.:: CybeleSays ::.

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.

For some reason I am more into the beach this year. I mean, I’ve been about 3 times in the past month and that’s three times more than 2010 total! So of course I have to get all stylish. I bought a good fitting top here, a swimskirt bottom here, a beach cover up here and a really cool sunhat here. For those who actually go swimming in the ocean or the pool, don’t forget to think about your strands and keeping them sane this summer. Thankfully there is now a line of products just for you beach junkies! It’s called TONIC and was created for surfers and beach bunnies that love the water but also love their hair. It conquers sun, saltwater and is quite overall quite earth-friendly.

Product line is 4 skus and includes:

The Chronic Shampoo and The Chronic Conditioner – a daily use duo infused plant-based ingredients into the formulas and is both paraben-free and sulfate-free. $14/8oz each.
Threesome Tonic – a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash in one that's also sulfate and paraben-free. This one contains vitamin B5. $12/8oz.
Luster Tonic – a leave-in conditioner that includes aloe vera and grapeseed oil in the formula. $14/8oz.

All @ tonicshop.com.

You’ve got to admit, bureau space or bathroom sink space is very precious and you really have think out what products you are going to display on it. BATH & BODY WORKS feels your pain so they came out with these Scent Stackers. These are 3oz versions of their lotions, shower gel and fragrance mists that stack on top of one another.

There are only a few scents available right now – Country Chic, Moonlight Path, Sweet Pea, Japanese Cherry, Twilight Woods and my favorite White Citrus. $5 each @ bathandbodyworks.com.

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

We’ve all heard of beauty products that can make you more attracted to the opposite sex and the latest brand to harness it is VICTORIA’S SECRET. Each product in the Attractions collection contains their exclusive EverTempt fragrance cocktail, which is a special blend of notes they claim that creates an almost pheromone-like allure. Each comes in a Fragrance Mist ($20/8.4oz), Nourishing Body Lotion ($18/9.6oz), Indulgent Body Cream ($20/6.7oz) and a Daily Body Wash ($18/10.1oz).

Wild One – midnight raspberry and sexy lily.
Sweet Craving – warm and tempting praline.
Glam Goddess – naked musk and sensual freesia.
Love Bitten – forbidden apple and sultry woods.

So do they work? Well, I can’t tell but I know that evertime I wear the Wild One Fragrance Mist my SO says, without fail, “I like the way you smell today.”

So if you’re on the hunt for a mate and also for a new spring scent, why not try these? All available @ victoriassecret.com.

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

So I think this past Wednesday was the first Spring feeling day we’ve had here in Los Angeles this year. Yeah, it’s here! So of course I have been reaching for more spring-y type scents and here are a few I’m loving right now.

CRABTREE & EVELYN Lily of the Valley Eau de Toilette ($45/3.4oz @ crabtree-evelyn.com) – Lily of the Valley is one of my favorite flowers and I love that they just put out this Floral Fragrance Collection for Spring. It’s a collection of single note scents (Lavender, Rosewater and Iris are the other launches) and the scents also comes in the form of triple-milled soaps, body lotions, candles, shower gels, body creams and a nice body dusting powder.

AROMAFLORIA Foaming Body Wash with Shea Butter and Body Butter with Shea and Aloe in Kiwi Coconut ($20/8oz @ aromafloria.com) – What better way to get your season on then with the smell of kiwi and coconut? These two are from their Sensory Fusion Bath + Body Collection and put me in a tropical frame of mind.

CUPCAKE ORGANIC Raspberry Rose Blossom Softening Day Cream ($24.67/1oz @ cupcakeorganic.com) – Mmm Rose Blossom, Ylang Ylang and Mandarin are combined inside this ECOCERT Certified day cream. This doesn’t have any SPF inside so be sure to load up when you wear this one.

YES TO CUCUMBERS Facial Towelettes ($5.99/30 wipes @ sayyestocarrots.com) – quickly remove dirt, makeup and everyday grime with these babies for when you’re on the go. Oil-free and hypoallergenic.

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

I did this feature about some new developments in hair and body oils and on that same front, am delighted to share this next new oil-based line with you. Released this past Valentine’s Day, ACTIVAROMA is based on the trend-setting ingredient Moroccan Argan Oil. Their motto is Created in Santa Barbara – Fashioned in Paris and uses the holistic approach to anti-aging and marries it with French traditions of natural and seductive fragrances. If that’s not up my alley, I don’t know what is!

Choose from a nice line up of products – facial oils, bath & shower oils, floral waters, pure essential oils and even a product for baby and Mom.

Out of the line, my pick right now is the Mandarin and Vanilla Bath & Shower Oil (again I have to ask … what’s with me and the orange lately??). I’ll say it again – LOOK. AT. THE. INGREDIENTS – Mandarin Red, Vanilla Absolute, Patchouli, Lime, Tonka Beach, Rose Damask Absolute blended with Argan Oil, Jojoba, coconut and sunflower. Such a body treat!

Yes, quality is not cheap, but aren’t you worth it? $59/3.4oz @ activaroma.com.

I’m pretty positive I will be writing about more products from this line so stay tuned.

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

There’s just something about the honey-based products that LUSH puts out. They are the best (bold) smelling honey products I have ever come across and I just want to shout this from the mountain tops! The latest one I’m loving is It’s Raining Men. It’s a shower gel for the body and hair and maybe it smells so yum because the first ingredient listed is Honey, then Rosehip, Lotus Flower and Tiger Lily. If you are a Lush fan, this is one to check out. $8.95/3.3oz, $16.95/8.4oz, $24.95/16.9oz @ lush.com.

This product contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is seen by some as an ingredient of concern. Read more here.

Read my ingredient disclaimer here.

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

If you’re not familiar with the AROMAFLORIA line, they are pioneers of holistic aromatherapy and continue to come out with unique collections like this new Healing Waters Collection. The products in this one are centered around sea salts and 250 million year-old lava clay mud (huh??). I don’t even know how one gets ahold of anything that is 250 years old! Anyway, the collection contains 5 products – Bath/Shower Gel – Purifying Treatment ($18/12oz), Anti-Aging Lotion – Firming Treatment ($22/12oz), Dry Body Oil – Smoothing Treatment ($20/5oz), Salt Soak – Mineral Bath Treatment ($20/32oz), Sugar/Salt Exfoliating Treatment ($24/23oz) and a Total Body Treatment Collection ($16), shown here.

And don’t worry about ingredients when it comes to this line, they get my full stamp of approval! All @ aromafloria.com.

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