Beyond the Bath: Come On In - the Water's PERFECT!

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I wish all of you a blessed Thanksgiving. :)

A short round of 'Good/bad/worse' today. :)


*****

GOOD: Some of the cosmetics lines are bustin' out their holiday lines.

BAD: Yeah - you read that right. HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS. IN OCTOBER.

WORSE: Some stores *cough*MACYS*cough* have their 'Holiday Decor' departments set up and selling. GTFO! Today is October 1! This means you set it up in mid/late September!

EVEN WORSE (in my opinion): Soon enough, we'll be getting Christmas crap around the 4th of July!

*****

GOOD: My hair is growing out (finally)

BAD: I miss the 'wash and go' aspect of short hair.

WORSE: Part of me wants to cut it all off again.

EVEN WORSE: Don't cut your own hair - ever. You'll end up like me, with a huge bald spot in the back, and need to get the rest of your hair cut ridiculously short to match up the bad section.


*****

It's true, too - Love WILL tear us apart, again. Or at least, love will tear ME apart.

This old life seemed much too long
With little point in going on
I couldn't think of what to say
Words just vanished in the haze

I was feeling cold and tired
Yeah kinda sad and uninspired
But when it almost seemed too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in your touch


OH LAY YOUR HANDS
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
WOO-OO-OO-OO!
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
OH LAY HOUR HANDS ON ME


Back and forth across the sea
I have chased so many dreams
But I have never felt the grace
That I have felt in your embrace

Oh I was tired and I was cold
Yeah with a hunger in my soul
When it almost seemed too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in your touch

OH LAY YOUR HANDS
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
WOO-OO-OO-OO!
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
OH LAY HOUR HANDS ON ME

Now you made me feel so good
Yeah like I never ever thought I would
You know you make me feel so strong
And now our laughter just goes on and on

So c'mon lay your hands on me
Cause close to you is where I really wanna be
And if it ever gets too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in our touch

OH LAY YOUR HANDS
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
WOO-OO-OO-OO!
OH LAY YOUR HANDS
OH LAY HOUR HANDS ON ME

I've been interpreted and shrunk
I've been as touchless as a drunk

This is as bad as or worse
as bad as or worse
This is as bad as or worse
as bad as or worse

Love is a curse
(That he who would own it deserves)
Love is a curse
(You get what you give not deserve)

I know I know this is all just first blurts that he who would try to own it deserves it
And I know it's got nothing to do with "deserves it"
It's just that you don't just blurt, Love is a curse Love is a curse Love is a curse
You don't just blurt, Love is a curse

Though I've been too weak to escape
And I don't have the strength to pluck a grape

Though it's as bad as or worse
as bad as or worse
Though it's as bad as or worse
as bad as or worse

Love is a first (I've felt the dull fangs of the truth)
Love is a first (I've heard the music they torture to)
Love is a first (I saw Old Power enforced)
Love is a first (I was more the Devil of Darkness' horse)


I drank the poison from the source
And smoked that murder fell on the floor
And watched the near-death of your TV
And dreamed its darkly nurtured dreams
And drained my ocean of its worth
Like God's representatives on earth
Learned how to hurt and how not to hurt
The thing you taught me What I learned ?
Love is a first

And it's as bad as or worse
Love is a first
As bad as or worse
Love is a first
As bad as or worse
Love is a first
As bad as or worse

Love is a curse (That he who would own it deserves)
Love is a first (Though it occurs and occurs)
Love is a curse (You get what you give not deserve)
Love is a first (Love just occurs and occurs)
Love is a first

I drank the poison from the source
And smoked that murder fell on the floor
And watched the near-death of your TV
And dreamed its darkly nurtured dreams
And drained my ocean of its worth
Like God's representatives on earth
Learned how to hurt and how not to hurt
The thing you taught me What I learned ?
Love is a first

I'm planning on taking my husband out on a date this weekend. Yes, yes -we've been together for 15 years (married for 8.5 of them) and we still go out on dates. What can I say? I still like the guy, and enjoy his company.

Due to a car repair, funds are a bit tight this week - but I still want to go out! The new G.I. Joe flick opens on Friday, and I want to see it! Dinner would be nice, too - but how to swing it when the finances are tight? COUPONS.

Dig this:

Last time we were at CiCi's Pizza buffet, we won a free meal. So - one of us will have dinner for free. Now, CiCi's isn't what I would call gourmet - far from it - but $4.95/person, it's actually pretty good. The drinks are a seperate charge, but if you upgrade to the larger sized drink, there's a pull-tab where you can win a free meal, and we won one! So, for (2) UPGRADED drinks and one dinner, it should be around $8-$9 (for the sake of things, we'll round it up to $10).

So: Dinner for 2 - $10

Now, one of our friends is a manager for AMC Theatres, and we know that if we ask, he'll hook us up with a free show. But this is the opening weekend for G.I. Joe, so if we want to see it this weekend, it's a no go. (No go for GI Joe! Yo Joe!) Now, every so often, manufacturers will have promotions for 'Buy _ of _ Products and Get a Coupon Good for 2 Free Movie Tickets!' Yeah. Right now, Jewel/Osco (Albertson's) in my area has that promotion: Buy (4) Axe (Men's Grooming) Products and Get a Code for 2 Free Movie Tickets! (Today, August 5, is the last day for the promotion.)

The least expensive Axe products are selling for $3.99/each. If you bought (4), the cost would be $15.96. The cost for tickets at AMC Theatres is $11.50/ticket, or $23 for (2) tickets. So, you could spend $23 for (2) tickets, or spend $15.96 and get (4) Axe products AND (2) Movie tickets...but wait: I have 2 coupons for FREE AXE items! So, I'll actually only be paying ($7.98+10% tax) $8.78 for (4) items AND (2) movie tickets!

Recap:

$10 for dinner for 2 @ CiCi's Pizza
$8.78 for Axe Products and Movie Tickets

Total: Dinner and movie for $18.78 (actually a little less, because we over estimated the dinner cost.)


But, what about popcorn? Yeah, the theatres soak you on the concessions. Here's one little trick: Remember my friend who is a manager for AMC Theatres? He tells me that you can bring ANY FOOD YOU WANT into the theatre. Yep. You read that correctly. It's not something they publicize, but you may bring your own food into the theatre.

Popcorn from movie theatres has that certain je ne sais quoi. I do enjoy stuffing my face full of popcorn at the theatre (provided I'm still not stuffed from the gorging I did at CiCi's Pizza, natch). AMC Theatres has a frequent customer program called MovieWatchers. When you go to see a movie, present your card and you'll get points. Get enough points, get free stuff! And it's not the kind where you 'spend' points - nope! You just keep accumulating and accumulating, and the rewards just keep coming. Right now, I just got a 'reward' for either a free movie ticket, or a free large popcorn w/ a free large drink. Great deal, especially because AMC gives FREE REFILLS ON LARGE POPCORN AND LARGE DRINKS!

So, let's recap:

Dinner for 2 @ CiCi's Pizza: $10 (slightly overestimated)
2 Movie Tickets (and 4 AXE men's grooming products): $8.78
Large Popcorn and Large Diet Coke: Free.

There you have it: Dinner for 2 and movie, (with popcorn and drink) for less than $20.

Yeah. You're welcome. :)

I know that not everyone is into drag - up until recently, I could have cared less about it. But - after seeing these two videos, well, let's just say that I am fast becoming a big fan of drag.

Once - just once - I'd love to be done up in drag. Now, since I'm a chick, it wouldn't actually be 'drag' but more like 'drag-esque'. But just once...to have that experience. Oh! It would be so fun!

I could go on - but why should I? Just watch these two videos.





and...

I've made no secret about the extent of my beauty stash, but for my noncosmetic items, I like to have stockpiles of the things I frequently use - like shower gels, bubble bath, perfume and facial washes.

I try not to spend too much on facial washes - only because their main objective is to dissolve all the gunk on your face, including your makeup. But I do like my facial washes to do a good job, without making my face feel tight or itchy.

So - having said that, here are a few of my favorite facial washes:

Olay Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths in normal to oily skin: I've used these consistantly since they were introduced a few years ago. These are dry cleansing cloths - you activate them with water. One side is soft and smooth, the other is rougher and textured. The idea is to wash with the smooth side, and scrub with the textured side. According to the description, the cleansing experience you get from these cloths is equivalent to a combined wash, scrub and masque. I wouldn't go that far, but it is a great way to thoroughly cleanse your skin without using multiple products - and, since they're dry, they're also great for travel. One caveat though: you may want to consider cutting these cloths in half - they're pretty big. Another thing: you can use these to remove your makeup, too, but they don't lather as much (or at all) when used to remove makeup. When I'm too lazy to use a seperate makeup remover, I find that (2) of these cloths (not cut in half, either) will usually do the job: one to remove makeup, and the other to wash after the makeup was removed. (Found at drugstores, most brick and mortar stores, online...Olay products are, generally, easy to find.)

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Mild: When I first started working part time, (as a teen) I wanted more than ANYTHING to go and buy this soap - but at the time, it was only in bar form. I bought it anyway. Those who know me, well, they know my thoughts on bar soaps. (Short form: I can't stand them.) So, imagine my delight when Clinique came out with a liquid form of their iconic facial wash! It cleanses thoroughly, without stripping, and does a decent enough job of removing makeup. (You can buy this at Clinique counters, Clinique.com and select Sephora locations/Sephora.com)

Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash: This stuff has the same pH as water. No artificial colors. No artificial fragrances. Even the most sensitive of skins can use this facial wash. As a side note, it has the same color/texture/scent as Johnson & Johnson's 'Head to Toe Gentle Baby Wash' - and yes, J&J makes Purpose facial wash. (I'm just sayin'...) Like the Olay 'Daily Facials' cloths, this can be purchased at most brick and mortar stores, and should be fairly easy to find.

There you have it - the next entry, however, will be on (2) of my formerly favorite facial washes that should have been on this list, but totally started to SUCK after they were reformulated. GRRR!!!

See that pic? Those are 3 of the 4 specialty shower gels (from philosophy) that Nordstrom was offering for the Anniversary Sale. The only one I haven't received (yet) is the lime blossom scent.

Dig this: I received the Orange Cassis (yesterday) from the Nordstrom in Burlington, Vermont.

Today, I received the Blackberry Musk from 'The Stores at Wellington Green', in Wellington, Florida. I received the Lemongrass from 'Easton Town Center' in Columbus, Ohio.


I'm still hoping that I receive the lime blossom gel - mostly because that was the one I really, really wanted. (Not to say that I didn't want the other scents, but I really wanted the lime blossom.)

I'll keep you posted.

Contrary to popular belief, I do listen to music that's not electronica - and this is a prime example.

This is not a video - it's some random shot of something or other from the group. But, it's not someone playing the song, or the band playing the song at some concert.

As a side note, this song was used in the movie, 'Queen of the Damned'. It's the song playing when Akasha (the Queen) and Lestat decide to get it on in the bathtub.

When I hear this song, I think of languid, almost liquid, heat - it's quite sexy.

Another image this song conjures: in one of the Tomb Raider movies, Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is exercising by jumping, and soaring through the air, attached to a harness. (She's doing this wearing cream colored, full cut, silk pjs, too.) This song reminds me of her gliding and soaring through the air, and fluidity as the air surrounding her rippled through the fabric of her pjs. Very, very sexy.

So, without further ado - here's the song.

When I was in Toronto, I noticed that most of the stores were charging extra for shopping bags - usually $0.05/bag.

In addition, many retailers were selling their own, branded, shopping bags - like this adorable one from Canadian bath/body retailer,
Fruits and Passion:



These bags from F&P came in 2 sizes - small and large. Pictured is the large sized bag (which was $2.00 CDN). The 'small' sized bag was
$1.00 CDN and would be perfect for carrying your lunch and a few small essentials. I actually changed my tote for the things I regularly carry with me to work, to this larger bag from F&P - mostly because it's a nice reminder of my trip to Toronto, and, as you can see, the bag is just lovely. (Well, I think so, anyway.)

According to an article in the Toronto Star, dated May 18, 2009, this new fee went into effect on June 1, 2009. In addition, according to the article, this fee was only in effect in Toronto, although other stores (outside of Toronto) were considering similar fees.

My thoughts on it? These sorts of bags are just starting to catch on here, in the States. In fact, at my place of employment (Public Services Librarian), we migrated from using plastic bags to reusable bags that can be checked out (like any other piece of library material). Our patrons seem to like it, although some still insist on the plastic bags...which we no longer have.

Making 'one-time use' plastic bags wastes resources - spending a few dollars on a sturdy, reusable, CUTE, bag, to me, makes more sense. (Or CENTS, if you're being cute.)

See those shower gels? Philosophy usually sells them for $16 a piece. This year, for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, they had special scents made just for the sale: orange cassis, lime blossom, lemongrass and blackberry musk. Plus, they were sold at a reduced price: $8 instead of $16. Quite a deal - seriously!

But...there was a snag: demand heavily outweighed the supply. Nordstrom went back to renegotiate for additional supplies: philosophy flat out denied the request for additional supplies. So, what to do?!

Apparently, the answer to that question is to keep selling those shower gels, regardless of lack of merchandise.

Many stores sold out during the presale, so when it came time to open the general Anniversary Sale to the public, most Nordstrom locations were already sold out of the gels. Nordstrom.com sold out of their supplies as well, and started funneling their orders to the stores (and you were able to preorder via Nordstrom.com, too). So, we have a limited supply of items, much of it selling out BEFORE the sale was even slated to begin...but there's a catch:

Nordstrom's DTC (direct to customer) orders. If you go into a Nordstrom store, and they have an item available for sale (but not currently in stock), they'll place an order for you at the cash wrap. The orders circulate amongst Nordstrom stores, nation wide, seeking inventory to fill the requests. They don't charge you shipping, either. It's a great system, and actually works well, except, well, there's a wee, tiny, little problem:

During the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, there's a policy to temporarily suspend DTC orders placed during the opening weekend of the sale (the sale always starts on a Friday), until the following Monday.

So, what few supplies that are left after filling the presale orders, are now being sold at the counters - en masse.

But - they're still taking DTC orders for these shower gels at the counters.

I will be the first to say that in this economy, it's difficult, at best, to gague customer reaction to an item. It's difficult to know how much of something to order to satisfy the needs of a supply chain. Trust me - I get it. But why oversell the items to begin with? If you can't fufill the orders, and know that you probably won't be able to fulfill the orders, why even attempt to order these items?

Unfortunately, I am one of those unlucky DTC customers. I am unsure if I will get any of these shower gels - I ordered one in each fragrance - but I'll be sure to post if I get a confirmation from Nordstrom. I know I'll get a confirmation message either way: either I'll get a shipping notice, or I'll get a cancellation notice with a refund posted to my credit card.

I'll let you know what happens.

See that pic? Those are just my LIPSTICKS that I've used at least once. Not included are my lip balms, lip glosses and lip color palettes. In addition, I have a backlog of UNUSED lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms and lip palettes.

Suffice it to say, I need to get rid of some cosmetics. But I'm paralyzed by indecision. I mean - how do I know what I should get rid of, and what I should keep? Usually, this would be easy: chuck out the drugstore, and keep the higher end items. But, I actually LIKE much of my makeup - if I didn't, I wouldn't have kept it (it would have been returned).

Any and all suggestions on how one purges a collection - any collection - are appreciated. :)

I know you do. Click on the link below to get a free 3pc set of Aveda's 'Smooth Infusion' shampoo, conditioner and style-prep smoother.

No purchase necessary.

Seriously! No purchase necessary!

Although, I would call the nearest Aveda salon to you to see if they've gotten their packs in yet (before you make a trip).

http://avedabday.com/magazine_offer.php?mag_campaign=marieclaire

I have made it no secret that I like to shop, and I especially like to shop in Canada. It used to be that with the exchange rate heavily in favor of the USD, even with additional taxes, you could get some DEALS. Oh - and those taxes? Yeah. You used to be able to get them refunded, provided the taxes were not on food, or your hotel room...and the sales check (without taxes) was at least $50 CDN.

Well, now the CDN and the USD are just about on par with each other, and that little practice of refunding your taxes? That's just a faint memory. So, while the deals are fewer and further between, you can still find some gems that can make the whole ordeal of getting to Canada worthwhile, and no - I'm not talking about the duty free shops. (Although those kick massive ass - the dinky little Duty Free in Detroit has been replaced with a new, huge, awesome store! But I digress.)

One of the things I like to stock up on (while in Canada) are bath and body products from Ombra. Sure, you can buy them online (at only 2 US based websites) or you can go to Merz Apothecary in Chicago (which I've been to, and I love, love, LOVE!), but other than that, Ombra products are imported from Germany and readily available in Canada. (Lucky Canucks!)


So, what makes them so great? Here's some info:

Ombra is a line of herbal extract bath, body and skin care products nurture your senses with natural ingredients.

Ombra products are formulated in the heart of Bavaria, Germany in a rustic and pastoral setting, in state-of-the-art facilities

Optimal levels of herbal extracts and trace minerals are utilized in the manufacturing process with strict adherence to quality standards

Ombra products have been rated by German consumer research as "highest quality and best value" on the market. ­They have been sold successfully in Canada since 1983

Ombra products are dermatologist tested and are safe for the whole family

No animal testing is done, the packaging is environmentally friendly and the contents biodegradable

Besides - they make my favorite Lavender foaming bath - but they've also added 'Rose with Green Tea'. Yeah, you know I bought that. The scents are lovely - not fake smelling. Great bubbles (for the bubble baths) and wonderful, frothy, non-itchy lather from the shower gels. Plus, the packaging is so wonderfully European, you may just want to display them in your bathroom. (but then, I'm a freak like that.)

For more information on Ombra, check out http://www.ombraproducts.com

There comes a time in all of our lives where we must endure some sorrow. For some of us, this may be an extreme loss or hardship, and for others, well, it could just be something small to most people (but big for you).

One of my wee sorrows is the lament of how so many of my favored products become discontinued, and I don't know about it until after the fact. (Or, after I missed the chance to stock up.) Like Bath and Body Works - every scent I love, they discontinue. (Iced Pineapple! Citrus Punch! Limelight! Pearberry! Freesia! Need I go on? I can, you know. But I digress.) I know, I know - many companies try to console us by saying that the new formula is better...but what about those products that vanish without a trace? No upgrade. No replacement. *poof* gone.

For me, one of those items is from the Happy fragrance line from Clinique. A few years back, Clinique released something called 'Happy Sparkling Bath'. Now, I'm not a fan of bath salts (in general), but these were different. Take a few scoopfuls of the powder to scent your bath with citrus/floral scent that is Clinique's Happy. Oh - and it FIZZES! Yes! Fizzy Clinique scented bath goodness? Sign me up! I went through 5-6 jars of the stuff - and those are NOT small jars. See for yourself:



I have been looking for this stuff for YEARS - imagine my delight when I saw someone selling a jar on eBay! Now, I know what you're thinking - it's OLD. Is it still going to smell good? How about that fizzing? Honestly, I don't care at this point. Sure, I'll be disappointed if it doesn't fizz, but as long as it still smells great, I won't care.

Now, if it doesn't smell good OR fizz, yeah - I'll be miffed. But, hey - that's the chance you take, right?

I'll keep you posted. :)

Yes, yes...I'm back from Canada. I had a great time in Toronto, and will be sure to post about all sorts of Canadian related things in the very near future. But, here's something to think about in the meantime:

Custom blended makeup. Ever wanted something that was made just for you? I mean, seriously.

Now, I know that with things like Bare Escentuals (and mineral makeup in general) you can tweak it however you want, but if you wanted something made just for you, from beginning to end...Prescrpitives has a line of cosmetics you may be interested in:



Most Prescriptives counters (but not all, so be sure to ask before you get started) have specially trained staff who will custom blend cosmetics for you, on the spot. What can you get?

*Foundation (liquid makeup)
*Loose powder
*Bronzers
*Lip Gloss
*Lip Stick
*Tinted Moisturizers
*Concealers

Now, they do cost a bit more. I had a concealer done last year, and it was $35. But let me tell you - it is the BEST concealer I have ever used. Great coverage, and the color matched my 'pink cheeks, yellow everywhere else' face. I also had a lip gloss done - you can have FLAVORS added to your gloss! No joke. We're not talking fragrances - adding actual FLAVORS. (I added 'mixed berry' flavor to my gloss. Yummm!)

Keep in mind that while the cost is a bit more than your usual, you ARE supervising the entire process from start to end, with plenty of testing inbetween. You no likey? You tweak until you DO likey.

I can see this being a great option for those of us who are super pale, or super dark. Seriously.

For more information, contact your nearest Prescriptives counter, or check out the 'Custom Blends' section at their website, www.prescriptives.com
You can order some of the custom blend items from online, but it's much more fun to make it, in person, at a counter.

Most people who know me, they know that I am a perfume freak. I can't help it - I love the stuff. I have a friend, Erin, who is similarly obsessed with fragrances, but her tastes tend to run toward the higher end and somewhat harder to find fragrances. Me? Oh, I love it ALL! (I imagine that Erin loves it all, too - don't get me wrong.)

My friends don't 'get it' for the most part.

Why do you need so much perfume? (I just do. There's no rhyme or reason to it.)



You wear Bulgari Rose Essentiel (pictured above) just about every day, and when you open up a new bottle of the stuff, you buy your next bottle. (Thank you for noticing. And your point is?) ( Read more... )

I like perfume.

No, scratch that. I LOVE PERFUME.

I don't feel totally dressed unless I'm wearing a fragrance, and no, my own 'natural aroma' doesn't count.

So, while browsing around Twitter, I see that WWD Beauty (That's 'Woman's Wear Daily' - Beauty), is posting about the upswing in fragrances created by musicians. In fact, country crooner Faith Hill, and rapper Usher are both releasing fragrances this fall. (Nevermind that Usher has already released fragrances...but I digress.)

I have always been a fan of Queen Latifah, and, according to the article, she's releasing a new fragrance, too.

First, check out this bottle. I swear - it's worth just looking at the damn bottle:



Is this bottle insane, or what? Seriously! It's GORGEOUS!

Next, here are the notes: (emphasis added by me)

Developed in partnership with Steven DeMercado of Fragrance Resources, Queen opens with Italian bergamot, Mediterranean mandarin and golden tequila. The heart is of Baie rose, jasmine noir, cognac and Moroccan coriander. Base notes are of Indonesian patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and Tonka Absolutes as well as Egyptian incense and musk.

Okay - I'm seriously going to have to smell this. It has my favorite fragrance notes (sandalwood, vanilla, rose, citrus) - it's missing lavender, but that's okay. The coriander will give it just a hit of sharpness to counteract all the sweetness...and GOLDEN TEQUILA?! Duuuude!

This, for me, is a must-have (or, at least, a 'must smell').

I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and BTW - according to the article, other fragrance deals on the tables include: Rhianna, Kanye West and Jay-Z.