My Lightstyle

I came home one night last month to the scent of one of my favorite candles. But I hadn't burned it in a week because it was almost finished and I wanted to enjoy it. It turns out that one of my roommates, Cara, had taken the liberty of burning my candle just because it was out. Here's the thing about candles - as long as you bring some to the table, then consider mine to be yours. What if that candle had been a gift from someone special??






The candle in question was a Capri Blue Volcano. Great scent. Really pleasant. The reason I had moved it out into the main room was because the scent can be overwhelming for a small space aka my 2 x 2 room. In a larger space the scent can really spread out and lasts for hours. This candle reminds me of an outdoor summer dinner party with lights in ivy. When I was looking for a pic, I read that Capri Blue candles apparently have the most fragrance oil on the market. Makes sense. Also I love the way they are packaged at Anthropologie. I smelled one recently in the Capri Blue set that I would like to try out Black Currant and Cassis. It was a really warm scent.










My preferred candle brand has been Root Candles since college. Lindsey took me to the factory in Medina, Ohio and I have been in love ever since. I really love these candles because the scent is lighter then the Capri Blue line meaning they can just be great accents to a room. The scent is there but not in an overly showy way. I really love their Patchouli scent. It's not like incense patchouli, but is really pleasant and just a great candle throughout the year. For spring right now I'm digging the Pink Kale and Parsley scent. So light! So fresh! I wish I had a great kitchen or herb garden for this candle! The Queen Bee tumblers and Metrolights are my preferred collections - usually. Lately I'm more drawn to the Veriglass collection. I liked the brushed glass and they seem to last longer. In college during the springtime we burned a lot of the Bamboo scent. It always takes me back.






I always come back to Root because they are the Best Candle in America. However, at work I was gifted with an Avora candle in Fresh Fig. Usually I'm not one for Fig scents, but this is not your typical Fig. It's really light and homey. I love these candles - I also have the Wind & Sea which is really beachy. I love the large pillars because they seem to last forever and it really dresses up my desk.

My Nightly Skin Care Regimen

So one very cold Saturday last winter, I was feeling pretty lethargic. After I mustered up the strength to get out of my apartment and grabbed some lunch at about 5pm, my roommate Susan and I decided it might be a nice time to wander over to Henri Bendel's on 5th Ave. Knowing that 23423809 employees approach you and ask to do your makeup, I decided that I was not going to apply any before I ventured out. Not even moisturizer. Looking back on it, it was a pretty bold decision.

So after getting whipped by 10 degree winds and climbing over the 5th Avenue Saturday crowd, we finally roll into H.B.'s and I walk over to my comfort zone at the Benefit counter. That was when I got poached by a Tarte woman. She lured Susan and me over by pointing out "how cool" her "famous couples" lip glosses were. So of course we're suckers and we fall for the featured items but she was also a very rude pushy lady so we had no choice. So I'm up first! I get on the stool and she has this horrified look on her face and she's like "Oh! Your skin is sooo dry!" and then she puts some makeup on and her scared look turns to pity when she goes "uuhH! Poor baby...so dry!" I'm like yeah alright, I GET IT. So after feeling really bad about my skin tone/moisture levels, I left the store with nothing but some Tarte liquid eye shadow and some hurt feelings.

But the point is, it was at this time when I finally decided to change my nightly skin care regimen for my face. And I'll be honest, I haven't suffered this extreme dryness since! Tarte Woman actually did me a favor! So let me tell you what I use:

Unlike Lindsey, I haven't found that one special face wash, so I switch it up. Currently, I'm using Benefit You Clean Up Nice! It's ultra concentrated, so it has lasted forever! Which is nice. It's light and fresh and I've genuinely enjoyed my time with it. Then I follow up with my favorite phase of the nightly regimen, applying Bliss Daily Detoxifying Toner. I've always been skeptical of toner, but this seems to really moisturize and prep my skin for the lotion. And it has one of the freshest scents around! It's so pleasant! The final step is the moisturizer. I like Shiseido Night Moisture Recharge Light.

In conclusion, although I felt really defeated walking out of Henri Bendel's that fateful winter evening, it ended up creating a new era of healthier skin care for me. So, thanks?

Korres Products

Ok, so this is a really big post for me. I thought maybe I should wait to do it, but what's the point in putting it off? I think everyone should know about Korres products. And the sooner the better. I learned about Korres a couple of years ago in 2006 when I was in Greece for the summer. A couple of the older, cooler girls that I worked with at the museum (they were actually grad students at the time, so they were also smarter) kept talking about this "Korres face wash." The pharmacies in Greece have really weird, obscure hours, so we would go on farmakio hunts to find the Korres. When we were lucky enough to find an open store, we would go crazy. There weren't as many products then as there are now, but there were still enough to make our day.

My first Korres experience was with the White Tea Facial Fluid Gel Cleanser. It took me a while to figure out how to create the perfect foam, so at first I thought I hated it. I thought it smelled great, but I just couldn't get the foam right. Well, after about a week I was a pro. Since it's all natural, it doesn't foam like mad like other face soaps. Just be patient. It's super refreshing and also gentle on your face. I use it daily.

After falling in love with the face cleanser, my next love was the body milk, in particular, the Mint Tea scent. This is my favorite scented lotion ever. First of all, the consistency is awesome. It's super light, so it doesn't make you feel gross. Secondly, the scent can't be beat in my book. It's described on sephora.com as "bubbles with sparkling freshness," how can you beat that? It's not too sweet and girly, but nor is it mannish. The perfect balance! There's also a shower gel. Well, before going back to the States, I loaded up on my Korres products thinking I wouldn't be able to find them at home. After arriving in NYC at Lauren and Susan's, Lauren and I decided to take a little trip down to DC. There, at a Sephora in Georgetown, I was blown away: a whole Korres section! I went nuts. I asked one of the employees when they started carrying Korres, and she said only about a month ago (circa November 2006). Wow! And now you can find it at any Sephora near you. I must warn you though, the Mint Tea scent is increasingly difficult to find. However, I found a website that carries it (phew!). Here's the link:

http://www.skinstore.com/store/product.asp?catID=5511&prodID=5590&link=Korres&affiliatecode=Froogle&CAWELAID=147279210

There are other great scents, too. I like the Quince Body Butter. Also, I highly recommend the Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturizer SPF 6 ( http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P61805&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5715 ). So give it a whirl! Let me know what you think!

Sore Throat

I had a bad cold and was really dying last week. Normally I avoid cough drops because I haven't found one I like. But browsing Duane Reade I picked up the Ricola Cherry Honey throat drops. I didn't realize until I was looking for a pic that they were throat drops instead of cough drops. I don't know how to classify the difference - but these taste great and my throat did feel better after having one. I always feel like Halls and Vicks tablets taste too chemical but I'd buy these again.

Spring Hand Soap

I wash my hands a lot during the day - 3 times just today from the subway commute! Usually I stick with Dial, but I couldn't find the White tea & Pearl kind I wanted for the spring. So I picked up this Burt's Bees Green Tea & Lemongrass soap for the smell and because I like the Burt's Bees products. It reminds me of this old face wash I used to have, so I really love it. The scent stays with me long after I wash with it, and I really like it for this time of year. It makes me feel like I have a backyard even if all I have is an infested raccoon lot next door.

2-in-One of the Best Toothpastes Ever

You know, I've always been a Crest kid so it almost pains me to write this recommendation, but I think I've honestly found toothpaste nirvana. I mean, talk about a fresh burst of minty fireworks, Colgate 2-in-1 Icy Blast has really mastered this pyrotechnic sensation. It's a combo of t-paste and mouthwash (but you can always double up on the mouth wash) thus it's way more intense than any other similar product out there. I've tried a lot of toothpastes in my day and I've never been totally loyal to any of them, but I must say, I will probably purchase this stuff at least 8 times in a row. Which is making a statement. And that statement is, this toothpaste is unmatched.

BareMinerals Jade?

So I recently was browsing the Sephora website and stumbled upon this rare gem (ha ha, get it?). It is described as follows:

This decadent shimmer powder, formulated with real jade particles and 100% pure bareMinerals, dresses up your every curve with mystical allure. The power of jade, believed to bring balance, tranquility, and luck to those who wear it, makes this set even more of a gem.

I've never seen it in the store though! I'm wondering if I should purchase. I love all of the other bareMinerals products, but I can't tell if this is just going to add extra sparkle, which is something I don't really want. But it looks so pretty! The brush alone is pretty enough to attract me. I'm thinking about just taking the plunge...it is limited edition, you know.