lisa eldridge - The Seventh Sphinx

March 12, 2014March 12, 2014

rough day?

Some days are harder than others (I don’t know if you will have noticed, but some hours are just awful), and on those days I try to give myself something to anticipate and and enjoy.

Something like…

a face mask

Maybe a clay mask or one of these Korean paper masks I’ve been enjoying lately. I go for hydrating, detoxing, or brightening ones. Really enjoyed this mask overview from Lisa Eldridge, which has several good recommendations.

take-out indulgence

Indian or Thai or maybe pizza. I rarely eat out or get take-out, so this feels like a personal luxury even when inexpensive. Alternatively, cooking something semi-elaborate that I really want, like Indian or Thai or pizza.

special pajamas

This is a lovely slip from Myla London, the candle is Feu de Bois from Lafco, the perfume is Bulgari pour homme

You know, the special ones. Donned early. Possibly I also put on perfume or light a candle, and use the fancy moisturizer. [If I had a bathtub, a bath would be on this list. One day I will have a bathtub.]

a cookie

cooookiiieeee

cartoons

There are some excellent cartoons out there (umm, Archer…). Alternatively, really bad movies. Alternatively, Tomb Raider or Jurassic Park.

trying on lipstick

You know, put it on…consider it….make faces…take it off again…put another one on.

I wouldn’t usually have a camera. This is a questionable reenactment.

It’s soothing. It’s constructive. Everybody does this, right?

reading an old favorite

There are a lot more.

There is always a pile of new books to be read and an endless list of the unread beyond that, many of which I truly hope to get to. It can feel indulgent, then, to return to old favorites, as I do time and again.

giving permission

That is, I give myself permission to get something I’ve wanted but, for whatever reason (it may not even be expensive), couldn’t quite justify getting. This is saved for those days when I feel I’ve faced my trials admirably (not uniformly the case), or when life seems especially unjust, especially rife with deprivation. This might be an object, a tool, a luxury food or beverage, anything. This strategy must not be abused (this strategy is occasionally abused).

January 24, 2014January 25, 2014

monochrome: stone

I like all sorts of taupe shades, and especially wearing them together. Throw some olive and chocolate in the mix and I have all of my favorite colors in one place.

These boots are still going strong in their second (or third? Why can’t I tell time?) year.

The wind is not our friend.

Really liking these new corduroys, which have a nice skinny fit and large back pockets. I like large back pockets. They seem to make my bum look bigger and more generous, somehow, which I like. Friendlier? More approachable? I don’t know. Tiny, miserly (or even just small) back pockets look so unflattering to me (adolescent, too), and they are useless in the bargain.

Free People corduroys, Sorel Tofino boots, Jean Pierre cable sweater (via Marshall’s), Thinsulate gloves, Old Navy vest, Muk Luks hat, heart pendant from Etsy. The wooden earrings were a gift, long ago. Favorites. On the lips: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Esprit (mostly blotted off to give the tiniest hint of color). On the cheeks: Chanel cream blush in Fantastic, a beautiful deep berry color that looks entirely natural.

I am wearing so much more makeup than it looks like I am wearing here. [This Lisa Eldridge tutorial has the best advice regarding no makeup makeup I’ve seen thus far.] I see charm in both ends of the spectrum (the conspicuous as well as the inconspicuous makeup), as well as in the very reasonable act of actually wearing no makeup, which is closer to my usual approach. Maybe a little something on my cheeks. Maybe mascara. Maybe. If I was in the right kind of mood that morning. The world of the blog is only fractionally indicative of life (and it is—for now—the world of photos, a world with slightly different laws and prescriptions). That said, a little bit can go a long way. I’m curious to experiment with wearing more both for the sake of testing products and to see…what it’s like. Just what is it like to be transparently made up on a semi-regular basis? What would it be like for me (other than time-consuming)? What can it do?

Anyhow, this kind of dark berry color is another winter blush I was craving, and I wanted this cream blush particularly, a relatively new and rightly much-lauded formula. Chanel’s beauty products are so, so nice. Not cheap, but not disappointing, either.