I'm Glowing!

Testing out a new liquid foundation... Teint Miracle Lit-From-Within Natural Skin Perfection with SPF 15 by Lancome.

Always in search of the best skin beautifiers, I decided to try out this foundation while exploring the aisles of Sephora last weekend. I'm a fan of Lancome's Genifique serum and Definicils High Definition Mascara, so I thought this would be a good brand to try.

Anytime I can find a realistic looking color to compliment my fair skin, I'm already happier. The formula is light, yet creamy, and blends in well over my gel moisturizer (I use Garnier Moisture Rescue, LOVE IT)... it covers flaws well, but still looks natural and dewy, not greasy or heavy feeling. I little seems to go a long way- it takes only 3 pumps to cover my whole face.




Lancome's Teint Miracle in Buff 2W

 
Lancome calls the technology used in this foundation "Aura-Inside", to help recreate and boost skin's natural light. With that type of claim, you'd think this would be shimmering or even sparkly, but instead, my face has a healthy glow.

Teint Miracle is said to work well for all skin types, and for my combination skin, I would agree- It stays looking fresh during my 8 hour shift.

Overall, I'm happy with this makeup- I'd say it's worth the $37 I paid for it at Sephora. It seems to live up to Lancome's description, plus the color is very close to my own wonky skin tone. Plus, this is one of the only foundation with SPF that doesn't smell funny or feel instantly greasy. Win!

Well, excuse ME... !

It has recently come to my attention that there's a whole brand of fashion bloggers out there whose sole purpose is poking fun at newbies like me! Sweet! Have fun! I gotta start writing blogs somewhere...

Last time I checked, a person didn't have to be an expert in order to talk about something they enjoy, no?

I'm a fashion/beauty blogger newbie, but hey, at least I DO have a journalism degree!!

My All-Time Love: FRAGRANCE

Do you understand the POWER of the perfect signature scent? The scent that truly defines your personal essence, when people catch a sniff, they immediately know it's you- I have found this... But my LOVE for perfume doesn't allow me to just wear one signature scent, I have several.




My personal fragrance collection (part1), showcased on my dresse

When you love something as much as I love perfume, it needs to be showcased in a loving way. I've chosen to feature my favorite scents on mirrored trays in order to highlight the beauty of each bottle.

I normally gravitate toward soft oriental scents, like Aquolina Pink Sugar Sensual. It's a more mature twist to the sweet Pink Sugar. This version has top notes of black currant, tangerine, & bergamot lead with a heart of orange flower, light pink jasmine, and tiare flower. Vanilla, black sugar, and sandalwood make up the trail note.

Also part of the oriental family is Kenzo KenzoAmour... a feminine and sensual combination of Frangipani Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms, Tanakha Wood, Incense, Thai Rice Steam, Vanilla of La Réunion, White Tea.

Each fragrance I have almost gives me a different persona for the day... whether it's exotic, girly, fresh, it's all amazing... My favorite perfume-persona has to be Woodland Fairy Princess, courtesy of the one and only Lolita Lempicka. From the beautiful bottles, to the feminine woody-oriental scents, Lempicka's scents define who I am and who I want to be. Silly, to think that a perfume can do all that.



La creme de la creme of my collection

 This antique butterfly shaped porcelain tray holds my favorite bottles of perfume. There's Juicy Couture, Couture Couture by Juicy Couture Hanae Mori Butterfly and Dear To Me, in the tiny gold bottle. Dear To Me was created by my great aunt Cecile Gagnon-Voigts and sold at high-end department stores in the 60's.

The green bottle on the far left is L de Lolita Lempicka, a scent that evokes an image of the sexy mermaid. The bottle looks just like a weathered sea stone, collected from the bottom of the ocean, with netting and smaller stones attached to the the nozzle. Guys have told me this scent reminds them of being at the beach. When I wear it, I feel sexy, natural, exotic... notes include Bitter Orange, Cinnamon, Immortal, Vanilla, Precious Woods, Solar Notes, and Musk.

The latest addition to my collection is Lempicka's Forbidden Flower Eau de Parfum, a special edition fragrance. Housed in the signature apple-shaped bottle, the acid green color of this fragrance makes you think this fragrance is for a woman who's slightly dangerous, mysterious, alluring... You can imagine seeing the bottle perched atop a tree in the Garden of Eden, Eve is coveting the bottle for herself. This sexy scent feautures Absinth Flower, Strawberry Leaf, Mimosa Stem, Peony, Violet, Aniseed Flower, Almond Musk, and Morello Cherry Musk.

And my all-time favorite, beloved signature scent is the original Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum. This perfume truly makes me feel like my best self. The woody oriental combines ivy leaves, aniseed, violet and iris root as top notes, warmed with musk and vanilla for a sweet, yet earthy sensation. The apple shaped bottle, adorned with golden ivy leaves and a true love's heart etched into the neck complete the ultimate, girly, fairy princess fantasy for me. I can imagine my wedding day would be full of colors and motifs inspired by this perfume.

I invite you to take a look at Lolita's Boutique, the french designer's online store, to get a feel of her magical world. I only wish they would ship to the US, but it's fun to browse anyway. Most of the varieties of Lolita Lempicka's fragrances are available on the Sephora website or even in store.

Let's "Face" It

Truth be told: I was not blessed with perfect skin. I wasn't even blessed with even kinda good skin. From the time I was an awkward teenager to now, in my early 30's I have had to deal with a lot of issues.

When I was a teenager, I had pretty bad acne. The products that I used back in the 90's left my face dry and red, with patches of eczema on my cheeks. Needless to say, I had very low self-esteem and was scared to look anyone, especially guys, in the eye. It was a lonely time of my life, but my skin began to improve, if only slightly, by the time college started. Through the years, through trial and error, through loads of $$, I've found ways to deal with my acne and dry skin, but it's not not perfect, and I've pretty much learned to accept that.... but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop looking for the best skin solutions!

Back in November, I bought a Groupon deal for an hour long microdermabrasion treatment at Skin of Dreams in Chandler, AZ (normally $85). I've been taking my time to use the deal, mainly because my acne's been under control, but since I took a few days off, and I have a few flare ups, I figured it was time.

So this morning I woke up at 8:30am to get ready for my appointment (that's the crack of dawn for me! I work nights at the TV stations and rarely get to bed before 1am). Skin of Dreams is located inside A New U Day Spa, and while the building may be rather ordinary looking from the outside, once you step inside, you're immediately welcomed into a very pretty salon.

From the cute black & white toile upholstered seating to the crystal chandelier, the Parisian-influenced decor had me at hello. The staff is very friendly, and after filling out a little paperwork, aesthetician Tiffany brought me back to the cozy and relaxing treatment room. The microdermabrasion treatment didn't vary too much from the regular facials I've received, but that great for me. I was afraid it would be painful or uncomfortable. After cleansing my face, Tiffany applied masks, exfoliators, steam, toners and then brought out the microdermasion tools, which just felt like a tiny little vacuum sucking all the yuck out of my congested pores.

Finally, I added a collagen mask to my treatment for only $15 extra. As the mask soaked in, I received a a lovely arm/shoulder/scalp massage with what smelled like raspberry lotion (awesome).

I had a fantastic morning at Skin of Dreams! It was a comparable experience to any of the other high-end day spas in the area, but much more affordable for me. Tiffany was a pleasure- personable, professional and helpful with my questions. Definitely a must for anyone who wants to be pampered!

Skin of Dreams

590 N. Alma School Rd.

Suite #17

Chandler, AZ 85224

(480) 326-4144

Retro Inspired



Me, Halloween 2010



Just looking at these pictures makes me happy. These are my grandparents, my mom's mom and dad, in the early 1930's. To me, the epitome of class and style, I can only imagine where the pair were headed decked out in such cool outfits. I'm sure they could have easily been going to church or out to dinner or visiting friends, who knows... it was normal back then to dress to the nines, no jeans or sneakers in sight. In the pic, above left, my grandmother was a mere 23 years old in her fantastic below the knee skirt with top belted precisely at the waist... the hat, cocked to the side framing her face just so. My grandfather looks dashing with his hat and three piece suit.

I love my grandma's strappy heels (in the picture to the above right)... if I could find such a pair right now, I'd buy them up in a second. Note the black Persian wool stole at her shoulders...

And to the right... my Halloween costume from 2010.

It's my attempt at recreating my grandma's style for a winning costume. I'm wearing the very same Persian wool stole she was wearing in the picture above right. The plum cloche, while very reminiscent of the 30's style, was found at Target for less than $15! The black sequined dress was found at Forever 21 a few years back. The belt was originally meant to be worn at the waist, but I tacked it down lower to mimic a retro drop waist look. The long black gloves and long pearl necklace were also vintage finds straight out of my grandmother's closet. The shoes (not pictured) are black Kenneth Cole Reaction t-strap patent pumps. I got great reactions from my friends, and even strangers that day, especially when I told them the whole outfit cost $18 (the hat and nude hose).  



30's Flapper inspired makeup to complete the look

                                                                         
I was happy to ditch my bronzer for the day to embrace my naturally fair skin. The foundation is by purminerals (4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup in Porcelain Ulta), which covers well and gives skin a matte finish.
On my cheeks, I wear a rose cream "rouge" as they called it (Stila Convertible Color in Lilium, Sephora )
Dramatic black kohl eyeliner was all the rage in the 30's, accompanied by thick black lashes. I opted for falsies to make my eyes really pop. Women wore shades like gray, but I blended a black/silver combo for this look. (L'Oreal HIP Metallic Shadow Duo in Platinum (Target).
Popular lip colors for the modern woman included berries and mauves, the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick I'm wearing here is Mauvy Night. Normally, I'm not a big lipstick fan, but the costume definitely required a traditional look.

Finally, for the hair, in order to mimic the spit-curled short styles of the 30's, I used a 1 inch curling iron and wound small sections of hair around the barrel of the iron. To set, I sprayed my curls with TIGI Bed Head hairspray  (my go to choice) and pinned my hair under the hat.

I had a blast paying homage to my grandparents while creating a totally unique and handmade costume. I was able to research the styles of the day on the internet, and my mom was a great help collecting my grandma's pieces to complete the outfit. In fact, I don't think this style needs to stay in costume territory! I would wear this to a party any day.

Lady Gaga Raising Money for Japan Disaster Victims

The pop star who's known for her outrageous fashion sense is now using her notoriety to help Japanese earthquake victims.

Lady Gaga's "We Pray For Japan" prayer bracelet is now up for sale on her official online store. The bands are available in white with red lettering and feature la Gaga's signature monster claw icon. Each bracelet costs $5, and you can also choose to donate more cash if you desire. 100% of sales will go directly to relief efforts, so you can buy yours HERE! One note though: the website says that the bracelets ship out on March 25th.

Lady Gaga's Official Online Store

Breaking the Ice

When some people think of fashion and beauty, they often picture vapid supermodels strutting down a cold Parisian runway, or maybe sumptuous logo-emblazoned handbags worth a month's paycheck. Beauty and fashion can be seen as frivolous or fake, with fashion's victims hiding behind masks of foundation and eyeliner, avoiding the harsh realities of life.

I think a well-edited wardrobe and a beauty routine can give people more courage to take on their goals. It makes me feel good to wake up in the morning and to think of which beautifully scented shower gel I'll use to start the day. When I put together my outfit for work, I choose pieces that brighten my outlook for the day. Sometimes it's that extra push to help me get out the door and put my best foot forward.

It's about making my best self feel good in a world that's been full of disaster and bad news...

Which is another reason why fashion and beauty are such a big diversion for me- I work in a crazy television control room where I'm inundated, day by day, with horrible, depressing news.

I've started to embrace the fact that while the stories of the day may put me and my coworkers in crappy moods, I still work in a creative environment. I don't have to wear a suit or even casual business attire on a daily basis, so I'm going to have fun with my clothes. One day, it will be skinny jeans and a blazer with slouchy suede boots, the next, a flirty full skirt with a fitted top and ballet flats. The sky's the limit!

So as I start this blog, I'm going to share my adventures in exploring affordable, cute styles. I'm going to test out beauty products to see if they really do make the cut. I'm going to share the ways I can feel happy in a crappy recession. Let's have some fun!