My Philosophy

Ever since I started living with a boy (some might say MAN, I would still say BOY), my big brown eyes have been opened wide to the blissful blessing of… PRODUCT. You know the product I’m talking about – all those miraculous lotions and potions that make a girl swoon just at the scent. The beautifully designed bottles that house the concoctions to make our skin soft, our hair silky, and ourselves… even more lovable then before. It’s true!

Now, before I tell you my favorites, we need to stop and breathe in the beauty for a second. BECAUSE, if I didn’t have my lovely shelf of perfumes, my basket of lotions and hair products, and my shower caddy full of delicious body washes and bubble baths, my world would be, well, sad. And, it would smell like a man! I find it so disappointing that when the husband takes a shower, he has the choice to dowse himself in oddly-named bottles of AX or Old Spice. First of all, the brand names are disappointing at best. (AX? What is that? And why is it the only thing on the shelf besides Old Spice, which obviously = old man?) Second, the options within are disturbing! You can make yourself smell like “Pure Sport” (Does that mean sweat? Or locker room? Gross!) or other bizarre scents such as “Surf’s Tide” (Perfect. Now he can smell like salt water.) To make it worse, the bottles are hideous (bright reds and blues, which totally clash with my bathroom’s color scheme), and of course, since they are made for lazy men, they are always industrial sized, no matter where you buy them.

Then, on the other side of the bathroom, in a precious corner of the bathtub, you find… Hope. And Grace. And Purity. And Love. No, no; I am not making a metaphor. I am being literal! All in delicate pastel pinks and purples, soft whites and ivories, my body wash and lotion are called Grace, my face moisturizer is called Hope, my face wash is called Purity, and there is a delectable little number on my wish list named Love. Philosophy Cosmetics make all of the above, and I kid you not when I say these products really do make you believe in miracles (which is, sweetly, the product line’s own “philosophy”).

If you want product that gets the job done, look no further. I started using this on my honeymoon when my best-maid-of-honor ever so graciously sent me off with some travel sizes, and I got hooked for life. Gorgeous presentation for your powder room shelves, and even better results for your beautiful body. Plus, a perk for the mind: all of the bottles share inspirational words of encouragement. I read my Grace bottle in the shower all the time, and find it a perfect way to start my day:

“life is a classroom. we are both student and teacher. each day is a test. and each day we receive a passing or failing grade in one particular subject: grace. grace is compassion, gratitude, surrender, faith, forgiveness, good manners, reverence, and the list goes on. it’s something money can’t buy and credentials rarely produce. being the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, the richest, or even the poorest, can’t help. being a humble person can and being a helpful person can guide you through your days with grace and gratitude.”

And, then, I lather that all over my green loofah (the husband has the purple loofah, which I was incredibly angry about, because I bought myself the purple and him the green, but he said something dumb about "real dawgs wear purple") and poured that nasty Pure Sport all over it, so I was stuck with the green and begin my GRACEful day. Take your pick - and find your own philosophy...