Some Current Favorites - Beauty products

Okay, so I have had this post in my drafts for maybe a year.  No lie, I totally forgot about it. However, even though it's an old post, these are still the items I reach for time and time again. So maybe this post is more relevant since I've had almost a year of using and loving these products! So (finally) here are the beauty products I've been reaching for over and over the past few months year.

Clockwise from top:

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur concealer - it just blends so well and gives good coverage without caking. I have used this as a foundation substitute in a pinch when I was travelling.

Tony & Guy Wave Memorising balm - I like the way this worked.  They've discontinued it or changed it or something and I can't find it anymore (the link is to the only version I can find). I'm still partial to this one (which is also becoming impossible to find - of course).

Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum - this is a "holy grail" item for me, it's by far the easiest felt tip pen-type liquid eyeliner I've tried and it's long-lasting!  I've got it in the Black and Ultra-Black.  Not sure about the "lash boosting" aspect of this but that's not why I buy or use it.  The tip keeps it's shape too.

Here's an up close look at the tip.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil - I'm so bad at doing my brows, but I don't feel like such a brow idiot when I use this.  The shape and formula make it so easy and natural looking.

Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray - This stuff has changed my life.  Okay that's a bit dramatic, but it has totally helped with keeping my makeup in place throughout the day.  I've already used up the bottle in this picture and re-purchased. And to show how old this photo is, they've redesigned the packaging - lol!

ColourPop Super Shock Eyeshadow in "Bill" - The most beautiful matte mauve.  I've already hit pan on this and will repurchase for sure!

Here it is swatched on my hand.  It's a really lovely mauve.

Small Jewelry Tray (different patterns)

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My Favorite Perfumes

I love perfume, I usually have 2-3 in rotation depending on mood/time of year.   I prefer scents that aren't to sweet or flowery.  These are my favorites that I've worn since I started wearing perfume, you know, back when the Earth was cooling.

1. Vera Wang Princess - in current rotation

2.  Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb - yes, it's men's cologne, but it smells divine. In current rotation

3.  Chanel No.19 - the first perfume I ever wore on a regular basis. Wore it for years.

4.  Gucci Rush - Smells yummy, basically wore this throughout my late 20's

5.  Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb - I LOVE this so much - in current rotation

6.  Burberry Brit - Lovely scent (and bottle), another from my 20's

7.  Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black - will be getting this soon, I smelled a sample and I knew immediately this would be my next perfume.

Are any of these your favorites?  Any ones I should try?

Some Jersey Love

What a week it has been, it's been hard to think about much else other than the devastation that hurricane Sandy left in it's wake.  The images are chilling and my thoughts and prayers are with every one affected.  I'm really heartbroken seeing the New Jersey shore pictures. 

Seaside Heights, NJ via MSN.com

I spent plenty of time on the Jersey shore growing up (we headed to Wildwood Crest when we weren't headed to the NC Outer Banks).  I have a fondness for New Jersey, because I know that the whole state isn't summed up in what you see on the reality shows.  I love the boardwalks, the beaches, Cape May, Atlantic City and stopping at a Wawa along the way.  I could go on and on.

Of course NJ isn't alone in the devastation, let's not forget everyone else in the region that are still without power, gas, food, heat, etc.  So hard to see.  If this had happened just 6 years ago when I lived in Westchester County, NY, I would have been affected.  And also don't forget the massive snowfall that happened up in the mountains of West Virginia and Maryland (my friend in that region had 30+ inches of snow and they are still without power).  So keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers and if you want to help please head over to the Red Cross and give whatever you can.

 

Have a great weekend!

The first step is admitting you have a problem

well, I do.  I have developed an alarming addiction to - ahem - Breyers YoCrunch Cookies n' Cream yogurt.  Yep, I could eat this stuff by the truckload.  I made the "post vacation" trek to the grocery store today and Kroger (being the enabler that it is) had the darn stuff on special.  I bought 10 of them.  It's kinda sad really.  They have other flavors that I'm sure are mighty delicious, I just can't get past the lure of the sweet, sweet Oreo.  There, I just had to get that off my chest.  Thanks!

Image via YoCrunch

Favorite things

I've mentioned before how much I love Tory Burch's tunics, well today an email arrived with Tory's tips about how to wear her tunics, as well as a link to her tunic offerings right now. Trust me on this one, hers are the best!

On the subject of magazines...

I was thinking earlier this week about my magazine situation. I used to get a ton of magazines, everything from National Geographic to Vogue (my husband used to joke about me being a tree killer - hey I recycled them). I love magazines, they contain great snippets of information and photography. You can pick up and put them down and not worry about coming back and having to catch up. But lately it seems that my monthly intake has decreased dramatically. Some of this has to do with a bunch of beloved titles being shut down and some has to do with general cutting back of expenses. And after June of this year (when a lot of my subscriptions run out) I'll be down to only 9 a month, shocking considering that I currently receive 18 a month (which is still down from my height of 25+). I'm still reeling from Domino folding - that was a cherished friend in a sea of sometimes intimidating shelter publications. I've heard rumors of Allure's demise (hope that stays just a rumor). Blueprint, Cottage Living, and O at Home - all gone. For a while there, it seemed like every month I was getting that dreaded little white card in the mail saying that so-and-so magazine was ceasing publication. Sigh.

What's a magazine junkie like me to do? Well, more and more I'm finding my fix from blogs, different ones (listed on the right hand side of my blog) covering different subjects, but still satisfying my need for snippets of useful information and beautiful images. I can access them anytime and in most cases I can leave my own two cents and feel very much a part of something.

I think by this time next year I will have edited my monthly magazine intake to the following titles:
Vogue
Harper's Bazaar
InStyle
Allure
Lucky
People Stylewatch
Real Simple
Fast Company

I may add in either National Geographic (for images that knock my socks off) or Our State (a favorite because it keeps me in touch with home). Other than that, that's it. Quite a difference from 5 years ago. How times have changed...

Favorite Finds

I'm gonna double up today because this is fun!

I found this cup - I'm guessing that's what it is because it's not really big at all, it's a little bigger than a shot glass - in an antiques store in Berkeley Springs, WVA. I was attracted to the colors as well as the way the picture is drawn. It's from Denmark and is numbered. I didn't pay much for it at all, but I think it's a really special find. You almost get lost just looking at all the things going on in the drawing. I wonder if it's part of a set or something of that nature. Anyway, it now lives in the master bedroom on the chest of drawers.

Favorite Finds

In the spirit of appreciating what you already own, I'm going to start doing some posts from time to time featuring things that I have that I love. These are things that I didn't just walk into a mass market store and buy, these are things that I've turned up at antique festivals, rummage sales, second hands stores/sites, etc. Things that are unique and make me happy. Things that lived a life before I purchased them. Here's the first:

I purchased these shoes at a second hand site (the same one I got that Manolo Blahnik pillow from). I first saw these Prada shoes in Harper's Bazaar in 1998 on Cameron Diaz (if memory serves) and it was love at first sight. Of course, them being Prada and me being 24, they were waaaay out of my price range. But the memory of them lingered (as did the memory of that entire collection - one of Prada's best in my opinion). Lo and behold, I ran across them on that site a few years later and snapped them up so fast it made my own head spin. They are more spectacular in person, honestly like art. Okay, they look like a pain to wear, but are really quite comfortable, that crazy heel makes them very stable. I don't wear them much, but when I do, people run over and ask me where I got them, are they hard to walk in, do they hurt? They are one of my prized possessions and attest to the genius of Miuccia Prada.

10 things I can't live without (at the moment)

A fellow blogger/friend had a post a couple of weeks ago that got me thinking about some things I really like (at the moment - I say this because a month from now it could be different, that's how I roll). I thought I would share:

1. Olay Definity Color Recapture - this is fantastic as a time saver, it's got your UV protection, moisturizer and a touch of foundation all in one. It glides on the skin like a dream. Now if you are looking for coverage more like a regular foundation, then this isn't gonna fit. I would say it's almost like a tinted moisturizer more than anything. It fits my life perfectly right now!

2. Nars blush in Orgasm - Hands down the best color on Earth - a peachy pink with a hint of gold, looks amazing on! His blushes are the best, worth every cent.

3. Vera Bradley backpack - Oh, I fought Vera for a long time. I thought it was dowdy, old lady and just the antithesis of fashion. Until Java Blue came out - gorgeous! I now am an addict. I love my backpack in Peacock and carry it as my purse/diaper bag. Makes life so much easier. (on a side note - the patterns that have come out in the past few seasons are not so good, so I've eased off on my "collecting").

4. TV!!!! - I loooove my TV, it's my BFF! I have a few not to be missed shows as follows:

• The Real Housewives of NYC (or anywhere) - trashtastic TV, so much so that I wish I had produced it or had something to do with it. LOVE!!!
• SpongeBob SquarePants - love him so much I did a post about him. A show that is destined to be a classic for years.
• iCarly - yeah, I watch this tween show for a number of reasons - but the main ones are that it's such a well done sitcom (hard to come by these days), the writing is witty and thoughtful and the acting is very good (the standout being the delightful, you-will-see-her-in-great-things-in-the-future Jennette McCurdy).
• There are others, but these are the standouts right now - stay tuned, once The Rachel Zoe Project comes back on all bets are off - that is a show that makes me swoon!

5. Style.com - this is my only way to keep up with the fashion shows on my time. They have a great feature where you can create your own lookbooks to organize which looks you want to save for future reference. A great tool for a design/image buff like myself! Don't ask how many lookbooks I have - waaay too many.

6. "The Fear" - song by Lily Allen. Girl is a hot mess, but at least she owns it in this song. Very catchy and sort of sad.

7. LL Bean Boat and Tote bags - these are so useful, not only for travel. They are very good for organization and keeping projects separated. You can monogram accordingly, the colors are great and the prices can't be beat!

8. Dyson vacuum - literally changed my life - this vacuum is AMAZING, it sucks up everything that isn't nailed down. Worth the extra money!

9. Havaianas flip flops - not the crappy $2 pair from the discount store, these are Brazilian made smooshy wonders. There is something so comfy about this flip flop that they are hard to take off. Great colors and patterns. Again, worth the extra money!

10. Last but not least - I have two blogs that I love to read every day:

• Coco+Kelley - wonderful for design and pretty things, great for inspiration. Makes me very happy!
• Habitually Chic - another design blog, her posts are thoughtful and fun. She's great!!

Well, that's my top 10 for now. I'll do this every once in a while so you can see what's on my radar. Hope you enjoyed and maybe found something new to try. Cheers!