This time of year, a feeling of fatigue seems almost universal. We are over-worked, over-played, over-fed and over-spent. So I like to find small and simple ways to regenerate my energy and contentment that don’t take much out of either my pocket or my time, but have a maximum positive psychological impact.

Here are three ideas for indulging this winter, that I like to partake in…

1. Filling my home with comforting scents

2. Getting my fill of vitamin C.

3. Giving myself a little “pause beauté” to erase some of the effects of over-doing everything.

To make my home smell wonderful, I take mulled wine spices, add extra cinnamon, and some fresh orange or tangerine peels, and set it on the stove to simmer all day long. The whole apartment smells like warmth, comfort and cheer. It’s amazing how the olfactory system can completely dominate your psyche and turn a hum-drum mood into delight just with a whiff and a sniff of something delicious!

And of course, we all need extra vitamins this time of year when there is less sun to help us open up like flowers to all the wonderful ingredients of nature. So I fill up on those tangerines, and then toss the peels into my potpourri for more wonderful aromatic indulgence.

My recent “pause beauté” involved a mask sent to me from my friends at Science & Mer who have appeared on my blog before, and have sponsored past events. I love their beauty line, and their concept. This mask, the Masque Biocellul’intense, is their newest product, and it is perfect for our little winter indulgence regime. Right now they are offering a pack of 4 masks with free shipping (see previous link) for just under 45€.

It was fun to put this gooey mask on my face and then try to take a selfie while being blinded by the eye patches.  I look like something out of Star Wars. But regardless of my alien appearance, there was a crisp fresh very human feeling on my face under the mask for the quarter hour I had it on. It was also doubly indulgent as I couldn’t see a darn thing, so I was forced to sit and do nothing while allowing the mask to activate. 15 whole minutes not doing anything for me is so RARE… and after I took the mask off, my skin felt so smooth, so plumped up and hydrated with nourishments. I should probably indulge in this mask a few times a month. If you don’t want to get the pack of four you can purchase just one for under 15€. It’s a mini DIY facial at home for a fraction of what you would pay in a institut de beauté. And, it also makes a great stocking stuffer gift!

I hope you adapt some of these ideas to your winter indulgences. And always open for more ideas, tell me below in the comments what simple things you do to feel re-energized or pampered in the winter.

*Bisous de Paris*

&

*Happy Holidays*