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Sweet Sixteen Minus Six: Elemis Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt

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The criteria for choosing the ten out of sixteen all-time faves was: do I wish I had it on me, right this second, away from home? Number 5 fits that guideline like a glove — a deliciously fragrant and indulgent and luxurious glove…

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Here is my recipe for the perfect home-spa experience: Elemis Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt.

That’s it. That’s all you need.

I’m delighted to be able to make this recommendation in typed-out words, because confidence in my articulation abilities takes a terrible dip when I try to speak the word ‘frangipani’; ‘monoi’ is not so bad, but following hard on the heels of the preceding fail, it just makes the whole situation worse that it needs to be.

mmm elemis{I say fraangeepannee, as opposed to the more American way, which because of the longer, fancy ‘a’ sounds, would be frahhhhngeepahhhhhnee. Both sound equally awkward to me, in my actual voice.}

Linguistics aside, this stuff is the stuff of dreams. Fill your bathroom sink with hot water. Set the bottle — the lovely smoked glass bottle — in the water so that the solid material within softens into a luscious oil. Run a bath. You could even run the bath and meltify the Melt in the tub! Whatever: at some stage, shake in a few {million} drops. Enter; recline; relax.

Dunk your head under the water, then proceed to shake a few {million} drops of the Fraheheheheh on your head. Massage into your scalp. Sigh with pleasure.

Language, and pronunciation therefore, will cease to be an issue.

Get out of the bath before you, yourself melt. Shake the previously recommended number of drops of oil on your wet skin, massage. Pat yourself dry with a towel. Maybe rinse your hair out if you’re going out that evening — although why you would is utterly beyond my comprehension. You’ve just given yourself an amazingly self-nurturing treat! Stay home! Put your feet up! Get someone to make you your tea!

The only caution I have is that I’ve heard from pals who are as in the know as I, that the Fraheheheheh yokie can tend to discolour white toweling robes. Not that you’re not going to wrap yourself up in one regardless, but know that you may have to give it a spin in the washing machine sometime after your Melt event. Or you may close your eyes to this, because your robe is going to smell gorgeous — almost as gorgeous as you do.

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€32/£29.70/$50.00

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Sweet Sixteen Minus Six: Voya Lazy Days

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Wish I had one of these on me right now. Still the best, most relaxing bath I have ever enjoyed. This is Sweet Sixteen Minus Six, number 6.

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I have always loved seaweed products. I used a powdered version for the bath {Seavite? I think so} that really required a strong drive to use, as it made a complete and utter mess of the bath after it was done. I mean, like, total ring-around-the-tub mess, and talk about a buzzkill, having to clean it up almost immediately after having sent all your tension down the drain. [Or else you have an argument with your live-in-fella-at-the-time because you let the mess go for a day or two, also a buzzkill.]

VOYA Lazy Days Seaweed BathI wasn’t sure about this when I got the box. I mean, it’s a box. How’s seaweed supposed to fit in a box? I knew the Voya line very well, and have even had their seaweed baths, based in Strandhill, Co Sligo, on my to-do list almost since I moved to Ireland. I knew that the entire product line was organic, and that the seaweed itself is harvested by hand. I didn’t know that you could get it freeze-dried into a roughly rectangular bundle.

Well, it is possible. The hunk of seaweed has been helpfully inserted into a mesh bag; there is, in addition, a wee bag of dead sea salt. <I wasn’t sure whether to captilise that or not, but Voya haven’t. Is ‘dead sea salt’ a thing that is separate now from the Dead Sea? Anyway: as instructed, I ran the bath full of hot, hot water and dropped the brick of weed in. I left the room to let it sit — I had to, because almost immediately the pure, salty scent of the seaweed began to waft around the bath. As I didn’t want to lose a layer or two of skin, which I would have done had I immersed myself, I went and did some email.

When I could bear it no longer, I went back and ran the water cold, sprinkled in some salt, and got in. Now, I love a good bath, and I go the full whack, with candles and a glass of wine, or when the circumstances demand, a short glass of Laphroaig, and appropriate musical accompaniment. Even then, I tend to get bored long before the water begins to cool. Not this time: I kept topping up the bath with as much hot water as it could handle without overflowing. I squeezed the now-football shaped net of weed to release even more of the gel that had infused the water. I was in there for almost 45 minutes.

If you take good care of it — I put mine in a large mixing bowl and covered the top with cling film — you can get another bath out of the ball. It’s not as transcendent as the first, but it is still pretty boss.

The re-hydrated bag of seaweed was pretty impressive, and also pretty: it bore no resemblance to the stuff that washes up on a beachy strand, and looked as if each… frond?… had been groomed to reveal its jagged beauty. I felt as relaxed as if I had visited the Strandhill baths themselves. This is a sublime treat for body and mind. Bonus: a cursory swipe of the bath the next morning was as hard as I had to work to clean up. In my book, there is no higher praise.

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Voya Lazy Days €16/£15.50/$32

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Sweet Sixteen Minus Six: Lush’s Karma Line

/ brightandbeautyfull / 2 Comments

Number 7! Still love this, and people always, always comment when I wear this. The good class of comments, of course!

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When I first received Lush’s Karma perfume, several years ago, it came in a kind of… well there’s no way to say it nicely. The bottle was ugly. It was squat, the label was unappealing, and its presentation was very, very ‘meh’. I gave it a cursory spritz, somewhere around my breastbone, and promptly fell in love.

I don’t know that much about perfume, except that I love it, and that it has always figured largely in my life. I love smelling good, and I love good smells; in an effort to KARMA FAMmaybe learn something, I went over to the Lush website, purveyors of Karma, and took a look at the ingredients.

I don’t feel much the wiser. I don’t know why six of the elements have asterisks, although I suppose I could make an educated guess or two {discretionary as regards the maker, perhaps? Because all their stuff is made by hand?} Eh, what do I care really, if it is fragrant?

And it is fragrant. Fresh, long-lasting, sweet without being cloying, Karma is great when you’re in the mood to really wear a scent. Meaning, you have so many elements to the line, you can layer and know that you are going to be exuding sweetness and freshness all day long.

I totally went to town on this one: I washed my hair with the solid shampoo bar, I moisturised with the… moisturiser, and then I doused myself in the scent, which is in a redesigned package. Still not sure they’ve got it right, as the opaque, black, squat bottle looks like something you might find in a goth apothecary rather than on the vanity table of a sweet and fresh-smelling lovely being.

There’s a bath melt, which is nice to use in an end-of-the-day soak. There’s soap, which I didn’t try, a more practical application of the fragrance at the beginning of the day, for me anyway; I can’t imagine trying to start the day with a bath…

There is not a conditioner*, which I lament.

There is also a solid version of the perfume, which for me is a fail: the product is red, and it stains my skin, and my clothes.

Clearly, this last is easily avoided if red wrists are not your thing, and the perfume will do the trick more comprehensively, anyway. Must get my hands on the soap, though, to truly experience the layering of Karma. The good kind, that is.

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Karma Komba Shampoo €7.90/£5.00/$10.95
Karma Kream Body Cream €16.15/£12.45/$27.95
Karma Bath Melt €5.90/£3.20/$6.95
Karma Perfume €24/£20/$42.95

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*As far as I know, from a quick google.

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B&B! Q&A: Taking the Waters of Eau Thermale Avène

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BAO-TAMBao-Tan Pham trained as a Pharmacist in Paris and worked as a Dispensing Chemist before joining Eau Thermale Avène in a training role. She’s now heading up the Marketing Team to enhance the awareness of the brand. She talked to Bright & Beautyfull! about why the French lifestyle is so healthy, and about some of the line’s hero products, including my favourite new-to-me cleansing range, Cleanance.

Spa culture seems to be big in France, in that it seems like people naturally partake of the local waters. Why do you think this is? How is it beneficial to one’s health?
Doctors in France prescribe state-subsidised treatments and visits to a medical Hydrotherapy centres as a matter of course, so “taking the waters” is part of the accepted way of life.

The use of medicinal waters is one of the possible treatments a French Doctor can prescribe to help patients with different ailments. As long as the water has been clinically proven efficacious by the Academy of Medicine, the Hydrotherapy centre can provide treatment courses subsidised by the French NHS for an array of health conditions. These differ from spa treatments that are wellbeing orientated, as these aren’t reimbursed.

What’s more, each centre treats different ailments, for example, the Avène Hydrotherapy Centre helps those with skin concerns such as severe psoriasis or eczema. The Avène Thermal Spring Water has been clinically proven to have skin soothing and anti-irritating dermatological qualities, and has been treating patients since the 18th century.

I don’t often think about water as an ingredient in products! How does the Avène water make for more effective skincare?
Water is an essential ingredient for all creams, but not all have the same properties — and sometimes, it is just distilled water that is used. All products in the Avène range contain a high content of the spa’s naturally soothing water. Ideal for sensitive skin, it has a low mineral content and is also rich in silica, which leaves a protective veil on the skin’s surface. It is an added value to cleanse and moisturise with a product that will always care for your sensitive skin.

Even something as seemingly harmless as washing your face in hard water can aggravate skin, especially if it is sensitive, so it is important to use products that won’t irritate it. Skin sensitivity is a real issue for many people. In fact nearly half (49%) of all of Irish women believe they have sensitive skin.

The spray is a real hero product. How can we it to its best advantage? What are some of the ways that one can incorporate it into the daily routine?
The Avène Spring Water Spray sells over 20 million units, worldwide, each year! It is a real multi-tasking product, and can easily be incorporated into your daily routine with a quick spritz to tone and refresh the skin between cleansing and toning.

It can also be used to soothe a whole host of skin irritations such as sunburn, prickly heat and eczema, as well as to set make up, soothe skin post-shaving and is so gentle it can even be used on babies’ delicate skin for nappy rash. It is also suitable for use post-surgery or after laser treatments.

Last but not least, it provides welcome relief on a hot day – I recommend keeping it in the fridge for a more cooling effect!

I am also quite a fan of Cleanance. Could you talk about the products in that range, and who they may suit?
The Cleanance range is suitable for those with oily/ blemish-prone skin of all ages and consists of the Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser, a gentle foaming cleanser, Cleanance Toner to mattify, Cleanance Emulsion to lightly moisturise the skin, Cleanance K, which is a moisturiser that hydrates and exfoliates more severe acne — and the hero product of the range: TriAcnéal.

TriAcnéal is a targeted treatment product which has won awards for its unique and effective formulation.  It has a three-pronged approach to help banish blemishes: Efectiose is an anti-inflammatory, Retinaldehyde prevents thickening of the skin and thus unblocks pores and has an anti-bacterial action, and Glycolic acid has a surface peeling effect to smooth the skin.

CLEANANCE products

The most recent addition to the Cleanance range is the Cleanance Mask, a multi-tasking mask that tackles oily/ blemish-prone skin by absorbing excess oil, unclogging pores and exfoliating dead skin cells. Exfoliating particles in the mask eliminate impurities and dead skin cells, leaving your complexion feeling clear and smooth.

This range is perfect for the 40% of Irish women who suffer from acne. We conducted some research recently and found that over 60% of Irish women surveyed said that they did not expect to have acne as an adult; with 68% admitting that it makes them feel less confident, 55% particularly unattractive, 46% embarrassed and a third of those surveyed even said it made them feel depressed when they had a flare-up.

Hydration is such a byword in health and beauty. How will using Avène products help with keeping ourselves hydrated?
As well as drinking water, there are also other ways in which to keep skin healthy and hydrated. Regular use of the Avène Water Spray, particularly during flights and when the temperature rises, can be beneficial in keeping water levels in the skin topped up.

Keep skin well hydrated with a good moisturiser, such as Avène Hydrance Optimale UV, which as well as actively adding hydration, also acts as a barrier to reduce water loss from the skin’s surface.

In addition, you could apply our new Soothing Hydrating Serum beneath your daily moisturiser to give dull winter complexions an extra boost of hydration: the serum’s encapsulated Avène water releases extra hydration during the day.

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The Eau Thermale Avène range is available from selected large Boots stores, CH Chemists (Tralee), Doc Morris, Unicare and independent pharmacies. For all stockists call +44 (0)1582 820 165 or visit www.avene.ie.

Follow the brand on www.facebook.com/AveneSkincare

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How to be the Best Child in the History of Children: sansanaSPA and Mother’s Day

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Even though I am a fancy beauty reviewing lady, I don’t get to go to spas, like, every week. Much less every month! I am a lucky, fancy beauty reviewing lady in that I do get the occasional treatment, and every time I do get one, I’m all I should really {get a facial/a massage/a full-body exfoliation} more often!

And funnily enough, I never do!

After having spent hours in the sansanaSPA in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, my first thought wasn’t about me, for once. I immediately thought of all the mums, and all the daughters looking for gifts for them for Mother’s Day. Ladies — and any gentleman who may be reading — here’s the best thing you could ever give your mum, ever, ever.

I enjoyed a 90 minute Shirodhara treatment just last week, and I’m still sighing.

Because I am a fancy beauty reviewing lady, I have set foot, and body-on-plinth, in many a day spa. This is, hands down, the quietest one I’ve ever been in. Not that it wasn’t busy, because it was — but the soundproofing is sublime, and added to the rest of the solicitous attention I was receiving, the restful silence was the cherry on the ‘I am a special snowflake’ sundae.

I’ve been in treatment rooms that, for the level of noise that never seemed to abate, may as well have been in a lay-by on the M50. I have had my mellow harshed by endless opening and slamming doors, and have been irritated beyond belief by loud talking from the relaxation rooms that has not been adequately shushed by staff. The sansanaSPA staff are assiduous in maintaining the kind of atmosphere you’d expect in a retreat spa in the middle of the country.

So there’s that already, supplying your mum with an atmosphere that is geared to treat her like a queen, and she hasn’t even gotten into her plush robe yet!

Sansana Spa Treatment

I love pictures of treatment rooms. And look at the Thermal Suite!

Sauna

At the far end of the aisle? That’s a bowl of crushed ice, which you spread upon your body, um… because you are insane? No! Because it’s a thing you do after {before?} the steam or the sauna. Or something. I don’t like cold, so I didn’t go near it.

Use of the the Thermal Suite is included in the session. There are also Experience Showers {!}, a room with floaty-mattress beds upon which to lie, a Mud Room, and my fave: the Heated Marble Beds. Just the perfect temperature, not too-too hot, and not some wimpy lukewaryish excuse for heat, either. These beds — ah! Even as relaxed as I was after the Shirodhara, I went and reclined for another twenty minutes. Well, you can never be too stress-free, can you?

sansanaSPA

In the background: the marble beds. <3 u, marble beds!

I also enjoyed a 30 minute swim in the Royal Marine’s pool. *Sigh*

Onto the treatment: the name Shirodhara comes from the Sanskrit for ‘head’ and ‘flow’, respectively. Based on the principles of Ayurveda, it involves the pouring of liquids, in this case warmed oil, over the third eye.

Right. I immediately thought of some scary, Homeland-y kind of water torture jawn, and wasn’t sure about this part. The other parts, grand: a rose foot bath, a full body massage, the regular application of eucalyptus-infused hot towels, and a facial cleanse/massage — super, no worries, bring it on.

But the oil-on-forehead thing was all set to freak me out.

It is so not freaky.

It is so… decadent. Sensuous. Relaxing. Indulgent. The warm, scented oil flows and flows, and runs down your crown, nourishing your scalp, and you — me — your mum would ever want it to end.

This is literally a top-to-toe extravaganza of a chill out.

My aesthetician recommended that I leave the oil in overnight, which I did. She had also recommended sleeping with my head wrapped in a towel, which I did not do, which was a poor choice. I’ve ruined that pillow slip, and I’ve tried washing the oil stain out twice. So do what the lady says, is the moral of that story.

Don’t plan anything — I mean, make sure your mum doesn’t have anything on after this, because the bliss, it should be embraced for the rest of the day.

The treatment costs €99, and is worth every single little penny.

And if you’re feeling super-generous, you can get a sibling in on the gig, sharing the Best Child status, and also the cost.

I’ve just sighed again. It really was fantastic. You could even go have a nice tea up in the Hotel beforehand, and then toddle off — I mean, send mum down to the spa.

Okay, I have to stop writing about this now.

*Sigh*…

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The Shirodhara treatment is 90 minutes, at a special introductory offer of €99. Ring 01 271 2563 or email sansanaSPA@royalmarine, for more information.

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B&B! Q&A: Derek Raymond Price, Creator of the Ladycare Magnet

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Derek Raymond Price LadycareDerek Raymond Price is the creator of the Ladycare Magnet, a proven and effective way to control the symptoms of The Menopause.

I know that magnets work in healing the body: when I had my ornate horseriding injury, the least of which was a slightly torn calf muscle, I used magnets on the advice of my physio. Using medical tape to affix them to the effected area, the muscle healed extremely quickly, and I’ve been a convert ever since.

What happens is, the magnet relaxes capillary walls which allows more blood to flow to the area you want to heal. They also impede the electrochemical reactions in nerve cells that send messages of pain to the brain.

Most of the symptoms of The Menopause — bloating, lethargy, mood swings, and the dreaded hot flushes — are more of a pain in the arse than a cause of pain, but why have pain at all? Especially if there is pain relief that has no side effects? How could this possibly work?

‘LadyCare is a small powerful, static magnetic device that simply attaches discreetly and comfortably to your underwear,’ he explains. It’s a little tear-shaped yoke, very fashion-forward in sparkly purple, and you basically set it and forget it. It’s not so great to wear if you are sporting a clingy, body con LBD {I am putting the ‘hot’ into ‘hot flash’} but otherwise, I couldn’t recommend this more highly. Nevertheless, I had a few Qs for Mr Price…

You are not a lady. What made you decide to invent the Ladycare Magnet?
I had previously discovered there were many health problems that could be helped using static magnetic fields without adverse effects. I had designed a device to help a male colleague that was proving to be beneficial. My curiosity led me to think could this device help women in any way, so I found few women that were prepared to use it for a month and report any changes.

I was amazed when several of the women contacted me all excited saying they had not suffered with their usual pain during their period. I was shocked as I had not even considered this condition — from that point I decided to focus totally on research and developed a product particularly for period pain, which LC MAGNETbecame very successful over the years.

How long did it take, from concept to reality, to get the Ladycare Magnet into the shops (and into our knickers?)
During my research, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Nyjon Eccles of Harley St., who has helped in many ways, including conducting many medical surveys and trials. Following a very successful trial in 2006 with 500 women reported reduced or complete elevation of their hot sweats, LadyCare was launched. The awareness of the benefits of LadyCare have grown enormously leading to high demand here in Boots Pharmacy UK since 2009 also now available in many countries worldwide.


What does the magnet target, in the body, that makes it work?
Dr Eccles has identified an autonomic imbalance (a parasympathetic nervous system deficit) in menopause and peri-menopause.

Sweating is under the control of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), more specifically the sympathetic division (fight-flight/stress reactor system).

There are 2 divisions of the ANS, the Sympathetic division (SNS) which is the fight-flight stress reactor system of the body: when we perceive a threat the heart beats faster, and the pupils dilate to allow more light for enhanced visual acuity and faster reactions.

In contrast, the Parasympathetic division (PNS) is responsible for rest and digestion. The latter is the repair and regulatory system of the body, and tends to have the opposite effect to the SNS. For example, the SNS speeds the heart rate while the PNS slows it down.  The two systems work together to regulate all our organ systems.

LadyCare seems to correct this nervous system imbalance; specifically enhancing the parasympathetic activity. This provides a plausible explanation for the relief of menopause symptoms by LadyCare and also for the reduction of period pain by MN8.

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The LadyCare magnet RRP is  €29.95 Available from selected pharmacies and health stores nationwide, or order online at http://www.ladycare-ireland.ie

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Always seek the advice of your doctor!

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Lovely Linkage: Pixy Ireland and That Magic Mischief

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PIXY LOVE HAMPERI chatted with the folks over at Pixy ahead of the upcoming giveaway. I have to say: am in envy mode for whoever gets this Pink Love Hamper, which includes

This magnificent gift contains a luxurious strawberry shower mousse, a deliciously softening heart-shaped massage bar with aduki beans to stimulate the skin, a gently cleansing heart-shaped scented soap, a moisturising loofah foot scrub in a pretty flower shape, a conditioning foot cream in a cute heart-shaped tin and adorable heart-shaped lime body scrubs.

THAT MAGIC MISCHIEFI really like the sound of that aduki-bean massage bar. I’ve tried samples from the Pixy range of soaps, and have been only delighted by them. I’m a fan of the shower mousse especially.

So! Do head over to a digital purveyour of eBooks, buy your copy of That Magic Mischief, and prepare to be in with a chance to win! there will be a question you’ll have to answer based on a detail in the book. Hint: it will have something to do with the pooka…

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Have a look at the rest of the Pixy line over at pixy.ie

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There is Nothing like a Scrub: My Four Faves

/ MANY BRAVE FOOLS / 1 Comment

Well… hmmm. Nope: nothing like a scrub from head to toe, upon return to to my Haven of Beauty after two weeks away.

I have been giving myself a good going over since I’ve been back, from my literal head to my literal toes.

Here is what we’ve got on the go at the mo:

THE LINEUP 2013That’s enough to keep me in posts for another week and half!

I have cut four products out of the herd, and have been happily exfoliating every day since Thursday. This may not be advisable! But I don’t care, I am intent upon sloughing off The Lag, straight down the drain.

FOUR FAVE SCRUBS

From left-ish:

>Lycon Pomegranate Sugar Scrub, from I don’t know where. It is spa-quality, and for a sugar scrub — which normally rolls right off your body, no matter how you try to prevent it — this is tops. The jelly-like base holds the scrub in perfect suspension, and it smooths over the skin with nary a grain lost.

>Oh, Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1, how happy I was to see you! Next time, I swear, I am bringing you along. There is nothing that you cannot do. To celebrate my return, I went hard-core and employed your masque-y qualities, and indulged in a thorough scrub once under the spray of the shower.

> This was a hard sell, initially, but now I am completely on the Redken Nature’s Rescue Refining Sea Polish. I use it before I shampoo, which may or may not be as directed — it still works a treat, and my hair is all the shinier for it.

>The classic for a reason: Dermalogica Microfoliant gently exfoliates, foams up into a cleanser-like consistency, and lasts forever and ever, amen.

Did reading this make you feel itchy? I feel all itchy now.

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Prices vary depending upon what your googling reaps. If anyone knows where that Lycon stuff came from, do let me know.

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Top Twelve of 2012: Minding Me Pelt

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BODDDDAlso file under: Hoarding. I love both of these so much, I ration my uses of them. Which is too bad really, to not use something that I like, but on the other hand, I know how to make special occasions even more special.

I fell for Dermalogica’s Hydro-active Mineral Salts immediately. Itcombines the excellence of salt-based therapeutic bath salt, with minerals and tonnes of essential oils. It smells rather… organic, which some may find off-putting. I feel medium about the scent, personally, but the effect of the sea salt and sandalwood, lavender, orange, clary sage, lemon, and tea tree — among others! — is pretty spectac.

Oh, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, how do I love thee? Countless ways! I have tried other oils, and liked them muchly, but not completely and utterly muchly — no where near as muchly as I adore this. The scent! The coverage! The suppleness of my skin! This year saw a special anniversary addition that came in a spray bottle! There is a version that has glittery sparkle in it! Still waiting, like many of this product’s fans, for the perfume version. Hint, hint, Nuxe!

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Here’s the original post about the Dermalogica salts; here are the words about the prodigious oil.

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Festive Form: All the Things in LUSH

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First of all, Mr Punch soap has gin in it.

6092-Mr-Punch-Full-640-x-587It’s €4.25 for 100g, which, depending upon your relations, may be just right, or… or not. In addition to the gin, there are cucumbery, melony notes, that all activate once you hop in the bath.

Gin is made from juniper berries, which are no-brainer ingredients for the natural cosmetics company, since juniper berries are natural and grow on… bushes?*

Here are some samples from the extraordinarily comprehensive, beautifully-wrapped line. Funnily enough, two out of the three contain a gin-based product!

01 CHRISTMAS PARTY

Christmas Party {€10.25} has no gin in it. But still, it looks fun, and would be perfect for a young lad, or a Secret Santa work thing.

02 JOLLY HOLLY DAYS

Jolly Hollydays {€32.95} comes with six products, including an Each Peach massage bar, and 100gs of our ould pal, Mr Punch.

03 TWAS THE NIGHT

‘Twas The Night {€64.95} is so, so pretty. It is the essence of a sophisticated Christmas, via its packaging alone. Your loved one can re-purpose the box as well, it is so well made – which it would have to be, since it is chock full of stuff. I’ve raved about the Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner in the past, and there’s a massive Angels Delight soap moon, too. And! you guessed it: the thing that has the gin in it.

No gin was partaken in the writing of this post, which I am sure you were wondering.

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*Bushes and trees.

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I don’t even like gin.

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