Loading ...Holiday scents here and abroad
By Kinny Salas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
IN US malls, I automatically looked for the cosmetic items and body care products not available in the Philippines.
My first stop was Bath & Body Works where I hoarded the limited-edition Christmas special Vanilla Bean Noel line, which was a very-foody vanilla even more potent than L’Occitane’s now-discontinued Vanilla Eau de Toilette.
I also liked the Twisted Peppermint, which smells like Candy Canes: a peppermint scent with a slight vanilla mix.
The clean laundry-inspired Cotton Blossom (CB) line has been discontinued and replaced with Sea Island Cotton (SIC). So those of you who love the former may hoard the few B&BW CB stocks you find at PX stores nationwide. SIC is similar to CB but has a stronger detergent and less green notes.
Local equivalents
Working within a rather tight Christmas shopping budget and wanting something Philippine-made to help our industry?
The closest local brands I can think of that come close to B&BW are Island Life for the foody vanilla or creamy scents. Aside from its vanilla line, you may try out its Rice Bran body line, which has skin-whitening properties. It smells like milky rice pudding.
Also try the Coffee Body line which really smells like freshly brewed coffee and has fat burning properties.
Island Life’s closest thing to a clean scent is its Bamboo line, which can be used all year round. It’s a fresh uncomplicated scent.
Check out www.islandlifestore.com. Order online or from their kiosks at Market! Market! and Glorietta.
Dessert scents
If you want more varied dessert scents, check out Zen Zest outlets as it has recently come out with its Sparkling Sugar collection consisting of four variants.
Key Lime Pie is based on a famous Florida dessert: It combines tart green key limes with the comforting aroma of rich cream.
Watermelon Sorbet is sun-ripened watermelons combined with sugar and sprinkles of lemon juice.
Vanilla Ice Cream smells more like Panna Cotta (cream custard) as it combines vanilla beans with honey.
Cherry Cheesecake is tart cherries mixed with vanilla and honey.
Those with a more grown-up taste may prefer the Cocktail collection, in which my personal favorites are the Malibu and Margarita for women and the Mojito for men. They have very strong fresh citrus notes.
Check out www.zenzestasia.com.
Another Filipino brand
Just in time for the holidays, Brook & Ivy, another quality Filipino brand, has launched two skin scents: Succulent Apple, which is like the smell of a juicy and crunchy green apple; and Spiced Orange, which combines oranges with cinnamon.
Brook & Ivy isn’t quite as strong as Woods of Windsor’s Orange Spice with cinnamon, but it is enough to wake you up.
Among the classic lines, Vanilla Vine is the best seller as it is a match for imported brands and has been said to be a milder version of Laura Mercier’s. Sadly, Vanilla Vine has no skin scent—it only has shower gel, lotion and body scrubs.
An alternative warm scent for those who don’t like to smell like pastry is the Ginger Patch, which is a milder version of Origins’ Ginger Essence. Ginger Patch has a skin scent available.
You may order via www.brookandivy.com. Check out kiosks at Metro Manila.
E-mail kinnysalas@yahoo.com.
Tags: christmas, fashion, lifestyle & leisure
