My Indulgence

Something feels very wrong about spending $350 on bath products.

Especially when you come from a poor family, and no more than five years ago, you had your heat turned off in April because you were behind on your bill, and you had to boil water for baths and heat the house with the stove.

Now? I am having twenty dollar baths.

Obviously, things are looking up financially. I'm in debt, but it's what I like to call "manageable debt."

So, yes, I can go to the Lush store and drop $350 on bath products. It's not like I can go all the time, because the closest store is three hours away. Plus, the products are all natural, fresh, and handmade. They look lovely, they smell lovely, and they make me feel good. If only until the water gets cold.

Last night, I drenched my dry hair with "The Strokes," a hair mask. I sat with that on my head for two hours. Then, I put a fresh mask call "Love Lettuce" on my face. Straight out of the fridge, it's really cold, and it stinks, but it feels heavenly.

After a half hour, I showered, washing The Strokes out of my hair. Oh, it was so silky smooth, and then I washed it with Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo and American Cream conditioner. I washed with Olive Branch shower gel, and washed the Love Lettuce off my face.

Then, I put the plug over the drain. It was time to get serious.

After filling the tub with hot water, I tossed in a Ceridwen, which is a bath melt wrapped in cheesecloth. The bath water turned milky white and the herby scent just made me sink down to the deepest depths of my shallow little bathtub. Once I was completely melted like buttah, I tossed in the bath bomb.

This time, I used All That Jasmine. I've used this one before, so I already knew that I loved it. What I forgot about All That Jasmine is that once I'm soaking in it, I can't get out of the tub until the water is cold and my skin has absorbed all the wonderful wonderfulness of the scent.

And hour and a half and a trashy magazine later, I crawled out of the tub, limp and sleepy. You could almost see the "stink lines" coming off my body from all the smelly smelliness I'd been soaking in all night.

I rubbed Lemony Flutter on my cuticles and Smitten on my hands. I washed my face with Fresh Farmacy, toned with Breath of Fresh Air, and moisturized with Afterlife.

A quick blowdry and I hit the sheets. Smooth, silky, shiny hair...warm, beautiful-smelling skin...fresh clean face...I drifted off to sleep without the aid of wine.

$350 is a small price to pay to avoid liver damage. And I'm worth it.