Fashionista Spy

What’s in my shower! Well, this could be an entirely WRONG post or it could be fun. Because I know most fashionistas have a million bottles of things in their shower, I thought I’d share my collection.

1. Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship shampoo and conditioner. I am out and have a coupon to get some more.

2. The Healing Garden White Tea Calm Oasis Shower Gel - This gel has the most amazing scent.  But it’s hard to find and might even be discontinued.  I have another bottle as a back-up since you can see that I’m nearly out of this one.

3.  St. Ives Elements Warming Scrub - see my earlier review on this face/pore cleanser.

4.  Aquafresh Extreme Clean Empowermint toothpaste

5.  Orawave - Two Minute Timer toothbrush - I LOVE several things about this brush!  It is sleek, pink, and has a wonderful stand so it fits in my shower well.  It has great cleaning capacity.  Ten percent of the proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  I don’t really mind the two minute timer when I am in the shower, I tend to brush my teeth into a zen like state so haven’t noticed that the timer makes a difference for me.  This is just the prettiest, coolest toothbrush!  P.S. I bought mine on sale at Fred Meyer!

6.  Vanille Fleurie de Tahiti Shower Gel - I got this on sale a while ago from Sephora and I keep it to mix with other gels.  The scent of vanilla is fantastic but it’s even more wonderful when I mix it with say ORANGE shower gel to make it smell like those ice cream cups that you used to buy when you were a kid!

7.  Simple Pleasures Scarlet Begonia shower gel- these little bottle come in multi-packs.  My friend buys them and splits all the scents between her friends.  They are a wonderful break from the norm and so I always keep one in my shower!

8.  Dial Yogurt and Vanilla Honey Shower Cream - since I have dry skin, I try to always keep a moisturizing shower soap.  I am hooked on this Dial soap.  The scent is so delicious that I can’t stop using it.  I have never been a huge fan of Dial but this is EXTRAORDINARY!

9.  And every shower must have a PUFF - my current one is bright pink!

Have a great Thursday, Fashionistas!

I’m probably late to the belly dancing craze but that doesn’t mean that my heart isn’t in the right place. I’ve wanted to do this for years but never found the nerve. Joining classes to do what seemed like an incredibly personal and sensual thing just wasn’t my cup of tea. When my husband and I joined Netflix, there were still limited fitness videos. I had made up my mind to get back into the fitness routine. While on the hunt for something to help me enjoy my exercise, I stumbled across Veena and Neena Bidasha - known as the Belly Twins. I’d heard of them - having seen them in some Hollywood performances but did not know that they had a video series out for learning to bellydance. So risking it, I put it in my Netflix queue. Needless to say, I fell in love with these women. The pace of the videos is perfect for beginners. I started with the basic bellydance video. The warm up is easy, the background music is motivational, and the fat burning sections are effective and hard working. I hit my stride with the Core Conditioning dvd. This is the ultimate and actually pushed me into considering belly dance as more than a work out. I have looked for classes in my locality but Veena and Neena keep me held captive….if I can’t have them as my instructors, I’m not sure I’ll enjoy dancing nearly so much. There are some drawbacks to the DVD’s. They don’t do well with the voice overs in particular spots. And the Indie Hop DVD kicks my….well, slimmer behind. I have received more compliments on how fit I am looking since hopping on the Bellytwins bandwagon. However, to keep this up, I have to make sure I get three to four nights a week where I can spend 45 minutes doing hip twists and rib slides. For motivation, I watch the special features. The production company for the Discover Bellydance series (which is different than the Core Conditioning and Indie Hop series, I gathered) adds footage of the twins in duo and solo performances in addition to other beautiful and talented performers (one of my favorites is Marina - INCREDIBLE) as special features. Definitely check them out as you cool down from these tough but inspiring workouts. My goal is to see these two lovely ladies perform in person…whether that will happen or not…who knows but until then I am buying EVERY DVD they produce…which I hear that there is a new one in the works on ancient essentials. For those pregnant moms out there, there is a video made by Neena to keep fit during your pregnancy.

Check out the website, Bellytwins. It is not updated as regularly as I would wish but has lots of great ideas. I have subscribed to the email updates and am eagerly awaiting Ancient Essentials, From A to Zils!

I have been searching for the ultimate pore cleanser. Once, I saw a tool from Avon that was more of a pore sucker - hehehe. Like a vacuum for your pores and it impressed me forever. I needed one but by the time I headed to my Avon representative, they were sold out, never to return again. But it was the Nirvana. Since then, I have looked to other methods to clean my pores, hunting high and low for the pore vacuum. Panasonic made a device that could do basically the same thing but I have yet to get up enough nerve to order it. Instead, I have fallen back on the cheap models in the form of pore cleansing tubes of grit. It is amazing with all of the advances in skin care science and technology that beauty companies have not been able to leave the sandpaper complex behind (and neither have I apparently because I keep buying them!).

First, on my list, is the got2b in your face pore me deep scrub. Long name, yummy sounding ingredient list - apricot and papaya. It smells very much like an apricot smoothie but does not go on smooth. It is highly gritty so watch out around your eyes (as with all of these products). Pore me deep scrub has a sassy label but does not match in performance. It did little to brighten up my face despite the face that it seemed to clean my pores in a fair manner. Unfortunately, my face glowed with a subtle hint f orange. It reminded me of a certain carrot based scrub I’d used years before. Orange fruit, I have decided, aren’t meant to go near my pale, shell colored skin unless in a juice bottle!

Second, I decided perhaps I needed to step it up in price a bit. I grabbed a bottle of Olay Definity which had just hit the shelves a few weeks earlier. At the time, I was suffering from intense oiliness. It took me awhile to decide because the labels did not make it clear which one of the product line would be best.  There were two pore cleansers, one geared more for moisturizing and dry skin.  I went for the pore cleanser that claimed to also take care of my outbreak of oily skin. I have a high regard for Oil of Olay products. It wasn’t a horrible disappointment. Were my pores clean? Yes, somewhat - in patches.  My chin pores were clogged despite circular scrubbing.  But my cheeks were tidy and clean.  Spotty was definitely not ideal. Was my oily skin controlled? Not really. In fact, it did very little to stem the flow. I ended up with even worse acne after I started using it. I’m not sure if the cleanser made me break out or just it was just unable to keep up with my hormonal cycle. While it didn’t turn my skin faintly orange, for the lackluster results, I decided that the grit wasn’t worth it.

Third, I caved in finally to the lovely St. Ives Elements advertisements and bought the warming scrub. The shelves were nearly bare when I hunted down the St. Ives pore scrub so that advertising campaign was an incredible success! Every fashionista seemed to have bought it. But I did score one of the last bottles of the warming scrub. I expected fantastic results and wasn’t completely disappointed. But I wasn’t overwhelmed with love for this product either. It does have a warming sensation but while I am in a blazing hot shower, I don’t know that it matters. The goal, according to the St. Ives bottle is to open up the pores to flush out all the dirt. But if I am already in a steamy shower, it doesn’t seem to matter. The good part of this product is that it suds nicely after you work at it. It is more soapy in nature than the other scrubs but takes some patience. Lastly, it leaves a thick film on my skin. I have a difficult time rinsing it and keep having to resist the urge to pull out a bar of soap after using it to scrub off the residue. This product does a better job of cleaning my pores than the previous two. It seems to control my oil better. My face is left clear. But the fact remains is that it is gritty and difficult to use in the shower. I will probably finish this bottle and try other cleansers in the St. Ives Elements line.

Lastly, moving up the cost line, I scored a bottle of Dr. Brandt’s Microdermabrasion (it is not the pore effects version - there is one for treating clogged pores but I have not yet had the privilege to get a sample of it yet). If you ever get a chance to pick up a spalook Beauty box, they are a great deal. At Borders (or the spalook website) bookstore, they are over in the magazine section. Spalook does produce a magazine targeted at skin and body care in your locality. They sell it with six samples of various products. There are different versions - perfume or skincare. For 20-25 dollars, you get deluxe samples of expensive, quality products. The magazine isn’t much but the products are totally worth it! Anyway, to continue with the actual product review, I chose to not use Dr. Brandt’s in the shower because it would be difficult to keep it out of my eyes. It is one of the more bizarre looking creams, black like fine sand. It reminds me of the Hawaiian beach that my husband and I went to where the wave action had ground the black lava rock into a pulp. This is not sand but instead finely ground crystals. This is a product that takes time. Not too much but I suggest setting aside about ten minutes one evening to just spa treat yourself. I pulled my hair back, rinsed my face, and carefully spread on the black cream. The instructions dictate about 1 to 2 minutes for the cream to work so warn any one in the house that perhaps you will look like the monster from the deep for a bit. During the rinse off session, I carefully used a mildly wet washcloth to rinse each bit from my face, giving a final splash when I thought I’d removed everything. There is a cooling sensation during the process that totally refreshes the skin (and the best part is that I didn’t break out from that lethal cooling spritz -so it must not have been menthol). There are plenty of natural ingredients in this cleanser which seems odd for the packaging and color. Despite it is not targeted specifically for pores, this grit does the trick. It also makes your skin feel delicious and uplifted. And even with orange listed in the ingredients, I had no orange blush backlash. However, because of the difficulty of using this and the need to set aside precious minutes to the spa experience, I have been unable to work this one into my routine, which is probably a good thing since this little sample retails at $75 a bottle.

In conclusion, I know you were wondering when I would get here - pore cleansers haven’t lost the grit effect. I have found a fantastic cleanser but I will review it in a separate post. When can we leave the grit behind and get to the business of sucking the dirt out of pores?

For years it was difficult to find any type of shampoo that addressed the length of your hair. Most shampoos were targeted towards body - straight, curly, thick or thin. The general idea was that if you possessed gorgeous lengthy locks, you must just bite the bullet and use MORE. The directions for most conditioners would go something like this, “Put a pea-sized amount in the palm of your hand.” Reading these feeble directions most often launched hysterical fits of laughter from me in the shower (a good stress reliever but rather expensive) because I was standing there with more like a doughnut-sized blob in my hand. Leave it up to Clairol and their Herbal Essences line to address this issue. I have always had a healthy respect for the Herbal Essences line of hair products. First, they most often smell delicious and sensual. Second, for the price, they perform well on my hair. But over the years, I’d fallen out of the habit of buying them. Someone down at Clairol must have figured this out because they revamped their product line, including new ways to target hair types. Still a fantastic price (I paid 2.99 per bottle), the goal seems to be not just to target one shampoo/conditioner for one customer but to actually get the customer to buy multiple types of shampoo/conditioner sets for use as needed. I did just this, purchasing the Drama Clean and the Long Term Relationship sets.

Degunkify will degunk your hair - or so the bottle says. It does a great job. The build up of hair spray on my ends definitely disappeared after one use of this product.  The bottle says that it will give you a tingling deep clean.  The ingredients list menthol so I assume this is how Clairol is accomplishing the tingling feeling.  I was a bit worried.  If you’ve read my blog in the past, you know that I use menthol hesitantly because I’ve had reactions to it.  The tingling sensation was minimal.  Just enough to give a pleasant cooling sensation to your scalp.  I did have a breakout of painful bumps behind my ear but am not sure whether I can attribute it to this product.   I would rather soak my ends in baking soda than spend money for the painful itching behind my ears.

Since there seemed to be not be a companion conditioner to the Degunkify shampoo on the shelves of my store, I went for the Drama Clean conditioner, thinking that if it is meant for everyday squeaky clean use, it would be ideal.  Unfortunately, the scents of both the Degunkify shampoo and Drama Clean conditioner are rather cliche for the ingredients. Because one of the ingredients in Drama Clean was orange flower, I thought it would have a more honeyed scent but instead it smells like most mango/melon/berry children’s shampoos. It is very fake and cheap smelling. This didn’t go over very well with me….I am quite peculiar about my hair product smells.  The Degunkify shampoo listed pineapple as one of the scents.  It is only slightly better than Drama Clean but not by much.  Again, the same cheesy fake scent experience which was detrimental to my olfactory senses.  Please, Clairol, you have always advertised such beautiful shower experiences.  Then, you let me down.

Based on the experience with Drama Clean and Degunkify, things were not looking well for Long Term Relationship which boasts of red raspberry and satin as the featured ingredients. However, luckily for LTR, the combination of smells in the bottle make this shampoo absolutely luscious! I was sorry that I even started with Drama Clean. Long Term Relationship is heaven in a bottle and not only for the scent factor. I don’t have to use much product to really suds up my hair. Plus a tiny bit of conditioner really does go a long ways! In fact, I would warn anyone using this that it is extremely easy to over condition.  My hair is silky and without the rats nest that can build up at the back of my neck as the day goes on (you long hair junkies know the one!). I will be using LTR regularly in my shampoo routine. I am tempted to try other products in the line as well because of the fantastic experience with LTR….however, the bad experience with Drama Clean has me ever so slightly hesitant. Perhaps I’ll sneak a sniff ahead of time….shhhhh, don’t tell!

Please note….I edited this entry.  Last night when I climbed into my shower, I realized that I’d left Degunkify off the review and had instead mixed it up with Drama Clean.  Thanks for your patience!

The man who took fashion into the art world - becoming the first designer to bring back fabulous decades like the 20’s and 40’s has passed on, leaving behind a legacy that can not be contained by this blog. He was so iconic that it only took his initials to brand his pieces into fame. I will remember most fondly the tuxedo suit jacket look, the beautiful lines of the Muse bag, and the scent of Opium. Classically modern, ethnically trendy….YSL set the bar for fashion in the new century.  Sad….and I am speechless.

If you’ve been reading my latest posts, you will know that the talk of recession has been cutting into my beauty sleep. After I received my bill from the United States government (aka - the IRS), I began to look closely at my finances, wondering what I should give up (and that’s just with the thought that I might be in the hole with the IRS NEXT year!). I’m sure that most of you fashionistas have had this discussion in your mind lately.

Picture me….dans le sette - hair askew but complexion perfect….because I know all of you fashionistas picture us that way…even though we may be simply typing away at our laptops in the kitchen at the counter.

“I’m so sorry, Hermes. I really can’t see you today,” I say breathlessly.

Sensing my worry, he leans forward, “But, mon chere, I would look so good on your arm. So crisp and proper with just a twist of naughty leather.”

“Yes, yes, you would!” I cry, “Much better than those plastic zip tie cuffs that go on the wrist of white collar criminals! But I must resist!”

“Pourquois, ma petite chou!” He gasps out - quelle horror!

“I must confess, Monsieur Hermes, I am really indebted to President Bush. I know…I know, he’s a lame duck. But….”

“Think of my silk…..of those scarves tied delicately around your neck….of my subtle fragrance wafting along your pearlscent skin.”

I am ready to cave in to his delicacies….such lovely temptations. But then the thought of the cell at a minimum security prison for tax evasion does not seem very sexy.

Back to reality and my topic at hand (poof! Hermes disappears - le sigh), so how to cut costs? I don’t have a membership to a gym but had been considering it. Now it is flatly out of the question but for those of you who might be thinking about cutting that one bill, I thought I’d write a blog about practical ways to create a home gym. Just a warning though, this is not for hard core gym buffs. This is for the normal fashionista who does not wish to be Ms. Fitness.

1. Area - The most difficult aspects of creating a home gym is having a space or area. I prefer to use an existing space and keep all of my equipment at hand. I do not like reserving space for a gym because that space invariably intrudes on other aspects of your life. Fitness is about balance and lifestyle. It is not about ugly machines cluttering up your life. Consider your area carefully. First, is the floor clear of clutter and not in a general walking area. Can you spread your arms without hitting something? This is essential because no matter what you are doing, you need to feel free and unencumbered. Also, you need to be able to step forward at least three well spaced steps and side to side for about five feet.

2. Privacy - Most women have concerns about exercising in front of others. We are taught that sweating is not sexy and certainly that the body we work so hard for should just come naturally. So I would encourage you to set up boundaries. My boundaries include such rules as NO DOGS. I have two dogs who the instant you are on the ground,want to stick their noses in your face. Once, our doberman was so excited that I was exercising, that she thrust her head right into my nose and nearly broke my nose. I exercise in my bedroom but I leave the door open. I have never discouraged my husband or children from coming in (especially the five-year old - he just wouldn’t understand) but it is gently understood that I am exercising and quiet or courtesy is required while this is happening. Often, my son will just sit on the bed and watch the DVD along with me. Boundaries don’t need to be forced but they should be understood and respected.

3. Equipment - This is where things might get spendy! The shopping list for my home gym included;

A. Five pound weights B. A yoga mat

I know what you are thinking - REALLY? Come on….you didn’t by the AB machine extraordinare? Well, there are a few other things but I will include them the corresponding items below. I went down the Marshall’s and bought the whole lot for about $20. Beats hundreds or even thousands of dollars on machines. The ideal thing about these items is that they are easy to store. I roll my yoga mat up and tuck it by my closet. My weights are tucked in a corner of the room that is less traveled but has easy access.

4. Netflix - This dictates that your area, where ever it might be, have a television and DVD player. I suggest that you use Netflix for a few reasons - inexpensive and you are not dedicating an entire fund source to fitness (just a small portion). Plus, you can establish a few queues - one for movies and fitness. That way, you can keep the fitness videos for awhile without sacrificing on your other viewing pleasures. Also, you haven’t invested a lot of money in a video that is unsatisfactory for quite a number of reasons. In addition, most fitness experts say that your body gets used to doing the same exercises. It becomes easy and rote. Therefore, less impact. Not that you want to be jarring your muscles into submission. Netflix gives you the flexibility (like the pun? HAHA) to try out a variety of workouts - get one you like and stick with it for awhile. I have several mechanisms for choosing a good workout video but I find that they are extremely subjective. I started out by reading the reviews and looking at the star ratings but found that I take a risk, watch one that perhaps had a three star rating, and find that it worked perfectly for me. But the four or five star video would have me feeling like a fool, tripping about like an idiot, and in general unhappy. Just think of these factors. Does the pace engage you enough without making you feel pressured? Is the dvd itself flexible? I like fitness programs that are segmented into chapters. Then, what I do is choose the chapters that fit my mood. These are typically more about core conditioning and less about a power workout. According to “The Power of An Hour” in the April Vogue, strength and core conditioning is more important than hard cardio for the long term effects on the body. And just a little secret, it’s true. I’ve had more impact on my waist and thighs doing core conditioning than fast, furious sweating in a cardio workout.

5. A juice bar - Stock your fridge with juice. My favorite brands are Odwalla and Naked. I try to get a variety of juices so that I can match my moods. Why are these critical to working out? Diet is critically important to a work out plan. I always drink water during my exercise sessions but in between sessions, juice helps to give vitamins that get burned off during your workout. You don’t have to buy a fabulous juice machine and tons of fruits and veggies to get the juice bar experience.

6. How you look during your workout matters - Now that you are working out at home, resist the urge to just throw on old sweats and a t-shirt. There are some practical reasons that you should shop for attractive, sensible fitness wear. First, no matter what gender, body image issues plague us. A t-shirt and sweat pants hid that during one of the most vulnerable times - when we are working on making that body better. However, clothing that is form fitting can be comfortable and improve your workout session. But more importantly back and neck issues can arise when exercise goes wrong.

Chuck that old college t-shirt for a simple tank top or exercise bra. You can get the support you need and easily see the motions of the body so that you can correct improper posture and have a healthier, less dangerous workout. I use a simple tank top with no support. I don’t have much up top and find that exercise bras pinch and constrict me. I also choose form-fitting yoga pants. With the message “Looks Matter” in mind when conducting your workout session, do it in front of a mirror. Or, since I work out in the evenings, I use a large window. I like the window because I don’t get the glaring Technicolor effects of a mirror, which when struggling with body conscious thoughts can be a bummer. In the window, I can immediately correct my shoulders, neck, chin, arms, or whatever is out of place so that I get the best results from my workout. Please don’t feel that working out in front of a mirror is an exercise in vanity. It is not. When I first started doing yoga, I struggled with back pain. I stopped and did not continue for several months. Finally, I picked it up again slowly - this time in front of the window where I could monitor my posture. I have not suffered from back pain since then.

Ditch your shoes as well. One of the pluses to working out at home is that you can go barefoot. I wouldn’t recommend this if you are going to buy a machine. My husband (and occasionally me) works out on a machine. When I decide that I really can’t stomach the thought that yoga takes and careful contortions, I vote in favor of the brainless and limited work on the machine. Then, I put on cross-trainers. My friend, who spent years working at a Foot Locker recommends cross-trainers and then highly suggests that you spend extra money to put high quality supports in them no matter what sport you play. However, one of the advantages to a no-machine, home workout is that you can lose all of that extra baggage and go the way nature intended…..barefoot.

7. What type of workout? - as you may already have guessed, I do some yoga. But my main concentration of exercise is in dance. Ballet and other forms of dance can be great for building up your core. Dance uses all the muscles in your body. But I do not shun weights either for building up the muscle mass. There are great yoga workouts but I have not yet found one that I stick with….I prefer the rhythm and music associated with the dance workouts. It keeps you moving, never bored, and gives you a satisfying workout. Most of all, find something that works for you as an individual.

Lastly, just a few tips;

Exercise is an individual endeavor. Pick what works for you.

I am not a fitness trainer. I just know what I do from studying and trying things.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you are safe. Lift weights safely. Warm up and cool down for the proper length of time.

For your workout to actually work, you should work out three to five days a week (experts differ on this) for about a half hour. I generally work out for about 45 minutes and that includes my warm up and cool down session.

Most importantly, pick something that makes you comfortable and allows you to have fun.

Now, I must go back to my daydream about Hermes….it’s less expensive than shopping. LOL.

With the price of gas climbing, inflated prices at the grocery store, and the media buzzing about recessions, it’s hard for a girl to feel beautiful without paying a huge price.  So I have dedicated the entry to a wonderful list of the best quality items that make me feel beautiful and pampered without breaking the bank.

1.   Stash teas -almost any one of them will suffice but some favorites of mine and fellow fashionistas are Blueberry White Tea and Morrocan Mint tea.  Sometimes you can find them on a two boxes for five dollars sale but usually a box runs about three dollars.  If you can’t decide which flavor, go for one of the sample packs!

2.  Dove Go Fresh Body Wash - Energizing is my favorite but my daughter is partial to the minty refreshing body wash.  Not only does it clean delightfully but it moisturizes as well.

3.  Starbucks chocolates - See my review but don’t deny yourself these rich treats.

4.  Revlon - Super Lustrous Cream lipstick - A lip treat and my favorite lipstick of all time not only because of the moisturizing qualities but also the wide variety of colors from Silver City pink to Volcanic Red and Coffee Break.

5.  OPI Nail Polish - there’s nothing like a manicure to make you feel pampered and OPI makes it easy and glamorous with just one bottle.  Luscious color, awesome finish, and simplicity all rolled into one product.

6.  Mini fragrances - Don’t buy those pricey full sized bottles and let them waste away on your dresser - get a mini bottle of the latest fragrance.  Not all minis are under ten dollars but some careful online cruising on Ebay can get you treats such as Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice or Tutti Kiwi.

7.  Every fashionista needs books - tons and tons of books about women, fashion, romance…you name it.  Don’t hesitate to check out Amazon’s used books where you can pick up Accidental It Girl by Libby Street for $1.59 plus shipping (upon last check) or Helen of Troy (the iconic IT girl!) by Margaret George for $1.10 plus shipping.  I sometimes score multiple books from the same used book seller and even with shipping, pay less than I would at a garage sale!

More to come later!  Feel free to share your best fashionista finds under TEN dollars!

From the depths of Scottish society to the miseries of the Great Depression, the word ‘mean’ was often used to describe the penny pinching necessity that helped people get by in hard times. The word has evolved in our modern time to have a nasty connotation because it really says to Americans that we can’t have it all. If there is anything prevalent in our society, it is the dream of having everything. But with words of recession floating around in the media, people begin to penny pinch again. Only in the modern world, this means cutting out lattes - no pun intended ;-).

Starbucks has received quite a bit of bad press which makes me sad. I’ve watched the coffee corporation grow up in the Northwest, just up the road from where I live. When things were hard financially, Starbucks was how I broke the monotony and spoiled myself. Apparently, no stranger to this concept, Starbucks has released a line of inexpensive chocolates in grocery stores. Ranging from $3 to $5, the line boasts truffles, candy bars, and my favorite, tasting squares. The tasting squares are highlighted with either coffee or tea flavors. I purchased the Chocolate and Tea box, excited at the flavors offered. A sucker for anything different in chocolate, the idea of Passion fruit tea and chocolate set my mouth to watering. Plus at a good price, spoiling myself was such an easy endeavor. Each classy little box is filled with 16 chocolates. The back claims that eight chocolates are a serving size however they are so rich and delicious that I have only been able to eat two or three at a time. In addition, for those of you environmentally conscious consumers, the box is made with about 55% recycled content!

I had no grand expectations about the chocolates. In the past, I have spent shameful amounts on chocolates only to be disappointed. My first try was the Citron tea chocolate. The flavor of dark, semi-sweet chocolate and citrus tea instantly brightened my spirits and made my mouth tingle pleasantly. Smooth melting, delightfully flavored, I slowly savored the square. My daughter snatched up a Passion fruit dark chocolate and rolled her eyes in ecstasy as she let it melt in her mouth. A fruity but also floral chocolate, it perfumes the senses. I was instantly transported to a tropical island. My least favorite of the three flavors was the Chai. However, that’s not saying anything horrible. Spicy cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg mixed with milk chocolate, this square warms you up. The tea adds a bit of crunch to the squares but with each crunch, flavor bursts forth. It doesn’t leave any tea grit in your teeth (I was afraid of that happening and was pleasantly surprised). I am absolutely in love with the price, flavor, and experience of these chocolates! I will return to try the rest of this line and hope you do as well. An A+ to Starbucks!

As fashion seasons go, spring is my least favorite. In other ways, spring is delightful. My garden blooms with bulbs. I spend cold February days poking and prodding the budding life into action. Yesterday, I wiled away hours trimming away the dead foliage to expose the exciting green growth underneath the natural protective layer. But as far as budding lovely prospects go in the fashion world, there is a disconnect between the beauty of Spring and the representation of it in design. Despite my love of flowers, the floral floating fantasies of the fashion world fall flat. Haha….say that five times fast. No, really. Perusing my favorite shopping sites becomes trivial and meaningless. Picturing myself in layers of ruffles, watercolor fabrics, pouting pastels becomes an exercise in torture (perhaps this is what George W. should really use in Guantanamo). One shoulder dresses just expose the white pasty side of emerging from winter. Even my favorite designers let me down. Ralph, you know who you are.  I detest the Pop art dresses, with their violent colorations that shouldn’t belong together.  The dip dye sweaters, t-shirts, and dresses just make me think that someone had to wade through all that mud for what?

I have to stretch, plow through pages and pages of magazines to find even one item that delights me - the one IT thing that I can’t live without. Can I find any hope in Spring’s delicacies? What are my FAVs for the spring season?  I know that’s the question on everybody’s mind by now.

FAVS

Color - Not that hideous yellow that is so unforgiving and that every designer seems to have fallen for….no, once again, I am grateful for green.  The kind of green on the spring line of Kate Spade…thank you, I am in love with the belle haven bridget bag (of course, in the natural and emerald green style).  Gorgeous Kelly green says Spring.  While you may quibble and protest that daffodil yellow is more of a representation of spring, I would argue that everything is green in spring….it is the ultimate representation of life.

Nails - The return of glamorous nails started actually last fall with OPI’s Russian collection.  No longer are nails shy and retiring…they are full, bold, and delicious.  OPI follows up with equally beautiful spring color without abandoning me to pastel hideousness.  The India collection is full of powerful pink (no shy and retiring violets here), deep midnight blue, and ruby.  I must concede that even the pale colors of this collection are rich - opal, soft metallic grey, and muted bronze.

Hair - Long, luxurious and bound in a ballet bun - braided buns, smooth buns, twisted buns….lovely buns - really the ultimate recognition of spring (hence hot crossed buns!)  I have been waiting for years for the return of the ballet bun.  Of course, when it does come back, I am out of hairpins.  But really, why would I deny myself a visit to the hair accessory aisle?

Naturals - Soft white, tan, khakis, ivory, shimmering dove grey paired with shining metallics - nothing garish or profound but sexy and sleek.  Max Mara - I’m there.

If it’s one thing that I can be sure of as I cringe at yet another fashion spread with feathers and chiffon, Summer is just around the corner.  I will be back into my fashion element again.

What fashion season do you hate?

Released to lukewarm reviews, Lipstick Jungle nearly didn’t make my TIVO list.  However, two episodes into it, I can see the potential for a good series.  There are nuggets of feminism tossed in that make me think about women and in particularly women portrayed on television.  For example, Wendy, played by Brooke Shields, is married to a man, Shane, who makes less than she does and ends up caring for the children more often than she does.  He moans and groans that he’s less important in the marriage because he makes less.  Wendy attempts to placate him with some reassurances.  They end the argument with a draw but it’s clear that he’s not happy.  Now, I challenge you to find another series that deals with that role reversal.  All of the television shows that I have seen lately, put the male still in the primary wage earner position.  There are no complaints by the woman about how much she doesn’t make in comparison to the male.  Because women have been underpaid for so long, they have forgotten how to complain.  There is the illusion of equality.  But when the roles reverse, it becomes clear to Shane that he feels less than equal and certainly undervalued.  I make less than my husband in our marriage.  It is a constant sore point but everyone around me tells me that it’s because of my job choice not my gender.  Even if that is true (I am in a profession dominated by women but oddly enough in a portion of the profession dominated by men - sounds strange), I am constantly shut down by society, reminded  not to complain because it is the nature of my job.  When I asked my husband how he would feel, he immediately responded that he would be upset.  We do have a friend whose marriage is going through this same thing.  While she certainly isn’t making near what Wendy is making, it is a sore point with them.  Strangely enough as Wendy does, my friend attempts to placate her husband by buying him gadgets.

Lipstick Jungle also brings out the harsh realities of women dealing with marital problems.  Unhappy with her sex life, Kim Raver’s character is dealing with monotony and a husband who seems less than attractive in the bedroom.  She backs away from the precipice of adultery only to find her desires slapping her in the face at work when the very object of her desire shows up as the new hire.  How many women have found the exact same problem?  Yet, the man is always the cheater in television.  The woman is the offended party.  Not that I am advocating cheating in marriage but statistically women are just as likely to entertain thoughts of cheating as men.  Women are as often tempted by co-workers to enter into affairs.  Statistics are unclear on how many women follow through with their thoughts.  It could be as high as 60% or as low as 47%.  The fact remains that Lipstick Jungle has portrayed a disturbing but very real trend.  Just as Lucille Ball tackled pregnancy on the television, Lipstick Jungle is opening up channels of communication previously shut down.

Lastly, Lipstick Jungle does not forget the true romantic, as embodied by Victory (Lindsay Price).  Struggling with her dream job as a designer, attempting to not sell out to the mass market, Victory stumbles across her rich sugar daddy, played by Andrew McCarthy.  The ultimate temptation is to not cave in to the easy path.  He could foot the bill for her start-up business.  It sure seems like he wants to but Victory is determined to make it on her own.  This Cinderella seems very nearly ready to cave in to the Prince and his offer of a rich life.  Victory represents the woman who is torn between the idea of independence but locked into the stereotypes created for young single women….the ideas that they should be finding their true love but really the man who can support them financially.

Lipstick Jungle is constantly in comparison with Sex in the City but the only link that I can see is that they were both written by Candace Bushnell.  Lipstick Jungle takes on more mature subjects, lacks the focus on dating and sex, and caters to the older woman.  I love Sex in the City…don’t get me wrong.  But there were times (many times) when I just couldn’t relate.  Lipstick Jungle offers me situations where I can relate.
These are very real situations that happen as more women enter high levels of management.  As the issue of equality in the workplace is presented to women, the choices and situations about family, emotions, sex, and money become warped and twisted from the previous stereotypes and realities.  For that reason, I’m willing to watch Lipstick Jungle through to the end.  Unfortunately, I am not your standard television audience.  Can Candace Bushnell and the writing team of Lipstick Jungle tackle these weighty subjects as still keep the audience?