Even though I am a naturals-lovin’ gal, I am perfume lover at heart, so when The Body Shop PR people contacted me regarding their new product launch, Love Etc., I was duly intrigued. The creator of the Eau de Parfum, Dominique Ropion, is very well-known for composing many perfumes such as Carnal Flower and Une Fleur de Cassie from the highly regarded Frederic Malle line-up. He’s also the nose behind the iconic Ralph Lauren Safari and Givenchy Amarige and the more recent mainstream hits, Givenchy Very Irresistible, Calvin Klein Euphoria and Armani Code.

While the Body Shop does use petroleum ingredients and parabens in their products, (the Love Etc. line is no exception) thankfully the green side of me was also piqued when I learned that Love Etc. features alcohol made from Ecuadorian organic sugar cane that is fairly traded and organically sourced through The Body Shop’s Community Trade program. You might be wondering, as I was, what this means exactly. Consorcio Argoartesanal Dulce Organico (CADO), a rural cooperative in Cotopaxi, Ecuador with over 150 families in membership, was formed to promote environmental sustainability and biodiversity. The Body Shop provides these organic sugar cane farmers a fair income and one hopes, a better outlook for them and their families’ futures. The outlook already appears to be more beautiful for the land, as according to The Body Shop’s press kit, the CADO farms are now blessed with orchid plants that did not grow when pesticides were in use. The Love Etc. line also includes a body wash and lotion, each containing Community Trade organic babassu oil and Community Trade organic honey from Coppalj in Brazil and African forest beekeepers respectively.

The scent itself is supposed to capture “the exuberance of love, happiness, fulfillment and goodness…help women unleash their feel-good factor”. Certainly no perfume can do all that, but with a marketing campaign filled with smiles, hearts, fair trade ingredients, and Dominique Ropion at the helm, I know I’m feeling pretty good.

Upon first smell, it would be easy to dismiss Love Etc. as just another fruity floral. The first hit packs the all too ubiquitous pink grapefruit-esque note which had me suspended in a moment of disappointment. Golden pear then delivered me from my despair and took me into the well-mixed cocktail zone. Not too sweet; just the perfect balance of fruit and booze. Neroli and bergamot are also listed alongside pear as topnotes (pink grapefruit is not) but even after three wearings, those two never made much of a statement. The fruitiness of the pear lasted about an hour, which was pleasant, but I can’t claim to be partial to fruity perfumes. So I was delighted after about an hour, when Love Etc. took on a warm beeswax-coated floral quality that had me captivated.

Jasmine, heliotrope and lily of the valley are the floral notes in Love Etc., yet none of them proclaimed themselves as the alpha flower. The jasmine was not indolic, the heliotrope was not almondy, and the lily of valley did not smell of, well…lily of the valley. Love Etc. simply has a pretty white floral blend that is not heady or forceful. This backdrop allows for the perfect foundation of honeyed warmth in its heart and the creaminess of vanilla that is strewn throughout. As for the drydown, it gets even better when sandalwood comes into play, and it lasts hours upon hours. (This longevity is one thing I am not used to since I wear naturals the majority of the time). Indeed, it’s been well over 24 hours since I sprayed it, and I’m still relishing in my Love Etc. which has dried down to a gorgeous woody-vanillic-floral that I think most women would enjoy.

In addition, the Body Wash and Body Lotion have excellent staying power, but are slightly different versions of the fragrance. I found the Body Lotion to be heavier on the pink grapefruit accord and the Body Wash to have more sandalwood. And I can’t help myself, I’ve got to make a pitch to The Body Shop peeps…I really hope that someday soon The Body Shop will release a line that is free of petroleum products, synthetic ingredients, and parabens.

So now for the really fun part! The GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment and you will automatically be entered to win a Love Etc. giftset from The Body Shop. This includes the EdP, Body Wash and Body Lotion, and will be sent to the winner directly from The Body Shop. Also, I will send the set I received for review to another lucky reader, as long as you don’t mind that a little bit of product will be gone from each of the bottles. (If you do not want to be entered in the giveaway for my set, you can specify this in your comment). US citizens only for this giveaway per The Body Shop request and also for me as the shipping would be a lot to send the three bottles overseas. You have until Sunday October 25th at 9pm PST to enter. Good Luck! Winners have been chosen!

Love Etc. Launches Monday October 19th and is available at The Body Shop’s retail stores.

Posted by ~Trish

Disclosure: Samples from the company’s PR agency were provided for this review. The opinons in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.