The Cure for the Wintertime Blues: Aveda's Tourmaline Mask

Has your seasonal affective disorder kicked in? Mine has. We know what we're supposed to do when we start to feel the blues (or the mean reds for that matter). We're supposed to eat right, get more sleep, exercise, blah blah blah. But I say what we need is a little bit of pampering and a little alone time to wallow in our sick-of-winter-already state.

So I recommend a hot bath. Throw in some Epsom salts to relax your muscles, and some bath oil so your skin doesn't get dried out. Light a candle and maybe play some relaxing music. My trick for blocking out sound from the rest of the house is to use the exhaust fan as white noise. And then treat your SAD self to a nice facial mask.

I am a big fan of Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Radiance Masque (French spelling is always a good sign). Here's the breakdown:

Packaging: It comes in kind of an icky green colored package, but that fits with the "natural" thing that Aveda is into. But it works well and it's easy to get the right amount of product out. Check out their Web site to read about their Responsible Packaging info. They do try to use a minimum of 80% PCR in their packaging.

Ingredients: The important ingredient here seems to be the tourmaline. But who the heck knows what that is? It's actually a crystal silicate mineral. Ok, that doesn't really help. What is it supposed to do to skin? Aveda claims that it is "one of nature's most energizing minerals—boosts skin's energy, while natural exfoliants help skin gently shed dull, lackluster surface cells—revealing new radiance." Paula Begoun, beauty product reviewer extraordinaire, says that there is no research that shows that tourmaline actually does any of these things, but she also says it won't hurt anything. Paula also states that this is a pretty good moisturizing mask.

Scent: There really isn't one, which is probably just as well because any scent could be problematic for your skin. Add a few drops of essential oil to your bath if you are looking for a little aromatherapy.

Function: I think this mask works great. I don't think it works miracles. But I try to use it once a week, and I have been very happy with the results. My face seems to look a little firmer and clearer after I wear it, and it does not cause breakouts. I recommend wearing it for about 10 mintues. The longer you wear it, the more moisturizing it will be. And don't forget your neck and decollatage when applying.

So I hope you get to take a little time this week to pamper yourself. Do you have any other ideas for keeping your spirits up when temperatures are down?


Daily Randomness: I know I'm late to the party, but my favorite Golden Globes dress was definitely Gennifer Goodwin. I don't know why these actresses don't do more color when they're dressing up. I get the black because that always looks good. But they rarely pull of those pale and nude colors that they seem to gravitate to. What did you guys think? Overall the dresses seemed a little lame.