Frosting- Aquolina Chocolovers

My collection of favorite fragrances includes a few perfumes that are on the gourmand side of things. I love Mazzolari Lei, with its cocoa note, Lea Extreme's vanilla drydown and the rosewater dessert-like aspect of Le Maroc. But none of these really smells like food, and that's how I like it to be. I'm not a cake, therefore no need to feel frosted.

Aquolina Chocolovers Souffle body cream is overwhelmingly foody. It smells so edible that I'd strongly suggest to keep it out of children's reach, because otherwise they'd be tempted to stick their fingers into this tub and lick. Some adults might also feel the urge.

I was expecting to smell chocolate, but the first whiff was all about citrus. Sweet lemon and sweet orange, very candied. The chocolate came next, but was more subtle, like milk chocolate. I'm not sure that it's really satisfying for dark chocolate lovers, and the whole thing smelled more like store-bought frosting than as a rich chocolate souffle.

The drydown is musky, very similar to Lea's. I even tried layering them, and it worked reasonably well. It's just what comes before the musk that I find disturbing and too sugary.

The cream's quality exceeded my expectations. It's moisturizing and feels very pleasant on the skin. No greasiness, while doing a fairly good job providing comfort to dry winter skin.

Shielding Season

The latest development in the fight against dry skin seems to be shielding lotions. It makes sense, since they are not marketed as a feminine luxury item, have no scent to speak of and are something that everyone who suffers from dry winter skin can keep at their desk and use as needed. The bottles are anything but girly and cutesy, very much like Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula hand cream, that men and women are equally happy to use.

The first lotion of this kind I have tried, SkinMD Natural, has earned my love and devotion and even made its way into my list of favorite products for 2006. It was that good. I keep my bottle close and enjoy the relief it brings to my hands and non-stickiness. I use it on any body part that seems to need it and in emergency it even goes on my face.

The latest shielding lotions I tried, Gloves in a Bottle, is different that SMDN, and while a reasonably okay product, it's nowhere near as good. I only tested it on my hands, the part that gets dry more frequently and that I don't slather with body butters as much as I do the rest of my body, because of the stickiness factor. My cats can live without becoming greasy, and so can my keyboard.

While SMDN gives my hand a feeling of being well moisturized and I can feel the calming effect instantly, GiaB did soften the back of my hands but gave me a tight, dry feel in my palms. Clearly not what I was after. It does have the shielding effect, and kept my hands from becoming drier while out in the cold, but it didn't add anything to a skin that already felt dry. My guess would be that it would work well for someone who needs only the protection part of the shield, since it does form a nice barrier from the environment, but if you're looking for some serious healing action, this isn't the right product.

A look at the list of ingredients shows just how different this is from SMDN. My guess is that more than all the plant extracts that aren't used in GiaB, what makes SMDN so great is the aloe vera gel. The stuff heals, hydrates and gives skin a serious boost. While Gloves in A Bottle may be an effective protection against the elements, my already dry skin needs more than that to be happy.

Shield

Apparently, I'm not the only one who has declared war on ugly winter skin. There are many new and newer products on the market right now, all competing for our attention.

The lotion I received recently is quite different than the body butters and creams I've been using religiously. Skin MD Natural is described as a "Shielding Lotion". The way it works is by bonding with the outer layer of the skin to keep irritants out and moisture in.

There are several ingredients used in many common products that are supposed to work as a barrier that lock moisture in, like mineral oil and petroleum gel. We all know the greasy and sticky effects of using a cream like that. Then there are the nicer products that use butters: shea or cocoa. They nourish the skin and leave it feeling "buttered", which is quite nice.

Skin MD Natural has a surprising texture- it's light and looks like a thin lotion. As such, it doesn't leave any residue on the skin. I didn't expect much with a product of this texture, but was nicely surprised. It absorbs the very second it's applied, as expected, but the softening effect is there when you touch your skin, and any dry feeling is gone.

It is labeled for use on hands, body and face. I'm way too careful about anything that goes on my face and intended to keep it for hand and body. The bottle has been residing on my desk for a couple of weeks now, and has become my favorite hand cream. But a few nights ago, after too many hours of central heating, I decided to try, and definitely liked the way it felt. It's different, for sure. I don't think it can or should replace an established skin care regimen that is proven to be working, but it can be an additional first-aid kind of thing. It keeps my skin hydrated when going out on a cold day, and it relieves and moisturizes when the heating is slowly baking it.

The list of ingredients is pretty impressive and includes a high content of aloe vera, among other herbal extracts. Their website also offers thorough explanation of how exactly this lotion works, as well as testimonials and success stories. I can't tell you if this is indeed the miracle product that it claims to be, since I've already managed to whip my skin into a very good shape. But, it's a good one, very effective, easy and pleasant to use. You need a very small amount for each use, so the 4 oz. bottle lasts for a long time, it doesn't contain fragrance, yet smells pleasant with a somewhat nutty aroma. As far as I'm concerned, it has earned its place on my desk, and I don't want to be without it.