Italian Beauty Bag

Oh sure, my SpaGirl cohort and fabulously cleaver marketing maven jets off to the Cosmoprof Bologna beauty show in Italy, leaving me here to pine away for the exotic air of some romantic foreign locale. She better bring back some good loot is all have to say. Meantime, struck with a case of wanderlust myself, I sniffed around for Italian spa and beauty items on the cheap to feed my appetite. Here’s what I dug up: Nobody does intoxicating, exotic fragrances like Yael Alkalay of Red Flower and her Italian Blood Orange Purifying Body Wash is a splendid example. Orange extract, tomato leaf and honey intermingle in a harmonious blend for delicately scented, deeply nourished skin. At Beauty.com, I stumbled across the surprisingly affordable Italian-made line of Zona Personal Spa body and facial cleansers. The Zona Spunga Body Cleanse mesh sponge in the Italian Lemon scent caught my eye because of the lost-in-translation “it doesn’t cause bad odor” description. I figure all I need now is a rich, hydrating lotion and I found it in Acca Kappa White Moss Body Lotion. Imported from Italy, the fresh scent is derived from two Mediterranean plants, lavender and juniper. Beautyexclusive.com carries the entire Acca Kappa line including luscious hair products and bath accessories. Now if I could just find a good recipe for Bolognese sauce, I’d be set. Got one? Photo: Acca Kappa Beechwood Body Massage Brush, $55; Zona Personal Spa Spunga Body Cleanse sponge, $12; Acca Kappa White Moss Body Lotion, $32; and Red Flower Italian Blood Orange Purifying Body Wash, $20.