While Maybe Baby is offered as an ancillary sparkly body lotion (see below), the one to really plunk down the cash for comes from their similarly scented Bathina line: the “Touch me then try to leave…” Cream. I’ve gone through so many tubs of it since it was first introduced that I’ve lost all count how many times I’ve repurchased. The texture is divine. I love dipping my fingertips into that little tub. The fragrance from it lasts much longer than that of the Maybe Baby edt, and in fact, works just fine as a stand-alone product in place of the perfume. In addtion to having the same mouthwater fragrance as the edt, divine texture, and good aromatic staying power, it actually works; With its generous amounts of glycerine, it efficiently helps the skin retain moisture. My mom also adores it, and she has such dry sensitive skin that most scented lotions irritate her skin or worse, break her out in a rash. The “Touch me” cream rings up at $28 a pop, but it’s so rich and thick that it should last you a while. Hmmm…. “thick” is not quite the right word… it’s got a fullness a little like the way meringue will begin to fill up and form stiff peaks as you whip. Yeah, that’s it… no, it’s not. That’s a terrible description. Sigh. Anyhow, my dream is to one day come into possession of a Costco-sized vat of the stuff. Which I will then guard obsessively and refer to as “my precioussssss…” Until that day happens, I shall have to make due with what’s available, and hope ferverently the cream is never discontinued during the course of my lifetime.

The Gettin’ Steamy body wash made an excellent addition to the line, and is a huge improvement over the old powdered form of bubble bath they used to sell, which only produced the weakest of bubbles. Gettin’ Steamy smells just as lovely as the edt, and I think works awesomely for both shower gel and bubble bath. I like to give it out as a gift for birthdays and holidays, because other folks seem to enjoy using it just as much as I do.

Sandal Scandal is an exfoliating foot cream packaged with cute leetle bootie socks. If you have feet much larger than mine, women’s 7 US, do not count on being able to wear them. That said, the lotion itself is what you’d be after anyhow. Sandal Scandal is not the best exfoliating foot cream out there, but it sure beats rubbing on yet another mint- or eucalyptus- scented one. God, am I ever sick of those. Sandal Scandal incorporates the Maybe Baby/Bathina fragrance, but it does smell noticeably different. The aroma strikes me as sort of chemically in comparison to the edt or the other Bathina body products. It’s not an exceptional product, yet it’s certainly not a bad one. I’ve bought it a few times, but I don’t think it’s a must-have item particularly.

The Body So Fine balm… oh lordy! It smells vaguely of roses to me in the tin, however, once applied it begins to resemble Maybe Baby again. To my mind, it feels like a terribly luxurious and indulgent product. The balm is applied using a velvety pad to smooth thin layers across the skin. Do watch out when applying to in-between-shaves stubble legs, since the velvet can catch on the stiff hairs and cause little black lint balls to stick into the balm. (It works best on unprickled skin.) I use the balm mostly in the evening before bed, since I find applying it weirdly soothing; It’s a nice way to end the day before clambering into bed with a book or falling asleep with the TV blasting Law & Order: Insert Spin-Off Title Here.

The Maybe Baby body lotion acts as a medium-weight lotion with wee micro-sparkles that give off a luminescent shimmer on the skin. I guess it’s nice, and it’s soft texture is enjoyable, but to me it pales in comparison with THE. GREATEST. LOTION. EVER. MADE. Its fragrance is sort of, I dunno… a little pasty compared to the “Touch me” cream, as well. Not to say that it smells unpleasant, mind you, it’s very pretty… just that in contrast it doesn’t quite hold up to the excellence of the “Touch me” cream. But if you like shimmer, this would be the lotion for you.

In additon to being sold as an edt, Benefit also makes Maybe Baby as a small solid powder compact. The price certainly bites less than even the small bottle of edt, but I really recommend against buying the powder compact in lieu of the edt. The compact does provide for a pleasant pick-me-up and/or a convenient way to refresh your initial edt application. However, it’s not strong enough to carry on its own for more than a half hour. I rarely use mine, it being relegated to sitting neglected in a drawer.

Maybe Baby, and its ancillary products under both the Maybe Baby and Bathina lines, would appear on the face of it to sound more like spring/summer fragrance choices. Yet it’s actually these colder months when I crave that fragrance most. It conveys drops of sunshine on dreary winter days in the Pacific Northwest. It works fine in warms months, too, only it seems that spakling freshness is needed most when the world is grey and soggy.

Some of the above items are available for purchase in smaller travel sizes, and I really recommend them for stocking stuffers or to make up gift baskets with. They are small, but the price is quite reasonable for what you get.

Images all from BenefitCosmetics.com, and all items can be found both online there and at Benefit counters, as well as at Sephora.