Decadent Indulgence

Now and then I get a renewed enthusiasm for making my own beauty products and the kitchen turns into a magical apothecary where decadently sweet smelling lotions and potions steam and brew.

Sometimes I think making the creams, oils and perfumes is more enjoyable than using them. Not!

For a few hours I become the wizard of sparkle and glamor, stirring pots of melted cocoa, shea butter or coconut oil, assessing the concentration of herbal decoctions and taking in the wholesome scent of liquid beeswax.

Home-made products smell heavenly even before you add fragrance.

That last step is itself an art form.

Mixing and matching fragrances is a serious scientific process which takes into account accents, base tones and middle notes, but the joy of creating your own cosmetics comes from experimenting and making mistakes.

Sometimes the scents come through too strong, sometimes their harmonies clash, but no two creams or lotions are ever the same, probably because I always forget to write down the ingredients as I go, and creating that unrepeatable experience is the most enjoyable part.