CAN BLACKCURRANT SMELL GROWN-UP?
Yes, we say, after taking a whiff of a new designer fragrance that uses the fruit as one of its main notes. By LIEU WEI NING
A fruit tart was the first thing that came to mind when I smelled Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani’s latest fragrance Si (which means yes in Italian). The reason? It uses blackcurrant nectar as one of its main notes.
The problem with fruity scents is that they tend to smell too girlie. But Si doesn’t. Instead, it’s sensual and sophisticated, thanks to the use of notes like Rose de Mai, vanilla, bergamot and neroli.
You still get an opening burst of fruityfloral sweetness, but I was pleasantly surprised by what came next: a warm, comforting trail of vanilla that balanced out the sharpness of the blackcurrant top note.
Three hours after applying Si, the scent still lingered on my skin. And about six hours later, it settled down into a powdery vanilla fragrance. Giorgio Armani Si EDP, $125–$175. This green, mint-scented scrub resembles toothpaste, but it contains caffeine and horse chestnut extract to counter cellulite and water retention.
Nip+Fab Circulation Fix Body Scrub, $19.90.
Featuring a medicated blend of eucalyptus, tea tree and thyme essential oils, this energising body scrub leaves your skin and senses instantly refreshed. Besides removing dead skin cells, it uses glycolic acid to rm up and improve skin texture, and eucalyptus oil to stimulate blood circulation.