mr. productaddict takes a holiday

ruscoven cream

It’s that time again.
time when the warm trade winds of wanderlust coax us into relinquishing our hard earned air miles. time when the siren song of duty free is too intoxicating to ignore and the air is perfumed with the sweet smell of jet fuel on the tarmac. time when a young mans fancy naturally turns to thoughts of….deep vein thrombosis.
did i mention my fear of flying? oh, it’s not the impending fiery doom at 30,000 ft. that has me breathing into a paper bag. no - it’s the economy seating. more accurately, it’s the killer blood clot I’m sure is forming in that airless cramped 3x4x3 configured cabin and will strike before i could even scream out, 'DVT!', which no one would hear what with that wailing devil child kicking my seat. but i digress as this is a fear no more.
how have I found piece of mind? well, hold on to your jaunty fedora ‘cause i’m about to do something that is as shocking as it is morally reprehensible. i am going to praise alitalia airlines. no kidding. i’m serious. for real.
it was on a recent flight from milan to new delhi that I was handed a travel kit with the antidote to my paranoia. among the usual cheap toothbrush, earplugs and abrasive eyemask I found this little tube of serenity - ruscoven cream. ahhh, doesn't it just roll off the tongue? the cream is made by the tuscany based company aboca, renowned in europe for its use of natural herbal remedies, specifically to combat the atrophy of jet travel by promoting circulation in the legs. how? it contains peppermint and witch hazel for invigoration, but gets most of it's zing from the root herb butcher's broom (ruscus aculeatus ), a circulatory stimulant.
do i believe it? well, let me put it this way - when the plane arrived two hours late and my bags two days after that, i had no fear that kicking and screaming at the alitalia counter would dislodge any deadly clots. for me, that's proof enough that this cream is la dolce vital.
sound investment: 10
does it turn back time?: 6
sensory satisfaction: 5
cool factor: 7
rate of addiction: 7

blue monday

malin & goetz peppermint soap

I believe it was a wise bangle who once said, 'just another manic monday... wish it were sunday...'cause that's my funday... my i-don't-have-to-run-day.'
profound as it is true.
i, like most, struggle with the whole nine to five thing... especially the nine part. oh, i do it - productaddictions do not pay for themselves, you know. how? i just added a little kick in the routine. now put away those prescription pads, it's nothing that drastic - just the invigorating lather of a good peppermint soap. true, this is a pretty simple product, but soap isn't rocket science. plus it does the trick. peppermint and monday mornings just go together... like an office cubicle and the crushed dreams of youth.
it's also way more cost effective than that morning double shot latte ritual, so you're still left with enough change for a lottery ticket... or twenty. whatever gets you through the day.
sound investment: 8
does it turn back time?: 5
sensory satisfaction: 9
cool factor: 6
rate of addiction: 7