Cashmere is nice!

Brrrr! It sure has been chilly these days, even in sunny Calif. These are the times I love to soak in nice long baths, and since December is my birthday month, I usually get gifted with things that keep me warm. This year my dear friends teamed up and presented me with a beautiful ivory cashmere robe and I can't tell you how much I've been cherishing this. Surprisingly, it's as warm as fleece without the bulkiness. Yes, it's a splurge but if you're thinking of making someone smile this Christmas, I bet it's an item that's sure to be cherished. Restoration Hardware is having a sale and they carry many colors to meet your taste; be sure to check it out and stay warm (or make someone warm)!!

Saving tips on Christmas Gifts

With the bleak economy these days, aren't you sick of reading depressing stories in the media? But these stories do make you stop and think -- shouldn't I be saving more for my piggy bank? But yikes, 'tis the season to be shopping and the hoidays are right around the corner!! Doesn't look like Santa's been tuning into the news and Rudolph's already on his way out the gate.

Don't fret just yet, I think there are unique ways to cut corners this year and "something different" than the conventional shopping mall gift might make you look creative, and yet not really stingy. I think giving something pricier in a category where one might not spend as much for themselves is the trick. Like a really nice party platter at Crate & Barrel for $50 goes a long way than a $50 gift basket of olive oils, salami and crackers. Here's a really cute food idea from Dean & Deluca if you're looking for a hostess gift or a casual gift. The fine grocery purveyor from NYC really does a nice job in sourcing their stuff and I love their "Let it Snow Cookies" (regular price: $58 --> now for $29.50) or "Santa's Sugar Cookie Work Shop" (regular price: $68 --> now for $34) More ideas to come!

Smooth and Silky!

Surprisingly, '08 has been a year of "change" for me from the get-go. Even before our president-elect became president-elect. But my "change" has been more in the cosmetics category. Rare for me as I tend to stick to a particular brand for years. My recent favorite at the Neiman's counter is the Guerlain Parure Aqua liquid foundation. Comprised of elements like "ocean spring water" this foundation is the lightest I've ever encountered, yet still does the job of a nice "cover up" minus any thickness. It's amazing stuff and I'm pretty speechless. It seems to have mineral ingredients as well, which is probably why it's so nice for your skin. I usually use Bare Escentuals Mineral Powder for daily use and love the stuff, but with parties around the corner and the need to be "covered up" a tad more, the Guerlain Parure Aqua is a gem. I was in a PR meeting today and the PR agency founder mentioned our messaging "needs to be in a concise package that tells the compelling truth"; well put! I feel the Guerlain Parure Aqua really delivers on its promise and is exactly the representation of the quote above. Something many marketers like us fail to deliver, so refreshing!

Fashion Changes, Style Remains

Okay, so the truth about my lapse in blogging is surely not due to "writers block" but merely a recent career switch in joining a busy start up company. Believe me, I'm far from a "writers block" and in fact, have been pounding away on massive volumes of marketing/brand messaging initiatives at work with no brain power left to sustain my blog. Excuses, excuses! Oh, and did I forget to mention I pulled off a huge trade show in NY on my second week at the new job? No, no, no more excuses!!!

Well now at work, we're seriously paving way with plans for a total website overhaul for '09, and yup, everyone is shouting "we need a blog!" Yeah, yeah, I hear ya' However, I'm reluctant to just slap one on our current site as we'll need to scope out an editorial calendar and really commit to this initiative; afterall, this ain't no diary, it's a company blog... And then I realized I hadn't blogged in a looooong time, my bad, so here we go, back to "writing" about things I'm personally passionate about.

While I've a boat load of "to-do's" at the office, lately I find myself in the city (San Francisco) a lot for off-site meetings and industry events/parties. When I was in NY, the mobile CHANEL exhibit was "visiting" Central Park, but unfortunately, the line was too long and I passed on the opportunity. But now at the De Young Museum in SF, they're showing an exhibit for Yves Saint Laurent and I betcha there's lots of elegance going on there - 125 outfits on display with sketches, photos and videos shows. Don't worry, you still have time. The exhibit is from 11.01.08 - 04.05.09. The city has been all about biz and I haven't had the chance to go yet, but am definitely looking forward to a visit soon. Be dazzled! De Young claims "Fashion Changes, Style Remains," big nod.

** The image is the cover of Vogue magazine when YSL was first featured as an aspiring designer. I wonder if Phllip Lim or Thakoon will one day make it to this level....

L'Occitane - stocking stuffers for kids and all

As Sophia of L'Occitane commented on my last blog entry for the yummy hand cream, L'Occitane is certainly jingling along to Santa Clause lane with tons of great gift ideas for candy cane season. I always struggle for stocking stuffer ideas for kids as you've gotta be careful with finicky parents. This year L'Occitane has solved my problem as I've found a very cute Animal Soap Set for $8!! The limited edition contains 3 animal soaps and is sure to delight young children. Good bait to keep your kids clean too ;-) Enriched with Shea Butter, these pure vegetable soaps softly cleanse and protect children’s precious and delicate skin and are hypoallergenic.

For adults, don't forget to check out the Hand Cream Bouquet Sophia mentioned. The set is a great deal and includes all of the below for just $45:
• Verbena Hand Cream 1 fl. oz.
• Rose Hand Cream 1 fl. oz.
• Honey & Lemon Hand Cream 1 fl. oz.
• Shea Hand Cream 1 fl. oz.
• Cherry Blossom Hand Cream 1 fl. oz.
• Lavender Hand Cream 1 fl. oz.

You can also request a free sample with your purchase here.
L'Occitane rocks!

Yummy!

Alright "limited version" fans! Here's some more stuff I recommend.

My dear colleague gave me a truly kind gift the other day. A mini-set of new travel sized L'Occitane goodies! I LOVE L'Occitane and there was a time when my BF almost bought the whole line of the Lavender series for me when he couldn't think of anything else for V day, sweet ;-) So when I received this thoughtful gift, I was so excited. It's totally perfect for my upcoming biz trip to NY. She said that the limited edition Honey & Lemon Hand Cream was supposed to be superb, and OH MY! I almost licked it off my hand, LOL. It smells absolutely yummy! Such a great gift as honey and lemon are my two favorite flavors and the hand cream is very rich with shea butter. According to L'Occitane, the honey is imported from Provence, ahhh, another French luxury! Other goodies were the "RIZ (Rice)" series and the foaming rice cleanser - it even comes in a pump-style fitting. Such an amazingly convenient design for a travel sized bottle, I can't wait to use these soon :-) Make sure to snatch some up if you're hitting the road!

Intelligence at it's best!

Sephora cosmetic stores are addictive. Once I set foot in Sephora, why do I always end up spending so much time?

The answer is simple, good solid marketing. They know how to dazzle. New products have prominent placing and the store is easy to navigate. I love how you can compare similar products side-by-side without having to tour different cosmetic counters like a department store.

My friend and I spent a good 30 min. in Sephora this weekend, and of course I ended up with another product to add to my makeup bag.

Bare Minerals' "Mineral Veil On-The-Go", winner of "The Best of Sephora." This product is donned with a "Limited Edition Sephora 10 Year Anniversary" copy on the package and any limited edition is sure worth exploring. It's basically a small powder brush (retractable) filled with Mineral Veil powder that flows through the brush when you powder your face. It provides the ultimate translucent finishing touch to makeup, infusing skin with softness and light for airbrushed perfection. It gently absorbs oil and minimizes the appearance of lines and pores. I found it to be amazingly light and it really keeps my face fresh all day long! For a mere $28, this is a steal and now I don't have to carry a bulky brush and compact together :-) Intelligent design at it's best!