Beauty Box Subscription Programs

There are a number of beauty box subscription programs out there. Not too long ago, Birchbox was the disruptor in this category, being the first of its kind out there. Only $10 a month and answering a short survey would get you a box full of tailored beauty and self care goodies.

Some call these box by mail services "discovery retail" because a consumer is sent a sample to discover a new product that they can potentially like and purchase.

Great video article from Euro Monitor International (HBA Global Expo 2013 Recap – Beauty Box Subscription Programs) offers some user responses and types of services out there.

I was a Birchbox user for a year but unsubscribed when the subscription ran out because I felt the items in the box were not tailored to my preferences and because I was cutting down on beauty expenses.

Some of the beauty box subscription programs I'm aware of are:

• Birchbox
• QVC's Test Tube
• Beauty Bar's Sample Society
• Glossybox
• Sephora Favorites gift sets
• Beauty Army
• TotalBeauty Collections

You can perform a search on Google using "beauty box" or "beauty collection set" and see what results turn up that match your needs.

On a Rose-Scented Kick

I've been on a rose kick since January. Rose foods, rose teas, rose scents, rose colors...rose everything. I find rose scents and products restoring of my inner balance, and incredibly feminine. I apparently am in need of more of both these characteristics lately.

I'm not usually into feminine things, but rose and lavender are two scents I deeply associate with femininity and centered, inner balance. So I sometimes make exceptions on occasion and jump on the girly bandwagon.

Back in January I had my first taste of rose water as a tea with hot water and a spoonful of honey (Bois de Jasmin blog posts here and here).

From there, I kept an eye out online and in stores. I discovered rosebud tea, rose marmalade tea, and rose water tea. I thought "wow, what a great idea!" Edibles to help extend our enjoyment of favorite scents and perfumes. I can pick out the note within a favorite perfume that calls out to me the most, and pursue that scent in a variety of products.

So, back to my rose kick. To broaden my rose-scented horizon--I hadn't bought a rose perfume since high school--I began looking at rose perfumes, body products, and other related products while I was out and about at Ulta and Sephora, or even online.

My first purchase was Cortas rose water from Amazon, and some dried rosebuds form Whole Foods to use in teas. Several weeks later I purchased Weleda's wild rose deodorant because I ran out of my favorite deodorant and I had a mammogram scare. So I went with a top of the line natural deodorant. It's a really great scent with a strong alcohol base that lingers all day for me.

Around that same time, I realized that one of my already favorite perfumes, Ferragamo Incanto Bloom, features rose noticeably. It's a great, vibrant rose and blossom scent that can work for day or night.

My first official rose perfume purchase, in February, was Tresor Midnight Rose--a spinoff from Lancome's famous Tresor line featuring Emma Watson as its model. It's a complex perfume a sexy, mysterious rose scent. This perfume is my favorite pick as I'm heading out on weekend nights.

I later discovered Bvlgari Rose Essentielle as I was perusing Ulta. This has now become one of my very favorite fragrances, next to Ferragamo's. It's delightful and it develops quickly on my skin but doesn't last long.

On a recent trip away from home I passed a Crabtree and Evelyn shop. It suddenly brought back memories of, years ago, when I used to save up my allowance to purchase rose and lavender soaps to use in my lingerie drawers. I remember their Rosewater glycerin soaps, but today discovered their Evelyn Rose scented items as well. There are innumerable products to choose from: lingerie hangers, lingerie drawer sachets, room aerosols, stick room diffusers, candles, soaps, hand creams, body washes, and more.

Another great place to try out rose scented items is Lush. Although it sometimes seems like a cacophony of scents in their shops, they have some great, rose-specific products that are worth a look, if not a sample. I am trying out their rose jam bubbleroon, imogen rose solid perfume (think baby powder and rose), a sample of ro's argan body conditioner, and a sample of turkish delight.

I'm liking my little obsession du jour and it's a great way to cut out some of the not-so-great product scents out there by specializing in a classic, long-lasting favorite.

Converting Global Dress and Shoe Sizes

If you explore clothing online, or travel and shop away from home, you'll soon come across wonderful apparel pieces that just jump out at you and scream: Buy Me!

Just for these instances, there are great dress size and shoe size conversion tables on Wiki that can be invaluable resources.

If you know the range your dress and shoe sizes usually are at home, you can then compare to the other countries. Of course, nothing beats having your measurements at hand, and trying things on in person...but for all those other times, this is a great resource.

And remember, size is just what the manufacturer uses to template their apparel patterns. Each manufacturer's size can range depending on where the clothing was manufactured, how far up or down in the textile the pattern was cut (as the pattern is cut down, things wiggle around). You're not a size, you're a wonderful person with personality, intellect, gifts, and sass--and excellent taste. Wear what fits you well--AND get to know a great tailor in your neighborhood--and work it!

Cheers.

Great Find: Pinstripe Lined Skirt Suit

I was shopping at JC Penney's revamped Liz Claiborne section at Yorktown Shopping Center (Lombard, IL) and discovered an amazingly cheap but gorgeous lined, skirt suit.

pic borrowed from JC Penney's

The lined, one-button suit jacket in black pinstripe is as elegant as it is affordable at $40 (plus tax). It comes in petites, misses, plus, and talls.

pic borrowed from JCPenney's

Matched with its lined, essential pinstripe skirt, it's a perfect interview, business meeting, or career suit.

I loved the skirt because it's only $25 (plus tax), matches the jacket perfectly, and because its pencil-skirt-like shape falls at the knee, which is hard to find these days.

This suit creates a classic shape and can go from very formal offices to daily business environments.

These two pieces can be great to mix and match as separates with other wardrobe staples. For example, the skirt can be teamed up with a pretty blouse and cardi, a cardi and tank set, or just a sweater. Meanwhile, the jacket can go casual with jeans for Casual Fridays, or can top another skirt or pants.

You have a lot of mileage potential right here. Bonus points if you can use your JC Penney rewards to get a little money off.

Dana Buchman at Kohls

Today was a special discount day at Kohls so I stepped in to see if there were any last minute items I could grab to take to a conference I am working this weekend and into next week.

I happened on the Dana Buchman's line of apparel. There were work appropriate, casual, and night out kinds of pieces. The quality seemed nice, the tailoring adequate for the price. Several of the pieces in the line seemed to possibly color coordinate, if that particular location I was in had the inventory in my size/color selection.

I ended up getting a black and white houndstooth dress (a preternatural classic, the red was out in my size) and a camel surplice sweater. I see that online there are several more pieces in the collection, which I may want to look into.

If you're looking for career separates and suits, Kohls can be a great place to shop during sales. A large majority of their apparel lasts past the first washing/laundering--which, regrettably, is almost a godsend anymore.

Favorite Products This Month

August/September is always a month when I start trying tweaking my routine, and always a time I struggle with reactive skin! It's a little like the chicken and the egg, and I'm never quite sure which comes first.

Some of my favorite products this month are helping me transition into fall a little early, while managing my complex skin:

• Eos lip balm - great to keep my smacker supple and keep flakes and dryness at bay.

• No.7 nude lip liner - a recent find. It's a perfect soft rose pink that suits my natural coloring just fine. I don't find a lip liner that does this often.

• Sephora Collection Colorful Palette in Almost Nude 09 - all great colors. Palettes are REALLY hot right now. They inspire, help look pulled together, and can fit in your travel plans well.

• Flat synthetic eye brush to push eyeshadow or gel eyeliner into the eyelash roots. Boosts eye look and makes eyelashes look thicker. Great with black or brown eyeshadow, or with a sparkly special eyeshadow for an evening out.

• A good eyebrow shape. Getting your brows done professionally a couple of times a year may be just enough to remind me to keep them tidy with pencils, powder, brushes, and tweezers the rest of the year.
• Revlon Colorstay Foundation is a must for long days, strange skin splotches that need hiding behind a skillful brushstroke, and to help look smooth and polished all day long.

• Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel (!) which I just discovered at Target. Great colors, smaller bottle so you could potentially go through it more often and try different colors? Maybe you''ll end up using less because it lasts longer. It promises gel-like shine. So far so good. I bought Cayenne (such a versatile orangey pink), Calla Lily (a perfect shimmering white), and Vintage Rose. Both the Cayenne and Vintage Rose look great with a layer of Calla Lily on top!

• Benzoyl Peroxide and a concealer or eyeliner brush. A must to spot-treat in a hygienic, non-irritating way. 

• The back of my hand has proven to be a trusty ally in my blotting, testing, and mixing of various colors, concealers, and other assorted face products. Flick, tick, and dab all your applicators and brushes before touching them to your face with any product. You'll be sure you'll be light handed and you can always build up versus not always being able to take product off!

• A few E.L.F. brushes to see whether there's a world of brushes out there for me to test besides MAC, Ulta, and Studio Gear.

• CeraVe Moisturizing face wash, to help reactive skin pacify and treat flakiness, without weighing it down with moisturizers and creams.

• L'Oreal Paris EverStyle Curl Defining Gel; EverSleek finishing cream and leave-in creme. Great products to mix and match depending on the weather and my sometimes wavy/sometimes knotty hair's condition at any particular time.

Buy: Denim Jacket

I haven't owned a denim/jeans jacket in over a decade. It might even be fifteen years if not twenty. But I finally threw in the towel in and invested in one.

I figured I'd go to the Goodwill store and check whether they had any, but on a whim I went to the neary Eddie Bauer store on my workday lunch hour. Although they didn't have it they checked the store by our house and they held one for me that afternoon. Easy breezy! Just how I like it.

I loved the idea of having a jeans jacket for summer and into fall. To add to my wardrobe to dress down fancier clothes, or sassy-up casual clothes. It's just so versatile. Great with light scarves or chunky necklaces or large earrings for that feminine touch.

The jacket I purchased was the Eddie Bauer Classic Jean Jacket ($79.95) in ocean. Although it isn't exactly cheap, it's an investment piece I know will be with me for quite a while. The size ran a little small, especially since I plan on layering, so I went one size up.

I'm so enamored of the look and feel of this jacket. I've already worn it quite a few times since I bought it. It's just perfect for chilly air-conditioned hangouts this summer.

I can't imagine how I've been able to live without such a practical and fun piece for so long!

Shopping: Elizabeth Arden at Bed Bath and Beyond

I just received an e-flyer from Bed Bath and Beyond announcing a collaboration with Elizabeth Arden! I'm so pleased, because I rarely see this favorite brand anymore.

Here's a list of search results on the Bed Bath and Beyond website for all the Elizabeth Arden products they're currently carrying. What a great collaboration!

It looks like they're focusing on spa products like 100% Turkish cotton towels ($8.99-$39.99) and related goods.

I really like the 100% Turkish cotton towels, in the midnight and cornflower colors, since that's the color scheme in our master bathroom. I would like to get a closer look at these towels to see if I want to buy a couple of the bath towels, ours have been getting a little long in the tooth. I'm going to keep my eye on those famous flyer coupons that might come in the mail, and any sales.

Elizabeth Arden was the sole reason I started going to a local spa, Mario Tricoci, back in my early 20s when I started working full time. They used Elizabeth Arden nail polish. I've always felt the brand has a lovely sense of style and quality that always appealed to me.

Sale: Bath and Body Works Candles

It looks like Bath and Body Works has one of their famous 3-wick candle sales. Buy 2 of their fruit-themed Spring 3-wick candles for $20.

This is a great spring collection to revive our senses with fruits and tropical scents. Great way to wake up out of winter hibernation! Especially for those who are preparing and counting off the days to spring break!

I bought a mini version of their blackberry grapefruit candle and it's a lovely scent that's not too cloying. I've always been a sucker for anything grapefruit. I also liked their coconut leaves mini candle as well. If I had still been in my teens, during my peach phase, I would have jumped on their market peach scent.

They have some adorable spring-break and fruit themed accessories to go along with all their products.

Check out the cute turtle items they're carrying, I bought the green, ceramic turtle votive holder for my nightstand. I put in a white votive and, voila!, perfect nightime joy. I'm obsessed with turtles, especially in ceramic or stone.

The lemon shaped Slatkin & Co home fragrance starter would be perfect in my kitchen, since I have a yellow and white theme. The lemon shaped antibac topper is just as fun.

New Purchase: Booties!

photo borrowed from Polyvore

Although winter has come in earnest to my area, I decided to purchase a pair of booties that can accomodate skirts and tights a little better than my heartier full boots.

I love my longer boots, especially the furry ones with ties that help me survive feet of snow and ice. However, for the office, I find that a little balance between style, size, and grip help me to look pulled together.

I was perusing JC Penney's website and found a great little pair of booties, the Clarks Wish Mood Leather boots ($75). Here is the Clarks website link ($89.99). You can also find these boots on almost any shoe shopping website, varying prices and shipping rates apply.

There are several aspects that drew me to these particular booties:

• Clarks, which means well built, comfortable, and will last some time.
• leather, which means stretch to accommodate my curves and toes, and will also last a while with proper care.
• design, the draped leather design is a little retro (80s) while reminiscent of art deco and art nouveau--or the classic Fiestaware rings, my favorite! The sturdy wedge and mini platform help keep each step well grounded on icy and snowy surfaces.
• size, they had my size. Believe it or not, that's a huge deal when you wear a size ten medium, and many tens are either too narrow or too tight in general.
• price, you know you can always get a great discount at JC Penney with their receipt surveys, online codes, or flyer coupons.
• these are booties rather than boots, so I don't need to go up to a size and a half bigger so my calves can fit.

I ordered them last week and got them just last night, so I'm still breaking them in. Right now I notice that the front/top part is a little tight on me when I'm driving--my right foot is always a little thicker set than my left one. But the leather is flexible enough to provide a little needed give when I move my ankles sitting ,driving, or walking, so there aren't any sore spots on my feet and ankles just yet. Hopefully there won't be any!

So, I believe that after wearing these for a couple of days in a row, and driving in them, they'll gain enough stretch to accommodate each curve and toe a little better.

What do you look for when purchasing booties?

Clarks boots (see more clarks boots)

Brand: The Face Shop

I discovered that our local Shiseido store (at the Naperville H-Mart) also features Korean skin care and cosmetics products now. The Face Shop products were pretty much everywhere in the store, so I stopped and took a closer look.

I first learned about Korean beauty sheet masks from online beauty gurus on YouTube and blogs. I then happenstance received one (MyFaceworks) from my Birchbox subscription and I was hooked! It was a godsend for wintry, flakey, dry skin that needed a moisture surge.

These one use sheet masks have holes for your eyes, nostrils, and mouth and you apply them and pat them on. Once they dry out, after about 10-15 minutes, you peel them off gently and throw away. They vary in strength and purpose. For example, you might have one to rehabilitate aging skin cells, one that helps in figthing acne, or one that supplies much-needed moisture and antioxidants.

The masks I recently bought from The Face Shop, include the following: the fresh fruit lemon mask sheet to help with large pores and oily skin, one with kelp to help oily skin and acne, a special zone care sheet mask for my heels to heal dry skin, and a CO-Q10 sheet mask to help rejuvenate skin. I can't wait to try them!

When it comes to the cosmetics I purchased, I stuck to basics that can indicate product quality without causing too much mayhem on the skin: the all about power volume mascara, auto eyeliner in black brown, the HD-perfect BB cream, and light yellow eye shadow. These products come at a great price point and have amazing varieties and colors.

I was a little surprised at how excellent all these products were for such a good price point. I would definitely buy these instead of NYX or Rimmel cosmetics. The eyeliner was precise and gave good pigmentation when applied, plus the foam tip on the other end was perfect for smudging a day-time line. The mascara's wand was just as good as Lancome's new Dolls Lashes product (which I bought recently!), if not better! It colored all the lashes and deposited enough without being too wet. The BB cream can be a little pasty of over-applied, but was and felt silky upon application and helps hide imperfections perfectly. The light yellow eyeshadow was exactly what I was looking for. It can be used as an inner eye and brow bone highlight, or layered for a gorgeous silky finish on the lid. Excellent quality that may rival MAC's to be honest. I would love to go back and try more colors which I don't have already in my collection.

I'm incredibly pleased with all these purchases and am enjoying using them a little at a time as the days go by. I would urge you to at least check these out if they are available at a store near you. Cheers!

Buy: Clarks Shoes

This week has been rainy and cold. One day was 73F and sunny, but the rest have been barely touching 50F--quite the punishment and an early reminder of what's to come. Brr.

I wore heels on Monday to work, I think I started regretting it as I was getting into the car. But forged ahead. By the time I had walked to my chair and sat down, at the office, I realized the error of my ways. My feet ached and screeched to a halt whenever I tried not to trip every few steps. I went to JC Penney across the way, and immediately dived into the Clarks showcase. I bought a pair and haven't looked back since.

Photo borrowed from JCPenney, link on left.

These are my first ever pair of Clarks. The May Poppy leather slip-ons, as they're called, are spectacular. They were on sale for around $60 plus tax too.

My Poppies don't feel tight or vice-like such as other loafers make me feel. They also don't hurt or rub anywhere, pending my wearing my trouser socks. They make walking normally, well, normal. Plus I feel that the shiny surface helps repel the misty and soggy rain.

It has a high vamp, which is usually a problem for me, but they have enough give with the elastic sides that it's not an issue.

I remember a coworker from a few years ago, Chris, she pretty much only purchased Clark shoes and sandals, and no other brands. She used to get them at Kohls. I may have found a trusted brand for work-appropriate and walkable shoes. I now know why Chris was such a devoted customer to the brand.

This year, I've been all about finding long-lasting and walking-appropriate shoes that don't hurt. Ideally, they don't even feel like they're on. I've had success on three occasions, this Clarks purchase was one of them, and the other two purchases were Ariat and Arcopedico brands.

I'm looking forward to discovering new favorites in the months ahead--though, with the snow and harsh winter weather, I'm more likely to wear my leather snow boots to commute, and just keep a pair of work shoes at work to slip into once I arrive. Yeah. I kinda like that idea.

Hope your footsteps are comfortable and stylish ones.

Do You Vintage?

A dear friend of mine goes to vintage/resale stores all the time where, sometimes, she purchases and sometimes she sells. A recent, favorite blog discovery (Already Pretty) features some spectacular vintage and resale jewelry, accessories, and clothing pieces that truly add personality and flair to the blog author's daily outfit looks. So I decided I wanted to get in the vintage fun too!

Now, it's no surprise that during times of economic hardship, curtailing unnecessary expenses and even selling to help make ends meet are two invaluable practices. But I find no better incentive to trying out vintage than 1) saving money while purchasing 2) new favorites that will last me a lifetime, while at the same time 3) helping support a local store, artist, or supplier.

Vintage and Resale Galore
What do I know about resale and vintage shops? That they usually congregate at young/up-and-coming neighborhoods, that there's many on the West Coast (think Oregon and L.A.), and that you have to have A LOT of patience to go through racks and shelves worth of stuff with hidden potential gems.

Well, surprise, surprise there is a great resale shop across the street from the subdivision I live in. And another surprise, the racks are spectacularly well arranged by size and sometimes even style (career, casual, dressy).

I recently noticed a few resale stores while driving through our area:

• a brand new Habitat for Humanity ReSale store on E. New York Street on the outskirts of Westfield Fox Valley in Aurora
• Out of the Attic Antiques off E. New York Street on the outskirts of Westfield Fox Valley in Aurora
• Clothes Mentor on Rt. 59 in Naperville
• newcomer Savers on Rt. 59 near Target in Naperville
• already-existing Goodwill store on Fort Hill Drive by car dealership row on Aurora Avenue in Naperville
• Plato's Closet on Rt. 59 near Joann Fabrics and Wal-Mart in Naperville
• Serendipity Resale shop on Jefferson Avenue in Naperville
• A-1 Antiques on Washington Street in Naperville

I'm sure there's plenty more, just waiting to be discovered. My dear friend has mentioned that there are a number of similar stores in our area. I must investigate!


Artists and Designers
I already know of Aurora downtown's art community, which feature a variety of incredibly talented and diverse artists. Lisa Gloria, is one such artist, she recently had to close shop at her 7 West studio (part gallery, part shop), which really demoralized a lot of us who wanted to visit on a weekly basis but were unable to. However, Lisa and others are strong presences in most of the art-related events in downtown Aurora, such as the Downtown Aurora Arts Mixer (DAAM) and the Alley Art Festival.

In nearby Naperville there's the Naperville Art League's Riverwalk Art Fair, Naperville Woman's Club Fine Art Fair, and a number of little sidewalk sales in the spring and summer.

Where to Start?
I'm making this my project for this fall. I am going to start listing any resale or vintage stores and artist groups in my area. I plan to research as much I can about them online and via review websites. I then hope to make my way around and visiting some of these groups and their events.

Online Shoe Shopping

I've recently had one of my personal nightmares come true: the shoes I bought online ended up being to small and I had already thrown away all the boxes and return stickers. :(

The problem started when I decided I wanted to get some Geox low-heel wedges for work that are summer-appropriate as well. I completely forgot that a European shoemaker's size 40 is more like a 9.5 in US size conversion, and not the size 10 that the retailer tells you. Not to mention, European shoes tend to run narrower than other manufacturers.

I've learned valuable lessons:
1) Try it on first: Because I have special concerns about the length and width of my uneven feet--one's longer than the other, while the shorter is wider than the longer one--I will no longer purchase shoes online. If I'm trying them on, I can go for a larger size or a wider model to make sure my foot is comfortable and the shoe looks good.

2) Save boxes and receipts. Even for brick-and-mortar stores, never throw receipts, bags, and boxes away. Try clothes on in the store or try them on first thing when you get back home if you're shy about trying things in dressing rooms. This way, you can make sure items fit well, and you still have a way to return items with all the documents and wrappings, if you need to.

3) Variety can mean quirks: Remember that manufacturers, country of origin, and particular designs have little strengths and weaknesses. In the global marketplace that we currently live and purchase in, there is a huge variety of options to chose from, and we must remember what pluses and minuses all these options can bring us! Hard to do, sometimes, but something to consider.

So what will I do with my two, brand-new Geox shoes? I will go to the nearby cobbler to see if he can lengthen the two pairs. If he can't, I'll go to a handy, nearby resale store and see what I can get for them.

 Lesson learned!