Tricks of the Trade: A Few Energizing Tips

So, let's be honest here. In our busy lives, most of us feel as though we could use another two hours or so of sleep--or we find ourselves wishing that we could take an afternoon nap like we used to do when we were children. You know, the nap that Mom used to have to compel us to take--the same bit of rest time that our now-adult selves would like to go back and tell our child-selves to appreciate while we have it, because one of these days we'll want it and we won't have it anymore. 

And while there are an umpteenmillion reasons for us to feel a tad bit tuckered out--and a lot of those reasons are for great things, such as busy lives with families, or jobs, or school, or activities--it isn't a bad thing to admit that, sometimes, we can all feel just a little draggy. And that's okay; it's a natural part of being human, to feel tired every once in a while. There are also tons of different kinds of tired, and some of those aren't so okay to have to deal with. But since I'm not a doctor or any kind of specialist, I'm just going to stick to talking about the average kind of tired, and some very simple but HIGHLY effective cosmetic tricks that I have learned to help combat it.

My baby girl has been a fabulous sleeper for a while, but at the beginning of my mommyhood (and even now, to be perfectly truthful) I would start to feel weariness pulling at me in an acute way that I hadn't experienced before. And since there are a lot of times that I simply cannot just say, "Okay, Life, I'm putting you on hold for a while!", I have been on the hunt for things to help me look a little more energetic and perky. I have listed them below, along with some basic tips on how I use them and the explanations as to why I find that they work so well.

Let's talk skincare first. These are my two new favorites in that realm: Yes to Grapefruit's daily brightening scrub and Garnier Fructis' anti-puff eye roller.

Grapefruit is known to be a heavyhitter in skincare, as it is packed with lots of good-for-you elements that include vitamin C and lycopene.  This scrub smells a-ma-zing, and it really is gentle enough to use daily, as long as your skin isn't incredibly sensitive or acne-prone. Using a daily scrub in either of those cases will irritate the skin and could cause it to be more oily. However, I have fairly sensitive skin myself, and using this scrub every other day hasn't bothered it at all. Because it is a gentle, fruit-based product (which features lemon balm as well as the aforementioned grapefruit), the scrub is able to deftly buff away dead cells, dirt, and impurities on the surface of the skin, exposing the fresh new skin beneath and giving that 'brightened' effect to the complexion. A product that smells good, is effective, and is part of a great brand that strives to make its products without a bunch of harsh chemicals? I'm on board.  

Once you've started things off on the right foot with giving tired skin a dullness-banishing, beautifully brightening boost, you'll want to follow up with your favorite moisturizer for a dewy glow that locks hydration into your skin and protects it from losing too much moisture. Make certain to avoid your eye area with your facial moisturizer, because a lot of the time the ingredients that are in face care products are too harsh to be used on the delicate skin near the eyes. 

Instead, treat your eyes to a refreshing, cold dose of caffeine and mint--with Garnier's anti-puff eye roller. I know that I'm late to the cold-as-ice eye roller party, but now that I'm here, I'm never going back! The eye roller basically has the same effect as running an ice cube along the skin around your eyes, boosting blood circulation to help get rid of the excess fluids that build up around the eyes and cause puffiness. The added benefit of an eye roller is that it isn't just cold; it also smoothes a caffeine- and mint-infused concoction onto the skin, which also helps get the blood circulating and results in less  puffiness and dark circles in the under eye area. I usually apply the eye roller to my under eye area and then gently tap my fingertips against the skin to help blend in the product, using what is left on my fingertips to dab onto the skin above my eyelids. As with any skincare product, do be careful when using this stuff near your eyes. It's meant to go around them, but definitely not in them.

Onto makeup! I will also list these products in the order that I use them. 

#1: This is L'Oreal's response to the overwhelmingly popular B.B. cream trend.  Their version--and, I should note, this is just one of at least two B.B. creams that they've come up with--is from their Studio Secrets line, and is called Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. cream.  It comes in a chic-looking slender white, silver, and purple tube, and the product itself, when you first squeeze it out of the tube, very much resembles your everyday sunscreen.  It's a white lotion-like substance in which tiny, grainy little beads are suspended.  I use just a tiny bit of this stuff--about a lima bean size amount on my fingertip--and blend it into my skin.  The tiny little beads in the B.B. cream are actually where the pigment is contained, and it adjusts to the precise shade of your skin.  Not a bad arrangement, I say, in a world full of people having to play the "What's my proper foundation shade?" game.  Ain't nobody got time for that.  ;)  

What is nice about this product is that, as a good B.B. cream should always be, this is a multi-tasker.  It hydrates the skin and primes it for other makeup, corrects uneven skin tone, and gives the skin a polished, flawless look.  It isn't overly dewy-looking, either, so if you're really looking for just a simple, no-makeup look, this is a good choice of a B.B. cream for you: a little matte, and a lot of healthy and glow-y.  One note: do use just a little amount of this stuff, because it goes a long way, and I wouldn't glop on a whole lot of moisturizer beforehand.  For some odd reason, this B.B. cream doesn't do too well when it's applied over a lot of another moisturizer.  The plus side of this?  You don't have to use a lot of this product, so one tube of it should last you a good long while, and that is never a bad thing in my book.    

#2:  This is a fabulous waterproof kohl kajal eyeliner by Rimmel London, part of their ScandalEyes line, in the shade Nude. I've heard the recommendation of using white eyeliner along the inner rims of the eyes to give them the illusion of being wider and more awake, but I have also heard the recommendation to use a flesh-tone eyeliner instead, because it's still brightening but not as strong of a contrast against the skin's natural shade. Plus, the apricot undertones in a nude-colored liner counteract any purple tones in the flesh.  (The culprits behind this?  Darkness and discoloration, which are often found around tired eyes). Try this great, creamy waterproof liner on your eyes' inner rims, and see for yourself how it instantly makes your eyes look bigger and brighter. I use it to line my eyes' lower inner rims, extending it to blend it into the lower lash line, so there is a seamless brightened area. This liner is also really helpful if you put it on under your normal eyeliner--it helps hold in place any makeup that you put on over it!

#3:  Moving on from there, we have product from Almay, from their Wake Up line: the hydrating under-eye concealer. This product comes in a squeezable tube with a brush applicator, but I don't use the brush as I find that it more often piles on the product and then smears it around in too-thin lines. That being said, if you simply squeeze a bit of the concealer onto your fingertip, dab it onto the areas that you wish to use concealer on (it works for more than just under the eyes), and then blend as you please, it works beautifully. I like that this concealer is lightweight and hydrating. With its light consistency but substantial pigment, you get an almost weightless coverage that you can build as needed without worrying much about the dreaded cakey effect. Using a light hand with makeup on tired skin is key though, so do keep your "less is more!" mantra in mind, as always.

#4:  My new favorite mascara is CoverGirl's Clump Crusher, a fine phenomenon in a beguilingly bright emerald green tube. I've found that this product lives up to its name and hype: it gives volume and pigment to the eyelashes and virtually resists any clumping tendencies! (Any mascara will clump eventually, but it would really take some doing with this stuff.) It has a slightly curved comb-style applicator wand, and the mascara itself has a thick (aka volumizing) consistency. When you're looking to bring life to a tired face, a good, strong mascara that brings clean definition and pretty, plumped-up volume to the eyelashes is an absolute must.

#5:  Next in the line-up of eye-awakening pros is a dual-ended eye liner and highlighter, also by Almay's Wake Up line. It's pretty much a self-explanatory product: one end of it holds a cooling, lightly sparkly (think new-fallen snow sparkle, not Las Vegas) highlighter, while the other end holds a nicely pigmented swivel-up eye liner with some fabulous staying power. I chose to get the classic black eye liner (because I refuse to be without one in my makeup kit), which is paired with a pretty pale gold highlighter. I don't always use the latter, but it gives a subtle bit of sparkle and that lovely cool sensation against the skin when it's applied, so...again, worth it, even if you're not much of a sparkle fan.

#6:  Last on my list of new favorites is Revlon's gloss balm stain. It isn't just a lip gloss or a stain or a balm...yes, obviously, it manages to be all three at once. And I flipping love that. Much as I adore a good tube of lipstick, I'm always rubbing my lips together or wetting them (I know, saliva dries out the skin...), so it's difficult for me to keep a normal lip gloss or lipstick on. Stains are a fabulous solution to the problem, as are long-wearing lipsticks, but a stain that has the moisturizing power of a lip balm is even better. Revlon's impressive array of shades have a nice hint of minty flavor, and are hydrating with a light glossy finish and tons of color that tends to stick around quite well. I purchased the bright orange-y shade called 'Rendezvous', and it has been a fun, bright addition to my summer lip color collection. When you're tired, bright colors such as hot pink, orange, and red have the power to really light up the complexion. A tired face can look colorless and dull (mine does!), so adding bright colors brings a pop of life back onto the scene. Add a bit of blush and you're set!

As I said earlier in this post, these are simply a few cosmetic tricks to help make a tired face look more rejuvenated. A proper diet, exercise, and sleep--along with whatever else your trusted physician advises--are key to looking and feeling your best. But! A few helpful and inexpensive beauty products don't hurt sometimes, either, and it is my hope that you have found this post to contain both helpful, inexpensive tips and products to try! If you have any recommendations of other products or tips to looking your brightest and most lively and awake, do comment and share them! :D

PS:  All of the products that I mentioned--and the photos of them too, for that matter--are copyright of the individual companies who own and manufacture them.  I simply wrote about them and used some images that were available on the World Wide Web to make a few collages to make this post look more visually appealing. ;P  End disclaimer.

À bientôt!

--Cait

A Makeup Tutorial

It has been quite some time since I included a step-by-step makeup tutorial on a blog.  The last time that I wrote such an entry, it was a tutorial on how to do a modern-retro look with bombshell red lips and black liquid eyeliner.  Today's look is more of an attempt from me to recreate the fresh, sophisticated, and yet somehow effortless look that is worn by so many of the lovely ladies that we see in the fashion magazines.  It's kind of a daytime chic look: with lightly smoky violet eyes and a year-round-appropriate, glowing complexion and lips.  Well!  That's an awfully wordy description...the look itself, however, isn't at all complicated.

Shall we?

Step #1:  Start with a clean, moisturized face.  Around the eye area--from the brow bones to the lashline--gently pat a bit of liquid concealer into the skin until it's blended.  Don't apply the concealer to the under eye area yet; that will come later.  Take a fluffy eyeshadow brush and lightly dust some loose powder around the entire eye area, from the brow bone to the lid to the under eye area.  The loose powder will not only help to soak up any residual oil on the eyelids, it will also serve as a barrier between the skin and whatever flecks of eyeshadow that might fall onto the skin during the process.  And that, let me assure you, makes for much easier under eye clean-up!  :)

Step #1:

This is the eye area that you will be working with for this look, 

from just below the eyebrow to about where the first line of 

this writing would be, if this picture was your face.

Step #2: Take your fluffy eyeshadow brush and dip it into a shimmery champagne eyeshadow, then dip it into your loose powder.  Dust this shade--a combination of the champagne shadow and the loose powder--onto your brow bone and into the inner corner of your eye, to highlight.  (The combination of the champagne shadow and the loose powder makes for a subtle glow that works well for the daytime, I found.)  Make sure to softly blend out any harsh edges.

Step #2

Step #3:  Take a smaller, flat eyeshadow brush and very gently pat--pleeeeease don't rub!--a light grey/taupe shade onto 3/4's of your eyelid only.  Leave the inner 1/4 of your eye alone, so that the champagne highlight can still shine through.  (Oh...and I apologize for the "highlight" instruction, the circled areas, and the arrows.  I couldn't erase them once I had added them onto the drawing, as it was done in pen.  Sigh!)  

Step #3

Step #4:  Dip your small, flat eyeshadow brush into a dark brown shade and a light plum shade of eyeshadow, and apply it to the outermost 1/3 of your eyelid, blending out the shadow at the crease of your eye.  With the darker shades in this look, it is important to keep the edges of the shadow soft.  It's a smoky look, but it's also a subtle look.  :) 

Step #4

Step #5:  Take a black eyeliner pencil and apply it to your lash-line, in a lopsided " < " shape.  The upper half of this " < " shape should be longer than the lower half, with the line growing from thin to thicker at the outer corner of the eye.      

Step #5

Step #6:  Take a thin, stiff, flat eyeshadow brush and gently pat a sparkly black eyeshadow onto the eyeliner that you just drew onto your lash-line.  This not only helps to further emphasize the eyeliner; the powder of the eyeshadow also helps to lock the eyeliner pencil in place and helps to keep it from smudging and running.  Using the same brush, apply a dark plum/black shade over the sparkly black eyeshadow; if you want, you can skip the sparkly black eyeshadow and just use the dark plum shade.  It's entirely up to you. :)  The plum shade really softens the look very prettily, though.

Step #6

Step #7:  An optional finishing touch on the eyes would be to curl the eyelashes and then apply black liquid--or gel, or cream--eyeliner to the upper lash-line, winging it out at the outer corner of the eye to make a cat-eye shape.  This is purely an optional finishing touch, however; if you don't like liquid eyeliner or you simply find that the eyeliner that you have already applied is enough to your liking, you can by all means leave it at that.  I just like to add liquid eyeliner sometimes because it gives my lash-line a nice, crisp pop...and I happen to really love the winged-out cat-eye shape.

However, another few finishing touches on the eyes that I would not skip--unless I had the fortune to be in possession of naturally dark eyelashes and fuller eyebrows, that is--would be applying mascara and filling in the eyebrows.  These are both elements that give the eyes a nice, polished look, and a well-groomed and nicely emphasized set of eyebrows can frame the eyes so very well, as other makeup artists before me have pointed out.  :)   

The Optional Step #7

As for the rest of the face:  after I've made up the eyes, I take a fluffy powder brush, dip it into my loose powder, and gently sweep away the eyeshadow that has fallen onto my face in the application process. I then apply my concealer to even out my complexion, and blend a mineral powder foundation over that.  I use the same champagne eyeshadow that I highlighted my eyes with to highlight the high points of my face--my cheekbones, the Cupid's bow of my upper lip, and the bridge of my nose; then, I add a light sweep of bronzer and natural pink blush, applying powder afterward as I find necessary.  

For the lip color to pair with this look, I would recommend wearing either a pink-neutral shade or a rosy-mauve shade, in a lip gloss, balm, or lipstick.  I'm about to add the list of items that I used to make this look, and you might be surprised at the lip product that I used for it.  ;D

Oh...and before you begin to wonder if I'm being paid to advertise for this company because I've used so many of its products to make this look, allow me to assure you that this is not the case.  I own a lot of Lancôme products because a) I've been a fan of the line for several years and I've bought a good amount of their items, and b) until autumn of last year, I worked at a makeup counter for that cosmetics line, at a department store.  When you work for a cosmetics company, they tend to send you a lot of their products, so that you can try them yourself and therefore better recommend them to your clients.  

I can tell you, then, without being biased by my occupation--because I no longer work for the department store or the Lancôme company--that I really do like the products, and I believe in their quality and efficacy.  It is an expensive line, however, by most levels of constructive criticism; I like the line, but I can't always afford to buy solely from them.  So, if you would rather buy the less pricey makeup options that are available at the drugstore or other such places, I can assure you that it is completely possible to make this look without breaking the bank.  :)  

The items that I used for this look are:

- Lancome mineral powder foundation, in Ivoire 10 

   (I've heard that they've stopped making this product; any loose mineral powder will do just as well.)

- Lancome Maquicomplete concealer in Ivoire

- Lancome eyeshadow compact in Mauve Cherie

- Lancome single eyeshadows in Mannequin and Successorize (or Trendy)

- Estee Lauder Double Wear eye pencil in Onyx

- Lancome Artliner liquid eyeliner in Noir

- The bronzer that I used was a complexion-warming/highlighting duo from Lancôme; however, it was part of a limited seasonal makeup collection that the line did, and so it isn't available anymore.  (Which is a real pity, because it is one of the few shades of bronzer that goes all right with my palepalePALE skin!)  You can substitute any bronzer that you like!

- Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Cheekcolor in Pink Star

- L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara, in Black 

- Maybelline Ultra Brow Brush-On Color, in Light Brown

- Bonnie Bell Lipsmacker lip balm in Dr. Pepper

   (See?  I told you that you'd be surprised about the lip color!)

And that is how I made my daytime-appropriate, effortless and yet polished-chic makeup look.  I feel as though there are still a lot of instructions and a lot of different products to use, but the end result of the look really doesn't appear to be overdone.  All it takes is a light hand with the makeup, and a good amount of blending.  And you can simplify this look as much as you want to.  :)

Before I sign off on this post, here's an update on Baby, size-wise first...  

Image source: thebump.com

Baby's bones are turning from cartilage into real bone, and my little munchkin is starting to fill out with some baby fat now, I've read.  I'm also starting to notice what I think might be some of Baby's movement in my tummy: it's all little squirmy flutters, tiny judges, and tickling feelings, and sometimes it's difficult to tell if it's the baby or just the usual activity of my stomach.  I'm becoming increasingly convinced, though, that what I'm feeling is the baby...and it is so awesome to sit very quietly and wait for the little bumps and squirms to start up.  I love it.  

I think the tummy is also expanding somewhat...sometimes I feel like my stomach muscles are really stretched and achy, but I'm happy about it, because that means that the baby is growing.  We've started planning the gender reveal party, so you'll be hearing about that soon too. :D

Until then--

À bientôt!

-- Cait + Baby

What I Wore Today

I really enjoy planning the outfits that I wear each day, whether I'm going to work, to church, on a date with Mr. Darcy, shopping with friends...you get the idea.  Part of it is because I have so many great sources for inspiration around me: magazines such as InStyle, StyleWatch, and Lucky, and websites such as Pinterest and, yes, Polyvore.  Another part of it is that I simply enjoy finding new ways to remix my wardrobe and develop my personal style.

Today, I picked out an outfit that was built upon a Chanel-esque theme.  Details of the outfit follow the collage below.  However--believe you me--none of the pieces that I wore today cost anything near the price that some of their equivalents that I had to use from Polyvore.  $995 for a necklace?  C'est chouette! But a little out of my price range.

(http://www.polyvore.com/little_bit_chanel/set?id=48090568)

This is the best equivalent of the outfit that I wore today, but it isn't an exact copy by any means.  Allow me to break down for you the different components of this look, as I styled it.  :)

Cardigan: Pearl-embellished cardigan, from Forever 21.

Top: from Dillard's, and mine has a fun black crocheted lace neckline.

Skirt: from the thrift store...for about $3!

Shoes: platform peeptoe slingbacks, from Charlotte Russe.  

Belt: reversible faux snakeskin, from Target. (One side is black, one side is brown.)

Earrings: from Claire's/the Icing.

Necklace: from Mr. Darcy, for Christmas 2009. 

Oh, and a nice detail for those of us who are looking to be cost-efficiently stylish?  None of these pieces--with the exception of my heart necklace, which was a gift from my husband, so I don't know how much it cost--cost over $40.  Target, Charlotte Russe, and Forever 21 are excellent stores!  

As I was going with a somewhat retro look for this Chanel-ian ensemble, I decided to pair the outfit with a modern twist on the winged-out cat eye makeup and bright lipstick.  I wore my hair down, letting it do a wavy bedhead sort of thing, but Polyvore didn't have any good photos of that sort of hairstyle, and a messy bun would look just as nice with this outfit.  

Liquid eyeliner: brown, from Lancôme.  (Brown, for a softer cat eye.)

Blush: Bella Bamba, from Benefit.  (My wedding day blush!)

Lipgloss: electric pink La Laque lipgloss, from Lancôme.

Highlighting concealer: Maybelline.  (I will review this product soon--it's amazing!)

And that's it!  I like the look of a somewhat monochromatic outfit sometimes.  The varying shades of black, neutral, cream, and white keep the look from being too severe, while the rose-shaped earrings, the lacy neckline of the shirt, and the sky-high peeptoe heels both lengthen the legs and give the feet a dainty, elegant outline.  My theory?  You can almost never, ever go wrong with an outfit when you're taking inspiration from Ms. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.

À bientôt!

Cait

Classics

Like many other women, there are a few items that I return to using--or wearing--every year during the spring and summer.  I thought that for today's post, I would share a few of them with you.

-No. 1-

brown wedge heels

There isn't enough that I can say in praise of this style of shoes.  

They pair well with practically everything.  

They're very comfortable, and they don't hurt my feet when I wear them for long periods of time. 

They can be casual or dressed-up, depending on what you wear them with.  

This pair is from Target this spring.  $24.99!

-No. 2-

neutral metallic flat sandals

The glamorous, strappy gladiator-style sandal has been a beloved warm weather footwear choice for a while now, and it doesn't look to be slowing down in stylishness or popularity in the slightest.

I bought these sandals at Target a few summers ago.  

This particular style isn't being sold anymore, but there are several other styles that are currently available that are both similar and slightly different, in metallic and vibrantly colorful materials.

I like the neutral silver-bronze of these sandals.  It doesn't make me look paler than I already am,

and it compliments--not competes with--practically any outfit that I wear them with.

-No. 3-

maxi dresses (or skirts!)

My favorite way to describe these long, flowy, and infinitely comfortable 

yet incredibly stylish and flattering dresses is "like wearing a sweatsuit, only dressed-up!"  

And a lot of people that I know would tell you the same thing.  

Maxi dresses are non-restrictive and voluminous, allowing you to move freely and not experience the sensation of being trapped inside a bunch of fabric.  They make your figure look long and column-like, because of the way that the material hangs off the body in long, vertical lines.  

So if you're tall, these dresses will flatter your figure, and if you're not tall--like me, I'm 5'4"--a maxi dress can make you look tall and slim...especially if you wear it with a shoe that has a bit of height.

-No. 4-

tank tops

Tank tops are endlessly versatile shirts.  They can be worn in so many different ways, 

and they come in so many different colors and patterns, with a myriad of different accents and embellishments.  These are some of my favorite tops, which have been accumulated from stores like 

Target, Old Navy, and JCPenney's.  

I like the feel and fit of the tank tops from Target the best.  I find that they don't stretch out too easily, they don't shrink like some other brands' tank tops do, and--most importantly--they're on the long side, so I'm really never faced with the fashion and comfort scourge that is a too-short, shrunken tank top.  And they're also extremely decent in price--usually around $8 a shirt.  Not bad at all.  I highly recommend these little sleeveless wonders for comfortable and stylish warm weather wardrobes.

-No. 5-

bright coral nail varnish

Yes, I'm still on the tangerine-coral-bright orangish red kick.

It's a fabulous summery color, and it looks great on any skin tone!  

This is a nail varnish that I found at Target last summer, in a shade called "Big Daddy" 

by the brand Sinful Colors.  I was originally looking for the shade "Braziliant" by Essie, which turned out to be more orange than I was hoping for when I found it in the store.  I next turned to the shade "Clambake", also by Essie, and that was almost the shade that I purchased...until I decided that I would rather look around for a close match to the Essie nail varnish, from a less pricey brand.  Essie is a great brand, but sometimes spending $8 on a bottle of nail polish just isn't in my budget.   Then I discovered Sinful Colors, and matched "Clambake" with "Big Daddy".  It's almost exactly the same shade, and it has a beautiful bright, shiny look on the nails.  And it costs only about $2!

-No. 6-

sugar scrub body wash

This has been my absolute favorite warm weather skincare product for the past several summers.

It works to gently exfoliate the skin: buffing away dead skin cells to even out the skin tone and reveal the new, fresh, and glowing skin underneath, and preps the skin for your daily moisturizer or sunless tanner.  I have very sensitive skin, and this scrub doesn't make it feel dry or irritated.  The smell of this scrub is also nothing short of glorious!  It has a sweet, almost buttery aroma, like sugar cookies, but it's also pleasantly fragrant and almost floral...almost like a lovely, breezy night on a tropical beach.

And the best part?  This is a Caress product, and so you can find it at almost any grocery or drug store.

-No. 7-

makeup favorites

The brand Fresh--available at Sephora, Ulta, and other stores--offers its buttery, hydrating lip balm in an ever-increasing line of shades, which has recently been expanded to include this year's popular coral trend.  It is a staple product in my makeup arsenal, and although it's a bit pricey for a lip balm, it really works to keep my lips smooth and hydrated, and it looks lovely.

Covergirl's Liquiline Blast eyeliner goes on smoothly and has a great, rich pigment.  Its formula allows for you to draw it on with the precision and concentration of a liquid eyeliner, and it stays on really well through the day.  It helps if you add a swipe of an eyeshadow--in a similar shade as the pencil, or a different shade if you like--over the eyeliner to help hold it in place, if the weather is especially warm.

I turn to Jergens self-tanning moisturizer almost every year to help me look a little less pale than I naturally am, after a friend told me several years ago about how well it worked for her.  It takes a few days to build up the color, so you have time to adjust any missed places or blotches that might occur...hey, it happens.  It gives me a nice amount of color, it moisturizes nicely, and it doesn't smell awful as some other self-tanners have been known to do...what's not to love?

-No. 8-

citrus cilantro home fragrance

This is, bar none, my favorite home fragrance for the warmer months in the year.  It is fresh and invigorating, somewhat fruity--in that orangey, lemony, grapefruity way--and also somewhat green.  It is also offered in a full range of products at Pier 1, so whether you like reed diffuser fragrances, room sprays, or candles...you can't fail to find one that works best for your home.  And that reminds me, it really is high time that I get myself over to Pier 1 and buy some more of this room spray.

So, these are a handful of my favorite things for spring and summer--the list is by no means exhaustive, but these are all definitely things that I find myself going back to year after year.  What are some things that you like to include in your spring and summertime wardrobe, makeup arsenal, and home?  

À bientôt!

Cait

PS  The only images on this post that I claim as my own are the photos of the shoes, clothes, and nail varnish.  All of the others are from various sources on the internet, via Google image search, and I do not  claim them to be mine or anyone else's but their respective owners.  C'est tout.

Une Beauté Lumineuse

There are days when I so miss the frequent immersion that I had in the French language while I was studying it in college...it is a beautiful language and I love to read it, write it, to try and speak a little of it, and to listen to it.  "A luminous beauty" is a lovely thought in English, but when that phrase is written in French, it takes on a new level of charming prettiness.  And yes, as the word "beauty" is involved in the name of this post, this post will involve--finally!--the review of Garnier's new BB Cream, along with a few other little things.  :)

I had heard about BB creams a while back, between the various style magazines and websites that I like to read, and the idea of this product intrigued me.  In case you're unfamiliar with this item, "BB" stands for "beauty balm" or even "blemish balm", and it is a popular product that has finally made its way to the states in recent days.  Many BB creams combine the powers of skincare and cosmetics into one convenient package as a moisturizer, sun-protectant, primer, acne-fighter, and foundation.  And that isn't even the full list of everything that some of these miracle products can do!  There are some BB creams that have even more extensive benefits for the skin--and while I appreciate all of the great things that separate skincare and cosmetic products can do for my complexion, I really liked the idea of an all-in-one product that really works.

Finding a BB cream that fit into my rather limited budget was the trick, though.  A handful of the skincare-and-cosmetics lines that I like have begun to offer their various versions of the product, but none of them carried prices that I could afford to pay.  And then, a nice surprise--Garnier stepped in!

(Photo source: http://www.garnierusa.com)

I found Garnier's BB cream at a local Target, after having searched for it at a few other local drugstores and grocery stores, and purchased the light-to-medium complexion formula.  I have veeeeeeery light skin that tends to be extremely dry and sensitive, especially during the winter.  It's difficult to find a product that will hydrate and protect my desert-like skin, while also not making it look as though I have a ton of makeup piled and glopped up on my face...makeup doesn't tend to sit well on dry skin.  (Sigh!)  Enter this "skin renew: miracle skin perfector" BB cream.

The name does not exaggerate.  This product will really, truly, honestly give your skin a look that is, as I mentioned earlier, "une beauté lumineuse".  

The Garnier BB cream feels light on the skin--almost as though it's water-based--but it gives an amazing amount of healthy-feeling, comfortable hydration.  Even though the pigment is light-to-medium, it doesn't look too dark at all on my pale skin, and it doesn't settle into my pores the way that some heavier cosmetic products have done.  It gives the skin a pretty, dewy glow that is still very natural-looking; the skin looks as though it is simply healthy, hydrated, smooth, and even.  And at the price of $11.99 at Target...this is a total winner of a product.  I highly recommend it.  

Now, aside from the BB cream review...I've worked on a few projects this week, most of which involved making dinner somehow.  One project didn't involve dinner at all, but was instead composed of an old Harney and Sons tea tin, some spray paint, some gravel and potting soil, and some seeds...that is a story for another post, however. 

On Tuesday evening, I put together a chicken dish with my own recipe, and then some unbelievably delicious creamy bacon cheese grits, using the recipe that you'll find on the link.  (The recipe and its maker are pure genius.)  Both dishes involve basic ingredients that can usually be found in just about any kitchen, and both dishes can be made in under an hour, from start to finish.  I will post the chicken recipe at a later time, too...for now, just you try that grits recipe.  Please.  You'll thank me later!  

On Wednesday afternoon, I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at making lavender lemonade.  And let me say this: lavender lemonade is easy to make, and it is definitely a crowd-pleaser.  That recipe will premier in my next post, which will be all about...big surprise here!...lavender.

Anyway--Mr. Darcy is home from work and errands now, so this is where I sign off today.  :)

À bientôt!

Cait

Photos and Mascara

Today has been a catching-up on things kind of day for me.  I finally managed to get a few random chores done around the house--things that needed to be done, or that I wanted to get done, things that weren't really urgent but are helpful to have off my to-do list now--and now Mr. Darcy and I have a get-together with some friends this evening to look forward to.

This party is being held in celebration of a pair of our friends getting engaged: the groom is one of Mr. Darcy's best friends, and the bride is a dear friend of mine.  The ladies will be inside our hosts' actual house, enjoying dessert crêpes, wine, and cheese, while the gents will be outside in the offset office-at-home building that they have dubbed their man-cave, playing poker and most likely making a few pizzas disappear, if I know them well at all...it's looking to be a fun evening.

I love throwing parties.  My parents have always put on the most wonderful get-togethers in their home, and I've always loved the opportunity to try and follow their lead myself.  From thinking up a theme to choosing the perfect outfit, from cooking the food to putting together the decorations, it's a creative process that really has a thrill for me.  Recently, I was able to play decorator for a dinner for the ladies at my church that was held in my parents' home.  Mom made a few pretty country-chic garlands and Mr. Darcy provided me with a whopping bunch of flowers to arrange...and these are some photos of the results.  (We went with a winter-white color scheme...)

(Mom's mantelpiece garland and my candles arrangement.)

(My favorite picture of the bunch.)

(The obligatory shoe photo featuring--clockwise from the left--

Jenn's red heels, Micah's champagne flats, and my red peeptoe wedges.)

And, an exciting development for me--I get to take on the responsibility of decorating of another ladies get-together at church at the beginning of March!  So far, I've been drawing my inspirations from Bath and Body Works Country Chic fragrance and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.  How do those two elements work together and how it will all look?  That is for another post.  For now, since I've shared the photos that the title of this entry mentioned, let us move on to the other half of the title: mascara!

Like many women, I have tried an enormously varied range of mascaras in search of the One Mascara to Rule Them All.  (Please forgive the Lord of the Rings pun.)  Higher-end cosmetics lines such as Dior and Lancôme have certainly been among my favorites...especially Dior.  But I have also found a few drugstore varieties of mascara that have worked quite well for me too.  Recently, I returned to using a 

mascara that I had tried before in the past--and wouldn't you know, I fell in love with it all over again!

(Photo source: http://thekarin.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/loreal-does-it-again/loreal-double-extend-mascara/)

L'Oreal's Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara is a two-part formula that makes my lashes look like the long, perfectly-separated lashes that you might see on a doll.  The first coat is a white primer-esque formula; if you apply it and let it dry completely, add another coat, and then let that dry completely before you apply the top coat of the actual mascara, it works amazingly well to extend the length of your lashes.  The mascara itself is a nice, defined shade of black as well.  

This mascara doesn't do much for making my eyelashes look thicker or more voluminous, but adding volume to the lashes isn't what it is really intended to do, after all.  It is purely a lengthening mascara, and it does its job quite well.  I like that the formula not only makes my lashes look longer, but that it also is clump-resistant...however, again, you absolutely must let each coat dry completely before adding another coat, or the mascara will inevitably clump...not fun.  

Oh, and another bonus point for this mascara?  It removes with great ease when you apply warm water to your lashes--otherwise, it will virtually not budge an inch all day.  Love that!

Now, I'm off to put myself together and go make some crêpes, and help throw an engagement party!

À bientôt!

Cait