Product Review: Laura Mercier Collection Gourmand Treats

Christmas shopping is here already for some of us. And Laura Mercier has made shopping easy with a new collection of "Gourmand" treats to delight senses.

I first experienced Laura Mercier's Collection Gourmand while shopping at Nordstrom. Walking through the cosmetics department, I was intrigued by the glass jars filled with a buttery colored cream - the Crème Brulee Soufflé Body Crème. I stopped to sniff it and was amazed - it truly did smell just like Crème Brulee, the creamy custard-y dessert topped with a burnt sugar crust! I bought the trio set which included the Crème, a Honey Bath with dipper, and a scrub. I kept one piece and gave the others as gifts to some other sugar-obsessed friends!

Laura Mercier inspiration for the Gourmand Collection was the scent of French patisseries. The collection started with the Crème Brulee and Café Au Lait scents. The Au Lait scent has been discontinued, but new and even better scents have been added since launch: French Vanilla, Almond Coconut, and Chocolate Truffle selections.

The Honey Bath with Dipper ($40) is a rich and decadent treat. Tons of frothy bubbles surround you with the scent of honey, or chocolate or almond. The Soufflé Body Crèmes ($55) are thick and absorb well, never leaving you feel greasy. I have found that they keep quite well, as you don't need to use a lot each time, and their scent does not seem to degrade the way some other body creams do. The Sugar Scrub ($46) leaves your skin smooth and gently scented.

Laura Mercier has added scented candles to the Gourmand Collection; available in the all four scents for $42. There are also trios and duos collections available.

I have tried different "food" scented bath gels, crèmes and candles, but I have found Laura Mercier's quality, quantity and price to be far above most everything else that I have tried. Laura Mercier products can be purchased from their own website but are also available in store and online from Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and more. I've found that often in both the department stores and on the Laura Mercier website there are gift with purchase offers, so it pays to shop around and see what is available in order to get the most reward on your dollars!

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season just around the corner, what better way to treat your friends, family - and yourself - than with the scent of these fabulous cosmetic treats? And even better - there's no calories involved!