Slickery, Slathery, Silky

Oh, the weather outside really is frightful!  Last week it was in the mid-50s.  Then we had a 6″ snowfall which, luckily, melted the next day.  Now Polly Vortex is visiting and it’s a balmy 18Fanfreakin’tastic degrees, with a 30mph wind.  Walking The Girl is an exercise in SACRIFICE because I hate the cold (she, being 130lbs of Doggeration, couldn’t care less).  My nerves are kept intact by virtual visits to Costa Careyes and liberal IRL application of body lotions and creams.

I’ll be back in April

I was going to do a Christmas Gift List but, truth be told, I ain’t thinkin’ ’bout no gifts.  ME.  Allllll for meeee.  At least when it comes to body lotions & creams.  I swear, I can happily give almost everything – including chocolate & perfume – but I just can’t unclench my paws from a jar of body cream.  Even when I buy it specifically as a gift.  Not even the cheap stuff! Isn’t that weird?? I can barely stand to give a jar of Jergens away.    And it’s $3!  Omg.  I am insane.  So.  Rather than lie to you about what I’m giving I’m going to lie to you about what I would give, if I could bring myself to do it.  How’s that.

In the Spirit of the Creamy Season here, in no particular order, is Musette’s List of Body Cream and Lotion LOVE! (some face stuff in there, too).

Chanel No 5 Body Cream.  You already know.  But Just In Case:  omg.  You don’t even KNOW!  This is, without a doubt, the most amazing body cream ever created!  Stunningly infused with scent (which is great because, believe me, the soap isn’t) and so amazingly silky. 

Amouage Gold Body Cream.  Rosier (and a bit less stompy) than No5 it is just as scent-intense – someone on the ‘net said that wearing this made her feel like a rich Arab princess and I agree.  Within most parameters, there are two ablutions that put us all on the same level, relatively speaking.  One of them is a hot shower (the other I don’t wanna talk about right now).  If the water coming out of the shower is hot I am good to go – the faucet head doesn’t need to be gold.  Just the apres-shower cream.  😉  (and, unlike Chanel, Amouage soaps Do. Not. Play.  You will have scent in the bathroom for days!)A little dab’ll do ya, especially if you slather beforehand with…

Jergens Face Cream.   I use this daily – and, ironically, I use it everywhere except my face (the first ingredient is mineral oil, which breaks my face out within 4 seconds of application)!  It is an amazing cream, just right for the drying Winter season.  Perfect for slathering on right after a hot shower, it has a neutral cold cream scent that also allows for less-intensive slathering of the spendy stuff like Ol’ Chanel  or Lady Gold up there.  Put this on first, then slicker on a bit of the $$$ cream.  You will get lots and lots of The Smellz without having emptied half that 3-figure jar.  And your skin will be soft and smooooth.

Soyphisticated Candles Organic Lip Balm – okay, not actually body cream but it is cream for the lips and the lips are part of the body, right?  Anyhoodle, this is my go-to lip balm for the foreseeable Rest of my LIFE!  Organic virgin coconut oil and NO lanolin.  What’s not to love?   I’m a devotee of the peppermint but have actually thought about trying the Honey Ginger.  It’s also one of those things I have given as a gift but omg.  it does involve a lot of whimpering.  Which is ridiculous because they are $3.50 ea and  I buy them in near-bulk.  But they are My Precioussssss.  So… Whimpering.   I have one in my cosmetic case, one in my coat pocket and one in my car.  At all times. I also have one on the beside table and one at my desk.  And one by the back door because Gawd Help Me if I go outside in the garden without that stuff on my lips.  I may also have one in the silverware drawer in the kitchen because Why Not, right?  Tell me I’m not the only Lip Balm Freak…..?

Walgreens (now Studio 35) Alpha Hydroxy Cream.  This?  THIS I use on my face.  And my back.  And my elbows.  And my skeevy Winter feets.  Oh, yes.  This was The Gift, btw.  El O, who is usually pretty clueless – somehow he cottoned to the fact that they were phasing out the original A-H (to be repackaged as Studio 35) and I was desperately trying to find any jars, to little avail.  Valentine’s Day 2012.  My gift was a gift bag FULL of those little jars of Fabulous.  Which may be why he is still alive.  This is also the cream the Benefit lady told me to go get back when they took their $30 A-H lotion off the market and I was standing there, in Marshall Field’s, on the verge of tears.  For $5 (now $10) I got the same results.  Nebber looked back.  Keeps my back smooth and gives those skeevy feets a fighting chance.  If I had to grab a go-bag, this would be in it. 

When my world starts to cave in on me and I can feel my teeth grinding and my heart muscle shredding, I go take a hot shower and slather on Aromatherapy Associates ‘Inner Strength’ body oil.  Clary sage is said to be very calming and uplifting and that, combined with rose, frankincense and cardamom, helps calm me right the hell down.  I get mine at Beautyhabit and it is a staple in my bathroom hutch, especially in the challenging Winter months, when I need to up my meds but the docs sez NO! whew!  well I feel ways better, having shared all of my favorites with you.  What slickery goodness makes your skin happy in the Chilly Season?  and….fess up!  what beauty/food/???do you hang onto??   c’mon, you know you wanna share…;-)