Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Currently- September 2016


Book
The du Mauriers by Daphne du Maurier. It's a novelized history of her fascinating family. I needed a short break from contemporary fiction, and remembered how much I loved du Maurier's book. The magic is still there, making me want to reread all my favorite classics.

Music
First and foremost there's the new album from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree. My favorite artist processing his grief, and he's as good as when I first fell in live with his Prince of Darkness persona all those decades ago.



But I've also been having some good old earworms running through my head, the entire Simon & Garfunkel Concert in Central Park album (one of my favorite records of all time. And beyond time, really), and since it's the season, Joni Mitchell's Urge for Going has been on my mind every morning as I wake up.

(skip to the 1:04 mark)



TV
I can't remember all the stuff we watched lately. There was a failed attempt to enjoy the second season of Kimmy Schmidt (we didn't), binged on Unreal and got depressed , watched some of Judd Apatow's Love (ditto), and Hulu's Casual (same, kind off). at least there's some good stuff waiting (Transparent. I can't wait).

Perfume
I've been testing Mandy Aftel's Memento Mori, which means a review is coming. Other stuff I'm reveling in are Eau de Hongrie, Tauer's Une Rose Vermeille and Une Rose Chypree, and have been wearing Shalimar Parfum Initial more often than I should. But today I'm in Wazamba, which smells more incensy than ever.

Makeup
Anything duochrome. From Butter London eye gloss to classics like Urban Decay Lounge and MAC Club.

Frequently Worn Outfit/Item
The season change has found me in my skinniest black jeans (J Brand). It makes everything easier.

Food
I binged on my mom's cooking for a week. Her apple pancakes are the best in the world. The fact I can still zip up the aforementioned skinnies is nothing short o a miracle.

Bane
I'm still jet lagged, which is a record for me. Of course, I also caught the usual plane crude. Mornings aren't pretty around here. Neither is the 3 am waking up (except for a glass o chocolate milk and cuddling with Georgie).

Joy
So many. My niece and nephew are everything. Spending time with my friend designer Ella Braitman (and buying that red dress you can see in her cover photo). Searching for and connecting with my Bulgarian family branch. I have a pretty cool once-removed cousin and second cousins in Sofia. Coming home was the best, though. We had an excellent cat sitter, so house and critters were in perfect shape.
Also, the comments on my previous post. All of you have inspired me and made my way going forward that much clearer.

Anticipation
Quiet days and nights, getting back to work on my blog the way I believe it should be, staying true to myself and my readers.
Also, wearing that red dress on a night out.

Wishlist
It sounds ridiculous considering that I just got back home from a trip, but I'm craving a romantic vacation, and for some reason I'm pretty fixated on the Isle of Wight.

Random Thought
The next person comparing the Duchess of Cambridge to Sophie Trudeau, favorably or not, should get bitch-slapped from here to Price Edward's Island.

How are you? What's on your list of loves and banes? Any wishes and recommendations?


Art: The Broken String of Beads, Hede von Trapp, Studio International Art, 1913

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Vacation And Open Thread


As you've probably figured out, I'm on vacation. In previous years I used to spend weeks of sleepless nights scheduling posts and stressing out to the point I'd get to the airport bleary eyed and half insane. As I've been reevaluating the way I blog and the focus the site needs to take, I've decided that sanity first (my cat/house  sitter might beg to differ). I'll be back by the end of next week with more beauty, perfume, and perhaps a sharper tongue. It feels like I've been holding out a bit while I actually have a lot to say.

The beauty market and beauty blogging (I include perfume) has changed in ways that I and the other old-timers have never saw coming. Some of my readers are edgy and trendy millennials with a fascinating point of view. Others are cranky old coots like me, who have even more opinions than chin hairs. I want to know what ALL of you think, so we can dissect it to the nth degree.

How do you see the current beauty market? What do you feel about the glut of products and the way they're pushed on Instagram and YouTube, usually through paid yet undisclosed content? What do you wish and hope to see online? What do you miss and don't miss from the olden days? How can I and my friends make our content better? What do you love? What do you hate? What do you wish to see on this very blog? Any thoughts are welcome and will be addressed personally or publicly.

See you soon.

Image: Model Jane Powell for Lady Blatimore, May 1959