Category Archives: Beauty & Fashion

New Year’s Eve Style

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I am usually not a fan of New Year’s Eve but this year Santa brought me a dazzling dress to wear and I couldn’t wait to give it a twirl. There’s something about the end and the beginning coming together that just calls for a bit of glitz, glam, sparkle and shimmer, don’t you think? I planned out a festive outfit with blush, golds and silver, along with some comfy accents like fringe boots (it’s never too early to start adding to my Dear Santa list!) and an oversized chunky knit shawl-collar sweater.

New Year's Eve Outfit

1. Pixie Ballet Shimmery High-Low Dress – Ruche $42.99 | 2. Sparkle & Shine Jumbo Bobbi (Rose Gold & Gold) — Ban.do $20 | 3. Double Trouble Headwrap (Blush/Rose) – Ban.do $65 | 4. Vintage Heiress Earrings — Ruche 12.99 | 5. Dallas Fringe Ankle Boots — Ruche $42.99 | 6. Earthly Riches Bangle Set — Ruche $16.99 | 7. Metallic Fishnets — Forever 21 $5.80

But here’s the thing: I didn’t wear it. This is what I actually wore on New Year’s Eve:

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Ha! The comfiest, warmest outfit I could possibly put together. BFOTB and I had a great time lounging around with our husbands, watching tv, drinking prosecco, and eating popcorn and cookies. Best. New. Year’s. Ever. And just my style!

Did you send 2012 out in style?

Leather Jackets

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Leather jackets are a fashion staple. In tv shows, it’s always the cool chick in school that dons the black leather jacket to show the world she’s sassy and confident (I’m trying to be vague here but my mind is on Peyton Sawyer from One Tree Hill – she always looks so chic with that leather jacket on. Don’t judge me.) I decided that my wardrobe was sadly missing a classic leather jacket and while they usually wear quite a hefty price tag, I figured with the holidays and my birthday in December, it was a good time to shop around.  Luckily, I had a super sleuth of a secret Santa this year who stalked my Pinterest boards (score!) and bought me the Topshop jacket I’d been swooning over — it even has a faux fur collar!  Most of the real leather jackets I found were $400 and way more but while holiday sales abound, I’ve seen some nice ones like this for around $300 or less.  Here are a few of the fabulous affordable options I found, all for under $120:
faux leather jackets roundup

1. Topshop ‘Maddox’ Faux Leather Jacket – Nordstrom $118  | 2. Black Seam Detail Biker Jacket – Miss Selfridge $91  |  3. Leather Look Quilted Biker Jacket – Asos $87.95  |  4. Distressed Faux Leather Moto Jacket – Forever 21 $32.80  |  5. Leather Jacket by RubyLeather – Etsy $99

African Black Soap

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I read this article the other day that quoted pregnant Victoria’s Secret model Marisa Miller as saying she’s been reliant on African Black Soap to keep her skin clear while pregnant. I don’t know about you, but when a gorgeous woman who makes a living off of her looks says she uses something, I tend to take that recommendation and write it down. Here’s what the luminous lady had to say in her Allure interview:

“When I found out I was pregnant, the first thing that had to go was the acne medicine and chemical-filled face washes and lotions. I made sure everything was natural and organic, and I started reading blogs by other pregnant women. Everyone was talking about African Black soap. It’s made out of plantain ash, vitamin E, and shea butter, and it worked really, really well. I felt so weird using soap because you think, Don’t use soap on your face. Use a cleanser, something fancy. But I haven’t had a breakout since my first trimester.”

After working for years in the spa industry, I’m drawn to organic and good-for-you products but at the same time I usually resort to products with chemicals to get results faster (tsk tsk, I know).  So, upon learning this model’s skin care stance (and happy she addressed the whole “bar soap? really? on your face?” issue), I immediately dug around online and found out that Dr. Oz even touted African Black Soap in his “Erase 5 Years From Your Face” segment, during which he recommends using the rich lather from the bar soap every few days and advises you can get it at vitamin and health stores for around $4 (yay!).  Side note: did you know that Dr. Oz has a site of beauty and wellness products called BeautySage.com? I discovered it when they started promoting one of my favorite brands, One Love Organics, and was happy when they began selling my favorite lip balm, the Lip Slip by Sara Happ — also featured in my stocking stuffer roundup.  Here are a few sources if you’d like to give this wunderbar (couldn’t help myself, sorry) African Black Soap a try:

African Black Soap Skin Care products

clockwise:
1. Cleopatra’s Choice African Black Soap – Unscented via Cleopatra’s Choice ($4.99 for 4oz.)
2. Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap via Target (prices vary for 3.5 oz.)
3. Shea Terra Authentic African Black Soap via Beauty Sage ($8 for 5oz.)
4. Dudu-Osun Black Soap via Amazon ($14.88 for 6 bars)

Have you tried African Black Soap or do you have any simple skin care secrets to share?

 

P.S. I also found the Dudu-Osun Black Soap on Soap.com (um, lifechanging site, right?) and there are lots of promo codes for discounts if you’re a first time shopper…check it out! (and try not to go crazy on dog food, toilet cleaners, and pretty much anything else you could ever need delivered right to your door. Because I did.)

Cozy Up to Fur

Posted in Beauty & Fashion, For the Home by

There’s something about winter (though we don’t quite have winter in California, do we?) that just calls for fur, I think.  I found an awesome pillow at Home Goods the other day – a brownish gray fur on one side and velvet on the other. And I had to have it. Had to. It’s on my couch now in all its soft, cozy, calming awesomeness.  Baxter under one arm, my fur pillow under the other.  And, I realized (how crazy that sounds, yes) that I’ve got a bit of a thing for fur.  Mrs. Mercado and I swooned over the chic but casual fur throw from west elm, I’ve always loved the little white throw from Ikea that you see in nurseries and on at-home office chairs all over Pinterest and Apartment Therapy, and then Target Does It Again kept taking photos of a white faux fur coat that I just had to go out and buy despite the fact that I feel a bit Russian when wearing it (and Mumbles thinks I look like a pretty Chewbacca so sadly, I returned it).  Also, my mother has some gorgeous real fur coats (inherited from my Grammy) that I might someday have the gumption to wear and at the Long Beach Flea Market a few weeks ago I noticed a lot of sellers had vintage coats and stoles and wraps that lots of ladies were happily taking them home.  So yeah, I’ve got faux fur on the brain faux sure. (see what I did there?!)

From coats to hoodies to boots, throws and pillows…how do you feel about fur?

faux fur roundup

1. Sam Edelman Faux Fur Walking Coat – Nordstrom $200  |  2. City of Lights Faux Fur Wrap – Ruche $34.99  |  3. Wildcat Coat – JCrew Crewcuts $178  |  4. Mossimo Faux Fur Coat – Target $49.99  |  5. Faux Fur Vest – Banana Republic $125  |  6. Merona Single-Breasted Coat with Fur Collar – Target $79.99  | 7. Fox Grey Fur Decorative Pillow Set of 2 – Overstock $84.99  |  8. Tejn Faux Sheepskin – Ikea $9.99

Gift Idea: Monthly Deliveries

Posted in Beauty & Fashion, Food, For the Home by
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my first Yuzen box delivery – such a joy to open!

Wouldn’t it be grand to have the feeling you do while opening presents on Christmas morning every month? I think so, and it’s a bit of how I felt each of the three times I came home to discover a Yuzen package waiting for me at my door (read my experience here).  If you can’t quite decide what to get someone or feel like you’re running out of time, here is a roundup of monthly subscription services I’ve come across recently, which, along with Yuzen, would make for fabulous gifts beyond Christmas morning for just about everyone on your list.

For the Crafter: Whimsey 3 months $45 | 6 months $90 | 1 year $165

For the Creative: Creative Bug 1 month $24.99 | 3 months $59.97 | 6 months $101.94

For the Beauty Queen (or King): Birchbox 3 months $30 | 6 months $60 | 1 year $110

For Bob-the-Builder (or anyone of any name): Lego Master Builder Academy $29.99+

For the kids: Kiwi Crate 3 months $59 | 6 months $110 | 1 year $220

For the well accessorized: JewelMint (tailored to an individual’s personal taste, so gift cards are the way to go so they can use credits to pick their selections each month) 1 credit $29.99 | 2 credits $59.98 | 3 credits $89.97

For the shoe-obsessed: Shoe Dazzle (gift cards allow individuals to choose their style selections each month) $25+

For the burly man: Dollar Shave Club from $1/month

For the foodie + music lover: Turntable Kitchen 1 month $27.12 5 | 3 months $81.36

For your caffriend: Craft Coffee monthly $24.99 | 6 months $22.49/mo | Annual $19.99/mo (save 10% when you pay in full up front)

For your furbaby: Bark Box 1 month $29 | 3 months $22/mo | 6 months $17.50/mo

For the snail mail lover: Tota Press, a delivery of 2 letterpress cards for $10/month. (found via Daily Candy, which has great gift guides for all the people and critters in your life).

Happy gift giving! 

Do you subscribe to a monthly delivery service or have you ever been gifted one you loved?