1. This pic for Tom Ford’s Spring 2017 campaign
This promo picture for the Tom Ford Spring 2017 collection (which is up on the website for pre-orders now), gah! This is everything! I mean, I don’t even know where to start. The glossy lids, the lashes, the brows, the subtle ombre lip — there is so much fabulousness wrapped up in this picture. I almost can’t take it!
2. Pai-Shau Shampoos and Conditioners
So, this line flew under my radar for a while. It was started in 2015 by the guy who founded Moroccan Oil, and their hook is tea. The products are on the pricey side, but I kinda like ’em. I’ve been using the Hydrating Ritual Replenishing Hair Cleanser ($26), Replenishing Cream Conditioner ($28) and Supreme Revitalizing Mask ($43) for the past three months, and my hair’s been looking pretty darned fly, if I do say so myself.
My favorite thing about them is how moisturizing they are! My hair tends toward dry because I color it and heat style, but this line doesn’t weigh me down. My hair stays bouncy and doesn’t feel heavy and coated with products.
These also don’t strip my color, and my ends have been looking healthier than they’ve looked in a really long time (no split ends).
Oh, and the fragrance reminds me of something you’d find over at Oribe. LOVE. They could probably pass for a subtle hair perfume. Ah… It’s like tea and white flowers.
3. Real pictures!
Do you ever get on picture kicks where you’re getting tons of them made? I love my iPhone, but nothing beats a picture you can actually hold in your hand or stick in a photo album.
I just realized… I’ve taken at least one picture every day (usually a picture of Tabs or makeup or food) for the past 10 years.
That’s a whole decade!
But everything I do is digital, so I don’t have a lot of actual printed photographs lying around — something tangible that you can hold in your hand.
Anyway, I had a bunch of pics of Connor and Tabs printed at Costco over the holidays, and so now I’m hooked on that again. I made a bunch to send with cards, for frames and for the fridge.
4. Grandpa sweaters
Another thing! Grandpa sweaters. My goodness… So, my mom gave me these two for Christmas…
Yup, they’re over-sized.
She and my dad visited a lot last fall to help with the baby, and I guess she noticed that I have a penchant for over-sized sweaters, or what I like to call “grandpa sweaters,” so she got me a couple from Target.
The Mossimo one has an awesome geometric print (ON SALE NOW FOR $6, WHAT?!), which goes really well with a lot my clothes (I wear lots of gray and black because it hides the cat hair and doesn’t throw shade, haha, when I take pictures for the blog), and this beautiful sea foam one. (It’s a little itchy though… I can’t seem to find it online.)
5. Premier Protein
Speaking of hair…when I was starving at the salon a few weeks back, my stylist friend Alis gave me one of these chocolate Premier Protein drinks (30g of protein and only 1g of sugar), and it made me feel like a completely new woman!
No, seriously, my brain was on fire, and I felt like I could run a marathon right then and there.
OK…maybe not a marathon, but I could have walked a mile, LOL. 🙂
I felt really good for hours. I mean, I’ve had protein drinks over the years, but this is the best I’ve ever had.
I’ve only had the chocolate flavor, and it tastes exactly like chocolate milk. Not too thick, and it doesn’t have one of those funky, sugary or artificial sweetener aftertastes. Plus, it doesn’t give me a tummy ache or gas, either, because let’s get real here. A lot of those protein powders make you toot like a mother!
Oh! Sometimes I like to pour some in my coffee in the morning for an improv mocha.
I’ve seen them at Safeway, but I ordered a box of 12 from Costco for $25 (they’re on sale right now for $20). There’s also a vanilla flavor and a caramel.
5.5 Bonus: The Hourglass Girl Lip Stylos
I know I keep talking about these, but they’re so fabulous! I want to wear them all day, every day.
What are some things you’ve been loving lately? 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The tube of these new Hourglass crayons looks so fancy! Those don’t look like Crayolas, that’s for sure…
What have been loving? Stash Breakfast in Paris tea, which is an earl grey with lavender (and Amazon sells it in a huge 1-pound bag!); my Contigo mug to drink it – the first and so far only travel much I’ve found that will not leak when it ends up upside down in my tote; trying new fitness classes; the LED ring light that I just bought to make better pictures – although I need to look into a diffuser to soften the glare; the New Balance active pants I found yesterday at Marshals – they’re sooo soft, and they’re straight legs rather tights, so it’s a lot more flattering on my body type, I want to look good at the gym, lol!
1. I love me some Premier Protein drink too! I love it for a few reasons. I tend towards insulin resistance (think pre-pre-diabetes) and have terrible blood sugar crashes, but I also have a sweet tooth, so I like anything low-sugar, high protein, and chocolate! I also get bad stomach aches from a lot of foods, and like you said, these don’t give me one. I actually had one with breakfast this morning. It definitely actually has a positive effect on my energy, which is rare.
2. My new aromatherapy mist-er! I got two essential oil blends and you just fill up the bottom of the aromatherapy with water, pop a few drops of oil in it, make sure the cotton wick is soaked with water, and turn it on! It also lights up different colors, which I love.
3. Perlier hand creams. Every year for Christmas my stepdad gets me, my mom, and my stepsisters each a variety box of mini Perlier hand creams. They all are gorgeously scented, not too strong and all very sophisticated fragrances, and are nicely hydrating. They’re not so thick that they don’t absorb in and are hydrating enough for everyday use, but they won’t be enough to repair very cracked skin. You’ll need something more intense for that! I’ve also used and loved their shower gel.
4. Clogs! I was raised in a clog-loving household and I’m proud to carry on the tradition. I just got a new pair of Danskos in the Darlene style, which is like a mary-jane with a bit of a heel, to replace my classic Professionals. They’re super cute and super comfortable.
5. I’ve been trying to spread the word about my favorite primer on the face of the earth – Wet n Wild Coverall Primer. It’s hydrating and watery, yet somehow holds my foundation on longer and blurs pores. Plus, it’s five dollars for .84 ounces! I like it better than any of my high-end primers because it does it all in one.
Most protein shakes are gross, so you have me curious!
1.colourpop bumble liquid lipstick -not drying at all for moi and awesome colour
2.l’occitane hand cream
3.elie saab le parfum
4. Cute girl baby clothes by hopscotch
5.chanel frivole blush
Gosh yes, the new Hourglass Lip Stylos look sooooooo good! And yes to real pictures! I still print my favorite snaps. Otherwise I know they’ll just get lost and forgotten somewhere on a hard drive or USB stick.
5 things I’ve been loving lately
1) Matcha latte with collagen : I make my own one using TruMarine Matcha and TruMarine Collagen and it’s awesome. I don’t drink coffee but I get a mid-day crash so matcha’s been a great boost.
2) The Rescue serum from Osmosis MD. Really been helping me heal my disordered barrier.
3) Joy-a-Toes: They’re these jelly things you stick between your toes to increase circulation to your feet and toes. Foot reflexology style.
4) My productivity planner. From the same folks who created the 5-minute journal.
5) My Rahua shampoo and conditioner combo. It’s amazing. It really brings out the natural texture of my hair.
Agreed on the pictures – I have a kazillion on the bulletin boards in my office so I can always see the boys from when they were a few month old until now. 🙂 It does make me sad that my old pics fade/yellow/get brittle, though. And forget about the old style photo albums. The pics alterate between being stuck for life and falling right out.
PS I just started watching Poldark on Amazon Prime (it’s a PBS show that’s a couple of years old). Stars the delightful Aidan Turner – I think you might like it.
Karen, I think Target makes some great sweaters — wore one of mine yesterday (an ivory, grey, and black print) while taking Marya to the vet to get her teeth trimmed. I love black/white/grey prints (at this age straight black can look a little harsh on me, the added white or grey lightens things up a bit), and it looks like that sweater might still be available at my local Target — thanks, because I normally don’t look in the Juniors department, and that’s apparently where this one is hiding! Their sweaters don’t last as long as my better sweaters, but some of them look good and feel comfy, and they become great house sweaters once they’re worn in a bit, because I don’t get bent out of shape if Marya or Sonya nibbles on one a bit while cuddling inside it! (One of the issues with having hamster/guinea pig furbabies: make sure you’re wearing older, dedicated clothes when you’re cuddling/playing with them, in case of nibbles or snags!)
And I ordered one of those lip stylos to try… it was really hard to limit myself to one to start out. Finally decided on Protector.
Some things I’ve been loving:
Laura Mercier’s new Editorial Intense Clays eyeshadow palette, topped with highlighters — one of the Make Up For Ever Star Lit powders, or one from the Anastasia Moon Child palette, or one from the Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic palette. Just gorgeous.
NARS Velvet Shadow Stick in Usbek topped with the Thessalonique shadows.
IGK Laid Back DeFrizz and Anti-Static Spray: does what it says, plus brings out the little bit of wave in my hair while leaving it super light, soft, and silky — not weighed-down or sticky AT. ALL.
Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip in 401 Raspberry Red — a beautiful red on me.
Tom Ford Lips & Boys lip color in Drake — a super-wearable shade on me, a cool, fairly dark plummy pink with plenty of shimmer and shine.
And talking of Target, they carry one of my favorite moisturizing hair products: L’Oreal Paris Oleo Therapy Deep Recovery Mask. I like to use it instead of conditioner, pile it on top of my head with a clip and leave it on while I exfoliate, shave my legs, etc. it the shower. It’s great at detangling as well as moisturizing. But now I’m curious to try the Pai-Shau products, but I’m not seeing ingredients listed on their web site. I mostly use Living Proof products, because the older silicones (especially dimethicone) just act as dust magnets on my hair, so that I have to wash it more often, not so good for very long hair like mine (IGK seems to use new-fangled ones, in smaller amounts, that don’t cause my hair any problems).
Have you read “The Lion in the Living Room”? I’ve just started it 🙂
Oh my goodness, how did I forget to say that I’m also drooling over that photo for the Tom Ford spring collection? It’s so nice to see lots of color and gloss, and those lip colors are just *perfect*!
I love the new glossy lids trend. I would like to try it out but haven’t really researched the brands that carry those.
I love the new glossy lids trend. I would like to try it out but haven’t really researched the brands that carry those. Tom Ford is too much for my budget.
Happy Thursday, Karen. Here are five things I’ve been loving lately:
1. My new perfume, Stella by TOCCA. I haven’t had a signature scent for close to 20 tears when my grandma kept buying me Vanilla Fields. And I wore it to be kind.
2. One of my local grocery stores carries these awesome cheese samplers for $5. You get either a soft cheese and grapes or two kinds of semisoft/hard cheeses, a little container of craisins and almonds, and a package of Beecher’s crackers. That’s a lot of delicious protein for not much money and I get to try different cheeses that I might not usually try.
3. My new hoodie. It’s lighweight, fitted through the midsection, then flares out. My only issue is that the sleeves are slightly too short when I stand and about 3 inches too short when I extend my arms (I’m broad-shouldered so this is not uncommon for me). I need to find someone to replace the cuffs.
4. This sweet red bean and butter filled bread from the Korean bakery. I have no idea what if the bread has a “real” name but it is slightly sweet and rather gooey and delicious.
5. Formula 10.0.06 moisturizers; the P.M. Protector and the Seriously Shine-Free day moisturizer. They both smell amazing, they’re lighweight but effective, and the best part is that they’re inexpensive. Of the half dozen items I’ve used in from the line, only one has been slightly disappointing. Plus, the brand is often BOGO half off at Ulta.
I used to print my photos and make scrapbooks. Due to space constraints, I haven’t done that recently, however, my favorite gift for baby and wedding showers is a nice picture frame or two.
1. Sunday Riley UFO; I’m on new BC and breaking out like a teen 🙁
2. Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip… Same reason
3. Trader Joes Cuokoo trail mix, OMG (said like Rachel Zoe)
4. Tom Ford Mitchell, I’d marry it if it was a person. Dependable, perfectly suited to me, and yet not ever boring.
5. Temps above freezing; I have had colder days in smaller doses but this year was stupid cold for way too long for someone who lives less than 2 miles from the ocean! Sure, it’s WA but it’s still too cold. And this last summer? It was like an oven. I honestly think the weather was demon possessed this year.
Hello from a fellow Washingtonian!
I love grandpa sweaters, too! I’m going to check out my local Target. I just rediscovered one that my father bought in 1963! I used to wear it during the “grunge” years of 91-94. Grandpa sweaters remind me of Kurt Cobain. Those days when I was younger and had no cellulite (insert wistful glance into space here).
Girl…. I just tried the best Premier Protein shake combo. Go to Starbucks and get a double shot of espresso over ice with a splash of milk (I just got 2%) in a venti cup. Pour the protein shake over the top and mix. AMAZING low sugar iced mocha with 30 grams of protein! It’s my new obsession !