A Daily Dose Of Glamour

A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear – unknown

‘Smile more, it’s an instant facelift’, tip #11 from ‘100 Ways to Age with Grace, Elegance & Joie De Vivre‘  via  Live the Charmed Life . I have to tell you, not only is it an instant facelift, but it makes those around you happier. I was working a makeup event a few months ago, with a team I usually have so much fun around. Not only that, It’s a high energy day where your mainly focused on selling and speaking to customers. So I had a huge grin on my face. All day.  I am one of those people who is unfortunately afflicted by Resting Bitchface Syndrome (RBS),  so when I’m not smiling my face tends to show whatever is on my mind and if it is anywhere near unpleasant or even if I am just feeling calm, I will look like I’m really pissed off. Therefore whenever I am in public I try to keep a smile on my face, or otherwise face the endless question of ‘Are you Ok?’. Yes I’m ok, just resting.

At the event was another makeup artist who I had never worked with. She really had her bitch face on. Everyone all day kept wondering why she was there since she looked so miserable. I passed her by on my way to attend to a customer when for the first time all day she acknowledged me (she had been throwing shade my way the entire day, but waited until now to actually speak to me). Her acknowledgement wasn’t to me in general, but to my smile in particular. She asked me ‘what the deal was’, when I asked her what she meant, she said ‘your smiling… you might want to tone that down a bit…’. I have never in my life heard of anyone questioning someone else’s happiness (she could have used some herself). So I was left feeling a bit stunned and honestly insulted. I spoke with a few other artists that I am friendly with who reassured me that she was nuts and I was fine, that my smile and friendly demeanor is what draws people to me. I knew they were right. All day I had a team of other artists supporting me, laughing with me, and making plans to stay in touch with me after the event ended. The unsmiling artist did not. Her lack of smile (and manners) alienated most everyone around her, which proves my point. When you smile, people are drawn to you, they want to be around you and your smile will make them feel special. A smile really is the easiest way to brighten up yours or someone else’s day.

Wear less makeup. Probably sounds like a ridiculous statement coming from a Makeup Artist, but it actually mirrors my aesthetic as I love a clean, minimal face. I have just never gravitated towards the heavier makeup looks favored by certain reality stars who’s last names start with ‘K’.  So I can actually relate to #63  Wear Less Makeup on the  ‘100 Ways to be Elegant’ list from Live the Charmed Life. It also brings to mind one of my favorite takes on the Wear Less Makeup style which comes from lifestyle guru Jennifer L. Scott, author of the super chic book Madame Chic; 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris. Jennifer calls this the ‘Le No Makeup Look’ and I love the emphasis on wearing just a touch of makeup each day. I believe a woman’s face shouldn’t give away her secrets, and by secrets I mean it shouldn’t be that obvious from such a far distance the exact shade of eyeliner a woman is wearing.  In my opinion, your only focus should be on how gorgeous her eyes are, instead of being distracted by the actual product on her face.  That’s why when I am making up a face I focus on applying makeup where its needed (for your every day makeup routine, foundation all over ones face is honestly not always needed, better to apply it sparingly and only on the areas of the face that actually need the help). It’s also in my taste to apply more natural and neutral tones that bring out a person’s specific and beautiful features. Not saying though that a smokey eye, or a red (or pink, or purple!) lip isnt a fun thing to play with either, but these looks have their occasions and the very limited times I have worn a heavily made up face during the day made me feel too obvious and in fact, less beautiful.

Check out Jennifer’s video on creating the Le No Makeup Look, as well as my previous post on ‘Naked Beauty‘ using some of my favorite products!

So in keeping with my last post on Living a Charmed Life, I wanted to kick things off with #36 ‘Drink more water’, from ‘100 Ways to Age with Grace, Elegance & Joie De Vivre‘. I’ve seen these BKR water bottles everywhere, but the high price tag left me wondering why I should spend $28 on a glass water bottle… I finally relented after receiving an Amazon Gift Card for my Birthday in July. I chose the color ‘Bubble’ (pictured above) which looked like a blush pink online but when it arrived is more a, well, bubble pink, just like its name. Im super pleased with the color choice (so me) and love even more the amount of water I’ve been consuming since I have received it.

It’s a funny thing to find you’ve increased your water intake just due to the fact that you’re now drinking out of a glass water bottle.  But I can say in all honesty that the change of taste from drinking via a glass bottle vs. plastic is distinct. I find the water I am drinking no longer has a taste and goes down a lot smoother. After using the bottle for a few months I feel comfortable saying that I think the high price tag is worth it, not just for the increased water intake but also for all the sweet compliments I get anytime I am seen guzzling from it.

BKR water bottles come in a lovely range of color choices, AND if you are anything like me, you will appreciate that they offer replacement glass bottles if you ever clumsily drop yours ! Happy drinking!!

When I started this blog it was with the intention to focus on one thing glamorous each day. Well, that doesn’t always happen… see I deal with an unfortunate thing called anxiety.  I call it the invisible evil, as it is this invisible monster that gets in the way of me living each day to the fullest. It drags me down and discourages me from living my best life. Although, there is one positive thing that anxiety has given me and that is a need to maintain order in my life. For me its a form of striving to keep control as anxiety takes away a lot of that from me. My point is, when it kicks in, so does my sense of maintaining some sanity, looking for ways to keep myself grounded and engaged. It’s an endless cycle, but the outcome has me trying my best to overcome any negative feelings and pulling myself up and finding something better to focus on. For me, this has developed into a quest to live a (somewhat) glamorous lifestyle (glamour equaling pursuing the best in life and not necessarily a jet set lifestyle).

My aim for the past few years has been to do at least one productive, positive thing each day. I’ll be honest, sometimes the only productive thing I have the energy for is going to the grocery store, but then I will try to make those purchases count by buying healthy foods vs. a box of krispy creme. I guess its the little things….

This long entry is leading somewhere, I promise. I found a new blog today while browsing through Pinterest; Live the Charmed Life – The Elegant Guide to Lifestyle Design. Lifestyle Design, I love it! The author of the blog, Deeanne has put together so many wonderful lists to design your lifestyle. My favorites being ‘100 Ways to be Elegant’, ‘100 Ways to Age with Grace, Elegance & Joie De Vivre‘ & of course ‘100 Reasons to become an Expatriate‘ (because being an expat is my number 1 goal in life).

These lists are so great that I have printed them out and have begun highlighting the ones I have already completed (yay!) and the ones I aim to begin working on. So here is to the quest of pursuing the best me, I’m so excited to see how much progress I can make by the end of the year! And I can’t wait to share it all with you, daily!!

Ok so what do you think about Emerson Fry’s Fall/Winter 13 Preview? Myself? Im obviously over the moon! I mean, there is no designer who’s collections I admire more than Emerson Fry. She designs unique pieces that cover all apparel needs, from accessories to outerwear you’re basically set for casual and more dressed up looks, all extremely elegant and function able pieces that work great together. So excitement has no bounds whenever a new release is announced. Second to that is the midweek updates to the outlet (soo many fantastic previous season items at considerably marked down prices).  I am quite taken with these pieces for the upcoming season…

All images courtesy of Emerson Fry

Such gorgeous packaging on the new line of beauty products by Tory Burch (I swear sometimes my beauty purchases are mostly for the packaging and not so much the actual product!).

The new line is set to debut at the end of September (another reason to look forward to Fall!).

All images via Fashionista

I’ve been hearing quite a bit of good reviews lately on the products by Sunday Riley. I was prompted to look further into the product line after reading a review by my favorite Makeup Artist, Lisa Eldridge, who boasted about the amazing benefits her skin received while detoxing at a (I’m sure super lux ) spa. I decided it was time to dip my toes in and give Sunday Riley a try. I opted for the Disrobe Body Lotion, since it was given such rave reviews by Lisa. At $65 a bottle, I prayed my first impressions of this bottle would not be dismal. My prayers were heared. Not only is the smell amazing (I mean 2 hours later I am still catching whiffs of it and dying a little inside at how good I smell!), but after applying it all over my body, my skin looks much more even and has a silky texture such that I have never gotten from a body lotion before. I realized after the first application that it would probably not take me long to run through this initial bottle, so with future applications Im going to have to be little more conservative with how many pumps I use.

I’m also looking forward to trying a few other products, specifically the Liquid Diet (which if the other reviews I have read are anything to go by this little baby might be a miracle worker).  Liquid Diet is promoted a temporary reliever of water weight wherever you carry it on your body. I aim to use this on my hips, thighs, tummy and upper arms. Can this slim me down a bit? Dare to dream…  but any help is appreciated when on the mission to a leaner body.

As Sunday Riley products are 99% pure, ( with a blend of 5 Native American botanicals) I don’t plan on stopping at body care. The Ceramic Slip cleanser, a foaming cleanser is next on my list. If all of the Sunday Riley products smell and work anything close to Disrobe I may have found my holy grail skincare.

It’s been 10 years since the debut of my signature fragrance. I remember exactly when I fell in love with it, it all started when I had stopped at Nordstrom one evening for a post work spending spree with a co-worker (another beauty obsessed lady), and spotted a sleek black bottle with a simple name in pink; For Her. I lightly sprayed my wrist with it’s scent and without really smelling it carried on with my shopping and promptly forgot that I had just spritzed my wrist. The next day while removing my coat upon reaching my desk, my nose finally picked up the scent I had encountered the night before. I must have looked like a nut, every 5 minutes or so casually leaning across my desk to catch another whiff off my coat hanging at the end of my cubicle. Something about the scent, it made me actually feel different. I use to hear people say that wearing something particular would alter their view themselves, but I had never experienced it myself. With each whiff I smelled elegance, sophistication. It was an adult scent, mature but not old. Sexy and bold, but still soft and lady like. Well, the clock couldn’t make it to 5 fast enough. I leaped from my desk, grabbing my sweet smelling coat on the way out the door and back to the mall. 10 years later, this beautiful black minimal bottle has stayed with me.

Ahhh, the hot cloth cleansing balm. I don’t know, theres something about cleansing the skin with a muslin cloth  that seems all too holistic to me.  A little bathroom retreat where you can shut out the world and get down with a little face/neck lymphatic massage. So I started my very own Goldilocks search to find just the right balm to add to my skin care routine. It seemed so difficult to find just the right one!

There’s the Emma Hardie Morina Cleansing Balm (available only in the UK), a cult classic, but sadly for me, a touch difficult to get here in the states.

Then there is our own state side cult favorite by Eve Lom, one I was dying to get my hands on, however given the steep price I just couldn’t pull the trigger on it. Good thing I didn’t, as after reading the ingredient list I decided that if I was going to spend the money, I would need to justify by it finding one that was at least organic and contained more natural ingredient’s.

Enter the Suti Cleanse Organic Balm, discovered via my favorite lux beauty site Beauty Habit.  The perks of this organic cleanser stop at the price, as $50 for a cleanser is pushing it, even for me. However, I wont lie that I won’t one day break down and give this one a try.

My journey ended today when browsing through the skincare aisle at Target. For some reason I never really looked closely at the offerings from Boot’s , however what did my little eyes see but a hot cloth cleansing balm, for the lovely price of $8 (and some change). The Boots Botanics Organic Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm is 97% organic & smells delicious, it also left my skin so soft and moisturized. I could probably have savored the experience a bit more,  as per the directions one should massage the balm over the face and neck (I did this dry and just kind of spread it on). Followed by soaking the accompanied muslin cloth in warm water and gently compressing over the face; I did a kind of wax on wax off motion, seeing if it would pick up any residual makeup left on my skin after my pre-cleanse with a makeup wipe ( It did!)). Finish by soaking the cloth in cold water and gently pressing over the face to close the pores. I never did believe pores could open and close, however the final step felt refreshing and allowed me to remove whatever cleanser was left on my skin. All in all, this ones a winner.

YSL has come out with a new range of shades in their Glossy Lip Stain line called Rebel Nudes, offering 10 gorgeous glossy new shades. Available at Neiman Marcus.

YSL Rebel Nudes

YSL Rebel Nudes

YSL Rebel Nudes

Images courtesy of Beautezine