Your Face Will Say Ahhhhh...

Let me tell you... even oily skin needs hydration, and this totally refreshing moisturizer from Garnier is a breath of fresh air for your skin.


I've been using Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream for about a year now after an aesthetician recommended I start using a day cream to help clear my skin. I had been wary of using a moisturizer with my makeup because I was afraid my shiny skin would become an endless oil slick. I had seen ads in magazines for this new cream, so I though I'd give it a try. Instead of getting shinier skin, my skin is more properly hydrated, so it doesn't have to compensate by creating more oil... ah, i get it now!

 

It's also light and feels amazingly cool when you apply it to your face. It has a nice, subtle scent that kind of reminds me of aloe and boasts ingredients like grape water extract and vitamin E. I also love that you can use this cream as much as you want without have to worry about wasting it- each jar costs around $7 and is available at Target, Walmart, drugstores or with those lovely coupons from Ulta :)

inspiration: Tokyo Milk



My collection of Tokyo Milk products... so far 

Right now, I'm totally in love with the bath and body care line Tokyo Milk.
This adorable collection of perfumes, body lotion, lip balms, & shower gels are available in a lovely array of scents. My favorites so far are Le Petit, Honey & the Moon and Sugar Sugar. All the vintage-inspired packaging is to die for... with images of Marie Antoinette, the Eiffel Tower, birds and bon bons, it all puts me in my ethereal happy place. Go get some!

fresh music- Foster the People

iTunes Screenshot of the Torches album cover by Foster the People

Just downloaded "Torches" by Foster the People. I've been into their music since I heard Pumped Up Kicks on the radio. The LA based band is described as electro-indie-pop-rock and I really enjoy their use of fun synth sounds and upbeat tempos. Definitely a great listen!

An Olfactory Journey

I'm on a mission to turn my passion for perfume into a business one day. I officially took step one today, since it was my day off. I made my way to the library to check out some literature on the subject. Even though the Tempe Public Library only has a few books on perfume, I was able to find a few good reads to get myself familiar with the history, the science and the business.
    The first book I picked up is Perfume: The Art and Science of Scent by Cathy Newman (A National Geographic Publication). I've only glanced through the pages so far, but the photos of vast fields of lavender and women gathering bushels of jasmine petals are lovely. I also checked out The Scented Home: Natural Recipes in the French Tradition, which takes a historical and home-grown look at creating scent. One recipe that's peaked my interest is for Eau de Cologne, a variation of a fragrance that was created in Cologne, France more than 300 years ago.
    In addition to the books I checked out, I ordered a beginner's perfume making kit from the California based website, The Perfumer's Apprentice. There are so many essential oils and synthetic fragrances used in perfume making that it would be very hard to even know where to start creating my own scent. The kit contains 12 fragrance oils, testing strips, bottles with roll-on applicators and instructions to help me get my feet wet.
    I should receive my kit sometime next week, and I'll let you know how my experiments work out!

Inspiration...

I haven't updated my blog in a long time, mainly because I haven't been too motivated to do anything that resembles work while I'm at home.

Ahhh... the great outdoors

When I was a kid, there was always something to look forward to- summer vacation, birthdays, Christmas morning, dance recitals, but now as an adult, there's not much excitement in my life. (Sad to say). Nowadays, I get excited when I can plan a trip somewhere, however, I'm totally broke and can't really go anywhere. Even if I would go somewhere, I would want my long distance love to come with me, and since that's not happening anythime soon, I'm bummed.

The family cabin on Blackberry Lane, Roxbury, NY

There is one glimmer of hope in the near future- a trip up to my family's cabin in October. This is a "yay!" moment for many reasons... 5 days of quiet, technology-free time away from the tv biz, hanging out with my parents (which I do enjoy), getting to enjoy autumn in the Catskill mountains of my glorious home state of New York.

Plus, I've already started a rather large project for myself on my trip to the mountains (seems a little anti-vacation, but hear me out :) When my family built our chalet, it was the mid-1980's. I have a small, but cute bedroom there, and it's full of my childhood, including my white formerly sticker-covered furniture, and it's in dire need of a makeover! Now, I'm not going to get rid of anything major, but the seafoam green comforter and peach cafe curtains HAVE TO GO!!! Even if I have to do all the shopping at the local Wal-Mart... it's going to get done. A fresh coat paint for the walls, new table lamp, maybe a bed in a bag, it's going to be fun! I love decorating. And why should I stop at my bedroom? I think the bathroom's going to need a facelift as well :)

Bronzer Fail!!

So my all-time favorite facial bronzer is Tarte's Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess. It gives my fair skin a nice glow with a subtle shimmer and goes on with an even, velvety finish.

It comes in a faux crocodile compact with a nice sized mirror. When I recently started running out of some of the bronzer, I started playing with the compact and discovered that the pans pop out. I thought, "Hey, great! I can refill this cute compact to reuse it!" However, when I checked Tarte's website, they apparantly don't sell refills for any similarly shaped products. What a let down!

It's nice that the thought is there to reuse the compact, but woudn't it be convenient to offer the actual product in a refill? What a shame.

Getting Boho for Spring

The bohemian look is very hot for Spring 2011, a look I like to embrace from time to time. You don't have to look like a hippie to give this style a try!

Silk sheer top: Gibson (Nordstrom)

Flare Leg Jeans: True Religion, Joey Flare (Nordstrom Rack)

Cognac leather and cork wedges: Nine West (Piperlime)

Olive hobo bag: Banana Republic

Silver Bracelet: Gorjana