Food or Flowers? (ft L'Occitane x Pierre Herme Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli and Grapefruit-Rhubarbe Collection)*

*Press Samples

The CBB recently worked on a campaign with a perfume brand where individuals got to choose scents in the line and I was overwhelmed with the number of individuals who chose food related scents. Well, the latest collaboration from L'Occitane with Pierre Hermé (of macaron and pastry making fame), gives you an option for both food and florals. Which would you choose?

Sight and Honey*

Another charity campaign that's going on this month is L'Occitane's Shea Honey Collection for World Sight Day (which was on Oct 6th). I've previously explained my discovery of L'Occitane's support for people with visual impairments; this was a natural campaign for them to launch. Proceeds from this collection help the 17,000 women they employ in Burkina Faso who produce the Shea Butter that goes into L'Occitane's products. Purchase of certain items also help fund glasses for individuals in Burkina Faso.

The Jury on Aromatherapy

*Press Sample

Have I already mentioned that I've been a little bit more stressed than usual lately? Sometimes I dislike stating that I'm 'stressed' because that word comes so easily and I fear misuse or overuse of it. Regardless, lately I've been a little more tense than usual with the moving and the purging and the job hunting etc that I've attempting different methods of relaxation. Add that onto the need to purge some of my bath products and that has meant a bit more baths than normal in the ABZ household.

Drowning in your Morning Shower and Citrus Shampoos

For the longest time I have been, solidly, consistently and religiously, a 'night-showerer'. There is nothing more near-godly than taking a shower after a long day's work or a long night's outings (fewer and farther between for these old bones). No further proof of the superiority of night showering was needed after I tried, one day and only out of necessity, to take a shower in the morning. 

Catching Up to the Competition - Western Cleansing Oils

I have to give it up to my Asian homies because skincare is their game. Honestly, the Asian market is so much more into perfecting skin as compared to the West that I almost blindly trusted their skincare items, especially cleansing oils.  You gotta pick the guys that have been doing it the longest you know? That's expertise. That's experience. That's the difference between straight years of championships and the up-and-comers who don't have a chance. But I also have to say that the Western market is finally catching up and there are two cleansing oil options that are pretty worthy of my Canadian dollars.

L'Occitane and their Labels

There's something very unique about L'Occitane's packaging. You may not have noticed but the majority of their products, prettily packaged, expertly labelled, also has Braille.  While I was playing around with some my deliveries, I noticed bumps on a body milk. It didn't quite register but when I started noticing other bumps I realized what it was and was impressed by my discovering. I don't know of any other beauty/skincare brand that makes this attempt at accessibility.

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora*

*Press Sample

L'Occitane's Pivoine Flora Eau de Toilette* ($55CDN, 75ml) has been a nice break from trying to smell like a man.  After a few mistrials where I've ended up a bit too Eau de Manly-Man and another mishap where I started to attract female ant swarms, Pivoine Flora's green floral scent was a good reset before I continued on my journey for something deeper.

L'Occitane Almande

*Press Sample

Really fancy things intrigue me. I want to know how it is that something got so fancy and I want to be fancy too. I want to be that girl that can throw the dollar bills in the high end boutiques while sales people fall over ingratiating themselves to me. Let me roll up in my Benz at the Chanel, like its a drive-thru. But let's get real here, I'm more than a couple million shy of being able to do this, and if I want it to rain money, I might be able to rain down a couple of five cent coins...but let me dig into my couch to find some first.