Shelfie Faves, Vol. 2 (Aēsop, Sol de Janeiro, Byredo)

Happy Monday! I’m back today with some more popular Pinterest/Instagram ‘shelfie darlings’ to explore and review! In this on-going series, I feature and review the most popular items that we see appear again and again in pretty pictures on Pinterest and Instagram. I also give my two cents on whether they’re worth all the attention and hype.

Last time, we looked at Gisou’s honey-infused hair products, La Mer’s moisturizing cream, and Diptyque’s Baies candle. Today’s batch of luxury goodies includes:

Aēsop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash

If you’ve seen even one bathroom or kitchen reno photo within the last several years, there’s a 99.9% chance that you’ve also seen an elegant bottle of Aēsop Hand Wash perched next to the sink in said photo. This soap is simply the gold standard used in staging bathroom and kitchen photos. Also sometimes found in luxury hotels and restaurants, the popular hand wash has become downright famous.

Founded in 1987 by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis, Australian-based Aēsop has prided itself on producing ethical, sustainable, vegan, cruelty-free, high quality beauty and home products for 34 years. Aēsop also heads its own foundation with a sharp focus on literacy and giving a voice to those who may otherwise not have a platform. The company has physical stores all over the world and is also carried in some fine department stores, such as Nordstrom.

• Scent: the popular hand wash contains notes of mandarin rind, rosemary leaf, and cedar atlas. It’s an elevated citrusy herbaceous concoction that will leave hands smelling clean and fresh.
• Application/Use: 1 pump of this high quality wash does the trick. It has a nice lather and rinses clean.
• Freebies/Swag Sent With Order: Aēsop offers complimentary samples with every order and even gives you a selection to choose from.
• Overall Thoughts/Quality/Worth It?: I was late to the party and only discovered Aēsop about 3 years ago but I’ve been a believer ever since. This hand wash has become my go-to kitchen soap and I also feature it in my powder room at times. Though the soap is admittedly on the pricier side, the large 500m/16.9 fl oz bottle lasts a very long time (pro-tip: make sure to save the pump from your first purchase of this soap as refill bottles are available and save 0.42 oz of plastic). I have been happy with all of the Aēsop products I have tried so far and their Primrose Facial Hydrating Cream is my favorite daily hydrating facial cream. I also recommend their other well-known hand wash, the woodsy-scented Reverence Aromatique, which contains finely milled pumice to exfoliate hard-working hands.

Find it here:

Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash 500ml (at Aēsop’s Amazon store)

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

When I kept seeing people compare the scent of this body cream to multiple perfumes that I love, I knew I needed to try it! With notes of pistachio, salted caramel, and vanilla, this gourmand-loving gal was hooked at first sniff! The product is much more than just a yummy fragrance, though. It is an amazing hydrator that smooths and lifts skin while giving it a playful little hint of shimmer.

Sol de Janeiro was founded in 2015 by three partners: Heela Yang, Camila Pierotti, and Marc Capra. With Pierotti hailing from Rio de Janeiro and Yang and Capra both living in Brazil for a time, basing the company’s beauty products on a Brazilian theme made sense. The founders loved the feel of Brazil’s inclusive beauty culture, where ALL body types are considered beautiful and belong. The company is committed to creating sustainably sourced, vegan, cruelty-free, reef-safe products.

• Scent: YUMMY! A gourmand-lover’s dream with top notes of pistachio and almond; mid notes of heliotrope and jasmine petals; and base notes of vanilla, salted caramel, and sandalwood. This deliciously-scented cream quickly becomes a fave of most everyone who tries it. And psst… if you want your entire house to smell like this cream, Bath & Body Works’ Tiki Beach is a dead-ringer for this fragrance. I love to keep their Wallflowers and room spray on hand for the summer months.
• Application/Use: With a name like ‘Bum Bum’ (pronounced “Boom Boom” in Brazil), as you can imagine, this cream is fantastic for use on the derrière. However, it’s also excellent used anywhere you’d like to have lifted, glowing skin: legs, tummy, arms, etc. It even makes a wonderful hand cream, my dry skin just drinks it up.
• Freebies/Swag Sent With Order: This selection rotates but they are currently offering a free sample of their Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel with every order.
• Overall Thoughts/Quality/Worth It?: This beloved cream is beloved for a reason: it feels great and smells amazing. It’s won several beauty magazine awards and has a cult following of women that swear by it. And as far as luxury body creams go, the price is not outrageous. A gigantic 240ml jar only runs $45 and will last a good long time. Sol de Janeiro even offers a subscription service which will save you $4.50 each time you repurchase.

Find it here:

Bum Bum Cream 25ml, 75ml, 240ml (at Sol de Janeiro)

Byredo Gypsy Water Perfume

I first stumbled upon the house of Byredo when I discovered Anna Granberg Kalaritou’s chic Style and Create website several years ago. I would scroll through the gorgeous Swedish-based product developer’s photos and drool over the gorgeous Northern European interiors. As I pored over the impeccably-styled homes, I began to notice certain elegant-looking products pictured time and time again in the beautiful photos and became curious about them. One that especially caught my eye was Byredo’s Gypsy Water parfum, with its sleek, minimalistic packaging.

Stockholm-based Byredo was created in 2006 by artist Ben Gorham. Gorham had no formal training in perfumery but after meeting perfumer Pierre Wulff, he was inspired to delve into the world of fragrance. Gorham has partnered with several famous noses, including Jérôme Epinette, to create some of the most famous and beloved fragrances, including the popular Gypsy Water. This woodsy fragrance is meant to honor the traditions and beauty of the Romani people and culture.

• Scent: Gypsy Water has the feel of a fairy spring in a magical forest. It’s clean, interesting, layered, and sophisticated. The opening smells like magic sparkles; the citrus combined with the spice of the pepper and woodsy juniper has a sparkling effect. The warm vanilla and amber soon join and the orris combined with that vanilla gives it a lovely powdered vanilla sugar vibe that is simply addictive when combined with the woodsy sandalwood. It’s like eating a powdered puff pastry in a magical forest. A strong love for me, always! The official notes are as follows: Top: Bergamot, Juniper Berries, Lemon, Pepper; Heart: Incense, Orris, Pine Needle; Base: Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla
• Application/Use: I find this fragrance to be pretty powerful so I usually apply one spray per wrist and one more around the neck area. I find it to be a long-lasting fragrance that is ‘signature scent’ worthy and can be worn anytime, anywhere.
• Freebies/Swag Sent With Order: Byredo offers free shipping and 2 generous-sized 2ml perfume samples with every order
• Overall Thoughts/Quality/Worth It?: This perfume is not cheap but to me it is worth the cost because I love the scent so very much. It is also available in a handy travel-sized rollerball that is quite a bit more affordable. Another option is to try it in hand cream form (which as you can see in the pic above, I am quite overdue for a new tube!) With all scents (and most especially the pricier ones), it is always a great idea to try before you buy. Therefore, I will also include links below to decants available in affordable 1, 2, 5, and 9ml sizes.
• Bonus side note: If Byredo’s prices are just too out of the realm, a very affordable similar fragrance to try is Elizabeth and James’ Nirvana Bourbon, which is always on major markdown at FragranceNet and other discount retailers such as Nordstrom Rack. Don’t knock it just because it’s the Olsen twins! They truly make some fine fragrances and clothing.

Find it here:

Gypsy Water 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants, brand new 100ml bottle (at Scent Split)

Gypsy Water 50ml (at Bergdorf Goodman)

Gypsy Water EDP 50ml, 100ml (at Nordstrom)

Gypsy Water – all products (at Nordstrom)

Similar vibe: Nirvana Bourbon – several sizes & products (at FragranceNet)

So that’s it for today’s goodies! Anything here that you’ve tried or been wanting to try? I’ll be posting more articles in this series so do let me know if there’s a product you’d like me to check out, I will do my very best to accommodate! Glossier & Ouai are already on the agenda for next time. Have a great week, everyone! ✨

This post contains affiliate links, meaning when you click the shopping links and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.