I love getting the chance to review the obscure, "made in the kitchen" (literally) bath & body brands. Often times, the products are as high quality as the bigger names that have made it onto retailer's shelves. Which makes me hope that with enough exposure, line's like Maryam's might have the opportunity to grow and become more well known.

Everything in Maryam's Soap Nook is all natural and handmade. She has a loooong list of fragrances, from fruity to floral , even unisex (because I can't be the only female out there who shares the bathroom with a male who vehemently denies that he used your oatmeal cookie body scrub).

The soaps ($5 for a 6oz bar) are made with palm, olive, coconut, monoi de Tahiti (think NARS body oil), and Vitamin E oils as well as goatsmilk and shea butter. My favorite was the Berries n' Cream, which lathered so well that it could easily double as a shaving cream. What I noticed most about the body scrub, butter and oil was how noticeably long the fragrance stayed on your skin. The Japanese Camellia Oil (big antioxidant) in Pomegranate and Wildberries was a little too overpowering for my taste (in fact, my laundry basket still smells like it!), but the after-effects of the oil were impressive. Definitly no need for a moisturizer.

The Green Tea and Jasmine Body Spray was a great scent and surprisingly hydrating. However the true test was when body mist met.....the tanning bed. I know, I know! But try living in Michigan in November, when everday seems more dreary and miserable then the last. It's no wonder Detroit is overrun with tanning bed junkies. So, yes, every great once in a while in the winter, I will make a visit for a quick UV ray fix. :-/ Anyhow, anyone who has been in the beds knows that there is typically a very pungent, burnt skin kind of smell that's just unavoidable. How surprised was I to emerge two hours after putting on the spray and I still smelled like Green Tea & Jasmine! You couldn't even detect I had been fake baking except for the hint of color.

What kind of beauty product reviewer am I? I realized yesterday that I have never worn, let alone tried out, anything by Prescriptives. Somehow I have always managed to overlook the brand, which continually has a handful of products chosen as editor's picks for magazines like Glamour, Allure, Self, Style, etc.

What kind of beauty product reviewer am I? I realized yesterday that I have never worn, let alone tried out, anything by Prescriptives. Somehow I have always managed to overlook the brand, which continually has a handful of products chosen as editor's picks for magazines like Glamour, Allure, Self, Style, etc.