As published in Bali & Beyond Magazine November 2015
As 2015 slowly comes to an end, there is one question that remains: Have you treated your loved one with a big enough dose of romance this year? If you haven’t, fret not. With the holiday season coming there are plenty of snuggly time opportunities to fill in this year’s romance quota. The only challenge left is…how to spice them up?
For some, love and romance are not all about cheesy love songs or a long sunset walk, but about thoughtful gestures and attention. And what could be more thoughtful than creating something personal for your loved one? One option is to create a personalized body care product for them – I personally think that creating natural care products are the best way to show affection to your love, especially if these products are infused with seductive scents to revive your romance!
Sounds fancy right? Come join me on my journey to Utama Spice’s flagship store near the Monkey Forest in Ubud, and see what you can make for your love…
SENSUAL CONCOCTION
Utama Spice is a traditional skincare company based in Ubud that has a robust reputation for producing all-natural body care products using ancient Balinese herbal knowledge and 100 percent pure natural ingredients. The brand has recently opened a new section in its Ubud shop that gives customers the opportunity to create their own personalized body care products, ranging from lip balm to body wash, and body mist – all can be infused with custom scents that suit the personalities of your loved ones. Kissable lips, fresh body, and sensual aroma – these are surely the recipe for a great romantic night, right?
Channeling my inner Professor Snape, the Potions Master from the Harry Potter series, I started making my own love concoctions. First on the list was a lip balm, which turned out to be relatively easy. First, I choose one out of the three beeswax options for the basis of the concoction. The beeswax comes in small cubes and is already pre- infused with coconut oil. They are available in three different flavors; orange leaves, cinnamon, and the original that has a hint of mint. I opted for cinnamon as it is not only an antiseptic, it is also regarded as one of the best natural aphrodisiacs.
Assisted by the staff, I put the beeswax cube into a mini stainless steel pot and heated it on an electric stove. After a while the cube started to melt, and once it became liquid
I poured the beeswax into a glass jar and then added a few drops of essential oils – the options for the essential oils are endless, mind you. A great pairing for my cinnamon was citrus, as not only does it smell great it also has a relaxing effect as it relieves tension and calms the mind before bed. A perfect mix for a night-in, definitely! Once the oil is added, the jar is then frozen in the freezer. After a couple of minutes, voila! My lip balm was all done!
THE POWER OF SCENT
Continuing on to the next product – I was now ready to make my own body wash and body mist. For these, Utama Spice has prepared all the basic blends in small bottles so all you have to do is to add your own mix of essential oils – again, Utama Spice has various essential oils from calming to energizing, each offering different benefits for your body.
Indeed the power of scent has long been an integral part of the art of seduction. In Indonesia, traditional heritage praises several plants as natural aphrodisiacs. Ylang Ylang for example, has long been believed to be a catalyst for a passionate night as it elevates sensual energy and enhances relationships. The petals of this beautiful yellow flower are often strewn on the beds of honeymooners in Indonesia. As for a more masculine scent, Sandalwood is the best option and specifically recommended as a fragrance for men. Its rich, sweet, warm, and woody aroma is not only enticing, but soothing as well.
If you are overwhelmed with all of these essential oil options, Utama Spice has a special booklet depicting the benefits and usage of each, or you may take a short-cut and use the proven recipes of the ready-made oil mixtures by Utama Spice, like I did. The Aphrodisia blend that consists of cananga, patchouli and cubeb fruit oil is said to have been responsible for many love sparks around the island.
THE GREATEST LOVE
As for those who are still single, why don’t you create these some of the pampering products for yourself? After all, a wise man once said, “Self-love is indeed the greatest love of all.” Besides, this Do-It-Yourself (DIY) class also helps you spread love to the surrounding environment as it aims to reduce packaging wastes.
Skyler Grant, the co-manager of Utama Spice, explained, “We started creating this DIY class as a way to show people that making natural body care products is actually really easy. Once they are familiar with the process, they can come here and buy in bulk or ask for refills to reduce packaging waste. It’s a manifestation of our love towards Bali and Mother Earth.”
So, let’s make our very own natural products with tantalizing scents for the ones we love, and give back to the environment at the same time – love is all around and is indeed in the air at Utama Spice.
P.S:
Check out this latest natural products and body care coming from Bali: www.embunnatural.com
Download PDF:
Nadia Bintoro 