Random Beautiful Thoughts

Bridge over St Lawrence River on Canada-US border...to heaven?

Music: I seem to listening to a lot of soundtrack music theses days, which is kind of cool as that usually means discovering old gems. Maybe I'm watching movies late at night with terrific music I can't always ID, but no fear. I have Shazam. I have fallen in love with my Shazam App on my phone for two reasons. First, the obvious one, is that it names the song I happen to be listening to but can't figure out what it is or who is singing it. Secondly, it keeps a running list of the songs I have tagged. This is most helpful as when I am on iTunes shopping for music I ALWAYS forget "that song" I meant to find. However, my number one Summer of 2011 Soundtrack has been the Galaxie Satellite 70s channel. I could listen to this channel day and night and have yet to not like a song I've heard there. Cheesy and classic, from rock to disco, I love it all. But I think the smooth jazzy 70s R&B is my absolute fave. It was a toss up between The O'Jays, The Spinners and The Chi-Lites but Marvin Gaye snuck up and won....here, have a G&T and lets groove by the pool....

Book: Well so much for my noble James Joyce summer intentions. This summer has been all about The Game of Thrones for me. I read the first one, then watched the HBO series based on the first book, and I am now officially hooked. Medieval, fantasy, thriller, and horror all wrapped up in 4 (soon to be 5) delicious books, each one at least 1000 pages. Well written, beautifully woven stories with fantastic characters that drew me in and make it hard to put down. Not only that, but I am reading it on my Kobo app on my lovely little powerhouse, my Blackberry Playbook. I ADORE my Playbook, it is the perfect little tablet. It fits in my purse, lets me go all over the interwebs, listen to music etc but the book reading is one of my fave options. It is back lit and the font size means I can read without my readers. In the dark, even! Yay! The portability is super cool as it fits nicely in my hand and my purse which my iPad does not do. It holds a charge forever. I don't think the Game of Thrones books would fit in my purse, which is bulging with so many other Important Things. And paper. Anyways, this is the summer of Game of Thrones and if you haven't picked it up, you should. 

Yes. That is Sean Bean.

See how awesome? Love my Blackberry Playbook!

Food: This has been the summer of BBQ. All kinds of yumminess has hit the grill, but I have to say my daughter Emilie made the winner this year. She takes fresh sweet corn on the cob, removes the husks, and puts it right on the grill to cook. It doesn't take long, really just a few minutes with the cobs being turned. While it cooks, she makes this killer homemade spicy sauce with mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, sriracha sauce (oh yeah...) and some chilli powder She slathers the grilled corn with this, then grates fresh parmesan on top. Best BBQ veggie ever. I don't have the exact amounts for the ingredients but a quick Google search would probably turn up a variation. As for sweets, the Lindt Fleur de Sel dark chocolate bars have turned me into a chocolate glutton. Seriously, I cannot believe how delicious the sea salt and chocolate combination is. You simply must try it yourself. And if you are feeling really wild, try the Passion Sea Salt & Caramel. Oh man. Chocolate heaven. Who knew dark chocolate could be so very very bad?

Fashion: One of my favourite looks this summer has been my baggy shorts with platform sandals. I've been loving my ivory Wilfred Tropez shorts from Aritzia and these cute cork wedges from Aldo. I've had some foot issues (surgery end of September will end my woes thank god) so I have had to keep the heels pretty reasonable. Which if you know me, is hard. Boo hoo. Anyways...these shorts, these shoes and a nice flowy silk top makes for a sharp yet easygoing elegant summer look. Key aka Very Important: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse on the legs and a lovely pedicure that includes pretty soft skin on the feet. This, ladies, is a deal breaker.

Skincare du Jour: Sunscreen! I've spent a good deal of time this summer cruisin' in a convertible and wow, one can COOK if one isn't careful. So, lots of sunscreen on my body and face has been key. Keeping in convenient makes me more likely to apply. I LOVE my Ombrelle stick- it is in my purse at all times and goes on my face especially forehead and nose, as my sunglasses are huge and cover a lot of my face. And for my arms, shoulders and legs, Kiss My Face makes an spf 30 spray oil sunscreen that I adore. I discovered it first at The Standard Hotel Miami and could not believe something that smelled and felt so nice could protect me from the sun. I use on my hair when I'm by a pool or at the beach. It smells like honey, but only slightly. Amazing stuff. Hard to find in Canada but I stock up in Whole Foods when I'm in the States.

Make Up: Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara (read about my love for this here) and MAC Blot (which I've also raved about) powder have helped me through some hot and melty days! Love them both and can't imagine hot summer days without them. Cannonball goes on soft and slick and lasts all day without flaking or smudging. And MAC Blot, if you haven't used it, is miraculous. Deposits almost NO colour, yet makes any shiny or oily spots disappear and lasts hours. Could. Not. Be. Without.

Perfume: Lately is has been super hot, as summer should be! When the heat and humidity are so oppressive though, a light hand is called for perfume wise. Annick Goutal La Violette has got me through. It smells like sweet violet candies- soft and soapy, and stays close to the skin. The violet is somehow a "cool" flower so violet scents tend to be cooling and perfect for warm weather. They have a simple old fashioned feel to them and there is a rainy fresh garden feel that I just love.  I get decent longevity from almost all perfumes so while some complain that this does not last on them, on me it lasts a few hours. It is a simple soliflore but somehow so perfect and light.  The "love at first sight" flower...fitting.

Beautiful Lashes with Urban Decay Cannonball

I am a serious waterproof mascara wearer. If its not waterproof, I don’t wear it and if I ever did, it would melt off my eyes within an hour of application. I have oily lids, maybe I blink a lot too? And, I rub my eyes. All of these things do not bode well for normal mascara. In all my years of testing and trying different formulas, nothing held up better than L’Oreal Voluminous. It was cheap; it didn’t clump, made my lashes longer and lasted all day. Paying $25 for mascara that was no better than a $10 one just didn’t make sense. Especially considering that most waterproof mascaras tend to dry out and not last as long in your makeup drawer as normal mascaras. And, like it or not, the dryness would translate to the eyes, especially by the end of a long day. I couldn’t wait to wash it off. Then I found the amazing Kiehl’s Mineral Mascara and fell in love. It has a lovely thin and light texture, which I love and probably will for a long time, and it has earned a permanent spot in my collection.

Cry all you like...it won't smudge!

Urban Decay Cannonball mascara sounded interesting though, as it brought a new science to a long wearing mascara formula.  It has the paraben-free gel formula I love so much in the Kiehls but with something different- fibres. This gel formula seems to be a common thing in Japanese cosmetic mascaras- I did enjoy the Shu Uemura Basic Mascara years ago, and I think that Kiehls offers a similar formula in their Mineral Mascara. But the fibers add a whole other dimension- literally- to Cannonball. Another fiber mascara is the hard to find Imju Fiberwig mascara, which had great lengthening abilities but was not waterproof. I also have Blinc tubing mascara, which is great and lasts well enough, but does come off in tiny little bits by the end of the day, and also felt quite dry and tight on my eyes. The little bits would sometimes get in my eyes- very annoying. And the only way to remove it is to wet and then pull off the fibres- ouch!- and end up with a sink full of little spider legs. Ew.

Cannonball seems to have all the good and none of the bad of all these nifty mascaras. It lengthened without clumping, felt soft and fluttery, and lasted all day while driving in a convertible in hot face melty weather. I didn’t swim, but I did sweat and rub my eyes and I also cried a little bit as my baby came home from a month away at summer camp while I was wearing it. It added a little more "oomph" than the Kiehls and is perfect when I want a slightly more glam look. I took it off at bedtime with my standard Almay waterproof eye makeup remover pads lickety split. No tugging and it actually just wiped right off. I have sensitive eyes as well and I did not experience one bit of irritation- another reason to love Urban Decay. Their 24-7 eyeliner does not bother my eyes either so they must be doing something right. Amazing! Cannonball gets a permanent place in my makeup drawer. It comes in one colour so far, a perfect black, which is all I ever buy. Unless you are very fair, black is the only mascara you need.

Even if smoke gets in your eyes, Cannonball stays put!

I got my Cannonball at Shopper’s Drug Mart for $24. Which is ok, but considering it is $20 in the US and our dollar is stronger, again I am irritated by the price issues. If I go to the US I will stockpile it, as I did with the Kiehls. The Kiehls is $23 in Canada but $16.50 in the US. Seriously? Anyhow, you can also get Urban Decay at Sephora.

Photos: Man Ray L'Armes & Marlene Dietrich being a bad ass.