Whishes do Come True

I remember once, when I was in college, walking down the street saying oh-so-sophisticatedly that if I ever met a man who used a shaving brush, I'd marry him. (I'd been spending a lot of time reading F. Scott Fitzgerald at the time). A rather debonair old man heard me and said that since he met the requirement, he'd take me up on the offer!

Inter-generational joking aside, it did draw to my mind the fact that there are no special shaving rituals complete with crystal dishes and soft brushes for women, who have a much larger body surface to shave!

Fast forward a decade later, and women need be jealous of men's shaving accoutrements no longer! Where did the idea come from? A woman who stole into her husband's European shaving cream and shave brush. She said it was the best shave of her life - and a business idea was born. The pair set out to bring luxury and comfort to a woman's shaving routine - and the wife's wish became WHISH Body.

The line consists of three Shave Crave shaving creams, a collection of badger-hair Body Brushes and Shave Savour aftershave for legs. They take old-school men's shaving tools and make them truly boudoir-worthy.

Shave Crave - A man's crusty cake of soap becomes a jar of thick and luxurious, pre-foamed shave cream. The glycerin-based formula is fortified with essential oils such as pomegranate, lemongrass and almond. They come in three beautiful scents: Pomegranate, Lemongrass and Almond.

Body Brush - A utilitarian wooden-handled tool gets a makeover with softest hair and a handle designed to fit securely in a woman's shower-wet hand. As you swirl the cream on with the brush, you exfoliate and create a smooth glide for your razor. Best of all? Brushes are available encrusted with Swarovski crystals to make you look forward to what used to be a chore.

Shave Savour - A brisk splash of Aqua Velva may be the man's answer, but today's woman needs to pamper her freshly shaved gams. Whish's Shave Savour is an aftershave for gals. Scented to coordinate with the creams, it glides on like a smooth gel and its natural, nourishing ingredients soften, moisturize and softly scent your legs.

The best way to make your Whish shave come true:

1. Soak in a warm bath or let a warm shower open pores and soften skin.
2. Soak the Body Brush in warm water for several seconds. Wring out excess.
3. Dip the brush into Shave Crave and swirl the head of the brush over the cream.
4. Brush back and forther over skin, using a circular motion to let hair follicle rise.
5. Shave with the grain in smooth, long strokes. Re-lather and shave against the grain.
6. Rinse brush thoroughly and wring out excess moisture.
7. Follow with Shave Savour to lock in moisture and leave legs silky smooth.

After following the steps and using these three products, I can tell you that I enjoy shaving more and my legs are ready to bare it all under spring skirts. Now, we need to make sure the guys don't get any ideas about using our shaving stuff!

Go on, Get Smiley

Perfumes make me happy. I like to wear and collect them, try new scents and allow myself to be transported by unique and unusual notes. However, a new fragrance has appeared on the scene that claims to really make you happy. And it's aptly named "Smiley".

I encountered Smiley this weekend at Henri Bendel. You can't miss it: the bottle is sunshine-yellow, pill-shaped and has a nozzle sprayer. There's a cute smiley face right on it. Amongst the serious scents all around it, Smiley's simple design stood out. (French designer ora-ito is to credit for the design).

The print on the bottle says "Psycho-tonic perfume [normal dose] with micro-nutrients to activate happiness." That intrigued me. Who doesn't like to be happy? So I spritzed away. I didn't feel a wave of euphoria, but - I love the scent and can't stop smelling my wrists. It's zesty and warm at the same time, thanks to energizing top notes of bergamot and orange, a heart full of "delectable pleasures" of cocoa, praline and curaçao, and a relaxing base of patchouli, myrrh and musk. It is unisex, so everyone can get happy.

Aside from having aromatherapeutic notes, how does Smiley work as 'happy therapy'? The makers claim that olfactory molecules theobromine and phenylethylamine, both found in chocolate, can have an antidepressant effect. I definitely find chocolate to be a mood-booster, so I can believe it. And having heard that the skin absorbs much of what is applied to it, why couldn't these beneficial molecules be absorbed and scoot right up to the happy-center of the brain?

The fragrance, from the Arthes label, just launched at Colette in Paris and New York's Henri Bendel is currently the only store to find it in the USA (800) H-BENDEL. But you can purchase it online here: http://www.happytherapy.com/shop. There is a full body-care line as well, all in equally cheerful, medicine-inspired packaging.

Hey, at $45 for a 1.7-ounce bottle of eau de toilette, it’s cheaper than therapy!