Author: Mstldelano

Digital curator, art enthusiast, creator of daily luxurious experiences.
beauty

Review: Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel

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Hey friends! I’m in the midst of a very  busy – but fun – week, so I wanted to make a quick post about a product that I absolutely adore.

I started using Dr. Gross products last year, when I got serious about improving and perfecting my skin. The salesperson at my local Sephora directed me to the brand’s Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel for sensitive skin, since I was experiencing a bout of sensitivity and I was unsure how my skin would react to the product.

The price of the product – $88 for a 30 day supply – was not for the faint of heart, but desperate times call for desperate measures and believe me, I was DESPERATE. I held out hope that the product would improve my skin’s texture and clarity.

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The description of the product on Sephora’s website is as follows:

A daily peel in pre-soaked pads that contains three gentle acids, anti-agers, and soothing botanicals to exfoliate and nourish sensitive skin and combat the three most common signs of aging.

Lactic acid, mandelic acid, and willow bark extract all work together to exfoliate the skin, refine the texture and clear the pores gently. The product is easy to use: each peel consists of two wipes, conveniently attached in a connected dual-pouch configuration. You gently wipe your face with Wipe 1, until the wipe feels dry to the touch. Then you wait for two minutes, and follow up with wiping your face with Wipe 2. Wipe 1 is the exfoliating chemicals, and Wipe 2 neutralizes the chemicals (so you don’t accidentally burn your skin).

But the question is, how well did it work?

Well, Dr. Gross didn’t disappoint. After 30 days, my skin look transformed! In fact, my skin was looking better after one week, and continued use just made it look even better. By the time I got through the box, I was running to Sephora to get another one! I noticed that some of my scars were starting to fade, and my pores looked smaller. I looked like I may have even gotten a professional chemical peel!

I wish I had taken photos: the difference was noticeable. The results were so good, I plan to purchase another box and start up on another round of exfoliation: I’d like to ring in the new year with my skin looking extra flawless!

I have an upcoming post, describing how I’m winterproofing my skin. I have some other product recommendations that I think you all will enjoy. I’ll talk to you all soon!

art · luxury

Classical Art Sale at Sotheby’s London

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Sotheby’s is having an Old Masters Sale on December 7th, and I must admit, I would love to own one of these incredible works. After attending the Drawing Salon at the National Gallery of Art, I discovered a new level of appreciation for classical works. As a result, I am always interested in the Old Masters and all manner of classical art.

I love all art with Black faces, especially classic art. So I was delighted to see this one, even if the Black woman depicted is a servant. I’m amused that the Princess of Zanzibar (an archipelago of Tanzania, an African country) is a European woman. I would think that the princess of any African country or region would be a woman of color, but I digress.

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(Portrait of The Princess of Zanzibar with an African Attendant by Walter Frier)
During the drawing salon that I attended, we studied the significance of the Madonna paintings. So I’m partial to any rendition of the Virgin and Child.
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(Virgin and Child with a Pear by the Workshop of Joos van Cleve)
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(The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist by Antonio del Ceraiuolo)
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(Madonna and Child by School of Bruges, second half of the 16th Century)
These paintings are expected to fetch between 10,000 and 90,000 GBP (approximately $13,000 and $121,000 USD). It’ll be interesting to see how well these sell in a couple of days!
The sale will be held at Sotheby’s London. Oh how I’d love to be there when this sale occurs!
music

Currently Listening To . . .

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Happy Sunday, darlings! Every year, I wait until December to break out one of my all-time favorite songs. It seems just silly to listen to winter-themed songs at any other time of year!

I’m a fan of anything that makes me think of cuddling under a huge blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. And Sarah Vaughan’s version of “My Favorite Things” just symbolizes everything cozy about wintertime.

Her perfect vocals, the pared down instruments, and the timeless lyrics come together exquisitely. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

style

I Finally Found the Perfect Earring

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I’m an August baby, and it’s taken me a long time to learn to love my birthstone. For years, I hated peridot, the bright green, “semi” precious gemstone assigned to my month.

But something changed when I became an adult. I realized how beautiful this bright green is, and how unusual it is to see people wearing it. I loved the uniqueness, so I started liking – and eventually loving – peridot.

So I started my hunt for the perfect peridot earring. I already have peridot rings and necklaces, but I don’t wear those items daily. However, I do wear earrings every day, so it only made sense that I would want a pair in peridot.

Finding my dream earring, however, proved to be a challenge.

I was pretty specific: I wanted peridot hoop earrings, similar to diamond hoops. I wanted a medium-to-large hoop, with lots of tiny peridot outlining the outer edge, preferably in the “inside out” style (where the inside of the hoop is also lined with gemstones). I wanted them in silver or white gold, and under $150.

I initially looked for earrings on Amazon, because Amazon has everything (normally). But, after looking high and low through their offerings, I realized my dream earrings weren’t there. I then took my search to Google. And I found a picture with my dream earrings, clicked on it, and was led to the godsend that it Overstock.

Here is the pair I selected:

peridotearring

(photo courtesy of Overstock)

This beautiful pair of earrings was less than $30. I’m so excited! They should arrive in the next couple of weeks: I can’t wait to share them with you all!

life curation · reading list

So . . . About NaNoWriMo

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clipartlibrary

My literal expression when I write (photo courtesy of Clipart Library)

 

I got a book update for you all!

So, it’s December 1st, which means NaNoWriMo is officially over.

But (surprise, surprise) my book isn’t finished.

What does that mean?

It means I get to continue working on it through December LOL!

Now, I had every intention of getting 50,000 words in writing between November 1st and November 30th. But, life happens. I did get some writing done, which is better than doing nothing.

And, don’t forget: I’ve been posting here DAILY. So I’m writing, just not much in novel format.

However, I like the story that I’m forming in my mind, and I’ve written a lot more this NaNoWriMo than I did last year. So I’m celebrating that!

Anyway, enjoy your Friday, friends! I’ll chat with you all tomorrow!

art · style

Barbie Has Come a Long Way

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I’ve collected Barbie dolls since I was a child, mainly because I couldn’t get enough of the glamour and fantasy that the Barbie brand epitomized. As an adult, I purchase both for nostalgia and for the beauty of the dolls. I don’t care if I ever get a financial ROI (by selling them at a later date); I enjoy them NOW, and every purchase gives me an immediate emotional ROI.

It doesn’t seem like this would qualify as an art post BUT the skill and artistry involved with creating Barbie is undeniable.

Check out some of the Barbies that will be available in Spring 2018. I’m drooling: I can’t wait to buy some of these!

 

 

 

(all photos courtesy of Mattel)

 

life curation · style

On Becoming More Elegant

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Elegance is Refusal

(from one of my favorite blogs, The Vivienne Files)

I’m unclear who said it first – Coco Chanel (the person that is more often credited) or Diana Vreeland – but it’s noteworthy that this simple quote has been attributed to two of the most stylish women in history. I often heed these words when I’m inclined to pile on jewelry, or add an extra-frilly accessory, or even opt for a print that outshines my personality.

I stop. I think about it. I refuse it. I am instantly more elegant.

Even my writing style has undergone some changes and leans more towards elegance nowadays. Sure, I still occasionally indulge in wordiness, but chances are, I’ve done some heavy editing before even the “wordy” stuff reaches your eyes.

I love words. But elegance is refusal, so I opt for simplicity more times than not.

The only place I don’t apply this particular stance is cooking. I believe that “just enough is enough”, and that doesn’t always mean refusal. I don’t oversimplify my seasonings, my effort or the number of courses for a fancy meal. I seek perfection. And yes, that can mean using less. But it must be perfect, or it won’t work. I’m picky like that.

Refusal: it is elegant. It’s also liberating. It’s simultaneously classic and modern, the perfect blend of seemingly opposing sides.

 Refuse, and be free.

words of wisdom

Because . . . Love Liberates

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I’m just stopping in briefly to share this video, which touches my soul every time I watch it.

Sometimes, it’s so easy to think of love in terms of possession. We hold love close to our chests and, instead of keeping an open palm, allowing love to be free, we hold it in a tight grasp. Nothing crushes love faster than an unyielding clutch.

Love doesn’t smother or stifle.

Love liberates.

Enjoy, and I’ll be back tomorrow.

life curation

Preparing for 2018: Releasing Tolerations

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Happy Monday, friends! Can you all believe that we are just a few days away from the LAST month of the year?!?! I am in awe of how quickly 2017 has passed. This was a good year, but I’m excited for how awesome 2018 will be!

As part of the Preparing for 2018 series, I want to share a very powerful tool for clearing mental/physical/emotional “space”. This practice can really help make room for all of the good stuff that you want to come into your life.

The practice is, of course, releasing tolerations. This involves removing anything that doesn’t enhance your life or boost your energy. The energy drainers may be physical (living with lots of clutter is a good example), emotional (perhaps some unresolved issues around self-worth) or mental (maybe a colossal to-do list that never seems to shrink). Additionally, this is a way of “clearing the deck” so you have more energy to focus on the things that you enjoy. If you’re curious about learning what tolerations are, check out this post and this one, over at Good Vibe Blog. Jeannette Maw has done an excellent job of explaining tolerations and how they affect your ability to create the life that you want.

To prepare for the upcoming year, I’m going to work on clearing my physical space even more. I have some big plans for the upcoming year and reducing my possessions is one thing that needs to happen in order to best realize at least two of those big goals (I’ll share more about those goals in 2018).

I’ll be doing the 30 day challenge as mentioned by Terri Savelle Foy in the video I’m linking below. Information about the challenge is at the 21:30 mark (start at 19:35 for all of the tips related to releasing tolerations):

Every day in the month of December, I’ll discard an item corresponding with the date of the month (one item on the 1st, two items on the 2nd, 3 on the 3rd, etc.,). I will keep going until I reach December 31st, by which point I would have eliminated nearly 500 items from my life. Some items will be thrown away, while others will be donated to charity or given away to family and friends. In any case, the items will be leaving my space for good.

You can either try this particular challenge, or maybe try one of Jeannette’s recommendations. No matter what you decide to do, eliminating tolerations is a great way to prepare for the upcoming year.

Have you missed the other Preparing for 2018 Posts? Check them all out here:

Preparing for 2018

Preparing for 2018: Before Setting Your Goals …

Preparing for 2018: Commit It In Writing

Preparing for 2018: Listening to Your Intuition

Preparing for 2018: A Resource for Developing Your Vision

Preparing for 2018: Prioritizing Fun

 

style

My Favorite Boohoo Dress

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I mentioned my Boohoo hauls in two previous posts (this one and this one). I’ll be doing an update on how those pieces are holding up in a few weeks. However, this post is all about my favorite piece from one of those hauls.

I was surprised that this one was my favorite: after all, I got a LOT of dresses, and each one was adorable. I also tend to favor bright colors that really make my complexion POP: a neutral dress isn’t normally my first choice.

So, this was an unlikely winner, but just look at it:

 

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The Eloise Dress by Boohoo has stolen my heart! Now, I know you’re thinking: it’s navy, and it’s cute, but WHY is it your favorite?

Uhm, are you all seeing the CURVES this dress creates?!?! Putting this dress on is like slipping into an instantly hourglass-y body. It looks chic, classy and still a bit sexy. I wore it with a tan shawl and I looked like I belonged in a different tax bracket!

Also, there are gathers in the dress’s waist, which helps disguise any bloat or poochy tummy issues. The dress hits right at the knee, and the slightly flared sleeves are a godsend for those of us that aren’t enslaved to tricep-toning exercies.

Here’s a link to the dress for your convenience: Eloise Dress. Right now, the dress is only $10, but it’s selling out fast. I bought another one in black, and I barely even wear solid black dresses. That’s JUST how much I love this design.

Go ahead and get your Eloise dress. You deserve it.