He gazes soulfully into my eyes, and without saying a word, I know just what he wants. His stare does not waver, he sits before me with a longing and desire unknown to common man. He pants heavily...and slobbers on my shoes... Wait...that’s not my husband...why, that's my friend’s golden retriever, Sam!

This scruffy, shaggy-haired dog with the forlorn eyes is in love with me. Or rather, he’s in love with my Bath & Body Works’ “Warm Vanilla Sugar” moisturizer. My friend tells me Sam’s a sucker for sweets, and after generously slathering on my new favorite moisturizer, my scent resembles a cross between a hot-from-the-oven sugar cookie and a bowl of Breyer's vanilla bean ice cream that's been left to melt in the late summer sun. Sam stares sappily up at me and tries to give my face a wash. Wonderful. I now have a friend for life. Ummm...can someone please pass the lint brush?

My sensitive nose typically cannot stand more than a few seconds in “Bath and Body Works”; one swift whiff of the place and I sneeze! Bombarded by wild scents and fruity fragrances, I pinch my nostrils and try to get through just one aisle of brightly-decorated, aroma-producing bottles. Green Apple, Blue Mint, Wild Berry...hmmm...am I looking at body lotion or choosing a sorbet flavor at Baskin-Robbins? I’ve walked in and then right out again more than a dozen times, unable to commit to more than ten seconds worth of browsing. I...must...breathe!

So imagine my surprise when my friend gave me a holiday gift of “Warm Vanilla Sugar” body moisturizer. Great, I thought, I could finally try one of their products without having to endure the store’s disharmony of smells! And I will happily report, “Warm Vanilla Sugar” turned out to be a serendipitous delight.

Being a figure skater, I endure four mornings a week in a freezing cold arena, a guaranteed formula for dry, flaky, cracking skin. My legs are dry year-round, and I’ve been unable to find anything to combat my alligator skin (which, by the way, is also due in part to baking myself in the sun during my teen years), mostly because I’m too lazy to stick to a skin regimen. “Warm Vanilla Sugar” is the first moisturizer I look forward to smoothing on everyday. Its Vitamins E & C plus aloe vera recipe may not boast healing properties more worthy than Jergens, Nivea, Curel, or the curiously-named Crack Cream, but the enthralling scent of vanilla makes me rush out of the shower just to massage it on. Sometimes I’m not sure whether I should eat it or wear it!

While I thanked my friend profusely for turning me on to “Warm Vanilla Sugar”, I conversely did not express gratitude to her for failing to remove Sam the Golden Retriever from my lap. My recommendation: unless you want the undying attention and adoration of a 120-pound shedding canine, don’t buy this moisturizer. Oh yeah, and did I mention that smelling such a homey, comforting vanilla flavor all day long makes you HUNGRY? Don’t buy this if you’re trying to lose weight, either, because you’ll want to rush right out and grab an entire case of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough. That’s it, you’ve been warned!

Warm Vanilla Sugar
Moisture Rich Body Lotion
8 Fl. Oz. Bottle

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Ceteareth-20, Aloe Barbadensis Gel, Macadamia Ternifolia Nut Oil, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Oat (Avena Sativa) Extract, Grape (Vitis Vinifera) Seed Extract, Apple (Pyrus Malus) Extract, Trisodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Yellow 5, Yellow 6.

Bath & Body Works
97 West Main Street
New Albany, OH 43054


Recommended: Yes