Makeup and Skincare Favorites

April 12, 2021Leave a comment

I was a late learner of make-up and skincare. I remember experimenting with eyeliner in high school, only to find myself with waterproof and smudge-proof comically large raccoon eyes, with no idea how to erase them. I’d swear off make-up and resign from trying again… until the next moment of inspiration struck again. Slowly but surely, and hundreds of dollars later, I finally figured out what products and tools worked for me. And since the Sephora Spring Savings Event is around the corner, I figured now would be a great time to share the products I reach for time and time again.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation ($64) – I’m a recent convert to this foundation, but better late than never. Its application is silky soft and the color builds subtly, which allows for an even and smooth application.
Original BeautyBlender Makeup Sponge ($20) – There’s a reason why this is a cult favorite. I love the smooth finish this sponge provides.
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen ($44) – I used to avoid wearing sunscreen (I know, I know – it’s the cardinal sin) because I felt like my makeup was sliding right off, but somehow this magically acts as another primer and locks everything in.
Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas ($52) – I’m a super fan of most/all Tatcha products, but this is especially good. First of all, it smells heavenly, and it also works just as a primer should. It feels very matte without drying, which is the perfect combo.
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil ($28) – This is truly my one-and-only can’t-live-without product, except Sephora seems to have removed it from its inventory! Thankfully, they’re still accessible on the Bobbi Brown website and a few other places. I know most eyeliners have moved on to gel or liquid formulas, but I swear this is the smoothest and darkest pigmentation option on the market.
Benefit Ka-BROW! Eyebrow Cream-Gel ($19) – Sadly, this is also another product that Sephora no longer carries, but I still stock up on this from the Benefit website. The color is rich, but I love this product (as opposed to the other Benefit eyebrow options) because of its built-in hard-angled brush that provides excellent precision and control.
NARS Climax Mascara ($24) – My eyelashes are straight and short, which makes most mascara efforts to be futile, but this somehow separates, curls, and lengthens my lashes far better than any other mascara I’ve tried.
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge ($34) – I’ll forever thank the Bobbi Brown makeup artist who introduced me to this product. She taught me how to apply it (closer to the sides of my face, near the ear) so that it serves almost like a contour rather than a traditional blush, which helped to shape my face.
Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color ($29) – Can you tell I’m loyal to certain brands? I have this lipstick in multiple colors because the color is super pigmented, has ridiculously long staying power, and has the perfect matte but hydrating finish.
Chloé Rollerball ($34) – Sometimes scents can be overpowering to me, which is why I love rollerballs. This scent is a classic, four-season favorite.
T3 Cura Professional Digital Ionic Hair Dryer ($235) – Once you invest in a good hair dryer, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. It dries my hair quicker and removes static and frizz, keping my hair healthy and shiny.
Drybar Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush ($145) – This is pure magic. My hair is already straight, so I don’t need it for that, but it’s for the mornings where I wake up with bed head. This turns any bad hair day around and adds in volume and shine and overall makes me look more polished. There’s also a mini travel version ($59) if you want to try it without spending as much.
Hair Dance Volumizing Dry Shampoo ($10) – I swear by this dry shampoo find. It’s powder-based, but blends in great with my dark hair, and it instantly gives life and volume to my days-old flat and oily hair. One bottle lasts forever, and it’s great to travel with.
Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser ($27) – Clarins just updated its foaming cleanser, but I’ve been loyal to its original foaming cleanser for years. Just a small dot of cleanser lathers up to a luxurious foam, and it makes my face feel squeaky clean without dehydrating it. I know there are fancier cleansers out there, but I find no reason to switch from a product this good.
Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion ($27) – I love pairing this with the Clarins Foaming Cleanser above but it’s good on its own too. I use it with a cotton round, and it’s so satisfying to see any remaining makeup gunk come out at the end of the night. It also smells great.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essense ($185) – I don’t know how a product that seems so simple can be so effective. It reduces discolorization and fine lines and generally improves the skin tone. I use it every night.
Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate ($90) – I love how luxurious this feels at the end of the night. My skin was starting to look dull and tired, and this serum helped to brighten and even out my skin tone.
Tatcha Silk Cream ($120) – If I had to choose one skincare product for the rest of my life, this would probably be it. I love the smell and how it hydrates my skin. Best of all, I love that it comes with its own applicator that fits into the lid so that it doesn’t get lost. I love Tatcha products so much that I often buy Tatcha starter sample kits for girlfriends for their birthdays!
Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil Treatment ($20) – I’ve found that keeping cuticle oil in my office reminds me to apply it regularly and stop picking my cuticles. I’ve definitely noticed an improvement with this product.
Real Techniques Makeup Blender Brush ($10) – I’ve been using this brush to apply my foundation lately and it looks as if I’m using a real-life airbrush filter.
Olay Beauty Fluid Lotion Original ($14) – My mother and I swear by this product, and I use it as my base, day and night. This is my drug store can’t-live-without product. I also swirl a q-tip around it to clean up any eye makeup smudges, and it works like a charm.
Chantecaille Luster Glide Silk Infused Eye Liner ($32) – I had a slight panic attack when my favorite Bobbi Brown eyeliner (see #5) was sold out everywhere. This was recommended to me by a friend, and I’ll admit that this is a close backup and served me well while I waited for the Bobbi Brown eyeliner to come back in stock.
Shiseido Eyelash Curler ($22) – No frills and simple – it works!
Tata Harper Resurfacing BHA Glow Mask ($65) – I use this mask when my skin is feeling dull and my pores are looking large. This takes care of any uneven texture and returns my face in clean and healthy shape.

April Target finds!

April 22, 2020April 22, 2020Leave a comment

We’re all looking at the same things all. day. long., and even the tiniest decor swap is an instant pick-me-up! These glam goodies are all from Target, meaning you don’t have to break the bank while using shopping as a quarantine coping mechanism. And I can personally confirm that everything on this list looks more expensive than it is.

Just click the item in the image to get yourself there – and no affiliate links! (I wish!) Happy shopping!

How to Care for Silver

January 30, 2020February 3, 2020Leave a comment

These are the dream products! I typed this up for Joy and realized it should be common knowledge – no telling how many people I’ve advised on this because I’ve tried them all.

Best for protecting/preventing tarnish

Drawer liner

Stick-on tarnish inhibitor (I have this in my regular silverware drawer since it’s silverplate and it wayyyy cuts down on polishing, so if you wanted to use any silver/silverplate regularly in a standard drawer it helps)

Tarnish preventing tissue – good for most items, works like magic.

If you’re feeling ambitious and don’t want a silver chest

Best polishing products

Silver foam – the gentlest, good for regular polishing

Set that includes silver foam, brush (good for detailed edges), and polish that I haven’t used

Another great standard polishing product – good for occasional polishing or tougher polishing that involves more elbow grease than the foam

Simichrome – this polishes any metal and is magic. For when you need the big guns.

Wenol – similar to Simichrome, also effective. I don’t have a big preference between the two.

Tarnish preventer – I only use this on items that will stay out (bowls, platters, candelabras), but not stuff that is washed regularly.

Other tools you’ll need:

These microfiber cloths from Lowe’s – I don’t know what sort of voodoo magic is in these, but unlike my other microfiber cloths, the black tarnish stains rinse right out. Any will do but these inexplicably stay looking nice longer (and I bet you have a handy Lowe’s right now)

Bar mops – Any will do. You don’t want a scratchy towel. You can also dry with microfiber, but I find using a cotton towel absorbs more quickly.

Big picture:

Polishing is ultimately very fine abrasion to remove silver sulfide, which is the black that’s a reaction silver has to oxygen. You don’t want to polish more than you have to – this is more important with silverplate than it is with sterling (you can’t buff to an under layer with a solid metal). You want to use the gentlest product you can and then up your product if it’s not doing the job (unless you’re polishing said item for the first time in a while and it’s VERY black — then just skip to the serious stuff)

How-to:

I find it’s easiest to work on dry silver unless there’s a layer of dust on it. It doesn’t ultimately matter but it’s less slippery that way. Get your silver together and lay a dish towel or two on the counter. Turn the water on, warm but not hot (silver is a GREAT conductor of heat so you’ll know if it’s too hot).

Dampen the microfiber cloth and dip into polish – start with a little blob of polish (a little goes a long way, but I usually use too much because I get too excited) and rub gently. Wash with dish soap, rinse, and dry immediately using a soft absorbent cloth – another microfiber will do it, but I prefer a soft cotton cloth because it absorbs more and dries faster.

Polishing a LOT of silver at once – fill the sink basin with soapy water. Polish as normal, then put items in soapy water. Then you can rinse and dry all at once without letting polish just sit on the items or having to switch rags/etc over and over.

Maybe:

The aluminum foil/baking soda/boiling water method: Instead of removing the tarnish, it creates a reaction that turns the oxidization back into silver. But it’s not as effective IMO as polish, and it doesn’t necessarily deposit the silver back where it was before, which can dull detail.

Dremel: I’ve used a Dremel as part of an experiment. It’s good in some ways but takes a really gentle hand and can get things back to the original shine, but you want the patina so that’s not good. But with old water spots or damage from exposure to acidic things, it can help get it out without scrubbing to death.

The felt tips are the gentlest. You want the ones with individual metal bits because the ones you screw into the felt disintegrate faster, leaving you a metal nub that can accidentally scratch and defeat the purpose of your work.

These silicone tips work best overall, especially for getting out scratches, but take practice and a very very gentle hand.

The bristle ones work well for breaking up tarnish in small places, but require an even gentler hand.

The ones impregnated with polish are just OK – cleaner than using felt with polish, but not a long lifetime. Using bits with jeweler’s rouge works pretty well but can be messy.

If I were getting a Dremel for primarily polishing use, I’d get one of the smaller cordless ones – less power, which is fine (and arguably preferable) and lighter weight so you can use a more delicate hand because your hand doesn’t get tired of tiny movements as quickly. If you go that route I’d get a spare battery so one is always charged since once you’re in the zone and have a groove going you don’t want to stop.

What to avoid:

Any product from Tarn-X or any dip polisher*. Those remove tarnish VERY quickly but they remove it ALL – you want some of the dark parts in the engraved bits because the contrast makes the details look prettier. It’s also pretty harsh on them. Just avoid – the one thing that’s OK occasionally is using the dip on the tines of forks because it’s hard to get between them.

*That said, I have used it on totally smooth silver (bowls) and perforated pieces (a nut dish I have, a few napkin rings that have limited detail, a last-ditch effort on one that just looked weird) when I needed to do it in a hurry. It smells AWFUL and you really have to be careful with it.

I only have it because my everyday flatware is silverplate and I don’t love it and it has no detail like that. It also leaves it a color that’s not as pretty as regular polish – sort of gold-toned, which will come off with regular polish, so back to square one.

Another caveat here: Sometimes there are spots on bowls/pieces that I just can’t get a rag into and I find because this is liquid rather than a cream, a tiny bit on a Q-tip lets you reach those spots as long as you’re using it VERY sparingly and rinse off right away.(

Best Amazon Purchases

January 27, 2020March 10, 2020Leave a comment

I keep sharing my favorite things across several group texts and it’s easier to have them in one place – enjoy! There are a LOT of goodies in here so let’s get right into it.

Travel

Connoisseur’s diamond dazzle stick – Cleans rings with a click brush and water. Easy.

Flint retractable lint roller – Works well, genius design, not ugly. Checks all the boxes.

Ostrich pillow – You can wear it around your neck or loop it on your bag in the airport, but because it’s a full circle, you can use it as a combination eye mask/pillow and lean against the window since the pillow is secure on your head. Looks silly but is great.

Clothing & Accessories

The famous ‘Amazon nightgown dress’

Formé shoe shapers – gently breaks in shoes for you, including heels and boots.

AJ Morgan tortoise sunglasses ($13!) – Cute and inexpensive.

Nippies – way better than a sticky bra, especially in hot weather.

Multiple sunglasses case – Easier for storage than a stack of bulky cases.

Fitness + Outdoors

Bala bangles – chic wrist/ankle weights

Shandali yoga towel – good atop any mat for hot yoga or just regular yoga if you get sweaty and slippery like I do.

Beauty

Mighty Patch zit stickers – the best ones out there. Very satisfying and effective without drying you out.

Avon Skin So Soft combination bug repellent and sunscreen – Smells amazing, super effective. All-in-one and makes your skin feel great afterwards!

Tata Harper resurfacing mask – I’m upset that I like this as much as I do because it’s not cheap, but it’s effective without ever being irritating.

Hot Tools curling iron – I have some that cost 3-4x as much and like these better.

House + Entertaining

Ling’s Moment chiffon ribbon – Gorgeous, looks handmade.

Test tube vase – Keep an eye on the price because it fluctuates, but great when you want pretty flowers without having to arrange. Easy and magic.

Solino Home hemstitch cocktail napkins – I have white, ice blue and navy. All pretty and great quality.

Olive Branch preserved boxwood wreath – The prettiest around. Lasts forever. *Indoor/covered use only

Levoit cool mist humidifier – Dry skin savior, and you can add essential oils to use it like a diffuser too. Quiet, easy to fill and clean, minimal lights.

Spine bookshelf – Very sturdy, small footprint, easy to assemble, looks like a big stack of books on the floor. Metal so easy to spray-paint if you changed your mind on color, even though you can barely see any of the color.

Cleaning + House Care

Feed-n-Wax wood polish & conditioner – It works wonders on wood. Best I’ve ever used, and it smells like orange oil.

Tibet Almond Stick – I have no idea how this works as well as it does. It’s essentially a tube of cotton with some kind of secret oil blend on the inside. You rub it on scratches on any wood and, provided they’re shallow enough, they disappear. Water spots and other dings/bumps go away. It’s like the magic eraser equivalent for wood (though keep the magic eraser around for any paint marks on furniture – used together, miracles happen)

Folex – This stuff is magic. Gets all stains, old and new, out of carpet. Unscented so it doesn’t compete with your other smells. Works on carpet and upholstery and also works diluted in a carpet shampooing machines.

Hagerty silver polish foam – The best everyday polish. It’s a cream you thin with water and it foams up as you use it, and the thinness is really good for getting into little nooks and crannies. This is what I use 80% of the time. The other times are the next two items.

Maas silver polish – Somewhere between gentle and harsh, polishes most metal. The key here is that it has a great anti-tarnish compound built in so for things that sit out in the open (pitchers/bowls/tea sets), it gives you more time between polishing.

Simichrome – Polishes all metal. Works beautifully on VERY tarnished silver (you want to typically use something gentler, but sometimes you get carpal tunnel from using the gentle stuff), gold jewelry, brass drawer pulls… There’s pretty much nothing it doesn’t work on.

Horsehair silver polishing brush – Apparently horsehair is the only thing that doesn’t scratch silver. This is good for really tarnished pieces that have a lot of detail because you don’t have to buff to death trying to get in the nooks and crannies.

Anti-tarnish box – I use this to store sterling napkin rings. Keeps them from getting squished or tarnished.

Jiffy steamer – This model is what I have, but they make the best steamers. If you look, pretty much any store that has a steamer in use uses a Jiffy (I’ve spotted them at J.Crew, Anthropologie and Banana Republic). I have the plastic steam head and it’s fine – I imagine the metal one gets hotter but I don’t know.

Zout – Stop buying other stain removers. This is the best. The enzymes get out protein stains with ease – blood, sweat, grease – and it’s gentle enough to use on pretty much anything.

Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing – Gets whites that have yellowed or aged back to white again. It’s essentially a strong blue dye that counters the yellow. Dilute carefully (in the washer/sink before you add clothes or as an afterthought at least in a big cup of water ) – it will stain if you throw it in on top.

Dawn Ultra Platinum – My favorite for dishes, but also, if you get any grease splatters on you while cooking, add a dot of Dawn to each spot as it happens and it’ll come out in the wash. I also used it liberally on an old bread napkin that had years of butter oil stains and after a little while it broke down the grease and it’s back to looking new.

These Korean dishwashing gloves – What have we been doing all this time??

Tyler Diva detergent– Got this as a gift, went back to get the big version when I ran out. I only use a little at a time, combined with fragrance-free detergent, on sheets and pajamas and when hand-washing undergarments.

Tyler Diva dryer sachets – I don’t use them in the dryer, but they smell divine – I have some in my underwear/pajama drawers and cut one open and vacuumed up the contents into a new vacuum bag so it smells good every time we vacuum.

Over-door drying rack – Takes up very little space but makes it easy to flat-lay and dry sweaters and other delicates.

Over-door ironing board and iron rack – I had another previously that broke. This one is way sturdier.

Washing machine cleaner – Hey girl, heard you like cleaners so I got you a cleaner for your cleaner.

Dishwasher cleaner – Ditto.

Cascade platinum dishwasher rinse aid– Better than Jet Dry.

OxiClean dishwasher booster – can you tell our dishwasher was suffering? Squirt some in and it provides the assist when you didn’t rinse everything as well as you could have.

Easy-Off Fume-Free – Great for the inside of the oven door with a glass scraper. Also gets burned-on grease off the bottom of pans and the insides of baking sheets. With a steel wool, it gets baking sheets looking brand new. Fume-free means you don’t have to use a mask, and I’ve used it without gloves with no problems.

Kitchen & Food

Silicone straws – Great for everyday use, dishwasher safe.

Iconique pop up straw cap for S’well – So you don’t have to make a production of unscrewing the loud metal S’well cap, and it stays colder than leaving the cap off.

EurKitchen whipped cream dispenser– Comes with several tips so you have pretty whipped cream. Just add heavy cream, vanilla, and a little powdered sugar. Easy and impressive – my favorite combo.

Mini muffin pan/springform pan combo – Great for mini quiches/key lime pies/cheesecakes, but also works as a mini muffin pan so it earns its storage space.

Mason Cash flour shaker – Unnecessary? Maybe. But it makes putting flour on the counter for rolling out biscuits and for shaking into a greased pan much easier and less messy. And it’s pretty.

Mandoline – The classic. Lives up to the hype.

Tech

HyperDrive USB hub – A game-changer for the newer MacBooks that only have USB-C ports. This plugs into the two ports and gives you two more plus two standard USBs, an HDMI out, and card readers for SD and mini SD cards. And because there’s no cord, it can live plugged into your computer. It also matches the metal of the computer perfectly.

Fujitsu ScanSnap – The perfect scanner. Smaller than a roll of plastic wrap. Works seamlessly with the desktop app on both Mac and PC and on mobile with their app. Also comes with a program to digitize the PDFs it creates.

Bluetooth receiver adapter– turn any speaker/receiver into a Bluetooth speaker. Also works to connect Apple TV to speakers wirelessly.

Gardening

Water meter – the $11 wonder that broke my overwatering habit

Foxfarm Grow Big – I might not know enough about gardening to make this kind of rec, but it’s worked beautifully for me.

Fiddle leaf fig fertilizer – Makes a visible difference even after I’ve almost killed it.

Collapsible watering can/bucket – Great, huge capacity, stores easily outside without collecting tons of water.

Compost & manure – Exciting! But I have not gotten the DIY composting bug so this helps.

ARS pruning shears – the BEST. So smooth/sharp/strong you may get carried away pruning.

Ranunculus bulbs, salmon – followed Floret’s guide on soaking, and they’ve all sprouted. Fingers crossed for spring!

Ranunculus bulbs, tecolote pastel mix & white – ditto

Raised planter bed and greenhouse cover – Big bang for your buck. Easy to assemble, very sturdy, comes with liner. Greenhouse cover may blow off without further attachment but otherwise is good.

Rooting hormone gel – Works way better than rooting hormone powder. Easy and lets you take cuttings from public plants and have your own.

Grow bags – Lightweight, sturdy, easy. Good when you realize all your planters will break if you let them overwinter outside.

Geometric mini trellis – Great for ivy!

Blue & white eye-shaped planter

Black planter urn – $$ but looks it, lightweight, freeze-proof.

Baby gifts

Artifact Uprising baby book – Not dependent on catching “firsts,” in binder form so you can take pages with you or let other people write letters for it, comes with photo printing. Extra pages available if you run out.

How to Fix Silver That’s Been Dipped

August 23, 2018January 30, 2020Leave a comment

So you’ve ordered silver on eBay — but your well-meaning seller used a harsh silver polish bath before sending your new treasures out.

That bath dissolves all the tarnish, including the factory-applied patina that helps the details stand out, and leaves the whole piece dull and cloudy.

“Chemical dips including Tarn-X are some of the most destructive tarnish removers. They not only remove tarnish, they continue to etch the object itself!” according to Jeffrey Herman Silver Restoration.

A dipped piece compared to a restored piece of the same pattern. Photo via Jeffrey Herman Silver Restoration.

You can wait for your silver to tarnish on its own — but you don’t have to.

What you’ll need:

Liver of Sulfur
a small paintbrush
Your favorite silver polish
A soft cloth

Liver of Sulfur is used in metalworking to create a patina on a variety of metals. It’s available at most art supply stores and on Amazon.

Dip a small paintbrush into the gel/liquid and lightly apply it to the parts of the silver you want to darken. The silver will turn a brassy color and then blacken — it looks scary, but this is temporary.

After letting it darken, take a soft cloth and your preferred silver polish (I like Maas) and polish it like you would any other tarnished piece, avoiding the places you wanted to darken. Good as new!

Got a piece of silver that just needs a polish? Check out my how-to guide here.

eBay: Getting the Best Price

August 22, 2018January 30, 2020Leave a comment

Last post, I detailed how to find exactly what you want on eBay. Here’s how to get it without spending a penny more than you have to.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY

#1 tip: Use Gixen.

Gixen is a bid-sniping website that lets you bid at the last minute. Here’s why:

If someone wants the item, bidding early means they may get in a bidding war with you. You may end up winning, but if there’s a lot of time left in the auction, you will pay more than you need to.
Sitting on an inexpensive item. I got 4 Blue Aves salad plates for $21 plus shipping because no one else bid on them. If I bid, someone might have shown interest and beat me on it.
Bidding on multiples of the same item: Gixen lets you group items so if you win one item, you won’t bid on the same item and end up with duplicates.

Add things to your watch list.

The more times items are re-listed, the more likely the seller is to drop the price. If something is more than you want to spend but isn’t drawing interest, you’ll see the price changes as they occur.

Make offers.

Sellers with Buy It Now listings have the option to take offers. If they enable that option, there’s no harm in trying. If it’s already a great deal, don’t low-ball: A few dollars, or enough to cancel out the shipping cost, will usually do it.

eBay Bucks.

eBay rewards buyers with money for paying for items quickly. You can apply that credit directly to your purchase. It’s not much money, but it adds up and requires no effort to earn.

eBay: Finding the Good Stuff

August 21, 2018January 30, 2020Leave a comment

I have a problem.

To be able to host dinner parties, I’ve justified buying several pieces of china and silver on eBay — but here’s the thing. The deals are too good. It’s time I shared my secrets before I have enough tableware to host the Oscars.

It takes patience to get exactly what you want, but when you do, you’ll pay far less than your grandparents did.

HOW TO FIND STUFF

Followed searches.

eBay will send you alerts whenever anything meets your search criteria. Great! I use this feature a few ways.

Finding coveted clothing:

The more details you know, the better. If you know your size or size range, narrow your search before saving it. Search the brand and specific item name, if you can. Sometimes you may set up two searches for the same item to make sure you find it, for example, a gown sold at Anthropologie was also sold at Nordstrom under the same brand for a different name. Worth it to just have both rather than try to combine them, as the seller might not use both.

Finding silver/china:

Unless you’re looking for something specific, I recommend casting a wider net.

The email subject lines include ‘items matching your search from $2.99 to $5923,’ so you can jump on the inexpensive items. Here are a few examples:

Specific patterns: Royal Crown Derby Blue Aves, Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf, Herend Laurel, Gorham Buttercup

Specific items: Royal Crown Derby tureen, Wedgwood Chinese Dragon coaster, Gorham sterling cocktail fork, Sterling silver sugar sifter

Specific sub-category: Royal Crown Derby Sheffield plate, Herend salad plate, Tiffany sterling serving, Antique sterling napkin ring

With searches that bring up several pages of items, I like to sort from price low-high and look up to my max price point per item, then go high-low, a few pages in, and see if there are any good deals on sets or lots. I’ve gotten a good deal on a lot of 6 napkin rings because two were damaged, but the price per ring only counting the 4 good ones was still lower than what I aimed to spend.