Our sense of smell shapes our memories, experiences, and perceptions of the world. Not only what we smell, but what we smell like ourselves is a significant part of our personal identity. My best friend has worn Thierry Mugler Alien for years, and I will forever associate the scent with our friendship and happiness. But what if you went on a date with a guy whose scent you couldn’t stand? Maybe not even a matter of cologne, it’s just his natural body odor. For many, that’d be a deal breaker.
Enter the new frontier in dating: pheromone parties. Here’s the scoop: guests are asked to sleep in a t-shirt for three consecutive nights. After the third night, they freeze the shirt in a Ziploc bag to “lock in” the scent. Then, at the party, bags are marked male or female and guests go around smelling the bags. At the end of the night, guests pick the bag that they find smells most attractive, and they meet the person behind the scent. Crazy! Seems like an all-together kooky idea, but we think they’re on to something. If scent shapes our perceptions of one another so significantly, then pheromone parties seem, well, logical.
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Maybe sniff testing isn’t on your calendar this Valentine’s Day, but you can still play around with fragrance to make yourself a hot commodity. Here are a few date-night fragrances that we find magnetic:
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The denim brand’s new Spa line is designed with moisturizing ingredients like Olive Extract and Aloe Vera. Included in the collection is the much talked about Smooth Leg Jean that claims to fight cellulite with “caffeine, retinol and algae” packed right into the denim itself! This style was “clinically tested by the Institut Adriant in France, where after four weeks of wearing the jeans for eight hours a day, five days a week over six weeks, 69 per cent of the panel claimed that the appearance of their thighs had improved.” At $136 a pair, the style will be available on ASOS.com starting January 28. Truth be told, even if some cellulite lingers after wearing these jeans, if a little added moisturizer can make wiggling into my favorite pair of denim that much easier, I am not complaining.
Youth Cleansing Milk: This light cleanser has antioxidant-rich Magnolia Essential Oil, Sweet Almond Oil to soften skin and hydrating Hyaluronic Acid.
Youth Toning Lotion: This anti-aging milky lotion removes make-up and tones skin. It’s made with Magnolia Essential Oil, softening Rose Milk and Hyaluronic Acid. 
We’ve slathered every which type of oil on our skin—olive, argan, coconut, jojoba, avocado, to name five. A new contender that landed on our desks: Squalane oil. It’s a hot new ingredient that’s popping up in skincare products and gaining industry buzz. The oil was once purely derived from shark liver (yikes!), which is considered to be the richest source of Squalane. However, there are now all-natural, cruelty-free ways to obtain Squalane via plant sources like Amaranth seed, rice bran, wheat germ, and olives. 
Once reserved for guests of exclusive French hotels, the luxurious skincare line Russie Blanche has come stateside. The only way to get your hands on the products is to visit the Blue Harmony spa at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort or to purchase off their website (blueharmonyorlando.com).
Lucky for me, I was sent their best sellers to try. The line marries the traditions of Russian massage and aromatherapy with French skincare practices, and the key ingredients are siberian golden root, touted for fighting stress, siberian ginseng, known for its ability to survive in cold climates and essential oils. The kicker is that none of the products contain bad stuff like parabens, artificial colors, etc. 
I’ve always been hesitant to self tan my face. I’ve done my body, but the consequence of having a bad outcome on my face never seemed worth it. Plus, I’ve been more than happy using a 
