Chocolate Saffron is all about the high end gourmand. Dutch cocoa powder holding nuances of coffee, woods, and vanilla pods paired with yellow and orange floral saffron create a stunning beauty of a fragrance. The melding of the spice and chocolate brings forth herbal greenery, amber warmth, and a touch of peony sweetness. An exotic and mysterious aroma with the same great nourishing power on the flesh.
-- The Redolent Mermaid

The Chocolate And Saffron body oil/hair elixir is part of perfumer Mandy Aftel's expanded Aftelier line. I didn't know what exactly to expect, but the instantly-absorbing texture caught me by surprise-- made of jojoba oil and fractionated coconut oil-- leaves no grease behind. It's incredibly softening and gentle on the skin. Also, once I got brave enough to try the oil/elixir on my hair the effect was similar: smooth, soft, and wonderfully smelling without weighing down (I have very thick long hair).
The Non-Blonde

The oils have an astonishing texture, just enough slip to be able to get a good massage action going and for it to absorb well, but not so greasy that it leaves an oily residue. Skin is left plumped and dewy, feeling softer and more hydrated after a few hours. The calming compositions are brilliantly mesmerizing as the veil of scents last much longer than that of other oils.
-- Beauty Huile

Aftelier Chocolate and Saffron Body Oil & Hair Elixir should probably come with a warning label for people on a strict diet, because it's bound to cause serious cravings (I'm chomping on some milk chocolate as we speak). The scent of this oil is so scrumptious it's almost indecent. It's a very lightly spiced chocolate with a hint of what I can only describe as yellow flowers. Chocolate and warm sun on your skin-- can it get any better?
The Non-Blonde

Gourmand sweetness reigns in this intensely scented oil, which has a tightening effect from the astringent qualities of saffron.
-- Beauty Huile

It’s luscious, luxurious and very sensual. But there is one element missing in the name, and that’s jasmine. The oil smells as if it’s been infused with jasmine, bittersweet cocoa, and a boozy- honeyed quality that I’m assuming the saffron imparts. The chocolate oil is so dense, you must shake it vigorously to disperse it before using, and it’s beautiful to see it mix and meld with the golden saffron tinged oil. On the skin, the fragrance is decidedly chocolatey, in a dark and sexy way. Imagine walking down a tropical moonlit path with night blooming jasmine surrounding you, and impossibly, the blossoms are dusted with bittersweet cocoa powder. Like a dream, the cocoa melts into the petals and the petals into your skin...
-- Scent Hive

Aftelier Body Oil in Chocolate & Saffron – This oil is awesome and you’ll get a formal review one of these days from me. It smells sweet but sophisticated. I’m using it from head to toe. It’s wonderful on my hair. With it I never have Elsa Lanchester Bride of Frankenstein hair. And it makes me smell good, like chocolate, irresistible. -- Scent Hive And her Chocolate & Saffron Body Oil should be reason enough to nominate her for a Nobel Prize in chemistry. All things Aftelier are these sweet, savory, sometimes smoky scents that evoke spice markets, almost feral fantasies and your calmest, most serene memories. It’s like the most beautiful smells of the most beautiful parts of nature amplified into this nirvanic sensory overload.
-- Naag.com blog

Also featured in...
-- San Francisco Magazine