Marking a Milestone with Good Wishes and a Great Face Cream

My Super Salve

Well, it’s finally arrived. The moment I have been somewhat anxiously anticipating for the past year, at least the last six months. Today I’ve officially hit a major mile marker on my roadway of life. Not sure if I’m comfortable enough to say what it is, but it’s a big one. You can only guess.

I breathe deeply and nearly sigh as I write this. I began preparing for this monumental birthday last March. Before that I felt more dread than hope. Then I decided to change my attitude around it. I wrote a list of clear and concise affirmations of what I wanted to manifest most in my life, began saying them out loud on a daily basis and then after a couple of months, procured a luxurious face cream. Yes, I contacted my friend Cassandra at Clarins and she furnished me with a shopping bag full of potions, lotions and sprays. They have been my saving grace these past couple of months as I’ve barreled toward this day.

Am I sounding shallow? I hope not. I think we all need sensory experiences that ground us in our daily lives. Consider the feelings triggered by the smell of freshly-brewed coffee in the morning, the sound of a loved one approaching the door, the feel of your pet nuzzling up for attention, the taste of buttered toast with jam, the sight of the sky easing into darkness at the end of the day. We are comforted and nurtured by these sensations more than we realize and I’ve found that the more I tap into these feelings, the more they serve as an emotional compass in my daily life.

HydraQuench Rich Cream by Clarins has been this sort of balm for me every day and night these past couple of months. It has been the constant that—along with many deep breaths—has calmed me in good times and in bad, through sickness and in health and through richer and poorer (mostly!) in this wacky marriage with myself that is now blankety-blank years strong. Its enveloping texture and fresh clean scent has soothed me amidst my early morning and late night thoughts of where I should be in my life, what I should be doing now. With each creamy application, I’ve been reassured that I’m right where I’m supposed to be, so enjoy it. The fact that this beautiful product offers superlative skin care for very dry skin and cold climates has been a bonus. Most times when I apply it, I swear that HydraQuench Rich Cream must have been created with the Rocky Mountains in mind.

Good Enough to Eat

And the slathering hasn’t stopped there. Every couple of days or so I glaze myself with Delicious Self-Tanning Cream, also by Clarins, a glossy and chocolate-y caramel-colored sensation that resembles a gooey French dessert. Its most effective and soothing ingredients are, in fact, caramel, cocoa bean and cocoa butter. Yum-ME! If only I could fall into a vat of it on my most woeful days. Instead, I luxuriate in the seamless golden tan it casts upon my skin. This glorious cream makes the many days I’ve not been able to leave my desk for a hike all the more bearable.

The few times I have bronzed in the sun this summer, I’ve been coated with this French company’s Multi-Cellular Protection SPF 50+ Sunscreen. It’s touted as being “smart sun for younger looking skin” since it protects against harmful UVA and UVB rays while nourishing your skin with a five-plant formula of extracts made from senna, pea, plane tree, olive and baobab. It’s in its marvelous combination of plant extracts that Clarins truly excels. They’ve been making holistic concoctions, many of which are characterized by a distinctive scent, way before it became fashionable to do so.

Oh, How I love this Eau

The aromatherapeutic benefits of their products can stay with you for hours. I’ve always been a huge fan of their Eau Dynamisante, an invigorating fragrance introduced to me decades ago when I first visited France. Its notes of lemon, patchouli, rosemary and thyme have remained with me all these years. And since I’ve been in need of an extra boost this summer, you can bet I’ve been giving myself a little spritz at least once a day, sometimes more when the going gets especially rough. Breathe. Eau Dynamisante by Clarins makes the breathing all the more delightful and exhilarating.

So here I am. Me and my face cream and an armful of various other soothing products. We’ve made it to this big day together and I know that with their help I’ll be more fabulous than ever in the years to come. As my Mom wrote in her birthday card to me, “It gets really fun from now on.” Wow, that was a surprise, but I sense it must be true. She’s aged gracefully, surely with the help of some fine face creams as well as a terrific sense of humor.

I count my blessings. I’m grateful for my Italian genes that belie my age, a mostly sunny personality and the ability to look on the bright side of a situation, no matter how dire. Most of all though I’m grateful for good health and all the wonderful people, places, things and experiences that have shaped my life thus far. My life continues to resist going exactly where I want it to go. The big book deal has yet to occur, true love still seems elusive, bill paying challenges me more than ever and hanging on to certain old behaviors and beliefs that impede my growth can still be a problem.

Hélas, life is not perfect. And neither am I. But there’s always hope. The first step is acceptance; the next is a long, languorous application of a gorgeous face cream. I look into the mirror, smile and think of my Mom saying “Oh cripes.” Yeah, that’s it, oh cripes. Now it’s time to get on with it.

One way or another, I think I’ll punctuate this birthday with an exclamation point. At the half century mark, a period just doesn’t seem to cut it!

Know that Clarins is committed to the environment and many of their products and their packaging reflect this concern. I was especially impressed with their Gentle Beauty Soap, made of shea butter and hazelnut oil, that provides a green alternative to most facial cleansers that come in plastic. It’s great for airplane security as well.

Read Clarins, Cassandra and Me for more about my love for this great French company.

Hunny and Me at Gateway in June Before My Clarins Self Tanning

Approach every birthday—and every day for that matter—like a gift to be unwrapped with much wonder and excitement.

Now I’m off to the pool to fan myself.