Day-Spa-Tripping for the Modern Gal

Have you heard the latest dish?  Your local health & wellness retreat has made the move from seaweed wraps to the information superhighway. And you're the one who is set to clean up.

anise&currant, the newly-launched go-to site for all things bath, body and abode, is subsequently poised to be THE authority on sweet-scented elixirs, suds and balms.  Resident scent sleuth at anise&currant, Kristen Magee is on her way to compiling an impressive list of companies specializing in spa products.

While dressing table standbys, such as candles and soap, are well represented, Kristen adds an extra level of cachet to the directory by seeking out products that, until recently, were more scarcely represented by smaller designers, including cosmetics & perfume.

The true beauty of any directory website is that of discovery.  Browsing through the indexed listings, I am pleasantly surprised by the list of indie staples, as well as a number of shops I had not heard of before.  From Kristen's own Beccalights, to my new discovery of the cheekily-named Villainess, anise&currant's showing of products promising to soothe, detoxify & de-stress is proof that the bath, body, candle and cosmetic markets are on the rise when it comes to home-based ventures.

Beccalights' impressive range of candles, scent melts and room sprays is only outrivaled by the incredible scents!  I personally own her Tannenbaum, Carmelized Chestnuts and Pumpkin Cheesecake candle tins, the latter of which I have to admit to continually opening and reopening, just to breathe in the realistically divine scent.  These candles are richly infused with aromatic blends without being overpowering.  With the addition of more new scents every season, Beccalights truly lives up to its tagline promise to "scent your world".

Browsing around the website of my new discovery Villainess, I am struck by not only the endless list of scents in her Smooch! And Sudz lines, but also by Brooke's combination of sassy wit, practical employ of traditional soapmaking, and the tongue-in-cheek naming of her fragrant "skin-friendly" goodies.  With sinful treats such as the appropriately-named Decadence Smooch!, I would gladly adopt the Villainess lifestyle if that means being able to spoil myself daily with the milky concoction that promises to exfoliate as well as moisturize in one fell swoop.

The days of being wrapped up in bandages mummy-style are over (unless, of course, you are busy preparing for your best friend's Halloween party).  Today's spas are au courant, and instead of stealing away to some secluded hideaway, now you can find the latest pampering products with the click of a computer mouse.

It is easy to become overwhelmed when faced with the sheer magnitude of fragrances, flavors, and colors, not to mention the clays, minerals, and herbs formulated into bath & body products.  But anise&currant's department-store directory layout is intuitive to shoppers both informed and those who are not so.
 
With a sudsy sampling of the best in bath & body, as well as an expanding collection of candle makers, cosmetic chemists and perfumeries all in one easy-to-navigate directory, you won't have to run yourself ragged in order to hit them all.

Then again…you just may want to.  It will give you the perfect excuse to spoil yourself with a little extra face time at aniseandcurrant.com