Currently

Book
Joyce Maynard- At Home In The World. The writer's memoir, juicy because of her relationship with J.D. Salinger.

Song
An album, actually. Elton John and Leon Russel- The Union.




Perfume
Today was the first one in a while I wasn't testing/wearing one of the Outlaw Perfumes. Wore Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille.

Makeup
Blush. I'm on a serious pink cheek kick.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
Long DVF ruffled cashmere cardigan. Black.

Food/Drink
tea, pasta, grilled cheese... the usual.

Guilty Pleasure
Admiring some of my makeup brushes. Profound, I know.

Joy
A new camera.

Bane Of My Existence
My Droid is having charging issues and I'm not due for an upgrade yet. I've been pursuing the Verizon Wireless site, looking at the new(er) models and telling myself  "These are not the droids you are looking for". Yes, geek humor.




Anticipation
Oddly enough, the holidays.

Wishlist
A pair of ultra-fabulous flat black boots that are knee-high but designed with short women in mind. The Alexander McQueen pair, once I found them in my size turned out to be an inch too tall. They are still the most gorgeous thing.

Random Thought
I have quite a few, actually. Enough for a separate post. For now, I'll just say that the Outlaw Perfume Project has been quite mind-blowing. I don't want to ever forget what a real perfume smells like.

What are your current loves, recommendation and banes? Please share.

Photo by me, November 2010.

Currently

Book
Joyce Maynard- At Home In The World. The writer's memoir, juicy because of her relationship with J.D. Salinger.

Song
An album, actually. Elton John and Leon Russel- The Union.




Perfume
Today was the first one in a while I wasn't testing/wearing one of the Outlaw Perfumes. Wore Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille.

Makeup
Blush. I'm on a serious pink cheek kick.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
Long DVF ruffled cashmere cardigan. Black.

Food/Drink
tea, pasta, grilled cheese... the usual.

Guilty Pleasure
Admiring some of my makeup brushes. Profound, I know.

Joy
A new camera.

Bane Of My Existence
My Droid is having charging issues and I'm not due for an upgrade yet. I've been pursuing the Verizon Wireless site, looking at the new(er) models and telling myself  "These are not the droids you are looking for". Yes, geek humor.




Anticipation
Oddly enough, the holidays.

Wishlist
A pair of ultra-fabulous flat black boots that are knee-high but designed with short women in mind. The Alexander McQueen pair, once I found them in my size turned out to be an inch too tall. They are still the most gorgeous thing.

Random Thought
I have quite a few, actually. Enough for a separate post. For now, I'll just say that the Outlaw Perfume Project has been quite mind-blowing. I don't want to ever forget what a real perfume smells like.

What are your current loves, recommendation and banes? Please share.

Photo by me, November 2010.

Currently

Book
Joyce Maynard- At Home In The World. The writer's memoir, juicy because of her relationship with J.D. Salinger.

Song
An album, actually. Elton John and Leon Russel- The Union.




Perfume
Today was the first one in a while I wasn't testing/wearing one of the Outlaw Perfumes. Wore Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille.

Makeup
Blush. I'm on a serious pink cheek kick.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
Long DVF ruffled cashmere cardigan. Black.

Food/Drink
tea, pasta, grilled cheese... the usual.

Guilty Pleasure
Admiring some of my makeup brushes. Profound, I know.

Joy
A new camera.

Bane Of My Existence
My Droid is having charging issues and I'm not due for an upgrade yet. I've been pursuing the Verizon Wireless site, looking at the new(er) models and telling myself  "These are not the droids you are looking for". Yes, geek humor.




Anticipation
Oddly enough, the holidays.

Wishlist
A pair of ultra-fabulous flat black boots that are knee-high but designed with short women in mind. The Alexander McQueen pair, once I found them in my size turned out to be an inch too tall. They are still the most gorgeous thing.

Random Thought
I have quite a few, actually. Enough for a separate post. For now, I'll just say that the Outlaw Perfume Project has been quite mind-blowing. I don't want to ever forget what a real perfume smells like.

What are your current loves, recommendation and banes? Please share.

Photo by me, November 2010.

Why don't you...Why don't I...

I've been getting more and more requests to post more photos, particularly pictures of myself wearing the products I'm reviewing. There are also numerous calls for tutorials- videos and/or how-to posts. I guess it's about time I explain why I don't do it.

I'm not a makeup artist and I don't play one on YouTube. Of course, I'm pretty good at wielding a brush and doing my own makeup. I can also do a very decent job making over some of my nearest and dearest. I'm familiar enough with their faces and know what works and what would make my sister remind me she's still the stronger one and can do me a world of bodily harm. But I can't tell you how to do your makeup. Sometimes I make suggestions, but for the most part it comes down to your very specific coloring and facial features. The specific of applying two or three eyes shadows on Asian eyes are extremely different than how to do it on mine. Look at my photos- I have deep-set eyes with very visible lids. There's no way that a method that works for me would work for many of you. Even when it comes to eyes of similar shapes there are minute but important details every woman needs to figure out for herself.

Let's talk about skin tone. The warm vs. cool grouping is way too broad. We all have several undertones, some contrasting, and trying to generalize too often ends with a person buying the wrong foundation shade. Just think of the various shades of Asian skin tones that look absolutely nothing like each other. The same goes for African-Americans. And look at my own "white" skin- at most makeup counters the first foundation or concealer shade a SA  suggests usually turns out about 1.5 shades too dark. Why? Because while I'm generally categorized as "olive" there's also a little yellow and pink in some indescribable ratio. I can't wear pink foundations, of course, but many of them (MAC, Trish McEvoy and Bobbi Brown are good examples) are too yellow or just look off. I tan easily and can get quite brown, but I try my best to avoid the sun, so I'm actually some weird pale olive color. And this fact influences the way I wear all of my makeup. Normally I apply a touch of bronzer or blush to my décolleté to even things out. I intentionally avoided it when I took the photo yesterday so you can see the green and the difference.

I'm not even talking about the technical aspects of taking a huge amount of pictures that showcase the products or the makeup "look". I can tell you that for the simple daytime makeup  I'm showing here I had to  apply almost double the amount of color I'd normally do and it still looks a bit washed out compared to what I actually saw in the mirror. These two pictures were taken about two minutes apart in separate rooms that face the same direction. The natural light still looks different and so does the makeup. It's a lot of work for very uneven results, which is why I stick to closeup swatches on my wrists.

So there you have it. (Almost) 40 years old, green skin, dark circles no amount of Touche Eclat can fully erase. Would you want a tutorial from this woman? (that was a rhetorical question!)

Top photo of a makeup artist at work courtesy of WWD.
Everything else here is mine, of course.

Why don't you...Why don't I...

I've been getting more and more requests to post more photos, particularly pictures of myself wearing the products I'm reviewing. There are also numerous calls for tutorials- videos and/or how-to posts. I guess it's about time I explain why I don't do it.

I'm not a makeup artist and I don't play one on YouTube. Of course, I'm pretty good at wielding a brush and doing my own makeup. I can also do a very decent job making over some of my nearest and dearest. I'm familiar enough with their faces and know what works and what would make my sister remind me she's still the stronger one and can do me a world of bodily harm. But I can't tell you how to do your makeup. Sometimes I make suggestions, but for the most part it comes down to your very specific coloring and facial features. The specific of applying two or three eyes shadows on Asian eyes are extremely different than how to do it on mine. Look at my photos- I have deep-set eyes with very visible lids. There's no way that a method that works for me would work for many of you. Even when it comes to eyes of similar shapes there are minute but important details every woman needs to figure out for herself.

Let's talk about skin tone. The warm vs. cool grouping is way too broad. We all have several undertones, some contrasting, and trying to generalize too often ends with a person buying the wrong foundation shade. Just think of the various shades of Asian skin tones that look absolutely nothing like each other. The same goes for African-Americans. And look at my own "white" skin- at most makeup counters the first foundation or concealer shade a SA  suggests usually turns out about 1.5 shades too dark. Why? Because while I'm generally categorized as "olive" there's also a little yellow and pink in some indescribable ratio. I can't wear pink foundations, of course, but many of them (MAC, Trish McEvoy and Bobbi Brown are good examples) are too yellow or just look off. I tan easily and can get quite brown, but I try my best to avoid the sun, so I'm actually some weird pale olive color. And this fact influences the way I wear all of my makeup. Normally I apply a touch of bronzer or blush to my décolleté to even things out. I intentionally avoided it when I took the photo yesterday so you can see the green and the difference.

I'm not even talking about the technical aspects of taking a huge amount of pictures that showcase the products or the makeup "look". I can tell you that for the simple daytime makeup  I'm showing here I had to  apply almost double the amount of color I'd normally do and it still looks a bit washed out compared to what I actually saw in the mirror. These two pictures were taken about two minutes apart in separate rooms that face the same direction. The natural light still looks different and so does the makeup. It's a lot of work for very uneven results, which is why I stick to closeup swatches on my wrists.

So there you have it. (Almost) 40 years old, green skin, dark circles no amount of Touche Eclat can fully erase. Would you want a tutorial from this woman? (that was a rhetorical question!)

Top photo of a makeup artist at work courtesy of WWD.
Everything else here is mine, of course.

Why don't you...Why don't I...

I've been getting more and more requests to post more photos, particularly pictures of myself wearing the products I'm reviewing. There are also numerous calls for tutorials- videos and/or how-to posts. I guess it's about time I explain why I don't do it.

I'm not a makeup artist and I don't play one on YouTube. Of course, I'm pretty good at wielding a brush and doing my own makeup. I can also do a very decent job making over some of my nearest and dearest. I'm familiar enough with their faces and know what works and what would make my sister remind me she's still the stronger one and can do me a world of bodily harm. But I can't tell you how to do your makeup. Sometimes I make suggestions, but for the most part it comes down to your very specific coloring and facial features. The specific of applying two or three eyes shadows on Asian eyes are extremely different than how to do it on mine. Look at my photos- I have deep-set eyes with very visible lids. There's no way that a method that works for me would work for many of you. Even when it comes to eyes of similar shapes there are minute but important details every woman needs to figure out for herself.

Let's talk about skin tone. The warm vs. cool grouping is way too broad. We all have several undertones, some contrasting, and trying to generalize too often ends with a person buying the wrong foundation shade. Just think of the various shades of Asian skin tones that look absolutely nothing like each other. The same goes for African-Americans. And look at my own "white" skin- at most makeup counters the first foundation or concealer shade a SA  suggests usually turns out about 1.5 shades too dark. Why? Because while I'm generally categorized as "olive" there's also a little yellow and pink in some indescribable ratio. I can't wear pink foundations, of course, but many of them (MAC, Trish McEvoy and Bobbi Brown are good examples) are too yellow or just look off. I tan easily and can get quite brown, but I try my best to avoid the sun, so I'm actually some weird pale olive color. And this fact influences the way I wear all of my makeup. Normally I apply a touch of bronzer or blush to my décolleté to even things out. I intentionally avoided it when I took the photo yesterday so you can see the green and the difference.

I'm not even talking about the technical aspects of taking a huge amount of pictures that showcase the products or the makeup "look". I can tell you that for the simple daytime makeup  I'm showing here I had to  apply almost double the amount of color I'd normally do and it still looks a bit washed out compared to what I actually saw in the mirror. These two pictures were taken about two minutes apart in separate rooms that face the same direction. The natural light still looks different and so does the makeup. It's a lot of work for very uneven results, which is why I stick to closeup swatches on my wrists.

So there you have it. (Almost) 40 years old, green skin, dark circles no amount of Touche Eclat can fully erase. Would you want a tutorial from this woman? (that was a rhetorical question!)

Top photo of a makeup artist at work courtesy of WWD.
Everything else here is mine, of course.

Currently

Book
Once I gain some attention span back I should get to B&N for Tim Gunn's book. It's been out for weeks now.

Song
Wilco- I'll Fight




On TV
CNN, what else?

Perfume
Etat Libre d'Orange- Like This. Perfect for this weather.

Makeup
Blush. I've been experimenting.

Frequently worn outfit/item
Gray cashmere hoodie over just about everything.

Food/Drink
I really want some miso soup.

Guilty Pleasure
Sleeping in.

Joy
It's all good.

Bane Of My Existence
See above.

Anticipation
The weekend. Just because.

Random Thought
Some things put even Kim Kardashian's nude cover into perspective.

Wish List
A new camera. Any suggestions on what I should get?


What are your current banes, joys and recommendations? Please share!



Top image: La Esperanza, webshots.com

Currently

Book
Once I gain some attention span back I should get to B&N for Tim Gunn's book. It's been out for weeks now.

Song
Wilco- I'll Fight




On TV
CNN, what else?

Perfume
Etat Libre d'Orange- Like This. Perfect for this weather.

Makeup
Blush. I've been experimenting.

Frequently worn outfit/item
Gray cashmere hoodie over just about everything.

Food/Drink
I really want some miso soup.

Guilty Pleasure
Sleeping in.

Joy
It's all good.

Bane Of My Existence
See above.

Anticipation
The weekend. Just because.

Random Thought
Some things put even Kim Kardashian's nude cover into perspective.

Wish List
A new camera. Any suggestions on what I should get?


What are your current banes, joys and recommendations? Please share!



Top image: La Esperanza, webshots.com

Currently

Book
Once I gain some attention span back I should get to B&N for Tim Gunn's book. It's been out for weeks now.

Song
Wilco- I'll Fight




On TV
CNN, what else?

Perfume
Etat Libre d'Orange- Like This. Perfect for this weather.

Makeup
Blush. I've been experimenting.

Frequently worn outfit/item
Gray cashmere hoodie over just about everything.

Food/Drink
I really want some miso soup.

Guilty Pleasure
Sleeping in.

Joy
It's all good.

Bane Of My Existence
See above.

Anticipation
The weekend. Just because.

Random Thought
Some things put even Kim Kardashian's nude cover into perspective.

Wish List
A new camera. Any suggestions on what I should get?


What are your current banes, joys and recommendations? Please share!



Top image: La Esperanza, webshots.com

Currently

Book:
Just started Alison Arngrim's memoir Prairie Bitch. No opinion yet. Tim Gunn's new book is coming out today. For some reason, I'm not optimistic.

Song:
David Gray's latest album

Perfume:
Shalimar Light and Coty Chypre.

Makeup:
Chanel Teint Innocence compact foundation.

Frequently worn outfit/item:
Getting as much use of my summer dresses as I can before the weather turns too cool

Food:
Fresh figs

Drink:
Water. Tea. The usual.

Guilty Pleasure:
Whole Foods marshmallow.

Bane of my existence:
Time

Joy:
Kittens. And grown cats.

Anticipation:
Time with my two nieces.

Random Thought:
Naomi Watts doesn't strike me as an Ann Taylor person. But what do I know?

Wish List:
To be in Paris.

What are your current loves, banes and recommendations? What's on your mind? Please share.

Photo: Paris, 1950 by Robert Capa

Currently

Book:
Just started Alison Arngrim's memoir Prairie Bitch. No opinion yet. Tim Gunn's new book is coming out today. For some reason, I'm not optimistic.

Song:
David Gray's latest album

Perfume:
Shalimar Light and Coty Chypre.

Makeup:
Chanel Teint Innocence compact foundation.

Frequently worn outfit/item:
Getting as much use of my summer dresses as I can before the weather turns too cool

Food:
Fresh figs

Drink:
Water. Tea. The usual.

Guilty Pleasure:
Whole Foods marshmallow.

Bane of my existence:
Time

Joy:
Kittens. And grown cats.

Anticipation:
Time with my two nieces.

Random Thought:
Naomi Watts doesn't strike me as an Ann Taylor person. But what do I know?

Wish List:
To be in Paris.

What are your current loves, banes and recommendations? What's on your mind? Please share.

Photo: Paris, 1950 by Robert Capa

Currently

Book:
Just started Alison Arngrim's memoir Prairie Bitch. No opinion yet. Tim Gunn's new book is coming out today. For some reason, I'm not optimistic.

Song:
David Gray's latest album

Perfume:
Shalimar Light and Coty Chypre.

Makeup:
Chanel Teint Innocence compact foundation.

Frequently worn outfit/item:
Getting as much use of my summer dresses as I can before the weather turns too cool

Food:
Fresh figs

Drink:
Water. Tea. The usual.

Guilty Pleasure:
Whole Foods marshmallow.

Bane of my existence:
Time

Joy:
Kittens. And grown cats.

Anticipation:
Time with my two nieces.

Random Thought:
Naomi Watts doesn't strike me as an Ann Taylor person. But what do I know?

Wish List:
To be in Paris.

What are your current loves, banes and recommendations? What's on your mind? Please share.

Photo: Paris, 1950 by Robert Capa

Currently

Book
Julie Metz- Perfection, a memoir of betrayal and renewal. Young and widowed Metz discovers that her husband had multiple affairs. Touching and honestly written.

Music
I recently downloaded some Patsy Cline classics. Everyone needs a little country.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
A little dark denim minidress in a classic sheath cut cinched with a red patent belt. Sounds odd, but it works.

Perfume
Vintage Caleche, vintage Joy, Vintage 1000, Vintage Chanel No. 5. I can go on and on.

Makeup
Guerlain fall collection. The eye shadow compacts are the most beautiful thing on the market.

Food
Rustic bread with butter, fresh Gouda and slices of just-picked tomato from my garden.

Drink
Strawberry-banana smoothies.

Guilty Pleasure
eBay

Bane Of My Existence
You know, other than a general grumble about the caloric content of milk chocolate, my life is blissfully bainless at the moment (give it a day or two, though).

Joy
Kittens!

Anticipation
My sister and family are coming to visit in two weeks.

Wish List
Glamorous items such as a stainless steel laundry sink. Oh, and this:

Random Thought
How long before PETA goes after the Duchess of Cornwall for her bee venom face treatments?

What are your current loves, joys, banes, etc.? Please share, recommend and complain.

Art: August by Dmitri Danish
Chanel Matelasse watch chanel.com

Currently

Book
Julie Metz- Perfection, a memoir of betrayal and renewal. Young and widowed Metz discovers that her husband had multiple affairs. Touching and honestly written.

Music
I recently downloaded some Patsy Cline classics. Everyone needs a little country.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
A little dark denim minidress in a classic sheath cut cinched with a red patent belt. Sounds odd, but it works.

Perfume
Vintage Caleche, vintage Joy, Vintage 1000, Vintage Chanel No. 5. I can go on and on.

Makeup
Guerlain fall collection. The eye shadow compacts are the most beautiful thing on the market.

Food
Rustic bread with butter, fresh Gouda and slices of just-picked tomato from my garden.

Drink
Strawberry-banana smoothies.

Guilty Pleasure
eBay

Bane Of My Existence
You know, other than a general grumble about the caloric content of milk chocolate, my life is blissfully bainless at the moment (give it a day or two, though).

Joy
Kittens!

Anticipation
My sister and family are coming to visit in two weeks.

Wish List
Glamorous items such as a stainless steel laundry sink. Oh, and this:

Random Thought
How long before PETA goes after the Duchess of Cornwall for her bee venom face treatments?

What are your current loves, joys, banes, etc.? Please share, recommend and complain.

Art: August by Dmitri Danish
Chanel Matelasse watch chanel.com

Currently

Book
Julie Metz- Perfection, a memoir of betrayal and renewal. Young and widowed Metz discovers that her husband had multiple affairs. Touching and honestly written.

Music
I recently downloaded some Patsy Cline classics. Everyone needs a little country.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
A little dark denim minidress in a classic sheath cut cinched with a red patent belt. Sounds odd, but it works.

Perfume
Vintage Caleche, vintage Joy, Vintage 1000, Vintage Chanel No. 5. I can go on and on.

Makeup
Guerlain fall collection. The eye shadow compacts are the most beautiful thing on the market.

Food
Rustic bread with butter, fresh Gouda and slices of just-picked tomato from my garden.

Drink
Strawberry-banana smoothies.

Guilty Pleasure
eBay

Bane Of My Existence
You know, other than a general grumble about the caloric content of milk chocolate, my life is blissfully bainless at the moment (give it a day or two, though).

Joy
Kittens!

Anticipation
My sister and family are coming to visit in two weeks.

Wish List
Glamorous items such as a stainless steel laundry sink. Oh, and this:

Random Thought
How long before PETA goes after the Duchess of Cornwall for her bee venom face treatments?

What are your current loves, joys, banes, etc.? Please share, recommend and complain.

Art: August by Dmitri Danish
Chanel Matelasse watch chanel.com

It is a dark and stormy night

The perfume review I planned for today of a Killian something or other will have to wait. I'm just not in the mood. Today's explosive thunderstorms are good for my soul (except the part where I was driving through the edge of one earlier this evening). It's an oddly calming weather.

I'm not going to rehash the subject of comfort scents. It's been done enough and I'm not feeling any of them at the moment. The perfumes I've been wearing the last week or so had to provide strength and resolve more than comfort and my choices have surprised me. I mentioned earlier today that last week sucked major monkeys. One of my older cats, Thomas, died on Thursday night after a year of living with lymphoma. We knew it was coming and he passed away at home, which is a slightly better option. But the days leading to it were very difficult. If that wasn't enough, on Saturday afternoon we took Giselle for her yearly shots. By that night she developed a high fever. Even though we knew it's a fairly common reaction, the Blond and I have a low threshold for these things right now, so we rushed her to the emergency clinic, where a well-meaning Doogie Howser, DVM wanted to test her for everything under the sun and preferably admit her for at least 24 hours. Seriously. While neither one of us plays a vet on TV, we knew all she needed was an IV of fluids. It's us who could have used some serious medication, but I'm pretty sure young Doogie wasn't authorized to prescribe any.

Giselle is alright, of course. The IV took care of the fever and by the time we brought her home on Sunday afternoon she proceeded to eat her weight in Royal Canine and then chased the other cats around before cuddling with us for the rest of the night.

So what perfumes did I wear throughout the turmoil? Oddly enough, non of my comfort scents. Instead, I turned to classics with a steely backbone. Chanel 5 in every formulation but mostly vintage extrait helped me not just keep going but also keep up appearances. Chanel 22 (current version) at night provided a little more softness and lulled me to sleep without coddling. A fairly recent love, Givenchy Insense, was another good choice (Luca Turin said this one is melancholic and mysterious), despite (or because) its masculinity. Vintage Miss Dior, both EDT and extrait, accompanied me throughout the weekend.

Today I've been in the mood for iris. I played with several of the ones I have, but now that I'm cuddling with my fluffy gray Peter who's purring loudly in my ear (the Blond has Gracie on his lap), I wish for a bell jar of Iris Silver Mist. It just goes well with the mood and the weather. Tomorrow I might go back to my Guerlains or maybe a Tauer that would make me feel like myself again, but tonight it's still dark and stormy, so I'm going to rummage through my vintage bottles and wear something appropriate to bed .

Photo of a thunderstorm over Northern NJ by quintanomedia.com, 2009

It is a dark and stormy night

The perfume review I planned for today of a Killian something or other will have to wait. I'm just not in the mood. Today's explosive thunderstorms are good for my soul (except the part where I was driving through the edge of one earlier this evening). It's an oddly calming weather.

I'm not going to rehash the subject of comfort scents. It's been done enough and I'm not feeling any of them at the moment. The perfumes I've been wearing the last week or so had to provide strength and resolve more than comfort and my choices have surprised me. I mentioned earlier today that last week sucked major monkeys. One of my older cats, Thomas, died on Thursday night after a year of living with lymphoma. We knew it was coming and he passed away at home, which is a slightly better option. But the days leading to it were very difficult. If that wasn't enough, on Saturday afternoon we took Giselle for her yearly shots. By that night she developed a high fever. Even though we knew it's a fairly common reaction, the Blond and I have a low threshold for these things right now, so we rushed her to the emergency clinic, where a well-meaning Doogie Howser, DVM wanted to test her for everything under the sun and preferably admit her for at least 24 hours. Seriously. While neither one of us plays a vet on TV, we knew all she needed was an IV of fluids. It's us who could have used some serious medication, but I'm pretty sure young Doogie wasn't authorized to prescribe any.

Giselle is alright, of course. The IV took care of the fever and by the time we brought her home on Sunday afternoon she proceeded to eat her weight in Royal Canine and then chased the other cats around before cuddling with us for the rest of the night.

So what perfumes did I wear throughout the turmoil? Oddly enough, non of my comfort scents. Instead, I turned to classics with a steely backbone. Chanel 5 in every formulation but mostly vintage extrait helped me not just keep going but also keep up appearances. Chanel 22 (current version) at night provided a little more softness and lulled me to sleep without coddling. A fairly recent love, Givenchy Insense, was another good choice (Luca Turin said this one is melancholic and mysterious), despite (or because) its masculinity. Vintage Miss Dior, both EDT and extrait, accompanied me throughout the weekend.

Today I've been in the mood for iris. I played with several of the ones I have, but now that I'm cuddling with my fluffy gray Peter who's purring loudly in my ear (the Blond has Gracie on his lap), I wish for a bell jar of Iris Silver Mist. It just goes well with the mood and the weather. Tomorrow I might go back to my Guerlains or maybe a Tauer that would make me feel like myself again, but tonight it's still dark and stormy, so I'm going to rummage through my vintage bottles and wear something appropriate to bed .

Photo of a thunderstorm over Northern NJ by quintanomedia.com, 2009

It is a dark and stormy night

The perfume review I planned for today of a Killian something or other will have to wait. I'm just not in the mood. Today's explosive thunderstorms are good for my soul (except the part where I was driving through the edge of one earlier this evening). It's an oddly calming weather.

I'm not going to rehash the subject of comfort scents. It's been done enough and I'm not feeling any of them at the moment. The perfumes I've been wearing the last week or so had to provide strength and resolve more than comfort and my choices have surprised me. I mentioned earlier today that last week sucked major monkeys. One of my older cats, Thomas, died on Thursday night after a year of living with lymphoma. We knew it was coming and he passed away at home, which is a slightly better option. But the days leading to it were very difficult. If that wasn't enough, on Saturday afternoon we took Giselle for her yearly shots. By that night she developed a high fever. Even though we knew it's a fairly common reaction, the Blond and I have a low threshold for these things right now, so we rushed her to the emergency clinic, where a well-meaning Doogie Howser, DVM wanted to test her for everything under the sun and preferably admit her for at least 24 hours. Seriously. While neither one of us plays a vet on TV, we knew all she needed was an IV of fluids. It's us who could have used some serious medication, but I'm pretty sure young Doogie wasn't authorized to prescribe any.

Giselle is alright, of course. The IV took care of the fever and by the time we brought her home on Sunday afternoon she proceeded to eat her weight in Royal Canine and then chased the other cats around before cuddling with us for the rest of the night.

So what perfumes did I wear throughout the turmoil? Oddly enough, non of my comfort scents. Instead, I turned to classics with a steely backbone. Chanel 5 in every formulation but mostly vintage extrait helped me not just keep going but also keep up appearances. Chanel 22 (current version) at night provided a little more softness and lulled me to sleep without coddling. A fairly recent love, Givenchy Insense, was another good choice (Luca Turin said this one is melancholic and mysterious), despite (or because) its masculinity. Vintage Miss Dior, both EDT and extrait, accompanied me throughout the weekend.

Today I've been in the mood for iris. I played with several of the ones I have, but now that I'm cuddling with my fluffy gray Peter who's purring loudly in my ear (the Blond has Gracie on his lap), I wish for a bell jar of Iris Silver Mist. It just goes well with the mood and the weather. Tomorrow I might go back to my Guerlains or maybe a Tauer that would make me feel like myself again, but tonight it's still dark and stormy, so I'm going to rummage through my vintage bottles and wear something appropriate to bed .

Photo of a thunderstorm over Northern NJ by quintanomedia.com, 2009

Currently

Book
Gone with the Windsors by Iles Brody. An old biography of the Duke and Duchess of Widsor. I found it at a fabulous used bookstore in Kingston, NY.

Song
I was looking for Cake's Wheels (has it already been 5 years since that song came out?!) when I happened upon this one. Such a great cover.


Frequently worn outfit/item
Hats. I need all the sun protection I can get.

Perfume
I'm obsessed with vintage Dior at the moment. The real thing, not the dreck they've been putting in their bottles in the last few years. Just got a bottle of Diorella.

Makeup
Blue mascara. It looks great with summery sand and bronze eye shadows. There are several excellent ones on the market, none of them looks like a residue from the 80s. I'm actually planning a blue mascara face off post in the near future.

Food
If it were up to me, I'd eat nothing but watermelon from now until September.

Drink
I could use one, actually.

Guilty Pleasure
Watching crap TV while working out.

Bane of my existence
Packing peanuts. Whenever the cats get their paws on some, they shred them to tiny pieces that get everywhere and cling to everything.

Joy
Emails and comments from readers, even when I'm behind on replying.

Anticipation
Taking my niece to the Bronx Zoo.

Wish List
A lot more energy and motivation to get things done.

Random Thought
Is J Crew employing blind aliens as their pattern makers lately? I'm not even talking about the quality that has been going downhill at an exponential rate. It's the odd way the garments are cut and (don't) fit.

What are your current loves, banes and thoughts? Please share!

Art: Summertime Blues by Mark Goldstein

Currently

Book
Gone with the Windsors by Iles Brody. An old biography of the Duke and Duchess of Widsor. I found it at a fabulous used bookstore in Kingston, NY.

Song
I was looking for Cake's Wheels (has it already been 5 years since that song came out?!) when I happened upon this one. Such a great cover.


Frequently worn outfit/item
Hats. I need all the sun protection I can get.

Perfume
I'm obsessed with vintage Dior at the moment. The real thing, not the dreck they've been putting in their bottles in the last few years. Just got a bottle of Diorella.

Makeup
Blue mascara. It looks great with summery sand and bronze eye shadows. There are several excellent ones on the market, none of them looks like a residue from the 80s. I'm actually planning a blue mascara face off post in the near future.

Food
If it were up to me, I'd eat nothing but watermelon from now until September.

Drink
I could use one, actually.

Guilty Pleasure
Watching crap TV while working out.

Bane of my existence
Packing peanuts. Whenever the cats get their paws on some, they shred them to tiny pieces that get everywhere and cling to everything.

Joy
Emails and comments from readers, even when I'm behind on replying.

Anticipation
Taking my niece to the Bronx Zoo.

Wish List
A lot more energy and motivation to get things done.

Random Thought
Is J Crew employing blind aliens as their pattern makers lately? I'm not even talking about the quality that has been going downhill at an exponential rate. It's the odd way the garments are cut and (don't) fit.

What are your current loves, banes and thoughts? Please share!

Art: Summertime Blues by Mark Goldstein