Oprah's not the only one who has 'em.
Someone asked me what my favorite purchase was while I was in the States for my 3 month exile. (Heh. "Exile." It's so dramatic.) This crazy hostess skirt immediately sprung to mind. I mean, just
look at it. It screams cocktail weenies and cheeseballs! I am in love.
And the coolest thing is, it's an old St. Louis label--"Patches of St. Louis." I was discussing the skirt and the label with the owner of
The Vintage Haberdashery in St. Louis, as we were both in awe of the skirt and wanting to know more about the label. I actually have another Patches piece, a denim maxi skirt with a giant appliqued parrot (with a set rhinestone eye). So yeah, they do pretty cool stuff.
The hem (and the grey bow at the waist) make me crazy they're so good!
Another favey from when I was home is this mohair jacket from
Wilbur in Philly. I have to be honest, I liked it at first but was concerned it was too boxy. Thankfully the owner (and my friend), Dan, convinced me to go for it and I'm so glad I did. I wore the crap outta it when the weather turned in November and I was winter-jacketless in St. Lou.
Oh, and then when I was shopping at Barney's COOP in NYC the day after I bought it, and everything was hairy hairy mohairy! Ye-yah.
As far as personal care stuff, these are things I feel strongly about:
Weleda body oils. My dear friend Leila introduced me to these
Weleda oils, and they really are incredible. You can use them in your bath or rub them into your skin after a shower, like I do. They hydrate like crazy and it's a little treat to give yourself a mini massage post-shower.
I've been really picky about where to spend my next shampoo dime now that the stable of European products has opened to me. I didn't want to come over here and stay on Herbal Essences or some crap when there are all sorts of new products to try. I am a terrible decision-maker anyway, so I spent a fair amount of time in my local
Di store (obsessed, by the way.... I could LIVE in a Di store!) weighing my shampoo options. When I accidentally squirted this Karites conditioner all over my nose, I knew it was for me. The smell.... ylang-ylang... and amber... with a hint of vanilla.
Oh, I want to
eat it!
And it's bio (organic). The best part is that the smell really stays with me, which is rare for a shampoo. So the splurge for these Frenchie shampoos was worth it.
This magical Japanese cream is, well, magical.
Yu-Be is a glycerine-based cream that was created by a Japanese pharmacist in 1957. It smells faintly medicinal and absorbs like no other. Seriously, Jurlique and L'Occitane can sit right down. THIS is the hand cream to end all hand creams. It's not cheap, but you only need a little dab at a time. And you can use it on your face, or on burns, or on all sorts of things. This is a serious skin healer. Thanks, Japan!
I can thank Betsy for this one. This is her fancy-lady elixir. She used to get it every time she went to Paris because that was the only place you could get it. But now they sell Caudalie at Sephora, so it's available in the States. The cache may be reduced, but the convenience is increased! Anyway, I spritz it before make-up, after make-up, and anytime I want a pick-me-up or to add a little glow.
Oh,
Korres, when can we run off together? Just you and me? Forever....
I have it BAD for all things Korres. I liked their shower gels originally (especially the mint and the cedar), so of course I partnered these with their body milks. Then I moved onto their face creams (seen here are the Thyme Honey 24-hr moisturizing cream and the Quercetin & Oak Antiwrinkle Night Cream).
But when they got into the make-up game, it was over. Their rice bran mascaras, jojoba eyeliner pencils, and guava lipstick (in an intense red that doesn't bleed or feather!) have me addicted. I can't say enough about this brand or my satisfaction with it.
I was skeptical of
Thieves Oil... until I tried it. Maybe it's the naturally antiseptic smell or the fact that it's got so many uses, but I'm hooked. I use a few drops on a sponge to clean my kitchen, and I've used it to sterilize earrings and, well, there are many other uses that lie ahead for me. And you only need a few drops. This bottle will last me years! (Oh, and if you don't know the story of how it came about or why it's called "Thieves Oil", it's pretty interesting... I mean, if you like lore about the bubonic plague and whatnot.)
