I have always loved The Body Shop products for their 'cruelty free' promise. And the Musk range - be it white, red or the new black - has always lived up to it. The musk used in these fragrances are cruelty free. It contains Community Fair Trade organic alcohol crafted from sugar cane that is harvested by co-operatives in South America. So, it's all good for you and our adorable animal friends.

The Body Shop refers to their Black Musk range as one of their most darkest and sensual fragrances. Well, I do agree with them on the sensual part, but this is definitely not one of their darkest fragrances. The range - comprising of an EDP, EDT and Perfume Oil, come packaged in elegant black glass bottles with a hint of fuchsia pink. The fragrance is a blend of sweet and sensuous note, which stays true to their 'Nice and Naughty' campaign. Although it has a few sweet notes, the musky and sensual notes do their job well, ensuring that the fragrance does feel overpowering. The opening notes feel like a blend of bergamot, pear and pink pepper (and trust me, that's where your affair with the fragrance begins).  

As we further continued to test the fragrance, the middle notes began their work. While we can still feel the aroma of pear, there are hints of heliotrope, marzipan, almond, ylang ylang that linger on. Not to forget, notes of liquorice as well, which are very peculiar. Finally, as the fragrance begins to settle well, some of favourites including black musk, black vanilla, earthy patchouli, vetiver and chocolate set the end notes perfectly. All these notes help the Black Musk range of fragrances get its sensuous and not too overwhelming aroma, which is fast becoming one of our favourites.

The Body Shop Black Musk Eau de Parfum (EDP)

Quantity: 50ml

Price: Rs 3295

Our experience: We love the beautiful melange of the sweet and sensuous notes. It is perfect for a special evening occasion and is perfect for the festive winter mood. Just spritz it a few times and you are ready to go. The tiny elegant bottle is perfect to carry, except for the fact that it is not very travel friendly (glass bottles have their disadvantages). This is one of those few perfumes that can actually make you feel special and that too, without burning a huge hole in your pocket. The fragrance is intense and lingers on strongly for a good number of hours (in our case, a good six - seven hours).

The Body Shop Black Musk Eau de Toilette (EDT)

Quantity: 60ml

Price: Rs 2195

Our experience: Well, the fragrance is same and so are our views on it. The aroma is a little less intense than the EDP and Perfume Oil. But, what really surprised was the fact that despite being an EDT, the lasting power of this product was actually very good. While most EDTs last anywhere around 2 hours, this one almost stayed on for 3 - 4 hours. I love wearing this EDT after a post-workout / run shower. It just makes me feel like I have walked out in a 'pure bliss' mode. 

The Body Shop Black Musk Perfume Oil

Quantity: 20ml

Price: Rs 2095

Our experience: One of our personal favourites, the Black Musk Perfume Oil reminds us of the traditional 'Attar'.  Even the glass bottle with a dropper reminds us of those tiny attar bottles that you would find at most vintage shops. The oil is non-greasy and lingers on for a good 4 hours. It's the tiniest bottle from this range and can easily slip into your bag, without adding any extra weight. Oh, and don't worry about any spills (unless you end up breaking the bottle, of course). The bottle is neatly packed and the cap is well fitted. Despite being an oil based fragrance, the aroma is intense.

Final Verdict: This warm, sensuous blend has become our favourite already. We would prefer using this range more during the fall - winter / festive season, thanks to its warm notes, especially liquorice. If you loved the strong and spicy notes of the Red Musk range, then you might be a bit disappointed with the more warm and sweet notes of this fragrance. But still, I would recommend that you visit the store and give a product from this range, especially the EDP or Perfume Oil, a shot. It's a sophisticated fragrance that is a perfect mix of sweet and sexy and will definitely not disappoint you. The delightful notes will ensure that you fall in love with this fragrance, slowly and steadily.

Have you tried the all new Black Musk range by The Body Shop? If yes, tell us about your experience on Twitter | Instagram or Facebook.

Love,

The Dancebee

On popular demand, we are back with the Must Try List. This time, we have got some interesting must haves, including make up and skincare favourites, much anticipated films and more. All set to make your February special? Then you must read on to know more!

Must Have - Fragrance: The Body Shop Black Musk range

While we be doing a detailed review of this range very soon, we must say that we can't stop loving the all new Black Musk range by The Body Shop. The newest addition to their musk range after White Musk and Red Musk, the black musk has a delightful fragrance and comes in both Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum. It contains community fair trade organic alcohol, which crafted from sugar cane. We love the packaging, which makes it a perfect V-day gifting option!

Must Buy - Foundation: Lakme 9 to 5 weightless mousse foundation

You saw all live updates from the launch event of this product on our Snapchat account, and well, this super light foundation mousse has made it to our list of favourites for this month. Since February is a pleasant mix of warm and cold weather in most states, we think the Lakme 9 to 5 weightless mousse foundation is perfect for this month! The light texture and packaging makes this product super travel friendly. That's all we can reveal for now, as we will be talking about the product in detail soon.

Must Check Out - Skincare: Clinique Dark Circle Recovery Kit

Dark circles are a major concern for almost everyone, and one of our favourite skincare brands - Clinique - has come up with a Dark Circle Recovery Kit, which aims at lightening the under eye area over time through a three step process.  The kit includes - Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector (a gentle, tinted eye treatment formula to lighten the entire eye area and prime skin before makeup),  All About Eyes Concealer (a multi-tasking, long-wearing, moisturising concealer that not only disguises dark under-eye circles but also reduces the look of puffiness) and finally, the Quickliner for Eyes Intense (distract attention from dark circles with our phenomenally versatile eye pencil for all day wear). Always wanted to surprise your loved ones with a caring gift? Don't think it can get better than this. Or perhaps, it can make for a good self help gift as well.

Must Watch - Film: Neerja and Fitoor

While one tells the tale of a brave heart, the other is a cinematic adaption of one of Charles Dickens' most popular novels. February looks like a good month for films as we have Fitoor and Neerja releasing one week after another. Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor has been in the news since quite sometime, thanks to the multiple changes in cast and more recently, Katrina Kaif's hair makeover worth 55 lakh. But, the promos have caught our eye and we think this Aditya Roy Kapoor - Katrina - Tabu starrer is something to watch out for. Fitoor hits the screens on February 12.

On the other hand, we have Sonam Kapoor stepping into the shoes of PanAm braveheart Neerja Bhanot, in a biopic titled Neerja. We are loving Sonam's look in the film and the promos have already left us speechless. Some scenes are enough to give you goosebumps. The film shows an important journey of a girl, who single handedly changed the lives of several passengers, while sacrificing her own. We have got your eyes on ad-man Ram Madhvani's directorial debut. Neerja is all set to release on February 19.

Must Read - Book: Anything But Khamosh

We all know him as the industry's most loved 'Chainu' or 'Kalicharan'. But, for those who always wanted to know about the struggle that went behind the making of legendary actor Shatrughan Sinha,  we suggest you pick up his biography. Anything But Khamosh: The Shatrughan Sinha Biography - by popular veteran journalist Bharti Pradhan, is a fascinating read that retraces journey of India’s most popular Bihari Babu. Let us know if you would like us to review this book!

Must Use: Lipstick - Maybelline Lip Gradation

Experimenting with your lip colours just got easier. Well, ladies, the Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gradation is here and it promises to help you experiment with different looks everyday. The lip gradation is a buttery soft powder stick with a color stick at one end and a cushion blender on the other side and comes in eight powder shades. Maybelline claims that these are lipsticks have highly saturated pigments to give you a gorgeous pop of colour (well, we can figure that out once we try it, yes?) The Maybelline Lip gradation is priced at Rs 500.

Must Visit: Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (Mumbai)

February is not just about love. In Mumbai, it also marks the beginning of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. The week long festival includes art installations, workshops, performances, and specially curated exhibitions that will keep the art lover in you hooked on. Plus, shopaholics can head straight to the Rhythm House lane, where a wide variety of items from across the nation (Yes! You read that right), right from Rajasthan to Orissa and even Maharashtra, are available for sale at the stalls. Still need a reason to visit the KGAF? Click on the image to watch our exclusive video from KGAF 2014.

Got a favourite already? Tell us what you are excited to try from my 'Must Try' list for February.

Join the conversation on Twitter | Instagram | Snapchat or Facebook at @priyaadivarekar

Love,

The Dancebee