April 5, 2019

Supergoop's eyeshadow with SPF, I finally bought the Dyson Supersonic, the French pharmacy staple I'm never without and how to make the chicest Apple Watch band ever.

When eyeshadow and SPF collide...

Spring is definitely in the air (while wearing my new white Paige Nellie Utility Jeans that I’m beyond obsessed with), and as to be expected with any seasonal transition, I’m also thinking about the skincare and makeup I need for the coming months. One product that recently caught my eye melds both, and I bet you don’t have anything like Supergoop’s Shimmershade Eyeshadow in your makeup bag (and anywhere else in your bathroom for that matter).

With four shades that deliver a light wash of shimmery color plus broad-spectrum SPF 30, where has this been all of my life? I’m the first to admit I usually avoid my eyelids when slathering sunscreen all over my face (to avoid irritation or getting in my eyes), and I have a sneaking suspicion this eyelid neglect is going to result in plastic surgery at some point down the line. I haven’t tried it—yet—but if the long-wear, crease-free, apply-with-your-fingers formula is as good as it sounds, you better believe this will become my daily go-to—especially when I’m zipping around town with the top down!

I caved and bought a Dyson—but it’s not (really) for me

I’ve been eyeing the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer ever since it made its debut in September 2016, but truthfully, I could never justify spending that much money on a styling tool when I really don’t even blow-dry my hair all that much—and I was totally OK with it. However, I started to seriously consider taking the plunge a few months ago when my dog, Nugget, had an issue with the groomer we’ve been using since we got her.

Here’s what happened… Nugget was outside in the groomer’s van (he comes to our house, isn’t that awesome?) and I was sitting in my office—then I started to hear her screaming (despite the fact she was in a vehicle with the ignition on and we were separated by rather thick hurricane glass windows). I immediately ran outside to see what the f*ck was going on, started banging on the door and the groomer stepped out with a sopping-wet Nugget in his arms. No, she wasn’t being tortured in any way or by any means—she was petrified of his industrial-strength hair dryer. At this point I decided to let her air-dry moving forward, but after a few significantly less-traumatic grooming experiences, she was a matted mess and had to get shaved down. That’s when the groomer told me she doesn’t have the type of hair/fur that can air-dry, so I was in a pickle, and the dog looked like a hot mess. This, my friends, is why I finally pulled the trigger and dropped $400 on a freaking blow-dryer.

I did not take this purchase lightly, and I did my homework. I FaceTimed with my friend Beth who has a Dyson to see if it really was so much quieter than other blow-dryers, and the fact that we were able to talk normally with the Dyson whirring right there sold me. When it arrived the next week, I couldn’t wait to try it—and I have to say I’m really happy with it (although Nugget has her next grooming appointment next week so I’m still not sure if it’s going to do the trick for her or not). 

The Dyson is definitely quieter than the blow-dryers I’m used to, but not so quiet that it wouldn’t wake my husband if I decided to do my hair while he was sleeping. It’s also super-lightweight—which actually takes a little getting used to after YEARS of arm fatigue. But there are two other upsides about the Dyson: It doesn’t get as hot as my old blow-dryer and it delivers a heck of a lot more air velocity. This translates to a major reduction in the time it takes to blow-dry my hair—and, in turn, less damage—so I have no buyer’s remorse whatsoever. Fingers crossed Nugget agrees this was a worthwhile investment, too…

I swear by this French pharmacy staple

I am fully aware that we can buy virtually anything that would be found on the shelves of a French pharmacy thanks to Amazon and other specialty websites—but actually being in a French pharmacy is in experience in and of itself. Unfortunately I don’t get abroad as much as I used to or would like to, so I went a little nuts when I was in St. Barth’s a few summers ago. I’m pretty sure I was ooh-ing and aah-ing out loud (to myself) as I went from aisle to aisle filling up my shopping basket, and one product I purchased multiples of was Biafine Emulsion Cream.

I was first introduced to this miracle cream back in my NYC beauty-editor days, and I will never, ever be without it for the rest of my life. Kind of like Neosporin on chic, French steroids—or like Windex if you’re a fan of My Big Fat Greek Wedding—I put it on any cut, scrape, irritation, blemish and even my entire face in lieu of moisturizer if my skin feels sensitive. It’s THAT good. Somehow it speeds the healing of any boo-boo, and the lightweight texture and delicate scent make a sheer pleasure to use.

I recently stumbled across it on one of my favorite shopping sites, Need Supply Co., which strangely served as reassurance that my love for this product is not unfounded. Although you can probably find it for less money on Amazon, I always worry it may be counterfeit or expired—and since a tube will probably last at least a year, it’s well worth the $50. (Trust me.)

Procrastination makes me crafty

It’s the end of the month, which means I have a sh*t-ton of work to do—and I just wasn’t feeling very inspired (or in the mood) on Saturday afternoon. I sat down at my desk in an attempt to get the creative juices flowing, and instead found myself deep into an Hermes scarf Google-search rabbit hole. At the time, finding a few fresh ways to accessorize seemed like a higher priority than looming deadlines—and then one idea in particular grabbed my attention: Yes, I HAVE to use a Twilly scarf as a band for my Apple Watch.

Further Googling ensued, and I actually found a non-Hermes scarf band, as well as stand-alone band attachments that would do the trick for $40. Then I realized I had an old leather wrap-around band I didn’t mind destroying for the sake of a procrastination project and off I went. 

I cut the leather straps off the band connector things, slid them into my watch and threaded the scarf through. A few tie attempts later, voila…

Although this scarf band isn’t very practical while working out, it only takes a minute to swap out—and I have about five other short, skinny scarves I can use to add a fresh spin to any outfit. The only downside is that I now have even less time to finish my to-do list (but at least I got multiple new watch bands out of it!).