¡Ombligo!

Fellow Americans, please donate to the American Red Cross.

I don't like wearing straight up amber fragrances, I find them somewhat lacking so I like layering them with spicy fragrances or sweeten them up a bit. One fragrance that covers both fronts is Maître Parfumeur et Gantier's Ambre Précieux.

Aedes lists the notes in Ambre Précieux as:
Top: Myrtle, lavender
Middle: amber, vanilla, nutmeg
Bottom: Ambegris, peru balsam, tolu.

This is a sweet amber as the vanilla really makes an impact on this fragrance followed by subtle spices and woods. I LOVE the way this smells, it's really incredible on me. I don't get the other notes listed in this fragrance but don't miss them in anyway.

This is a perfect autumn fragrance that could easily be worn from morning to evening and to a multitude of occasions. This is sold as a masculine fragrance but it isn't really masculine in any way on me. The staying power is incredible and a little goes a long way.

Retails for $105/3.4 oz. and is available at Aedes, B-glowing, Beautyhabit and Luscious Cargo

I won this back in February but it didn't arrive today. It's a Burton
beanie cap that was won through a contest run through Slim Jim. While beanies look so cute on most people. I end up looking like a thug when I wear them.

My weight stayed exactly the same this week but I'm not discouraged or disappointed although Weight Watchers did give me the generic message they had been giving me the week before last.

I went to the Doctor last week and got the results from the bloodwork and they mentioned that my levels were low as I suspected so he raised my medication. Now I'm going to start taking Synthroid 150.

I'm looking forward to seeing better results to my weight loss and feeling better! I had been feeling very tired lately and on occasion a bit dizzy so it'll be nice to feel "normal!"

I started strength training a bit on my arms and legs. My arms feel fabulous but my legs are killing me! They hurt so bad last night that I had trouble sleeping. It wasn't until the Aleve kicked in that I was able to sleep.

Last night I was watching a series of Nip/Tuck episodes and the episode where Kimber has a Real Doll (This is a site that has non-human nudity which may offend some.) in her likeness. I had first heard of these dolls through HBO's Real Sex series where they've showed both the male and female versions of the dolls.

Anyhow, I've mentioned in the past that I think the male version of the doll looks like Gary Sinise. So, after the episode finished I changed the channel and saw that Hunter was on. I used to love that show so of course I have to watch it and guess who's on this episode of Hunter?

Gary Sinise! He played a British serial killer who was known as the "Lullaby Killer" in London and he came over to the states and killed British prostitutes here. He was a Lord who was also a photographer and he'd take pictures of the prostitutes, then snap their necks and put in their hands a music box that played Brahms' lullaby.

Updated: To mention that that picture isn't my own personal picture but taken from the Real Dolls site. I do not nor have I ever owned a Gary Sinise looking Real Doll or any other type of Real Doll.

Just wanted to clarify as I didn't want people to think that I'm freaky like that. No offense to those who are freaky like that or people who like Gary Sinise fans who know in their hearts that Gary Sinise was indeed the model for the male Real Doll. Well, perhaps not below the belt - maybe they used a different model there. But maybe not!

I can honestly say that I have never seen Gary Sinise in the buff so I can't testify to the size of his um...package. I can however talk about Brad Pitt and his little or not so little B, R, A, D. (Those who are offended by non-sexual nudity might be offended by clicking on those links or maybe they won't!)

Coffee Coffee Lip Balm


In my August Sampler I received a pot of Heather Joy's Coffee Coffee lip balm. I have always suffered from dry chapped lips so I started using it right away.

Described on the site as: Rich and creamy, and above all, COFFEElicious. No mica, so appropriate for guys and girls alike. This is an amazing flavor, and is one of my all-time favorites. Coffee lovers, search no longer. This is the one.

Ingredients: Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Cocoa Butter, Avocado Oil, Flavor, Vitamin E, Cocoa Powder, Saccharine.

I've been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember. Whenever I would stay with my Grandmother she'd drink coffee and I'd ask for some but mine was more milk and sugar than coffee. I still like my coffee on the sweet and light side but use skim milk and sugar substitute and on occasion sugar free coffee-mate, the Sugar Free Vanilla Caramel is divine!

Anyhow, this has a straight up coffee scent and is perfect for those who love coffee or even for those who are trying to avoid caffine but want to fool themselves into thinking they're drinking coffee. I weaned myself off of coffee as I had been drinking almost four cups of it a day and I didn't touch the beans for years, but I'm weak and I'm hooked once again to the last drop!

In my Summer Sampler, I recieved a White Tea & Ginger Confetti Soap from this site as well. I see it it isn't listed on the site but i opened it up tonight and loved it. I really don't smell any ginger in this soap, mostly tea but it's still wonderfully scented and was gentle on my skin.

While several products on the site are vegan, this one is not because of the beeswax. There are other scents/flavors of lip balm on the site that i'd like to order in the future mainly Chai Tea, Strawberry Smoothie, Cocoa, Buttercream, Caramel Cappuccino, Orange Chocolate Truffle and Pomegranate.

Oh, there are other flavors on Etsy such as Neapolitan 3 pack, Toasted Marshmallow, Cheesecake and Root Beer among others!

Coffee Coffee lip balm retails for $2.50/.15 oz tube which includes the shipping cost.

A set of shirts came in this week, they are to promote Beautiful People, the new teen drama that airs on the ABC Family channel. Also enclosed were postcards to promote Wildfire, another teen drama that airs on ABC Family channel.

They sent me four in small and two in large. Seriously, those small shirts can be used as arm warmers!

Why couldn't someone have sent me stuff for Degrassi: The Next Generation? As I think vintage The Zit Remedy t-shirts and CD's would be a hit! Anyhow, The N aired the season finale last night here in the states and it was sad mother lame as Joey and Caitlin broke up yet again! Does the madness ever end?

I never intended to color my hair but two to three years ago, my hair started falling out. First it was a few hairs here and there and then it was a few patches of hair due to undiagnosed/treated Graves disease. I looked like a balding man, when my hair started growing back, it looked like I was sporting a mini toupee on my head and I referred to it as my toupee.

A friend of mine offered to give me some highlights to make my hair look fuller. So, she put in the highlights and cut my hair into a short bob - I looked normal and the hair looked more full.

But, they were permanent highlights and the more my hair grew back the tackier the highlights looked. I decided to color my entire hair instead of waiting years for the highlights to grow out. Being thrifty, (my sister calls me cheap) I had my choice of three different hair colors that were given to me for free because Garnier had just launched their 100% haircolor line.

At that point I didn't care what color my hair was so I had my sister choose the color and she chose Garnier 100% color in Blue Black #210.



I ended up with cartoonish hair that looked blue outdoors and black indoors. After time, the blue faded out and for several months it was black until the highlights started coming out again.

I had won a certificate for a free box of hair color so I chose Clairol Herbal Essence Fearless Color in Sapphire Black No.70 which is my current hair color.



This one has lasted for six months and the highlights never appeared. But I'm tired of it being black and want to go back something more like my natural dark brown color.



So, I just applied the above hair color to my hair. It's Garnier 100% color, shade #433 Dark Golden Brown. We'll see how it turns out and it's not that big of a deal if I hate the color because it's only hair and it grows back. Plus, I have one box left to color my hair Garnier 100% color, shade #401 Deep Brown.



As I also have Vitiligo, the odds are great that I will loose the entire pigment in my hair as I have on most of my skin and some of the hair on my body so I'm looking at a lifetime of coloring my hair. Ah, it's not so bad!

UPDATE: After all is said and done I am now sporting a new hair color. Dark Golden Brown my ass, my hair is red! No biggie right? I've always been curious to see what I'd look like as a red head and now I know.

Except there is one teensy little problem, only my roots are red! Where I had colored my hair black previously, that's still black! So, I have red roots and black hair. Ah, red roots on about 4-5" of my head! So now I have a two toned hair!



No use crying over bad hair, it'll grow back and then I'll have three toned hair. Anyone else want to join the trend? It's kinda like i have a freaky Shakira thing going on with my hair.

Close up of a broken mirror --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis


I broke a mirror yesteday, the glass went everywhere and I cut my finger while picking it up. Eww, there was blood. Just a little, but being severely hemophobic doesn't help matters.

I'm not superstitious and I've broken mirrors before, not because of my face (although some would beg to differ) but because I'm rather clumsy and careless and end up dropping them.

Anyhow, the bad luck has started! I got an ugly bruise last night as I was trying to fix my office chair and then today, my nail broke!

All my nails are long now except for my thumb which makes it feel like a social outcast! I'm now going to have to cut all my nails short so that the thumb doesn't feel left out!

Stupid mirror!

Datura Noir


I was going over decants that I haven't worn in a while and found Datura Noir. It's been ages since I wore it last and I had forgotten what it smelled like.

Aedes describes Datura Noir as a captivating composition is obtained from myrrh, bitter almond, tonka bean and musk. The vibrant touch is given by a blend of Chinese osmanthus, heliotrope, mandarin, lemon flower and tuberose.

The soft and powdery character of the fragrance is suggested through sumptuous vanilla, coconut oil and apricot. The almost narcotic, intoxicating mix gives Datura Noir its exceptional quality.

Sounds nice right? The sad thing is that it opens up rather medicinal on me, like some gross smelling cough syrup that's heavy and thick. The bitter almond seems to take over the entire fragrance for a while. If this were a toasted almond scent, that would be a whole other story but bitter almond - blech! Then it seems to get a bit sweet with a rather pretty tuberose. It's this scent that I'm in love with. I'll use the blow dryer next time to speed up the drydown of this fragrance!

This is a wonderful warm weather fragrance because it seems to be a bit cold, you know when you eat ice cube chocolates and you feel like they are cool (temperature wise, not cultural - although they are the best chocolates ever!) even though they aren't. That's the type of feeling that Datura Noir gives, like a cool feeling - as if you're running an ice cube over your skin. The staying power in this fragrance is incredible and a little goes a long way.

Datura Noir retails for $92/1.7 oz and is sold through Aedes and Barneys.

I always love pink rings. The first one is my favorite style. Perhaps I'll cave on it if I behave myself which isn't very likely anytime soon!



Pink Shell Pearl Sterling Wire Ring $47.00


Rose Quartz Ring $57.00


Pink Cat's Eye Ring $55

Yay, a win!


I'm on the All This Is Mine mailing list and last week the owner Sugene decided to have a contest where the first one to post all six related tea items on the site would win a grab bag of zines, stuff from The Sampler and other odds and ends.
I was the first one to respond and here are links to all the tea related items on the site:
Tea Bag Doll - I want one so bad! I can't wait until they are back in stock!
Tea Party Stationary Set
I heart Tea Letterpress set
Tub Tea
I heart Tea t-shirts
Tea and Bread button set

That cool French Letter Writing Patch is only .75 and the button sells for .50

See that really creepy Paul Simon journal? That's from Kat's Meow and I was really bummed that I didn't get one in my sampler but now I have one! Awesome!!! By the way, Kat's Meow has the journals 35% off until August 30th with code: katbday.

Going to read a zine tonight before going to bed as I have such a Bublérrible morning to look forward to!

Acqua Classica Borsari Parma



It's rainy season here and it's been so hot and humid. I was hoping to wear something light today that made enough of an impact so I chose to sample Acqua Classica from Bosari di Parma.

According to the notes on this carded sample, Bosari's 1870's history is embedded in the Italian Perfume Industry, and the collection is housed in the Palazzina Bosari 1870 collection in Parma documents the major stages in the development of the fashions, graphics and craft of the perfumes themselves from 1870 to 1950.

Regarding Acqua Classica, unchanged since Lodovico Bosari created it in 1880. Acqua Classica Bosari Parma is still made in accordance with the original formula, based on citrus, sage, geranium, sandalwood, leather and oak musk essences. It adds a refreshing and elegant tough at any time of day.

It opens up very citrusy and the sage really comes out but when it dries down, the sandalwood and leather come out very, very lightly. It's easily a unisex fragrance but don't be put off if you don't like masculine scents because this isn't really a masculine scent - it's light and soft and would smell beautiful on either sex.

Acqua Classica isn't just a warm weather fragrance. Out here, the weather stays warm during the day until late October when it really starts getting cold but for the most part at night so this would be a perfect fragrance to as late summers turn into autumn but could easily be worn year round. The staying power could be better on my skin but for the price, you could really afford to spray just a little bit more each time.

Acqua Classica retails for $24.00/1.7 oz. for the regular bottle or $26.00/1.7 oz for the gift boxed bottle and is available through B-glowing where with code MUA it knocks the final price down to $21.60.

I must admit I had been feeling quite down as the scale wasn't moving and then to have to deal with the credit card fraud I started feeling a bit sorry for myself. I hate when I feel sorry for myself because I'm so lucky and am truly the last person in the world who should be feeling sorry for themselves.

I worked my ass off this week in hopes to lose possibly a pound, even half a pound would be nice. Last night, the last thing I wanted to do was get on the treadmill but I did two hours on it and felt so much better afterwards. When I woke up this morning, I also didn't want to get on the treadmill but I knew that it would make me feel better so I did it for an hour.

Finally, it was a time to face my fears and step on the scale, total weight loss this week - 3.2 lbs!!!

And OMMFG, they finally gave me a quote: WAY TO GO! You've just lost another 5 pounds. Keep up the awesome work! Here's a special tip from another dieter that we thought you might enjoy:

"Instead of giving in to cravings, binges and unplanned eating, I ask myself, 'Do I want it?' No I don't. 'Will I eat it?' No I won't." - Yvonne

We hope you have a great week.

I must have lost two pounds a long time ago and together with the weight loss this week that gives me another star! Yay! by the way Weight Watchers - you've given me that quote a few times before but I'll take it!

I have to go in for bloodwork tomorrow *faints* and find out what's up with my body on Thursday. This is the first Doctor's appointment I have since starting Weight Watchers and the first where I'm actually losing weight. As soon as I was put on synthroid, I started gaining weight. I won't feel too bad when I step on the scale there as I know the number.

The Wedding Date


I saw The Wedding Date tonight, I had a feeling that I had already seen it as the story is very similar to Picture Perfect. Girl hires boy to pretend to be her boyfriend and they end up falling in love.

The good thing about this movie is Dermot Mulroney! He's so sexy and underrated! I also loved the way they did shot the love scenes and the scenery was beautiful. Other good things about this movie were stars of two of my favorite British series Jeremy Sheffield from Murder in Suburbia and Jack Davenport from Coupling.

The bad thing about this movie was everything else! I've been a fan of Debra Messing since she was on Ned and Stacey and I loved the first two seasons of Will and Grace but stopped watching after that, although I do sometimes catch it from time to time. Anyhow, she's adorable but the storyline really sucked!

Things got bad with the soundtrack which started entering suckville when not one, not two but THREE Michael Bublé songs appear in this movie! Does the universe hate me that much?

Seriously, there is never an excuse to add a Bublé song in any movie and to make matters worse it, they used his version of "Sway." If he really loved and honored that song he never would have covered it! But he doesn't and now the entire world has to suffer!

Come on, why don't they use the Dean Martin version?!?! I think there should be a scrolling Public Service Announcement before any movie includes a Bublé song!

I also got my order from The Carrot Box yesterday! I just adore funky rings and had that site bookmarked for a while so I decided to order some cute ring from the Chunky Striped Plastic Bands section and also checked out the Bruised Bin before checking out. I really like the green "Bobbie" ring and want to order more colors of that style.

Even though she's based out of Canada, all prices are in American dollars. My total with shipping included was only $25! I ordered on Monday and they arrived yesterday (Friday) so it was really fast and I'm very happy with my order! :)

Quickie Chronicle - The Summer Lover


Look what else I got yesterday! Too Faced's Quickie Chronicle - The Summer Lover palette! The Quickie Chronicles palettes are disguised as miniature books but inside you get a whole lot of color!

The Quickie Chronicles "She had always been a good girl. She played by the rules, never kissed on the first date and agreed Daddy always knew best. But then this innocent girl picked up the 'Quickie" chronicles, and honey, she was never the same."

The Summer Love is described as:
Once a well-behaved schoolgirl, "The Summer Lover" started stripping down to her bikini and ditching her school books as soon as she could hitch a ride to the beach. Her insatiable appetite for surfer boys and lip gloss made her mother cry and her heart race, and nothing less than the perfect palette of sun-drenched berries for eyes, face, and lips would do.

Palette includes Blush in Pink Mocha, Eye Shadows in Golden Taupe, Pink Sand, and Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Lip Glosses in Raspberry Fizz, Peach Smoothie, Pink Caramel, and Strawberry Shake, plus a double-ended applicator and brush.

This is my first Quickie Chronicle palette but I love the concept and colors, makes me want to collect all of them! It's a good thing i'm a woman of restraint! Anyhow, the good thing about The Summer Love is the colors - this is a day to night palette and the colors aren't limited to summer alone. I could easily see wearing these come autumn or winter as the blush gives you a light skin kissed glow. Plus it's compact and would fit in even the smallest purse. Also, berries colors are known to work on almost all skin tones.

The drawback, it doesn't come with a blush brush so you'll have to use your own. It also doesn't have a mirror but many of us can find a mirror or two in our purses.

It's retails for $25 and is available through b-glowing and Sephora. Your best bargain would be to order it from b-glowing as there is always the 10% off code with MUA plus there is free shipping on orders over $75. Also, Sephora charges me tax even though the closest Sephora in my state is like ten hours away!

So, I went to Marshalls yesterday in hopes of finding something fun, they had some bath products in the front on clearance, a lot of bath salts for $1 to $2 but I'm all stocked up on that front and didn't really need anymore bath salts. They also had a ton of Tony & Tina makeup, no brushes but lots of other things but nothing really caught my eye after looking at it for five minutes.

I hit the juice section but there wasn't anything there I hadn't seen before. People aren't buying Britney's Curious as there were a lot of boxes of that one. Perhaps they'll go on clearance after a while.

I hit the bags and didn't see anything at first so I went to the bath and body section. Hmm, nothing there either I was looking for some linen spray and didn't find any!

So I hit the kitchen section and found these two plates, so cute! I had found a little olive dish from this line a while back but it was chipped and at full price do I didn't buy it. I think I'll use them for a catch all for little items although I think they'd look even better holding a bunch of mini cupcakes!

I also found a really cute espresso set for $5 but remembered that I don't drink espresso and also don't have the ability to make espresso. I already have two little espresso cups anyhow so if anyone asks they can drink tea in an espresso cup and pretend it's espresso even though it's really not!





I then hit the purse section again. I was on the hunt for finding a dark purple bag but I didn't find one! I did however find this and thought of my sister and had every intent of buying it for her and filling it up with fabulous things and giving it to her as a gift but after I bought it I started thinking that she may have that exact bag because it looks very familiar to me.

Last year, I visited her at the end of the year we went to a TJ Maxx in Scottsdale, Arizona (Which was by far the best TJ Maxx I'd ever been to as it was very clean and tidy) and I remember her buying a pink bag like this - I remember because I showed it to her. I swear it's the same bag but even if it's not I decided I liked it so now it's mine!



The total for the damage done: $17.32! Not bad huh! The plates were on clearance for $3 each and the bag was $10, also on clearance. Sometimes I walk away feeling so drained because I spent too much but not this time! :D

18 Jan 1946 --- Here is a tip from Lee Maidman, style director of Renoir Parfums: a thin perfumed pad in the heel of the shoe overcomes stale odors. --- Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS



18 Jan 1946 --- Here is a tip from Lee Maidman, stye director of Renoir Parfums: a perfumed heart, right next to your heart, is a chichi touch. Warmth intensifies the values of the perfume essence so don't overdo. --- Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS




18 Jan 1946 --- Here is a tip from Lee Maidman, stye director of Renoir Parfums: perfume drifts upward as well as outward, so a touch of fragrance on the hem of an evening gown is a good trick. Use sparingly, the scent will be dissipated in a few hours by the movement in dancing. --- Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS



All photos taken from Corbis, I just searched for perfume and found them there. They also have great photos of Becks on that site! Oh Becks!! *swoons*

I Coloniali - Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh



I received a sample of this a while back and was waiting for the weather to get cooler to wear so I decided to apply it last night it's described on the site as:

Is the resin of the Myrrh tree, originally found in Arabia and North Africa, where it was venerated as a sacred tree. Myrrh, the precious ritual offering in the ceremonies of ancient Oriental religions, has a number of beneficial properties, known since ancient times, that range from revitalising and toning to soothing and purifying.


Apply this cream liberally all over the body and massage until the granules are completely absorbed by the skin. The purifying and revitalising action of this treatment will make your skin velvety, supple and pleasantly perfumed.

Myrrh my ass, this is more like a bourbon vanilla than anything else. I hated the granules in this product, I felt like it was some sort of strange body treatment until it was absorbed. While it did leave my skin moisturized and it did smell nice, it is not worth the price at all!

I Coloniali - Deep Massage Body Cream with Myrrh retails for $50/200 ml. or $90/400 ml.

The Snow Garden



I've never read an Ann Rice book, I checked one out once from a library years ago and never got around to reading it so I have no idea how good they really are. Christopher Rice is her son and several years ago he wrote his first novel, A Density of Souls. He came across as a really nice person and the plot of the story sounded really good so I couldn't wait to read it! I did and hated it! I had plans on reading it again, perhaps upon second reading I'd fall in love with it but I leant it to my best friend Connie who has a tendency to lose things so I never saw that book again.

Anyhow, the plot of his second novel, The Snow Garden sounded like it had much more potential than the first one did. It started off really good and somewhere along the way it picked up suckitude. This was awful, truly awful! So awful in fact that if a burglar were to break in and gave me the choice of re-reading this book again or being shot in the foot - the foot would have to go!

At least it wasn't an expensive lesson, just $4 down the drain. Are people getting paid to write positive reviews online or something like that because this book SUCKED!!!

Please, if you value your time, your mind and your eyes - don't bother reading this book!!!

The Microdelivery Peel


When I woke up yesterday I noticed that my skin looked quite awful. I guess I've been neglecting it lately so I decided to use Philosophy's Microdelivery Peel.

Philosophy has this description on their site:

Philosophy pioneered the first medical microdermabrasion machine that rapidly exfoliated the skin as it delivered vitamin c deep into the skin. The treatment is known as the microdelivery peel and is popular amongst plastic surgeons and their patients. We are proud to introduce a less expensive, less invasive in-home version of the microdelivery peel.

We don't just give your skin a peel, we give it a complete skin makeover. what makes this next generation microdelivery peel so revolutionary is that unlike peels of the past that only exfoliated, this peel delivers vitamin c into the skin as it's being rapidly exfoliated. It is resurfacing and replenishing the skin at the same time which is a new approach to skin rejuvenation. and best of all, it involves absolutely no downtime.

You need this product if:

- you want to give your skin a complete makeover
- you want to help de-age your skin
- you crave a radiant glow
- you are an exfoliator aficionado
- pregnant women should consult their physician before using this product as it contains salicylic acid

I have very sensitive skin so I was a bit apprehensive in using this kit. My sister who is an esthetician asked me last time she visited if I wanted a chemical peel but she has hardcore ingredients and I really didn't want to expose my skin to something really harsh. Especially given the fact that I have almost no natural pigment left in my face and the UVA/UVB rays are the most harsh this time of year. Check out this link for more on chemical peels.

The Microdelivery Peel is more of an alternate to those chemical peels and I did my face, neck and decloté.

Two products come in the kit, the bicarbonate vitamin c crystals and the rapid activation gel. The crystals smell like orange and it says you're not to scrub but massage these crystals in but it feels like you're rubbing salt on your face. It's quite a rough process and you do this step for up to 60 seconds.

Then you place a teaspoon amount of the rapid activation gel and massage that over the crystals. Your skin then gets warm and it starts to foam on your skin. You're supposed to leave the foam on for up to three minutes and then you rinse the entire peel off.

Theyrecommendd that you use this kit one to two times a week. While my skin looks and feels incredible, it did irritate my skin which stayed quite red for about an hour. I found this peel quite difficult to wash off and felt the crystals all over my skin as I did this pre-workout and usually shower post-workout.

The next time I use this kit I'll make sure I do it before I shower as it'll be easier to wash off. I washed it off with my regular cleanser Philosophy's Real Purity and finished up my skin with my new favorite moisturizer John Allen's (Yes, I know it's a men's line but it leaves my skin with a matte finish and quite moisturized.)

I wasn't going outdoors so I skipped the sunblock, this is not a treatment I'd use if I were going out in the sun at all because it leaves you with even less protection against the rays.

For my sensitive skin I could see doing this maybe bi-weekly at most, perhaps even just monthly. There is no doubt that those with non-sensitive skin would benefit the most from this kit. I didn't use a lot of this product and feel that the price of $65 is really a bargain as i wouldn't use it much as it's very effective with one application and $65 is a lot cheaper than going to get a facial.

The Microdelivery Peel kit retails for $65 and is sold wherever Philosophy products are sold including their site Philosophy.com.

18 Jan 1946 --- Style director Lee Maidman of Renoir Parfums advises perfume on the back of the knee. This is one of the two spots which generates the most heat. The other is the crook of the elbow. Less perfume should be used in hot weather. --- Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

My Top Ten Summer Fragrances:

Antonia's Flowers' Floret Fresh, fruity and flirty. Perfect for going out or staying in with great staying power!

Guerlain's With Love Spicy, fruity fragrance that isn't too spicy nor too fruity, it's just perfect!

L'Artisan's Extrait de Songe Subtle hay fragrance with hints of wood and musk that's incredibly unique and the first thing I've been reaching for lately.

Les Parfums de Rosine's Un Zeste de Rose Fresh and light rose that even non rose lovers would love. Makes even the hottest days seem bearable.

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier's Fleur D'Iris Incredibly earthy and pure, first thing I choose when I don't feel much like wearing fragrance.

Paula Dorf's Zita Roses and grass, what a simple concept but this is no simple fragrance. Quite lovely on a summer afternoon.

Sali Oguri's Pink Manhattan Purrfume Summer in a bottle this oil lasts all day, doesn't aid in hyperpigmentation and smells wonderful!

Santa Maria Novella Melograno My signature summer fragrance that's slightly green but overall a powdery pomegranate fragrance. I love it even more when layered with the body powder.

Serge Lutens' A La Nuit This was my signature spring fragrance but my love has continued to grow for it. Such a stunning lush jasmine fragrance!

Yves Saint Laurent Roses Enchantées A green fragrance with roses that forever changed my opinion on lily of the valley. The more I wear it, the more I love it!

Want to see more Top 10 Summer Fragrance lists? Check out An Alabaster Brow, Blogdorf Goodman, Bois de Jasmin, Brain Trapped in Girl's Body, C'est Chic, Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary, Life in Paris, Make a Mental Note, Now Smell This, Seldom Nice Nowadays, Self-Styled Siren, She'll be feverish after so much thinking, and This Bananafish Smells Like Leaves.

(Please note: if you visit one of the sites above and the list isn't there yet, check back later in the day. Some of us are in different time zones, and some of us sleep later than others).

Belated Birthday Gift


My day wasn't a total bust as part two of a belated birthday gift arrived, it's a Wonder Woman purse! I've never had a Wonder Woman purse before and now I do! Yay!

WW: My body is my enemy!


So I sticked to my points this week and worked out as usual and step on the scale pleading for the number to change this week from last week.

The good news: It changed alright!
The bad news: It added a pound!

Out of nowhere I gained a pound! I'm not giving up! I think it's my thyroid that's causing me problems and I go to the Doctor in ten days, so in ten days I'll find out if I'm just bullshitting myself into blaming my thyroid or if I'm just not doing enough!

Here's what Weight Watchers had to say on the matter:

GREAT JOB for logging your weight! We notice that you've gained a little this week. You should know that gaining weight every now and then is a natural part of the weight-loss journey.

Here are our tips for getting back on track:

Try some of our Meal Ideas, even if it's only for a day or two. Meal Plans are an easy way to kick your weight loss back into gear — simply by following them, you'll be well within your goal.

Spice up your exercise routine. Add some hills or stairs to your walks, or have a day off from aerobics and try a strength training class.

Join a Meeting. Lots of people find that the support of a group, the accountability of weekly weigh-ins, and motivation and instruction from a leader is just what they need to stay on track.

Good luck this week.

Ah, again without a quote! Oh sure when I was losing all they could do was fill me up with quotes left and right but I'm being punished...because of the thyroid! Damn you thyroid!

Amazing Grace



I decided to wear Philosophy's Amazing Grace fragrance both today and yesterday as I wanted to wear something light and this seemed like the perfect fragrance to wear on a cool, stormy weekend.

This is how Philosophy describes Amazing Grace on their site:

How you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. And so it is with life, which for many of us become one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson, in the end, it all comes down to one word. grace. It's how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light.amazing grace is philosophy's best selling spray fragrance and was created to make a woman smell amazing and infinitely feminine.

Amazing grace embraces the essences of feminity and allows you to wear a beautiful dress every day of the week, even if you dress casually. finally people will say "my you smell good," rather than "your fragrance smells good.

You need this product if:
- you dislike a heavy fragrance
- you do not want to smell like powder, fruit, sweets, spice, vanilla, evergreen, or citrus
- you want a guaranteed compliment a day
- you need to add the ultimate staple to your fragrance wardrobe

When I first sprayed it, I was overwhelmed with the scent of alcohol but that soon dries down. Then comes a very light floral scent that's slightly sweet, I think it's primarily lily of the valley with red berries. That mixes with the scent of white musk. With white musk I either love it or hate it, luckily in this blend it's very pretty.

This is a great year round, all day fragrance. The staying power of this fragrance is incredibly lousy and if you really want it to stick around all day, it would be better to apply in the hair or on clothes.

I also have the shampoo, bath, and shower gel and the salt scrub in this line and feel the fragrance is a bit stronger on both items, but the staying power doesn't last outside of the bath.

Amazing Grace retails for $35/2 oz. and is sold anywhere Philosophy products are sold or through Philosophy.com.

Forgot to mention that Philosophy bottles are notoriously known to leak. My Falling In Love bottle is fine but the Amazing Grace bottle arrived leaking and continues to leak as I spray it! Philosophy must invest in better bottles because this is inexcusable!

I used to adore Elisabeth Hasselbeck when she was on Survivor: The Australian Outback she seemed so genuine and nice and I hoped that she would win.

She didn't, but I was happy when it was announced that she was the host of The Look For Less and watched it as often as I could.

After a while, she started to annoy me and she annoyed me even more when she was chosen to be a co-host on The View. I don't know if people just become bitchy while on that show or if their true colors come through after time but I can't stand any of the hosts on The View. None of them seem genuine or nice at all and I want to kick all their asses!

I'm really happy that there is a new host on The Look For Less, it's model Yoanna House who was the winner of America's Next Top Model 2. I never saw that show but she seems really nice. I really hope she is sincerely nice and genuine because nothing pisses me off more than people who pretend to be and aren't!

Philosophy Win


I won my 3rd Lucky Breaks Sweepstakes! I was one of one hundred winners in the Philosophy Best Sellers Sweepstakes which included an 8-oz. Purity Made Simple, .5-oz Hope in a Tube, 1-oz. When Hope Is Not Enough serum, .5-oz. Kiss Me lip gloss, 2-oz. Hope in a Jar, 2-oz. Amazing Grace fragrance, and microdelivery peel kit (ARV $230).

This is a great win and the Philosophy skin care line is my favorite. I've never tried the serum but have tried and/or own everything else in the line. the only thing I don't like is Hope in a jar which I find is too oily for my combination skin. Luckily, that's my Mom's favorite moisturizer so I can just give it to her.

I didn't have a bottle of Amazing Grace but it had been on my list of fragrances I'd like to someday have.

Etro Raving

Raving is the last of the three Etro Benetroessere trio. It's described on the site as sensual, it temps you to yield to the thrill of the senses and to the most intense sensations to enhance the quality of life.

The seductive, pervasive notes of exotic woods and Papua mace emerge in this woodsy, spicy fragrance.

Notes:
Top: orange, tangerine, petit grain
Middle: Papua mace, rose, patchouli
Bottom: musk, vanilla

This is a dry spicy fragrance with hints of patchouli and musk. It's not too dry however as the sweetness of the orange and vanilla make it lighter. When it's first sprayed, it makes me sneeze so it could be too much for those with a sensitive nose.

I adore spicy fragrances and this is without a doubt my favorite of the three in this collection. It's not too heavy that it can't be worn in warmer weather but it's not too light that that one wouldn't notice it in colder weather. It's just perfect. It does go on quite heavy but seems to fade over the day and meets an area of perfection.

Raving retailed for $60 but can be found for around $50 or less.

Etro Relent

Decided to wear Etro's Relent today which is described as relaxing, it persuades you to surrender, to slow down, and to listen to your inner rhythms that surpass the barriers of time and space.

This talc-like, amber fragrance features the dreamy essences of frangipane and Polynesian tiare.

Notes:
top: bergamot, orange and lavender
middle: geranium, orange blossoms and fern
bottom: vetiver, curarine, amber, benzoin

This opens up incredibly citrusy, sort of like fresh squeezed orange juice that's slightly herbal. The orange blossom is thankfully very light on me. Slight vetiver and amber in here. A very fresh fragrance that's slightly tropical, it's perfect for hot days as an all day fragrance. The staying power of this fragrance is really good, I find that a little goes a long way with this scent.

Relent retailed for $60 when it was on the market but can be purchased for slightly less now, around $50.

Fantastic Four Win


My day wasn't a total suckfest as a win came in! I won a Fantastic Four Jacket/Beanie Set. Approximate retail value $45.00. $45 my ass, who decides what the retail price of these things? This was a 5th prize win, the other prizes in this contest were really awesome!

Grand Prize: #1 Fantastic Four comic book signed by Jack Kirby (ARV $20,000).

First Prize: Dr. Doom 140cm wood core snowboard (ARV $250).

Second Prize: Human Touch 140cm wood core snowboard (ARV $250).

Third Prize: The Thing 130cm wood core snowboard (ARV $200).

Fourth Prize: Fantastic Four Group 130cm wood core snowboard (ARV $200).

Fifth Prizes (100): Fantastic Four jacket/beanie set (ARV $45).

I totally need a snowboard! Why doesn't society realize this, why haven't snowboard companies sent me an unlimited supply of snowboards? Nevermind that I've never gone snowboarding in my life but I've never surfed and I have a surfboard! Someone should create a show for me where people dare me to do different things like go surfing, snowboarding, swim with sharks, etc... And I have to do it because it's my contribution to society or something like that! I'm onto something, I just don't know what it is!

New Hobby


So I'm going through my mail today and I open up this letter from Chase and it states: After careful consideration, we have decided to close the above-notes account for the following principal reasons:

Delinquency on accts
Delinquency reported on the last 48 mos.

I thought it was a scam letter as I don't have a Chase credit card until I checked my credit cards and sure enough the number is one of my Bank One credit cards. I checked my account online and there isn't a balance on it so I figured there has to be some type of mistake. I then called Bank One and they told me that they made the decision to close my account based on the information on my credit report.

A few months ago, I received an e-mail stating that my American Express account was frozen because I hadn't paid my balance. I hadn't used that card and knew that there was no balance on the account as I pay off the balance in full every month on anything I charge. They told me that my account was somehow combined with another account so everything was fixed, it was a case of mistaken identity so I didn't worry about it.

Well, now I'm worried! I called to put a fraud statement on my credit report. I was able to access one of my credit reports online and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with it but I have to get all the credit reports and do futher research on what's going on! Bank One told me that my account is now closed so there isn't anything I can do there.

I feel so angry and violated right now because now I have to clear my name and credit report!

August 2005 Sampler


Yay, my August 2005 Sampler came in today! Someone needs to take my camera away as I am the worst photographer in the world but here is the best picture I took of the contents.

I received:

One soap sample from Naikid
A set of polaroid stickers from JLR Fashions
A postcard from Kat's Meow
Two yarn samples from Midnightsky Fibers
An orange magnet from Orange County Crafters
A mini notecard from Glamscience
A notecard from Heart Tattoo
A button from Buttonarcade
Stickers from Miss. Chief Shop
A vegan lip balm in Coffee Coffee from Heather Joy
A stationary set from Demarco Designs
A felt barrette from Copacetique
A soap shaped like a skull from Novelty Kitten
A card from Seven Six Designs
A zine from Sweet Candy Distro
A pair of earrings from Starving Artist Bazaar
A loopy loom bracelet kit from Turtle Kisses
A needle case from Bean-dip and Eddy
A kitsch bag charm from Sabrina's Charm
A jotter notepad from Annette Payne Designs

I also got a yarn sample in my last kit so I take it as a sign that I should take up knitting so I bought myself a How To Knit Kit! I hope it isn't hard because it looks like a lot of fun, then again so did cross stitch which was an incredibly short lived hobby!

The Sampler retails for $20/1 month or $50/3 month subscription for US subscribers. $26 USD/1 month or $68 USD/3 month subscription for international subscriptions. Subscriptions for the September Sampler will be open on Monday, August 15 at 11 A.M. and 4 P.M. PST at the Sampler.

Etro Resort


I decided to spend the next three days testing Etro's Benetroessere, the fragrances in this line are Resort, Relent and Raving. I decided to wear Resort today.

Etro describes Resort as: revitalizing, it regenerates with the sounds of silence and metaphors of nature, helping you get in touch with your inner self.

This fruity floral fragrance is characterized by the energetic aroma of the carambola and Australian magnolia.

Notes:
Top: lime, tangerine and grapefruit
Middle: carambola, jasmine, Australian magnolia
Bottom: musk, sandalwood, patchouli

It opens very citrusy, I really can't smell the floral notes in here as it's more fruity than floral. to me, the fragrance is slightly masculine. The bottom notes seem to be the heaviest on me, rather dry but as the top notes seem rather lush there is a balance in this fragrance. I think this would be a nice year round fragrace for those who can pull it off but I'd wear it more as a warm weather fragrance. The staying power of this is really great and two sprays lasted all day on me.

Resort retailed for $60/5 oz. when it released two years ago, I believe it's discontinued but can be found on the web through certain sites for around $50 or so.

I have an awful confession to make....I don't know how to deal with emotional crying people on the phone! Yesterday, it happened not once but twice. Two emotional phone calls with people crying on the other end!

I for the most part keep all my emotions in (I know, i know, it's so unhealthy..blah, blah, blah....) so it's very rare that others see me or hear me cry. This is because I can't deal when I cry myself! When I cry, I feel like an ass, I stop crying and start laughing my ass off because I hate the way I sound, look and act when I cry. I confuse people when I'm crying because they aren't sure how to react, are they supposed to console me? Laugh with me?

When someone starts crying in your presence you can hug them but then comes that awkward position of how long do you hug them and when do you end the hug and push them away. There was this one time where my friend was incredibly upset and I hugged her and she wouldn't stop crying and I wasn't sure if I should end the hug or not but once she started getting my shirt wet with her tears I started pushing her away. I felt really bad that she was crying but come on - suck it up! It was a minor cry anyhow, like she had broken up with someone for the millionth time so in retrospect, I didn't really feel that bad.

With the first phone call I kinda snapped at the person which really wasn't the best thing to do but as it wasn't a life or death situation it really wasn't that bad and I didn't really feel guilty, although I should have.

With the second phone call, I turned the situation around and made it comical after all who wouldn't want to laugh instead of crying?

I think I really should know how to deal with crying people on the phone, there should be phone etiquette classes on this subject because I can't be the only one out there with this problem - can I?

BPAL: Swank


I received a sample vial of Swank with my last BPAL order. Swank is described on the site as simply cool, the essence of lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini. I love pomegranates so I couldn't wait to try this one!

As soon as I applied it to my skin, the overwhelming scent of fruit punch attacked my nose. I must have been the only kid on the planet who hated fruit punch growing up. I dreaded school and birthday parties because at the majority of them, fruit punch was the drink of choice. It really sucked being me at birthday parties anyhow, I was always the first kid dropped off as my parents believed strongly in punctuality. I was always stuck waiting with the birthday kid until all everyone else showed up, usually half an hour to an hour later. to make matters worse, my parents would ALWAYS arrive right before they the cake was cut or the presents were opened.

Anyhow, hidden deep within this fragrance is what could be a hint of pomegranate but for the most part, it's fruit punch that's heavy on orange and pineapple. There is a hint of something floral in here but it's covered up by all the fruit. As time went on, the orange seemed to be the heaviest note in the entire fragrance so it wasn't so fruit punchy (I know, I know it's not a word but sounds like it could be). I'm burning an amber candle and the two scents together sound like they could be an awesome mix - going to have to layer this with an amber oil!

This is a great warm weather fragrance that's perfect for the girl who likes to go clubbing. If you can stand the fruit punchiness in the top notes, I think this would be nice fragrance on a warmer autumn day like last Thanksgiving when I wore Escada's Ibiza Hippie this could be along the same line, think fruit compote. The staying power is really strong in this fragrance as I applied very little and it's lasted for several hours already.

Swank retails for $12.50/5 ml. or $19.50/10 ml.

My metabolism mocks me as it has refused to let me lose any weight even though I'm staying within my Weight Watchers points. Something's up, the week of my cycle I tend to lose little or no weight so that could be the first problem or it's because of stupid Graves disease!

Weight Watchers isn't helping me as they notified me again that I'm going through a plateau and refused to give me a quote!

On the upside, my skin looks good. All this healthy eating has been positive so far.

I've come too far to give up so my body better check itself before I get really mad!

First Daughter


I wasted two hours this morning watching First Daughter. It really wasn't my fault as I wasn't feeling good, hadn't slept and had seen every other movie on cable already. Plus, I have a renewed crush in Marc Blucas of Buffy fame as I saw I Capture the Castle the other day which I really liked.

If you've seen Chasing Liberty, this is the same premise. the daughter of the American President wants a normal life, meets a boy who isn't what he appears to be.

The girl:
First Daughter: Katie Holmes
Chasing Liberty: Mandy Moore

Winner: Mandy Moore who's a great singer, seems all around nice and she would never date Tom Cruise! It's a shame that she and Andy Roddick broke up, they were an adorable couple!

The boy:
First Daughter: Marc Blucas
Chasing Liberty: Matthew Goode

Winner: Marc Blucas, although if I had to choose my favorite Buffy beau it would be David Boreanaz.

The President:
First Daughter: Michael Keaton
Chasing Liberty: Mark Harmon

Winner: Mark Harmon! Ah sure, you're thinking how can he beat out Batman/Mr. Mom but Mark Harmon actually saved people!!

If you've seen Chasing Liberty then skip this one! Tom Cruise had mentioned in several interviews that he was captivated by Katie Holmes' talent as an actress. Clearly, he didn't see this movie because my portrayal of a maid in my freshman introduction to theater final took more effort than this movie did!

Olivia . . . and the Missing Toy



I purchased my first Olivia book recently and it arrived yesterday! I had been looking to get my hands on a great mystery that didn't take much effort to read. While this wasn't as good as Olivia or as my favorite Olivia Saves the Circus, it was still a great book and I finished it in about two minutes.

I love the fact that Olivia has a Martha Graham poster on her wall and asks her Mom to make her a soccer jersey that makes her stand out from anyone else.

I love Olivia, need to buy the other books in this series!

Olivia . . . and the Missing Toy retails for $16.95 but is in the bargain section at Books A Million for $9.99