Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Not about books! Favorite Bath Washes

When it comes to fragrance, I often enjoy it more in the shower instead of in the forms of eau de toilette, eau de parfum, lotion or cream. I'm not a fan of soap - bars that melt in the shower, no thanks. My skin is really dry, and I prefer body washes that come in flip-top bottles. If you like girly florals, these aren't for you, but here are two of my current faves:

Nuance Salma Hayek Prickly Pear Hydrating Body Cleansing Gel. Phew, that's a long name! I have that bottle next to my laptop right now, as I need to refer to it. The wording on this gel says it's non-irritating, not tested on animals, paraben and sulfate-free. Allergy-free? Hmm. With passion fruit, rice bran oil and aloe - these ingredients are about halfway down.

How does it smell? Clean, green, faintly fruity. It has a unique texture - clumps of aloe-like gel that work up to a moderate amount of lather. A pleasure to shower with, and affordable at 10 ounces, about $6 on sale at CVS. I like it so much, I bought a second bottle!

Tocca Cleopatra Body Wash with olive oil, honey and calendula. The top notes are grapefruit and cucumber (which is really faint to me) and also a bit of floral. The texture of this is really thin, but a little goes a long way.

If you don't like the remains of a slick on your skin, you won't like this - I love it! And after rinsing, the fragrance remains. Pricey at 8 ounces for $18, but you're worth it! Available at Sephora. It's luxurious, it's from Italy! If you really want to spoil yourself, get the body cream - so yummy. Tip: the EDP smells different.

What do you like to clean up with? Bubble bath? Ivory soap?

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Topless Neighbor Sighted

However, in the cooler weather of a Hawaiian winter, she's neither topless nor bottomless. She's even been seen wearing glasses! Since she's an older lady, we conclude that she was fed up with the heat/humidity of summer in her apartment which affected her judgment. Based on our keen sense of smell, she is still hitting the kimchi. Hard.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

February 2013 Reading

I finished Amy Jo Martin's Renegades Write the Rules. I learned two things from it: 1) Twitter can become one of your communities 2) You can give someone a chance to engage, but they often don't. See pp. 149-151. In my case, a business I felt did not fulfill its contract with me did not follow through.

I'm reading Sir Terry Pratchett's Dodger, about a Victorian England street kid who becomes involved in something much bigger than his usual activities. The writing is splendid - just carries you along - such a pleasure to read good writing! And he meets Charles Dickens in the first few pages! I recommend it! BTW, I love Sir Terry's eyebrows; may he rest in peace.

Side note: so many friends, relatives have passed away in the last several months. A longtime family friend and a fellow librarian at the end of last year. My aunt early this year. Some lived a good long life, others an unexpectedly shortened one.

Have you lost anyone special? What are you reading?