The Perfect Mascara with ELLIS FAAS

ELLISFASSYesterday morning I applied a new mascara and I was so disappointed, flakes came flying about and  I couldn’t get it to layer properly.  I had to layer on another tried&true brand over it to achieve the effect I wanted without having to remove it.

I was basically running late and was meeting my friend Thijs for the first time that afternoon and I was hoping he didn’t notice my lashes, Thijs is in the makeup industry and notices everything.  Thankfully he either didn’t notice or  was too polite to mention it.

ELLISFAASPOSTCARDSThis morning I applied my New ELLIS FAAS Mascara and my lashes look effortless, glamorous and natural all the same time if you can believe it.

The reason why this is, is because all ELLIS FAAS cosmetics are formulated with the intention of being universal.  All of the pigments are rich in colour and compliment all skin tones, from all nationalities.  Each hue works with each natural shade in the human body, from a freckle to the colour of our blood.

With ELLIS FAAS you can create the looks of your dreams.

@ELLISFAAS.com

Or If you Live in San Francisco

VEER & WANDER

6 Brady Street

San Francisco, CA 94103 (Across from ZUNI Cafe)

415-864-3012 for a makeup consultation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Candace Lake – On Matches Fashion

Candice-Lake-1I have such a girl crush on Candace Lake.  I follow her on instagram and Facebook to make sure I receive her latest posts and recently she revamped her fashion blog and ladies, it’s eye candy.  What I love about it is that she sounds like a real person, not just another pretty face.

She recently gave an interview and she’s right, get someone to make you laugh and you have your best face for any photograph. I hope one of these days she gives us an inside peek into her beauty closet, I would love to know which shades of crimson she can’t live without.

candace“I can tell you that a smile always works in a picture.  get someone to make you laugh, it will always be your best face.” – Candace Lake, via MatchesFashion.com

The interview is a fun read that leaves inspiration in it’s wake and the clothes on MatchesFashion.com are fabulous.

For the full interview @MatchesFashion.com

 

The Health & Beauty Rant

quote-nature-gives-you-the-face-you-have-at-twenty-life-shapes-the-face-you-have-at-thirty-but-at-fifty-coco-chanel-340142Ladies, taking care of your skin and your health are important, and the younger you are when you start the better off you’re going to be.

Listen to me when I tell you this, age is not your friend.  The only reason why some women look great at 40, 50 etc is because they started with a skin and health regimen early on in the game. It’s true, you are what you eat. 

You also need to get age appropriate with your skincare regimen, and listen to older people when they give you beauty and health advice.

I wish I had started being healthier 10 years ago, I would be in a different place right now if I had listened. But it’s never too late to turn back father time, even if it’s by 5 minutes.

But aging gracefully is the key, it’s getting plenty of sleep, drinking plenty of water, seeking professional help to get the ball rolling and getting on a skincare regimen that promotes healthy skin. It’s eating a healthy and sensible diet too! My lunches have consisted of raw veggies with hummus or blue cheese dipping sauce. I need to help myself as much as I can.

It’s about not being lazy and just doing it.  My sister bought me a fitbit for my birthday, did you guys know that for an average person to either maintain weight or lose weight you need a minimum of 10,000 thousand steps a day?  In my case, it’s to lose weight and it will be increased once I reach my desired weight because I love to eat good food, plus I’ll be used to those 10,000 thousand steps by then hopefully.

How are you improving your health?

 

 

Peach Cobbler For Breakfast

peach-cobbler-sl-257827-lAs I mentioned in a previous post, I didn’t like my actual birthday cake. I originally wanted a peach or cherry pie but was vetoed.

I posted my comment to Facebook and my friend Hollie responded by bringing me a peach cobbler the next day.  It was so good and the most beautiful part was that  she shared a childhood memory. 

Hollie
Hollie bringing over homemade peach cobbler and ice-cream

Hollie’s grandmother would give her peach cobbler for breakfast during her summer visits by putting some in a bowel and adding  milk.  Hollie said it was just like eating oatmeal. She eagerly shared her recipe with me.

Well, I made some last night and it’s good, not as good as Hollies after all she’s been making it for years, but good.

My Peach Cobbler
My Peach Cobbler

I also picked up 5 large peaches at the Farmers Market and since Gluten-Free flour takes longer to bake opted for organic regular flour. The chore is peeling and slicing the peaches, but once that’s done it’s easy sailing from there.

Hollie’s Peach Cobbler:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut Peaches:
-3 if they are large and 4/5 if small

-Slice and put in a bowl.

-Sprinkle a little sugar (about ¼ cup)

-Let it sit until later in recipe

Take your pyrex and put 1 stick of butter in the pan. 
Put in oven until all is melted. (size of pans: 9 x 13, 8 x 8)

Mix together:
1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

1 Cup of Milk

1 Cup of Sugar

¼ tsp of Salt

2 tsp of Baking Powder

Place peaches in the pyrex pan of melted butter

Pour batter over the peaches

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon

Bake for 45mins or until  edges are golden brown

(TIP** I usually add a little more sugar and cinnamon when there is 15mins left of baking time)

I just had some for lunch, with a little bit of ice-cream.  I’ll go back to being healthy again on Monday.

Do you guys have a favorite recipe?

Afternoon Reading – Lola Rykiel for Harper’s Bazaar

01-mon-idee-de-la-mode-lola-rykiel-parisienne-modele-roland-mouret-cartier-giuseppe-zanotti-designI love, love surfing the net and have a lot of my usual blogs and websites that I visit on a daily basis.  The only time that doesn’t happen is on the weekends and while I’m away on vacation.

05-mon-idee-de-la-mode-lola-rykiel-parisienne-modele-sonia-rykiel-apc-tiffany-co-christian-louboutinToday I went to some of my usual haunts and came across an article by Lola Rykiel for Harper’s Bazaar.  I loved it and especially loved how there were links throughout the piece that led to more of her well-written pieces giving out words of wisdom in a storybook format.

So, with that being said I had to do more research and wanted to share this with you guys in the event that you find yourselves with time to read.

For more @HarpersBazaar.com

Beauty Tip

SephoraFavorites_Hero_112613_ImageI have several beauty tips, but this one I find useful more often than not.  I had bangs almost two years ago and I loved them, but they were a job in itself to maintain.  I finally started growing them out and ladies I am still growing them out.

It used to be that keeping my bangs picture perfect were my hair obsessions and now since their regrowth it’s been keeping all the flyways, frizzes under control.  That’s actually my full-time beauty occupation.

What do I use when nothing seems to work, because at some point there is no overnight treatment, hair mask or serum that’s going to help.  I use one of my many sample mascaras to comb my tiny flyways and frizzes and my problem goes away, until the next morning that is.  But the beauty of this tip is that the control will last all day, how can you not love that? For blondes or redheads I recommend brown mascara instead of the usual black and this trick also helps cover up the grey.

You can use your regular mascara too, but the sample mascara brush is smaller and works better. 

What are your beauty tips?

Happy Birthday Coco!

10547574_900440099983808_6552571317203938451_nSo much has been written about Coco Chanel, after all she is the one that set the rules for style.  She created the little black dress, refined the art of wearing trousers, boyfriend sweaters and added pearls and red lipstick. She also started the trend of wearing striped t-shirts etc. It’s almost like style, fashion began with her vision.

I adored her when I first discovered her in my adolescence and loved her even more when I found out we shared the same birthday month, I’m partial to Leos.

She also gave the best advice, if you haven’t read any of her biography’s I suggest you pick one up, very insightful and empowering.

Here’s to Coco Chanel and style!

A Guide To Scent – Maison Francis Kurkdjian

FKRemember we discussed the power of a great scent several weeks ago? Well, I wasn’t disappointed. Feminin Pluriel by Maison Francis Kurkdjian did not disappoint.

Like all of his creations, it’s intoxicating and sensual.  You wear one of his many scents and you literally fall-in-love with yourself, I’m not kidding.

Of course you have to choose the one that works for you, a person has to choose the right scent that works with their individual chemistry. A fragrance will never smell the same on any two people.

How to choose and wear the right scent for you? (exert from a previous blog post on Mylifeinbeauty.com)

I’ve made a few bad fragrance choices, and once made a huge mistake in practically bathing in a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle – not pretty.  Never wear too much.

The changes of the seasons reflect our choices in clothing, skincare, makeup and fragrance.  We also wear these items in accordance to the time of day/night and whether or not they are appropriate.

The Fragrance Wardrobe consists of fragrances for day/night, spring/summer, and fall/winter. This means that everyone should have three to six bottles of fragrance to choose from.

I once dated a man that had a fragrance wardrobe of 9 bottles – the most my fragrance wardrobe consisted of was three bottles at a given time, but in reality having a signature scent works too, it’s just finding the right fragrance that works with your lifestyle.

FK Trio“Besides being very talented at creating fragrances, Francis has a great ability, which seems to be rare nowadays: he knows how to give volume to a perfume and also to make it last. What in French we call sillage and remanence. He’s obsessed with it. I also really like the way he introduces animal materials in his formulas, in a very subtle way, like hints of cumin (the spice) which has a “fur” effect on the skin.” – Lili Barbery-Coulon, Journalist, Le Monde Magazine

Fragrance is a base of three notes:

Top Notes – The initial introduction to the scent that lasts for the first 5-10 minutes, an introduction to the character of the perfume.

Middle Notes – The heart of the fragrance that defines the character, they give the scent depth and roundedness. Usually lasting for an hour or two depending on the concentration of the fragrance.

The Base: The long-lasting notes that appear 15-30 minutes after fragrance application and last throughout the day.

Applying Fragrance:

Pulse Points – the nape of the neck, decollete, behind the ears and knees because fragrance travels up.

“Wear Perfume wherever you want to be kissed” – Coco Chanel

Other Fragrance Tips:

FKLayering your fragrance with the use of shower gels, lotions, moisturizers, and after-shave ensures a long-lasting fresh scent throughout the day.

Take advantage of fragrance strips, and don’t be afraid to ask for samples.

Never over do it when making fragrance selections at the fragrance counter – take breaks in-between.

Spray the fragrance of choice on your person and not your clothing – fragrance can leave a stain.

Terminology:

Eau de Parfum – The strongest concentration that contains 15-22% essential oils.

Eau de Toilette – The average concentration consisting of 8 to 15% essential oils.

Eau de Cologne – 4 to 8% – a low concentration pf essential oils.

Eau Fraiche – 1 to 3%

There is also a difference between the EDT and EDP – these two vary slightly, make sure to ask questions.

A great fragrance marks your personal space, it’s also the finishing touch to a well polished and groomed appearance.  I never leave home without a splash of my current favorite scent .

Word to the wise, if you are buying a bottle you are not sure of, ask for a fragrance sample to take home and try out for a few days, if it works then open the bottle you recently purchased or take it back.  Most vendors do not take back bottles that are not in their original packaging.

A great way to test fragrances is to order samples online from leading fragrance houses such as Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

Oh and Feminin Pluriel will be available at Neiman Marcus in September.

Happy Hunting!

Eat Cake Or Not

CakeWell my birthday week came and went.  It arrived too early and left even earlier, oh well. I did have a nice time though, my birthdays are low-keyed.  The only people obligated to remember are my sisters, parents and my little nephew, I mean they are the people I love the most in the world.

AlyssaI received money and some nice gifts that will make being healthier easier.  I received a pair of New Balance sneakers and a FitBit, a tracking device that keeps track of my physical activity and food intake. I also received beautiful flowers from my friend Alyssa and organic beauty products from my friend Shannon.

ShannonWe ordered my Birthday cake gluten free and I can honestly tell you guys that it didn’t taste good , the only good part was the frosting.  So my question is, should I go out and buy myself another one and share with my sisters etc?

Thicker & Luxurious Tresses with PhilipB

PhilipBYou guys know me, if it say’s on the bottle or jar that it thickens your hair instantly, I’m in.  I am in love.  I sprayed this into my freshly dried hair, I did it the best that  I could given the circumstances that I’m hair inept.   I mean really, I need expert products otherwise I wouldn’t look as nice and I think I do.

INSTA-THICK is part of the Russian Amber Imperial haircare collection by Hair Maestro Philip B. And it’s only the 2nd item I’ve tried and what can I say, so far I have not been disappointed.

I just wish I could go to his hair institute in New York or London, wouldn’t that be exciting? The price may seem pricey, but it isn’t because it’s generous and a little goes a long way.

$40

@PhilipB.com