New Beauty Routine - Sunday Riley

It seems to be about this time every year that I make a few changes in my beauty routine.  Maybe it is the changes in the weather or bit of time to go shopping in the beauty department over spring break?  I'm not exactly sure but I like to mix it up as spring approaches.

On a whim, I bought some amazing products from Sunday Riley a couple of weeks ago.   The bold packaging caught my eye and the quick and capable sales gal gave me the extra boost I needed to make the purchase while out shopping my my mother.

I have fallen in love - head over heels - with this line which is a cult favorite.  It is famous for it's all-natural but hard working ingredients that truly do give immediate results.  I hope you will give it a try!

I first use the wonderful Blue Moon Cleansing Balm to cleanse my skin and remove makeup.  (I love a cleansing balm - use it on dry skin and wipe off with a warm wet washcloth - no mess from splashing and it can be used to remove eye makeup!)

I follow that with the Martian Mattifying Toner (applied with a cotton round and so fabulous on my oily skin), Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment and Tidal Enzyme Water Cream (only when I need it!).

I hope you will give it a try!  Click on the images below to shop the post.

Friday Favorites

Looking back at one of my favorite tablescapes from my first Southern Living story a few years back!  

Oh my good gracious - Mermaid Lovers click here! 

I love a summer bun and these are the only bobby pins I trust. 

I just got this new powder a few days ago and I'm obsessed.  I have such oily skin and it makes my hours old makeup look totally fresh.  Don't leave home with out it!

I'm done with disposable swim diapers - only these reusable cuties from Honest from now on.

I've worn these wedges almost every day for the last few weeks and they are so comfy.  You need some!

Don't forget that it is time to order your Father's Day gifts!  I'm getting my dad this and this.

Friday Favorites - The book is off to the printer!

BUSY!  The only word I can think of to describe this time of year.  I almost think March and April have become more hectic than November and December!  What is happening?

But guess what - my next book, Monograms for the Home, just went to the printer yesterday!  What a load off my shoulders!  I'm so excited about it and can't wait to share it with you in September!  Above is a little sneak peek of some wonderful gift tags designed by the amazing Emily McCarthy that are featured in the book.

Here are a few quick things to check out in the few moments that you do have free this weekend:

Love this article on Netiquette that Howard Slatkin posted on his visual feast of an instagram feed!

Loving my new iPhone case/wallet - monogrammed of course!

A must have accessory for summer.  Love this tassel!

Ordering a new one of these for my summer travel.

Molly Sims and I both use this every day before we shower.  That is probably the only similarity!

And don't forget to check in on Wednesday for my One Room Challenge reveal!

photo by John Cain Sargent

Beauty Lovers Day Today!

I've been working overtime lately and I have been feeling super burned out at times so when Natura Bisse wrote to invite me to experience the new luxurious, sensorial Diamond Rose Ritual; infused with damask rose and featuring Natura Bissé’s exclusive diamond dust that they created to celebrate their annual Beauty Lovers Day, I cleared my calendar!  

Yes, you read that right. I got to experience an amazing treatment that featured Diamond Dust! I've been a Natura Bisse fan for a long time but I must say that this was above and beyond what I have experienced with their treatments before. 

But back to Beauty Lovers Day...April 23^rd is a very significant date in Natura Bisse’s hometown of Barcelona.  It is a day of heroes and legends, in which love, roses, books and culture are celebrated.  So romantic!

To celebrate this year's Beauty Lovers Day, they are offering this decadent face and body treatment to you!  The treatment is 60 minutes long and is for the face and upper body.  I had the privilege of experiencing it on Monday and it was a dream!  I hope that you will sign up right away because it is very limited!

If you don't have time for the treatment, you shouldn't miss the chance to treat yourself to a product that they typically only offer to their celebrity clients, Limited Edition Diamond Absolute Damask Rose Body Oil, which will be available to customers TODAY ONLY. Head to Neiman Marcus or call up there right away so that you can enjoy this indulgent opportunity!

Friday Favorites

What a week!  Has your spring gotten off to the crazy start that mine has? 

I'm in the thick of the final layout approvals for my next book: Monograms for the Home!  Can't wait to share it with you!  In the meantime, here is a little sneak peek:

Monogram Mania is going on over at my favorite shopping site Moda Operandi!

Did you know that the Red Cross has a great app to keep you safe during this crazy weather season? 

Obsessed with the great neutrals in this make-up palette.

This lipstick is perfect!

My toddler daughter has been living in these moccasins.  So sweet on her fat little feet!

And Tory Burch does it again!  I ordered these shoes to pair with my pin stripe dresses or jeans this spring.  

Update on my One Room Challenge!  The Gray Malin piece, Two Cowboys, that was my inspiration is now available on One Kings Lane!

Sunkist® Citrus Tips with Kimberly Schlegel Whitman: DIY Grapefruit Scrub

Follow the Hollow!

Such a treat getting to know the founder of my favorite new makeup line, Charlotte Tilbury, at a dinner hosted by the amazing Bag Snob this week. She gave us all a little tutorial on her incredible products and taught us to contour by sucking in our cheeks and then "follow the hollow!" It was a blast and I couldn't wait to share some of my favorite products from her line with you.

Friday Favorites

My favorite pin of the week.

I love every single post on this site!

This could possibly be the cutest baby gift ever! 

Love this summer "playsuit" for grownups!

I hope you will join us for MTV ReDefine.  My sisters and I are co-chairs and we are working hard to bring you a fantastic evening!

I'm thinking I might order this to cover up my messy hair this summer! I always love it when other people wear them but I don't know if I have the guts but, for $1, I think I'll give it a shot!

You can "contour" like a Kardashian with this makeup! I swear it makes you look ten pounds lighter!

The Beauty Event is Back!

I love make-up!

But even more than the actual make-up, I love that it starts my day off with the "alone time" I take for my morning routine.  I close my dressing room door and, as my mom would say,  "put my face on."

So when I get a mailer announcing The Beauty Event at Neiman Marcus, my heart skips a beat! 

Make-up + Free Gifts + Neiman Marcus = Joy

Now, you might be nay-saying and thinking that you just don't need anything but you are wrong!  You NEED these amazing new brushes from Artis.  I'm telling you....AMAZING is not an exaggeration!

They can make your foundation look like it was airbrushed.  Seriously!

They are unbelievably soft and the hair won't shed.

The company was started by make-up artist, Matthew Waitesmith, who lead the Artist Training and Development program at MAC cosmetics.  

I've been using mine for a little while now and I want you to have them too!  This is the perfect time to buy them during the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event because you will be showered with free goodies and an Eddie Borgo designed bag! 

 

Friday Favorites

Table Settings that set High Expectations

This is on my Valentine's Day wish list! 
This would do too.
A girl can dream.....

Super Dips for Bowl Games!  Where will you be watching?

I hear this is the greatest bestest hair texturizing spray ever!

Loving all of the new looks in the J.Crew catalogue and they have an additional 40%-50% off some sale items too!   Use the code: SALETIME. 

New Year - New Kicks - My Favorites

My Etiquette Lesson with Elizabeth Hurley

So ladies, what do you think Elizabeth Hurley has to say about applying powder and lipstick at the dinner table?  Click below to watch and find out!

Friday Favorites

Obsessed with Dolly - She is my dream dinner party guest!  Check out the SL interview.

My darling friend gave me this water bottle for my birthday and I LOVE it!

Just ordered this "grab bag" of office supplies! Can't wait to see what I get.

Michelle Nussbaumer of Ceylon et Cie calls this color a neutral! Love it!

8 Fall tips to get your best skin ever!

I love a planner with a weekly view and to-do list on the same pages. (And only $8!)

The perfect every-day sweater.

Perfect Nude Polish is the sexiest bottle ever!

Comfy dress (but chic in all white!) that I know will be a favorite this fall!  

If you have a black tie this spring, order today from the amazing Zac Posen.

Happy Birthday Renee!

I really do love Renee Rouleau.  

I love to try new products and play with new types of skin care.  I have been doing it for more years than I care to admit! 

But with Renee, I got religious.

About my routine, that is!

I really can't tell you what a difference this has made in my skin.  Renee's products are incredible and, once I saw the improvement, I decided to stick to the routine she recommended for me.  Even when I travel, I take her products with me.  That used to be the time that I threw all of small samples in a bag and took off but those days are over!

What is the secret?  Forgot those basic skin type categories that we have been taught we need to fit in to in the past.  Renee took it beyond dry, oily and combination and broke it into nine different categories.  You can take her test on-line to find out which products suit your skin. 

I promise you will love her products so give them a go!  You won't regret it!

This is not a sponsored post, just a little Happy 18th Birthday to one of the best skin care lines around!

Summer Beauty - The Very Best Bronzer

I love bronzer - especially this time of year when I try to hang on to that sun kissed look at the end of the summer.  I use it to contour my cheeks, darken down my nose, and define my neck from my jawbone (a trick I learned in the makeup chair at TODAY show).

I have tried just about every single one out there and I put a few of my favorites above for you to scroll through.  The Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess is hand's-down the winner!  It is big and lasts a long time.  The color is just right - not too iridescent but with the perfect amount of shimmer.  I use it everywhere, from my face to my shoulders and chest, and morning or night.  If I don't have time to do my makeup, I just grab it and add a little touch of color.  I love it and I know you will too!

Friday Favorites

Just read about this couple who are doing something I have always dreamed of doing!  Follow along with me as they renovate their French Chateau.

Adding these to the "Things my husband should buy me" list.

Have this.  Love it.  You should get one too.

I love a good back-comb before my pony tail to add body and this stuff works wonders.

Happy Birthday week to my darling "baby" sister who shared a tour of her home on the her blog this week. 

Have an awesome weekend my friends!

Bastille Day!

Cocoa and Lavender

In honor of my French husband, today's post is all about Bastille Day!  I remember being in Paris with him while we were dating on the 14 of July and watching the parade and the planes fly by from his family's apartment window.  It was amazing!

Now we do our best to bring a little bit of France home for our children to enjoy.  Here are a few little things that you might like to bring a taste of Bastille day to your family. 

Wonderful recipes for your Bastille Day fete (or any summer day!) from Cocoa and Lavender.

Try this French Inspired Cocktail - The Green Beast

A few fashion lessons from our favorite French Style Icons.

A few tips from my friends at BeautySnob so that we can do as the French do! 

Estee Lauder Archives and Etiquette Advice from Elizabeth Hurley

I'm a sucker for a great archival letter, note, photo or ad so when I got my hands on these incredible archives from Estee Lauder, I almost cried with joy!  They are amazing and I am so excited to be able to share them with you.

Photo by Daniel Driensky

Last Wednesday was a thrill!  If you were anywhere near Neiman Marcus Northpark in Dallas yesterday afternoon, you couldn't miss the excitement.  There were lines of ladies waiting to see Estee Lauder's son, Leonard Lauder, and Elizabeth Hurley as they opened the Estee Lauder Compact Museum.  

They also launched their new perfect red lipstick called Envy - Neiman Marcus Red!

Photo by Daniel Driensky

Estee Lauder and Neiman Marcus have been together since 1950 when Estee Lauder made her first personal appearance at the Flagship Neiman Marcus store in Downtown Dallas.  Throughout the years, they have launched 58 special compacts that women have been giving as gifts, collecting and enjoying!  The Compact Museum is such a little gem of an experience that I hope you will check out.  Mr. Lauder joked that you should buy them and stick them away for five years. When you pull them out after and put them on ebay he hopes you will thank him for making you rich!

Photo by Peter Dirlis

I took a compact that my grandmother gave me in 1998 to the event and had so much fun using it to powder my nose with Elizabeth Hurley!  I'll be able to put that video interview up here soon!  She gave us some etiquette advice that I can't wait to share with you!

Anyway, back to the archives.....
Enjoy......

Images courtesy of Estee Lauder Archives