It's Like Buttah

For some odd reason, it's still unseasonably warm in Ms. New Beauty's little part of the world. By this time, it's normally frigidly cold and Ms. New Beauty is trying her damnedest to stay moisturized and fight off the dry, itchy skin that winter air can bring. After having lived through two of said dry winters, MNB has gotten the winter moisture thing down pat and it's all about the body butters girls.

Thicker than lotions or cremes but still creamy and soft, body butters are the key to preserving your sexy during cold temperatures. The best body butters, in my opinion, have a soft, smooth, almost pudding like consistency, but sink in and keep you moisturized until your next shower. I have tried plenty and I'm giving you the best of the best today.

Jaqua Sinfully Rich Body Butter

Jaqua specializes in making those "foodie" scented body butters. Normally, I find those scents sickeningly sweet and way too reminiscent of the Bath & Body Works lotion and body spray craze that took over my high school in 1998. But, my favorite scent, Banana Spice Cake, is so sumptuous that I completely forget all memories of girls lathering themselves in Jolly Rancher scented lotion. The scent is a perfect autumnal blend with hints of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a subtle staying power. When I get home after a long day and take off my street clothes, I get a subtle whiff of the scent, but it's light enough that I can put on perfume without over powering the noses of every person I meet.

The Jaqua Body Butters often have that coveted pudding consistency, but I've noticed that it can be irregular. Certain scents can be thicker and less smooth than others. I always check to make sure I'm getting the smooth kind I like before I buy.

Korres Natural Products Body Butter

You wouldn't expect a rich, moisturizing body butter to come out of this bottle, I know I didn't, but it does. I'm so used to the short, fat tub of butter to slather all over myself, but this one comes in a convenient pump bottle. It's still rich enough to keep the winter itch away, but it's light enough to smooth right onto skin without lots of vigorous rubbing that those super thick formulas can require. Made from all natural ingredients, it contains Quince extract and shea butter (a must have ingredient for dry skin) to soften and moisturize and almond, sunflower, and avocado oils to smooth the skin.

My favorite formula is the Quince, but the Guava is divine too. And, you know I love this because the bottle is the perfect shape to drop into some of my larger purses. This one fits very well into my Botkier Trigger Fan Hobo.

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Creme

The granddaddy of body butters, this cream barely needs any description. L'Occitane's body creme has a high shea butter content, 25%, and contains a cocktail of natural oils to soften even the driest of the dry skin. Even my good friend's Sahara-esque case of eczema was no match for this creme. If this doesn't soften your skin, get thee to a dermatologist post haste.





Body Butter Money Saver - Biggs & Featherbelle

I originally tried the Biggs & Featherbelle Body Butter early this fall. The concept of a body butter bar intrigued me. It's a solid bar that you rub over your skin. The heat from your body melts the body butter right in. What?!?! So innovative. You know I had to try that, so I put in my order for two different kinds - Lavender & Bergamot and the Ylang Ylang & Patchouli.

The scent of the Lavender & Bergamot was so strong and overpowering that I could not even use it. Literally, I could not even bring myself to put it on my body because just opening the jar almost knocked me out. The second one, Ylang Ylang & Patchouli, was strongly scented, it wasn't as bad so I gave it a try. The concept was great - the bar just melted onto my skin and left nothing but soft body butter in its wake. But, the scent never faded away. I smelled like Patchouli all day. I don't hate Patchouli, but I surely don't like it enough to walk around smelling like the Health & Beauty section of Whole Foods.

But, scent alone is not enough for me to post something as a money saver. Some of you may love, love, love a scent that I can't take, so I reserve the Money Saver distinction for products that truly aren't worth the money. What did it for the Biggs & Featherbelle? The fact that the body butter that melted so gloriously onto my skin never absorbed into my skin. It just sat on top and resolidified, eventually leaving a Patchouli scented body butter lining in my clothes. Make me smell like a health food store, but don't go messing up my clothes!! That's where I draw the line.

Well, stay soft ladies, banish that nasty winter itch, and don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!