It's been a hectic month or so at my "day job." My workplace was temporarily topsy-turvy due to rush deadlines and personnel changes, major annual events, unexpected VIP visits and technical difficulties. I was getting home later and later at night, often with a headache — and I'm a just one small wheel in the organizational machinery, so I know the situation was even more stressful for many of my coworkers.
I had some chemical assistance on stressful days, at least, and I don't mean pharmaceuticals or even a stiff drink. Instead, I relied on Enfleurage's Sanctuary oil, and a new hand cream from Le Couvent des Minimes with a scent named (appropriately) Eau Sereine. This aroma of "serenity" is described as "a signature blend of lavender and mandarin" that evokes "the tranquil waters of a lake high in the mountains of Haute-Provence."
Eau Sereine wasn't quite what I expected, but I like it. It doesn't smell like an essential oil blend in a body product you'd pick up at Whole Foods (or like my beloved LUSH Dream Cream). Instead, it's more "perfume-y," with a clean, almost soapy lavender note and something that smells more like orange blossom dominating the subtle citrus fruit underneath. It's fresh but classic-feeling. It doesn't calm me in the same way that true lavender or bergamot essences do, but its graceful, almost ladylike bouquet makes me feel more polished and mentally pulled-together (at least for the time being!) — less of a bedtime scent, more of a "yes, thank you, I can do this" scent.
Le Couvent des Minimes' Hand Cream formula suits any moment of a busy day: it's silky but absorbs quickly and completely into the skin, leaving your hands moisturized, protected and ready to get back to whatever you were doing. The Eau Sereine scent lingers long after the cream has been applied, as a reminder to breathe and smile. I'll be keeping this tube in my bag for the next big deadline.
Le Couvent des Minimes Eau Sereine Hand Cream is available in a 25 ml tube for $8. A matching Eau Sereine cologne, foam bath, "shower veil" and pillow mist are also available.
When Duane Reade had their Customer Appreciation week several weeks ago, I checked out their Le Couvent des Minimes line hoping to get something at a discount. I ended up not getting anything in tbat line. I tend to get unscented hand cream anyway although the one I had been using of late (Carmex) has a pleasant vanilla smell and Yu-be is camphorous. Maybe I’ll see you at Twisted Lily tomorrow
I loved this article, even though I never use scented hand creams myself. Such an original way of dealing with whatever life throws at us.