Monday, August 2, 2010

Bathory Diabolique: Scrub

Hello ladies,

I have been using the scrub from Bathory Diabolique for the past month and I am delighted with how soft my feet have become. The dual purpose formula contains a mix of sea salt, raw sugar and natural oils to exfoliate and moisturize. If you experience dry patches and roughness on your feet, this scrub is the antidote.

Black-eyed Susans at Bartram's Garden.
It's impossible to think of Bathory Diabolique without contemplating their exquisite fragrances. I tested four different scrubs in the following scents:

Ch'ang-o: Chinese goddess of the moon; protector of children. She does not personify the moon, but lives on it protected by the hare. Her husband lives on the sun and together they represent yin & yang. Her scent is grape, fresh off the vine blackberries, raspberries, and dark spices. It smells as beautiful as the drink which gave her immortality.

Pomponal: The sacred grove of Pomona, goddess of apples, orchards, and fruit. This scent captures the wonder and beauty of Pomponal. Strawberries, melon, mango, raspberries, apple, and pear with a backdrop of white florals.

Vajrayogini: The Buddhist deity visualized as both youthful and red, dancing through and triumphing over ignorance as her long black hair sways to and fro. She pours her great blessings upon the faithful. Frangipani, spicy frankincense, sweet sandalwood and a good dose of nagchampa is surely a blessing to us as we submerge ourselves in a warm bath with this triumphant scent.

Xochiquetzal : (ot i ketsal) Aztec goddess representative of human desires. Alluring and youthful, this scent is simple desires of youth. A soft, warm cream sweetened with a hint of brown sugar. both alluring and innocent, full of human desire.

I can sit under the grape arbor in the community garden and encounter one of the fragrant notes of C'hang-o. It's also the perfume of a berry harvest. I feel like my senses converge when I use this scrub. That momentary tart bite one experiences when tasting blackberries is present in the fragrance. The raspberry note brings in the sweetness and the spices add a deepening complexity.

Pomponal is one of my absolute favorites from Bathory Diabolique. The blend is ambrosial. It makes me think of an Otherworldly banquet of fruit so fresh each piece still has the touch of the sun on its skin. The floral element is soft, like the invitation of a bouquet.

Vajrayogini is for the spice lover. If you prefer your scents dark and earthy, Vajrayogini is certain to please. I love how the sandalwood merges with the nag champa. The frankincense brings a deep resinous quality. With the frangipani blooming up from the darker base notes, the fragrance is overtly sensual and not for the shy.

The sweet cream scent in Xochiquetzal is very comforting. I'm really impressed with this particular fragrance being able to maintain it's purity given the base ingredients in the scrub. The sea salt doesn't alter it unfavorably nor does the raw sugar make it overly sweet. The cream note is fresh and light. It doesn't sour on the skin as some creamery notes can. It's simple and lovely.

Here is the list of components in the scrub: Shae butter, coconut oil, sea salt, raw sugar, and fragrance.

Sea salt and raw sugar pair well together to exfoliate the skin. Sea salt is naturally abrasive. It works to draw toxins from the body as you scrub. It also offers these beneficial nutrients along with trace minerals: calcium, iodine, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

Raw sugar contains glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy that helps loosen and dissolve dead skin cells. There is not only the benefit from the sloughing action of sugar crystals, but a natural chemical component as well. As dry skin is removed, the shae butter and coconut oil can absorb into the skin to nourish and moisturize

The scrub functions as a spa treatment rather than a cleanser. To best experience the moisturizing and exfoliating benefits, it's preferred to start with cleansed skin. The texture of the scrub make it perfect for coarser skin such as feet, elbows and knees. The scrub is definitely not suitable for the face or any tender, personal areas. Even though it smells fantastic and you may be tempted to use it everywhere, do practice some restraint.

One of the things I love about the scrub is you only need a small amount to benefit your skin. The shae butter is incredibly emollient. It amazes me just how silky it feels going on. The scrub is still textural. It doesn't feel super gritty, yet still manages to be effective. I honestly haven't used anything quite like it before.

After experimenting a bit, you'll find the right amount of scrub you need to soften your feet. I would recommend starting with a light application. It will leave a sheen of shae oil on your skin. You won't need to use foot cream afterwards. I love using the scrub before bed.

The scrub can be left in the shower or refrigerated. It has a nice cooling sensation just out of the fridge. You will need to stir the scrub before use if you decide to try refrigerating it. The shae and the salt and sugar will separate and then solidify. It's still soft enough to easily remix with a spoon.

The real problem with putting the scrubs in the fridge is to remember to take them out before showering! For that reason, I have one that I keep at the edge of the tub and rotate the others from the fridge.

I'm really pleased with how well this scrub has worked to soften my feet. Living downtown in Philadelphia leads me to do a lot of walking. I am so impressed that with continued use, I no longer have to worry about roughness on the top of my toes. I also noticed that I reach for my foot file much less often. I will definitely be ordering replacement scrubs as the ones I have run out. I can recommend the scrubs highly.

The scrubs were sent to me for review. Bathory Diabolique products can be found at bathorydiabolique.com. There is a special site where readers of painted Lady fingers can receive a 10% discount. Visit plfbathorydiabolique.com to enjoy the savings on your purchase. For a chance to win a beauty gift pack from Bathory Diabolique along with a pendant and nail polish, stop by the Bathed, Perfumed, and Polished Giveaway to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

10 comments:

  1. That sounds amazing! I have really rough feet, so I could definitely benefit from these scrubs. Thanks for the review!

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  2. sounds like a beautiful product, great review x

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  3. Yum, YUM. I just love scrubs, I use them often on my hands as well as my feet. These sound so lovely Diana!

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  4. You describe it so beautifully. :) And those fragrances are very sensual and girly.

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  5. Oh, I'd like a scrub, my feet are a bit messed up. I love the descriptions of the scents as well

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  6. Beautiful black-eyed susans! That scrub sounds amaaaazing to me!

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  7. wow those fragrances are pretty exquisite !!
    thank you for the description :)

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  8. Your descriptions sound like poetry.

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  9. Mmm, I really want to win your giveaway so these can be mine! I agree with Lucy, you're so amazing at making everything sound so delicious and wonderful.

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