Chocolate University Online

My family and friends have learned that giving me gifts that involve eating, wearing, or smelling like chocolate are encouraged.  Over the past year, I have been given three different chocolate scented body wash products as presents.  Just the other morning, I called my daughter into the bathroom where I asked her to sit and take notes as I compared the three products in the shower.

The first product is an oldie but goodie. By oldie, I mean, I don’t think it is being made anymore and by goodie, I mean, it’s been my gold standard for the past year. I am talking about Bath and Body Works: Wickedly Hot Chocolate Body Wash, Shampoo and Bubble Bath. You couldn’t ask for a product to do more!  The very dark and thick brown gel has a strong chocolate aroma and feels smooth on my skin.  It foams into a sudsy lather right away.  By the end of the shower, the odor does fade.  The lingering smell is a creamy, honey, vanilla- like scented candle.

The second product I used sounds better than it smells.  This is Sun Valley’s Crème de Cacao Body Wash.  The light brown mixture has a softer chocolate aroma than the Wickedly Hot Chocolate but feels just as smooth and lathers up just as fast.  The chocolate smell fades quickly and the lingering odor is very sweet with more vanilla scent than chocolate.

The third and newest product could be my new favorite!  Made by Crabtree and Evelyn it is called Cacao Noir Body Wash.  The thick creamy gel is white which surprised me because I have been used to seeing something in a shade of chocolate brown.  Right away, the aroma is very strong chocolate followed by a fantastic combination of chili pepper and spice cake.  The mixture of these smells is really different yet very pleasant.  I liked the unusual combination right from the start.  The body wash feels smoother on my skin than the other two products, if that is possible.  The chocolate aroma lingers longer before fading into a spicy, honey, vanilla and light floral scent.  Until the Cacao Noir, I did not really notice anything special about the way the body products felt on my skin.  I guess I was too busy sniffing the air and taking in the yummy smells.  But something in this body wash made me pay attention to how it felt on my skin and I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the delightful aroma.

I wanted to include links to these products in this article, but a quick search could not find any of them available online.  As is the case with many such items they may be made for a seasonal special purpose (perhaps Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day, or Mother’s Day) and then discontinued.  Therefore my advice is to keep your eyes (and nose) open and grab one of these or similar products when you have a chance!