In the Drink: Pour yourself a deliciously decadent bath
Not even during the most painful all-nighter did we ever dream of bathing in stinky, murky coffee. But it turns out that the coffee plant actually has a fragrant flower, with many attributes far better than the obvious caffeine jolt. Extracts of the blossom act as antioxidants in BodyCoffee Body Wash ($19), available at www.bodycoffee.com. It smells better than any cup of joe ever did, and the added olive and coconut oils make the gel delightfully creamy. Try it and you'll be left with deliciously scented and touchable skin that might help keep you up for an all-nighter of another kind.
The bath-and-body market is awash in enough chocolate-scented products to give you a stomachache. The hot cocoa-inspired bath products from Laura Mercier, however, rise above the sickly sweet masses. Chocolate Truffle Honey Bath ($40) is a fancy cream infused with the scent of Frangelico, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey as ingredients. It even comes with a cute little wooden dipper to help you fill your bath. (Not your mouth, despite how good it smells.) Saks Fifth Avenue (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.8500) carries the Laura Mercier line.
Along with many other urbanites, we swapped out our java for green tea long ago. Saying goodbye to coffee breath was enough of an incentive, but the promise of lower cholesterol, a faster metabolism, and a reduced risk of cancer had us gulping down the stuff. Now, Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea Bath and Shower Gel ($12) makes us look as good as its inspiration makes us feel. The gentle soap-free cleanser foams lightly and exudes a fresh scent. It won't lower your cholesterol, but the gel does leave you with silky-smooth skin. It's available at Macy's (450 Washington Street, Boston, 617.357.3000) and other department stores.
Cupping our cold palms around an aromatic chai is automatic transport to another place: one that's warmer, more interesting, and definitely more mellow. Philip B's Chai Latte Soul & Body Wash ($39) promises the same out-of-body experience in a bottle. The scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and black pepper calm the mind, while honey, milk proteins, and black tea tighten, tone, and clean the body. Find your beauty nirvana at Barneys New York (Copley Place, 100 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.385.3366).
A hot bath is one of our favorite gifts to give ourselves. Now, a new product at the Body Shop (various locations) makes our pampering a little less self-indulgent (but still decadent, of course). Vanilla Spice Bath Melt ($18.50) contains honey to sweeten its milky scent and help moisturize the skin. No laboratory concoction, the honey comes from beekeepers living in the tropical rainforests of northwest Zambia, and buying the product helps preserve traditional customs and support community trade. Sweet. @
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