I was going to blog about something totally different, until I got distracted by the sale at Yves Rocher. Everything in the Monoi range just half the price! This means practically free, considering that Yves Rocher is an inexpensive range to start with. I usually don’t go crazy simply because something has been marked down, but I bought almost every item in the series. I blame the sudden arrival of summer.

Yves Rocher is not the trendiest or most stylish brand in the world, but every serious perfumista knows that if you want a decent scent at an affordable price, this is the place to go. To me, the Monoi range is one of their best, partly because of the genre: it is difficult to do an inexpensive iris or sandalwood perfume, but a fun beach scent? Absolutely feasible. Yves Rocher Monoi Eau des Vahines is in the same boat with Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess and Guerlain Terracotta and although I adore the first, I’d be completely happy with des Vahines, especially if on a tight budget.

Monoi is the Tahitian oil scented with Tiare flowers, also called Tahitian gardenias. The Yves Rocher Eau de Toilette adds coconut and vanilla and ylang-ylang and voila – you have the quintessential beach scent. It’s tropical and sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and simply smells gorgeous and summery. The rest of the Monoi line-up has a similar scent that varies slightly depending on the product: there is a body oil and a shimmering body oil, a shower gel, a perfumed body mist and a dry oil. The latter was the only thing I didn’t buy as I thought THREE different oils might be a bit much. Possibly. But it was a tough decision.

All this cost me 30 euros (it would have been 60 without the discount, also not bad for five products). You know how they say to avoid shopping sprees when one is emotional and especially during the sales? How you’ll feel remorse and guilt later when you realize that you don’t need all that stuff? After taking a fragrant shower, slathering myself with the oils and generously spraying myself with Eau des Vahines, all I can say is – it’s not always true.