The best of the best: cat ring by Lazy Oaf

Amanda gave me an amazing early birthday pressie last weekend. It's perfect, since she knows I love all things cats. Jewellery from friends remains some of the best gifts I've ever gotten. Plus, doesn't he look a bit anxious? It'll be okay, little guy.

Review: Naked Princess Lipgloss in the August 2012 Glymm Box

Has it really been over two weeks since we've posted? I think we have both been so depressed by the end of the summer that we were drinking as many iced coffees, spending as much time outside, biking everywhere, and taking weekend trips out of town, ignoring the blog that will inevitably be here when we get tired of living our summer lives. Now that labour day is past though, we can dedicate more time to writing, reviewing, and creating.

I got my Glymm box almost two weeks ago, and just like the last one I was pleasantly surprised at  its contents. Rather than listing the contents of the box, which you can easily find here or on a million other blogs, I wanted to use products to the greatest benefit their tiny size could give. And I'm happy to report that I've fallen in love.

First, here are a few of the other noteworthy items that, if you're thinking about signing up for the monthly box, you can look forward to.

I love clay masks, so the mini pot by Vitamine & Sea was a real treat (and Canadian! which is awesome). But certainly not something I'll be buying more of.

The Mai Couture cheek-tint paper, blotting paper–like sheets with a pretty pink colouring, were cool but don't at all compare to Tarte's Blushing Bride that I'll likely wear until the day I die.

Finding something special in Naked Princess lipgloss really took me by surprise, and totally made me reevaluate being such a judgemental and cynical person—at least in terms of the judging a book by its cover style. I almost didn't even try this gloss, a decision I made based solely on its name. It's a really bad name, especially for an enlightened female who has come to see the term princess as almost derogatory and to whom a product named Naked Princess is the epitome of everything that is wrong with female beauty products. I also don't like gloss, how it feels tacky and your hair gets caught in it and it's usually shiny which is just not appealing to me. 

But this lipgloss tastes, feels, smells amazing, and after I couldn't stretch the sample any longer than a week, I shelled out the 25 odd dollars that it costs. And I can't wait for it to arrive. The sample was in the Coral shade, which goes really well with my pale-pinky colouring, blonde hair, and blonde eyebrows. It doesn't look like shiny gloss; it makes my lips look the way they would ideally look all the time.  

All photos are from the Glymm website.

Earth Girls are Easy

I realized my jewellery box is growing stuffed with celestial goodies lately. What better way to show them off than to take them out a parsec? (Via Photobooth, of course – who do you take me for, Lance Bass?)

These little gems from Big Tinsel are brand new to me – in fact, they were hand-delivered by their maker, Maria, just this past weekend (such service!). I can tell already these lightweight lovelies will be a staple in my regular rotation. If you'd like your own pair, move fast! They're on clearance and worth all 600 pennies.

What a space cadet I am here, but seriously, that Vulcan pose took all my concentration. This cuff is a neat find I got at Catbird in Brooklyn, a site I'd admired a long time online and was so excited to stumble on during my trip in June. You'll be spoiled for choice but I was taken by this Astrological Cuff by Julie Nolan – it's got my astrological constellation (Leo) drilled through the brushed brass. Here's a better shot, from Julie's Etsy shop.

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You can really see how the brushed treatment makes it extra sparkly, just what you need for a little celestial magic. You can also see I'm wearing my new favourite pinky ring, which is really just a little ring of plumbing brass I got for 40 cents. Yes, I do my jewelry shopping at the hardware store too – earth girls are earthy too, I guess.

Hey look ma, no hands in space! This one is my absolute favourite piece right now – I've been wearing it every other day at least, and find it gives just enough structure to those shapeless sack dresses I've been living in this summer. It's from designers Ax & Apple and I got it at delicious gallery/shop Magic Pony (an indulgence only made possible because of a gift card from helping out on my boyfriend's film shoot). It was inspired by armor designs and gives a grounding space to those airier, soft structured looks I wear so often. It doesn't look like Magic Pony carries it anymore, but they've got a few other similar pieces and A&A has ones left on their site (and they offer it in steel too! Oooohhh...)

Last but not least, I picked up these dudes from Urban Outfitters a while ago – I normally try to avoid shopping there, but I saw these, didn't buy them and regretted it immensely, so when I happened to stop back in two weeks later and there was only one pair left, I knew what I had to do. Really, I'm just angry at myself for not grabbing a pair of We Never Sleep's amazing earrings in the crescent family last year. These ones do have a fun teardrop panel that is cream marble on the front and black enamel on the back, so they are super fun when they're swinging.

A Working Girl's Guide to Not Looking Like Shit: Josie Maran Argan Oil

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Sometimes the key to looking good is all about getting to a point where you don’t feel the need to wear as much makeup. Isn’t that the end goal anyways? Nobody wants to keep up the “zit spackling routine” they developed in high school, and since we’re evolving our habits should too, right?

 So apart from the obvious requirements of actually washing your face before bed and taking your iron supplements, you can add one more non-committal step to your daily routine: Josie Maran Argan Oil. Beauty oil has been the talk of the town for some time now, and the cool thing about it is you can use the product literally anywhere you want. Why the eff have we been buying lotion SPECIFICALLY for our face when we could’ve been buying oil and putting it EVERYWHERE. Your face! Your nails! Your hair! Argan oil’s multi-purpose applications are truly a dream. I’ve also started to notice a big difference in how I look sans make-up, way more fresh faced in the mornings, which means I can take it easy on the foundation. Once applied, argan oil doesn't feel greasy in the least bit. It's actually known for it's anti-aging properties. If you need more proof, just look at Josie Maran's face (HANDSOME!).

Of course, the only issue here is price. A small .5 oz bottle will come up to $14, which is fine because you are just trying it out, and you’re too young to commit. Unfortunately, if you find yourself falling in love with the product and want to bulk barn it, going up a scale in size to the 1.7 oz comes up to $48. Major bleh, but thank goodness for Sephora travel size samples.

By Navi Lamba

Did you miss Navi's last Working Girl's Guide? Do not fear—you can read it here.

Weekly Perks version 5.0

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Just Tell Me That You Want Me is a collection of Fleetwood Mac covers. It officially comes out August 14, but seeing as the internet scoffs at release dates, they're streaming songs at their site. You should listen to the Lykke Li one at the very least, but the New Pornos, Best Coast, MGMT, Karen Elson and The Kills are among the other contributors, so play around. -- Amanda

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It's nice to remember sometimes that in a world full of young people who love to go out and party, there are some (like us) who are just as content to stay home with a good friend, a beer, and a movie. I used to feel so inadequate, but in the past few years I've made peace with the fact that people are into different things. I love reading about people I respect and admire who have felt similarly. And as it turns out (though I feel like I kind of knew this about her already). This blog post, whose author feels really strongly adverse to social events, also recommends a great Charlie Kaufmann speech. -- Laura Kathleen

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One of the many things I would do if I had a few more hours in the day is spend more time preparing stuff that I love to eat and drink. And as great as a cold beer is in the summer, I'd love to make fancy drinks that look good and taste even better. One of my fave blogs, Sweet Potato Chronicles, has recipes for simple syrups that you can basically customize to make any flavour you want. Orange peel and rosemary syrup for a cocktail? Cilantro and mint? The opportunities and endless, and they're calling me. --Laura Kathleen

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If you are ever bored online ever again, you can refer to The Electric Typewriter's list of 150 Essential Articles and Essays. You've likely read a handful of these already (has any female who has ever dreamed of being a writer not read Didion's On Keeping a Notebook?) but they all look like the amazing 20-minute reads that'll bowl you over. I hope I'm not the only one who see's the list and is like "GAME ON. Summer goal." --Laura Kathleen

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I watched three amazing films while I was home sick last Thursday and Friday: Sunset Boulevard, The Last Days of Disco, and Mildred Pierce. All amazing, and all highly recommended. Click on the movie names to check out the trailers. -- Laura Kathleen

Review: July 2012 Glymm Box

While Amanda has been doing Luxe box reviews forever now, I was never that impressed with them; for a while now I've been looking to try a different kind of monthly sample box. I heard really great things about Glymm from the owner of beauty line who has worked with them and said that they really had their shit together. And after looking at the Glymm site (which is awesome (a magazine, a blog, and a place where you can actually shop for the products you love) and what they are doing on social media (engaging and listening, not just pushing out content) I decided on my next candidate.

Glymm is $12 a month and gets shipped around mid month.

The packaging might not be as pretty as the little black Luxe Box, but it's what on the inside that counts.

The little orange nylon bag is perfect for people like me who hoard little makeup bags. 

And here are the goods. Quite a nice little package.

First up we got a little pot of exfoliator from Dirt. It smells amazing and is best used on your face. It's got a really grainy texture, and when you rinse it off it leaves a nice layer of moisture that you have to wash off. It left my skin feeling insanely soft, not greasy at all, and I'm still feeling the effects a few days later. This was definitely my fave product of the bunch.

I am under the belief that a lot of hair creams do exactly the same thing, and if it's doing that thing right, it'll keep your hair healthy, untangly, and somewhat shiny. I use all these creams and oils somewhat interchangeably and don't notice much of a difference—but I prefer products like this that you rinse out in the shower. 

I was super sceptical when I saw that this hair perfume was vanilla scented (though 14-year-old me would have been psyched). I'm not much of a scent person to begin with, and a scent for your hair seems totally unnecessary. But I wanted to try it before I knocked it, and when I was walking home after a 9-hour day and my subtly sweet-smelling hair blew in my face, I was surprised in a really nice way. It was like a stop and smell the flowers moment. Would I ever buy this product? No. But I'll definitely use this little spray vial, especially before the summer's out.

I know Cyber Derm by reputation. They focus on a "new kind of moisture formula" with more medically safe and cosmetically trendy ingredients. They focus on different skin needs of their customers—this sample came with a hydrating sunscreen and a PM anti-age. This stuff is scentless and doesn't leave any kind of residue. It's a but unclear that this stuff is moisturizer and not sunscreen—honestly, it would have felt like the best sunscreen ever—which makes me curious and want to try more of Cyber Derm's stuff. Some reviews I've read are pretty negative about the packaging, but I think it's hilarious and it helps the product to stand out.

And lastly, a coupon for 25% nail polish on the website. I'm assuming it's a one-time thing, but seeing as they offer Butter and RGB, I'm pretty into it. 

You can read more about all the products on their website. 

If you like what you see and want to try out a Glymm box, please use my referral link HERE to sign up.

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