NTKOG #59: The kind of crunchy hippie chick whose beauty regimen is comprised primarily of salad-bar staples.
I am: a bathing and beauty minimalist. My idea of an extensive skin treatment routine: shower, loofah, squirt of whatever body wash is on sale. Lather, rinse, don’t repeat.
I am not: in this, as in so many ways, remotely girly-girlish. I mean, I only shampoo once a week, for goodness sake.
The Scene: My gorgeous clawfoot bathtub. For two and a half hours. Truly, is there no greater bliss known to (wo)man than luxuriating for a full afternoon in the bath, with an Oprah magazine at your side? After the suds died down from my Lush bubble bar (Sunny Side! Curiously like bathing in champagne!) and I’d cast a keen eye over Oprah’s holiday gift guide, I set to the work of hippiecraft.
Brown Sugar Body Scrub: So, guys, this was as simple as it sounded. Palmful of brown sugar, and just work it into your skin. I attacked my feet and knees first, ’cause east-coast weather hasn’t been kind to me, and was amazed at how quickly the dry skin was buffed off. Then, I grabbed another handful and exfoliated the rest of my skin. HOLY FRIGGIN’ CHRIST. omfg. There is nothing you could possibly do in a bathtub — with or without another person — that could feel as wonderful as exfoliating your tired, neglected limbs and torso with a handful of plain ol’ brown sugar. I mean. I mean oh my god. Total revelation.
I’ve used lots of fancy and semi-expensive exfoliating rubs, many of them sugar-based, in the bath, but something about the fineness of the grit made this extraordinary. Siiigh. Plus, afterwards I smelled so good that I was tempted to just lay in front of my radiator and bake myself. I’m sure I would have been delectable!
Egg White Face Mask: About as yechy as it sounds. Post-bath, I pulled my hair back, separated an egg and slathered the albumen all over my face, then let it dry. I can see why people think this is helpful for your skin: once the sticky egg white hardens, it contorts your face into a grotesque Joan Rivers mask. But even after thoroughly scrubbing the gunk off, I didn’t notice anything particularly firm or glowy about my skin. Later, I scrubbed my face with brown sugar, just to see, which actually did a nice job soothing the Kleenex-sore skin below my nose.
Hot Olive Oil Hair Treatment: Before stepping in the shower to finish scrubbing off the brown sugar, I microwaved a few ounces of olive oil for forty five seconds, until it was quite warm but not hot to the touch. Then, after shampooing pretty thoroughly (haircare’s the first to go when I have a cold), slowly drizzled the oil in my hair and worked it in with my fingers. I let it set for a few minutes before rinsing it. And dude. I was petrified that it would make my hair or, worse, my skin (about the clarity of which I’ll be the first to admit I’m a trifle vainglorious) greasy, but it was actually a fairly nice boost. My hair had a smidge more luster than usual and the curls were soft and manageable. Plus, although you can’t really get up much of a shine on curly hair, I think were my hair straighter, it would have verged on glossy.
The Verdict: Dude. So every time I do these wallet- and eco-friendly challenges? I am surprised and DELIGHTED with the results! For my money: egg-white facials are obviously to be avoided; oil treatment is quite nice but probably not worth the fuss on any sort of regular basis; brown-sugar body scrubs are a gift from the gods. I will so be adding basic baking staples to all of my soaks from now on.
If you’re a chick reading this, I highly encourage you do the same! Or, dude, even if you’re a guy. Just — probably make sure no one ever finds out? (And my sympathies if you are an actual adult with the kind of responsibilities that preclude marathon just-because soaks. Trust me, I’m well aware of how good I have it right now, and am cherishing every glorious, sudsy moment of it!)
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Well, what do you know. A whole naked post and it wasn’t even TMI Thursday material. You should still check out LiLu’s post today, though. Or, actually, every day. Girl’s a bloggernaut.
I bought myself St. Ives almond oat sugar scrub…It’s divine. I only used it like 4 times though…You’re going to make me go home and have a long bath.
I’m not super girly but I like soaps and eyeliner. Yea…I know.
Soaps and eyeliner are officially the two best parts about being a girl! I have a serious addiction to buying handcrafted soaps. Especially from Lush, where I could very easy drop a whole week’s paycheck just buying anything that smelled good. (I mean, honestly, who wants to live life without lime/seaweed/lavender soap with a layer of exfoliating sea salt?!)
I have a bit of an addiction to eating brown sugar… but rubbing it all over my body? Now there’s some food for thought…. (ba-dum-boom!)
i made sugar scrubs for my girlfriends for christmas last year! they’re fun and easy and smell yummy. 🙂
i ADOOORE lush. the problem is i hardly ever take baths, because i have 2 very sheddy cats, who manage to shed DIRECTLY IN the tub. a lot. and so i have to clean the tub before i use it, EVERY TIME. which is not relaxing.
Your bath sounds glorious. I take a bath nearly every day. I grew up in an old house and I didn’t even have a shower forever, so I just got used to it.
I haven’t gone organic bathing yet though. I get my soap from the dollar store…. and use Pantene… and can’t use bubblebath or most scented things because I’m always either allergic or they give me yeast infections… and yuck.
I am really going to have to try out this sugar scrub.
dude, 1) the idea of taking a daily bath is basically the best thing i’ve ever heard; and 2) seriously, try the brown sugar thing! you’ll be happy you did!
Oh man, sounds great! I have never done the brown sugar or egg white, but I totally love finding these remedies that I can concoct from my refridgerator. Maybe one of these days I will post my own…
And, I was totally wasted when I emailed you last night. It’s like drunken texting, only way dorkier.
Pretty soon you’re gonna have to rename this blog Not That Kind of Hippie. 😉
Eff.
Your day just sounds like a whole lotta F.U.N.
A must try!
TKOG, you are delectable.
Where’s this guest post from your mother, eh? I am overcome with baster-based curiosity.
haha, i’m posting it on thursday as a little week-before tribute to thanksgiving. IT IS WORTH WAITING FOR!
Also, apologies, love, but edited your comment to remove my real-life name. I’m attempting semi-anonymity for now… 😉
When I was working Id take care of myself by daily showers, ectera but now I do what the Amish do. I no longer wear makeup other than a little bit of mascara and always mosturizer under my blush.
Now if I had maids or butlers I just might pamper myself with what you’ve blogged about!
hmm, I’m intrigued: what do the Amish do?
Also, I swear I’m not just some totally self-indulgent layabout who pampers herself 23 hours a day! Bubble baths are my greatest vice — I’d rather take a bubble bath than go see a movie or go to a bar or normal entertainment like that.
thanks for the brown sugar tip
(that’s what she said)
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