Crabtree & Evelyn India Hicks Island Living review

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Experience an exotic tropical vacation without leaving your home

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I’m sure I’m not the only one with picky people in my life. When a gift-giving occasion for one of these hard-to-please loved ones comes around, I start to stress, wracking my brain for a gift she will find worthy. To cope, I’ve developed a mental list of a few tried and true shopping destinations, and the very first place I think of is Crabtree & Evelyn. I’ve found I can always count on them to offer something special and classic that is sure to please the various Miss Pickys in my life.

This summer, you can please the pickiest of peeps with an item from Crabtree & Evelyn’s collaboration with the one and only India Hicks. The daughter of the late English interior designer David Hicks and Lady Pamela Mountbatten, Hicks lives year-round in Harbour Island in the Bahamas, the inspiration for the India Hicks Island Living collection, an all-natural body-and-home-fragrance line available exclusively at Crabtree & Evelyn.

The British socialite, designer, author and former model is known throughout international fashion and design circles as an authority on the finest things in life. Her list of credentials started at birth: Goddaughter of the Prince of Wales, at age 13, she was chosen to be one of Princess Diana’s bridesmaids, and in 2011 she was an ABC commentator during the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

India Hicks’ creative partnership with Crabtree & Evelyn bumps up the impressive factor of a Crabtree & Evelyn gift to a whole new level, and I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t fall head over heels in love with India’s creations. Her line includes a range of products for scenting the skin, including travel kits with mini versions of the gloriously fragrant products.

I sampled the Island Living Spider Lily Eau de Toilette ($55), which comes in a beautifully understated chunky glass bottle that looks lovely on my dresser. I would love it even if I didn’t love the fragrance… but I do!

Its namesake spider lily is blended with notes of tropical citruses, orange blossom, night blooming jasmine, palm leaves “and a touch of sea air.” Described as a tropical green citrus fragrance, the scent is light, perfect for a hot summer day. It put me in a vacation state of mind, a priceless side effect of the exotic aromas.

I also got to try the Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy ($19), a fragrant shea butter enriched hand cream that also contains exotic conditioning ingredients such as macadamia nut oil and aloe to moisturize and soothe, and myrrh to help condition cuticles and nails. The lotion is free of parabens, lauryl sulfates, mineral oil, and propylene glycol, and sinks in quickly, leaving hands soft and smooth.

From the gorgeous, understated packaging to the light, exotic fragrance, India Hicks Island Living Spider Lily evokes waving palm trees in the moonlit tropics. To celebrate vacation season, I might even treat myself to another little gift from this line.

Thanks to Crabtree & Evelyn’s India Hicks Island Living collection, it’s going to be an easy gift-giving summer for me.

Melissa loves road trips, bargain shopping, drive-in movies, lip gloss and rock ‘n’ roll. She lives in Baltimore with her precious pup Zeus.

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.