Winter fragrance...

This year I am obsessed with perfumes. I guess I am compensating for the absence of my better-half but whatever the reason, the fact remains that I am very obsessed with perfumes. It is quite scary at times.

Anyway, on a Saturday morning, I asked myself: So girl, what perfume will you wear this winter? That got me really thinking. Where I live it is very hot and the winter is very mild so I usually go for ''summer'' perfumes. I went through my perfume collection and took my time smelling each of my babies. The winner hit me in the nose: Yria..

Yria is a fragrance by Yves Rocher and it is quite popular here in Mauritius(among YR connoisseurs)! The first time I smelled it in a friend I did not really like it. But later this year I ordered one bottle from my YR representative. I fell in love with the box: it is dark red with golden vines and leaves. I do not know why but it reminds me of Sleeping Beauty.

The perfume itself is very womanly, strong and sensual. It makes me think of a ''grown-up'' version of myself. I do not know how to describe a perfume but what I can say is that this perfume is longlasting and lingers the whole day. It is not very imposing but it leaves a trail on the skin. I choose to wear it in winter as it makes me feel very alive and not numb.

Winter blues : how to cheer yourself up?

I have found some sure ways to get over the winter blues this year :

• Moisturize : I have found that having a moisturized,smooth skin goes a long way to cheer up my mood. I use everything from face cream to foot cream.

• The second thing is to have a great smelling shower gel that makes cheers you up. This winter I have used some of Yves Rocher's shower creams which are amazing and Avon's Apple and Honeysuckle shower gel (followed by its body lotion).
• The third advice is to really rub that body cream into your skin. I use different brands depending on my mood. Lately I have been using Avon's Rich Moisture Body Lotion and Nivea's Happy Time. Happy Time smells great and its name says it all for me.
• The fourth thing I do is to consume some magnesium, present mainly in bananas or you can buy the pills from your drug store.
  
• The next thing is not to stress and to be happy. Being stressed just adds to your problem. Try to be cheerful even in the face of your problem.
• Lots of sleep!!!

[Some of the pictures above have been found from the web and are not mine.]

Diamond Power!

Last year I was browsing around Super U. At that time I was feeling a bit depressed as my fiance had been away for 8 months. Suddenly my eyes fell on Maybelline's Cosmetics stand. Like a true make-up lover,I could not resist the temptation of checking the products. I was intrigued by its new range - the Diamonds lipstick. The concept is simple:the lipstick is a combination of color,gloss and glitter. I immediately got over my depression. I chose a dark pink shade called Purple Diamond. I loved it. I tried it over a million times that day and wanted to share this product with my friends and family. That night I called my fiance,I was in a very happy mood and I owe the success of our relationship to this lipstick.

Now about the product itself : it is available in lots of shades among which you have Purple Diamond,Ruby Diamond,Toffee Diamond,Pink Diamond or Grenadine Diamond. All the shades are lovely though one ought to choose a color according to her skin tone. I own three shades and they seem to be enough for now. I love the glossy and glittery effect it gives to my lips. The only minus side of this product is that the color is not long lasting. You need to re-apply it every 2-3 hours. All in all it is a good product,mostly if you are on a restricted budget as the lipstick costs less than Rs 300. This lipstick suits the young and the less young. And buying this lipstick can make your relationship work!!

To avoid crocodile skin!!

This is one of my favorite products - L'Oreal's Nutrisoft for dry and very dry skins. I bought this body milk last year during a sale on L'Oreal products at Super U. I kept it at the back of my cream drawer and forgot about it. Last month,while going through my body creams I rediscovered this cream. I tried it and I fell in love with it. The milk acts like a gel and it is easily absorbed. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and velvety. My skin is fully moisturised and I do not feel the itchiness so common in winter.

This body milk can also be used in summer as even on hotter days,it does not become sticky or greasy. It is so easily absorbed. Another good point for this cream is that it does not have a strong smell. It leaves the skin feeling lightly perfumed and it does not interfere with my deodorant or perfume.

This cream is sold in a 400 ml container but I saw a smaller container being sold too. The price ranges from Rs 350 - 430 depending on the dose you are buying. Despite its price it is a good buy,especially if you care for your skin. The price is quite decent given that you are buying a L'Oreal quality product.

What is your secret for a velvety,moisturised skin? And where do you buy it from and how much does it cost?

Chapped lips??

One of the biggest problems in winter is having chapped,dry and bleeding lips. I really hate that. This year I have anticipated the problem and I have already bought my lip balm. I ordered Avon's Sheer Lip Gloss with Jojoba Oil. It can be used as a lip balm as well as a lip gloss. It has a light pink color to it which is very pleasant when going out as you can be fashionable while protecting your lips from the cruel cold. I am very happy with this product. I find its packaging to be cute and girly. It is very small and can be used when travelling or going out.

On the con side I would say that it is quite expensive. I bought it during the special Mother's Day 'promos' by Avon and even then it cost me around Rs 400 for 10ml. So let's just say that this is not the most affordable lip balm on the market. If you are really looking for good deals then check out Super U's lip balm products. I noticed one enriched with shea butter which looked quite good and it costs around Rs 120. So let us conclude by saying that when it comes to fighting against chapped lips in winter , everyone can have his/her own beauty products and recipes. Here I would like to give out a little advice to all the boys out there, using lip balms does not diminish your manhood. On the contrary girls appreciate the fact that you are caring enough to spare us the sight of chapped and even bleeding lips!! I end on this gory note!!

Shower time!!

Shower time is one of my favourite times of the day. I tend to make it an even better experience by using shower creams or shower gels. This month I have fallen in love with Dop's Abricot de Roussillon shower cream (which is apricot from the region of Roussillon in France). The name itself sounds very exotic to my Mauritian ear. I tried it and here is my appreciation.

The packaging itself is very attractive with the vibrant orange and yellow colors. The luscious abricots seem to be full of energy and wellness. The container is very practical to use during the shower. This shower cream exudes a sweet smell which remains throughout the day. It is really moisturising and softening. Its creamy texture is easily washable and leaves a pleasantly sweet smell.

On the practical front, this product is sold in a 300ml container for about Rs 144 and it lasts for about one month. Hence you spend just Rs4.80 per day on this shower cream. This makes it a very good deal for me.

The Perfect Thursday!!

The perfect Thursday is when my hair and skin look great.I am not someone who spends lots of time dealing with my hair.For me it is just washing,conditioning,drying and combing(what you see is what you get!).As for my skin I am very careful and caring.Today everything went well,hair and skin both behaved.I had a pleasant day at work with my kids and to put a happy end to my day I went shopping.I bought the sweetest smelling shower gel and I am very keen to try it.I love winter as I feel like a sweet-smelling,cool fairy.To finish everything off I will be watching a Selena Gomez-Demi Lovato starrer movie in a few minutes with my sister and tonight I will have my fix of Desperate Housewives!!Everything is so perfect and I like things that way!!