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Everyday Indulgences: Scent-suality

03 Jul 2009, Posted by Jennifer Iannolo in indulgences, sensuality, wellness

With all that’s happening around us, I find that my decadent and frugal sides are like rival angels on my shoulders. The stress of keeping so many balls in the air to keep things moving forward — seemingly without a minute to breathe — leaves me utterly worn out, and there are times when I simply want to indulge myself. Of course, I also want to do this without making my wallet cry.

If you’ve read or heard me wax poetic on basil leaves, you know that I can find indulgence in seemingly ordinary places and things, so I’ve decided to share my favorite everyday ones with you. Let’s face it: We could all use a little pick-me-up. Some indulgences will be food, some non-food, but all will relate to engaging the senses without adding the stress of a big expense.

I hope you’ll share yours, too, because I might run out of ideas and will need to pilfer. Oh, stop, I’ll give you credit for it.

As you might imagine, for me, self-indulgence begins with scents, and I like nothing more than smelling deliciously edible. I’ve given up on synthetic-smelling perfumes and instead turned to essential oils to soothe my soul. It’s no secret that aromatherapy can have a profound effect on one’s state of being, and I can think of no better atomizer than the neck. Hair also smells gorgeous with a little drop combed through the ends. Yum.

I discovered the joy of citrus oils after a massage in Los Angeles (back when massages were actually part of my decadent life), so I knew the scent of oranges would send me to my happy place. I found a combination that took it to a whole new level, however.

So if you’re wondering what I smell like, here’s your chance to be a voyeur (sniffeur?). For the past few months I’ve slathered myself with Vanilla Orange Oil from Sun’s Eye. I love that there are tiny slivers of orange peel soaking right in the oil, so you get the full power of both scents. The only drawback is that it needs to be reapplied several times a day, but at $6.75 a bottle, how could I possibly complain about that?

I have other scents that I use for other moods and occasions, but I’ll share those as we go. ;) Did I mention that vanilla is reputed to have an aphrodisiacal effect on the senses? Try it and let me know what happens.

NOTE: You can subscribe to the special feed I’ve created for my Everyday Indulgences, which will include blog posts, audio, some video, and photos. (Note that it says “Everyday” and not “every day.” Have mercy.)

Posted via web from foodphilosophy’s posterous