Flyover Life and Style

Signature Scents

 

My Favorite Fragrances by zaftigfashion featuring an eau de parfum perfume

 

Fragrance and I haven't always had the best track record. Perfume tends to fade very quickly on my skin, and seldom does it last all day. Except...when it's bad. For example, that time in junior high when I spritzed myself down with Charlie. All day long, kids were sniffing the air in my immediate vicinity and saying,"Eww! What's that smell?"  Or the time I accidentally made myself smell like marijuana with Suave strawberry shampoo. Don't ask. I don't even know.

 

So yeah. I have no idea what is up with the pH of my skin. But these are the fragrances I love, and they even love me back. So much better than emptying the room!

Clockwise from top:

• Burberry Weekend - this is my go-to fall fragrance. It evokes horseback rides over the moors, rainy London streets, trench coats, and all around preppy goodness. 
• Gucci Guilty - my wedding day fragrance, and the one I reach for when I get dressed up. Soft notes of vanilla, apricot, and musk. All Gucci fragrances are to die for.
• Clean Warm Cotton - imagine burying your nose in a basket of towels fresh from the dryer, and you'll smell just like that! This is a newer discovery, and I wear it to work, because it smells good without being overpowering. My friend Kayla cannot stop sniffing me when I wear it. 

How about you? What are your favorite fragrances?

 

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My Dressing Table: Everyday Products

I want to introduce the first installment of a new series: My Dressing Table - where I talk about beauty products and review items I'm currently using.

Here are some summery favorites:

• Avene Eau Thermale - the solution for moments when your face goes from slightly dewy to sweaty and flushed. I pop this in my tote when we are going to be outdoors for awhile. It refreshes my skin and soothes the heat. I recently discovered this product through Ipsy. If you haven't heard of Ipsy, find out more here. It's the best $10 you can spend on beauty products in a month! 
• Mirabella Skin Tint Creme - I have been on the hunt for the perfect liquid foundation for, well, forever. While I love Olay and Covergirl's pancake style makeup, the Mirabella skin tint is great for summer. This mineral-based foundation still has coverage in the places you need it, but is breathable and gives an air-brushed finish. I really enjoyed learning more about this great cosmetics company in St. Louis at the Discover show. We are now using their line on our clients at our salon.
• First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads - I use these first thing in the morning to freshen my complexion and prep it for moisturizer and sunscreen. I only cleanse at night to save my skin from dryness, so these little pads, packed with gentle plant-based AHAs, are perfect for waking me up and sloughing off any dead skin cells. 
• Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Oil- I've been using this body oil in place of lotion for over six months now, and I love the long-lasting moisture it imparts to my skin. Lotions typically evaporate quickly, especially in the winter. This oil is non-greasy, smells heavenly, and is fast to apply. You can also use it in the bath.
• Jergen's Natural Glow 3 Days to Glow - I've been a fan of Jergen's Natural Glow for a few years now - being the only self-tanner that makes my skin look tan instead of eerily orange or jaundice. This one works faster than their regular formula, and doesn't have that horrible self-tanner odor. I'm hooked! 

Have you used any of these products? What are your favorite summer beauty finds?

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Valentine Wishes

 

Valentine Wishes by zaftigfashion featuring a white bouquet

 

 

While my husband and I don't get too crazy at Valentine's Day, we do like to do something small for each other. Even if it's a thoughtful card or a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store, it's the little romantic gestures that make the biggest impact. This wishlist contains items that any lady would love to have on any day of the year - even if for no reason at all! Guys, it doesn't take much to make us smile. Diamonds aren't always necessary, irregardless of those Jared commercials. 

• Casablanca lilies are my favorite flower. I love their fragrance, their simple elegance. My husband has never forgotten that lilies are my favorite. They're in every bouquet he's ever sent me. Here is a beautiful one.
• Betsey Johnson Bow Bracelet - This is so girly and fun. 
• MOR Lip Macaron - with the frigid, dry weather, this pretty little lip balm is a necessary indulgence.
• Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet - it doesn't get more ladylike and French than Dior. I love this fragrance.
• Typographic Love Scarf  - Hand-printed silk scarves are a classic, collectible item that never goes out of style.
• Diptyque Candle in Tubereuse - the essence of sensuality, romance and springtime. It's in so many perfumes the list could go on for pages. Diptyque candles are worth every penny. The fragrance will fill your home.
• Deborah Lipmann Nail Polish {Candy Shop} - this looks like the frosting on your favorite animal crackers or cupcakes! Treat her to an hour alone so she can give herself a mani with this fun polish.
• Sur La Table Valentine Mug - She'll smile every morning while she pours her coffee into this sweet mug.

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Back To Basics

New Beauty Discoveries

 

Beauty Favorites by zaftigfashion featuring Korres

 

 

Being the product junkie that I am, I always love to try new beauty products out. But I also have this weird thing where I have to run completely out of something before I buy anything new. Especially with lotions and bath products. I know - I'd make a horrible beauty editor. I just like to give things a full run and a fair shake before I make a judgment call on them, ya know?

 

But cosmetics? It's a free for all. I just can't get enough makeup.

 

These 7 items are in near constant use in my routine lately. Here's the rundown:

• 1. Korres Mattifying Face Primer. When I want my skin to look poreless I use this stuff under my makeup. It smells like rosewater and makes my foundation glide on. I got it at Sephora a couple months ago. I love Korres products, because they are pretty much 100% natural.
• 2. L'Occitane Hand Creme in Amande. I have chronic dry hairstylist's hands. Like chapped and cracked nastiness in the winter. This stuff is amazing, and the fragrance is light. Sephora.
• 3. Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon. This, topped with #4 is my winter everyday lipcolor pick. The tint in this works equally as well for the cheeks to add a flush of color. Sephora.
• 4. Rosebud Salve makes everything better - from chapped lips to crocodilian knees and elbows. Sephora.
• 5. Butter London Matte Finish Topcoat. Gives your nails a shine-free and super chic matte look - a fun way to add variety to your polish collection. Order here.
• 6. And of course...Too Faced's Better Than False Lashes kit. Read my in-depth review here. Available at Sephora.
• 7. Skyn Iceland's Fresh Start Mask. I am doing this every weekend. I can notice a difference in my skin's tone and just its general feel. It's made with detoxifying Ice Age clay. It feels decadent. Buy it here. I am in love with this company. They market to stressed-out women. Ha!

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Allure Best of Beauty 2013 available at Sephora

Beauty Review: Too Faced Lash Kit

Beauty Review: Too Faced Lash Kit

One of the items I received in my swag bag from Lucky Fabb was this lash extension kit from Too Faced Cosmetics. I was excited to try them, because I have very puny blonde eyelashes that virtually disappear without mascara - and I have tried almost every mascara under the sun. I apply false eyelashes on occasion, but it's tedious and not practical for every day. So I was anxious to see how this product would work.

The kit consists of two products - a combo priming and top-coat mascara, and a tube of nylon fibers. I started with all of my makeup done but my mascara. This is what that looks like:

I applied the base coat to my right eye, then quickly applied the fibers. I sealed that eye with the final coat of mascara, and wowza. I followed suit on the other eye, et voila! I had long, voluminous lashes!

Here's the before and after, side by side, so you can compare: 

The thing I loved the most about this product was the consistency in length, and the ease of application. It added at least 2-3 millimeters of length to my lashes, and they even touched my eyebrows with my eyes fully open! The product felt nice and light - unlike traditional false lashes - and I've never gotten this much length or volume from a traditional mascara. It was easy to remove with eye-makeup remover pads, and left my lashes in good shape. I give this kit two thumbs up, and I'll be purchasing more when I run out!

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Video Tutorial: Creating Natural-Looking Curl

We are beginning to do video tutorials and haircare tips on our salon's website. I wanted to share this one with you, because Sa'dia does a great job explaining how to imitate natural curl, no matter your hair texture. Look for more tutorials from time to time - they're so fun to watch! I'll be doing one soon on how to create a fishtail braid.  For more beauty and haircare tips, visit the Alchemy Blog! 

In Praise of the Jolie-Laide

 

The unapologetically unique Sandra Bernhard

Jolie-laide: "pretty-ugly" is the loose translation from the French. It really doesn't convey the true essence of what the original language means to say, however. It is a je ne sais quoi -  "I don't know what it is about her, but she is wonderful to look at" quality. Ah, the French. They communicate so much in so few words, where we fumble with an alternative.

Have you ever seen a mock-up of the "perfect" face? It's kind of horrifying! Much too symmetrical, with everything in proportion like some kind of nightmarish Stepford clone. While conventional beauty is undeniably attractive, there is something about a face that's off-kilter. Perhaps the brows are too bushy or close together, the nose a bit askew, the chin recessed or the lips too full. No matter. After all, to quote Fitzgerald: 

"After a certain degree of prettiness, one pretty girl is as pretty as another."

Not being conventionally attractive myself, these are the confident but quirky women I admire. I used to abhor my large-ish, slightly crooked nose, and when I was an insecure teen, I contemplated having a nose job someday. Now, I think that would be ridiculous. The nose is a family trait. I feel like a regal dachschund. So there! 

Here are some of my favorite unconventional beauties. Because a face with character is so much more interesting to look at...

 

Lauren Hutton and her famous gap-toothed grin. All-American, natural beauty.

 

The inimitable Diana Vreeland - editor-in-chief of American Vogue, 1963-1971

 

Rosanna Arquette

 

Anjelica Huston. She looks the way I imagine the real Cleopatra looked.

 

SJP - the most perfectly imperfect of them all

 

Charlotte Gainsbourg - daughter of Jane Birkin

 

The Indie Muse: Sofia Coppola

 

Carine Roitfeld, former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris and model

 

Tilda Swinton - almost alien beauty

 

And finally, because I have to include a most unconventionally attractive man in this lineup, this guy makes my heart go pitter-patter:

Adrien Brody. Those eyes. That nose. Sorry, honey.

Who are your favorites?

Beauty Obsessions: Love & Toast

I discovered Love & Toast by accident...well, kind of. I was shopping at TJ Maxx in the random beauty aisle, and realized I was out of lotion at home. So, after sniffing several bottles, I discovered these little gems, with their quirky square designs and fun graphics. I love anything that smells like fresh ocean water(anyone remember Davidoff Cool Water?? Ah, the 80's). Anyway, this brand is jam-packed full of natural ingredients, isn't tested on animals, and has a nifty website you can order from. The lotion and body wash made my shower a mermaid's oasis, and I emerged with soft skin. Lovely. Even my husband noticed!

Go get ya some.

Spring Fever VoxBox Review

I'm a little late to the game on this one - it's been a long three weeks since I received this VoxBox in the mail from Influenster. I had some stuff going on, so better late than never! All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not paid by Influenster to give this review. 

For those of you unfamiliar to Influenster, it works quite a bit like Klout. I was invited to participate a few months ago (they invite lots of bloggers) and this is the first VoxBox I received. They send out these product kits to a select number of qualifying members depending on your frequency of posting and your social media activity. If you are interested, check out their site to see if you qualify to become an Influenster! It's pretty fun.

Now, on to the reviews.

From left to right:

• Broadway Nails Press-On Manicure. The packaging on this is attractive - the marble gold and burgundy tips were displayed in an easy-to-open plastic container that was in the shape of a nail polish bottle. It was easy to size and apply the peel and stick nails to the nail bed, and the adhesive is very sticky. The only problem I had was that the overall profile of the nail wasn't flush with the cuticle, and so when I was styling my hair, it would get tangled beneath the artificial nail. For that reason, I only wore them over a weekend, because I knew I couldn't style my clients' hair with them on. Other than that, they're nice for a night out, and I received lots of compliments on them.

• NYC Color Appleicious Lip Balm. I'm picky about lip gloss and balm. This one is nice - it isn't overly sticky, and for a drugstore brand the fragrance and taste were pleasant. The color is pretty - a rosy reddish-pink. I love Revlon's Lip Butter more than any other lip color in the world right now, so I was a bit of a hard sell on this one. The application was a little messy if you like a crisp line. Overall, this would be a good lipcolor for teens and for women who prefer a natural look. I'm usually not in that camp.

• Shawarzkopf Professional Osis+ Dust It. I'm a Paul Mitchell girl, tried and true, but it's fun to try out other professional product lines from time to time. What I liked about this shakeable powder is the way that it camouflages greasy roots from second day or more hair. It created volume and lift at the scalp on day 6 for me between shampoos. It would be a great product for women with fine hair wanting a matte lift at the scalp.

• TastyKake Kandybar Kakes in S'mores. Avery and I fought over this one! So much deliciousness packaged in a portable serving. I split it with her, and it was gone in seconds. Highly recommend for your kids' lunch box and for an afternoon sugar rush without too many calories!

• Secret Outlast Clear Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant. This product's claim to fame is its invisibility. I found that it lived up to its claims of no white marks on clothing (a pet peeve of mine!) It really did last all day. The only (slight) negative I would have is that the clear gel formula is a little hard to control and tends to be a bit wet and messy. But it dries quickly, and I will probably purchase this product in the future. 

It was fun reviewing these products for Influenster, and I hope I qualify for the next VoxBox challenge!

* I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

 

 

My Top Ten

Top 10 Beauty by zaftigfashion featuring opi

Every woman has her go-to beauty products - the things she always refills when she runs out, and the items that she packs on every trip. These are a few of my favorite things. I'm fond of whiskers on kittens as well. 

From Left to Right:

OPI's Russian Navy

If you've ever tried OPI polish, you will be spoiled. The wide brush, which sweeps over the length of your nail in one stroke, makes a flawless manicure possible at home. Russian Navy is a rich navy blue with just a hint of shimmer - from a distance it almost looks black. It's a great color to wear if you prefer shorter nails.

Urban Decay Eyeshadows + Priming Potion

As a hairstylist and makeup artist, I have tried lots of eyeshadows over the years. These, with their finely milled particles, are infinitely layerable and blend like a dream. The fun names are an added bonus! Finally, Priming Potion as a base insures that your shadow won't crease or fade - no matter what you're up to. We use this on all of our brides at Alchemy.

Gucci Guilty

I discovered this perfume before my wedding last year. I wanted a memorable fragrance that would always remind me of our day - the advice of my friend Jordan. I tried several, but this has become my signature scent. Hints of warm amber, peach and musk make it decadent from the moment you spritz it on until the dry-down. 

Avoplex Cuticle Oil To-Go

OPI's Avoplex oil is a saviour in the dry Winter months. My hands are in water many times a day with my work, and it's not unusual for them to crack and bleed. I use this oil when I'm waiting in line, when I'm watching TV and in between clients. The brush applicator makes it easy to apply to the cuticle without making a mess. 

Rimmel Glam Eyes Lash

I've tried many, many mascaras over the years. Some have been $30 a tube. Most have been a waste of aforementioned $30. This drugstore staple has proven to be the best bang for the buck (usually only $7!)

It lengthens and separates my puny blonde lashes (natural ginger) to the point of Brigitte Bardot lushness.

Olay Facial Cloths

I'm lazy at night. I've been on my feet all day. But I also know I'm at the age I need to take my makeup off before I go to bed. These make it fast, easy, and painless. They pack well and they make me feel fresh and a little better about myself in the morning. No raccoon eyes!

NARS Orgasm Blush

I know, scandalous name. But think about it! It's the perfect color - on everyone. I use it on all my makeup clients. Perfect rosy peach glow. Yes. The thing you want to use when you're sick so as not to look half dead.

Yes to Carrots Lip Butter

No gross artificial stuff - just pure and natural softness. I keep it in my car and reapply every time I hit a red light. Which is to say - a lot.

Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer

I'm an Irish girl. Irish girls are pale. This keeps me from scaring the kids with the brilliant fishbelly whiteness of my legs come Springtime. It's just enough color to make you look human and not orange. I have had orange. I have also had the Ross tan. Lessons learned, people.

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

I call this stuff "Spanx for your hair." Every girl with curly hair needs it. I use this on practically everyone who sits in my chair. Detangler, de-frizzer, and moisturizing agent - it is perfect to throw in your purse and reapply throughout the day. Humidity is coming. Be prepared.

What are your beauty must haves?