Archive for October, 2011

I consider myself somewhat of an expert on drugstore lipstick, mainly because I’m incapable of going into one without walking out with at least one or two new lipsticks.  My new favorite is L’Oreal’s Infallible Le Rouge.  It’s a recent addition to their already impressive line of products, and I’m really loving it.  The formula is great – for a mass-market brand (actually, for any brand), the shades are super moisturizing and don’t dry out my lips at all, which is my number one most important desire in a lipstick.  (Because, really, who wants to have to moisturize your lips AFTER you put on your color?  It’s a whole extra step).  The colors last for a really long time – I’d say I get a good 4-5 hours or so of wear out of the darker shades, which for me is great since I drink water constantly and so a lot of times my color wears off on my glass.   (more…)

As I may have mentioned here before, lately I’ve been super into nail polish.  I mean, I always liked it and bought a few bottles now and then, but sometime in the past year or so, that’s transformed into me obsessively buying entire collections and changing my nail polish at least once a week.  It’s fun!  I really haven’t narrowed myself down to any one color family either.  Even greens, which I always thought I hated, have been appealing to me in certain shades.  And if you asked who has made a lot of my favorite colors lately, Deborah Lippmann would be at the top of the list.  Her fall and winter shades are absolutely stunning.  I could seriously rave about them all, but I’ll try and restrain myself and pick a few favorites. (more…)

Holiday displays are going up earlier and earlier, right?  It’s not just me, is it?  Because part of me wants to say, “Stop!  It’s only October and still 95 degrees in Los Angeles and I am NOT ready to think about buying presents yet.”  But then that quickly gets replaced by excitement when I stumble upon any new holiday makeup displays because let’s face it, holiday makeup is fabulous.  This year, the honor of my first holiday makeup experience of 2011 goes to a few of the new Tarte offerings and because I love them so much, I’m willing to jump onboard and start playing Christmas Carols and drinking hot cider in the heat wave. (more…)

There isn’t a Walmart anywhere near me, which is very sad because it really gets in the way of my ability to buy Hard Candy.  Whenever I go back home to NJ, I always make sure to include a Walmart run so I can stock up.  I recently got my hands on some of their new fall offerings and after playing around with them, I’m even more sad that I can’t just run out and grab more shades easily in Los Angeles.  (more…)

I am so starved for a shopping spree, I’m obsessing over way too many things to count right now. But the cotton blend Emerson Black Suit has been lingering on my mind the longest. Each piece, sold separately, is bound to stay in my wardrobe forever.

Of course, at $594 (that’s $188 for the ankle-length Little Black Pant, $228 for the jacket and $178 for the belted skirt), I might have to wait. Of course, I’d also have to get the Emerson White Shirt, $128, the currently sold-out Oil Linen Cummerbund Belt, the Bag-O-Turtlenecks, $58, and every blouse on the site … oh, and the new London Coat, $368, and the Emerson hot-pink-lined Camel Coat, $315, and … gee, is there anything Emerson makes that I don’t want?!?

All summer and now into fall, I’ve been seeing red … spots. On my face and back. Usually, my skin is pretty dry and my acne exhibits self-control, but occasionally I get these nasty flare-ups. Could be stress. Could be hormones. Could be both. Who knows. All I do know is that only one thing has been working consistently to get rid of them–and it’s under $10: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Deep Pore Wash.

I don’t think I would have tried this product if I hadn’t gotten a sample in the mail to review, but I’m glad I did. It’s one of the few over-the-counter solutions I’ve seen at drugstore prices to contain maximum strength 2% Salicylic Acid via willow bark extract to deliver results right away, whether it’s a simple lessening of the redness or a soothing effect. And the non-comedogenic (uh, better be), 100% vegetarian, sulfate-, paraben-, phthalate-, petrochemical- and artificial-fragrance/color-formula even smells good, thanks to quite a few other “natural” ingredients such as lemon balm and green tea extract. I’m so impressed I’m actually singing. Seriously.

If you’re having acne problems, get this … and cross your fingers that you’re with the 70 percent of people the bottle claims saw improvement. I haven’t tried the rest of the line yet, but if it’s anything like the cleanser, I’m sold.

There’s a bit of a chill in the air…and it’s our signal that it’s officially boot weather! We’ve rounded up some of our favorites for fall, and there’s no shortage of great styles to select from.  (more…)

In the ongoing process that is decorating my humble new abode (aka circa 1950s apartment), one of the most delightful additions has been Skeem Candles, in particular the Night Jasmine Pillar. I have it burning in my bathroom right now and the calming woodsy jasmine, orange and incense notes have wafted at least 15 feet over to where I’m sitting. Mmmmm.
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