misosouper, a shopping blog

I can’t tell if this matte nail polish would look cool, or if it would look like I just dragged my fingers through asphalt, but I’m intrigued…

I thought soaking in a hot bath was luxurious enough, but this Flora Shower Gel seriously ups the ante. I mean, these are fancy bubbles. Gucci, take me away.

After receiving my box last week, I’ve finally had a chance to try all of mi SPA’s goodies.  Here’s my report:

*I’ve had no allergies to any of the products I tried.  As people with multiple chemical sensitivities know, this is a rare and miraculous occurrence.

*I’m in love with the Everyday Conditioner, which smooths my thick, straight hair’s flyaways, hasn’t stripped my color, and leaves a healthy, glossy sheen.  I’m gladly ditching my dermatologist-prescribed conditioner for a bottle of this.

*My other favorite from the box is the Dry Perfume Roll-On.  It dries immediately, lasts through the summer heat, and hello?  Who doesn’t love a perfume that won’t leak all over your purse?

*As far as scents:  I will purchase all my products in crisp, refreshing Grass Patch, which smells like Gap’s unfortunately discontinued Grass perfume.  (Viva the mid-90s!  I wore this all through high school.)  Only more sophisticated, like you’re enjoying your own lawn, instead of being sixteen and charging $20 to mow someone else’s.

If you would like to make your bath and body smell like a grass patch, or any other of mi SPA’s 25 other scents, the shipping’s on them; just enter code fr3e4MISO at checkout.

As you know, my skin allergies have been documented (complained about?) in several posts; the upside of being allergic to everything metal/makeup/cleaning-producty is that the stuff I’ve been putting on my body recently is a lot better for me than the vats of chemicals I used to rely on.  And it’s led me to companies like mi SPA, which are creating delicious, effective, paraben-free products that people like me can use without fear of turning into a strawberry marshmallow. Bonus points for disclosing all ingredients, and including a detailed ingredient glossary on their site.

Today at mi SPA, you can get a surprise-mi box stuffed with goodies–mine just came in the mail!–for a ridiculously reduced price.  My package smelled like a pine forest perched on the edge of the ocean, and contained a Green Tea soy candle, a big, yummy Beer Shampoo bar (don’t knock it ’til you try it…they’re great for color-treated hair and last FOREVER), a Lemon Sugar Dry Perfume roll-on, and a good-sized Everyday Conditioner, along with some treats from other indie designers.  The cost?  $22.50.  So go!  Run!  Buy your box now, before I buy three more and leave you empty-handed and dirty-headed.

Le Train Bleu is the closet of the girl I want to be when I grow up:  louche, decadent, unafraid of color, careless in the best sense of the word.  Their pieces all feel showstopping, and not in the so-showstopping-they-have-eyepopping-price-tags way.  And in celebration of their 5th birthday, Le Train Bleu is offering 30% off all orders through February 18 with the code “birthday.”  Here’s what I’d buy:

1.  Babysitter Blouse (please don’t wear this over to babysitter my child, because I’d probably steal it); 2.  A Weekend In The Country Cards (did I mention Le Train Bleu also sells small tokens of affection, like this Jane-Austen-goes-Old-Maid game?);  3.  Aztec Shorts, complete with amazing detachable leather ornamentation; 4.  Die Brucke Painted Scarf Dress (how is this only $66?); 5.  Delaunay Scarf;  6.  Acid Floral Dress, which I plan on wearing at least three days a week this summer; 7.  Leigh Ring; 8.  Moravian Love Story Sweater; 9.  Ringmaster Jacket, a topper that would be elegant over both slouchy t-shirts and a billowy dresses; 10.  Shiny Skirt, whose elastic waistband makes it the comfiest summer going-out piece ever; 11.  Gal Collection Strawberry Lip Balm; 12.  Thousand Flowers Votive Holder, which would lovely in groups filled with both candles and flowers (but not at the same time, of course).