Beauty, Charm & Style

Oui Oui, L’amour de ma Bouche
(Yes, Yes, Love my Mouth)

French is such a romantic language.  You must agree. And a French man is often oozing with sex appeal.  When he speaks, the words roll off his tongue in such a passionate way that each and every syllable makes a lady melt.  That’s why I can never go to Paris.  I’d melt away.

But I can have a taste of Paris when I use my new Ceci Cela Almond Lip Balm.

Ceci Cela Almond Lip Balm

French for “this and that,” Ceci Cela soothes and nourishes my lips and protects my mouth from exposure to the harsh elements of Texas (the sun) with Vitamin E and SPF 15.

Easy, peasy, nice and easy – Ceci Cela Lip Balm coats my lips in a smooth, lush and rich layer of fun! Infused with essential oils,  the almond lip balms leaves me soft and silky-smooth. Using pure ingredients, natural anti-oxidants and emollients, Ceci Cela is a luxurious treat for my lips.

And best of all, it doesn’t leave my lips clammy and sloppy and I never have to worry about my hair sticking to my lips while I walk in the breeze down the Champs-Elysées.

I know the importance of nourished lips, because nourished lips lead to nourished French kisses!

The Breakdown:

• Available in both Almond and Spearmint
• All natural, petroleum, paraben and synthetic preservative free
• SPF 15
• $6 each

Tips:

• Apply over tinted lipstick and you pout stays colorful and moisturized longer than you could ever imagine!

My absolute best friend in the whole wide world attended graduate school in Canberra, Australia.  As she finished up her 2nd year of anthropologic studies, she sent me a wide array of sociological finds.

• They outlawed 1 cent and 2 cent pieces back in the 80’s.
• They have a lot of different flavors of chips like ‘honey soy’ and ‘salsa and sour cream’ but one of their favorites seems to be ‘chicken.’
• They spell roadside curbs as ‘kerbs’. Why? I have no idea.
• Their escalators are placed backwards. You go up on the left side and come down on the right.
• Raisins are called sultanas.
• Also, voting here is mandatory. You get in trouble with the law if you don’t vote – which could be good or bad…

And in her journeys down under, she has come to realize those Aussies are more than just a bunch of kangaroo loving, Foster’s drinking, knife comparing, dingo hunting bunch of outbackers, rather, most of Australia’s population is in tune with the global environment and sun safety.  Maybe that has to do with the hole in the O-Zone being right above them, but I have a feeling its because, with a beautiful backdrop and gorgeous landscape, they just love natural and organic products.

Which brings me to NVEY ECO Organic Compact Powder, in BRONZER.

NVEY ECO Organic Compact Powder

This unique pressed powder blend, combined with subtle earth minerals provides natural coverage and refreshes my foundation.  Wanting a subtle sun-kissed glow of the summer, this bronzer works great on my face, shoulders, arms, chest and as an added highlight to my cleavage. <wink wink>

Using the puff that comes with the compact, I sparingly apply the bronzing minerals to my skin.  Careful to not get too dark, I only add a tiny amount because a little goes a long way.  [Plus, I don’t want a repeat of my last bronzer debacle.]

And with my light application, my usually alabaster skin now looks like I spent the day out at the beach, basking in the sun, but without the harmful UVA and UVB rays. Everyone looks a little better with a little bronze.

The Breakdown:

• Available in 5 shades, Lite, Medium, Neutral and Translucent Neutral and Bronzer
• $42.00 each
• Derived from Jojoba Oil, Vitamins C, E and A, Chamomile and Corn Silk
• Talc free, paraben free, no petroleum based ingredients and NOT tested on animals (so those baby koala bears are safe)

Addicts always start somewhere.  Maybe it was when the parent’s were away on vacation.  Perhaps the park where the “cool” kids hung out after school.  Maybe it was just trying to fit in and succumbing to peer pressure.

For me, it was my dear friend Kendall; she’s the one who got me hooked.  She used to carry it around in her bookbag.  She would use it, like, 5 times a day, even at school.  At first she would share with me, but then she told me I should buy my own.  She told me to go over to Roy’s. Roy’s had everything an addict could want.

And then I saw it – Rachel Perry Lip Lover’s Lip Balm.

Whoa, what did you think I was talking about?

Rachel Perry Lip Lover’s Lip Balm

I’ve been a proud Rachel Perry Lover for almost 10 years now, and I can’t remember my first experience.  It had to have been at lunch with Kendall, who I thought was THE coolest girl ever, and she brought out her Lip Lover’s balm.  Kendall was the first girl I knew who was into natural beauty products and understood the importance of shimmer mineral powders and organic body sprays.

Since the 70’s, Rachel Perry has been spear heading the natural beauty revolution by using botanicals, vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants into her beauty products.  She pioneered the mixing of aromatherapy and color therapy.  The flavors are amazing and the scents are mouthwatering.  Lick your lips and it’s a quick snack.  The Chocolate Bliss flavor, damn, it can quell any chocolate desire you have – calorie free.

I’ve gone to extremes getting me handa on Rachel Perry’s products.  Before Internet shopping, I would have my sister go to Roy’s Natural Market and mail me Lip Lover’s balm up to Oklahoma. Once, Kendall and I ordered, in bulk, from Rachel Perry headquarters.  I’ve even gone so far as to stash a jar in my Emergency Safety Kit, so if the apocalypse comes, I’ll have moistened and protected lips.

I’ve been a faithful Rachel Perry Lip Lovers girl and will be till I die.

The Breakdown:

• 7 different flavors Chocolate Bliss, Very Vanilla, Banana-Coconut, Grape Juice,  Mint Tingle, Cantaloupe and Raspberry-Cherry
• SPF 15 total sun block for full on UVA and UVB sunrays
• .21 oz art deco designed jar
• $3.00 each

Tips:

• Don’t leave in the hot car at any angle, or the next time you open the jar your balm will be lopsided.
• Make sure you have clean hands before applying balm with your finger – don’t spread germs!

A man once said, ‘If I owned Hell and Texas, I’d live in Hell and rent out Texas.”

Anyone having visited the Lone Star State in the summer months (March – October) knows that there is no relief from the sun, the heat or the humidity and the only hope for a breeze is the occasional tornado.

Luckily, I carry in my clutch my Murad Oil-Free Sunblock with an SPF 30.

Murad Oil-Free Sunblock

As a fair skinned lady, I know my sunblock.  And so does Dr. Murad; he’s been influencing modern dermatology since the 80s.  A believer of good body health leading to good skin health, Dr. Murad has been utilizing antioxidants; such as pomegranate to help treat the environmental damage skin faces every day.  Thinking back, my skin always looks clearer when I’m healthy and looks terrible when I’m sick.

As part of the Age-Proof Suncare line, the Oil Free Sunblock gives me the coverage I need and it doesn’t sweat off!  That is THE most important part of my sunblock regime.  As an active girl, I’m outside most of my weekends.  Biking, walking, gardening, softball practice – I can’t worry about my sunblock melting away and leaving me exposed.

It’s oil free so I don’t break out the next day.  My face stays clean and smooth and protected and never shiney.  Pro-active about sun exposure, I’m so glad Murad’s got my back…er, face.

The Breakdown:

• Oil Free Matte Finish
• Infused with pomegranate extract – a great antioxidant
• 1.7 oz bottle for $30
• Not tested on animals

Tips:

• Apply 30 minutes before going out into the sun
• Also available in an equally awesome waterproof version

The year is 1968.  The Vietnam War is in full force. The first heart transplant happens in France.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.  Israel gets broadcast television. Richard Nixon is voted president. Columbia University students took over the school in protest. Tony Hawk and LL Cool J are born.  And after reading a magazine article titled, “Can Great Skin Be Created?” Estee Lauder decides to develop Clinique. Flash forward 40 years and here comes Clinque’s Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 - a perfect product for today’s modern hippie chick.

Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 by Clinque

I’m not someone who wears a lot of foundation, cover-up or base, and I lean towards natural looks, not ones that are cakey and fakey. But I had a long night last night and today my face needs a little boost; some caffeine for the face.  Clinique’s Almost Powder is so light; it’s going to do just the trick.

Applied easily with a sponge (or you can use a brush), my skin is instantly brighter!  It eves out the blotches, de-redden my nose and covers up the visible blue veins I have that show through my transparent skin.  Best of all, I found a perfect match for my very, very, very fair skin.

For forty years, Clinique’s been using its classic green color on all it’s packaging – leading the way for green movement.  The powder is allergy tested and fragrance free so it won’t irritate my face and won’t fight with my perfume de jour. Plus, it has SPF 15, sunscreen in a powder form, not a greasy lotion.  Genius!

The rest of my makeup goes on without a hitch, and not to sound too braggy, but my face looks awesome! And it’s so easy to use, and so easy to apply and it works so well.

The casual chick inside of me, that spawn of my hippie dad, the girl who likes stuff natural and light – I can use Almost Powder everyday and not feel like I’m weighed down with makeup.  So come on everybody, join me in wearing paisley, putting begonias in my hair, slipping on my sandals and hitting Haight-Ashbury, this hippie chick is feeling hippie chic.

The Breakdown:

• Available in 8 shades (Fair, Neutral Fair, Light, Neutral, Medium, Deep, Deep Honey, Deep Golden)
• .35 oz compact
• SPF 15…in a powder – best idea ever!
• $22.50 a piece

Tips:

• Since it’s extremely light, don’t use this as a cover up for pimples.