I was at a dinner with fellow beauty editors a while back when suddenly, a few of them started to speak in lower voices and giggle. I immediately turned my attention away from my bread plate to join the conversation. "Have you tried the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream?" one asked. I had not. I had gotten the Sol de Janeiro cream in the mail and set it aside instead of bringing it home, uninspired by the prospect of bringing a heavy tub of body cream home when (1) I already had a few favorites, and (2) I usually forget to put it on in the first place.
"Every time I wear it, my date tells me I smell amazing," said one. At least two other women chimed in to say that they, too, had been complimented on this cream. I was intrigued. I brought the little yellow and white tub home with me the very next day.
And I wasn't immediately bombarded with admirers' compliments. But I didn't need them — I fell in love with its sugary, buttery, vacation-y scent, and the way it made my legs feel (soft) and look (smooth and hydrated, thanks to its blend of cupuaçu butter, açaí oil, and coconut oil), on my own. And so did a few of my friends, who ended up liking it so much that I let them keep my tub. (It's OK, Rachel, I got another one.)
Turns out that my love affair with Sol de Janeiro's Brazilian Bum Bum Cream has lasted for two years, through many real-life affairs that didn't work out — and eventually, one that did. We were long-distance, and I wanted to give him something to remember me by when we were apart. I ended up giving him a candle Sol de Janeiro sent with the signature Bum Bum fragrance (it was never sold in stores).
A few weeks later, he sent me a letter with a note better than a compliment: "Every time I smell that scent, it's like you're there."
The Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is a 2020 Allure Readers' Choice Winner. See the complete list of this year's winners here.
