Photo Credit: Photo Credit: CrabtreeEvelyn.com
OUT OF THE BLUE
John Keats once wrote, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” and that saying is true of Crabtree & Evelyn’s new Himalayan Blue collection. The packaging alone is something of a marvel and the prints and colors are reminiscent of the works of Joan Miró or Kandinsky in their playfulness.
There is something mystical and enigmatic about the entire thing too: what, after all is Himalayan Blue? Surely, it’s a place where there is great tranquility, but also with a quiet, calm glacial appeal. Hence the packaging and the array of blues (light and dark) and the nods of pale color—a tribute to an explorer’s quest for the mythical blue poppy.
Brand new in stores and online (the collection arrived August 27), the Himalayan Blue line features the following items, each of them crafted with sumptuous ingredients that include antioxidant rich green tea oil, moisturizing shea butter, and a conditioning blend of ginger and champaca extracts:
- Eau de Toilette ($45 for 100ml; $25 for 30 ml): An extremely light, wearable but “icy” scent, this is inspired by a rare blue bloom. Notes of ginger and champaca gently waft in this blend, and all you will think of while wearing it are shiny lakes and gorgeous blue skies overhead. Top notes include crisp mandarin, orange leaf, and a hint of lemon. The heart of the fragrance is ginger, reflecting the warmth of the explorer’s journey, as well as a combination of delicate rose absolute, pink pepper, Himalayan golden champaca blossoms, and wildflowers. The base notes are lapsang souchong and sandalwood.
- Bath & Shower Gel ($22): If you only get one product in this collection, get this. The gentle formula is perfect for all skin types and it leaves your skin with gently fragranced. Moreover, the sheer pleasure of showering with this gel—especially in the warmer summer months—is a feast for the senses. Just close your eyes and imagine you’re somewhere far, far away. It’s not that hard to do…
- Body Lotion ($24): Formulated with shea butter and tea extracts blended with skin-friendly emollient oils, the lotion is perfect for that post-shower pick me up. It’s ideal for layering as well.
- Hand Therapy ($19): There’s nothing that Crabtree does better than make a good Hand Therapy Cream. Seriously, I think it’s the best on the market—nothing, absolutely nothing tops this (if I could, I would collect every hand therapy variation). Originally formulated for gardeners’ hands, the Hand Therapy will leave your skin moisturized and smooth in minutes. This version—the exotic scent of Himalayan Blue—may well be a collector’s item.
The brand has never fallen off the mark in quality and packaging and I’d buy this collection for the print alone. That said, the products are so gentle and beautifully formulated, with not a single ingredient standing out harshly. If I’d pick one travel set to take with me to be continually inspired, this would be it. It reminds me of Bulgari’s classic Eau The Vert (Green Tea) collection in its quality and gentleness, but in a blue variation, of course.
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