Stuff That's Been Making Me Happy

As the savvy reader may have ascertained, it's not all sunshine and sprinkles over here - although both of those things have definitely been featured on my blog before. (For sure.)

I haven't felt like myself since leaving Vancouver, which is kind of a long time for me to be feeling so low. It still feels like there's a big hole in my life, and I've been trying really hard to fill it in with saying "yes" to things, making plans with friends, buying new clothes and beauty goodies, getting my health in order (chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists, oh my!), being creative, eating junk food, lining up trips (heyo, Panama!), and exercising.

So how is it working? Well... it's not curing me of my blues, that's for damn sure. But it's all chipping in to keep me momentarily happy/preoccupied and make me forget about being sad for a little while everyday. Here's a random, unorganized look into some of the things that have been making me happy....

My sister Markie works for a Nike store, and shares her family discount with us. I've never taken advantage of the perk - a 30% discount - until the weekend before last, when I stopped into the Nike outlet store near my apartment. I picked up a new pair of trainers... the Nike Flex Supreme in black and pink:

They ran large so I actually had to go back that night and exchange them for a half-size smaller. I also got a new pair of workout leggings - Nike Dri-Fit capris in the "tight" fit. These felt a litttttle loose on me, but the XS felt a little too - ahem - familiar (if you nahmsayin), so I stuck with a size small. From this trip to the Nike store, my takeaway was: Nike is clearly into vanity sizing. That makes me feel terribly insecure in ever shopping for that brand online, without trying on first.

Also pictured above are a grey American Eagle workout tank and a pink cotton Hollister tank top, both from my local TJ Maxx.  I love the hourglass seaming detail on the grey tank - it's super flattering! Having made a couple trips to that same TJ Maxx recently, I also picked up a few other new tops...

This chunky, oversized black cardigan by Max Studio:
 

And this woven oatmeal-colored sweater from the brand Dalia:

I'm obsessed with both of these sweaters. You can seriously catch me wearing each of them once or twice a week lately. Here's the last shirt I got from TJ's:

As a blue-eyed girl, shirts like this really make my eyes pop. So... shoutout to turning your face

into an optical illusion.

While killing time in Brookline's Coolidge Corner back in February, I stopped into a consignment shop (Second Time Around) and spotted this pale pink asymmetrical BCBG Max Azria sweater (shown below in both white and pink)...

... I'm a sucker for interesting hemlines, and I fell head over heels for this sweater's unique criss-cross front, high-lo hem (with BONUS banded hemline in the back!), fitted sleeves, and soft merino wool fabric. It was $50 at the consignment shop, which is certainly more JoBros than I'd normally toss up at a second-hand store, but it was such a "GOTTA EFFING HAVE IT" moment that I surrendered to the flow. Once I got home and discovered that this is originally a $200 sweater... well obviously I went from scolding myself to patting myself on the back.

Some weeks back I received a surprise package in the mail - a gift box of Lush goodies from my friend Stephanie. The Hello Gorgeous gift set includes the Sakura bath bomb, the Comforter Bubble Bar, Tender Is the Night massage bar, Rub Rub Rub shower scrub, and a 0.2oz pot each of Lemony Flutter cuticle butter and Gorgeous moisturizer. I've already enjoyed the bubble bar and the bath bomb, and am slowly starting to make my way through the other products as well. Thanks Steph!

.  source  .

Would you believe that I only owned one face brush that I actually liked? I wanted to get a higher quality brush that would work for bronzer/blush, or just all-over the face for blending. This Eco Tools face brush is super fluffy and gentle on my skin:

In other beauty-related acquisitions, here's a bunch of stuff for me to play with:

1. Benefit Hello Flawless sample trio - a sample from Sephora that was included in a recent purchase (#7), this includes the Stay Flawless primer, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow brightening sunscreen makeup, and the Hello Flawless power cover-up. I have no idea how to use any of these yet, but... someday an opportunity will present itself to figure it all out.

2. Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel - also a sample from that same Sephora purchase. Has anyone tried this gel before? Let me know!

3. Aesop Parsley Seed Cleaning Masque samples. To warm up one chilly evening, Kara and I popped into the Aesop store on Newbury St and were immediately given 100% of the attention of the lone store clerk. She gave us each a bunch of samples, and the 3 packets she gave me will be enough for one face mask. This one is a "perfectly formulated clay-based masque containing parsley seed and rosehip seed extracts. Suited to most skin types, this masque removes impurities and refreshes the skin." WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT.

4. ESCADA Joyful perfume - again, a sample from Sephora. The very accurate description of this scent: "ESCADA Joyful is inspired by positivity and a joyful spirit. The luminous scent embodies the beauty of a bouquet of flowers. Bright, fresh blooms of jubilant pink peony release a sense of elation. Juicy blackcurrant sorbet adds a cooling top, and the warmth of honeycomb and sandalwood give depth to the floral notes. The fragrance embodies beauty and confidence and invites you to experience each day filled with joy and positivity." Sidebar, you've got to check out the gorgeous bottle that the full-size version comes in!

5. Full Lash Bloom mascara from Covergirl. This isn't something that normally happens to me, but I saw a beauty guru wearing this in a YouTube video and immediately wanted to know what mascara she was wearing. What struck me about the mascara was that her lashes looked soft and touchable - not hard or crispy. Imagine my surprise when that actually ended up being the chief claim that Covergirl makes about this mascara!

"With Full Lash Bloom Mascara, get exceptional lash fullness that’s soft - even to the touch. With our new petal-shaped brush and mousse formula with natural beeswax, lashes are never stiff or brittle."

It's not a thick lash, it's not a super lengthened lash, it's not a dramatic lash... but it's a nice, soft, everyday kind of lash.

6. Benefit Roller Lash mascara - I got this as a 100-point VIB present to myself upon checkout for #7. This mascara claims to have an exciting "Hook 'n Roll" brush that "catches, lifts and curls." I love trying out new mascaras, and since my go-tos are usually drugstore brands, it's always exciting for me to try the higher-end stuff, too. I won't be opening this up till my current mascaras are done, but it's something to look forward to!

7. Shiseido Ibuki Multi-Solution Gel - this was the reason I was making that big purchase from Sephora in the first place. My face has been hurtin' for certain, for the last several months. If I could put a bag over my head, I would. I've tried all sorts of things to calm down my breakouts, and this gel is just the latest in the string of attempts. It claims to be "a uniquely textured beauty gel that targets breakouts, roughness, and the look of visible pores for clearer, smoother, and more beautiful skin." So far... I just don't know! It does seem to be making the breakouts go away faster, but it's not preventing them yet... which would be really god-damn ideal. I've been using it for 2-3 weeks now, and am hoping that I can see some really amazing results soon. Otherwise... paper bag, for the win.

8.  Twisted Peppermint Sparkling Snowflake Scrub from Bath & Body Works. This isn't new, but I've been using it sparingly because it was a seasonal shower gel being sold back around Christmastime, and I can't bare the thought of running out. This sugary sweet peppermint scrub smells SO good that all I have to do is catch a faint waft of it to instantly feel happier. Sometimes I just pop open the cap and breathe it in, without even using it.

You know what else I've been loving? Game of Thrones. My golden goddess of a swan friend, Kate, gave me the first 3 seasons on a flashdrive back in early January, and I have been powering through them. What a good show! It's so exciting and SEXY all at once. I'm a little over halfway through Season 3, so now I'm fixing to get my hands on the 4th season, too.

Internet-wise, I've been loving Rap Genius. This is a lyrics/song interpretation website where I can get lost for hours at a time - especially if I'm educating myself on an entire album. One time I was going track-by-track through Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and it took me 20 minutes to get through the first chorus of All of the Lights. I've most definitely always been a person who focuses on the lyrics of songs, and even as a young child I would re-listen to songs intently to decipher the lyrics. As an adult, the interest clearly hasn't left me. Thanks for stoking my verbal fires, Rap Genius!

Lastly, my friends, guys. My friends have been making me happy and making me smile. Thank you to everyone who hangs out with me or chats with me or leaves me comments every day/week. It's more important to me than you probably even realize!

Well I hope that I sufficiently Debbed you out at the beginning of this blog and then swooped in swiftly with buckets and buckets of joy to make up for it.

What have you been into that helps to keep you smiling? Any good shopping websites or places to buy workout gear or any fun new beauty/fashion finds to share with me?

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My Gym Essentials

A successful workout for me involves several ducks aligning perfectly into a row that culminates with me eventually leaving the gym a bit sweatier - and a bit more self-satisfied and smug. (If you ever see me walking home from the gym, you will notice my swagger... and you will also notice that I am singing/rapping along audibly to whatever is playing in my headphones, with a pompousness that wasn't present on my walk TO the gym.)

Here's my step-by-step prep for heading to the gym, as well as what essentials I grab to bring with me in my gym bag:

Before I'm ready to head out the door, I start with some of Proactiv's Oil Free Moisturizer on my face. This is an oil-free, very lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer that I like to throw on before the gym because it's so light and absorbs almost instantly. I don't want to leave my face dry, but don't want to wear my thicker Aveeno daily moisturizer. This one is perfect.

Tom's Long-Lasting Deodorant in a wild lavender scent. I guess I don't need to say much about this - it's just deodorant. I use Tom's because it isn't an antiperspirant, and it's aluminum-free. Ladies, if you are still using an antiperspirant with aluminum, you should probably read a thing or two about that before you continue to do so.

.  tom's long lasting deodorant in wild lavender  .

Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara. I like this mascara because it's easy to remove, which is important to me when I'm just putting it on to go to the gym. Maybelline's The Rocket is my daily mascara, but it's so difficult to remove (even though it isn't waterproof) that it's not worth it for me to put it on before I go to the gym, just to wrestle with it an hour and a half later when I'm back at home and about to jump in the shower. Putting on a full face of makeup isn't me, in general, so it's especially not "me" when it comes to going to the gym. (Some girls go to the gym with their bronzer and eyeliner on, and honestly I don't give much of a crap if that's your style, but it's not mine!) But I do think that putting on a little swipe of mascara before heading out to the gym gives me boost of girl power. (Did I just type that? Good lord.)

.  sephora full action extreme effect mascara  .

Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm in Quenched. Getting dry lips while you're working out is the worst. THE WORST. I've raved about Baby Lips before, so I'll spare you too many details here. Suffice to say this balm keeps my lips moisturized - dare I say "quenched"?? - without adding any color. Basically the perfect "don't have to look in a mirror to apply" lip balm. This goes into my jacket pocket as I'm on my way out the door!

.  maybelline baby lips in quenched  .

Stud earrings. I discovered about 6 months ago that something about wearing a pair of simple but sparkly earrings makes me feel better about life while I'm working out. Seeing my little studs catch the light while I'm doing a shoulder press makes me feel a bit prettier at the gym. (Almost distracts from my bright red face and sweat-dripping brow.) Certainly, no one at the gym gives a crap if I'm wearing earrings or not, but it makes a pleasant difference to me. AND IT'S ALL ABOUT ME, after all.

My gym locker lock/key. Now I know what you're thinking: "Bail, your locker lock is probably the most boring thing you could write about." And you're right. So I won't write about it. You can just deduce from the context of the rest of this blog that it comes with me to the gym. I won't even show it to you again in a picture. If you're really interested, you can scroll back up and notice it smack in the center of the first picture in this blog. My, I've managed to write a lot about this lock that I vowed not to write about, haven't I? Let's move on.

iPod Nano 8GB. I cannot workout without music. I JUST CAN'T. So my iPod Nano is an absoluuuuuute gym essential. This little guy was a birthday present from my mom back in November 2008. I know this because she had the back of it personalized with my name and the message Happy Birthday 2008. She bought me a newer iPod Touch 16GB for my 2012 birthday - which I use the crap out of - but when it comes to my workout music, the itty bitty Nano still just makes more sense for me to bring to the gym. Plus, I already had the arm-strap/fitness case to fit my Nano, as you can see...

DLO Action Jacket for iPod Nano. And this is the fitness case I use! I've had this for a few years now and have always liked it. The velcro is still SUPER sticky after all these years and the arm strap hasn't lost any elasticity. The case has a belt clip so you can remove the iPod part from the strap part and clip it right onto your clothing or bra strap. Sometimes I have to remove the iPod from my arm strap to avoid getting free weights caught in the dangling headphone cord, and it's handy that I can just quickly unclip the iPod from the arm strap and re-clip it right onto my bra strap.

.  ipod nano 8gb (newest models here) / arm band (similar)  .

Two pairs of sneakers - one pair for walking to the gym, and one pair for my actual workouts. My "to the gym" sneakers are my Nike Alvord 8 running shoes. I've had these since 2010 and they were my gym sneakers until last spring when I replaced them with my Nike In-Season TR2 cross-trainers. The Alvords are still in fine condition for walking around and running errands - perfect for taking me to the gym while my cross-trainers stay safe and clean in my gym bag. The TR2s were featured in my 2013 Favorites blog, so feel free to read more about them there.

.   nike alvord / mec daypack / nike in-season tr2  .

Finally, the bag I take to the gym with me is that freaking fabulous bright pink backpack from MEC that you can see above. I love this daypack; it's cute, useful, and super lightweight. It's got a chest strap with a clip as well as a little zipped pocket on the inside, which is where I tuck my phone/locker lock/gym card.

Often I try to leave my wallet/debit card at home when I go to the gym, to avoid those spur-of-the-moment trips into London Drugs that often get me into trouble. There are way too many cool stores between my apartment and the gym... sometimes it's best to avoid temptation all together!

What are all of your essentials when it comes to heading to the gym?

Do you bring a water bottle or a sweat towel with you?

If you want some workout ideas, you can read my last "Workouts of the Week" blog here.

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All products were purchased by me.

Random Round-Up: Beauty, Fashion and Music

Apologies in advance for the smorgosbord that this blog post is about to be. I just knew that these things needed to be blogged about, and my time was short because of the holiday week - so I decided to throw these all together! So put on your "I can deal with random blog vomit" panties, and LET'S DO THIS.

1. Aveeno moisturizer + Marcelle DD Cream = Good

This Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer is pretty much... my daily moisturizer. Unless I forget to apply it, I wear it everyday. I like it because it has SPF 15 in it, and it gives my skin a healthy glow. My skin has been going a little nuts in the last month or so - seems like I am always breaking out. And normally I don't give a crap and go about my business without thinking much about how my breakouts look. In fact, I don't own any concealer at all - and literally never have in my life. But for some reason I was feeling a bit more self conscious about my skin than usual, so it seemed like a good time to try out the Marcelle DD Cream product that had been given to me at the #blogvancity event back in September.

OK, so confession: I had NO idea what DD cream was when I received this product in September.  And the packaging, as you can see, didn't really help me out in terms of knowing what was awaiting me inside that container. I thought the product was going to be white. If you didn't know what DD cream was, and you saw that container, wouldn't you think you were looking at a glass container with white product inside?? So imagine my surprise the first time I pumped out a bit of this product and saw that it wasn't white at all - it was in fact quite tinted. Too darkly tinted for me to use it as-is, which is when I had the brilliant idea to mix it with my off-white Aveeno lotion.

This, I don't mind telling you, really was a terrific idea. I use about a 3:1 ratio of Aveeno to DD cream, mix them well between my fingers, and then use my fingers to apply the mixture just like I'd apply my daily face lotion. It is very light coverage, as you can imagine, but it takes away some of my redness and evens out my skin tone a bit.

I don't use the DD cream everyday, because I don't love the idea of a makeup product covering my entire face. If I wipe my nose and my Kleenex gets covered in tinted cream, it gives me the weirds. I have to assume my skin is better off without a layer of makeup on it, so I'll stick to using my Aveeno/DD cream combo only on the days I'm feeling self conscious. It's nice to know it's an option though!

From Marcelle's site:

Marcelle DD Cream: Going beyond a BB Cream, DD is an all-in-one tinted cream that not only corrects but really protects your skin from external aggressors. 

. Tightens pores
. Visibly improves skin texture
. Evens and smoothes the look of skin
. Promotes removal of skin impurities
. Controls shine
. Offers immediate and long-term hydrating benefits
. Protects skin from environmental stressors
. Helps prevent signs of aging
. Soothes and calms dry/damaged skin
. Provides anti-dull radiant complexion 

The 1 oz bottle retails for between $18 and $27, but I got it for $Free.99 at the #blogvancity blogger event. Holla! Sidebar, the list of ingredients on this product is a mile long. So... read at your own peril.

2. My birthday present from Sephora!

As a member of Sephora's VIB rewards program I get a little treat every year around my birthday. This year's present was very exciting for me, as a woman who has eye lashes. Sephora was giving out a little Benefit duo with a sample of the They're Real! mascara and the Watt's Up highlighter! I've heard about They're Real! for years but never bought myself any of it because I just tend to lean towards drugstore mascaras. Getting a free sample of this much-discussed mascara was a very nice birthday present indeed.

Check out this wacky brush - the end of it is like a medieval weapon of some sort, isn't it?

I've used the mascara just a couple of times so far - but so far, so good! It separates my lashes well and hasn't clumped or crumbled at all. It was a little strange to do my lower lashes with that crazy brush, but I got it done.

I don't have a ton to say about Watt's Up yet. I swatched it on the back of my hand, and it's creamy with a nice sheen to it. It miiiight be a little dark for my skin, but maybe I can keep it for a summertime highlighter when my face is a little more tan.

3. My 100-point gift from Sephora - Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat

As part of that same VIB rewards program, I earn points for every dollar spent at Sephora. I've had a ton of points accumulating for awhile (like years), so I also selected a 100-point perk at the checkout - this Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  The product promises to deliver a "gel-like shine without the hassle of curing lights." The reviews for this product are very mixed over on the Sephora site, so I'm not sure how it'll be. Have you tried it? Let me know in the comments!

4. Funny/insulting sidebar: Caudalie thinks very little of me. 

I received this makeup bag as a free gift when I purchased a Caudalie hand cream (a Christmas present for my Grandmother). Um... thanks Caudalie? Without you I'd be straight garbage.  

5. Arbonne FC5 Moisturizing Night Créme

Now here's a good time. I ordered this Arbonne FC5 Moisturizing Night Créme awhile ago but for reasons that I won't go into, it was sent to my sister's home in Massachusetts. She included it in her birthday package to me earlier this month, so I was finally able to try it out! Very happy to say it was worth the wait! This is so thick and creamy and smells subtly like citrusy vanilla - almost like a creamsicle or something. It's much, much thicker than the last night cream I'd been using - a Philosophy cream brazenly called When Hope Is Not Enough. (Sup with all these beauty companies trying to make us feel ugly?) (Oh, wait, nevermind.)

From the Arbonne site:

For normal/dry skin. Rich moisturizing crème nurtures skin while you sleep, helping to maintain young, beautiful skin.

I've only been using this cream for a few nights, but I do love the way it smells and the way it feels on my skin. Only time will tell if it can MAKE ME BEAUTIFUL. #UglyDuckingSigh.

6. New Forever21 nail polish

Forever21's nail polish line - Love & Beauty - has been stepping up their game a bit recently. These polishes cost only $3.80 in Canada (usually $2.80 in the US), and this polish is paaaaacked with glitter! It's got tiny rounds of silver, navy and cobalt and larger hex glitter in cobalt and silver, all in a clear base. It's so packed with glitter that you might be able to get it almost opaque in two coats! I've swatched it a few times now and can't wait to get it onto my nails.

7. Emerald Forever21 sweater

Well I don't want to toot my own color-wearing horn, but this shade of green is really flattering on me, so I was psyched to spot a soft, chunky emerald sweater at Forever21 this past weekend. It's got a hi-lo hem and an oh-so-cozy loose fit. My plan is to take it for its inaugural spin on Thanksgiving, with some skinny jeans, big earrings and that gorgeous brown Adrienne Vittadini bag I found at the thrift store in September. This emerald sweater was $33.80 here in Canada, but it's $27.80 in the US - story of my life. Its color is a lot more vibrant in real life too - it comes off a bit muted in these Forever21 pictures.

8. Thrifted 90s/00s R&B CDs

It's a must that I scour the Salvation Army's CD selection every time I go in there. The 4th Ave Salvay has THE BEST selection of 90s music. Ever. Like hundreds of your favorite 90s artists, all in one place - and all for only $2 each. I saw at least 3 copies of Maroon 5's Songs About Jane album - which was part of the soundtrack to my freshman year at UMass back in 2002-2003. There were 2 copies of Boyz II Men's Cooleyhighharmony album, so obviously I grabbed one of those.

A copy of Babyface's 1997 MTV Unplugged album and Lucy Pearl's self-titled debut album (straight outta 2000!) also made it home with me that day. And I'd love for you to tell me the last time you even thought about Lucy Pearl.

Sidebar, as much as I loooooove looking through the CD selection, it's actually really sad for me to see so many abandoned classics ending up at Salvay. I can only hope that the former owners of all these albums have at least made digital copies of the music and are only abandoning the CD format - not the music itself. #90sForLife. #BestMusicEver.

ALRIGHT Y'ALL. We got through it - my most random blog post of the month! (I didn't check back to verify that statement, but it might be true.)

Did any of this make you say "OOOOH la la!!"? Have you picked up any random things you're loving lately? Are you still reading? BUELLER??

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Pretty Way to Store Perfume + My Favorites!

About 4 years ago when I moved from Boston to Cape Cod, I started forming all sorts of new capitalistic consumption habits. Mostly - I assume - due to my newfound boredom. (Moving to a summer beach town... into an actual beach vacation neighborhood... in the dead of winter... and working from home... all adds up to a mid-20's life crisis of not knowing how to make new friends!) One of the new habits I picked up was Sephora.com and its bevy of tantalizing perfumes and "free perfume samples" with most online purchases.

Before you could say, "Damn girl, you smell geeewwwwd!" I had accumulated several bottles of different yummy perfumes and literally dozens of small perfume samples. Soon the problem of how to store all of these perfumes arose.

Wanting to display my pretty perfume bottles on an equally pretty tray, but not wanting to spend a ton of money doing so, I scooted across the street to the Christmas Tree Shops (Note: boredom + close proximity to a Christmas Tree Shops = trouble).

I found this great mirror tray for probably only a few bucks, and it has been the display tray for my perfume bottles ever since:

Of course when shopping Sephora.com on a budget, there were also plenty of rollerball perfumes purchased, since those are usually less than half the price of their 1.0 oz bottle counterparts. I found a pink glass jar to hold all my rollerball perfumes:

And what about all of those free samples? I keep those in a tiny little hatbox that I received from one of Sephora's many promotions:

I've gotta get rid of these samples... there are so freaking many. Leave a comment with your favorite perfume and I'll see if I've got a sample of it to give you. You can just come visit me in Vancouver to pick it up :)

Now, just for fun, here are my favorite perfumes:

• Acqua Di Gioia by Giorgio Armani
• Happy Heart By Clinique
• Happy in Bloom by Clinique
• My current top fav is DKNY Be Delicious (the green one)

What are some of your favorites? How do you store yours?

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