Kings & Queens

It is sort of funny the way things transpire. Have you ever noticed how one thing can just lead to another without you ever expecting it? On a recent Target shopping trip I picked up a new, ribbon-weaved notebook for work (I need something pretty to look at while sitting through endless meetings). And in one of those meetings my co-worker complimented me onit. We started talking about the shopping utopia Target is and the endless things one never knew they needed until they browsed the aisles. As a fellow New Yorker who doesn't have the luxury of having a Target store within the city, she commented on how Duane Reade (the smaller, NYC answer to Target) has cultivated an equally interesting selection of products. She started raving about this body product line she had seen there after having once purchased it at Nordstorm. 9am sharp the next day she is at my desk clutching a heavenly body butter...

And that is the moment I fell in love with Kings & Queens Nefertiti Honey Body Butter. It is rare that a product can sweep me off my feet within the first few seconds. I tend to be the cautiously skeptical type who must use a product several times before recognizing any affection-like feelings. My eyes were fixated on this ornately designed tube as I thought "Wow I don't need to hide this product in my bathroom." It's so beautiful it can actually be a decoratory element. As I unscrewed the cap and squeezed the cream, the nourishing scent of honey sealed the deal. And of course with all that foreplay, the cream really delivered- rich, luxurious and hydrating. So off I went to my local Duane Reade and stockpiled this life-changing product. I also picked up the complimentary body wash to complete the whole experience. Used by the original Beaute Guru, Cleopatra, honey has been long revered for its natural humecant properties (meaning it attracts and retains moisture), utilized in combination the body wash and body butter nourish skin for a long-lasting silky softness. I had almost forget about the products until I went to put my sweater on this afternoon and noticed how unbelievably rose petal-esque my skin felt. I must have not been the only person to realize this, my poor coworker had the body balm stolen off her desk after showing it to me. Can you imagine?! Beaute readers run (not walk) to your Duane Reade for this lavish indulgence. For my non-Nyc friends checkout out Beauty.com which sells a set with the body wash and balm for $12. Now that's what I call pampering, recessionista style.

Usage tip: For optimal hydration, apply the body balm directly after getting out of the shower to seal in the moisture. Check out there other scents as well, although I must warn you that they're not nearly as amazing as the honey.

The result: Nefertiti, the royal wife of an Egyptian Pharaoh, was revered as beauty icon who relied on honey for all her beauty treatments to ensure she lived up to the essence of her name, which means "the beautiful woman has arrived".