I've never tried Thayer's Witch Hazel Body Bars, but I've gone though plenty of bottles of their Witch Hazel toner. The bars come in Citrus, Rose and Peppermint: "Bubbling With Aromatherapy & Moisture. Thayers Peppermint Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Body Bar restores the skin while stirring the senses. Organic witch hazel and aloe vera cool and soothe as coconut and palm oils smooth and moisturize. Count on this cleansing bar to awaken both body and mind." $5 for 141g.
Confession: I don’t have any tattoos. When I recently visited an exhibition on the history of tattoos at the New-York Historical Society, I found myself admiring some vintage designs, but I think my moment to get “inked” has passed. When I was a college student, tattoos were still a rarity on my campus, sported only by a few punk rockers and metal heads. When tattoos became popular with mainstream twenty-somethings, I developed a certain level of scorn for the butterflies and “tribal” swirls and Japanese characters everyone suddenly seemed to have on their calves and shoulders and lower backs. And by the time tattooing became legal again in New York and some truly talented tattoo artists were available, I was trying to maintain a serious façade at my then-workplace, for reasons I can no longer remember.
Changing public standards and personal circumstances would now allow me to get a tattoo, if I wanted, but I still don’t think I’ll take the plunge. The main reason: I wouldn’t be able to decide on one image or even several images…
The more obsessed you become with scent, the further you may venture in your quest for a fragranced life: beyond perfume and fancy candles, for example, you might become very particular about the fragrances of bath and body items or household products. (Hence my long and happy relationships with Lush and Mrs. Meyers, to name just two of my brand obsessions.) But why stop there? What about skincare? If I’m going to put something on my face, of all places, either it has to be unscented or have a scent that I truly enjoy.
On a recent browse through Sephora, I stopped to examine a new collection of skincare products from the beauty mega-giant’s signature line. There were brightly packaged lip balms, sheet masks, facial wipes and — most interesting to me, personally — four new micellar cleansing waters. About two years ago I stopped cleaning my face with soap-based cleansers…
I’d call Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps “youthful,” except that I’m not sure anyone young today would wear it, except ironically. Yet, L’Air du Temps seems ill fit for a mature woman. I imagine it on a mid-century ingenue, say Natalie Wood. L’Air du Temps’s clean, full floral bouquet with a hint of clove is too innocent for most people today over the age of 16, yet, at the same time, too old fashioned to appeal to them.
Francis Fabron, author of Givenchy L’Interdit, also developed L’Air du Temps. The fragrance launched in 1948 — the height of Dior’s New Look…
More jasmine for the lips (for previous, see here & here) — Alteya Organics Jasmine & Ylang-Ylang Lip Balm: "Alteya’s Organic Jasmine Ylang-Ylang Lip Balm is rich, nourishing lip treatment that may help bring reliable protection for sensitive lips from the harsh environment. Formulated with rich botanical oils, it helps reveal soft, beautiful and healthy lips." $3.99 at Smallflower (also: Vanilla Geranium, Rose, Lavender, Lavender Mint, Grapefruit Zdravetz).