Guerlain Terracotta After Sun Cream

Guerlain's Terracotta After Sun Cream ($53) was calling me when I read the press release. Odd, since I don't "do sun." However, I talked to my friends at the Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas, and they described the scent using terms like divine and intoxicating. I had to do a brain shift and realize it's a body moisturizer. It doesn't matter whether I prefer to tan or stay pale. I could enjoy this cream.

I ordered two tubes - the last two they had - and received them early today. They are relatively large (5.1 fluid ounces), and they impart a fragrance to my skin that is long-lasting and drool-worthy. Because Terracotta After Sun Cream is a limited edition, if you have any interest in this gorgeously scented body moisturizer, order it now. Wait a week or two, and it could be gone - for good.

Because tanned skin is even more beautiful when it is intensely hydrated, Guerlain is offering its first exclusive Terracotta after-sun care, boasting the Tan Booster Complex to enhance and intensify bronzed skin. Formulated with precious ingredients of natural origin and infused with the scent of tiare, Terracotta After Sun completely hydrates, softens, and soothes the skin from the effects of the sun - or anything else that dehydrates your skin. I don't tan, but I love moisture in any form - and I totally adore the tropical scent of tiare, a type of gardenia that grows on Tahiti, the largest Island of French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean.

The key ingredients of Terracotta After Sun Cream...

• An exclusive complex extracted from the carob, a thousand-year-old tree that grows in the Mediterranean region, is said to prolong your tan. Used before, during, and after tanning, it ought to help you hang on to your golden color.
• Cupuacu butter - this Amazonian treasure belongs to the same family as cocoa and is renowned for its exceptional ability to retain water in the skin.
• Camellia oil and jojoba seed oil - this cocktail of oils with antioxidant properties works in perfect synergy to hydrate and protect the skin, while helping it to rebuild its hydrolipid film (the skin's natural protective barrier). 

Even without a day in the sun, I feel luxurious. It was sunny today. It was also cold and windy, and the black ice that greeted us this morning was dangerous. Yesterday's snow still hangs on the plants, making it look pretty outdoors, but treacherous. I am beyond frustrated and fatigued by our extended winter. Imagine my delight, then, when UPS showed up with the most heavenly tropical body cream I've smelled in some time. It gave me a respite from the endless winter we have suffered.

What happens every year with Guerlain's limited-edition Terracotta introductions? They sell out quickly. I have found myself kicking myself in the butt for waiting too long. Indecision has been my ruin. If you have any interest in this gorgeously fragranced cream, do what I did. Stop lingering and order it.

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus