.:: CybeleSays ::.

KAT BURKI Tubereuse eau de parfum ($95/3.4oz @ katburki.com) – I wore this one quite a few times on my recent trip to Kauai and wow, just love the combination of peach nectar, orange, green leaves, tuberose, gardenia, jasmine all on a base of amber, rosewood and musk. Gorg!

L’OCCITANE Shower Gel in Jasmin & Bergamote ($18/5.9oz @ loccitane.com) – nothing wakes up my nose like an intoxicating shower gel. This one contains jasmine absolutes from Grasse (located in the south of France near Cannes) and Egypt and essential oils from Italy. This one is not one of those faux-scented products that overwhelms upon opening. It’s subtle and very pleasant.

LAVANILA Fresh Vanilla Lemon eau de parfum spray ($58/1.7oz @ sephora.com) – I thought this one might smell like a floor cleaner but phew, it doesn’t and the vanilla base makes it last on the skin. This also comes in a super convenient Eau de Parfum Rollerball for $19/.23oz.

Everything is coming up … springtime scents right now and here are just a few that are at the top of my list. Each highlights a floral or fruit we often associate with spring. Are any of these your favorites?

EMINENCE ORGANIC Apricot Sugar Scrub ($48/8.4oz @ eminenceorganic.com) – this one smells like the definition of Spring and it’s made of all things good for the skin like Alpha Hydroxy Acids, apricot juice and pulp and their signature Biocomplex, which is a concoction of antioxidants and vitamins.

INEKE Hothouse Flower ($95/2.5oz @ ineke.com) – If you are all about gardenia, this is a good one to investigate. Know that this is not your typical gardenia though; it’s a little complex with the mix of notes like earl grey tea, green foliage, fig, frankincense on a base of guiaiacwood and musk.

THYMES Temple Tree Jasmine Body Wash ($19/9.25oz @ thymes.com) – another one you have to have to really welcome Spring and that’s jasmine. This one puts it front and center with a mix of jasmine, honeysuckle, ylang ylang, damask rose and coconut milk.

HOUSE OF HOUBIGANT Orangers en Fleurs ($180/3.3oz eau de parfum, $600/3.3oz parfum @ neimanmarcus.com) – how could you welcome Spring and not do it with orange? This one highlights orange but really steps up the sexiness by adding Rose Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, middle notes or Tuberose, Eau de Brouts, Ylang Comores and Nutmeg on a base of Cedar Wood and Musk. Really unique! It also comes in a lotion and crème for layering.

One reason I really want a dishwasher in my house is that I like being able to sanitize my dish sponge. Did you know you could do that with the dishwasher? Just stick your sponge in an run it through a cycle and bam, and you have more use out of it.

I wish there was a way to tell that with your body scrubber. I use those fluffy poofs to wash in the shower and I put them in the washing machine to give them a thorough cleaning but I’m not sure that it helps get rid of the bacteria as much as the scalding hot dishwasher does. Don’t you wonder how long your body scrubber stays fresh? Well DAILY CONCEPTS has heard your question and given you the answer with their line of body washers. Not only are the fibers are soy based and naturally microbial, but each has a tag attached to it that will let you know when it’s time to toss it and get a new one going. Isn’t that genius?? It’s probably only a matter of time before the supermarket brands incorporate something like this in their items.

And shown here is the packaging it comes in, which contains a suction cup that you adhere to the shower wall and it holds your scrubber for as long as you own it. More genius!

So how long do these last? Well, I've used the Your Body Scrubber about 10 times now and the tag print still seems vibrant but I think the price is worth the investment.

Your Body Scrubber ($10), Your Dual Texture Scrubber ($12), Your Stretch Wash Cloth ($14) and Your Exfoliating Gloves ($16) @ dailyconcepts.com.

It’s officially bath season and I wanted to start it off with a bang so I poured in some of LAURA MERCIER’s new Ambre Vanillé Honey Bath in the last few I've taken. I simply adore honey and vanilla so the two combined in a sweet bath elixir is heaven.

This one foams up a bit and also softens skin with Shea Butter, sweet almond and oat proteins, and pro-vitamin B-5, so the skin will surely benefit. And the scent of this one is laid out like a perfume with layers:

• Top Notes: Tangerine, Coconut, Almond
• Middle Notes: Tiger Orchid, Milk Flower, Heliotrope
• Base Notes: Amber, Vanilla Beans, Brown Sugar, Sandalwood

Have you ever used a honey dipper with a bath product before? This one comes with it, so let the baths begin! $40/12oz @ sephora.com.

And also be sure to check out this scent in the Scrub and Soufflé Body Crème versions.

The KIEHL’S brand just came out with 4 collections of Aromatic Blends, which were created to represent the company’s apothecary heritage of inspiring fragrance blends.

Each collection’s scent pairing is meant to represent an inspiring place in the world:

• Orange Flower & Lychee: a dessert oasis in Morocco
• Vanilla & Sandalwood: the dense jungle of Uganda
• Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit: the tranquil gardens of Japan
• Fig Leaf & Sage: the lush countryside of Provence, France

In true Kiehl’s fashion, they pay attention to what they use and don’t use in their products. Each contains 30% less ingredients found in traditional fragrances, using instead higher proportions of each key ingredient. So when you smell these, they don’t really hit you in the nose with the scent, which I kind of like. Subtly is sexy too.

Fragrance $75/3.4oz, Body Lotion $26/8.4oz, Body Cleanser $24/8.4oz @ kiehls.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

What is Target good for? Just about everything now that most carry an almost fully stocked supermarket inside. If you look to them for beauty then you’ll want to investigate their latest offers, a TARGET Scent Bar. In yet another collaboration, this one is the brainchild of the Los Angeles guru fragrance boutique by the same name.

And these are not your everyday boring, cheap or brash scents. There are four fragrance collections: Blush (notes of sugared peony, cassis and pink champagne), Cabana (notes of coconut, Tahitian vanilla and papaya), Forbidden (notes of ruby pomegranate, blackberry and amber) and Sunswept (notes of Sicilian orange, sheer lemon and bergamot).

And you can choose from Body Lotions, Body Wash, Body Mist and Body Butter and with the prices starting at $8.99, you can afford to pick up a few and layer the scents on to make them last. Available at Target stores nationwide or target.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

I had the strangest beauty run-in last weekend – I was at a friend’s pool party opening for the summer recently and I met a girl who is really into shower gels (let’s call her BodyWash Girl). Yes, body washes, shower gels, bain douche, etc. Apparently she keeps about 10 of them going in her shower at a time and picks whichever she’s in the mood for at that time – floral, mint, fruit and even a men’s one, if she feels the need to tap into her masculine side.

I have been trying PATYKA’s Body Wash in White Grape, so of course her eyes darted at me when I piped this info into the four-way conversation. She’d never heard of the line before so I told her what I know about it – the products are ECOCERT certified and this specific product derives 99.35% of its ingredients from a natural origin). And having a big mouth sometimes, I even, believe it or not, offered to put some into a travel bottle so she could try it. I know, I know, but if you truly live for beauty, I’m sure you’ve done this too. But now it’s been 8 days and I have not heard from the host yet so maybe BodyWash Girl forgot. $45/8.4oz @ spiritbeautylounge.com.

And doesn’t White Grape just sound so lush and yummy right now?

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

Do you prefer a liquid body soap or bar soap? I oscillate between the two throughout the week with no real favorite rearing its head. Here are four new ones that just came out that are in full rotation in my shower.

BODYCOLOGY Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Enchanted Forest ($4.99/16oz @ bodycology.com for locations) – using real honey and aloe vera, this one smells of jasmine (my favorite) and nutmeg on a base of musk and just really clean smelling.

THYMES Triple-Milled Soap in Bergamot Vert ($13/7oz @ thymes.com) – this one is a dash of floral, a dash of woody and two dashes of citrus. Yes, it’s officially fall but this one seems to delight all year round.

SOAP & PAPER FACTORY Handmade Shea Butter Soap in Close ($8/4oz only @ Anthropologie stores nationwide) – now you and your man can enjoy the same soap as this one is a tad masculine – sandalwood, cedar and a hint of citrus.

BATH & BODY WORKS Shower Gel in Paris Amour ($10.50/10oz @ bathandbodyworks.com) - this scent collection just came out and it’s surprisingly nice this time of year – French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

These are really helping me enjoy summer this year! Have you made any adjustments due to the heat and humidity? Give these ones some consideration.

ELIZABETH ARDEN Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor in Sunkissed Coral ($28 @ elizabetharden.com) – If this one could talk, it would say, "I am the color of the decade!" Coral again is a big summer color and it's so gorg on the skin and really enhances a nice tan.

ORLANE Super-Moisturizing Tinted Cream ($75/1.7oz @ neimanmarcus.com) – it’s way too hot to put on a full mask of foundation so why not use a two-fer like this? It combines a deeply moisturizing face cream with a slight tint. Available in 3 shades.

NYX COSMETICS Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Sky Blue and Extreme Green ($4.50 @ nyxcosmetics.com) – colored liquid liners are hot these days and these do like the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney duo and “Stay, Stay, Stay.” (I know it’s Say, Say, Say but Stay works better for this piece!).

LUSH 'Dirty' Springwash Shower Gel ($9.95/3.3oz, $17.95/8.8oz, $26.95/16.9oz @ lushusa.com) – I really wasn’t feeling their Dirty collection of products but this shower gel seems like a lighter version of the rest, according to my nose and it has a hint of spearmint oil in it.

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer ($17 @ smashbox.com) – who wants their makeup to slide after applying? Summertime is great for this one as it gives a nice sheen, whilst helping makeup stay, stay, stay! And this one has some good-for-skin ingredients like grape seed extract and vitamins A, C and E.

VICTORIA’S SECRET Sheer Love Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream from the VS Fantasies Collection ($12/6.7oz @ victoriassecret.com) – a scented cream is the perfect way to kiss the skin with fragrance without overdoing it. This one is a mix of fresh white cotton and luminous pink lily and contains avocado, zsweet almond oil and my favorite ingredient, honey.

The Victoria's Secret item contains mineral oil, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. The Lush product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more about these and other ingredients here.

Read my ingredient disclaimer here.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

LAVANILA just came out with a 2-in-1 called The Healthy Body Wash 2-In-1 Shower & Shave. And while the price tag of $15/8oz may seem a tad steep, think about the price of a body wash that you use and shaving cream and you are cutting down on the amount of waste by using a 2-in-1. Before I tried this one, I took one of my regular body washes I had in the shower and applied some under my arms to wash and then took a razor to see if this was just a gimmick and you know, it’s not. The body wash I used didn’t seem to give me the razor the same glide. Should I have tried another body wash? Ok, let’s not get crazy!

And like all other Lavanila products, this one is made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes and other nasties we should all try to avoid in our products.

And this one comes in all their scents, Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Lavender and Vanilla Passion Fruit. Pick up yours @ sephora.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.