Loving the Moroccan and Argan oils

I know it sounds weird but oils are great for your skin and hair. Going back in time even Cleopatra was using oils for her skin and it seems that she was pretty famous for that.

While growing up I've never been the type of girl that liked to wear oils on my body, except during summer time when I used to bath in the traditional Hawaiian Tropic Tanning Oil...

 

Back then I thought that oils were too greasy to use them on my skin every day. Of course, I did not know then much about taking good care of my skin. But once you hit your forties birthday, you become as dry as a cactus plant!

 

 

 

 

Four years ago I started going to a hair salon where they sold Moroccan Oil Treatment
(http://www.moroccanoil.com/usa/h_us_en/moroccanoilr-treatment-219) and I tried it and since then I could not quit using it.

Though this product is kind of expensive I buy it once a year and the good thing about it is that you could go a long way with one or two drops. It's a conditioning, styling and finishing tool that you use only on your ends and never on your roots of your hair. This product is a great year round investment!

 

Two years ago I discovered another oil from Morocco that is sold by Josie Maran  (http://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/shop/pure-argan-oil/)

 

This liquid oil is actually 100% pure Argan Oil. It is extracted from the nut of the Argan trees that grow in the Moroccan desert and it is fully packed with Vitamin E. It has no fragrances nor preservatives.

 

 

I usually order their travel size as it really lasts for a long time and it's less expensive. I mix 2 drops with my body lotion and I apply it on my arms, shoulders and chest after I finish taking my shower at night. It is instantly absorbed by your skin and it is a great way of nourishing it while sleeping.

I know you might be thinking that you would never put oil on your skin but trust me, if you just add a drop of two, or you mix it with your favorite lotion you will not breakout nor your skin will look greasy at all.

 

Oils are also highly recommended by dermatologists and I'm sure they can't all be wrong. Like anything in life it is a learning process.

 

Learning about your own skin and how it ages is a personal journey I hope you are enjoying yours!!!

 

Are you already using oils? Let me know which is your favorite.

XoXo....

Maryland Crab Cakes, yeah!

Loving That Cooking Corner

 

My husband is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and as you may or may not known crab cakes are one of the most traditional dishes there.

 

So for Christmas Eve I cooked Maryland style crab cakes for the first time in my life!

 

I followed the traditional recipe that comes at the back of the Old Bay seasoning but I added some "secret ingredients" that one of my sisters in law gave me before hand, as her crab cakes are famous for being awesome! (as quoted by my lovely husband).

If you have never cooked them before, let me tell you that the recipe is extremely easy to follow and it's a great dinner dish for those guests that you know love fish.

 

Any white wine will make them even better. I decided to pair them with a California Chardonnay from Acacia's vineyard.

 

This is how they look before you bake them in the oven  (total baking time: 25 minutes + 3 minutes time broil at the end): 

 

 

 

This is how they look when they were done (very important tip: buy only Jumbo lump crab meat):

 

 

We both love salads, so I also did my traditional Green Salad that included: spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese and crashed walnuts)



 



 

Last but not least...

 

I included a side of asparagus that I broil with Italian seasoning and the super tasty sweet potato chips that I bake with Mrs. Dash's (salt free) seasoning.

 

 

 

 

The best part of the night was when my husband finished his dinner and said: " My love, these crab cakes were really good!"

 

Priceless moment...

 

 

XoXo. 

Just set up the table for Christmas!

This year I decided to go all red, all romantic and with only one wish:

Lots of love to the whole world!

Xoxo...

Happy Holidays to you'all!

Totally ready for Christmas...

All the love in the world to all of you!

Nars blush is for everybody

My Beauty Quick Review

 

I have read thousands of times about Nars Orgasm blush and Diorshow mascara so yesterday I stopped at Sephora and got both.

 

 

 

 

The Nars "Orgasm" blush is a fantastic pressed powder blush. The peachy pink color really suits any kind of skin tone. Believe me you will not be disappointed!

 

 

 

 

It will give you the right sheer and golden shimmer that can be worn day and night. If you are not a huge fan of bronzers like me; this blush will be the perfect mix of pink and peach!

 

If you are about to buy a new one for next year, don't think twice and pick your new Nars blush. They are really cool and affordable.

 

 

Diorshow waterproof  mascara

 

I'm very picky with mascaras...Sorry but that's the truth.

 

I have brown eyes and very dark eyebrows so usually a black mascara will make my eyes extremely dark. I've tried many times different brown color mascaras but they did not make any difference at all. 

 

Finally Diorshow mascara really gave my eyelashes the brown color that I have been waiting for so long.

 

 

 

I truly believe that though we do not need a lot of makeup, we only need what makes the trick for us everyday!

 

Xoxo.

Yes you can wear fun skirts at work!

It seems that dressing up for work sometimes is only reduced to:

 

- a pair of black or brown dressy pants

- a classic dark navy or black women's suit

- an under the knee straight black, brown or dark navy skirt

- a plain white or blue shirt

 

I totally disagree with the above statement. I think that today women have lots of other formal options to dress up for the corporate business world.

 

I like to "spice" it up and I do believe that you can look very professional too with different types of pattern skirts, fun blouses and non traditional shoes.

 

Check out this pale color skirt from Ann Taylor.

 

It's not dark, it has a nice fitting shape and it has the right length. It's formal but it still brings some color and fun to a work look! You could wear it with any kind of pumps but if you want to make the whole look more fashionable then add some ankle boots and you will look gorgeous!

This picture belongs to Ann Taylor's website

 

This past week one of my friends at work was wearing a skirt similar to this one below.

 

The best thing about this type of straight pattern skirt is that you could match it with dark opaque tights and it gives instant working formality. The trick is to wear it with a neutral color blouse instead of the classic shirt. You will still look formal but you will add some fashionable touch.

 

Perfect skirt for an after work event too!

 This picture  belongs to Ann Taylor's website

Another way to make your work look more updated is playing with patterns. Yes!

 

If you have a dark polka dots skirt like mine; you could repeat the same concept. Wear it with dark opaque tights and on top keep it in the neutrals. I like to pair it with a black cashmere sweater to keep it elegant and not too busy...

Pencil or tube skirts are a must too! But instead of always buying the classic black one, try finding one that the pattern looks more informal. In this case, mine imitates the denim pattern but it's not denim at all. I like to dress it up with a nice blouse, a big necklace and again I end up the look with black opaque tights.

Last but not least...

 

I know that a pair of high heel shoes always make the whole look more elegant and obviously it makes all of us much taller but another way of making your work look more fun and fashionable is adding some fancy ballerina flats. There are lots of shoes' stores that make super bright and fun flats.

Go and pick up a new pair of cute flats and I assure you that you will look great with any of the above skirts.

I'm in love with my red ballerina flats (Banana Republic)!! They remind me of Dorothy at The Wizard of Oz...

 

So how do you wear your skirts at work?

My Skin-friendly products

Do you have sensitive skin like me?

If the answer is "No" you are a blessed woman!

If the answer is "Yes" you probably need extra care when choosing your skin products.

My mom always told me that I need to "invest" on a good skin care routine because unfortunately as we age things get really worse...So true!

These are my own general skin principles (please note that I'm not a dermatologist):

I buy skin friendly products/makeup that only have a few ingredients and little or no fragrance at all. Though if the fragrance is so good that I can't resist it like Philosophy Pure Grace then I try them either way and if it does not trigger any allergies I add it to my list.

I avoid products that contain alcohol and antibacterial formulas.

I keep my makeup bag as clean as I could as dirt usually triggers all kinds of allergies.

I always throw away any makeup that I have used for almost a year.

So based on my "trial & error" journey I stick to the following products:

Aveeno  Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer  Fair to Light.




Clinique Facial Soup for sensitive skin.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Scrub, for a deep cleanse every other day.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly that I use to nourish my lips and also to remove mascara from my eyes.

Eucerin Anti-Wrinkle Lotion which I use as a night lotion for my whole face.

Aveeno Positevily Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads  that I use only once a week.

Aveeno Ultra Calming Moisturizer with 15 SPF.

After so many years of spending too much money on hundreds of different products I may say that the above mentioned products do not irritate my skin and in fact are all very gentle.

I based my daily routine on very affordable products but sometimes I like to splurge on some Dior or Chanel makeup too.

They are actually really good and they always have that kind of "satin" finish that certainly makes me feel that I'm giving myself a treat.

So do you splurge on makeup?

 

How to create a "Burberry Look"

I really like the English store Burberry so I challenged myself to create a look "Burberry Style".

 

I see their ads all the time on fashion magazines like Vogue and Allure and I thought how can I put together an outfit that recreates their style without having to spend a lot of money?

 

 

As I constantly need some affordable outfits for work I remembered that last year I was smart enough to buy a fantastic jacket at H&M which certainly did not cost more than $35.00.

 

 

See? Now I can make my own Burberry style work for me and when I wear it I try to keep the rest of the outfit neutral and I always accessorize it with nice high heels shoes or riding boots.

 

Then I found at Ross (...yes you heard me "at Ross"!) two beautiful silky scarfs that perfectly recreate the Burberry style too. I've got one in grey and the other in brown color for only $6.45 each.

 

They certainly keep the traditional English pattern:

 

 

 

These type of scarfs are always a nice elegant touch when you pair them with either a dark turtle neck sweater or a plain black shirt. You might want to complete the outfit with a pencil skirt or dressy neutral pants. I assure you that you will look gorgeous!

 

Well...As you already known, sometimes in life you can't get it all; but you always manage to get "part or some" of what you want. Right?

 

Hope this post might trigger some ideas on you too!

 

Xoxo...me.

 

 

 

 

Are you ready for Xmas?

I'm soooooo into Christmas!

It's true I do love Christmas and every year I get super excited about creating a new decor for our Christmas tree. I also enjoy listening to all the traditional Christmas music over and over again...

So this year under the influence of "my crazy Christmas mode" I decided that I want to have a completely snow covered Christmas tree. For that reason I headed up to Michael's, Target, Home Goods and I bought as many white, silver and golden ornaments as I could.

Last Sunday, after many hours of hard work, I was able to set up our Christmas tree and we loved it!

It's a snow covered tree with blue and clear lights fully decorated in silver and golden tones.

Sorry that I was unable to take a full size picture of the tree but I managed to take some shots that might give you an idea of how it ended up looking:

 

 



So, have you set up yours yet? Let me know which is your inspiration for this year?

My beloved sisters' in law live in Baltimore and DC and they are lucky enough to get real snow!
They set up their beautiful trees with the help of my wonderful nieces and nephews, so that make a huge difference. Kids get really excited around Christmas time and it's so good to see them so happy!

Check out their Christmas trees:

Baltimore

 

 

 

DC 

 

 

The best part about Christmas is not only the enjoyment of decorating the house but actually having the chance to spend quality time with the people that you love.

Hope you are enjoying the Christmas spirit!

Xoxo...me.



Loving Asheville...

This past weekend we drove to Asheville, North Carolina to spend Thanksgiving. Though we got a little bit of snow, we managed to walk all over the city. A super cute artistic town full of small stores, crafts, art and fantastic food.

We were able to get reservations at a Spanish tapas restaurant, "Curate" which is one of the best rated restaurant in town.

We stayed at the Grove Park Inn, which is a legendary hotel where lots of American Presidents and celebrities stayed in. If you are interested in history, this hotel is considered a historic place. Hospitality and food are out of this world!

Here are some pics...



Grove Park Inn

I was able to wear my new white winter jacket (which I bought at "Ross" before leaving home) that kept me super warm. I'm that type of person that loves to wear white in winter. Yes! I just said: white!

I also carried my "Patagonia" super shinny lime jacket that I love to wear outdoors. It's a great color if you are worried that you could get lost in a new town....Don't worry they are going to find you!

 

Asheville is definetly a very cute, small, romantic city; the perfect destination for a wedding anniversary...