Monday, July 16, 2012

Kiehl's new Aromatic Blends - Fig Leaf & Sage review


            I had a Ratatouille moment when experiencing Kiehl's new Aromatic Blends fragrance in Fig Leaf & Sage. You know, the moment in the movie when top food critic Anton Ego takes a bit of Remy's ratatouille and is immediately whisked back to his provincial childhood? My skeptical nose took one whiff of Fig Leaf and Sage and I was transported to the countryside.
 
           Fig Leaf & Sage is one of four scents in Kiehl's new Aromatic Blends line (the other three being Orange Flower & Lychee, Vanilla & Cedarwood, and Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit). All the scents are naturally inspired and focus on sustainable sourcing. Today I have a review of the Fig Leaf & Sage line, which includes a Fragrance, Hand & Body Lotion and Liquid Body Cleanser.

          The Fig Leaf & Sage Fragrance ($75 for 3.4mL) is as refreshing as I described above. I was quite startled at how strongly it evoked a place. Scent memory is quite strong, and my memories from a childhood in the countryside distinctly resurfaced.  Fig Leaf & Sage really combined the watery crispness of leaves (think Caudalie's Beauty Elixir) with the depth of green herbs basking in the sun. The scent is unisex, as it is lacking in the deep woods and spices of men fragrances and the florals found in women's fragrances. It was really quite different from any other scent on a shelf, which I think is the point. Kiehl's is going for unexpected nature here. The fragrance is packaged in an old fashioned glass bottle, which I find to be very simple chic. The scent lingers for quite a while. The lasting power of the herbs are much better than crisp grassy greens that tend to be ephemeral in nature. As Fig Leaf & Sage is a 'place' type scent, I found that in addition to a personal fragrance, it makes for a nice pillow mist that hopefully can transport you to Provence, if only in dreams.


          I also had the chance to try Kiehl's Fig Leaf & Sage Hand & Body Lotion and Liquid Body Cleanser. Both products were well scented and smelled just like the fragrance. Both body lotion and body cleanser are packaged in plastic bottles with botanical and informational appearing labels, which is a nice touch. The body cleanser made a nice lather while while preserving a gentle and not too drying feel. The lotion had just the right moisturizing feel. It sank in quickly, but not too quickly. At $26 and $24 respectively, the Kiehl's Fig Leaf & Sage Hand & Body Lotion and Liquid Body Cleanser command a luxury price tag, but do deliver on quality.


        As I mentioned above, Kiehl's Aromatic Blends are available in four different scents. I've provided the official descriptions below:

Orange Flower &Lychee - "The Orange Flower and Lychee recreates the atmosphere of late afternoon in a Moroccan garden. The Orange Tree absorbs the warmth of the sun during the day then exudes its strong distinctive essences as the air begins to cool in the evening, while the lychee lends a soft and sweet aroma reminiscent of the roses growing nearby."

Vanilla & Cedarwood - The Vanilla & Cedarwood scent is a delicate balance of ying & yang, one part feminine from the Uganda Vanilla, smooth, smoky and just slightly sweet; one part masculine from the Virginia Cedarwood, raw and earthy. Together they blend to form a fragrance that is dynamically simple and irresistably universal." 

Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit - The Nashi Blossom is too fragile to undergo any form of processing. We used a unique extraction technology with a more durable ingredient, ginger, whose aromas helped to strengthen the reproduction of the Nashi Blossom, making it an absolutely pure interpretation of the bloom." 

Fig Leaf & Sage - The Fig Leaf & Sage unique scent is best described as spring in Provence, reminiscent of the French countryside. The scent expression is not merely that of a fig, but is a combination of the scent of the air beneath the fig trees and the delicate aromas of herbs in the surrounding fields."


              Kiehl's Fig Leaf & Sage was literally and off-the-beaten road scent from nature. I certainly recommend taking a whiff the next time you're near a Kiehl's boutique. I'm quite curious about the rest, myself. I think Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit sounds like something I need to check out! Thanks for reading! Have you experienced Kiehl's Aromatic Blends line yet? Which of the four scents above appeals to you most?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. The herbs in this post are from my friend's mom's absolutely amazing garden!

 Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own. 

25 comments:

  1. oh very nice post!!! i just saw these this weekend and was very tempted until i tried a lotion that exploded on me and i non chalantly rubbed it off and walked out of the store as if nothing happened even though 4 staff members stared at me in disbelief hahaha next time I do picture myself picking up a bottle of that orange flower and lychee! ;D

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    1. Hi J,Oh no!!! How does a lotion even explode? It sounds like you walked out with some finesse, though. Lychee seems to be quite uncommon in scents, I definitely want to try it next time I get in store :)

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  2. Kiehl's just got more exciting! They seemed so clinical before that while I was curious, hesitant to ever splurge. That's neat about how the smell transported to childhood. I grew up in Korea and still find western herbs smell foreign to my nose (personally love them but still far from what I grew up with). Also love the touch with the actual herbs cushioning the products. :)

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    1. Hi Liz, I know what you mean about clinical; I suppose it's since they used to be a pharmacy! I had no idea you grew up in Korea, wow! I can imagine the scents would be different. The plants / herbs / scents in Asian food are so different, yet still homey in their own ways. (I'm so glad you liked the photos too :D)

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  3. AnonymousJuly 16, 2012

    Beautiful photos Dovey! I've so been wanting to try Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit or Orange Flower & Lychee. I just love Kiehl's and these scents sound so fresh and delightful and happy!

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    1. Thank you Becca, I'm really hoping to try those too!

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  4. My favorite out of the bunch is Nashi Blossom & Pink Grapefruit! The lotions are a bit thicker for now but they'll probably be good for autumn/winter!

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    1. Hi Sunny, now I'm wanting it more!

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  5. AnonymousJuly 17, 2012

    AHHH I love it-a Ratatouille moment haha! You are amazing Dovey! :)
    I WANT THIS. :) It sounds perfect!

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    1. Hehe, one of my favorite movies!! Thanks Tracy, I'm so glad you could appreciate!

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  6. Oh, these sound lovely! I definitely want to check out all the fragrances!

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  7. Ooooh these sound great! Growing up on the countryside sounds fun (to me, at least). Those herbs look lovely -- great photos!

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    1. Hi Maggie, the fresh air is nice :)

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  8. Orange flower and Lychee, be still my beating heart :)

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    1. Hi Emma, LOL! Lychee is a cool addition to a scent, I'd have to a gree

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  9. Sounds like something I would love because I adore fig scents...

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    1. Hi Beauty Box, Fig is very mellow and nice (and tasty too...)

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  10. You've piqued my interest! The fragrance sounds amazing and I love your photographs!

    ♥ Jessica

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  11. Beautiful photos! These sound amazing. I really like the sound of the grapefruit one, although really, they all sound interesting...

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    1. Thanks Larie. I always love a good grapefruit scent :)

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  12. This is my favorite in the collection - I am a fig fanatic! A little creamy, not too coconutty and the sage gives it a nice herbal greeness. Ugh, I need to go back to NM for this!

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    1. Hi Lexi, wow, you've already been sniffing :) It is really awesome and green in its own way!

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  13. AnonymousJuly 23, 2012

    Oooh. These sound awesome! I walked by a Kiehl's store the other day and didn't go in! AHH MUST SMELL THESE! lol.

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