Tutti Dolci Cinnamon Frosting Souffle

For such a light moisturizer, it is burdened by quite the backstory.

Let's look at who I am, as a person, as a person who never moisturizes, as a person who has blogged more than once about her failed resolve to moisturize more often, but who is too lazy to link to those entries, which probably has something to do with why I never moisturize.

Now, as for moisturizing the face, I have a good excuse. My face hates moisturizer. My face hates water. After I wash my face, I better not be going anywhere for a good hour or so. Why? I look like a lobster. Yes, even if the water is cold. Even if the water is lukewarm. Certainly if the water is hot.

I don't know why. It wasn't always this way. And, you know, I'm sure there's a pea somewhere under the mattress, too.

So, every so often I buy whatever's highly recommended in a light-light super-sensitive skin moisturizer, and results vary, and eventually my skin starts hating that moisturizer, too, and I accept this and you should too, and not look so horrified that I often go months without any lotion touching my face.

As for the rest of me, there's no excuse. No rashes, no flashes, no flushes.

Except I just don't like body moisturizer. There's a whole closetful to attest to this. Too heavy. Too greasy. Too chemical. Too overpowering. Too wimpy. Too expensive to use on any kind of regular basis.

Life is hard.

Like I said, it wasn't always this way. I used to wear perfume for heaven's sake. (Before my twenties came along and sent me ker-sneezing and shooting dirty looks at all perfume wearers. Spritzed-on scent is pretty rude, these days. Stick with subtle infusions.) I used to wear makeup. (That stuff I ditched by choice. Fun, but I resent the idea that it's some sort of default state for women.) Okay, so I was never much of a moisturizer, but I was a girly-girl once!

Let's regress further. I not only was a girly-girl (in a boring suburban way), but I was a girly-girl who sought to have a fine taste for quality (in a boring suburban way).

I remember being about 15. I'd gotten over my wholehearted support for Reagan. I wasn't so pleased with my brown suede jacket that was just like one Nancy was wearing in a photo taken at the Santa Barbara ranch. In fact, I was busy fitting safety pins through my ears and keeping the turntable clean with the ever-rotating Sex Pistols.

But, I still believed in quality. I remember I had some fabulous raw silk pants in green that I tucked into my little scooter boots. (I got hung up somewhere between New Romanticism and 1977 Union Jackism, you see.) My best friend at the time, Jennifer, was really critical of those pants. In fact, she was really critical of all clothing that didn't come from KMart. "You're just paying more for the sake of it," she argued.

Whereas I argued that, when you pay more, you get better quality, and my clothes would last longer and be worth the investment. She didn't buy that at all, and we had to both back away from one of the few areas where we had an unbeatable culture clash. (My Dad: self-made small businessman, quietly Republican, never home. Her Dad: in the auto industry like so many Michigan fathers, Democrat/pro-union, a person with hobbies.)

In these recent years, as I've not felt the need to spend much money on clothing or make a commitment to this body size, I've gathered the $12 pieces at Wal-Mart as needed. And it shows -- they just don't last the way things I've had for over a decade do. They don't fit as well as the odd thing I've bought from Dillards. Heck, even Target is a little more upscale.

So, I think I win the argument, and since Jennifer has been out of touch for years, I'll just NNBB [nanny nanny boo boo] here and be satisfied.

But, the point is that I have been living rather frugally on the day-to-day level for a long time. And good thing, of course: it means that when I do want something (like that year I took two trips to DisneyWorld, or not having to work right now while I wait to hear about a teaching job), I can usually have it. Hooray for me. I'm so great.

Okay, but, in the course of all this pence-pinching, I'd sort of forgotten that there is a reason some things are more expensive -- they're REALLY superior to the cheap-ass alternative.

(I apologize for being vulgar for effect. Or was I being ironically vulgar in a Chandler Bing sort of way? Yeah!)

(I apologize for being so self-aware. It's the moisturizer talking. And now I'll talk about the moisturizer!)

So, fast forward to the present. My mentor teacher gave me a free coupon for Tutti Dolci lip gloss from Bath and Body Works. $10 value, no obligation to buy.

I put off using it. I don't wear lip gloss. Not since the Bonne Bell Toasted Marshmallow Incident. I don't need trumped up $10 lip glosses in my life.

But, you know, FREE STUFF. So, I went a'gallivantin' to B&BW one day, looking forward to having a free treat for the sake of it. What fun! Tra la la!

And there... there...

There, right near the entrance to B&BW, was the Tutti Dolci display. All I had to do was walk over, choose a lip gloss, present my coupon, and leave.

But there... there...

There, atop the display like canopic jars from Neferiti's own day spa, were these pots filled with -- ah... ah.... -- filled with creamy, ever so delicate, sweetly scented soufflé.

Now, I should have known I was done for. I'm so out of the loop on beauty products, when I do decide to look at something, I abandon myself to every comely, hydrated adjective and euphemism. As I finger the skittish ends of my hayflake hair, I have a hard time staying away from promises like "quenched in botanical dews" or "embraced by rainforest extracts." As Fox Mulder said, I want to believe.

So, if you call a moisturizer a "soufflé," I will scoff, but I'll also spend 45 minutes trying every single one you got.

In this case: Angel Food Cake, Chocolate Fondue, Cinnamon Frosting, Crème Brulee, Lemon Meringue, and Sugar Wafer.

Now, I have heard these products compared to something called "Desserts" by that Jessica Simpson person. Whatever. I looked at her stuff and it's all pink and suggestively edible and suggestively pre-teen mallrat.

Bath and Body Works? That's just good, old-fashioned, yuppie indulgence.

The soufflé is sensational. It is really, really sensational. I have indulged in lotions at B&BW before -- pft! -- they were garbage. Nothing. Cast away within weeks. Regretted within days.

This stuff is awesome. It is a soufflé! It's so light -- I have moisturized more in the past few days than in the past few years. Seriously. It's so much fun! It smells so good.

Well, maybe you have to have a sweet tooth to appreciate it. I don't know. I went with the cinnamon frosting scent because it wasn't too baby-ish (Sugar Wafer, Angel Food Cake) or obvious (Chocolate Fondue) or perhaps overly realistic (Crème Brulee). Lemon Meringue came a close second, but I was won over by the earthy nature of cinnamon, especially the pinch of musk in the overall scent. (Disliked by some reviewers.)

The scent lasts, but doesn't cloy, and I felt a difference in my skin right away without feeling the lotion at all once I put it on.

It's just brilliant, and if I could put it on my Amazon wishlist, I would.

It's also $19, plus tax, and I'm already telling myself stories about how, when I get a teaching job, I will slather the stuff on and not worry about wasting a dollop here and there. I'm having a hard time keeping my fingers out of the stuff, frankly. Maybe $19 isn't much for 10 ounces of moisturizer to some people... I'm beginning to think it isn't even too much for skinty me. Sometimes you do pay more for quality, you really do.

I also bought the body polish. ($22, but I had a $10-off-$35 coupon -- so what else was I supposed to do? Not support local economy? What would John Maynard Keynes say?) It's wonderful, too. Expertly mixed, and I really felt polished afterwards. But then I went to the website and saw where they have body buff and honey bath. Damn you, small town B&BW, for not carrying the full line! Damn you, B&BW website, for not selling the products online! I'll just have to keep an eye on eBay...

(Yeah, I could get the store to order it, but the cashiers have been really pissy to me when I've declined to give them my home phone number so they can offer me more coupons. Contrary to what they told me in the store, you can sign up online. Look, people, all I want to do is buy every damn Tutti Dolci product available, including any discarded ideas left gooped up on the factory floor.)

(Hey, if I limited myself to the items I care about -- no lip gloss, no perfume -- it would only cost $606. That's less than what Jerry paid for his suede jacket in Season 2!

So, I moisturize now. And it's delicious. And I'm delicious. Also, I now own two nearly-dead, scraggle-finned Siamese fighting fish. But that's another story.

Comments

[Desiree' M.R.]

I recently purchased the Tutti Dolci Cinnamon Frosting Moisturizing Souffle at B&BW (actually the last two they had... one for me and one for my mom :) The stuff... well it's amazing I kid you not! So here I am on the internet finding myself looking for more. No matter the $19 for the product, no matter the shipping cost... like an addict I want more and since I feel your pain, I just wanted to say I found more here > http://www2.victoriassecret.com/collection/?cgnbr=OSBAFBODTUT
good luck and happy hunting!
and no offense, but If I see Tutti Dolci on ebay and you see Tutti Dolci on ebay - be prepared for war!! I friendly sweet smelling war that is :)

Toodles!

[Shari]

Ooooo - the war is on! I live in Las Vegas now and have visited five different B&BW stores since the semi-annual sale started... stocking up! Also, did you know they are currently GETTING RID OF ALL CINNAMON FROSTING PRODUCTS? Along with Angel Food Cake and Chocolate Fondue, yes. I'm still mourning. WHY? WHY? Why not take Sugar Wafer instead? SNIFFLE.

You *have* to get the body polish by the way. Amaaaaaazing. Now we just need to get it and the souffle reverse engineered so we'll never ever ever ever run out... Anyway, welcome to the CF addict society!

[Carrie]

Hello! I thought I was the only tutti dolci addict- I only found this stuff two days ago (yes you can become an addict in two days). When I walk out after slathering these on my husband can't stop smelling me. I've been to my local stores 4 or 5 times for the semi-annual sale. I picked up 18 products(including angel food cake, chocolate fondue, creme brulee and cinnamon frosting in body buffs, souffle's, lotions and honey baths for 75% off!!! The body buff feels just like frosting with little delicious smelling scrubbers. I couldn't beleive people were walking past these bargains ($5.00 or less A PEICE)!! RUN, RUN, RUN to your local store. They are getting rid of certain products so BUY, BUY, BUY!! The lady at the store told me they have a shelf life of 5 years in retaining their scent- What will I do in 5 years when I finally run out??

[Carrie]

Hello! I thought I was the only tutti dolci addict- I only found this stuff two days ago (yes you can become an addict in two days). When I walk out after slathering these on my husband can't stop smelling me. I've been to my local stores 4 or 5 times for the semi-annual sale. I picked up 18 products(including angel food cake, chocolate fondue, creme brulee and cinnamon frosting in body buffs, souffle's, lotions and honey baths for 75% off!!! The body buff feels just like frosting with little delicious smelling scrubbers. I couldn't beleive people were walking past these bargains ($5.00 or less A PEICE)!! RUN, RUN, RUN to your local store. They are getting rid of certain products so BUY, BUY, BUY!! The lady at the store told me they have a shelf life of 5 years in retaining their scent- What will I do in 5 years when I finally run out??

[Tricia]

I thought I was the only Cinnamon Frosting addict! I use the souffle, body wash and body buff religiously. Never before have I been so tempted to eat my own shower gel. I love it so much that I am going to venture to make my own cinnamon frosting for a cake I am making later. My fiance is hooked too. If you like this, I highly recommend B&BW's Vanilla Bean Noel, a scent they only sell during the holidays. I too am pretty bummed that they have discontinued the scent...but this is a hopeful tidbit I found on their website: "Recently we have made a number of discontinued products available for phone order. If you are interested in placing an order please call us at 1-800-518-3616. We can ship to all US states and territories." Between this option and Ebay, we should be able to sustain our addiction for the next few years!

[Stoney]

Hey everybody! I hope that no one has given up yet! Please get on B&BW's website and e-mail customer service, if you haven't already. WE HAVE TO GET CF BACK!!! IT'S KILLING ME THAT WE HAVE TO SUBJECTED TO BIDDING WARS ON THE INTERNET TO GET OUR FAVORITE MOISTERIZER! FIGHT BACK GUYS! DON'T GIVE UP!

[Virginia]

Oh heavens. Have you tried the Apple Torta? I bought every product in that scent aside form the lip gloss. I feel a bit cheated that I never got to try the cinnamon frosting though!:(
I sort of hate buying things from bath and body works, because I fall in love and then they quit carrying the scent! Tutti Dolci is a brand from Milan, so I'm wondering if the sell seperately over in Italy. And is it possible to import?!?!

[Withering away in Italy]

Hello. I'm in Italy (home of Tutti Dolci), and I'm a military wife. I had to get rid of all of my lotions when I moved over here due to some dog-sniffing issue when you ship your household goods. Anyways, I would love to know if anyone has found it for purchase over here. I'm not exactly close to Milan (about 3 hours) but I can't find it in any of the shops over here, or anywhere online except B&BW. My sister is mailing me three jars of Tutti Dolci souffle (cinnamon frosting for sure!) and hopefully I'll get them soon.

They discontinued all Tutti Dolci products at Bath and Body Works. I was rather upset considering I am a real Angel Food Cake fan.

[Shari]

I *think* there were some Angel Food Cake items at the B&BW outlet in Primm, NV, when we were there about six weeks ago. I picked up several Creme Brulee body washes. Most of it was "second/third generation" Tutti Dolci - the fruity ones, tiramisu, etc. (But no Apple Torta - grr.)

Anyway, you might ring them in Primm and see if you can stock up. I got the Creme Brulee body washes for $3 each, and the souflees were $4 or $5. (No honey bath, alas!)