reference to pink? I don’t give it a chance.
I really don’t like sweet smells on myself and so go for the fresh and clean smells. I think that men have even more beautiful scents, which is appropriate that I am drawn to them, but means that people look at me very strangely when I am wearing such things.
I’d love to hear what everyone else uses!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:39 AM
I really like the stuff sold at http://www.cbihateperfume.com/perfume.html
My favorite so far is ‘In the Library’ for a subtle version of that ‘old book’ smell, but my boyfriend got their ‘Burning Leaves’ and that one is nice, too.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:10 AM
My ex roommate had a bad habit of bringing home drunk and sleazy girls, and one night he brought home this absolutely wasted but kinda cute Asian girl. She disappeared into my bathroom for a while to puke and ended up leaving not too long after. I went in a little while later to take a shower and discovered that she had stolen my Clean On Me bodywash…. My favorite bodywash. My roommate didn’t know her name or have her number, so justice was never served.
That is my Clean on Me story.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:57 AM
I use Neutrogena’s sesame body oil, and I get compliments on how I smell almost every single day! It’s light and great for every day use, but when I go out I rub on a little amber resin, or MAC’s Nirvana perfume oil, and the scents mix perfectly with each other and with my body chemistry. (Obviously I tend toward the spicy/musky end of the spectrum.)
May 1st, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I have always wanted to try the Soap & Glory products so thank you for the endorsement! I just want to eat their brown sugar body scrub.
I have this (fiscally unsound) compulsion to buy things in pretty bottles and am a complete and utter sucker for a well-designed package. As a result, I have to either avoid the cosmetics aisles and stores altogether or keep my head bowed low until I reach the section that has precisely what I’m looking for without looking up for anything, even screaming women. Otherwise, I’ll be caught for hours sniffing and testing everything, until I come out looking like Mimi Bobeck and smelling like I was mugged by a deranged fragranceur.
Anyway, I douse myself in L’Occitane’s Green Tea with Mint Eau de Toilette daily and, for special occasions, wear their Ruban d’Orange. The best is around the holidays when they have all the small sizes of perfumes and gift packages of everything they stock in enormously expensive bottles the rest of the year. I just go in and pretend I’m shopping for all of my imaginary friends.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:57 PM
My favorite scents are Lou Lou and White Musk body oil, worn together or separately. My signature scents for well over 15 years now.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:25 PM
I like Demeter Fragrance Library in Funeral Home (even if all my friends make fun of me for it). I also really liked the Blue Q Queen hand and body cream, but I think that’s discontinued.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:03 PM
@Beth – ME TOO! It wasn’t until a girl I know was giving me a lift somewhere and she smelled divine that I finally caved and spent my pennies on pink. So worth it!
@Kate – that is a sad and terrible story.
@dara – I think Nixon wears that, I know I’ve seen it in her bathroom before. I can’t remember what scent it had, but I’ve always been tempted to buy it.
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 PM
I generally stick with maybe one or two regular perfumes until I run out. My favorites have been Anna Sui’s original scent, Stella by Stella McCartney, and the one I’ve gotten most compliments on, Dior’s Midnight Poison. I’ll accent that with either grapefruit or brazil nut body butter, depending on my mood and/or the season. I usually go with a light moisturizing body wash.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:41 PM
I had similar perfume indecision until I got assaulted by a nice man in Barneys who for once showed me something welcome, that being the Serge Lutens perfume range. They’re on the pricey side but last forever and have a vast array of really interesting smells. My faves are Arabie (really spicy, musky and intense – definitely a hot evening scent), Chypre Rouge (which I get comments on every time I wear) and Douce Amere (which is citrusy, sweet but not sickly). As with all french perfume, use sparingly and let it settle for about 10 mins because it smells horrible to start with!
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:05 PM
all of my fave smell-delicious companies were already mentioned: arcana, demeter, black phoenix alchemy lab and cbihateperfume! current scent that keeps me sniffing myself is bpal’s kill-devil.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:27 AM
*is late to the smelling-good party*
Mine would be BPAL, Haunt, Arcana and Bath & Body Works’ Japanese Cherry Blossom and Velvet Tuberose. I love slathering myself in BPAL though so that’s my first true smellie love.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:06 AM
For scents I use perfume from Hové Parfums in New Orleans called Bayou D’Amour. It’s a mix of rose and vetiver and something else that makes you feel like you’re floating on water when you first put it on..good one to wear to Tango classes
It’s full tilt seductive.
I also recently bought a scent from etsy seller,Wiggleperfume, called Black#1, that’s a mix of blackberry, narcissus, violet, patchouly, and clove. This is the one to wear when you think he needs to go home smelling like you..for whatever reason
Then, there’s always Dragon’sBlood oil which you can buy in most botanicas, or occult supply stores that sell herbs. It’s has a heady, woodsy sweet scent that lasts< very good for serious endeavors.