Review: Intimate Organics Sensual Cocoa Bean & Gogi Berry Cleansing Gel and Body Souffle

Intimate Organics Sensual Cocoa Bean & Gogi Berry Cleansing Gel (translation: bath / shower gel) and Body Souffle (translation: body lotion) from PinkCherry.com are something else: they aren't sex toys, or lube, but they promise "to leave your body and mind relaxed, invigorated and ready for whatever your night holds." I put them to the test one evening to see if they left me feeling ready for a sexy evening.

I hopped in the shower and as soon as I snapped open the Cleansing Gel, my nose was filled with the scent of what seemed like, to me, chocolate and raspberries. Yum. The only problems were that the scent was kind of artificial, and it only lasted while I was in the shower. Once I got out, I smelled myself (good thing I didn't run into any of my housemates) and the smell had pretty much gone. Kind of defeats its purpose, if you ask me.

Next, I dried myself off and smoothed on the Body Souffle. Now, I grew up in a tropical country and I am currently living in the frozen wasteland (not really) that is New England. My skin dries out so fast here that it's not even funny. After trying a slew of products, the only ones I've found that actually keep my skin moist are Eucerin (which is dermatologist-approved and specifically for dry and sensitive skin) and a moisturizer from Lush, the name of which I've forgotten by now. Basically, the Body Souffle had a lot to stand up to.

It held up alright. It left my skin soft and shiny, but definitely wouldn't protect my skin completely from dryness. The good thing about the Body Souffle was that the chocolate-raspberry smell lingered a lot longer, basically all afternoon.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about the scent. On the one hand, I love desserts, and chocolate especially, so I definitely found the scent pleasant at first and was turned on by the idea of making out with a partner and smelling that on them, or having a partner smell it on me (and thinking that it made me even yummier ) However, a while after my shower, when I was in the library and kept catching whiffs of the scent on my hands as I worked, it started to wear on me, and instead of liking it I began finding it too sickly-sweet. It didn't help that I ran into my friend SA and she asked, "what's that smell? It smells like those cupcakes I had as a kid with lots of artificially colored icing all over them." Not what I want my lover to associate me with when we're about to get down and dirty.

This is probably just my personal preference though. If you like sweet smells, you'll probably like these products, and I have to commend them because of their 100% organic and vegan-friendly ingredients.

If only the Cleansing Gel had a stronger smell, and if only the Body Souffle was less overpowering. My verdict is: for now, I think I'll stick to my favorite bath & skin care brands, Lush and the Body Shop. The pricing isn't that much different anyway.

Specs:

• All-natural, organic ingredients (no parabens, glycerin, DEA or animal products)
• Vegan-friendly
• Cleansing Gel amount: 240mL (4oz)
• Body Souffle amount: 150mL
• Price (of each, separately) at PinkCherry.com: $14.99

Two out of five hearts.