L'Occitane Holiday Gift Sets 2019

L'Occitane is at the top of my gift giving suggestion list every year. Want the easiest but sure to be loved gift ? Grab them one of their gift sets. Festively packaged there's something for everyone. And there isn't anyone I can think of who wouldn't/ doesn't love their hand creams . Plus it's something they'll definitely use.

There are loads of sets available but I've got four to highlight today.

Hugs & Kisses Duo -  you can get this duo in several scents , this one has a hand cream ( 1oz) and lip balm in the ultra moisturizing shea version. $ 20

Sweet Cherry Blossom Ornament-  My favorite as it's just so cute. A tin ornament holds three Cherry Blossom minis inside . A hang tab attached so it can be hung by the chimney with care. There are also more scent options available. $ 14

Lavender Travel Set - This cute box holds 4 lavender scented products in smaller travel sizes. Only one is mini, the hand cream . The soap, shower gel and foaming bath are good sized  of 2-3.5 ounces.  $ 29

Winter Rescue Kit - The set contains a new launch Petit Remede , an all over balm in a tin meant for nose, hands, cuticles, lips etc. Ingredients include shea butter, sweet almond and sunflower oils , arnica, calendula and lavender. A 1 oz hand cream in shea completes the set. $ 20 .

As if the prices weren't already good, for Cyber Monday at L'Occitane online you can an additonal 20% off  .

Dove X Dunkin Ultimate Life Hack Contest

Dove & Dunkin want to help you get the morning started on the right note.

Let's face it, for most of us coffee  or tea gets us going and helps keep us on the move. At my office , a client brings a Dunkin Donuts care package twice a month including donuts .  When it's early and we've rushed in, it's a nice thing we really appreciate even if our waistlines don't.

And Dove Dry Shampoo ? A staple along with their body wash and deo.

So the two  have partnered for a contest that wants to know what your ultimate life hack is in  the #DoveXDunkin Ultimate Life Hack Sweepstakes. You could win a year's supply of dry shampoo & coffee or gift cards.

Per Dove here's all you need to do and it's pretty easy :

Now through Nov. 8th Contestants just need to snap a photo and share how they run on coffee and dry shampoo on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtags #DoveXDunkin and #DxDSweepstakes 

·         For official rules and regulations, visit DovexDunkin.com

o   NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Dove Hair & Dunkin’ Donuts Ultimate Life Hack Giveaway is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 &  older. Begins 9:00 a.m. ET on 9/27/18 &  ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 11/8/18. For official rules, visit DovexDunkin.com.

Softsoap Earth Blends

Softsoap always does  a great job with their fragrances and new releases.

For Summer it's Earth Blends and these even come in a new mini travel size to go  wherever your Summer fun takes you.

Earth Blends are paraben and  dye free .

There are three scent varieties and I have  the Coconut and Fig scent.  This has a very light scent that leans fruity fig, I don't get much coconut. There is less lather here than others from the brand  but is still plenty to get the job done. They are light feeling ,  rinse clean and don't dry out skin.

The fragrances come in body wash , bar soap and hand soaps . The other two scents are Pink Grapefruit & Cucumber  and Pomegranate & Plum. 

All are available at Wal Mart with prices ranging from 2.47- 4.97 for the full sized products. 

Bliss Lemon and Sage Refreshing Body Wipes

Bliss Lemon and Sage fragrance is such a good one and now you can get it in these on the go body wipes.

 Like me, many of you I'm sure have used the hand cream , lotion and  Soapy Suds body wash with it's zippy green and citrus scent.  It's an instant perk up.  New deodorizing Body Wipes give you a quick clean and fragrant refresh  anywhere.  The gym, when you have after work drinks with friends or an evening Doctor's appointment. 

The wipes are  baby soft,  moist (  but I like to add a little water  to get them really wet ) cooling and smell fantastic. Not strong and the scent dissipates quickly. You'll smell freshened up not like a lemon .  They don't leave behind any sticky feeling either.  They are formulated with aloe vera , plant based deodorizers and vitamin e to be gentle to skin. 

Summer staple right here. 

Bliss Lemon and Sage Refreshing Body Wipes are $10 for a pack of 30 and will be available at Target , Ulta and Blissworld.com 

Beekman 1802 Lump of Kohl & Lump of Gold Soap Sets

Beekman 1802 brings easy gifing this season with their very cute naughty and nice soap gift sets. Does your giftee get Lump of Kohl or Lump of Gold?

With the 3-Piece Goat Milk "Naughty & Nice" Gift Set for Body you can give both.  The Lump of Gold bar has flecks  of gold mica for a little shimmer  and notes of bergamot and star anise while Lump of Kohl has bamboo charcoal  to deep clean  and smells of frankincense and myrhh.  There's a Pot Of Gold lotion too, to seal in  moisture. 

 $68.00 at Evine.com

You can also grab just the soap in a set of 4  leaving you with enough to treat yourself or add them to several gift bags or stockings. 

The 4-piece Lump of Gold & Lump of Kohl Goat Milk Bar Soap Set has two each of the soaps and there are three options to choose from.  $ 55 at Evine.com 

These make great hostess gifts , Secret Santa , teachers etc. They'll get a chuckle but also something luxe they can use. 

Tom's of Maine Orange Blossom & Creamy Coconut Natural Moisturizing Body Wash & Soap

 
Tom's of Maine is ready for Summer and you will be too with their newest fragrances.  Coconut and Orange Blossom are about as summer-y as you can get.

Creamy Coconut has fair trade virgin coconut oil for moisture and a nice fragrance. It's lightly coconut with a little herbal as you might expect from  a natural brand.

Orange Blossom has fair trade Moroccan Argan Oil  and  a good hit of  the citrus fragrance you get with orange blossoms .  It's one of my favorite scents and I love finding it in a body wash .

Both of these have sunflower seed oil and vitamin e for added moisture.  The formula is thick and creamy , lathers up well ,  feels good on skin and rinses clean without any dryness.

Tom's uses  no animal testing, no artificial fragrances , colors or preservatives  and the packaging is 100% recyclable.

 There are also coordinating beauty bars/ soaps,  newly reformulated . They are triple milled, prettily packaged  and use Rainforest certified palm oil . Great not just for you but tucked in the guest bathroom  too.

Tom's Of Maine Natural Moisturzing Body Wash are $ 6.99 each
Tom's Of Maine Beauty Bars are $ 3.99 each

Touch GermBlock Sanitizing Spray

 
We're all familiar with hand sanitizers, those alcohol based gels we  keep at desks or in purses. How about if there was one that lasted  6 hours? That's the claim for new Touch Germblock  Sanitizing Spray.

The aerosol spray comes either unscented or in three scents and is easy to spray on hands or surface areas where it can also be used.  The formula uses organic shea and almond essential oils for moisture so this has a tacky feeling at first but dries quickly. That also means it doesn't dry out hands like the others as it is alcohol free.  I found it totally unnoticeable after it dried  and loved that there was an unscented version . I've even used it on my keyboard.

It forms a barrier and lasts on hands for 6 hours so you don't need top keep reapplying and is said to kill 99.99 % of germs .The main ingredient is benzalkonium chloride 0.13%.

To use, spray well over hands , holding the container about 5 inches away and then rub hands together to make sure fingers are covered too .  The bottle is small enough to tuck in pockets ( great if you work in a medical office) and purses or stash in a desk drawer.  It'll be handy too for all the Summer traveling you might be doing.

Touch  Germblock Sanitizing Spray is 5.99 at Walgreens, CVS and Meijer

Read the science info here 

L'Occitane Solidarity Shea Butter Milk Soap

L'Occitane Solidarity Soap is back. Each year the brand does one of their fabulous  moisturzing shea soaps especially for charity .

Each 1.7 oz soap is just $3.00  and 100% percent of the profits from the sale of the soap goes to helping fight avoidable blindness by funding NGOs projects for eye care, with the support of the L'Occitane Foundation. 

Perfect for gift bag  additions as well  as in your own space ,grab them now at www.loccitane.com 

Dove Purely Pampering Sweet Cream & Peony

How Sweet It Is, Sweet Cream, the newest scent from Dove in time to soothe Summer parched skin.

Sweet Cream is a mix of vanilla and peony. Lightly floral and not strong, it's a soft, pretty scent that's just enough. Especially nice at night when you want to wind down and relax.

It comes in a Nutrium moisture filled body wash along with bar soap. I don't have to tell you how soothing this line is to skin. It's always in  use over here.

Dove Purely Pampering Sweet Cream & Peony Body Wash is $ 6.99
Dove Purely Pampering Sweet Cream & Peony  Bar Soap is $ 3.79 for a twin pack.

Softsoap Pure Foaming Hand Soap

Looking for a clean , fresh minimalist looking hand soap for Spring?

Softsoap Pure Foaming Hand Soap comes in Lemongrass and Fresh in a clear , foaming formula.  They have 100% natural fragrances and are dye and alcohol free. 

Both have a nice citrus scent with Lemongrass being a bit more lemon while Fresh is a crisper scent. Both seem very right for this time of year when we're opening windows and freshening up our rooms/houses. 

Softsoap Pure Foaming Hand Soap can be found all the usual drugstores  and groceries . Retail varies but is approx. $ 2.50.

Dove Winter Care

I've mentioned more than once how much I love Dove's body washes. They keep skin so much more moisturized than most and take the brrrr off skin. Now that it's December , it's time again for Winter Care.

I'll admit that part of what I love here is the snowflakes on the bottle. Give me a little winter decor anytime. Otherwise you get the Dove Nutrium super creamy body wash in a thick, even creamier formula that works wonders . The scent here has been hard for me to pin down , it's not standard issue Dove . It has a bit of a musky feel to it but is still soft and doesn't linger.

You can grab Dove Winter Care wherever Dove is sold in body wash and six packs of bar soap.

Dove Summer Care Nourishing Body Wash & Soap

Add this to your mid Summer shopping list . Dove has an LE Summer Care version of their always good Nutrium Nourishing Body Wash & Soap Bars .

Summer Care has a light, floral citrus tinged scent with tiny , gentle on skin exfoliators in both the wash & soap. Nothing harsh, but enough to smooth a little and get skin feeling clean but also soft.

Put a bar in the guest bathroom and the wash in your own and treat guests to a little "Summer Care".


Dove Summer Care 22 oz Body Wash sugg. retail $ 6.99

Dove Summer Care Bar Soap is  sugg. retail $ 8.39 for six pack , $ 10.49 for eight pack.

Available now.

L'Occitane Solidarity Soap

Each year L'Occitane releases their new fundraising soap on World Sight Day.

 Beginning on October 8th ,  Solidarity Soap is available for $ 3 ,  with 100% of the sale profits going to finance NGOs like Sight Savers, Light for the World, Vision Aid Overseas, Medicus Mundi,and others working on eye health projects in developing countries. Last year over $ 200,000 was raised .

This is such a win win product. First off there's the charity aspect. Then there's the fact that you get a shea butter soap from one of the best luxury body care brands out there for just $ 3.  As well as treating yourself to one of these apricot scented soaps, think gifts. A trio of these wrapped in ribbon or tucked in a  gift bag  would  cost less than $ 10. So when the holidays arrive and you need hostess gifts, teacher, hairdresser gifts , these are a  nice pick.

The LE soap bar is 1.7 oz  and has SHEA written in Braille on the front.

$3 per bar at  www.usa.loccitane.com  and in stores, while supplies last.

Yardley Holiday Soaps

Always one of my favorite budget buys of the season are the special edition Yardley soaps.  At 99 cents each  it doesn’t get  much cheaper. They always have a nice strong scent and are very moisturizing. This year's LE fragrances are Vanilla Sweet Orchid and  Almond Buttercream. 

The Orchid is a sweet  floral as you would expect and Almond Buttercream has a creamy scent with just a bit of almond. For stocking stuffing, guest bathroom/bedroom or tucking into a gift bag of other goodies these make a nice choice.

Yardley Soaps are available at Walgreens  and I’ve seen them at Shop Rite as well if you are in the Northeast. 

**press sample

L'Occitane Rose Tenderness Solidarity Soap

L'Occitane has a new version of their Solidarity Soap , this time  it's rose scented.

Rose Tenderness Solidarity Soap is one of the brands super luxe shea butter soaps and sells for $ 3.

These make not only great  treats for yourself but with holiday gifting coming soon, you'd be hard pressed to find something for this price. Buy 3, make a gift set , and still come in under $ 10.

100% of profits* from the sale of the Rose Tenderness Solidarity Soap will finance eye-health projects run by NGOs in developing countries, with the support of the L’Occitane Foundation.

* Sales price in store minus taxes, transport and production costs

L'Occitane Women's Day Soap

March 8^th marks International Women’s Day and L’Occitane is celebrating the  day with a limited-edition Women’s Day Soap. 

Now we know they make great soap and this is a new addition to their line. 

 

The fair trade soap is $ 8  and produced in Burkina Faso as part of a development partnership with a local factory. The factory has been run entirely by women and supports their economic emancipation, according to the company.
  
The soap is also :

 

• Gently formulated with L’Occitane’s signature ingredient; Shea Butter
• Adorned with an engraved motif which translates to “education”
• 100% of the proceeds will help to build literacy centers for women in Burkina Faso , Africa
• Since 2006 over 1,900 women have learned to read and write and over 5,000 women have been able to develop or enhance their skills

 

 

L’Occitane’s Woman’s Day Soap retails for $8.00 and will be available March 8^th on usa.loccitane.com

Caswell- Massey Pure Frost Soap

Caswell- Massey,  maker of wonderful soaps, has a  new LE holiday/winter fragrance called Pure Frost.

Pure Frost comes in a winter inspired box with frosty flowers on a silver background and smells of light white florals , green notes like bergamot and a hint of vanilla and spice.  The main florals listed are Indian Jasmine and  Casablanca Lily. It's pretty with a crispness to it  and not simply all floral.
 
One thing to know about Caswell -Massey soaps is that they are highly scented. As in you can leave  them out as a room scent.  These are the soaps that hold their scents , which isn't as common as it should be.

They are triple milled and  highly moisturizing, which is just what we need in the cooler temps.

Pure Frost comes in a single gift boxed bar for $ 10 or a box of three ( hostess gift apropo) for $ 28.  EDT , Hand and Body Lotion also available.

You can see all their made in USA  scents at www.caswellmassey.com  
 where you call also see Gianna Rose Atelier soaps.  Also at specialty shops nationwide.

L'Occitane Solidarity Soap for $3

Want a luxury soap for $3 ? It's possible thanks to the new Solidarity Soap from L'Occitane . 

Each rose petal scented , shea butter  bar is $3 and 100% of the proceeds   will be donated to NGOs working to fight preventable blindness in developing countries by providing high-quality ophthalmological care.  80% of blindness around the world is preventable and L'Occitane hopes to help with this new LE soap. 

 

 At that price  this is great for upcoming holiday gifting.  It's not often you see a bargain from this brand or any high end soap line, but anyone I've ever given L'Occitane to, has loved their gift.   Use it for  stocking stuffing, guest bathrooms and your own of course. Buy multiples and make a gift for upcoming Secret Santa etc.  Everyone loves a good soap so you'll have a gift to give that will be  useful as well as  pretty.

www.usa.loccitane.com

NEST Grapefruit Liquid Hand Soap

Did  you know NEST does liquid handsoaps?  I only recently tried them myself and if you are looking for possibly the best smelling handsoap ever then the Grapefruit is it.

I love citrus, that's well documented here so it's no surprise I love this, and if you  like citrus type scents even a little you'll go crazy for this. It's a completely pure grapefruit that smells like you cut a grapefruit in half and squeezed it. NEST lists lily of the valley and coriander blossom as other notes, but really it's  simply grapefruit with the barest hint of green.

NEST is known for getting their scents right  and are best known for the equally great smelling candles they make. ( There is a matching Grapefruit candle as well. ) While I am in the thrall of grapefruit, the soaps come in many other scents including Orange Blossom and the new Beach.


With Mother's Day approaching next weekend,  a set of handsoaps or soap/candle duo would make a lovely gift. A high end handsoap is one of those things that just makes life better in a very small way. Silly perhaps, but true.  It's a luxury Mom might not normally buy herself but also something useable that won't sit on a shelf unused .

NEST Liquid Soap is $ 22.00 and available at www.nestfragrances.com , Saks and Neimans and a  big PS- they are made in the US.