Botanical Cologne of Love by Le Couvent des Minimes

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Each spring I like to identify one or two new scents to wear, typically white florals (gardenia, honeysuckle, orange blossom) that celebrate the freshness of spring. This year it's the Botanical Cologne of Love ($16) by Le Covent des Minimes, an orange blossom centric fragrance with notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, wild rose, nasturcia, and petitgrain.

•Orange Blossom: source of softness 

•Bergamot, Mandarin: sources of serenity 

•Wild Rose: source of hydration 

•Nasturcia: source of radiance 

•Petitgrain: source of harmony

Nasturcia (Source: Fragrantica)

I find this to be a realistic orange blossom fragrance that smells much more high end than it's price would indicate. This is a 'feel good' fragrance for me, and I love wearing the body cream yo bed at night. Breathing in the scent just puts me in a good mood, which is a great way to end the day. It's not candy sweet or cloying, although it is decidedly feminine. 

Since this is a cologne, I like layering, starting with the Exfoliating Shower Pulp ($12), followed by the Moisturizing Body Butter ($18), and then finishing by spritzing with the cologne. The scent lingers for a good 7-8 hours, but I'd say it's more of a skin scent. That's actually perfect for me, especially during the warm weather months when I typically would wear it.

The Le Couvent des Minimes brand was created in 2004, but the actual convent has existed since 1862. Located in Haute Provence, France, the fragrances and skincare lines focus on blending natural, beneficial plants in time tested natural skincare recipes. Formerly owned by L'Occitane, they were sold in January of 2017 to HLD Group and Didier Tabary. 

Their website is 'under construction' and their Facebook page has not been updated since December of 2016, so I can only hope that they are in the process of rolling out their new online presence. In the meantime, their products are sold at multiple online retailers, including Ulta, which frequently has purchasing inducing sales. 

Soft Summer Skin with Juara's Coffee & Creme Smoothing Body Ritual

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I've been hoarding my Birchbox points and waiting for a discount code, so when my June Birchbox included a 20% discount, I treated myself to the Juara Coffee & Creme Smoothing Body Ritual set ($49).  This was a blind buy as I haven't received samples of this line to date from Birchbox, but the reviews were glowing and with it being shorts weather, I thought this set was the way to go.  So was it?

Oh, yeah. This stuff is all that and a box of chocolates, or more accurately coffee and cream.  The Invigorating Coffee Scrub is full of fresh roasted Indonesian coffee, walnut shell powder, and sulfate-free cleansing agents for a vigorous but gentle exfoliating scrub.  It definitely has that coffee grind smell that java lovers will appreciate. 

Taking my cue from the name of the set (Smoothing Body Ritual), I did not rush through the scrub but instead turned the shower off and took my time massaging the scrub in circular motions all over my body.  The recommendation is to use the scrub 2-3 times a week, which should give the exfoliating and enhanced circulation benefits without overworking my skin.  The downside of coffee scrubs is the mess, as coffee grinds covered the bottom of my shower afterwards.  I let them dry and then swept them up as opposed to rinsing them down the drain, as I'm leery of clogging my older home's plumbing. 

The second step in the Smoothing Body Ritual is the Candlenut Body Creme, which features the nourishing benefits of Candlenut oil as well as Illipe Butter,  Rice Bran Oil, and Avocado Oil.  The consistency of the body cream is thinner than a shea butter and does a great job of soaking into the skin without leaving a greasy residue.  What I get is extremely soft skin that I kept wanting to touch, it felt so good - even hours later.

 

The body cream does have a light fragrance that feels tropical without veering into coconut or suntan lotion territory.  If I had to guess I'd say it's based on white tropical flowers (I'm seeing Tiare and Jasmine featured in other Juara products), but I'm really just going with the tropical feel I get from it.  Whatever it is, I like it.

If you are as unfamiliar with Juara as I was, here's a bit of information from the Birchbox site:

The nature-based skincare line is rooted in an east-meets-west philosophy, pairing ancient Indonesian healing ingredients with modern technology and packaging. Inspired by the centuries-old medicinal tradition of Jamu (which is still used in spas in Bali today), the products rely on plants and botanicals to thoroughly nourish and improve your skin. Bonus: The 100 percent vegetarian line is also cruelty-free.

The Coffee & Creme Smoothing Ritual set ranks right up there with another luxury body care line I love (Pure Fiji, reviews here and here), so that's high praise indeed!