Gifts inspired by Lent (or Mardi Gras): Temptation

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In the days leading up to Mardi Gras, we’ve been giving you gift ideas inspired by the seven deadly sins. Come Lent (which starts on Wednesday), you might be regretting the sins -- but not the gifts. Today is our final day of reckoning.

Call it Mardi Gras or call it Carnivale, the season of raucous indulgence ends and it would be nice to have a little urge-resistance assistance on hand — in the unforeseeable case that we’re tempted to slip back into sinful ways. (Who, me reaching for a big fat piece of pound cake?)

Our prescription if you find yourself stumbling into such a trap of indiscretion: The therapeutic Abstain essential oil blend by 21 Drops —a mix of 100% natural organic oils in rare fruit and spice scents, formulated to trigger olfactory satisfaction and subdue appetite ($28 at 21drops.com). Simply dab it on pulse points and breathe easy. Plus, it’s discreet enough to stash in your purse or pocket, for constant moral support.

Commandment No. 2: Pick up Jessica Kagan Cushman’s Protect Me From What I Want canvas chain-handle tote as an everyday reminder of valiant self-control resolutions. We love the hidden leopard lining—a nod to those animal instincts we’re trying so hard to suppress ($85 at jessicacushman.com).

Another stylish gift for friends who tend to transgress is Cushman’s hand-poured and inked resin Nantucket bangle that states, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it” ($99 at jessicacushman.com). Perfect for those who end up throwing in the towel, or who never signed up for this no-sins business in the first place.

-- Ingrid Schmidt

Photo from left: The therapeutic Abstain essential oil blend by 21 Drops. Credit: 21drops.com; Jessica Kagan Cushman’s Protect Me From What I Want canvas chain-handle tote. Credit: jessicacushman.com.