Not much today. Last week was a busy busy time for me, so I did very little Web surfing. However, there are still some great gems out there if you’re bored this Tuesday morning and wondering what else is going on outside your cubicle/office!
You’ve probably heard of Blogdorf Goodman, a fashion blog. Anyway, she doesn’t just cover fashion but also beauty products and news from both industries. Plus, I think she was one of the handful of bloggers invited by Chanel to their atelier in Paris last year. I would ordinarily be spitting nails in envy, but I love her blog style too much.
By the way, fans of Paula Begoun (aka The Cosmetics Cop) can rejoice: she’s created a marrive online database called Beautypedia that contains not just the entire contents of her new book, Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, but also frequent updates with product reviews and industry news. Subscription is $25/year, which is so worth it if you like being kept posted on new products coming out or are continually searching for the best products for you. If you just want to know which products won her Best of Beauty 2007 awards, though, you can access that comprehensive report for free here. (By the way, La Belette Rouge, you’ll be happy to know that Bobbi Brown’s gel eyeliner won raves from Begoun!)
Style Bubble hails from London and is a fellow Asian, so you know I have to promote her. It’s just sistah-hood! Anyhoo, while I’m more obsessed with beauty than fashion (save for handbags — that’s my thing), I’m just impressed with SB’s in-depth knowledge of the fashion world. Perhaps living in London really does up one’s fashion IQ. Anyway, she experiments often and takes photographs of the results just as often, so it’s always good to check out what’s on her mind this week. She’s also been an invited guest to London Fashion Week festivities along with other bloggers and shares her enviable experiences on her blog. And seriously, the girl just writes really well.
Want to check out the indie art scene in Paris? Check out the guys over at I V Y Paris News, a brilliantly edited blog packed with news and reports from the indie art community. Even if you can’t make it to any of the exhibits, concerts, film screenings, etc., mentioned on the site, you can still get your bohemian-Paris fix by dreaming about it while browsing through the blog. The brief restaurant guides are scrumptious and offer a different slice of Paris, far from the chic crowds.
That’s it for today. I’ve been feeling under the weather of late, what with the stress of finding a place, packing up the house, selling the creaky old stuff, posting on Craig’s List, etc. I also had a couple of major writing projects the last month whose deadlines fell within days of each other, so naturally those have led to some pretty hectic periods. They’re both behind me now, but I crank up the laptop again so that I can earn more money to keep body and soul together. (Love that phrase. Thank you, Somerset Maugham!)
Still, I think I might take a break for a day or two from errands and just…relax. I usually also work Mondays or Tuesdays at the local library, but because of staffing shortages, they’ve thrown me all over the schedule, which hasn’t helped my equilibrium. It may sound like a quiet job, but trust me — modern public libraries can be a nightmare of cranky patrons and out-of-control children. Plus, my particular department often reminds me of my summer jobs working the Taco Bell drive-thru during college: I’m on my feet for several hours straight, and I’m faced with the aforementioned public most of that time. Not very conducive to calm and serenity, I must say.
Plus, my physical condition has been rather poor lately, mostly because of the stress. I haven’t been sleeping well, my concentration has waned, and I’m feeling pretty, well, fuzzy.
So today and tomorrow, I’m retreating for a bit and getting my bearings straight. I recall reading in some book (perhaps Anne Barone?) that if Catherine Deneuve was feeling particularly unwell, she would cancel all of her obligations for the day and just go into retreat to refresh and rejuvenate herself. Makes perfect sense, non, and very good for the soul as well as body. (Obviously, the habit has worked for La Deneuve, who is positively ravishing.) When one’s physical and mental condition has lost its equilibrium, the only solution is to take the time to nurture it and bring it back to its proper, smooth functioning. I know that we Americans tend to pride ourselves on our ability to work through the pain, feel the burn, sacrifice our own health for the sake of our jobs, our families, even our hobbies, but perhaps that’s also why we have skyrocketing cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. B. sees the consequences of a lifetime of self-neglect everyday, as he works in the cardiology department at the local hospital. The last thing I want is to end up stressing myself into a catheter or stent or worse.
I hope you’re enjoying your day and are in good health!
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{ 8 comments }
Bah, sometimes you need step away and relax a bit.
modern public libraries can be a nightmare of cranky patrons and out-of-control children
Ha ha ha, c’est vrai !
And you have been tagged.
Marjorie: Not to beat a dead horse, but, I think what would make you feel rested, restored and energized would be to spend the day looking for a job for B. in Texas
I like all of your links. But, I am not a huge fan of Paula Begoun. As I talk about in my post today, makeup is subjective and not objective, what works for one gal will not work for another—that is except the BB gel liner (that is a must have for every woman with eye balls).
Take good care of yourself!
Merci,
LBR
Good idea – I’m a big fan of taking Personal Days. Taking care of yourself better prepares you to handle what lies ahead, and giving yourself some uninterrupted “me time” can make a world of difference. It’s better to take a moment to heal than push through it sometimes.
Enjoy yourself!
Neglecting anything isn’t good for ones well-being. It doesn’t matter it it’s health, work, or dreams. Our bodies need balance. Stressful work weeks should be balanced with relaxation or whatever suits. Yin and Yang are great points here. Of course, if I would just have the time to follow that example.
What a coincidence! I just got home from buying a facial cleanser Paula B listed in the Best of Beauty ’07 and here it is on your post. I don’t follow every single skin care or makeup she approves of but I appreciate her honest (and chemically researched) write-ups. Seriously, who believes that wrinkles will magically disappear with this or that overpriced serum?
I have to admit though, because Sephora gives me a chance to try on lipstick/lipglosses, I splurge on them here instead of buying the less expensive (but equally great) mass market brand.
Dear Randal, yeah, it’s become even more necessary now.
I miss academic libraries. Those are so much better “policed,” shall we say, and behavior is more genteel and respectful.
Thanks for the tag!
LBR, yeah, I know. The horse still has some legs.
I love Begoun, although I haven’t bought a lot of her own products. I think Begoun’s point is mostly that, if you look at the ingredients in many of the very expensive brands, there isn’t really any difference vs. what you’d find in less expensive products. Salicylic acid has the exact same formula in any product it’s injected in. I think she tends to be more vigilant with the skincare formulations than with makeup, which as you mentioned is more subjective. What gets her ire is when a $100 moisturizer is touted as a miracle cream, when its primary ingredients are no better than what you’d find in, say, a Neutrogena. Or if they make claims that have never been substantiated by any respected, independent laboratory.
Still, she’s not everyone’s cuppa. And I don’t always agree with some of her choices. But we could definitely use more consumer advocates like her when it comes to the inflated claims of many beauty companies!
Dear AS, my personal day may actually end up being a Personal Month.
My health has deteriorated even more over the past week or so, so I’m going to really focus on healing over the next few weeks. I’ll post more soon! Thank you so much for your kind thoughts! And by the way, you’re absolutely right. Even the most functioning of us need to take a break on a regular basis. The human body was never meant to withstand long stretches of unrelenting stress. The immune system is a powerful one, but not infallible!
Dear Colleen< definitely. I think you're similar to me in many ways: ambitious dreamers with a streak of workaholism to go along with the wanderlust. Sigh. I'm just happy you're going to France. I'm looking forward to hearing how it changes you.
Joanne, you’re just like me. I love Sephora. I don’t always agree with Begoun, and quite frankly, there are some more expensive products that work better with my skin than the cheaper ones (and vice versa). Plus, I just love the experience of just being in Sephora, you know? It speaks to the feminine side of me that doesn’t get to go out and play very often in my very professional world.
I. Miss. Sephora.
Salut,
Marjorie
Hey, we have something in common: a summer college job in the booming fast-food industry.
It was Jack-in-the-Box for me. I actually quite enjoyed it.
Dear Betty, bonjour! Yeah, those were good times. I wouldn’t do it again, of course, but most of my coworkers were fun to be with, and when we got into a rhythm during a mad lunch hour, it was almost like good choreography. My favorite was drive-thru, though. You got the best characters through there.
Salut,
Marjorie
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