I lied. One more before chaos

I love nice, long, hot showers. Bad for the skin, I know, but so relaxing. Last night when I came home from a long day at work I hopped in the shower and used my new Lush Emotibomb in Up the Wooden Hill. It features lavender, chamomile, and neroli, all very calming and soothing. It’s a rather large tab that you lay on your shower floor under the water. Your shower water mixes with the Emotibomb’s essential oils to create fabulous scented steam.

While I can’t justify spending $4 on a one time use product all the time, it’s great for occasional nights when you seriously need to unwind. It’s also great for those who don’t have bathtubs or who don’t have time for a relaxing bath. It’s definitely a must try. I recommend using the entire tab because you probably won’t get the same effect if you break it in half to save for later. If you take long showers like me, save it until you’re almost ready to get out. The tab is by no means cute like Lush’s bath bombs but it gets the job done and made me feel relaxed and ready for bed.

I can’t wait for my shower tonight. I’m going to use my Bath and Body Works Lavender and Chamomile body wash and my beloved Bliss Rosemary and Eucalyptus Hot Salt Scrub. Only eight more hours until shower euphoria.

My last post before chaos ensues

Tomorrow starts a week and a half of total chaos, coffee drinking, no sleep, and ending the day covered in powder. I’ll be back soon to give you reviews of some new and old faves. Until then, I leave you with photos of things I want from my fave home store, West Elm:

 

Weekend.

Hopefully everyone had a fantastic weekend. Mine was quite nice. My best friend was in town from SF and we had a blast. Friday we went to a Stone Foxes show. These kids are really, really, really good. Check them out if you get the chance. The rest of the weekend involved a lot of shopping but neither of us bought much. I did end up buying the dark gray swing jacket from a few posts down since I had an Old Navy friends & family discount.

In other shopping news I ordered a chandelier necklace last week but I wish I would have gotten the white instead so it will stand out against my all black wardrobe. Perhaps next timOh, and the Lancome Oscillation is working out a little better. I have to wipe excess product from the brush first and only use one coat. If you like a fuller lash by all means pack it on, just be ware that it may clump so have a clean lash brush handy.

Lancome Oscillation

I just tried Lancome’s new “vibrating” mascara. It oscillates 7000 times per minute and promises length, volume, and curl. The theory behind this innovative mascara is that your lashes are wrapped 360 degrees to give you a va-va-va-voom flutter that resemble faux lashes with little effort. Just slowly pull the brush through your lashes from root to tip and voila! Gorgeous long lashes are yours.

Do give it a try if you’re curious. The Lancome counters and most Sephora stores should have hygienic disposable wands to snap into the battery powered handle so you can try before you buy.

My verdict on this “latest and greatest” mascara? It made my lashes look clumpy and spider-like. I will try it again because I think perhaps I swiped the wand a little too fast or there was too much product on the brush to begin with. If my opinion changes I will definitely keep you up to date.

I have a feeling that my optometrist will tell me I need a stronger prescription at my next eye exam, which I need to schedule for January. Lately I’ve been wearing my glasses more often then contacts. I’m very picky when it comes to my frames and last time it took me five months to finally pick ones I liked.

Right now I’m thinking about these Marc Jacobs frames:

Winterwear

Ever since I was a very little girl I’ve always wanted a capelet. The only problem with finding one is that they aren’t always easy to track down and I am rather picky. Several styles, fabrics and colors I’ve seen aren’t what I’m looking for. For those who don’t know, a capelet is basically a very small cape. I like this style, and perhaps this color and print:  

 

I was in San Francisco last weekend and my favorite SF resident and BFF had just purchased the cutest coat. It’s very lady-like, super cute, and teal. She informed me that Old Navy was having a 50% off outerwear sale (still going on until Thursday-that’s tomorrow!) and we must go. I tried on several and was frustrated because being petite, most things never fit me correctly, even petite sizes because they are meant for 5′4 and above. Lets just say I’m well under the average petite height. I ended up with a cute swing jacket. I opted for red to add a splash of color to my all black makeup artist wardrobe, although it was also available in two shades of gray. The red one is currently not available on the site, though here is a photo of the style. Cute!

To-do list

Starting at the end of this week until the week of Thanksgiving, an opera I’m working on will begin its run and my blogs may become few and far between until closing night. In preparation, I have a million things that need to get done before we start dress rehearsals.

-Finish my holiday shopping and wrap everything.

-Clean, clean clean.

-Find white elephant gift for 6th annual holiday party with friends.

-Organize my train cases, make sure my brushes are ready to go, and take inventory of my makeup. Current mascara tube count: 21.

-Pick up a few unisex gifts to have on hand just in case.

-Go grocery shopping and pick up fruit/veggies, food I don’t need a microwave for and non-perishable food for the 9am-11pm days I have ahead. There’s a fridge at the theatre but no microwave. Luckily there’s Chinese food and a little cafe around the corner.

-Try to enjoy my last weekend of freedom until January. My BFF is visiting this weekend and we shall have a fantastic time.

For my Nana

 

I made a little shadowbox of a few of my Great-Nana’s things for my little Nana. I couldn’t find one of her vintage perfume bottles small enough to fit so I used one I had lying around the house. That will be changed out if I can find the bottle I wanted to include.

I am absolutely in love with that vintage compact. It contains lipstick (red, of course), blush (light pink) and a fair loose powder. I can just imagine my Great-Nana whipping it out gracefully for touch ups.

Fresh

Fresh is one of the many brands that I just adore and I always love trying anything and everything from the brand. Started by husband and wife team Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg in the early 90’s, the line embodies technology, quality and luxury. Lev is also a certified nose and took years creating their Cannabis Santal fragrance. Today I will be giving reviews of Sake Bath, Rice Dry Oil, Sugar Lychee Shower gel and Lotion, and the new Strawberry Flowers fragrance. If you are ever in San Francisco, check out the Fresh Boutique on Sutter Street (in the Financial District between Stockton and Kearny). You can also find locations near you on the site under store locator.

Sake Bath, 13.5 oz, $80: Sake Bath’s claim to fame is that it features 50% pure sake to detoxify, relax muscles, soften skin and increase circulation. I definitely felt relaxed and warm. You do need to use very hot water and a lot of product (at least a shot glass worth for an average size bathtub) to see any benefits and it’s not meant for use by pregnant women or those with heart conditions. Is it worth $80? Probably not, although I wouldn’t mind receiving it as a gift.

Rice Dry Oil, 3.4 oz, $48: Relaxes mind and body and is quickly absorbed. Smells wonderful, almost reminiscent of the Sake fragrance. Feels luxurious and leaves skin feeling silky without being slippery or sticky. For me it was a bit irritating to use because of the pour spout-I either poured way too much or too little into my hands. While it’s a great product, the price tag is a bit steep for something I would use up so frequently.

Sugar Lychee Bath and Shower Gel, 10 oz, $28: Some bath and shower gels can leave my skin feeling dry and tight. This one feels and smells heavenly. It features sugar cane extract (sugar is a natural humectant so it draws moisture to the skin), it also has shea butter to further hydrate. I would buy this over and over I love it so much. A little goes a long way so it lasts through shower after shower.

Sugar Lychee Body Lotion, 10 oz, $28: light in scent and texture, this is my post shower bed time body lotion because it soaks into the skin without feeling greasy. The scent is calming and light enough that it doesn’t give me a headache. Definitely a must try in this and other scents.

Strawberry Flowers Fragrance, Sephora exclusive, 1 oz EDP, $38: Features notes of Mandarin, Yuzu, White peach, Mountain Strawberries, Freesia, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus, Orris, Musk, White woods. This fragrance is a soft floral and very pretty. Would make a nice gift for a fragrance aficionado, Fresh lover, or someone who wants a light fragrance suitable for daytime wear. Please note that this doesn’t and isn’t supposed to smell just like strawberries as there are several other notes that balance it out.

Stop stressing out over “impending doom”

With the holidays just around the corner, many of us are sure to become walking stress magnets. I’m trying to get all of my shopping over with ASAP and I know that it’s easier said then done. Between house work, taking on overtime at work, and general every day life, many people put off the inevitable shopping and wrapping until the last minute. One of my former bosses used to call the holidays ”impending doom”. You know it’s coming and there’s nothing you can do to push the date back.

If you or someone on your list is stressed out, why not try some aromatherapy? Some of my favorite products are from Aveda, Bath and Body Works, and The Body Shop (my favorite home fragrance oil in Cranberry is back for the season). Aromatherapy can come in the form of essential oils you can apply to the skin (make sure to check labels and instructions as not all are intended for skin contact) or add to lotions and bathwater, candles, or home fragrance sprays or oils. You can also find products that already have them mixed in like the ones shown below. Whatever method you use, make sure to breath deeply and think of things or memories that evoke pleasant feelings.

Is stress causing you to have a lack of ZzZzZzZz’s? In turn, sleep loss can make you more susceptible to becoming stressed out.  The new limited edition sets from Bath and Body Works seems VERY promising. They have a Lavender Chamomile set called “The Sweetest, Softest Sleep on Earth” that features a pillow mist, body wash, lotion and soft sleep mask for $35. Both scents have calming and almost sedative properties to help ease you into slumber. While it’s not going to have the same effect as popping sleeping pills, it will get you in a sleep-oriented state of mind without any sleeping pill effects. I have the shower gel and pillow mist and love them. They are perfect for nights when counting sheep just isn’t cutting it.

They also have a set featuring the scent of warm milk and honey called “Sleep In Heavenly Peace“ and includes a luxe bath soak, body lotion, pillow mist, aromatherapy treatment to help lull you to sleep, and a little plush lamb. Honey has been used for ages as a calming scent while adding warm milk to the mix helps induce a comforting feeling.

The most important part of indulging in aromatherapy is that you are taking time out for yourself to unwind. Cuddle up with soothing music, a good book, a journal, or perhaps watch a favorite movie while you’re at it. Just make sure to cross some things off of your important to-do list before hand so you have even less to stress about.

Also, please don’t forget to vote today!