Disappearing Hotel Shampoo / Conditioner

When my dad comes to town, I get to live it up in fancy hotels. Since my own travels invariably have me staying in hostels / the Best Western, I always appreciate the experience. One of the best parts of inhabiting a 5 star hotel for a night is invariably the bedding, the bathroom and the shampoo / conditioner. I am always quick to hoard any bottles that come my way, and my dad and I are in a constant battle. The best by far in my book are the products offered by L'Occitane. Your hair truly smells divine and feels fantastic after each use. It is really worth fighting tooth and nail / sneakily taking a couple extra bottles from the maids' cart. One day I may get to use L'Occitane every day, but until then, I shall treasure every day I get to live in L'Occitane bliss thanks to the Dad.

Christmas In July

Sometimes you deserve a special treat for all the hours you have been putting in at the job, all the bachelorette parties you have been hosting or just a 'Christmas in July' present. A great place to find the pick-me-up is in the raw. They have some fantastic soy candles, scrubs leaving your skin silk smooth and some lovely lotions. I love their refreshing scents such as pink grapefruit and lemon sugar. Granted, they aren't giving their product, but they make for a terrific present for a loved one... or yourself, whichever seems most deserving.

Buzzworthy

I love Yelp. It is a fantastic resource especially when you have moved to a new city. I find their services review i.e. hairdresser, eye brow waxer and doctors most helpful, and it is also my go-to any time I am on the market for some help with selecting a restaurant in a particular area or a good meet-up spot. While Yelp is great, it proves useless when you need help picking out hiking boots or a new DVD player. Welcome Buzzillions! It is awesome. You can search for hundreds of different products and read reviews from actual product users (not the exagerated hype you see on the backs of books / movies), and you can even select the price range you are most interested in. They even offer where you can buy said product at what price points. Amazing! This is truly a life saver, and I am amazed I lived as long as I did without it!

Skin As Smooth As a ....

Some days you just need a little pampering... you got reamed by the boss, you thought your layover was 1 hour and now its 5 hours, or you managed to trip and fall down that fun flight of stairs in your apartment building. Nothing cures a tough day like some quality time with one of the many products from Sabon. Sabon is a company dedicated to lotions, body scrubs, candles and general relaxation. The company strives "to encourage an appreciation of the daily ritual of bath by creating an environment that inspires and captures the imagination, through the visual and sensory experience." I mean I just feel better reading that. Granted I never take baths, but I still have a full appreciation of their products. My personal favorite is their Tropic Body Scrub. Just a little time in the shower with the body scrub, and you feel as though you have been recast in fresh new skin. If you don't believe me, just find the closest Sabon and ask for a trial of their body scrub... it is life changing. So when its just another Manic Monday, spend a little QT with something from Sabon, and you will at least feel better if not "inspired and captured."

True Bliss

What makes you feel fresh, clean and sparkling from the inside out? A quick beauty moment with any of Bliss' lemon+sage product line will do the trick. The lotion is thick and wonderful as we are gearing up for another dry winter season, while the scrub will leave your skin feeling soft and refershed. Plus as airlines begin charging you an arm and a leg to check bags, practically everyone is on the market for a travel set. So in these financial times, as your investments dwindle and your 401K tanks, get a little pick-me-up without the hangover via the Bliss product line.

PS You can get this fancy travel set for FREE, if you choose to stay at a W hotel as Bliss and the W have currently partnered to provide all your spa needs while traveling for work or play.