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22 March 2009

Making it up


I have to take a departure from fashion for a second to share my Saturday afternoon discovery with everyone (you know, the two of you who actually read this).

My recent interest in finding a natural and/or (preferably and) organic skin care line led me right back to where I started. About ten years ago, at the urging of my sister, I started using Origins make-up and skincare. However, over the years I kind of felt like my skin either was entirely too used to it or it just wasn't as new and shiney as all the other great stuff out there (the introduction of Sephora was a big deterrent for me). For my wedding, I entirely switched over to Yves Saint Laurent for make-up and went back to Cetaphil for my skin.

I've been using Cetaphil since, well, birth practically. Being born with highly highly sensistive skin and excema (suckage, party of one), my mom actually used to bath me in Cetaphil completely. Fun times...nothing like putting on your Sugar Plum Fairy pj's feeling like an oil slick. Cetaphil is a very gentle skin cleanser and make-up remover but my skin needs a bit more now that I a) have a kiddo and b) am getting older. I have decided when I'm 40, I have no intention of looking 40.

Saks is fabulous for skincare and make-up you can't find any place else in Raleigh. They have a great soy based organic line that I would kill for but the $130 price tag on the moisturizer was a bit out of my price range after dropping the pre-wedding wad on YSL.

A few months after the wedding and a slow return to my vegetarian mostly organic diet, I noticed that a) my skin was breaking out a lot and b) that YSL make-up is full of things I cannot pronounce. And the Cetaphil? Not really doing me any favors.

So, I've gone back to Origins. And I have to tell you I don't think I'll ever leave again. They have reformulated their entire line to get it even more natural than it was before. I chose their Stay Tuned foundation because, well, it feels and looks like heaven. But before the make-up artist at the Origins store revamped my color, she gave me quite a life-changing cleanse. She used the Dr. Weil's (love you Dr. Weil) Plantidote Line. My skin has never felt softer or glowed more. And right now, for a limited time, they are offering a Dr. Weil's Plantidote starter kit for $49.50!! I know I sound like a commercial but seriously...highly recommend this. It's all mushroom based and filled with organic essential oils. It's perfect for sensitive skin but also for skin that needs calming. If you experience inflammation and irrititation this is the skincare for you! The individual products start at around $35 a piece so it's a great deal.

I'd also recommend going to an actual Origins store. I've not had great experiences at the Origins counters in various department stores because, well, department stores have high turn over. And it when it comes to my face, I want someone who knows their product.

Origins is a great company, too. So while looking fabulous, you can also rest assured that you are investing in a company that isn't just consumed with the almighty dollar. All of their stores are run on wind energy; Dr. Weil gives all of his after-tax profits to his not-for-profit organization that promotes integrative medicine (research, practice, etc....check out his website); and next month they are starting a recycling program where you can bring any of your make-up containers (lipstick, foundation...any brand, any type) into their stores and they will recycle them for you. Make-up containers are hard to recycle and take up a lot of space in our landfills each year.

Even more importantly, among the list of things that Origins products DO NOT include is parabens. Parabens have been proven to disrupt hormone function and quite possibly are linked to the rise in breast cancer over the past few decades. It's found not only in make-up but hair products as well.

It's easy to put just anything on your face especially if it makes you feel pretty right? But why would you?

Take care of those punims. xoxox, kvlm

13 March 2009

Shoe-be Shoe-be Shoe-bedo

I was just talking with my sole sister about the shoes that are hot this spring. I'm a shoe addict, plain and simple. However, I can (now) admire a fab shoe while accepting that it will never look hot on my foot or go with anything in my closet. I have bought many a shoe that barely made it out of my closet one time, or had to undergo some sort of extensive redesign to make it out twice (my silver buckle plaid strap bebe heels that are now just...well, plan black bebe heels). Anyway, here are some samples of this season's popular footware: platform, cuffed, and gladiator sandals with a little retro thrown in for good measure.


These Luichiny's, I suppose, fall under cuffed and gladiator. There are a lot of flat options out there this Spring and they kind of remind me of the sandals we used to buy at the drugstore during the summer time when I was a kid (you did this in South Carolina...and Georgia, honestly). Simple and barely there, they look cute with maxi dresses and gypsy skirts. However this particular species of them scare me a little bit. It's the kind of thing that, on the right person (read super long, lean legs with a hint of tan) probably looks great but might only stand to accentuate a more athletic calf (which may be your gig). Which leads me to the next shoe...



I love the idea of these cuffed heels by Report. The coral color is s a bit too California for my taste but given the colors for Spring, there would be a lot of opportunity to rock this particular hue. In theory, this is kind of sexy. In theory. I think the thing you have to be careful with here is, if you, like me, aren't much of a tanner and prefer a more alabaster complexion to buff, the thick black cuff hitting you at the ankle is only going to serve to chop your leg off at the foot...making your legs look much shorter and no one...i mean no one...wants that. The height of this particular heel might counteract that a shade, but it's something, again, I think the average woman will have to be careful with. Chopping your body into sections is never a good idea. Both these and the Luichiny's from Victoria's Secret.

These yummy caramel Marni's combine two trends of the season: platform and cuffed (so see above). I am a sucker for a good platfrom sandal, especially if it's in wedge formation. Thank you, Mr. Shoemaker for making my legs look miles longer than they actually are. Unfortunately, these aren't every day shoes. They aren't really office shoes either (my adorable bow-top black platforms from last year have been downgraded to weekend action only after a few not so accepting stares during the 9-to-5...but then I guess it depends on what kind of office you work in). The thing I love about these shoes, too, is they have that late '60's vibe to them but totally work with all things current. The other thing is that if you notice the way the cuff actually hits her foot more at the crest of the ankle than right around the actual ankle, that's something key to look for. It avoids the aforementioned "chopping" and creates a more delicate ankle and not so much a, well, hoof as some of the others may. Just sayin'.

Ah...Christian Louboutin. Where would the world be without you, Jimmy and Manolo? Certainly a less interesting place to walk around in. I love these gladiators because they also have a slightly dominatrix appeal to them. Not that I'm into that kind of thing but hell, heels make you feel sexy, right? May as well up the sexy ante and add a little "woman in charge" if you get what I'm putting down. I think these shoes would look fab on anyone. Highly recommended even though they have an over $1,000 price tag. Oh well, a girl can dream...

And last, but certainly not least, a little kitsch for your day. I bought these Michael Antonio heels a few weekends ago when it wouldn't stop raining because I needed a little pick me up. I actually bought them on consignment strictly because they looked so very vintage. If I hadn't known who Michael Antonio was I would have sworn they were straight from the '50's. There's a lot of pin-up girl influence this Spring, especially when it comes to resort wear. Now honestly, buying a white shoe was kind of a big deal for me, since I swore it was something I would never ever do but the blue platform of these with the blue piping is going to look super hot and flirty when (and if) I can find the perfect vavavoom blue sundress. Little cleavage, some red lips, fabulous sunglasses...every girl needs a little Vargas in her life.

xoxo, kvlm