I believe that the small things in life can bring you a moment of joy if you take the time to notice them. Even when your big goals seem to move away from you and nothing goes as expected, you can still close you eyes and enjoy that perfect cup of tea, marvel at the beauty of this old lipstick you rediscovered in your collection, or create a cozy atmosphere with your favorite candle. Here are 5 things that I love and keep using these days - not just beauty products! Keep reading to see what I've been enjoying lately.

This post was inspired by Karen at Makeup And Beauty Blog who has a similar series that I enjoy reading very much. I've been following Karen's blog for many years, and these posts give me a sneak peek into her life and her tastes beyond makeup. I'm hoping this kind of post will help you get to know me a little better, let me know in the comments if you like the concept!


COLLECTION T VIREE PARISIENNE LOOSE TEA


There's one thing I love more than lipstick, although I rarely even mention it on this blog, and that's tea. I'm obsessed with tea and I drink about 4 to 6 cups a day, sometimes more. I'm not a coffee person, but tea gives me the same energizing, uplifting effect - while being a lot more gentle on my stomach.

I love discovering all types of tea, but my favorite kind is black tea with citrus flavor, such as the well known Earl Grey (which is not a brand but the name of a standard blend of black tea and bergamot extract). I only buy tea in loose leaf form, except for some herbal teas. The quality is much higher than with most tea bags, and it's actually cheaper when you drink a lot of it like me.

There are lots of small shops selling a huge selection of loose teas and coffees in France, and I was very disappointed when I moved to Southern California and discovered that they don't exist here. If you're into tea you've probably heard of Mariage Frères or Le Palais des Thés, but these are the fancy, expensive ones that became world famous. I'm talking about small neigborhood stores that sell 100g of fantastic quality loose tea for 3 to 7 euros ($3.75 to $8.50). How I miss them...

So when I have a chance to get back to France, I always get in all the small tea shops that I walk by and stock up on great affordable teas. One of my favorites from my last trip back home is Virée Parisienne by Collection T. They have a cute little shop in the South Pigalle neighborhood of Paris where I stayed for a few days, and I bought a handful of their teas. This one is a blend of black tea, vanilla, orange, bergamot and jasmine, and to me it tastes exactly like the Italian cake panettone, which I happen to love. It's a sweeter, softer version of the classic Earl Grey. The flavors all work wonderfully together and having a cup feels like eating dessert, without the calories but with the extra energy the caffeine gives me!

My yellow submarine tea infuser comes from Sweden, but you can find some cute ones including a narwhal here.


THE BODY SHOP ITALIAN SUMMER FIG FRAGRANCE MIST


Fig is one of my favorite fruits, and also one of my favorite scents. There are lots of ways to create a fig fragrance: some of them are all about the sweetness and tartness of the fruit, some have notes of wood from the tree, some focus more on the velvety, green scent of the leaves, some are milky like the sap. Sitting under a fig tree at the end of a hot summer day is an olfactory experience you should have at least once in your life.

The Italian Summer Fig by The Body Shop is a rather balanced version that's on the sweeter side but also incorporates the distinctive grassy scent from the leaves. I think it's beautifully done, and one of my favorite fig fragrances from an affordable brand - unfortunately it looks like The Body Shop is discontinuing it. Sigh.

The fragrance mist is very light and I wish it lasted longer, but it's the scent I've been instinctively going for every day in the past few months. I can generously spritz it all over since it's not too heavy and it fades away leaving me smelling clean and fruity. If you see it at your local store, take a sniff so you can grab it before it's gone if you like it! The Body Shop also has a range of other fragrance mists to discover.


SANOFLORE ACIANA BOTANICA MOUSSE D'EAU NETTOYANTE


Natural and organic skincare is very popular in France, much more so than in the US, and there are a ton of affordable to mid-range brands to choose from. Sanoflore is one of them, sold in pharmacies and upscale grocery stores, with prices ranging from about 10 euros for a floral water toner to 40 euros for an antiaging serum ($12-$60).

Sanoflore was bought in 2006 by L'Oréal and has been expanding their skincare range since. All their products contain natural ingredients, many of them certified organic, and the brand's aesthetic is incredibly appealing to me! You won't find them in store in the US but you can order a small selection from the Feel Unique website. You can also check the Sanoflore UK website to get a better view of what they do. I like that they aim to create high quality natural products that also offer a pleasant sensory experience.

And that's exactly why I love the Aciana Botanica Mousse d'Eau so much (mousse d'eau means water foam). It's a super gentle foaming cleanser that leaves my skin feeling soft and supple but not completely stripped of its natural oils. The foam is very light and airy, and it has a very subtle flowery scent. There are no harsh cleansing agent in this face wash, but several organic plant extracts that are great for sensitive or dry skins such as cornflower (I talked about this plant before if you want to learn more), lemon balm and rose. It's hands down the best cleansing foam I' have ever used!


BECCA LIQUID CRYSTAL GLOW GLOSS IN TOPAZ X GILT


This was an impulse purchase at Sephora that I absolutely do not regret! I have two shades of this sparkly lip gloss and Topaz x Gilt is my favorite. It's a semi-sheer mauve-y beige gloss packed with extra-fine blue shimmer. Depending on the angle, you'll see more of the beige base color, or the blue shimmer will be twinkling in the light. I've always been a sucker for blue shimmer in lip products so I'm completely in love with it!


I use this gloss on its own for a super shiny lip with a twist on low makeup days. I've also applied it over many different lipsticks as a lip topper and it works great for layering: it's the perfect consistency to stay in place if you only want to add it to the center of the lips, it doesn't disturb the lip color underneath, and it lasts longer than your average sparkly gloss.

It looks like Becca will be discontinuing this gloss formula - why does everything great always get discontinued?? - because it's been on sale for 50% off for several months at Sephora, which makes it a steal at $11.


MAISON LOUIS MARIE CANDLE No06 NEIGE DE PRINTEMPS


I found this candle at a local store in San Diego that sells products by French brands, and I absolutely love it. Maison Louis Marie is a perfume maison that also makes skincare, body care and candles. The brand boasts a family history dating back to the 18th century with Louis Marie Aubert du Petit Thouard who dedicated his life to the study of botany.

The brand's candles are made with high quality soy wax and cotton wicks. I hesitated a lot before I picked this one, as a lot of their scents are complex, evocative and resemble real perfumes rather than plain candle scents (this is not a Bath & Body Works candle if you know what I mean!). I eventually chose Neige de Printemps, which means spring snow and is a fresh citrusy fragrance with notes of blood orange, mandarin, kumquat, sugar, tangerine and guava. I find it very uplifting! Like other candles in the range this one was inspired by the brand creator's childhood memories or her family history. You can see more scents here.



The products featured in this post were purchased by me. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you click on those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!