BODY OIL WITHOUT THE DRAMA

 

Honestly, body oil wasn’t always my go-to after the bath.

 

Because, if it was my morning bath, I would think about going out into the city, into a polluted environment, and giving all of those particles a reason to stick to my skin.

If it was my evening bath before going out, I would worry that I’d hug somebody and leave an oil stain on their clothing.

And if it was my bath before bed, I would worry about ruining my finest silk nighties and my fresh cotton linen bedsheets.

 

So for all its pleasures, body oil had never quite earned a permanent place in my routine.

 

But I know that in the hierarchy of oils, butters, serums and lotions, oils are the blueprint. And when it’s done right, I love the satin texture. I love the softness of skin and, of course, I love the beautiful sheen it gives your collarbone and décolleté. But I simply wasn’t willing to compromise and leave greasy marks everywhere I went.

 

So when we began formulating the 39BC Perfumed Dry Body Oil, I knew exactly what I wanted us to get right…

 

 

Firstly, the scent.

 

With our Perfumed Dry Body Oil, I wanted fragrance to live somewhere different. I love perfume, but I don’t always want my fragrance to enter the room before I do. There is something incredibly chic about scent that sits close to the skin; something that has to be discovered rather than announced.

 

Perfume is usually spritzed onto a few points — your wrists, your neck, behind your ears — but a perfumed body oil can be swept everywhere. Your shoulders, your stomach, your thighs, your legs, and all those more intimate places that perhaps only your lover will ever get close enough to smell.

 

 

Some things should be kept close to the skin.

 

 

 

 

SAGE WATER PERFUMED DRY BODY OIL

 

 

Secondly, the foundation of your fragrance layering.

 

When I was designing 39BC, I kept thinking about the strange disconnect in my own bathroom. I would spend a lot on beautiful, complex perfumes, only to wash and moisturise my body with something incredibly basic or far too sweet. Why was I so discerning about the fragrance I sprayed onto my neck, but expected so little from the fragrance I washed my entire body with?

I wanted 39BC to approach washing with the same complexity that I approached my perfume wardrobe. That was one of the reasons fragrance was so important to our Bath & Shower Oils from the beginning.

 

Now the Perfumed Dry Body Oil becomes the next layer. 

 

Wear it alone, or layer your perfume over it, building scent from the body outwards.

 

To me, your fragrance should begin long before you pick up the perfume bottle.

 

 

 

SILK VEIL PERFUMED DRY BODY OIL

 

 

Finally, the texture.

 

This was non-negotiable for me. I wanted the silkiness, the softness and the pleasure of massaging oil into the body, but I wanted it to disappear into the skin. No sticky residue. No waiting around half-naked before you can get dressed. And absolutely no sacrificing the aforementioned silk nighties.

 

So we developed it as a dry body oil: exceptionally lightweight and fast-absorbing, with a soft satin finish rather than a thick layer sitting on top of the skin. You can massage it onto dry skin, or apply it while your skin is still damp after bathing to help seal in moisture. Either way, what remains is soft, supple, perfumed skin.

 

The sensation of oil, without the aftermath.

 

 

 

DENARII PERFUMED DRY BODY OIL

 

 

 

And the funny thing is, you’ve been asking me for this almost since day one.

 

“When are you making a body oil?” has been one of the questions I’ve heard most since we launched 39BC — along with “When are you shipping to America?” (Our US website launched today, actually.)

 

Some of you became so impatient that you started using our Bath & Shower Oils as perfume, dabbing them onto your pulse points because you wanted SILK VEIL, DENARII, FIG MILK and SAGE WATER to stay with you after the bath.

 

 

 

FIG MILK PERFUMED DRY BODY OIL

 

 

 

Well, I heard you and it’s here.

 

All four fragrances are now available as Perfumed Dry Body Oils, and for the first time, you can wear your favourite 39BC scent from your shoulders to your toes — and everywhere in between. I’ve been using them non-stop since we approved the final samples in spring.

 

Perhaps the greatest irony is that you asked me to make a body oil, and in the process I ended up making myself a body-oil person.

 

I hope it earns a permanent place in your routine too.

 

Shar