Links You’ll Love
Fashion:
Finding a stylish, warm coat for Winter that you can wear in various situations – Everything from over a dress for a night out on the town to picking out a Christmas tree with your family – Can be a challenge. Too thin. Too thick. Too expensive. But Refinery 29 is here to save the day so check out their 10 Casual-Cool Coats To Keep You Warm On The Weekends and find the perfect Winter coat for you.
The oh-so-stylish Karolina Kurkova has done it yet again – It takes a master to pair plaid, white cropped pants, and flat ankle boots and look this good, so WhoWhatWear helps us out by breaking down her fabulous look so that we can recreate it ourselves in their Why It Works: Karolina Kurkova.
I like to mix up my beauty routine by changing products, trying new brands, and cycling great drug store finds into my morning routine {see MCLV’s Makeup Bag & MCLV’s Medicine Cabinet for more}. Glitter Guide agrees and have laid out all of their favorites for you to try – Our Top 20 Drugstore Beauty Buys.
If you’re like me, wrestling with your locks each morning and trying to find an acceptable arrangement isn’t your favorite thing to do each day. Luckily Style Bistro picked some great hairstyles from the runways and laid out the basic for us hair novices – 15 DIY Hairstyle Ideas Straight From The Runway.
If the studded, spiked & leather adorned world of Lisbeth Salander is your fashion fantasy you must check out Catwalk Azure’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo post for some sartorial inspiration.
Health & Nutrition:
After reading Organice Your Life’s Salad Making For Dummies you’ll have no more excuses for not making yourself a quick, healthy, nutritious dinner each night!
Eat protein. Don’t eat protein. It seems like there’s always a new study relating to protein consumption and health or weight loss, but reading up on the topic can help you make healthier choices, just be sure to keep an eye out for future research! Eat THIS, Lose Weight from Women’s Health.
Living a healthy life means more than just keeping an eye on your waistline, especially as you get older, you need to pay attention to the tests that your doctors run – Including your blood pressure. The Huffington Post’s Ways To Lower Blood Pressure: Exercise, Meditation, Diet And More.
With the hectic, non-stop holiday season upon us it’s easier to grab a sugary snack and try to relax on the couch when we have a few extra minutes but trust me, you’ll feel MUCH better if you use those few precious minutes to sneak in a quick workout! Check out Refinery 29’s 10 Minute Workout.
I’ve had a number of friends over the years who suffered from season depression – A number of whom were Southern California natives who had trouble adapting to the foggy, rainy Bay Areas winters in college. Gala Darling to the rescue! How To Beat The Winter Blues: DENIAL Is Key!
What I’m loving right now…
I definitely go through phases when it comes to the inanimate objects in my daily life – Everything from the beauty products I use to the accessories I wear to the reading materials stacked on my nightstand. Whether you call it a rut or finely tuning your routine, I’m sure you know precisely what I mean.
So here are some of my current (new and past) loves…
{The love of my life, my new Givenchy bag – See Skulls & Givenchy for photos from the first MCLV Style post featuring this bag!}
{My newest mascara acquisition – I’ve mentioned my love of Benefit’s BADGal and Chanel’s Inimitable mascara in the past, but I also like to rotate in a drugstore brand now and again, and I’ve been thrilled with the results of Maybelline’s One by One Volume Express}
{As far as I’m concerned you can’t have enough fun, statement jewelry: Spiked Bracelet – Asos.com & Purple Beaded Necklace – Zara}
{In my opinion the only positive thing about the end of Summer are September issues!}
{SWOON! I’ve been a fan of Moroccan Argan Oil for a while so when I saw this L’Oreal Precious Oil Treatment I jumped at the chance to try it – Not only does it smell like a dream, it’s visibly nourishing}
{It’s official – I’m in love! Skull adorned Steve Madden smoking slippers}
{Fashion Books & Vintage Jewelry. Left: The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia & vintage pearl collar. Right: Parisian Chic – A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange & vintage Vendome tassel necklace}
What are you loving lately? What can’t you get enough of? Have you gotten any fun new pieces or exciting accessories to update your wardrobe or prepare for Fall/Winter 2012/2013?
MCLV’s Medicine Cabinet
Have you ever peaked in someone’s medicine cabinet?
Ever wanted to? 🙂
As I was growing up and becoming interested in beauty my mother and Aunt were my teachers and their medicine cabinets (and drawers, and cupboards, and anyplace else I could reach…) were my classroom. I remember sitting on the edge of the bathtub in my parents bathroom countless times, watching my mom go through her morning routine. Eye creams and lotions, cleansers, toners… The tubes and jars and boxes were magical and unknown.
And I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them!
And while I may have ignored some of my mother’s best advice growing up (sunscreen anyone?) these “girls only” sessions in her bathroom became a foundation for the beauty routine and the products that I use today. A girl just doesn’t forget the smell of her mother’s Lancome face powder or the not on your face look she shoots you when you pick up the bar of soap.
The other great contributor to my love of beauty products and the one responsible for my adoration for all things French is my Aunt. With a gorgeous, luxurious bathroom and drawers upon drawers of French beauty products, half of them unopened, I think my mother was almost as excited as I was for our visits to Auntie’s house! She introduced me to Chanel (a love affaire that will last a life time I’m sure – much to my wallet’s detriment), brought me makeup brushes and boxes back from her trips to Paris, and gave me free rein in my own personal Disneyland when most women would have locked the bathroom door the instant I ran (literally, ran) in the front door.
These days my beauty routine is a little bit Mom, a little bit Auntie, and a little bit me. My tastes, interests, and goals for my products have changed in the years since I left Berkeley, joined the workforce, and made my first self-sponsored trip to the Bloomingdale and Nordstrom make up counters. I went through a phase where everything in my bathroom was Chanel or Laura Mercier and I was on a first name basis with the women behind the counter at Barney’s, but in the last few years my interests have turned towards natural, organic, eco-conscious products. The result being that I tried a ton of products and kept the ones I loved, so my cabinets are filled with a hodgepodge of brands and items. Which I’m here to share with you today.
I live to exfoliate, so I’ve done quite a bit of research on the best facial exfoliating products. I’ve tried creams, masks, applicator brushes… And the winners are – drum roll please – Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish and Sugar Face Polish. Also, the St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub is a fabulous drugstore pick if you want to stay close to home. All of these scrubs are on the granular side, rather than being super creamy, which is my personal preference.
Love!
A facial cleanser is a must since soap can be harsh and drying for the delicate skin on your face, especially around your eyes. When I travel I carry Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes in my toiletry kit, they’re effective, don’t require cotton balls, and wont get swooped up by airport security which is a huge plus. When I’m at home I use Boscia’s Detoxifying Black Cleanser or Origins Antioxidant Cleanser.
I love, love, love masks. I’ve tried moisurizing, exfoliating, mud, peels… I’ve even experimented on my boyfriend. Shhhhh. My top picks when it comes to masks are the juice Beauty Green Apple Hydration Mask which goes on clear and smells heavenly and the Yes to Cucumbers Calm Care Soothing Facial Mask which is thick and really hydrating.
Eye Cream is something that I’ve only started wearing in the past few years and my focus is on moisture and wrinkle prevention. I tried Icelandic Relief Eye Cream with Biospheric Complex from Sephora and really liked it – it has a great, clean feeling. I’m not a fan of the greasy residue that thick creams can sometimes leave behind and found this was quite refreshing (I keep it in the fridge for instant de-puffing). The other eye cream that I frequently go back to was actually purchased initially when I read Rachel Zoe’s recommendation here. As a chronic dark circle-victim I was really excited about the brightening aspect of this and while it wasn’t the cure-all that I was hoping it would be (is anything ever?) it is a really great product.
Moisturizing, especially if you sit in an office with recycled air every day, is very important. If you like oils, I suggest trying out Josie Maran’s Organic Argan Oil. I was hesitant to try it, for fear of a massive breakout, but was pleased with the results. However, I have to say that my all time favorite lotion is the Chanel Hydra line, specifically Hydramax. It’s light, silky, smells great and moisturizes like a dream. Unfortunately, it is also painfully expensive so I tend to alternate it with other lotions.
Stepping outside without sunscreen on your face is a big no-no, but finding one that doesn’t clog pores, leave you shiny, or make your makeup slide off your face can be a challenge. I initially tried wearing sunscreen over my lotion but since I don’t wear base or powder the end result was too oily. What I ultimately settled on was a tinted lotion with an SPF for during the week and full sunscreen on weekends when I’m actually in direct sunlight. My favorites are Dior’s ‘Hydra Life’ Pro-Youth Skin Tint SPF 20 and Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20. All three of these are light and don’t leave your face greasy, and have an added benefit of making your skin appear smooth and even.
Hand lotion is another product near to my heart because despite the amount of water I consume, my hands are always dry! You want something thick enough to be effective, but not so enduring that you leave finger prints on everything you touch for hours after application. My two favorites are L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream and Bag Balm. Bag Balm was recommended to me by a doctor that I sat next to on a flight nearly 5 years ago, and you know that people who spend ALL DAY washing their hands know their hand creams. That being said, I should tell you that Bag Balm originally was intended for animals, rather than people, but it’s completely safe – promise. It’s my go-to for foot repair too, I’ll slather it on and throw on some socks overnight. Fabulous!
What are you favorite skin care lines and products? What do you always keep in your medicine cabinet?
If you want more recommendations take a look at MCLV’s Makeup Bag, What’s Always On Hand, or MCLV’s Handbag.
Moi Contre La Vie 