Lazy Post: The Ordinary Serum Foundation

Why Do We Demand Women Be Professionally Demure?

THIS.

Podcasts

Hello, friends!

Are any of you podcast listeners?  I listened to both seasons of Serial when they first came out but otherwise hadn’t dipped my toes in the water much further until recently.  I’m not an audiobook person; I just can’t concentrate on them and I prefer reading to listening.  But lately I’ve found some really great podcasts that keep my attention and fill drive time–win win.

First on the list are my every day podcasts: Up First by NPR and The Daily by the NY Times.  They are both designed to give you a daily dose of important news without becoming overwhelming.  If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret that I have been in mourning since January 20th.  RIP America.    I have to balance my need to know what’s happening in our country and the world with the need for self care: it’s been really easy for me to sink into depression as I watch the United States go backwards.  Working from home doesn’t help this, nor does Facebook.  But we can’t bury our heads in the sand.  Enter these two podcasts: Up First is 12 minutes and The Daily is around 20, give or take.  Both are excellent in terms of content, hosts, and guests.  I can’t recommend them enough.

My other favorite podcasts are all produced by Crooked Media.  Pod Save America is described as “a no bullshit conversation about politics” and that’s exactly what it is.  I credit these amazing folks with keeping me sane on a weekly basis.  If you’re a fan of this administration’s reign of terror, you won’t like it.  (But also, I question your sanity.  Sorry not sorry.)  I appreciate their insight, the stories they highlight, their guests, and–most of all–their commitment to calling out the ridiculous nonsense that’s going on in Washington.  I’m slowly getting into their other podcasts too (Pod Save the People and Lovett or Leave It are cued up next).

I also absolutely loved S-Town: it was described by the hilarious and smart people at Crime Writers On as a podcast/novel hybrid.  It’s beautifully done and such an interesting story.  But if you are anything like me, you will need Kleenex.  I also recommend that you avoid listening to it in public.  I earned some strange looks with tears streaming down my face at CVS.  Crime Writers On is great too, and I get a huge kick out of …These Are Their Stories.  Missing Richard Simmons was fascinating too.

Have you jumped on the podcast band wagon?  What are you listening to?  I’d love to hear about it.

Hope you are having a wonderful week, dear readers.

xoxo,
Jenn

A Few of My Favorite Things

Hi, friends!

I thought I’d write a quick post with some recent favorite things.  This is unsponsored and in no particular order.

Number one is MAC’s Face & Body Mixing Medium–the white version of their iconic foundation.  HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS GLORIOUS PRODUCT SOONER?!?  It’s a light coverage, oil-free mixer that gives a natural finish and finally allows me to achieve the unachievable: foundation that matches the rest of my vampiric body.  I mix in a 50/50 ratio, and, so far, it has worked in a dreamy fashion with every single one of my foundations.  (Currently loving it with the Cle de Peau Cream foundation in shade I10.)  If you are a fellow fair-skinned gal, I can’t recommend this enough.  I bought mine on MAC’s website.

Product number two is something my husband and I both love: the Cremo Original Concentrated Shave Cream.  This is no frills cream is extremely concentrated, so it lasts forever, and delivers as promised: a super close shave that minimizes nicks (and I’m a pro in this regard, trust me.  Bandaids are a girl’s best friend).  It has a very slight, clean fragrance and leaves your skin soft and hair free.  There’s a mango coconut version if you’re into that thing (I don’t like it but my husband does).  My only gripe with this company is that they market a version for women that seems to be exactly the same — but costs more.  Seriously?  Do your legs a favor and buy the original one asap.  I get mine from Amazon but I’ve seen it at drugstores too.

Last, but certainly not least, is my most recent favorite: the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Cloud Serum.  I have been searching for a hydrating serum for a while.  My skin is normal to combination: I get shiny in the t-zone but the rest of my face can be dry AF.  In other words, I need moisture but heavier creams can leave my face more oily than glowy, and can cause my foundation to slide around my face.  No bueno.  I had my eye on the Tatcha Deep Hydration Firming Serum, but fate intervened.  I won a Nordstrom gift card from one of my favorite beauty bloggers, Maree at A Little Bit Etc., and she shared her VIB sale recommendations video.  I immediately ordered the Drench Cloud Serum (and two other goodies), and it was exactly what my skin needed.  But, full disclosure, I wasn’t sure what to think at first.

One pump of this very liquidy gel absorbed quickly but left a slightly sticky, almost tight feeling.  Nevertheless, I persisted with my routine and put the lotion on the skin (my beloved La Mer Moisturizing Cream).  It absorbed as it usually did, the sticky/tight feelings disappeared, and I woke to unbelievably soft, hydrated skin.  But the true test was yet to come.  In the morning, I used one pump under the La Mer face lotion with SPF, which is normally not enough moisture for me on its own.  And not only was my skin hydrated and comfortable all day long, three women asked me what I did to make my skin glow.  I’ve now been using it twice a day for the past week, and I layer on a second serum a few nights a week (it is an amazing base for Sunday Riley’s Good Genes!).  Quite simply, it’s a fantastic product.  If you haven’t tried a hydrating serum yet, there are a lot of good options, and Maree’s blog is an excellent place to start.

I’d love to hear about any of your favorite products!  Skincare posts are my favorite ones to read (and some of my favorite Instagram accounts).  And thanks again to Maree for the gift card!  I found out that I won on less than stellar day, and it was a wonderful surprise.  It truly is the little things, friends.

xoxo,
Jenn

Calling All Magpies

Hello, friends!

It’s been a minute (or two) since I last posted; the end of 2015 flew by.  I’m absolutely loving my job with W by Worth, and it’s helped me meet so many amazing women!  Here’s a very quick recap of the last four months: two really fun pop-up trunk shows in our home (still can’t believe I get paid to play dress up), a booth at Fashion Week San Diego, shopping events at beautiful homes in S.D. and L.A., a wonderful week in Wisconsin with my family for Thanksgiving, sang in six concerts over eight days in December, joined an incredible women’s network called Lipstick Sister, and actually spent the holidays on vacation (for the first time since law school).  It was the perfect ending to 2015 and left me refreshed and ready to hit the ground running this week.  I am beyond excited for 2016!

To top it off, I received* this truly stunning iPhone case from AT&T to review and share with you.  I’ve been using it for the past month, and it is easily the nicest case I’ve ever had.  If you’re a magpie like me, you need this case in your life.  The sparkle factor is out of this world!  Here’s a picture Nathan snapped when we were out chasing rainbows.

Case-Mate knocked this one out of the park, and here’s their official (and accurate) description: “Admire the shimmering splendor of genuine crystal accented with premium leather. Each crystal is thoughtfully selected and carefully placed to create a dynamic shimmer, adding further distinction and a unique, elegant look.”

I can’t tell you the number of women who have commented on this case over the last month.  It is absolutely gorgeous in real life – “shimmering splendor” is not an exaggeration!  I will try to put a video of the sparkle in all its glory on my Instagram account soon.  And looks aside, the case works great as well.  I love how easy the buttons are to use, which is an issue with lots of cases I’ve had, and the mix of matte and shiny metal accents gives it a super luxe finish.  I also like how the case extends away from the back of my phone to give extra scratch protection to the camera.  My one complaint is that the crystals make the case a bit heavy, but the sheer brilliance easily makes up for it.  And I figure I’m getting a little extra exercise when I lift my iPhone. 😉

You can order the case here, and I highly recommend it!  After all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. (Crazy cat lady shirt not included.)  I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and that 2016 brings you much joy.  And stay tuned for future posts!  My very simple New Year’s resolution is to be happy, and blogging always makes me smile.  Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo,
Jenn

* The case was graciously provided for review but the opinions  are all my own.