Purim in a pandemic: Having fun while staying safe

Instead of dressing up for Purim, how about using makeup to get the effect? Sacara low-cost cosmetic chain launched a Purim collection for the whole family. The chain introduced four trendy looks, and you can find the paints and everything you need – from body and face paints, color makeup, brushes and temporary hair dyes, to colored falsies and crazy lipsticks – in the stores. www.sacara.co.il 

For Purim drinking, try this year to enjoy a good and smooth single malt that does not cost an arm and a leg. The Glen Moray 10 years Fired Oak single malt scotch, just arrived in Israel and it ticks off all the boxes. Imported by Binyamina Winery, this single malt costs only NIS 139.

Created by master distiller Graham Coull after he was inspired to create an intensely sweet and smooth expression which became so popular with American bourbon drinkers. Glen Moray Fired Oak is aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in heavily charred American oak.

Tasting notes: Nose oak char, vanilla sweetness and dark fruits lead among dried grass, toffee and milk chocolate, palate of tangy citrus and butterscotch candies, as well as hints of freshly picked red berries, and a well-balanced finish.

How about shocking-pink hair?

Want an impact but not sure what to do this Purim? Try L’Oreal Paris’s Colorista Hair makeup. It costs only NIS 19.90 and the gel hair color will wash out in the shower. There are 15 great shades, 8 for dark hair and 7 for blond hair. Available in all pharm stores and supermarkets.

Not sure why we have to wait for Purim to enjoy M&M’s – I like them all year round. But for the holiday Mars will introduce in Israel more items from its collection, usually reserved for the duty-free stores. Orices range from NIS 10 for three small 48-gram bags to NIS 17.90 for a family pack.

Zeiss is probably the best manufacturer of lenses in the world. Since it introduces technologies and smart ideas on a yearly basis, we have become accustomed to getting breaking news about their newest launch – and they did in fact arrive this year. 

In response to consumer insights and extensive research, ZEISS has developed a new lens portfolio to help all spectacle lens wearers keep up with the times. 

“The Zeiss Smart-Life lenses are designed specifically to accommodate the new digital world which is constantly on the move,” says Gadi Diamante, a top optometrist who has an optic store in Gan Ha’ir, Tel Aviv. “The lenses are produced using cutting-edge technology which takes into account more information, such as the customer’s age and size of pupil at night, so that the lenses are made to precisely and accurately match the customer’s needs, making adjusting time very short or even nonexistent.”

We sent a shortsighted young woman, who spends much of her time online, to experience the checkup and the new lenses. According to her, the exam was very thorough and nothing like eye exams she had experienced before, but the real surprise was when the glasses arrive. “I have never used multifocal lenses, so I was a little apprehensive. But as soon as I put them on, it felt as though I had always had them.” Excellent. The Zeiss SmartLife lenses are available in optic stores and at Superpharm Optic. From NIS 2,350. 

Get the timeless chick of Gregory Peck with iconic glasses model by Oliver’s People, in the new folding version. The iconic model, styled after the unforgettable actor’s role in the 1962 movie To Kill a Mockingbird. Thanks to several hidden hinges the frames fold easily. NIS 2,100 at choice opticians.

I freeze at night. Despite our usually good weather, the winters in Israel seem to be colder, especially at night and indoors. Lack of proper insulation against the cold turns our homes in Jerusalem and even in Tel Aviv into freezers. This is why I look for flannel sheets, and this year I found really good ones. The Soham collection, made in Israel from soft and thick premium flannel, is soft, welcoming and very pretty. I love my new sheets, and ordering them online will grant you a 100-day free trial. From NIS 329 for a full set. Available online at www.soham.co.il

In normal times Noga Waysman sells her amazing Hyssop Soap at a tourists gift shop located at Eretz Bereshit, on top of a mountain near Alon, en route to the Dead Sea, where she lives. Hyssop was used in biblical times for cleansing, especially during times of plague and chest ailments, as well as for symbolically cleansing the soul.

Waysman grows hyssop in her own garden, along with many aromatic herbs, and produces the soap in cooperation with ADVA factory, which employs people with special needs. Other ingredients include mud from the depths of the Dead Sea, scented with a blend of essential cold-pressed oils native to our region, olive oil, lavender, lemongrass and rosemary. Available at genesislandshop.com. Enjoy!

Bobbi Brown launched its Vitamin-Enriched Eye Base, just when I realized that I was in dire need of a good eye cream. The new cream boasts “all that was good in the company’s Vitamin Enriched hydrating cream, used commonly by makeup artists as a base primer, and is designed to answer many problems unique to this most sensitive area. Use it under your concealer for best results. NIS 265, available online at the Bobbi Brown store as well as at other beauty online and regular stores. www.bobbibrown.co.il

FRÉ, a cosmetic brand dedicated for women who are very active physically, is now sold at a local fashion online site, Terminal-X. Offered in its Beauty section, this new brand includes an Israel patent that allows skin to sweat without it causing any damage to the skin, such as loss of vitamins and minerals during the activity, reducing the appearance of pimples and pigmentation and keeping the skin healthy and vital.

The special formula is based on organic botanical argan oil which is extracted from the leaves and seeds of the Moroccan tree, and the company says that it plants an argan tree in Morocco for each cosmetic kit sold. www.terminal-x.co.il

Airwick launched a new line of air fresheners based on botanical ingredients in exotic scents. The new collection, launched under the Botanica brand, is produced according to very strict ecological rules, and uses plants from around the world. Available in a range of products such as scented candles (NIS 29.90), Scented sticks (NIS 29.90) and natural spray (NIS 19.90). Choose from rose-geranium, forest and herbs or pineapple and rosemary.