With Mor Cosmetics, it's not just what's inside that counts

It may come as no surprise that a shopping columnist would give little heed to an old adage like "It's what's on the inside that counts," but when I first saw Mor, an Australian line of body-care products and home fragrances, I was so struck by the gorgeous packaging that I purchased several items without even stopping to sniff the candles or test the lotions.

That was several years ago in Orange County, Calif., home base for the U.S. importer of the Down Under brand. The packaging I was enamored with was for a Mor collection called Dolce, which featured scents named Marshmallow and Sorbet, and packaging reminiscent of Laduree, the famous French chocolate shop.

You can still buy the Dolce collection online at www.morcosmetics.com, but you really should experience Mor's gorgeousness in person, and you can do just that at Burnt Sugar. The Fremont boutique stocks the newest offerings from Mor -- the Emporium line, which features heavy, hand-milled soaps ensconced in decadent decorative papers.

The Blood Orange soap ($17) has been so popular that Burnt Sugar has placed multiple reorders to keep up with demand, though I can't say whether this is due to the compelling scent or the ornamental gold-etched damask paper. Burnt Sugar also carries the Emporium body butters ($28) and candles ($38) in Snow Gardenia, Moroccan Mint and Onyx Currant.

All of the Mor products live up to their fabulous packaging, from the smallest tea light-sized candles -- which can fill a room with their lovely scent -- to the tiniest dab of body butter to saturate your skin.

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