Aroma M Beauty Camellia Hair and Face Oils

I was so excited when Aroma M's Maria McElroy told me that she was going to start creating beauty products based on traditional ingredients and formulae used by the Kyoto Gion Geishas. What ended up in my hands was well worth the breathless wait. Her first two offerings, Camellia Hair Oil and Camellia Face Oil, both made a huge impression on me.

Camellia Hair Oil hits the ultimate sweet spot: a nourishing, shine-enhancing and strength-promoting oil that smells more delicious than any heaven I could conjure in my mind. There are few natural floral essences that never fail to excite me, and tuberose is at the top of the list. I think it's such a perfect fragrance for hair. This one eschews the more raunchy aspects of the flower for a sweeter, more balanced scent thanks to its marriage to rosemary essential oil. They reside happily together in a base of camellia, jojoba and argan oil, so you can bet on gorgeous, shiny hair. My hair is so long now that it's creeping dangerously close to the small of my back, so it goes without saying that my ends need extra attention, and Camellia Hair Oil fixes me right up while feeding my constant need to smell beautiful things. This is the hair oil to end all hair oils, and it's hand crafted and bottled by a talented nose who also, as we find out, has a serious knack for creating beauty products. Keep this in mind if you should find yourself in Barneys, holding a grotesquely expensive bottle of Frederic Malle Carnal Flower Hair Mist in your hand, which is pretty but won't do your hair many favors.

Camellia Face Oil is the sort of oil that immediately just slid right into its waiting slot in my skin care arsenal. Camellia oil is very soothing and wonderful for its immediate skin plumping powers and is quickly becoming ubiquitous in anti-aging preparations. This blend is packed with lots of other organic beauties: carrot seed, evening primrose, apricot kernel, vitamin e, golden jojoba and argan oil with essential oils of jasmine, neroli, geranium and frankincense. This is a great facial treatment for all skin types, including oily and blemish prone, due to its ability to help balance out sebum production. While your delicate skin is being treated with lots of antioxidants, deep hydration and healing, soothing ingredients, the complexion turns to satin. Fine lines are blurred and skin tone appears more even. I love a product that works hard and looks pretty while doing it.

I can't wait until Maria launches more Aroma M Beauty products. Her first two are extremely useful, results-driven oils combined with the aesthetics of an artist and perfumer, and her ability to offer us the unmistakable thrill of feeling like we were just let in on a secret or two.

[There is a set of these two oils available on aromam.com for $145, which saves you $5. Separately, the Camellia Hair Oil is $65 for 40ml and the Camellia Face Oil is $95 for 40ml. For the amount of product you're getting, I consider this a great deal]

Want to read another review of these lovely oils? Beauty Huile is the place to go.

Samples provided by Aroma M for my consideration.