life curation · reading list

Reading List: October’s Book

Happy Friday, friends!

The month of September is coming to a close and, while I’ll miss the hot days and warm summer nights, I’m kind of looking forward to autumn temps.

This post’s title is a bit of a misnomer: I read way more than one book a month. But, I wanted to share the book I’m most looking forward to reading this upcoming month.

Becoming Mae West by Emily Wortis Leider is on my reading list, and for good reason. Mae West was innovative, creative, and completely in control of her image and career. She lived life on her terms and blazed her own path in a world dominated by men. I admire how Mae used her femininity to open the door, but used her brains to get ahead.

I look forward to sharing what I learned from Mae West’s life. This is a larger book (over 400 pages) so I’m anticipating that it will take me a few weeks to finish it. Fun times!

Any Mae West fans? Let me know in the comments below!

food · luxury

A Chocolate Treat

Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself …

A few weeks ago, I got an online coupon code from Chocolate Chocolate, one of DC’s finest chocolate shops. This boutique offers exquisite international and hard-to-find chocolates. I used the code to order a box of Laderach chocolates, my favorite chocolate brand.

IMG_1810Laderach chocolates in Chocolate Chocolate’s trademark velvet box

I first tried Laderach two years ago, when I was gifted a box from an attorney at my previous job. I fell in love with the velvety textures, intense flavors, and perfect presentation of the little bit sized pieces of heaven. The day after I finished eating every treat in my little box, I looked for a local retailer that offered the Laderach brand. After much searching over many months, I found out that Chocolate Chocolate was the closest shop that offered the brand.

IMG_1811The liner indicating that this box contained luxurious Swiss chocolates

So when I saw the coupon code, I couldn’t resist. I purchased my chocolates and quickly got a call from the shop, confirming that the chocolates were in stock and were immediately available. I picked them up the following week.

IMG_1812The chocolates! So perfect and delicious!

They are just as delicious as I remember! I’m pleased with the product (of course) but I also loved the service: the shop attendants were friendly and warm. I can’t wait to return!

Do you all have any favorite chocolate brands? Let me know in the comments below!

luxury · wine

Fenty Estates Wine False Alarm

A tweet went viral announcing that Rihanna, beauty mogul and perpetual wine sipper, filed to trademark the name, “Fenty Estates Wine and Spirits Company”. As a wine lover, I was absolutely giddy. If the wine label went anything like the beauty launch, I was anticipating amazing things.

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Unfortunately, Rihanna didn’t file for a trademark, nor did Roraj Trade LLC (the company that trademarked Rihanna’s name and Fenty Beauty). The Fader broke the news, and I must admit, I was a little crushed.

But never fear: I’ve got some other wines I’ve been waiting to try and I’ll be reviewing those soon. If Rihanna wants to trademark a wine, I’m still going to support it. I just have to make peace with the fact that her wine won’t be coming from Fenty Estates.

luxury · travel

Review of the Omni Shoreham Hotel

Several weeks ago, I stayed in Washington, DC while I handled some assignments at the office. For this stay, I stayed in Omni Shoreham Hotel near the National Zoo. On my previous DC trip, I stayed at The Fairfax at Embassy Row.

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For starters, the hotel is beautiful and conveniently located near the Metrorail (Woodley Park – Zoo Metro Station). I found that the concierge and check-in staff were gracious and warm. The hotel is very large, and I was guided to the wing where my suite was located.

The room was simple but elegantly appointed. I found out that my room also had a balcony that had a beautiful view of the District (unfortunately, I didn’t get any high quality photos while standing on the balcony). The bathroom was a bit smaller than I experienced in other hotels, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in pristine cleanliness and luxurious touches.

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This hotel is described as a four-star property by the Five Star Alliance, and I fully agree. The room, amenities, and excellent service and hospitality made me a fan of the Omni Shoreham Hotel. I can’t wait to return!

 

beauty · style

Classy Looks for Less: Boohoo Clothing

Happy Monday, beloveds! What’s more fun on a Monday than discussing fashion and beauty?

This post is all about a Boohoo haul, and the classy looks I scored for under $75.

I know, I know. The words “Boohoo” and “classy” generally aren’t listed in the same sentence, unless also coupled with the words “is not”. Before you all think that I’ve lost my mind, let me assure you that I’ve ordered multiple times from Boohoo, so I’m aware that the clothing on that site caters to the young, partying crowd. Many of the styles are the antithesis of “classy”.

But I love a good challenge, and I wanted to refresh my wardrobe without spending too much. After all, I’m still deciding on what clothes should be included in my fall/winter capsule wardrobe.

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(squeals)

I ordered four dresses from Boohoo few weeks ago. The styles I ordered were the Eva Tie Waist Fitted Dress in Cobalt, the Cesca Split Sleeve Detail Wiggle Midi Dress in Berry, the Hollie Fitted Midi Tailored Dress in Silver, and the Karina Tie Waist Midi Dress in Rose.

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Here’s Cesca in Berry (photo courtesy of Boohoo)

Here’s the benefit of these dresses: the styles are classy and perfect for the office. These come in a variety of colors, so if you find a style that is particularly flattering, you can always buy more. These dresses are very inexpensive: Boohoo frequently has sales on their items (when I purchased these, they were 50% off of the advertised price). Also, Boohoo is an eBates affliate, so you qualify for a cashback percentage for your purchase. Every Boohoo purchase gives you the opportunity to get money back on top of the savings you’re receiving by purchasing items during their sales.

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Hollie in Silver (photo courtesy of Boohoo)

The grand total for my four dresses: $64, after all discounts are applied. There were also no shipping fees, so there were no hidden expenses when I checked out.

Disclaimer: as with anything, you get what you pay for. The clothing is inexpensive for a reason: the dresses aren’t lined and the material feels thin. While the items aren’t completely transparent, you will need a slip or camisole to prevent from showing every dimple and fold (if that sort of thing doesn’t bother you, then disregard it). I am concerned that these may not hold up to normal laundry cycles, so I’ll be sure to use a lingerie/delicates bag when washing these dresses. Only time will tell if the colors remain true, as well. These dresses have no zippers, which isn’t necesssarily a dealbreaker. However, no zipper means the dresses will have to be pulled off and on over the head, which can lead to stretched out, misshapen necklines.

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Karina in Rose

Overall, I feel that the products I received were worth the prices that I paid. I’m estimating my cost-per-wear (CPW) at 67 cents per dress if I can wear each dress at least 24 times over the next year (averaging 2 times a month per dress). Assuming that these dresses last for 24 wears, I feel that I would have easily gotten my money’s worth. It’ll be even better if I can get these dresses to last beyond 24 wears! In fact, if these dresses hold up beyond 3 washes, they will probably comprise a good portion of my capsule wardrobe. I’ll keep you all posted on how these hold up during the winter (I plan to layer these with cardigans, blazers, leggings and knee-high boots so that I can stay warm during the colder months).

Thanks for stopping by, and make sure you drop by tomorrow, when I discuss one of my recent hotel stays!

life curation · reading list

Highlights from “Outliers”

Well, dear friends, I finally finished “Outliers”. As you all are aware, this tome has been on my reading list for several weeks (actually several years, but let’s not judge). I have actually squeezed in a couple of other books since I posted about “Outliers”, but those were rereads and not particularly applicable to the content of this blog. However, I set a firm date for when I’d finish this book, and that motivated me to get focused.

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If there is any singular thing I took away from “Outliers”, it’s this: success isn’t the result of a sole action/incident. The most noteworthy successes are the result of a “perfect storm” of conditions, attitudes, timing, and serendipity. There are many things we can control about achieving success, but many other things are the exterior elements beyond our control. Fortunately, there are instances where even what appears to be obstacles or downright walls separating us from our desires are actually the catalyst behind getting the skills needed to rise above everyone else and achieve unprecedented success.

Here are some of the highlights I gleaned during my reading of “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.

  • The infamous “10,000 Hour Rule” is best supported by serendipitous timing, but the expertise gained from continual practice can still put you lightyears ahead of the pack.
  • Having a genius IQ is great, but without other advantages (like personality, connections, or wealth), it isn’t a guarantee of success. In fact, without those other supporting attributes, being a genius can be a frustrating path.
  • Community and network are CRUCIAL to success. The influence of community and network is particularly powerful as children, as this molds identity and behaviors that will remain throughout your lifetime.

I can’t recommend this book enough! I plan to hand this off to a few friends that could use the information.

Have you all read “Outliers”? What was your favorite takeaway? Let me know in the comments below!

Uncategorized

Keeping the Caribbean Islands in My Prayers

Today’s post is short, because I’m a bit nervous and awaiting some news from the Caribbean.

I have several friends who live on the islands of Puerto Rico and St. Vincent. This hurricane season has been especially hard on all of them. My friend from St. Vincent is safe but rebuilding won’t be easy. I still haven’t heard from four of my friends from Puerto Rico.

If you’re inclined, please keep them in your prayers or send them positive vibes. I truly appreciate it.

food · travel

Flashback to Cruise 2016, Pt. 3

Cheers to the end of the work week! Gorgeous Friday, we’ve been waiting for you LOL!

I’ve already talked about last year’s cruise in this post and in this one. This final post will discuss one of the most popular parts of cruising: the cuisine!

IMG_0382(Asian-inspired salmon entree)

One of the perks of cruise vacations is the extensive list of food options. Cruises offer both complimentary and fee-based dining options. Don’t let the word “complimentary” alarm you: there are many fine dining options included in this category. In fact, the default “dinner” offered with many cruise lines are set up in luxurious dining rooms with detail-oriented waitstaff. In addition to fine dining, there are also buffet options for those that want even more variety, as well as complimentary room service that offers a wide variety of delicious options delivered directly to your cabin.

 

(Standard appetizers: miso soup and spring rolls)

The Anthem of the Seas is a little different from traditional cruises. The Anthem didn’t set up travelers with a “default” dinner option. All of the fine restaurants on the ship required a reservation in advance. Guests could view and select reservation options from their cabin or on computer monitors located at the service desk and in front of each of the restaurants.

Each of the restaurants had themes, including upscale luxury, fine American, eclectic and elegant Asian. I enjoyed my time at each of them. For me, the emphasis on excellent service and pristine presentation are what made the dining memorable. It didn’t hurt that the food was delicious, as well.

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(My favorite themed restaurant was Silk. This one featured an Asian fusion menu)

Here are some photos of the dishes that I tried. I’ll add names for what I can remember, but forgive me for forgetting some of them: it’s been over a year.

 

(Left to right: Lobster, polenta, a lobster rolls and fries, and seafood bisque)

 

(an incredible seafood crostade, mixed green salad, peach bisque with strawberry garnish)

 

(Top row: Caramel pie, a puff pastry with mango coulis, green tea cheesecake. Bottom row: mochi and chocolate cake with chocolate ganache)

Thanks for checking out the Flashback to Cruise 2016 series! I can’t wait to share more of my adventures with you all 🙂

beauty · luxury

Review: KoyVoca Highlighter

As I mentioned previously, I went a little overboard (in a good way) while shopping for beauty products. At the same time that I purchased the Nicolet Beauty lip catnips, I purchased a new highlighter from KoyVoca. Like I’ve mentioned before, I love supporting indie beauty brands, and KoyVoca is another small business that specializes in cosmetics that flatter demographics that are traditionally ignored (primarily women of color).

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For the record, I generally avoid highlighters. I don’t want to look like every other 20-something on Instagram. And since I have oilier skin, my pores tend to look larger and many products can amplify skin texture. Highlighters are some of the top offenders when it comes to putting the spotlight on textured skin.

But, in the interest of keeping a more modern look, I looked for a highlighter. I didn’t want a very warm, golden product, because I have cool/neutral undertones and warm tones tend to be unflattering on me. So this product needed to have neutral undertones, preferably cool ones, but I didn’t want it to make me look like a corpse (a pretty common occurrence with cool-toned products).

This highlighter had to come correct, or I would never use it again.

I took a chance on $1,000,000,000 (Billion Dollar) Babe.

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I’m officially a highlighter convert.

This shade is the perfect neutral: warm enough to make my skin look alive, but cool enough that I don’t look sallow when wearing it. It looks amazing on the skin, too: it doesn’t make my pores look enormous.

Don’t let the swatch fool you: it is far more neutral than the camera is capturing. Here’s another view of the product in different lighting (it captures the cool tones a little better).

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I’ve worn this product on my cheekbones, nose bridge, brow bone, and inner corner. I got so many compliments on my “glow”! I really loved how it looks on the skin. So, I ordered some more stuff from KoyVoca, including the face powders, foundations and another highlighter.

Aside from the actual product performance, I was pleased with KoyVoca. The product arrived quickly and were well packaged. I found the prices were extremely reasonable, as well.

Are you all enjoying the highlighter trend? Tell me about the highlighters you enjoy in the comments below!