Penny Fur My Thoughts

Fur.  


It's a touchy subject.  And no, the recent Kim Kardashian flour-bombing incident is not what led me to write this post - I've felt this way about fur and have been meaning to put it down on screen for a while now.  This recent incident is just proof that the issue with K.K and fur is heating up, and I think it's about time.

I suspect that most people tend to/feel pressured to take one extreme side when it comes to wearing fur - either you're a heartless, evil member of the 1% who relishes in forcing everyone to visually absorb your wealth by smearing luxe animal fur all over your body - or you're a dirty wannabe-hippie who has nothing better to do than obsess over what other people are choosing to wear, and forcing your opinions on it down everyone's throats.


I, personally, am somewhere in the middle on this.  Yes, I do have some fur pieces.  All but one were given to me as gifts, so I somehow in my head rationalize that it's OK to wear them since I didn't actually contribute money to the industry, but we all know that's just a bunch of crap (LOL).  But you know what?  I'm not ashamed to admit that do enjoy wearing them every now and again, and as long as one is following the general rule of "everything in moderation", I think its more or less OK.  If you want to wear fur, as with most things in life - you need to practice some discretion, respect and tread lightly.

People feel out of touch with the issue of fur, since each of the two parties (for or against) are so difficult to relate to.  Most of us are not fur wearing multi-millionaires OR higher-than-thou modern day hipster hippies who sit around for hours coming up with the snarky commentary towards those who wear fur.  Do we have to be so extreme about it?


Perfect example of how NOT to wear fur.  Kim KarTrashian. Let's take a look:

3.06.12 (with $6000 Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, I might add)

(She doesn't look out of touch with her husband at ALL here  ;-P )

These are only a select few of the many pictures I've come across where Kim is wearing at least  SOME fur, however I wanted to select the pictures that really make my case (which were not hard to find).  

1.  Wearing head-to-toe fur ages you decades

2.  It makes a horrible statement

3.  It looks tacky 

4.  It adds pounds to one's frame and makes you look fat when you're wearing more than just a small fur piece.  It should only be 10% maximum of your entire look. 

Some fur accessories here and there I think are OK, but too much can be offensive.  Additionally - when you style an outfit and wear it, it makes a statement.  You speak with what you choose to wear, whether you like it or not.  This is why I believe the skill of being able to see oneself from another person's perspective is valuable.  If it's a matter of you not caring, then I guess there is no problem here.  However, don't be suprised if you get flour-bombed outside of Neiman Marcus on your next shopping trip.  I'd advise to take these points into consideration when deciding to wear outfits as the ones pictured above.  Kim comes across as a greedy, vile little pig by wearing so much fur all the time.  It's offensive to me and many others - and only adds to the laundry list of reasons why I don't like her and everything she stands for.

To sum up, here are I think two good general rules of thumb: 

1. Everything in moderation

2. When in doubt, do the opposite of what Kim Karsdashian is doing, and you should be good.  :-)

xo,

Viva

Tip of the Week!

The tip to keeping your manicure fresh and chip-free all week is applying a top coat daily. This keeps the polish from becoming brittle. Which leads to chips.

This topcoat is my hands-down favorite: it literally dries almost instantly and has a great shine to it. I carry one with me in my purse at all times- just make sure to check that the top is screwed on tight every day to avoid a nail polish disaster inside your luxe handbag.

The Infamous Nars Zulu & NOTD

Well, I finally have it in my hands.  The infamous shade "Zulu" by a favorite makeup brand of mine, Nars.  I've been reading about this elusive shade for a few months now.  Apparently, Nars discontinued this color a while back, when they were re-formulating their nail polishes.  Once word got around that this dark, forest-y green shade was about to go MIA, a frenzy ensued.


Once the last few bottles were scooped up, the ebay scalping began - and Zulu immediately went from the already-expensive pricetag of $17 at Sephora to upwards of $50, $60 - even over $100 on EvilBay.  A "Give Us Zulu" online petition was created, and Zulu fans from all over began to contact Nars in hopes of convincing them to re-release the now infamous shade.  Finally, Nars did just that...and they also made the formula more environmentally friendly as well.  However, the re-realease was short-lived, and off the market it went once again.  Wow!  When brands take long-standing products off the shelves, this often happens.  The fans go nuts - and begin to stockpile whatever coveted product is about to be gone forever.  I'm a culprit of this behavior as well.  I hate it when a tried-and-true gets axed.  It's not easy to find that perfect whatever it is!


I managed to snag a bottle of this shade - just for the mere fact that there is so much hype surrounding it.  I had to see what all the fuss was about, and I bit the bullet and bought a bottle of it.  Here's my picture:

I have to say............I'm underwhelmed.  It's a dark green jelly-based formula, and it took me 3 shades to reach full opacity.  Maybe it's my skintone, but I really don't see all the excitement in this color.  As with most things, the hype has overshadowed the item.  I don't know, but I just don't see anything special about  this dark green color, not to mention that there are a ton of other dark greens on the market right now that are near dupes of this shade.  An all-around "meh".


And on another note - here is a pic of my current NOTD (nail of the day):

This is Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure in "Lavender Cloud" with OPI for Sephora's "I Found a  Pot of Gold!" layered on top.  I love the way the two look against each other.  I'm really liking this line of Sally H. polishes - they all go on really well, have staying power and come with a great brush that makes even my shaky hands create a near-perfectly finished manicure.  All of the creme polishes in this line are pretty pigmented, so I'm not finding myself applying 4-6 coats just to reach opacity.  And if it weren't for the diamond-shaped pieces of confetti in I Found a Pot of Gold, this would be a perfect gold glitter.  You don't see any on my nails above, because I go out of my way to make sure the brush hasn't picked up any of those tacky little buggers.






xoxo and happy manicures,
Viva




PS - I had to take a shot of these Giuseppes I saw the other day - thoughts?  I'd like to see these in a different color combo, perhaps gold + dark purple.  But hot nonetheless.

Tips & Toes

Hello lovelies!  Happy new year, and I'm glad to be back writing again.  It's been too long.  What have I been doing lately?  Well, I have a confession....


I'm addicted to nail polish.  I have become completely obsessed with everything nail polish, reading and researching about colors online, popping into random beauty stores and drugstores trying to locate hard-to-find polishes that I've read about and lusted over online, and buying colors from ebay and amazon.  I think I have a problem!  A fun, enjoyable problem ;-)


So, I wanted to share some of my favorite, coveted polishes that I've both purchased recently and have had in my stash for a while.






One of my favorite nail polish brands is Sinful Colors, which I usually find at Walgreens. They're two bucks each, and they have really bold colors that are highly pigmented and go on really well.  Some of them tend to chip more than others, but then again I feel that way about a lot of nail polishes, even the more expensive brands such as OPI and Essie.  The polishes below are titled, in order from left to right: "I Love You", "Paris" and "Rich In Heart". Another one I covet but did not post is "Creme Pink".  It's the brightest hot pink I've found, and looks super sassy on toes.

I Love You - this is a dark purple jelly formula with small grain glitter. It's hard to tell the color from this picture, but it looks fabulous on my tips and matches my ring, however this color has been recently replaced by my beloved Chanel Vendetta (which you'll see below too), but I did want to highlight it in this post for those that don't want to spend $25 on nail polish.

Paris (the gold glitter) is probably my favorite nail polish I own - its the perfect shade of gold -not too yellow, too coppery or too orange - and the glitter size is perfect as well.  If the glitter grain size is too small it tends to lean towards the side of being a shimmer, and too large it goes on chunky and just doesn't look good.  I add this on top of all kinds of colors - deep purple (to match my favorite ring that I wear every day, which is pictured down below in this post) over black, over white and over shades of grey as well.  It really adds a punch to an otherwise lackluster manicure.  I think it might have recently been discontinued because I cannot find it at any Walgreens in San Francisco anywhere!  I ended up buying another bottle on Amazon, but if it HAS been continued I'm going to be extra sad, because this is my tried and true and I absolutely LOVE it.

Rich In Heart is a fabulous color on both tips and toes. It's one of the ones I've been using for years - definitely a staple in my polish stash. Its a deep wine/garnet shade and it stays on my tips for about 4-5 days (which is long for me - usually I get chips within a day) and about two weeks on my toes.  LOVE it!

Next on the list: WHITES.  Anyone who knows me personally knows that everything white is my favorite color.  I love to wear it in both nail polishes and clothes.  My whole room is decked out in everything white as well.

Pictured above we have Sinful Colors "Snow Me White", Essie "Marshmallow" and Sinful Colors "Tokyo Pearl".  All white, but oh so different.  Snow me white is probably the most white white out of all of them, and this color looks fantastic on your toes.  Don't be afraid to try it out - it is super flattering, especially if you're tan.  Every time I do my toes in white I get TONS of compliments.  Tokyo Pearl is a great white for my tips, but it takes three coats to really get it opaque.  Lastly, Essie Marshmallow is more of a soft white, so I'd recommend this for your tips instead of toes, or else it leaves your toes looking kind of strange and washes the color out.  It looks very classy and smooth on your tips, however.  As a general rule of thumb, I usually only choose bold and/or bright colors for my toes.  Think hot pink, stark white, deep red or black black.  Anything lighter will make your feet look weird.  Trust me.

Next up, my newest purchase: Essie "Master Plan" (and my beloved ring I keep mentioning in this post):  

This is a creamy, putty-like color.  Clay with a hint of lavender in there.  I just applied it today and is the color I'm currently rocking on my tips.  I don't think I'd want this for my toes, however.  As you can see, it goes nicely with my ring as well, which is usually my goal with any polish I'm wearing.  If it doesn't flatter my ring, it won't make the cut.  And to the right of Master Plan below, I've pictured Wet n' Wild's Craze line, color #233.  This is what I'm currently wearing on my toes.  Its a rich copper color and was really easy and smooth to apply.  Even with making a few mistakes, they evened out really well and it dried luxe, rich and shiny.

Essie "Master Plan", Wet n Wild Craze #233

Chanel.  No additional introduction needed.

I used to browse through the department stores and come across Chanel nail polishes and think to myself "who the F would ever spend that much money on a bottle of nail polish?!?!"  Well nowadays.... yea, THIS PERSON *points to self*.  Haha, yes - I've fallen victim to the Chanel nail polishes.  Yes they're expensive, but.....they're SO BEAUTIFUL.  And they go on like a dream!  The only one I use two coats on is the polish all the way on the right in the picture above, because I prefer a more opaque nude.  My mom only uses one coat with that one because she likes a more natural sheer look.  From left to right:  "Peridot", "Paradoxal", "Vendetta", "Rose Cashe".

Peridot.  The most lusted after color of the season.  I searched and searched for this one all over the city, eventually buying it off of the Nordstrom website.  I was giddy like a schoolgirl when this one finally came and the UPS man rang my bell...and I was not disappointed.  It is a duochrome teal/lime green with strands of gold shimmer running through. Amazing color that really pops! And wait until you get it in the sunlight...you won't be disappointed. Paradoxal is a creamy, dark lavender.  At some angles it looks lilac, at others it looks more on the grape/amethyst side.  It looks fabulous on almost any skin tone and of course, applies like a dream like EVERY Chanel polish I've tried.  They go on like satin, and they do not chip as fast as any other brand I've used.  The quality really is there.  Vendetta - my favorite nail polish I own (it's a tie with Sinful Colors Paris).  A lot of girls I know wear black as their everyday daily driver nail color.  Vendetta is my version of that - I can wear this every day of the year, and I used to to just that until I recently became obsessed with nail polish.  It's a deep, blackberry purple with a slight shimmer, and it goes on SO shiny and glossy.  I wear it both alone and with gold glitter over it to compliment my ring.  I'll be using this one for a long time.  And lastly, Rose Cashe.  I actually bought this one for my mom as a gift, and it's the best nude nail color I've found.  All other nude nail polishes wash me out and look terrible against my skin tone, but this one doesn't.  It has just the right amount of pink in it to give it some life, and it looks great with gold glitter as well.  Go ahead and splurge on a bottle of Chanel polish the next time you're feeling frisky...I promise you won't be disappointed.  Well worth the cash.










Deborah Lippmann "Good Girl Gone Bad" :

Manicurist to the stars Deborah Lippmann has come out with her own polish line, and they are all pretty impressive.  This one stood out to me - you can't really see from this picture, but it's a dark-ish ruby red with mega glitter.  Looks great on my toes, and it works on tips as well.  It's also pretty pricy - $18 per bottle, but for what it's worth, it lasted 3 weeks on my toes.  She has a great line and it's available at Nordstroms as well.  Definitely worth checking out....especially because Nordstrom's return policy will basically accept anything in any condition its in, so you can bring it back if you've decided against it.

Another one of my favorite cheap nail polish lines is Milani.  I probably have about 30 bottles of this stuff!  I've been using it for years because the formula is pretty consistent, it goes on evenly and they have a lot of really bright colors that I use on my toes in the summertime.  Below we have from left to right: "Gold Glitz", "Ms. Milani", "Disco Lights" and "Sunkissed Glow".

Gold Glitz is a THICK copper and gold glitter.  Small and medium sized grain bits of both gold and copper glitter PACKED into a little bottle.  This nail polish is cool because you can wear it without topcoat and you'll get a really cool sandpaper glitter effect.  It's hard to explain, but it's almost like a matte glitter.  It feels really cool too...when I wear this I can't help but constantly glide my thumb over my other four nails and feel the sensation.  Really fun color for summertime.  Ms. Milani is my daily driver gold nail polish. You know how I'm picky about my golds....has to be the right this, the right that - and Ms. Milani passes all the tests.  Perfect shade of gold.  Disco lights is a fun watermelon glitter punch.  I find myself adding this pink glitter over all sorts of colors I wouldn't think it looks good with.  My most recent concoction was Disco Lights over a matte taupe color, and it looked fantabulous.  Last but definitely not least, my No. 1 favorite color for my toes - Sunkissed Glow.  This color looks AMAZING on tan feet in the summertime.  I have a pair of these silver gladiator sandals that I like to pair with this shimmery coral, peachy shade and it makes my feet look soooo pretty.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a skin tone that this color doesn't look good on.  Hands down, favorite toe color for the sumemrtime! 

So there you have it, I've confessed where I've been all this time, I've been stalking Sally Beauty supply, waiting at their door minutes before they open and driving across town to the other Walgreens or Rite Aid to see what colors they might have!  Maybe this post will drive my lady friends to get in touch with their tips and toes...its fun.  Almost TOO fun.  Also, check out these nail-polish-devoted blogs...they have a lot of great pictures and tips that revolve around nail polish.  I thought I was obsessed....haha.

Scrangie.com

polishaddict.com

Additionally....one of my readers recently commented on my "High and Low" post from about a year ago asking me to post a picture of my wallet after I mentioned how I get a tiny bit happy every time I pull it out of my purse at the cash register, ha ha.  I got this beauty almost a year ago and I still love it as much as I did when I first got it.  These are the things that make me happy. :-)

One last thing I wanted to share with my readers - if you shop at Sephora a lot and you're one of their VIB members, I wanted to turn you on to their 100 perk prize for this month: sample sizes of Gucci Guilty!  And not those janky little straw-sized tubes, actual little miniatures of their signature bottle! I bought this perfume a year ago I think actually the day it came out after one of my dear friends brought me back one of these little sample guys from her trip to Europe, before it had been released in the U.S.  I was in love at first sniff - juicy, fruit-based notes yet floral as well.  To make a long description short, I'm now on my third bottle of it and when I saw that these mini's were the 100 perk prize at Sephora I used all of my 800 points that I'd been saving for a good prize, and I think I went a little overboard, ha ha.  I have even more than what's pictured below.  BUT - check it out!  I get a ton of compliments when I wear this, and most of them are from men. Meow ;-)

Ciao for now...


xoxo,
Viva

The Return of Saturn

To anyone who is aged 27-30, 56-60 or 84-90 and is facing a particularly tough, confusing and disorienting time in their lives like I am currently, read ahead.  I found this to be surprisingly insightful.  A variety of friends have mentioned the Saturn Return to me over the past few months, and I finally took the time to find out what they are talking about.  I'm not usually one to be into/interested in astrology, but it makes sense to me for some reason.  If it can help you in any way, I'm glad I could have shared it with you.  I wish you luck and courage through your journey.

The Return of Saturn

In astrology, the Saturn return is a believed phenomenon which is described to influence a person's life development at 27 to 29 or 30-year intervals. These intervals or "returns" coincide with the approximate time it takes the planet Saturn to make one orbit around the sun, i.e. 29.4 years. It is believed by astrologers that, as Saturn "returns" to the degree in its orbit occupied at the time of birth, a person crosses over a major threshold and enters the next stage of life. With the first Saturn return, a person leaves youth behind and enters adulthood. With the second return, maturity. And with the third and usually final return, a person enters wise old age. These periods are estimated to occur at roughly the ages of 28-30, 56-60 and 84-90. A fourth return occurs for only a few people, at age 114-118.

The Saturn return always occurs between the age of 27 and 29, seemingly lasts a lot longer, and is one of the most feared and misunderstood points in personal evolution. It is usually a difficult time with a lot of stress and pressure, where things come to an end, hard realizations are faced, and the weight of the world is felt, very acutely. However, it is also a time of many opportunities to make important choices and decisions, moving out of unconscious patterns and obsolete conceptions of our purpose into more deliberate and thoughtful expressions of our unfulfilled self.

It represents a time of completing a major life cycle, and because it is Saturn, it shows that we now have completed some lessons about what we can do and cannot do, what we can live with and what we cannot. It is a time where we examine our chains, and lift off the ones we no longer need to wear. It is where we choose behaviors that will lead us to forms of dominion and slavery in our life. Before now, these were chosen for us by our elders and our unconscious patterns. But no longer. This is the moment where free will works most powerfully to make our lives a grand adventure in becoming our true authorship in the world, stepping into our chosen authority, or where we perpetuate life habits that enslave us to obsolete authoritarian patterns.

It is a time of important endings, but also major new beginnings that will affect our lives for many years to come. It is a time where our free will shows us more of our life purpose freed from old patterns we once needed, but do not need to live with any longer. It is often associated with a time of hardship, difficulties, and major challenges, but these occur because we are resisting our own tide of personal evolution, or because we need the skills to deal with these things that will help us reveal our higher purpose in the years to come. During this time of clearing our old psychological refuse, whatever must change WILL change, whether we want it to or not, and whether we like it or not.

It is important to note here that Saturn is not "causing" these things to occur. We are the engineers of our own lives, the determiners of our fate through our free will. As it was said, we are the dispensers of "glory or gloom" to ourselves, and no others. Nothing external compels our destiny. Since character is destiny, as we make our character we make our destiny. Saturn and its cycles merely indicate the part of our inner nature which must learn certain lessons as a direct result of our own maturation process, and show us clearly the cause-and-effect cycles we have set into motion before this time of radical choices and changes.

The Saturn return is a time when the "chickens come home to roost," for good or ill. Again, this is a time of evaluating what we can live with and what we cannot. It is the most important time for examining what our priorities are and what must be dropped from our lives to allow us a more mature expression of our "dharma," a Sanskrit term approximately meaning "true function" in the higher sense of the term. This is when we learn to make time and experience our ally, and come out of immature ways and lesser ways of being into our greater response-ability.

Saturn again returns to its birth place again between 57 and 59, where we choose once more how we want to live, this time for what most of us believe will be the rest of our lives. Again we make choices. This time, though, we are challenged to turn away from old limitations, rules, responsibilities, fears, and unfulfilling behaviors. This is the time to distill wisdom from the realizations we’ve had so far, reflected through the filter of over 30 years of adult experience. It’s usually hardest on those who still operate out of immaturity, irresponsibility, or fear. To the extent that we have not learned how to fulfill our higher purpose, or ignored the physical or emotional lessons of the various crisis points between 29 and 58, this is a very difficult time. Of course, it may also show us that we have done exactly what we were supposed to do, and marks the point of embracing a new adventure, having fulfilled the old purpose.

Any time Saturn touches any planet in our charts, it indicates a time when all of the above factors are brought to bear on the psychological function of the planet visited by Saturn. For example, when Saturn conjuncts our Sun, it is a time of receiving the rewards of "living our light," or feeling oppressed as a result of past self-betrayals. It may be a time of recognition for what we have accomplished, and where we restructure how we view illumination, and how we live your heart's higher purpose. Things end, but only those things which our light no longer needs.

When Saturn touches our Moon, it is a time of seeing what habits and feelings we can live with, and which ones have become too calcified to endure any longer. It is a time of restructuring our emotional experience. Though it may be experienced as limiting and restrictive, it also brings emotional and experiential rewards as well as a deepening of our inner connectedness with our true nature if we show the virtues of patience, responsibility, maturity, perseverance, self-discipline, and organization.

Saturn shows us the lessons we must learn to grow in our "authorship" in life, regardless of what personal, interpersonal, or transpersonal sphere we move through. The Saturn return shows us how we are or are not exercising "free will," rather than fear. Saturn is the part of us that has learned to be rigid and authoritarian, but also where we take responsibility for our lives and choices, and come to a genuine life renewal by ending whatever has oppressed us while embracing a more mature sense of self. Saturn may symbolize our limitations, but also shows us the way to the perfection of our personalities so we can live our Dharma, which is our Highest Self.

Though it is not usually a "joyous" time, it can be if we find the right point of view. Though it is not usually an "easy" time, it can be if you are living your higher purpose and don't resist the process of becoming more than we were. We simply must learn what people and circumstances and fears we no longer want nor need, and let go of lesser things. Then we can find a greater maturity, effectiveness, and purpose that enables us to enjoy our future as a grand adventure rather than be frustrated at not being able to stay in childish or unfulfilling patterns of acting, feeling, or thinking.

Ultimately Saturn can lead us to our primal innocence, where we do what’s right for the greatest good for all, without ulterior motives and controlling behaviors. We just have to learn to be mature, without being old. With the perfection of our Saturn function, we become part of the wisdom of our ancestry, our era, and the holographic patterns of all who share our life lessons. Our Saturn lessons help us learn and teach the greater way for those who follow us in the portion of the wisdom we are here to learn. The trick to it all is to embrace Saturn and its lessons and not fear that which makes us greater than we could have imagined.

Source: 

http://www.aquariuspapers.com/astrology/2005/10/the_saturn_retu.html

xo,

Viva

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season.  Be back soon...re arranging some things and people in my life. 

Big kisses to everyone, and I'm looking forward to 2012!  

xo,

Viva

Halloween 2011!

Halloween 2011


I sure had fun dressing up this Halloween!  Even my typically "I don't like dressing up for Halloween" best friend got into it this year and it was FABULOUS!!!  


Can you guess what our costumes were?

Feel the Pulsation!

It's been a while, my friends!  I have a tip for you - men and women alike.


For the most part, I feel like facial masks are pretty shi-shi foo-foo and don't really do alot.  They all claim to "draw impurities from the skin", but how much do they really do?  I can never really tell any difference after taking them off - just that my skin might feel a little softer, or have a chalky residue left behind.


However - This mask is no joke.  I found this product at my local hippie dippie all organic/sustainable/free range/cageless/local grown/you-name-it grocery store and picked it up on the recommendation of a friend. You blend this bentonite clay powder with raw unfiltered apple cider together to create a fizzy, frothy mixture, then smooth that onto your face.  Let it dry, and before long your face is pulling, pulsating, tightening, being slightly contorted (lol) - all sorts of weird things.  This is not for those non-adventurous folks - you may get a little freaked out by it when you first try this.  However, after washing it off I do see a difference in my skin.  My skin is always bright red after I wash it off, but not in a painful way...more in a "whoa, my face is rejuvenated and the circulation is definitely going" kind of way.  Additionally, the seemingly permanent little bumps on my forehead - AKA the bane of my existence - have been clearing up since I started this.  


Too good to be true?  We'll have to see...but I'm sticking with this for now!  It definitely brings a "glow", that's for sure!  My routine: I wash my face with my go-to Johnson's Baby Wash, apply this mask, follow it with my velvety La Mer Concentrate which calms my face while leaving it "fed" and soft - and lastly, I apply my moisturizer of 12 + years, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer.  My face is happy and well-fed from this combination! :-) 


Try it out!

xo,
Viva

The Wardrobe-Maker. It's a Necessity!

Alright ladies, I must confess: I've been obsessed with this bag for too long!!

 [Chloé Paraty Medium Tassle Leather Bag]

I'm a firm believer that every woman needs a wardrobe-making handbag.  This in particular is one that I've had the opportunity to see in person a few times, and it sure is glorious, I must say. 


Isn't it just delicious looking?  Ok, maybe delicious isn't the right word...but that's how I feel about it.  Yum!  Just wanted to share this piece of work with you all, as it's a great example of the "wardrobe-maker".  Every girl needs a wardrobe-making statement handbag.  You WON'T regret that purchase, believe me.  It makes all your outfits look better, even if you only paid $10 for your clothes.  A great bag brings everything together and adds just the polished finishing touch needed.


This is a debtworthy bag!  Ugh.  Not this time for me, sadly.   If you have to money to buy it, DO IT.  I would!
xo,
Viva

]

[Images via net-a-porter.com]

Anyone who Has Trouble Sleeping, Read Ahead!

[The Cloud]

I have to share this with my readers.  If you suffer from insomnia, trouble sleeping or light sleeping, you need to experience the best thing I've discovered literally since...I can't even think of a discovery close to as remarkable as these were for me!

Mack's Pillow Soft Earplugs have changed my life.  I had given up all hope on sleeping well.  I thought I was doomed sleep terribly for the rest of my life, always being burdened with irritability, the feeling of being "cracked out" and dark bags under my eyes.  I have always been an incredibly light sleeper.  I never really knew if I was sensitive to sound, movement, light, or just had trouble sleeping in general - I just knew that sleeping for me has never been easy.  I'd tried all the foam earplugs before, and they barely helped.  I had written off earplugs entirely, until someone at my work (a loud nightclub) made me use Mack's Earplugs to protect my ears from our loud, pounding soundsystem.  They drowned out so much of the booming music efficiently, I thought about trying them for my insufferable sleeping issues.

I have not achieved this much solid, uninterrupted and sound sleep literally since I was a young child.  It turns out that sound is the primary culprit that interrupts my slumber and that wakes me up at night.  These earplugs have literally changed my life.  I can now sleep.  I CAN NOW SLEEP!!!  I am not irritable every day.  I am not fighting with my loved ones from being grumpy all the time.  I feel healthier, well rested and in general more relaxed and less stressed out.  I can sleep through the night without being woken up to the slight sound of the wind outside, or my neighbors flushing their toilet.  Or the sounds of city life.  I am even able to sleep through other human activity in the room I am sleeping in - something I NEVER thought possible! Literally a huge breakthrough for me.  I am now a normal sleeper, like everyone else.  I feel freed - like my sleep is no longer dependent upon other people.  I feel protected by my earplugs!  If you are using them properly - sealed partially inside your canal and to the outside of your ear, blocking out all noise - they are the BEST earplugs you'll ever experience!

So, THANK YOU, Macks.  You have absolutely changed my life.  And for my readers who feel hopeless and that their insomnia will ultimately continue to have them by the BALLS, give these a shot.  While insomnia is partially a result of your psyche going wild...drowning out all outside noise helps more than you think it will.  I didn't think that sound was the primary reason I was not sleeping well before I discovered these - I thought it was my racing mind.  Looking back, my mind would race increasingly the longer I stayed awake, stressing out about not getting enough sleep.  Those who know will recognize this little "game" that is no fun whatsoever.  These have helped me so much, and one of the best things about them is that they are DRUG FREE.  So many people suggested going on Ambien to help my insomnia...and I'm so glad that I won't be feeding my system with unnecessary chemicals just to get some rest.

FINALLY.

xo,

Viva

Bring on Fall

Something about this look screams effortlessly chic, falling leaves in New York.  Bring on fall!  This picture is making me excited for chunky sweaters, black jeggings, boots, leather, scarves scarves scarves, beanies, sunnies and a statement bag to bring it all together!




xo,
Viva

You Have to Wait for Your Reward with this One :-)

Bond No. 9: Eau de New York


This is a very peculiar fragrance. Its one of those that does a complete 180 from the initial burst to when it settles into my skin. Usually all perfumes do change somewhat from when you first apply to after it's been sitting on your skin for a while, but this one is a night and day difference. The *reason* I bought this was because of the dry down that it possesses.

The initial scent I get when I spray this on is a lot like Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino, which I used to own.  A LOT. And although I do like the initial burst of citrus, basil, lots of neroli and the general "freshness" of the smell - it's the fade out that I'm really waiting for. I just cannot describe the smell of this fade out ... it's incredible. The smell that remains is that of a warm, almost velvety type of draping layer that lingers on your skin and just smells "good". I've smelled this (or something like this) on a woman before, and I just cant remember who or when it was, but I remember thinking that she smelled so inviting and good, but not in a perfumey way - but like it was just her natural scent that I was smelling. Slightly sweet, soft skin. That's what this smells like after the initial 10 minutes of citrus that you get.

Usually I buy fragrances for how they smell on my skin straight away after I spray them on, and I end up being disappointed with the fade out. This perfume however, is the opposite - I can't wait for the initial notes to burn off, revealing the warm, inviting, delicious and soft undertones that this perfume has.

It's expensive, but when you find a great perfume that suits you, it's more than worth it! Enjoy!  A lot of the Bond fragrances are worth looking into.  


xo,
Viva

Beyonce's Red Carpet Bump!

I'm sure you've all heard the news by now that Beyonce is pregnant.  I just wanted to share this picture since it brought some joy and excitement to my otherwise dreary Monday morning.  Beyonce and Jay Z are a great example of love and marriage in the public eye, in my opinion.  They do seem to truly love each other and above all, have always remained very private which I have a lot of respect for.  They don't feel the need to pimp out every detail of their marriage for press (cough cough KIM K. cough), and I think it's exciting that they're expecting.  It does seem like a real marriage and like a real relationship with love.

And talk about a way to debut that baby bump!! Spectacular! Another red carpet memory made!

Well wishes to the happy family.

xo,

Viva

[Postsecret.blogspot.com]

Absolutely Flawless, Ladies!

I know this doesn't really count as a real post, but I wanted to share this product with you all, and I will have a new post up soon!


Ladies, you must try this product by Too Faced:

A while back I shared a product by the name of "Erase Paste" with you, and I must say that this is even better, especially for those with oily skin.  Erase paste is better for people with dry skin.  Both products are pretty amazing, however if you are a fan of Makeup Forever's HD Liquid Foundation, you will like this.  Both Makeup Forever HD and Absolutely Flawless have the same silky consistency, except this product is more potent which makes for a great concealer.  It only comes in three shades, but all three shades are very versatile and since you will most likely be putting bronzer or powder on top of it to blend, you will most likely be able to make one of the three shades work for you.  Additionally, the product is extremely pigmented and you literally only need about the size of three pinheads to cover all of your problem areas, so this little tube will last forever.  I love it!  Available here!


Props to Danielle for turning me onto it!


Viva

Lamasrichie Gone?

I know I have some readers that found my blog through the Lamasrichie website, and today I discovered that the website is now down.  Using this post as a forum, does any one out there have any additional info about this?


I found her blog to be a lighthearted, humorous and whimsical website that was fun to read and converse on.   Apparently, many other readers took what she had to say much more seriously and subsequently felt the need to bash and hate on every little thing Shayne had to say, which is likely what caused her to stop updating the blog and eventually lead to the entire website being taken down.  My fear is that Shayne lost her heart in the project after reading the endless barrage of hate laden, PMS driven commentary.  In my opinion, there is nothing more cowardly and pathetic than the anonymous negative commenter.  If you don't have something nice to say, at the very least say it with your head held high or don't say it at all.  Reanalyze why you feel the need to comment negatively on someone's blog that you don't know or have never met.  I'm glad I did get to experience Shayne's blog for the short time that it was in existence.


Ladies, what's your take on the end of Lamasrichie?  We all knew it was coming.

It's Time for Your Close-Up

Have you ever wondered why you can spend over an hour getting glamorous, done, pulling it all together until every last detail is smoothed down, straightened, highlighted, covered up, plucked and coiffed...looking fan-f*cking-tastic in the mirror, only to have pictures taken of you 15 minutes later come out looking more haggard than ever?  Why is that so?  Well, if you didn't already know...there is an art to taking a good picture.  Lets give this some quick thought.  Disclaimer - I am not a professional photog, and I am not a professional model.  This is my own normal person's guide to taking a decent picture.


1.  Angles
2.  Lighting 
3. Positioning
4. Being tan
5. Posture
6. Make up application 


All of these factors go into making or breaking a good picture, and if you can get at least 4 out of the six down...you'll be golden.




1.  The angle at which the camera is shooting you is probably the most obvious culprit of a bad picture...most of us know to avoid the from-below-triple-chin highlight angle, however there are a myriad of unflattering and flattering angles that you would benefit familiarizing yourself with.  For example, I happen to take better pictures from the left.  This works out well, as my best friend photographs better from the right.  So, when we're trying to "get our good sides" taken, we compliment each other well and are not fighting for sides.  Ridiculous?  A bit.  But, we know our angles and we use them to our advantage!  Do you?  I must add: it bugs me when a tabloid will run a obviously horrendous picture taken at a bad angle of a celebrity, claiming that they are on drugs or pregnant, etc...only to be photographed later that day or the next day looking fantastic.  Don't get confused...angles have that power!  The power to highlight your third eye pimple in the middle of your forehead, or the power to bring out your sexy lips.  You have some power in determining your photog fate.


2.  Lighting is probably the most important aspect of taking a picture, and is the primary reason why you can walk out of the house feeling like Giselle, only to photograph like Amy Winehouse coming off a four day bender.  I have heard that many celebrities, including Pamela Anderson (who are very in touch with the way they appear) have specific requirements as to which cameras and which flashes are allowed to take pictures of them.  It does make a significant difference.  Fluorescent lighting is the worst type of light - making skin look pasty, highlighting every little imperfection and creating gaunt shadows and awkward bone structures.  Avoid at all costs.  The best type of lighting for pictures in my experience is any kind of warm, ambient lighting - sunlight, yellow light, soft light.  And, the camera flash makes a LARGE difference as well.  In my experience, (which is still very immature - I am by no means a professional photog...my only knowledge comes from  vanity) Nikon camera flashes are the single most unflattering shades of blue, appearing cold and sharp - which highlights everything I DON'T want to know about myself or didn't know existed.  Once you begin to pay attention, you'll find what kind of lighting suits you the best.


3.  I'm going to lump positioning and posture in the same category - because it all has to do with the way you're making your body appear.  Obviously you don't want to slump, but you don't necessarily want to suck in, either.  Stand up straight, angle your head a slight bit, and figure out something nonawkward to do with your arms.  Stay away from anything too posey (the old hand-on-hip stance is beyond played out, yet is still a good go-to).  Variety is key - yes, you might look fabulous making a slight pouty face, camera angle coming from the left while your head is at a 37 degree angle, but too many of one type of pose begins to look silly and a tad ridiculous after the 45th picture in a row.  Mix it up - it'll take time but you will find what suits you the best...and candids always come out the best, in my opinion.  I know this is a lot of info to consider, but the more natural you are, the better...and you will get the hang of it.  I could also go on a tangent about wearing flattering clothing and how much of a difference that makes, but we will save that for an entirely different post.  Oh, and NO DUCK FACES.


4.  The tanner you are, the better the picture is going to come out.  Although cliche it really is true - being tan is flattering, especially in photos. Whether it's natural or fake, that's up to you.  However, make sure you invest in a good self or spray tanning system because appearing orange is NOT an acceptable look either.


5.  Certain makeup brands tend to cast a shadow in pictures.  Recently I was trying out NARS liquid foundation. In real life it was silky, smooth and went on with a clean, healthy glow.  However in pictures, it looked like I was wearing 4 layers of powder that was two shades too light, and it even seemed to highlight my undereye circles.  Ummm.... I though I paid $42 to AVOID that???  So, you will have to find the right makeup that works for you both in real life and in pictures.  For me, NARS did not cut it however I have a friend who uses that very product, and does not have that same issue.  Just because it didn't work for me or your other friend doesn't mean it won't work for you.  I recommend Makeup Forever HD liquid foundation, MAC Satinfinish Mineralize Liquid Foundation, and Bare Esscentuals has worked for me in the past as well (better for those with more oily skin).  These have all photographed nicely on me.  Using shadow and/or liner to define your eyes makes a difference as well...I don't know any girl who doesn't look sexier with a subtle smokey eyed look.  And, a dab of blush right on the apples of your cheeks (not up onto the cheekbone towards your temples) gives a healthy glow.  My favorite is Bare Escentuals Blush in Sorbet.


Good luck on your close up.

The difference between a bad picture and a good picture:

Now do you believe me?

Self tanner at it's worst.  Learn from my mistake. Lol.

Finally, a good one!

xo,

Viva