Among very many things that Bobbi Brown has inspired me to buy—the magic of a pink blush, Nature's Gate, black gel liner, pewter shadow—is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. The product itself is exceedingly simple, a pure, all-natural liquid castille soap, but it is well larded with the most bizarre hippie hype, including the rumor that it contains traces amounts of ecstasy. Weird. Nevertheless it's extremely useful, boasting 18-in-1 uses, though I was planning to use it primarily as body wash and brush cleaner. It can do pretty much any basic cleaning necessity for body and home, mix it with baking soda for a soft scrub for your tub, use it as shampoo, as a laundry wash for delicates, etc. The only drawback is its offering of scents—organic essential oils, to be sure, but none that I like. I chose the lavender, a scent I love, but it's too camphorous for my picky nose. I should have gotten the unscented "Baby Mild". It would be nice if this ever came out in neroli, I'd be all over it.
Slowly but surely, I intend to gather together a shoe collection that is functional but exquisite. I know that some women collect shoes like the end is nigh, but I feel, from the bottom of my heart, that a woman prone to excessive accumulation expresses, not confidence, but insecurity. No one needs a hundred pairs of shoes, and even if you insist on the art rather than the possession, I can only say that art is much more precious when it is select. A woman with a dozen pair of shoes, thoughtfully edited, is more stylish than one who owns a hundred, even if they are all Manolos and Loubs. So, it begins here, with the queen of ballet flats, Repetto. I've been lusting after a pair since I saw a friend's black patent peep-toe with a flower ornament—I've not seen any as nice (my favorite are the pristine white leather and dove grey "Flora", or possibly the lilac BB, nowhere to be found in the US of course), so I got the classic suede BB (Brigitte Bardot) under the whimsically named shade of Encens ("incense" in French), a leg-lengthening, tan-enhancing nude. They're exquisitely constructed by hand, and the soft, delicate suede molds to your foot, to fit like the proverbial glove—the simplicity of the design is somewhat misleading. I felt these were a wise and worthy purchase because they're light and easy on the feet, but chic enough for work. And I am in the market for a job, after all.
Speaking of which, it is high time I invested in a nice blazer, and Stella McCartney cuts a really sharp suit, which demands an equally sharp price. Imagine my excitement when I found this impeccable white jacket at yoox.com, at an unbelievable must-buy price of $159 (originally $1135!)... it's frikkin' cheaper than Banana Republic for chrissakes! I don't need much corporate attire, and there's no need to be too matchy-matchy (a great pair of wool trousers from J. Crew from a few seasons ago will be just fine), but one neutral jacket (in versatile lightweight wool) is essential to anyone's wardrobe. Black and brown don't suit me (no pun intended), but white does me wonders (I've realized I don't have any interest in an LBD, but I do own a LWD, and it's my favorite piece of clothing!).
I am delighted with the CO wash, not only does the singularity delight my minimalist soul, it's forced me to look for silicone-free conditioners among the botanical brands, and I'm starting to think silicones are as insidious as corn syrup, a solution that's its own problem. I started with Burt's Bees Green Tea & Fennel Color Keeper Conditioner, far lighter than any conditioner I'd normally buy, but I didn't want to take any risks with anything too rich. Now that I'm satisfied that it works, I'm ready to graduate onto something sufficient for my long, thick, very dry hair. I've never found a rich conditioner I really like: either it's too expensive, or it just lacks muscle. I did some research, and Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose comes highly recommended, by people with African hair, people with Asian hair, people who like Terax Crema—"really thick and makes hair so soft and silky, but smell is strong"—is the general concensus. So I bought a couple bottles for $15, and it's exactly what they say it is, very thick and incredibly, impressively effective (I also agree that this better than Terax Crema!), but it absolutely reeks of honeysuckle (tolerable to me), though it fades over time. I haven't had the temerity to use this on my scalp yet, but it's very promising—even for the CO wash method, you don't need much. Really great product, remains to be seen how it performs in the long run.
Nava Notes A5 Notebook (~$7) and Uni Uni-Ball Vision Elite Micro (~$1.49) I have a minor obsession with stationery (Clairefontaine, Rhodia, G. Lalo), and this notebook, which must be new because pendemonium.com and thedailyplanner.com don't carry it, is a good one. It's slim, and the perfect size to slip into one's handbag for quick note taking, and above all, it's stylish: matte black with subtle glossy black stripes. Inside, the paper is smartly perforated, with a clever dating system that allows you to circle the day, and thinly ruled. I also got some new pens to write in it, blue-black.
I'm not sure exactly why (maybe it's because I've turned nocturnal), but my skin has been acting out lately. I rarely break out in earnest, and my face has been in a low-level and breakout for a few weeks now. I was afraid it might be Burt's Bees Repair Serum, but I stopped because I had no use for it in the summer weather, and it is not the culprit (thank god, it will be useful in the winter), as the acne has gotten worse. So my box of goodies came at the perfect time. Exfoliating is one of the crucial functions of skincare, but for me it's like a rock and a hard place, chemicals flay my skin raw, and most scrubs give me contact dermatitis. Lovely. When I stumbled across saffronrouge.com one day, and read about Primavera (apparently one of the purest organics around), I was instantly intrigued. Sugar surfactants and jojoba beads and the press-and-roll method? Hmm! (I am such a sucker.) It's good, though. The scent is odd, not quite unpleasant, but the product itself is lovely: extremely gentle, clean-rinsing (sometimes botanical lines can have shitty cleansers that don't rinse off), and leaves that soft, silky smooth feeling that can only come from a good scrub. It's expensive, but I am clearly not going to have any success among cheaper offerings. Yay! I also got a bottle of Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel, which is a toner cum treatment cum moisturizer. It's a strange product: it's like they took every good-for-your-skin botanical together, let it ferment a bit, and this is the resulting juice. I don't know how to describe its effect, nor am I sure why I like it so much; it's like a liquid vitamin for your skin, insta-glow. It's not really a product that makes much sense. Much pleased with the unexpected success of the Herbal Extract Gel, and the quality of its hand cream, I tried some samples of other Jurlique products, as well as Weleda Birch Cellulite Oil (I just wanted to smell it) with my order. The Deep Penetrating Cream Mask was just what the doctor ordered—it's very pleasant, just a smidgen of clay that won't dry out the skin, calming and hydrating and purifying all at once, just bright, radiant skin. I was also very excited to try the Calendula Cream, having heard such good things about it. I'm looking for THE moisturizer, and for a moment, I thought this might be... It's got a rich, buttery texture but nevertheless feels light and absorbs rapidly. There's a rare and indefinable fitness to skincare, and Jurlique has it (I wonder why Dr. Hauschka is so much more popular?) But, I am allergic to it. Not a lot, and I put it on after having scrubbed and masked, so my skin was a great deal more tender and sensitive than usual, so I'm not sure if I'll be reactive under normal circumstances, but I hope not! This is my dream moisturizer, and it's not really that expensive.
I don't know why it is so difficult to make nice-smelling body washes that don't cost an arm and a leg (Healing Garden Organics is good). It's just a gel cleanser, right? Perhaps one must pay more... Well, my favorite shower gels are from Korres. They have light but beautiful scents that don't grow old before the bottle is due: Basil Lemon, Mint Tea, Bitter Almond, and Cedar are just wonderful (they've recently come out with Fig and Jasmine which I'd also like to sniff). So, when I found the Bitter Almond Showergel at TJMaxx for $4 (instead of the usual $11), I snapped it up. It is not the sickly sweet marzipan almond odor that makes your teeth ache, but a beautifully soft, rich scent, as delicate as the moisturizing froth itself.
That's it for now... There are still a few things on my wishlist, but I've been shopping a lot lately! Everything is great, though. I must be getting better at making wise purchases!
Colleen Shirazi
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August 23, 2007 4:18 PM,
Mmmmm...nice jacket.
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