THE most universally appealing scent. Ever.

It must have been 1996. I walked into a colleague's office and smelled the scent of fresh lavender. She told me she had just put on her favorite Thymes Lavender Hand Lotion, so of course I grabbed the bottle to take a peek. It was this magical cream by a company I had never heard of before and the bottle was so beautiful. Thus began my longtime love affair with Thymes.

Over the years I've seen Thymes products in many boutiques, beauty supplies, gift shops, bookstores, campus shops and even at the San Diego Zoo. Every time I see Thymes, I must buy something. It's just one of those brands that you may not seek out, but when you see their products you're instantly drawn to them and you think, "How did I forget about these??"

So you can imagine my delight when I was recently sent some products from their newest line, "Naia". I was literally jumping up and down when I opened the package.

I've got to say that from the moment I smelled the soap, I was in love. This is one of those universally appealing scents that screams "fresh". It's one of the most inviting, welcoming, soothing and clean scents I've smelled in a good long while. It might be my favorite scent of all time and here's why: It smells naturally beautiful. There's not even a hint of anything fake or synthetic here. Just natural, wholesome goodness.

The fragrance of Naia was actually developed by Thymes' in-house perfumer and their team of independent fragrance testers granted this scent recipe the highest rating to date. These folks aren't fooling around. Naia is a combination of water lily and cyclamen with subtle hints of citrus and lychee. When I smell it, I just want to keep on smelling it with my eyes closed in total bliss.

And as if the amazing scent wasn't enough, Naia products are also SLS/SLES and paraben free. Plus, they contain natural and beneficial ingredients such as yerba mate extract and shea butter.

Now, I understand that the prices of Thymes products may not be in keeping with the budget-friendly theme of my blog, however let me explain that one bar of Naia soap ($14) is triple-milled, meaning it will last you a very, very long time. I have been using this soap every single day for a month straight and it's not even half its original size yet. Plus, for $14, you are getting THE most indulgent bar soap you could ever use (and trust me, I've tried many, many high-end soaps in my time, such as Claus Porto, Fresh, Mistral and Laura Mercier to name just a few). Run this bar under your shower for a second and then rub it into a bath pouf and you will see it produce the most thick, luxurious lather ever. And the way it leaves your skin? Clean, almost squeaky clean, yet extremely well-moisturized and oh so fresh. I"m in love with this soap, I tell you.

Also, you can purchase travel size bottles ($6) of lotion and shower wash and because of the high quality of these products, they will last you a long time because you only need a tiny bit. I am absolutely loving the body lotion because it leaves your skin baby smooth and again, you've got that lingering Naia fragrance which only adds to the experience.

The bath salts ($6) are an absolute delight because they contain yerba mate extract, espon salt and sea salt to give you a wonderfully natural and skin-friendly bath experience. Confession: I only used half the packet because I wanted to keep the rest in my dresser drawer so that my clothes can smell like Naia too. :)

One final comment: If you'd like to give someone a bath & body gift but you're not exactly sure what type of scents they're drawn to, get them some Naia products. Not only do I love this scent, but the boyfriend is absolutely nuts about it as well. We agree that *anyone* would love this fragrance including aunts, uncles, co-workers, teachers, you name it. Trust me, you can't go wrong with Thymes Naia.

PS: If any of my friends or family are reading this, YES, please get me the cologne for my birthday (and yes, I'm aware that my birthday's not until December). :)

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and gratis samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.