Loca for coconuts!

See new "home" for this post here:
http://www.princessmartha.com/2012/07/hot-child-in-city.html

I’m halfway through my time here in Switzerland and the weather lately has been kind of cold and rainy…which has definitely made me nostalgic for my home, Miami Beach.  I thought this was the perfect time to share with you all the scent that I associated with my fabulous city…coconuts!! ;)

They say smells can transport you to places and revive memories and I couldn't agree more…all I have to do is smell any of these products and I feel like I’m home.
Let's start with some proof that I am clearly "loca"...I mean, I'm posing in the bathroom...cause isn’t that what you do when you have a mirror and a camera phone? ;)

By the way, if you’re interested, I’m wearing a Victoria’s Secret tee shirt dress in orange.
So now that we've had a good laugh at my craziness, let's get started on this post, shall we?
Does anyone else love the smell of coconuts like I do? I mean….I really love it. Maybe it’s because I live near the beach and everyone around me perpetually smells like suntan lotion…whatever the reason, I simply love the scent of coconuts. It’s tropical and very Miami…two of my favorite things. I lost my camera’s charger (don’t ask me how…I have no idea) so until the new one arrives, I have been shooting things with my Blackberry camera…which I know is not as good as all you iPhone users (I have serious emotional attachment problems with my Blackberry and I simply can’t make the switch) but these Blackberry pictures will just have to do. I am just going to show you some of my favorite products that I own that smell like coconut. They are the perfect thing for summer….or year round if you live in Miami ;)
First up are two items I use everyday and they’re both from the Body Shop:
A sure way to keep your skin looking radiant and healthy is with a scrub so you know I was jumping for joy when I found this coconut scrub. I love the way it smells and it’s super fine…which is perfect for your décolleté area but strong enough to use on your elbows and knees. Then after I scrub, I use my coconut shower cream. This is a very creamy and luxurious body wash…just a little goes a long way and I love that it doesn't dry out my skin…and it’s made with organic virgin coconut oil…whatever that means, but it sounds super good for you.

Next up I have my ultra bargain priced Suave shampoo in natural coconut…and of course, I have all sorts of other fancy hair products, but honestly…I’m kind of simple at times and I use what I feel like depending on my mood…and most often I will use this shampoo because I love smelling like a tropical island girl ;)
After I shower I always lather up with lotion…this was ingrained in my memory by my Mother since I can remember…"always use lotion"…and so I do. Even when the humidity is at 100%...yes, I am totally diligent about using my lotion everyday. Hey, we only got one skin so we better take good care of it, right? Anyway…I alternate between a couple of lotions from the Body Shop as well…but my go-to favorite is the Coconut Body butter. I will admit that this is a pretty heavy and thick lotion so I tend to use it mostly on my elbows, hands and feet…if I were to use this for all over body, I would be stuck to my clothes for hours…yep, not chic at all. I then use the Satsuma lotion for the rest of my body…which also smells deliciously tropical/citrus…so basically I end up smelling like a fruit salad when I’m done.
Next up I have my Sundari neem and coconut hair treatment oil…I only use a little bit and run it through the ends of my hair (never on the scalp or else you’ll get total greasy hair look). This doesn't really smell like coconuts but I’m still a sucker for it because it gives my hair a natural shine and helps protect it when I go crazy with my blow-dryer and flat iron. This is actually a leave-in conditioning treatment which you should use before your shower but I find that for me, it’s a great way to control my frizz while adding some benefits to my dry hair.

And my final touch is ultimate day time perfume for summer, Sud Pacifique Vanille Coco…the smell can only be described as “yummy”. This delicious coconut and vanilla concoction has the ability to make you feel like you’re sitting in Tahiti sipping a delicious frozen beverage even if you’re just sitting in traffic…so I definitely recommend this if you’re as loca for coconuts as I am.
So...although I can't be in Miami right now...I sure can smell like I'm heading to the beach on 1st street and getting ready to soak in the sun ;)
If you use/love/have products that are coconut based in ingredients and/or smell...let me know. I've never met a coconut product I could resist!

Till next time…

XOXO,
Bella M for Las Bellas