For UK Villainesses - Poshbrats exclusives, Posh and Brats

I've been a Villainess girl for a couple of years now (I reviewed Pyromania Smooch! on Emakemeup.com in May 2007.) I was pleased to recently discover that there is a UK Villainess distributor, Poshbrats. The proprietor kindly sent me some of their two exclusive Villainess blends (Posh and Brats) to try.

The Smooch!es in these scents are both classic Villainess sugar scrubs. They are nicely scrubby without being abrasive, and a great choice for everyday exfoliation. Both give a soft and moisturised finish to the skin, and good scent payoff even after rinsing off.

The Whipped!s are all a uniform texture across the Villainess range - very thick, but they sink in well and do not leave a greasy layer on the skin.

Posh is described as, "A rich heart of dragon's blood resin, white peach and crushed pomegranate washed with sheer plumeria and lightly spiced with sarsparilla."

The dragon's blood in the description is not just Brooke being whimsical; it's a real extract from the berries of the Rattan Palm tree. This is much more subtle than the Patchouli that seems to automatically go into pomegranate sniffs nowadays. I find this a surprisingly fresh interpretation of a pomegranate sniff - the sarsparilla gives an almost minty top note when scrubbed or first applied (in the body cream) that rounds out to a fruity, very slightly spicy heart. This works very well under Jo Malone (JM) Pomegranate Noir cologne.

You might like this scent if you have liked (all from Villainess): Proserpina, Paradise Misplaced, Krakatoa.

Brats, ah Brats. Brats is described as, "Ribbon candy spliced with butterscotch, salted caramels and a resinous melange of sticky sweets." This is not my usual comfort zone - I rarely enjoy gourmand body products and the Laura Mercier Creme Brulee line had an underlying smell of baby sick to my nose. I admit, I neglected this one for the Posh, until I finally made myself try it.

What I should have remembered is this a Villainess foody body product, and therefore it is not sickly (I've used and enjoyed Decadence in the past.) It's undeniably vanilla-ish and buttery, but there is a slightly salty undertone that makes it meld into the skin and seem fresher and very appealing to me. It smells like the too-delicious Burnt Sugar Sea Salt fudge . I've found that this scent works remarkably well with my JM Dark Amber and Gingerlily cologne (the Brats, not the fudge, that is.) The Brats softens the JM and makes it daytime-appropriate, and the overall mix has something of the Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille about it. I think this would also be good under the new JM Vanilla & Anise due to be launched in September. I'd buy Brats when I run out, and that has surprised me.

You might like this scent if you have liked (all from Villainess): Decadence, Spun Sugar, Madame X.

Smooch!es and Whipped!s are both £7 each (for 7oz and 6oz respectively), and the soaps are £4 each for 3.5oz.

PS: Please keep Brats products in particular away from small children and foolish men. Mr London smelled the Smooch! when I was in the shower, and said; "This smells like sweeties. Can I eat it?" I have chosen to assume he was joking. Seriously, I could see a toddler trying to take a bite out of the soap, so please keep out of their reach.