Cleanse

The past few weeks have been a happy, shimmery, indulgent blur of holiday joy.  A trip to NYC to celebrate my bestie’s birthday; a week and a half at home in D.C. with our families; plenty of festivities; some big family surprises; and, of course, Christmas!  So delicious, so rich, so cozy.

But now.  I feel the need for a detox or a juice diet or something comparably dramatic.  The gray and grizzly Chicago weather is befitting — I need some of that chilling, cleansing air.  Since I know I’d never actually follow through with a detox (I was curious about it a few years ago, but I read a few harrowing accounts of the hunger pangs you have to endure and quickly changed my tune), I’ve come up with a few “cleaning up shop” shortcuts that make me feel a little…fresher.  First, Sara Happ’s lip scrub ($24).  A girlfriend of mine gave me this, and I’m absolutely obsessed — perfect for chapped winter lips or…the inevitable red wine lip stain that accompanies the holidays.  (At least in my case.  I swear I have super absorbent lips — everyone else will be casually sipping a glass or two of malbec and look fine, and my teeth and lips will be awkwardly stained black from the wine’s pigment.  Haha.  Uncomf.)

I love the crisp peppermint flavor, but she also has other flavors to pick from, like green apple, creme brulee, brown sugar, and red velvet…

Don’t forget to apply a moisturizing balm afterwards.  I typically use plain old Chapstick, but when I need the big guns, I use Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream ($25), a Magpie Mother favorite.  She swears by this stuff.  She put it on minor abrasions and cuts when we were children, chapped lips, cuticles, dry hands.

Second, a good face scrub (I use Laura Mercier’s Face Polish — $30) followed by a deeply moisturizing lotion/gel ($37 — Clinique’s is super hydrating, but I am a recent convert to Dr. Perricone’s face finishing moisturizer — $69.  It has a light, non-greasy texture and a faint rose petal scent.  I’m obsessed.):

Third, constant access to Evian moisturizing spritzer ($14 for set of 2):

Other items I am eager to try on this cleanse kick — anything by Koh Gen Do, a line that boasts amazing, mineral-rich “Cleansing Water” products.  I want to try their spa water ($39) and makeup removing cloths ($39):

I’m also intrigued (mainly by the packaging, I’ll admit) by Farmaesthetics herbal cleanser ($36 — and the color-accented washcloths are $4 for a pack of 10):

I like all of the fresh herbs in there — I bet it smells amazing.  Switching gears a bit, I use Frederic Fekkai clarifying shampoo (with apple cider vinegar! — $25) a few times a year when I need a little extra cleanse and I really like the inexpensive Neutrogena grapefruit body scrub (smells great and yields a nice lather — $6.99) for a full-body tune-up:

After all of that, I’d want to slip into something crisp and freshly pressed, like my Claridge + King oversized oxford nightshirt ($108 — mine is monogrammed with our wedding date on the cuff!):

And curl up in freshly laundered sheets ($290 for set) with a mound of mixed-print pillows (pillow 1 — $89, Z. Gallerie; pillow 2 — $85, Clayton Gray; pillow 3 — $16, Gracie’s Pillows):

Or maybe — just some quiet, peaceful time, snuggled up with this cozy sweater ($269 — plus an extra 40% off!), some leggings, and some snuggly mocs ($39):

What do you do to recharge after the holidays?!