BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT ~ I'M MOVING ...

... to a new web address, that is. This blog will no longer be updated but its spirit will be carried on under the "Beauty" and "Style" labels at this one:

live well * laugh often * love much

I hope you'll join me over there! :)

Product Rave: MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask

After hearing lots of great things about this mask, I got myself down to the MAC counter at Macy's and picked up a tube. The woman who sold it to me seemed even more excited about it than I was and promised that my skin would look firmer and smoother at once, without any of the nasty drying-out effects of some "other" masks I may have tried. She sent me on my way with the helpful warning, "Just so you know ... it's really dark!"

There's nothing cute about a face mask so I'm sparing you a photo of me in the midst of the actual experience, but I really love this product. It warmed on contact with my skin and felt quite nice. I left it on for about 5 minutes, then washed it off -- I used it right before my shower so I just washed it off in the shower, which proved less messy than later in the week when I washed it off with a face cloth!

My skin did feel smoother right away, and my pores looked smaller, hooray! I'll probably use it once or twice a week. I sort of feel as if there isn't much to say about this product that you probably haven't A) already read on another blog or B) already discovered for yourself, by using it! Suffice to say that I highly recommend it. For $20 at Macy's it was a little bit of a beauty splurge, but our skin is worth a splurge once in a while, right?

Of course, if a bargain product can produce the same results as a splurge product, I'm all for that too, and that is the theme of my next review (tomorrow? Maybe?) ...

Fall Shopping Fun

I did some fall shopping today! This is my favorite season and I really love breaking out the warmer clothes, scarves, boots, jackets ...

Fun list of fall things ... now edited to include links for shopping!


1. Arns Boots from Aldo

I have a pair of black boots and I have my trusty, comfy, decidedly un-cute Uggs, but I didn't have a pair of brown leather boots. These look great over skinny jeans and I could wear them under dressier, roomier trousers if I needed to.

I got the Cognac color in the picture, but this style also comes in Black, Dark Brown & Taupe. I ended up going up half a size and will probably need some gel inserts to make walking a little more comfortable. Sometimes there is just no escaping that feeling of "oh my goodness, this heel is 4 inches high."


2. Ultrafine Turtleneck Sweater from Gap

Basic, but nice and warm for my HVAC-challenged office. It's very soft and comfortable. I got one in a deep eggplant color and may (read: will) end up going back for another color or two.















3. MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask

(I got mine at Macy's but it doesn't seem to be on their website. Hmm. Anyway, $20 at the MAC counter at Macy's.)

I've been hearing good things about this and since my skin is in a bit of an uproar, I'm giving it a try! Review coming soon ...










4. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil Buffing Brush

Also from Macy's, this is the holiday special version which comes in a metallic pinky red and is pre-filled with Mineral Veil (and therefore costs you $5 more). I've linked it to the Bare Escentuals main site because, once again, I can't find this particular item on the Macy's website. I love me some Mineral Veil and this way, it can come with me each day without making a huge mess when I try to use it on the go.

I Heart Underpants.

When the woman at the boutique said this $18 pair of underpants would change my life, I was skeptical. She assured me that the Cosabella Never Say Never thongs - in low-rise Cutie and high-rise Bootie styles - wouldn't roll, ride up, show panty lines, or cause any other sort of underpants distress.


I'll be honest - I love underwear. Since I can't buy cute, girly bras due to an overabundance of boob-age, I tend to seek out the cutest underpants I can find. The Never Say Never thong was cute, to be sure, so I bought a pair in basic black and figured I'd give them a try. I didn't quite believe the salesperson's claim that I'd soon be replacing my entire underwear drawer with said thongs, I was willing to take an $18 chance.

And I must say, I was pretty pleased. For a one-size-fits-most* underpant, the low-rise Cutie thong fit my size-8 bottom quite well and, as promised, didn't roll at the sides or cause unsightly panty lines. Rather than driving the two hours back to the boutique where I bought that first pair, I decided to order a few more pairs, including one in the high-rise Bootie style. Actually, I prefer the Bootie now that I've tried both. The difference in the rise is only about 1/2" but it seemed to fit better.
You can find both styles, and other Cosabella products, at Chic Mystique. Enter coupon code "ChicMystique_Loves_You" - I was told it was for 10% but it actually gave me a free panty so the promotion may change from time to time.

The Obligatory Introductory Post...

When I decided to start blogging about three topics that, for me anyway, are fairly well enmeshed - fashion, beauty and fitness - I quickly realized that "fashion" to a woman from Maine is probably going to look a lot different than fashion looks to a woman from California or New York. Or, really, anywhere but Maine.

We're practical here, because we have to be. Much of the year is cold. We have months and months of snow, followed by months of mud. Sometimes, like this summer, even the so-called "warm" months are plagued with all-day, every-day rain. Fashion is more about being practical than looking cute.

Still, I don't believe it has to be an either/or proposition. While I tend to run my errands in a hooded sweatshirt, faded jeans, and $2.50 Old Navy flip-flops, and my office's dress code seems to be "anything but sweatpants is fine," I'd like to think I've struck a balance between casual, sensible, and stylish.

So, my ideas about style and beauty might look a little (or a lot) different from yours, but maybe they'll be fun to read about anyway!