Spring Awakenings

With the recent gentle rains, I'm dreaming of the Spring. I'm thinking about the first flowers, the smell of the earth as it begins to awaken, sunshine, sweet breezes - and these dreams are showing their influence in wonderful ways:

1. a new daffodil-yellow cashmere sweater

2. repositioning the houseplants for better light

3. a new search for a fresh Spring scent

From past blogs, we know of my immediate infatuation with Diptyque's spicy sandalwood Tam Dao, but I've also curiously found myself attracted to L'Ombre dans L'Eau. ($88) This scent begins with the softness of Bulgarian rose, and then tempered with Blackcurrant leaves which lend a cool green note. At the core (and this is what lingers) is smoky Amber. The company says that the scent conjurs a blooming garden at the river's edge, and with this heady mix, I imagine myself in the cool shade at the edge of the water, looking over the garden, just out of the sun, and enjoying the green luxury of the Springtime.

Though the long days of Spring and Summer languish ahead of us on the calendar, it's still imperative to protect your skin from harmful UV spectrum rays from the sun. Even on overcast days, UV radiation still penetrates the cloud layers and bounces around under the cloud cover causing damage to your skin!

COOLA's broad-spectrum SPF30, ultra-moisturizing certified-organic sunscreen ($32) for the face protects your delicate features all year-round. I love how lightweight it is, and the greaseless feel, and mattifiers means I can wear it under makeup all day without worry about shine. I'm particularly partial to the cucumber scent which is clean and crisp and never cloying.

As we await the arrival of the first crocus, the craving for color can be satisfied with one of Laura Mercier's Hydratints ($20) - a sheer-color, moisturizing balm+SPF15. I love Apricot, a juicy peachy-pink, Rose, a soft baby-pink, and Nude, a sheer hint of beige. Never waxy, these balms protect your lips, and deliver just the right amount of color. As simple as it gets.

When Spring comes, the grass grows by itself - Tao Te Ching

xoxo,

L