A Cosmetics Appreciation Post

The scent of the Godiva solid shampoo is simply amazing.

I don't use make-up. I rarely even think about cosmetics - about any kind of it. But sometimes, just sometimes, there are cosmetic thingies which are so adorable that they manage to grab my attention, and then refuse to let it go. One such thingy is Lush's Godiva solid shampoo.

I bought that one for the first time a few years ago. It's like a soap in your hand; you use it quite easily, as if washing your hair with a soap. It's easy to apply and easy to rinse; since it's both a shampoo and a conditioner, you don't need a conditioner later on, unless your hair gives you a lot of trouble without very special products. If you have to, you can wash your body with this solid shampoo too; in the times of need, it's also good for hand-washing small, delicate pieces of clothing.

All of it is very practical, but that's not what makes Godiva so special. It's the scent.

On the catalog, they say it's the scent of jasmine. And it is, but not just jasmine; and whatever it is, it's divine. I kid you not. It's wonderful while you wash you hair; afterward, the scent is so amazing you wish to run your fingers through your hair and smell them - do I sound like a pervert now?

I remember washing my hair with it a few years ago, and then going out. After a while, the rain started, a heavy rain. My hair got all wet - and then I felt the intense scent of Godiva. It was so wonderful that I wished I could keep my hair wet all the time. And since it was a silly idea, I kept hoping for the rain to fall in order for my hair to get wet again, which was even more silly. I'll have to put this amazing shampoo in a story sometime - you know, a heroine using it one way or another, just a routine thingy, nothing over the top.

Today I bought the Godiva solid shampoo again (that's what inspired me for this post), but not for me; I bought it for a friend whose birthday will be soon (you can see it on the picture above). She likes Lush products, and I hope she'll enjoy this one too.

Anyway, am I the only one getting silly ideas when it comes to cosmetics?

We Got to Install Microwave Ovens...

Yesterday evening, we got ourselves a microwave oven for the first time (where we live, many people prefer good old-fashioned stoves and ovens, and up until recently, microwave ovens were way overpriced and simply not worth it unless you really can't live without one). We spent the evening experimenting with it (my SO was preparing food - it turned out pretty good - and I was cleaning afterward), but today morning, my mind started to work in another direction: that of a writer.

The first thing I looked up in the microwave oven instructions was how to prepare coffee, and while I was preparing it, I thought of a story or a book character. The first thing she does when she gets up is  make a Nescafe in a microwave oven. It's like a gesture, like someone grabbing for cigarettes and a lighter as soon as they open their eyes in the morning; only after she had her coffee, her mind starts functioning. It's then that her day starts.

Except for that one thing, I don't know anything about her; but with that one thing, she seems so clear in my mind. I don't know whether I'm ever going to actually write about her; right now, while she does seem clear, I don't know her story yet. But this post isn't about her, not really. It isn't about microwave ovens, either.

This post is about a small thing which sparks a new character or a story idea or, sometimes, even a novel idea into life. It can start so small, and can end up pretty big - and if you're a writer, such a thing can happen anytime, with next to anything and everything.

So, what was the last small thing giving you an idea for a character, or a story, a scene, a plot, a book?

For the end, something not quite related: because of the line from the title of this post, this song keeps going on in my head.

Grateful&Amazed

Yesterday, I posted at She Writes about re-starting this blog. I didn't actually expect any replies, not immediately, so it was to my utmost amazement to wake up and find out that I had received comments. That some lovely ladies liked this blog, and my review of Sunshine.

Does it really take so little to make me happy? Kind words and somebody liking my writing?

Is it really "so little", kind words and someone liking my review?

I don't know, but I do know that these wonderful ladies inspired me to write another book review. If Sunshine seemed interesting, Tea with the Black Dragon by Roberta A. MacAvoy might be something you'd enjoy too. A fantasy novel set in the eighties in San Francisco, where an amazing woman is trying to find and rescue her daughter, and a Chinese dragon who is in love with her (with the woman, not the daughter) helps her. As in Sunshine, wonderful characters and a beautiful relationship. If I was to take one book with me on a deserted island, Tea with the Black Dragon would be it.

On a side note, I've noticed that Roberta MacAvoy is often listed as R.A. MacAvoy. While I don't think that the author's gender should matter -- a good book is a good book -- I can't help but wonder if somebody actually thought that a potential reader might skip an urban fantasy/romance because a woman wrote it.

Another side note: I'm currently reading a book called "Modern English Stories". That's what it would translate to, it's an anthology of English stories translated to Serbian, and the book was published in 1951, so the "modern" part brings a smile. The stories were originally published between 1900 and 1950; the anthology starts with Thomas Hardy and ends with Elizabeth Bowen. An interesting read, to say the least, although the book isn't in the best of shapes (my mother found it at some sale, it was dirt cheap).

Worn out books look charming, in a way.

Once again, kind ladies, thank you for being so kind.