Spring is here, and with it, the promise of longer days and also special occasions and holidays. Celebrate with something new and different, and quite unique, the Seductive Elixir Collection of I Coloniali, an iconic Italian bath & body brand. Seductive Elixir is a collection of eight scented body fragrances and bath products including Body Fragrance Sprays, Luxurious Shower Creams and Gels, Shower Scrubs, and Bath Bombs, created as any fine fragrance line would be, with sensual, quality ingredients and perfumed oils. The line is Italian in origin, but the fragrances are created by perfumers from Grasse, in Fragrance. If anyone knows how to make a fabulous fragrance, it is these perfumers!
There is nothing The Advice Sisters like better than unique fragrances that you don’t smell on everyone walking down the street. The Seductive Elixir Body fragrances are as unusual and beautiful. They’re elegantly packaged in silver metal spray bottles decorated with a rich, delicate, design of gold scrolls. This editors were told, is a re-interpretation of the I Coloniali trademark aluminum bottle . Apparently, aluminum as a bottle is inspired by the perfumers’ trade practice of storing fragrances in aluminum tubs to protect the raw materials and essential oils for light and other contaminants. Although you can’t see the color of the fragrance in these opaque bottles, the look is modern, and the packaging is lightweight. It won’t shatter if it falls off your bathroom sink, either! If a man wishes to use the fragrance, the aluminum bottle makes it more appealing and unisex. Worthy of note is that I Colonial also has an extensive line of products for men.
The thing that excited me about the fragrances, all of which I briefly tried at the launch event, was that the fragrance are all very nice, and they’re not the same old formula you can smell at any department store fragrance counter. They’re distinctive. and sophisticated. Even better, there is at least one fragrance in the collection for virtually every fragrance personality. Some of the fragrances could also be layered for an even more personal touch.
As to the products, the line is well edited, especially since there are a number of different fragrances. The Body Sprays are a cross between a body mist and an Eau de Toilette. They are light, but they softly stick around on your skin for a long while. I Coloniali Seductive Elixir collection includes: Angel Musk, Animal Oud, Ardent Amber, Luxurious Datura, Mysterious Rose, Playful Lychee, Sensual Silk, and Sexy Vanilla.
At the editor’s event at Mercato Trattoria in Manhattan, it was fun to see the editors all picking different scents as “their favorite.” As one who is partial to the woodsy Oud type of fragrance, that was probably my favorite, with notes of Madagascar vanilla, cardamom and black currant, a heart of Egyptian geranium and Peruvian essences, and a base featuring the sensual notes of amber and American cedar.
Another editor favorite was Luxurious Datura, with a spicy, fruity and floral melange of date fruit blossom and cinnamon in the top notes, geranium and iris in the heart, and a base built around a core of soft vanilla and patchouli.
Just to give you a quick view of the other fragrances, the Playful Litchee featured top notes of litchee and roseberry, a heart of Tuberose and orange blossom, and a base of precious wood, amber, benzoin and white musk. This smelled fairly fruity despite the deep base notes. Angel Musk was soft and somewhat sensual, with notes of vanilla pod, vanilla flower, amber, and woody musk. Sensual Silk features orange blossom, roseberry, incense, heiliotrop, silky rose, musk, cedarwood and vanilla. Although I thought I would like Ardent Amber the best, with notes of tangerine, jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla and musk, I liked it, but the Out and Datura won my heart over this one! I’m not a rose fan, but the Mysterious Rose will please those who like authentic rose scents. Mysterious Rose has notes of elemi and Tangerine, rose and sandalwood, and a base of cedarwood and cashmere. It is a clean, modern smelling rose that is definitely not your grandma’s rose fragrance. And, who doesn’t like vanilla? It is a man magnet. The Sexy Vanilla scent features balsam, vanilla, amber and musk.
A luxurious collection like this needs complimentary products. In this collection not all the fragrances are available in every products. You can get a Body Milk in all of the fragrances. Alas, there are only two shower gels (Oud, Musk) and 2 Shower Creams )Vanilla Silk), and 4 Shower Scrubs (Rose, Lychee, Amber and Datura). The body Frgrances are $25.00, Body Milks are $20.00 and the Shower Scrubs, Gels and Creams are $15.00. That’s pretty affordable, especially for high quality fragrances products like these!
For decades, the I Coloniali line has offered a series of products enriched with original ingredients from the Orient whose objective is to reestablish harmony within the body and the spirit. This selection of the best body care products from around the world ensues from the illustrious tradition of James & Edwards Atkinsons, perfumers in London since the 18th century. I was excited to learn about this line, and I think you will love these scents for yourself. But if you want to wow “mom” on her special day, get her some of these I Coloniali products and make her feel like every day is a pampering spa day!
I Coloniali products can be found at C.O. Bigelow Apothecary, New London Pharmacy, Merz Apothecaries, beautyhabit.com, birchbox.com, smallflower.com, and select luxury beauty and lifestyle emporiums across the country. For more information you can also go to: www.icoloniali-us.com
