Guilt free chocolate treats

Chocolate, hmm - just the thought of it make chocoholics all over the world go nuts for it! We all know about the downside of eating too much chocolate, so let's not dwell on that, but fact of the matter is that dark chocolate can have some health benefits too if eaten in moderation. E.g. it can reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and eating chocolate also releases endorphines making you happy. To celebrate the beauty of the cocoa bean I thought I would do a post entirely dedicated to chocolate - but the guilt free way of enjoying where you can surround yourself with the amazing rich cocoa scent and enjoy all the flavours without any of the calories!

Let's start this chocolate bonanza with the Bourjois Bronzing Powder, Delice de Poudre. I am almost ashamed to mention this product again since I know it has figured in at lot of previous posts, but I guess that just shows how much of a staple item this bronzing powder is to me. The super fine texture makes it lovely to apply and I use it for sculpting when I'm a bit paler and as a blusher when I have a bit of a tan. For me both the shade 51 and 52 are great to work with and it gives color with a very subtle, barely noticeable shimmer of gold for a healthy look, without giving that dirty appearance that some bronzers can. The chocolate bar look of the packaging is so cute, and the dusty scent of cocoa that reminds me of an old chocolate bar is pleasant and a fun element.

Despite a bad experience with a Lush Fresh Face Mask, I wasn't ready to give up on the idea of them yet and I wanted to give them another chance. On recommendation I got the Lush Fresh Face Mask in Cupcake, and wow I'm so glad I did! The description says that the mask is more intended for younger, acne prone skin since it helps to absorb excess oil, but I have skin that tends to get dehydrated and it still works like a dream on my skin. When you open the tub you immediately notice the gorgeous scent of mint chocolate, created by the different mint ingredients that help to balance and tone the skin. Since this is a clay mask, the consistency is lovely and thick and it gives a really deep cleanse, getting rid of any impurities but it also feels gentle and soothing. Using this mask is such a pleasant sensation; you'll look and almost smell like you've smothered your face with Nutella and it feels heavy on the skin but cooling at the same time, and after you've wiped it off with a damp cloth, almost giving it a mini exfoliation the skin feels very clean and soft, and I will definitely be getting this again.

Sticking with Lush products, for me one of the most genuine chocolate body care products is the Sonic Death Monkey Shower Gel.What I like in particular about this, is that the rich and sweet chocolate scent is broken up with a zesty, fresh and invigorating scent of lime making it a tad spicy, lovely and decadent, but not sickly sweet or heavy - which many chocolate scented products can be. Since I like to keep to one scent when it comes to my body care products, we of course also have a body butter to go with the shower gel - the Body Shop Body Butter in Chocomania. I have tried lots of Body Shop body butters so I was a bit surprised to find that the Chocomania is slightly different than the others. This might just be me, but I don't feel as if it's as thick as some of the other ones I've tried. It's still very creamy, pleasant to massage in and it melts in beautifully, but I don't get the same sense of deep long lasting hydration as with most of the others, even though it's supposed to be great for dry skin. Chocomania smells yummy, a bit like Maltesers and I do enjoy using it, but personally I wish it was even thicker in it's consistency.

Now we're getting to the really interesting stuff, starting with a candle. Yes I know it sounds crazy, a chocolate scented candle, can that really work? I had tried many candles scented with chocolate before and never thought that any of them were any good. I found them synthetic, waxy and sickly - that is until I tried a Lily Flame candle in Chocolate Truffles - oh my goodness. This fills the room with a gorgeous warm, rich, indulgent and luxurious scent that smells exactly the way that chocolate truffles taste! I don't know how they've done it, but Lily Flame have definitely captured this scent perfectly. I've talked about Lily Flame candles before and for me they are the best - the range of scents is amazing, and most importantly they burn really well for about 35 hrs, straight down in the tin, leaving no waste at all. Delectable chocolate in a candle - who would have thought?!

 

My last pick for this chocolate feast is a Cologne Spray in Chocolate Chip Cookie from the fantastic Demeter Fragrance Library. Demeter has over 250 different colognes and body care products inspired by everyday objects and experiences. It's a completely unique perspective on fragrance based on clear, straight forward and uncomplicated scents that are familiar to everyone and that tap into feelings of well being and simplicity. Some of the top selling colognes include the following: Apple Pie, Tomatoes, Vanilla Cookie Dough, Basil, Gin & Tonic, Rain, Wet Garden, Grass, Laundromat, Marshmallow, Orange Cream Pop, Pina Colada or Raspberry Jam - I dare you not to be tempted by at least one of them.

The scent of Chocolate Chip Cookie is like freshly baked cookies just out of the oven, made from a combination of light and dark chocolate, - sweet and light but slightly bitter as well, brown sugar and sprinkles of half melted chocolate chips. It's fascinating how incredibly genuine this smells! As it is a cologne it won't last very long, I'd say no more than perhaps 3 hrs, and there's definitely no risk of it being heavy or overpowering. But what a fun way to carry a favourite scent with you during the day and spray on when you need a pick me up or just to boost your mood.

After all this talk about chocolate I'm getting a bit peckish so perhaps some hot chocolate with a chocolate cookie - any takers...?