When I moved to Montreal, Canada for art school, I didn’t know a soul. To add insult to injury, it was mid-January and I had never been that chilled-to-the-bone cold in my life. I remember running home one afternoon after class with my hands glued to the side of my head because my grandmother’s antique clip-on earrings were frozen to my ears. The only thing that kept me from crying was the knowledge that tears running down my face unattended in sub-zero temperatures could freeze and quite possibly lead to hypothermia.

 

My saving grace that winter was stumbling upon a teeny Moroccan mint tea bar in a modern shopping center called Le Faubourg. The structure was made all of glass, so even in the darkest mid-winter afternoons, the whole center was filled with light and views of city-life wherever you looked. I spent dozens of afternoons there that first year, pouring over art history books, writing postcards, and sipping sweet tea that came served in ornate little glasses filled with fresh mint leaves. So began my love affair with mint.

 

One which has endured and shaped my hair-and skin-care choices for years. I’ve gone through great choices and not-so great choices. There was the gallon size container of rosemary mint conditioner I kicked through in record time. And the drugstore purchase of a won’t-mention-the-name mint julep clay mask which left my face irritated and chafed for a week. And recently, as luck would have it, I found myself on the receiving end of a whole bag of gorgeous products from Petal Fresh Pure, some of which are time-tested standards, some part of their new facial line. And almost all of them having something minty fresh about them.

 

I have to start with the Aloe & Peppermint Facial Cleanser, simply because it is perfect. Lightweight and soothing, this gel cleanser leaves my skin soft and moisturized without stinging my eyes. It is cooling and my skin tingles and feels fresh after washing with it. Perfect to use before sunscreen and my lighter summertime moisturizer.

 

My other summer favorite is the Rosemary Mint Body Butter, one of several incredible scents that make up the line, including Tea Tree/Pomegranate, and Lavender. The rosemary mint has a softer, milder smell than I imagined, and the consistency is rich and creamy, leaving behind no greasy residue. These delicious butters are paraben- and color-free (as all Petal Fresh Pure products are) and made with certified organic ingredients.

 

Lastly, Petal Fresh Pure products are FUN. The packaging is gorgeous, the smells are dreamy, and all of their lines are affordable, something which makes indulging in a new bottle of shampoo or a yummy moisturizer every so often an easy treat. So indulge – it’s summer! A perfect time for something in a mango-guava or fresh aloe vera. Get two! You won’t be disappointed.

 

by KLM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 at 4:56 pm and is filed under summer!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.