Product Review: L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream

Summary (if you just want the essentials):
Pros: hydrating, smooths skin and creates a good base for foundation, relieves dry skin after continuous use, doesn't make skin oily, great for acne-prone skins.
Cons: Not many, except perhaps the price (40$), but it lasts very long and it is worth it. And one must be careful not to apply a lot because a dime-size amount is more than enough for your whole face.

The looong, full-detailed review:
Since I am under Accutane, my skin is even dryer than usual. A while ago, I was looking for a really hydrating moisturizer that wouldn't make me break out even more. I was in Toulouse, France, when I walked into L'Occitane, a brand I like for their use of natural and organic ingredients in their products. I explained my problem to the the saleswoman, who advised me to use the Ultra Rich Face Cream with shea butter.

The texture reminds of the timeless Nivea Creme, and the scent is very light but refreshing. As the cream is very thick, a dime-size amount is enough for a whole application. I apply it in tiny dots with the tip of my finger on my cheeks, nose, forehead and chin, then smooth it out.

It's been months I've been using it, and it's the best moisturizer I've ever used. For me, it worked day and night, summer and winter. It made my dry skin soft and supple, and creates a very smooth base for foundation, thus eliminating the need for primer. This is a big win for me, because I don't like having to put coats and coats of product on my face (despite what beauty firms want to make us do as a part of their great marketing techniques: if you want to be beautiful, there's only one way (and you'll look ugly otherwise): first you need a toner, then a pre-cream, then a pre-treatment, then a day cream, then a pre-primer, then a primer, then a pre-foundation base, then liquid foundation, then a concealer base, then concealer, then a pre-powder translucent base, then powder, then a post-powder spray to set it.... By the time you're done, your face will be an inch thicker, but you'll think you're a natural beauty, so big bucks for us! Ok, I'm exaggerating, but barely.

I would definitely recommend it for those of you who have dry skin and/or are undergoing acne treatments. For me, it's a winner, and I'll still be using it for a long time.



Since this is one of my favourite products, if you'd like to buy it, I'll be very thankful if you click on this link
to buy it from Amazon. I'm a member of their affiliate program, so I'll be making a small profit if you buy items  through my blog! To shop more of my favourite items, visit my beauty cabinet.

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Les petits choux

Improvised risotto

Last night, I was in the mood for something hearty, comforting, yet with the required daily servings of vegetables (and true, some think it's just FDA crap, but when my body lacks nutrients, I feel it - and so does everyone around me... Crappy mood and complaining about fatigue, rings a bell?). I looked in my fridge and decided to make risotto. Problem was, I didn't have the specific rice that makes a risotto creamy and all. I did it with regular rice, which is why I called it "improvised"; we can also call it "risotto with a twist".
(Stream of thoughts: Twist. Twist. Mmm, that makes me think, I should whip up a version with pickled lemons, or better, limes, and olives, and mushrooms... I'll try and let you know). 

The true meaning of fashion

Today, I woke up early and I remained in bed for an hour or so, reading A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff, a deliciously comforting girly novel about vintage clothing, love, and friendship. Given the fact that I love old curiosities, I drove to Kensington to take a look at the stores on Antique Row; to summarize this experience, now I know from where I'll be furnishing my own home when I move out from my parents'. Unfortunately I had neither enough time nor my camera to take pictures of the most interesting finds and cutest boutiques (people still find the DC area boring and empty... tsk tsk), but I will go back there soon and spend more time looking and shopping (yes, vintage clothing and jewelry, I am coming!)

Both the antiques and the novel left me lusting for vintage clothing, although this time, more pre-World War II rather than from the 1950s and early 1960s. (maybe now is the time to hint that my birthday is in less than a month... hihihihihihi)

(photos via: 1, 2)

For example, this Elsa Schiaparelli jacket from her 1938 Circus collection. I'm in love with the acrobat buttons, the pink colour, the horse embroidery (and no, I'm not the type of girl who LOOOVES HOOORSES! AS IN HORSES ARE THE MOST AMAZING CREATURES EVER AND THEY UNDERSTAND MEEE!!!)

(photo via 1)

Or this silk blouse, also by Schiaparelli. It's interesting to think of the historical context of the time where she launched a circus collection. The world was still recovering from the economic crisis and at the eve of a second, murderous world war. Also, some parts of the world were seeing the rise of dictatorships, such as Germany and Italy to mention a few. The circus collection is a claim for fun, joy, colour, magic, ivresse during dark times. It's interesting to see that this, and the Surrealist movement also influenced fashion.

(Photos via 1, 2)

And these two dresses by Alix Grès. Just look at the wonderful way the fabric comes down like a waterfall. I can't help but think how the light pink of the first dress would flatter my red hair. And the second dress can make any woman look like a Greek Goddess. This is beauty, this is art, this is fashion. And this is the only thing over which Anna Wintour and I wouldn't agree, since the latter says that fashion isn't about looking backward, but looking forward.

When I look at these pictures (and wish I heard of Alix Grès before my prom, just for the sake of inspiration), I realize there is fashion and fashion. There is the latest trends that people are lusting over at Fashion Week right now, and there are the Louis Vuitton purses that every middle school girl will babysit for or request for her birthday, and there are the designer suits that are imitated by affordable chains. There is the fashion that you think may buy you a social status. You may pick up a Chanel purse from a store or Ebay, and think of yourself as fashionable and chic. So are thousands of other women. 

But true fashion is owning a piece of history, not merely immersing yourself in stylish luxury. It's seeking the rare, the precious, learning from the journey, the treasure quest, not merely have it made in a factory and then sold to you at a high price to give yourself an illusion of luxury.
Some people say an interest in fashion is superficial. I myself haven't revealed to some people I know that I write a fashion blog, in the fear of being judged. But as I think about it, I am realizing more and more the schism between the side of fashion that is superficial, and the one that isn't, but rather deserves a place as important as art and music when it comes to studying and understanding history and society. 

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People will talk - Part I

Brick crochet cardigan: Etam

Black dress: Cameleon (White Flint Mall)

Black tights: Forever21? 

Orange/red heels: Target

There was a time when I was extremely sensitive about what people said about me: a small remark on my weight and I'd storm off the room and go cry like a baby in the bathroom (or in my bed). It was too bad for me, because since age 5 I did get a lot of "you're fat" followed by a nasty laugh from a certain family member. Before high school, I was 5'8, weighed 105 pounds and was on my way to become a model. Well, then came higher academic ambitions thus loads of stress, thus acne and weight fluctuations (with an BMI still in the "Normal" range but closer to "Overweight") on the yellow brick road that is my life. My confidence was hit. For the first two years of high school, I hated how I looked, and this family member didn't help me feel better about it. 

Then I decided that I would stop hiding, I would put myself first, and I would appreciate myself. If I am to lose weight, it would be for me, because I want to look at myself in my full-size mirror and think "This woman is smashing hot". In the meanwhile, I respect my evolving self (as long as I don't evolve to end up looking like Abby Lee from Dance Moms*). For example, I am tall, and I like my legs: I thus flaunt them by wearing shorter skirts (and of course, make sure it doesn't make me look like a prostitute) and high heels that make them look longer and toned. I've also realized I can't fight my large hips as I am hourglass-shaped. So I emphasize my tiny waist, and I like it.

And I get compliments on my legs, my silhouette and on my fashion style, rather than comments on my weight.

People will always talk. She's too skinny. She's too fat. She's too tall and yet she wears heels. She is probably not a real redhead**. She thinks she's a queen or something***. But I've realized that for people to love you, you've got to love yourself. For something that sounds so bloody cliché as that, it is true.

* Disclaimer, that's not a plus-size-citizen-bashing, just saying that I myself wouldn't like to become a plus-size citizen. HOWEVER, being over a certain weight is unhealthy and can cause certain diseases (diabetes, heart problems, etc), so I personally don't like how the media seems to almost encourage it these days.

**DISCLAIMER: this is NOT a confession.

*** Ok, perhaps this part is true.

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Feta puffs

This week

Enjoying the outdoors at Dupont circle, earlier today

New Starbucks discovery: Green tea with coconut

Altoids cool honey (my favourite flavour)

A crochet flower I recently made 

Learning Italian from my native French (so I can understand my favourite operas word to word!)

Vintage West Side Story record

Veuve Cliquot - puts me in the mood for celebration.... The holidays passed too fast 

Mexican feast for my aunt's birthday at Uncle Julio's 

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Whitney.

The news are devastating. It's so unfair that she has to die fairly young. These times are being simply murderous for the talented, the blessed, the beautiful. 

At one point of my life, I will always love you was my song, the one that kept me up when I was sinking. Perhaps Dolly Parton sang it first, but Whitney owned it truly and fully. She sang it with more passion than ever, with heart, with soul.

May she rest in peace. 

Belle du jour

Make-up details: 

Maybelline FIT Me foundation in shade 110 

(worn over L'Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Face Cream)

Maybelline FIT Me powder in shade 110

Make Up For Ever Lift concealer in Pink Beige

L'Oréal eye shadow and eye liner

Urban Decay Big Fatty Waterproof Mascara

Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Plumping Treatment in Sheer Blush

I am not one of those women who can go out with no make-up at all and still look and feel gorgeous (but I am on the way, thanks to these guys). In the meanwhile, this is the very minimum I have to wear every day (minus the eye liner). This is how you'll see me when I am dropping off my baby cousins at school, or running to the grocery store because I'm baking something and just realized I'm out of eggs.

I bought the Maybelline foundation and powder just to try them, but frankly, I am very satisfied. Not only do they provide the full coverage I need, but the match is simply the most perfect I've had yet (and I've spent fortunes on department store brands that still didn't match), and the make-up lasts until I wash my face.
I've always been told that my eyes were my best asset, so I've always liked enhancing them with very black mascara. I was blessed with long, full eyelashes (yes, I've never worn fakies... Although I've tried once (understand: "two hours before prom"), and it was a disaster where I pulled out some of my real lashes. Never. Again.
As to my lips, I like to use an inflating lip gloss to give them a little more volume. I think they're slightly too small unless I pout, but well, I can't remember to pout all the time. But the product I use ALL the time is the Rosebud Salve. It's among my all-time favourites.

In a few days, I will be showing my make-up collection, then later on my hair care essentials, since many of you have enjoyed my jewelry closet tour.

Meanwhile, tell me what are your basic products! I'm eager to hear!

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Vermilion

Cat-eye sunglasses: vintage boutique in Paris

Vintage red polka-dots day dress: thrifted

Beige heels: TJ Max

Shimmery blue asymmetric cardigan: H&M

It is only a year ago that I decided to take the plunge in the world of vintage. My very first two vintage items (if we don't count the jewelry from the 1960s that my grandmother has passed down to me) were a black Italian leather purse and a brown chinchilla coat that I bought during a cold November in Paris, when I stopped at a coffee shop/bar that had, every Saturday, a vintage vendor from the Marais bring some of his merchandise and sell it there. Naturally, they were overpriced (like everything in Paris), although I got the purse at a lower price because there was a scratch on the bottom. 

Then I began slowly growing my collection. From Toulouse I purchased some of my favourite items ever, including beautiful evening gowns that I can't wait to wear out (I'm thinking the Metropolitan Opera this April!). 

Back in DC and having a car, I went for thrift stores, where the experience is dramatically different than cute vintage boutiques. Among a lot of horrid, bad smelling knockoffs (and most of the times in dangerous neighbourhoods), I managed a few times to find some buried treasures, like this Woorward and Lothtrop leather purse that I showed you a few months ago. 

I also found, with many other things, this red dress. I wore it at an informal dinner party at my home two nights ago, and at first, I had doubts, I felt like I was being looked at oddly; I was also afraid that it still smelled despite me thoroughly hand-washing it about eight times à la Lady Macbeth. Then the compliments started pouring, and I was glad I dared. 

PS: I feel like I look pregnant in one of the pictures. I really really really am not (I just had a lot of diet coke because I needed caffeine), so those worrying that this blog will transform into a mommy blog with updates on my doctor visits, and then a fifteen-page-long exposé about my labour and all that, don't. This won't be happening in this decade, I assure you. And I am really not likely to blog about it if it does; I know some do, but for me, it's rather private. 

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Happy Monday

I'd like to start off this new week by sharing with you some of my recent favourites:

- Sargent's Portrait of Madame X (pictured above). There are no words to describe this wonder, and the history behind it is fascinating.

- Liz Taylor and Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Put together virtually the two best actors of all times and the witty texts of Tennessee Williams, one of my favourite playwrights in the remnants of the Old South, and you have a masterpiece. Oh, and I simply can't get enough of Paul Newman shirtless. <3

- Cats Versus Humans. A hilarious cartoon blog by a little cat lady  captures what is so hilarious and cute about cats. Not only I relate to it, as a cat lover, but it really brightens my day. Among my favourite posts, I recommend this one.

- Poison Ivy's Wall of Text. A blog about opera, which, if I haven't made it obvious enough, is my favourite favourite favourite thing in the whole wide world. I've been reading it for a while, and the writer clearly is passionate: she knows what she's talking about. Her reviews are not just interesting, but witty: "Zefirelli's Phantom of Traviata". Love her.

- Maria Calla singing the Chanson Bohème from Carmen. She's exquisite all the time, but as I can't put every single aria she sang here, I have chosen this one, which I find so beautiful and sensual, sulfurous. What the perfect Carmen needs to be.

- Daughters of Fortune. I've stumbled upon this novel by British author Tara Hyland a while ago when I was looking for something new and refreshing to read (yes, I admit that *gasp* once in a while I need to get away from my classics). It's excellent. I could go longer, but I am not doing a book critic (I typed it, but it was very long so I decided to post it separately). I definitely recommend it, as I'm sure you'll love it. It is a masterpiece.

- My L'Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Face Cream. I've been on Accutane for a little while now, and although some of the side effects are not as terrible as I feared they would be (it's working excellently), I am so thankful there actually is a moisturizer that helps me fight dry skin and creates a smooth even base for make-up (no need for primer here!) without making it break out.

- Desperate Housewives. I've been watching it non-stop, whether it's the current (and last, bouhouhou) season, or the very first, which I have on my DVR. The only problem is that the first season partly revolves around the Bree/Rex/George love triangle, and pharmacists are starting to freak me out (those familiar with DH will understand why). As if running into a woman with a slight physical resemblance with Felicia Tillman at the grocery store two days ago wasn't scary enough (I left my full cart right there and ran out for my life, on my stilettos bien sûr).

- Forever 21. As some who have seen my Polyvore sets have noticed, it is one of my favourite brands, and it has evolved so much in the past six years, from having a few decent items among too many that looked just cheap, to actually offering wonderful fashion at excellent prices. It's obvious only from walking by their storefront at the mall that their designers have done their homework and been to fashion week, since the latest trends are there, only more affordable. There's rarely anything tacky (and God knows I've got extremely high standards about that), and many items are of designer quality without looking like bad knock-offs. See the beaded clutch above? I tend to mistake it with vintage Chanel.
Note: I am neither paid nor affiliated by Forever 21 or anything like that... (although I'd love to be their spokesperson in the future!) 


And this is all for this week. I love very much to hear from you all, so tell me what you think and what your favourites are.

Also, I very much want to hear about more amazing blogs worthy to be read (on fashion, beauty, but also food, music, interior design, travel, anything... Oh, and politics. I really need blogs that relate VERY well the aspects of the presidential campaigns both in the US and France). So I'm open to and eagerly awaiting your suggestions!

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Ah Dieu, que des bijoux!

Today, I'm taking you on a tour inside my jewelry closet. I've taken the time to reorganize it a while ago, getting rid of all the jewelry that was broken, worn-out, tacky (yes, we all make questionable accessory choices in our teens, and mine included... well, you won't see it), or that I clearly wasn't wearing anymore (my little cousins have thus inherited plastic bags and plastic bags of jewelry). As a result, I have an aerated collection that also looks beautiful when you open the closet. When closed, it has a mirror on the door, which is great, because I love mirrors! Thus the pleasure of opening it and selecting what jewelry to wear before going out.
So without lingering any longer, let the tour begin! And as a soundtrack, may I suggest the Jewel Aria from Faust by Charles Gounod, sung by the wonderful Maria Callas!

I just love wearing pendants. Most of them are from Claires and Forever 21 (like the cupcake, the Matrioshka and the English  phone booth). The third from the left was given to me by a very dear friend, she has the same herself. The one with the blue butterfly (I love to call it the Madame Butterfly pendant, as I am an obvious opera lover) comes from Toulouse, and obviously I've been wearing it almost every single day recently.

Here's the earrings. I must precise that I have many more that I did not part myself from, but I don't have any room for here. I kept the one I wear most often around. Once, I had to put some jewels into a different bag because I had no room at all in the closet, and I completely forgot about them. It was quite a great surprise to find it again, randomly. I realized I actually had really nice jewelry that I haven't worn in a long time, which dissuaded me from going to the mall and buying more. Which, consequently, allowed me to buy more shoes instead. (Yes, I am this incorrigible).

On this section, I put rings, brooches, and earrings that I can't fit elsewhere. You'll notice the ring at the top left is not in a very good state, and let me reassure you by telling you that I don't wear it anymore: I keep it merely for sentimental reasons, as it was offered to me by someone special a very long time ago. I keep a lot of stuff around for sentimental reasons, although I toss some of it once in a while. I love very much the vintage angel earrings at the top right; I got them at a flea market years ago in Arlington, and I wear them once in a while (only because they're quite heavy for my sensitive earlobes!). Below them is a single red earring I've bought at the same market: I've lost the second one but I'm hoping I'll find it back. The shoes with the red rhinestones were a gift from one of my aunts as a tribute for my love/obsession for shoes, and I've gotten the cats with pink rhinestones this Christmas from my other aunt, because obviously she knows I LOVE CATS!!! (As in, if I had no restraint, such as school/work/etc, I'd be living with 30 cats at this very moment). 

Here's where I put the larger, chunkier necklaces. I'm forced to fold them in a certain way so the door would actually close. The first three from the left are handmade, from Africa via a market in Toulouse (again, always!). Next, the rhinestone choker is the one I wore at my graduation and prom, almost three years ago. Next to it is the one you may have already seen, as I wore it last Halloween with the skull cameo earrings.


And that's the end of our tour, for now, as I'll certainly update when I get new jewelry. I can't resist retro pieces, they're just too great. And Forever 21 has a selection that is both fashionable and affordable. Not to mention, I've (re)-started making my own jewelry (but it damages my nails, so I don't do much.... more on that later!). So you haven't heard the end of it! In the meanwhile, I'll be preparing more tours into my walk-in closet, my shoe collections, and hair and make-up!





PS: I think there's a problem with my camera, the lines in the pictures are not quite vertical/horizontal. Unless my photo skills are absolutely dreadful. Anyways, until I get a professional camera, bear with me.

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La scorsa notte

Yesterday night I went downtown to visit a music store in Dupont Circle in the hopes of finding a Maria Callas DVD (the one which contains her famous Tosca from 1964 at Covent Garden). I ended up walking around Dupont Circle before driving to Georgetown, where I spent as much time as my supply of coins for the meters allowed me. I walked down to the waterfront, which was, as it is wintertime, empty and silent. I sat on the boardwalk, and I gazed at the calm waters of the Potomac, the Kennedy Center, the converging lights of cars passing on two different bridges next to it. Oddly enough, everything was silent.
I recall always ending up in this spot every time I felt nostalgic, melancholic, or otherwise in the need for a little inner peace. A river reminds me of another, as it brings back memories of day and nights I spent on the banks of the Garonne river in Toulouse. Toulouse, the place where I escaped from my crazy life in Paris, the place where I went to feel happy and I did. My cherished Toulouse, which I miss cruelly, which I am tempted to go back to.
I look at the waters, as if I expect they'll give me the solutions I seek. At least, whether it is the bright blue waters of the Garonne or the silvery waters of the Potomac, they both bring one temporary, valued thing: peace.

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Friday Favourites: February 3rd, 2012

I do spend a lot of time on Polyvore, so I've decided to share with you once a week my favourite finds. For the sake of the alliteration, I'm doing it on Fridaaayyyy!!!
Today I'm in the mood for chic. It includes vintage Chanel, YSL, tones of blue, black, white, cream with touches of red  and gold. The fabrics and textures include silk, chiffon, leathers, metal and pearls. The silhouettes are retro, so are the handbags (the third from the top is from Forever 21, at a mere 20$!)I
'm inspired, among others, by The Iron Lady, which Iwent to see at the movies a few days ago. And talking about that... Meryl Streep did it again! She's getting her third Academy Award, that's for sure.


How will you be spending your week-end?

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