Laurin and Kelly Talk

Better Breakfast in Bed

Only something this fabulous could break the monotony of my long-standing FTP - failure to post. This breakfast tray with built-in flower vase is the greatest thing I have seen in a long time. I think a vase makes a breakfast tray, but also creates the stress of trying not to dump flower water in your frittata. I believe this solves the problem nicely. I can't think of a better wedding or anniversary gift. Le Petit Dej' breakfast tray. $92 at A Plus R.

Mascara - What's in Your Bag?

Mascara is my most important beauty product, and I try nearly every new one that comes out. One of the benefits of being blonde is having sparse blonde hair on my legs and face - no mustache worries here. However, having blonde, thin eyelashes is a big negative. I don't go anywhere without mascara and if you ever catch me wearing sunglasses inside, it's because I have on no mascara. I'm just vain that way.

I was recently lured in by the media blitz of advertising being conducted by Maybelline for their new mascara, Lash Stiletto. It was billed as an extreme lash lengthening and black patent shine mascara and I went right out and snapped it up. Then, I was asked to "Try It" for my local news station, 10 Connects.

Yes, I know I should have been using eye cream all these years. Also, if my eye appears bloodshot in the closeup it's not because the camera man and I were knocking back shots to get through the pain of trying to get some usable film on me, it's from scrubbing off and re-applying 4 different mascaras for the comparison. I'm pretty sure he drove straight to a bar after the shoot, though.

Lash Stiletto was such a thumbs down for me that I gave my tube to my friend who doesn't wear mascara - I know, bad to share mascara, blah, blah, blah - because it really is like not wearing mascara. It is difficult being friends with someone so gorgeous who doesn't need mascara. So annoying. Anyway, she loved it because, as I thought it might, it gave her great lash length without any clumps whatsoever and just made her look more polished without making her feel she was wearing  a heavy-duty mascara.

For the "Try It" segment I was asked to test the Lash Stiletto against a few other mascaras. I chose the iconic Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black in the pink and green tube, Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black, and Lancome Hypnose in Black.

You know my opinion of Lash Stiletto. It didn't work for me because I need thickening and volumizing (redundancy alert?). It's great for lengthening and the formulation is absolutely clump-free. It is very easy to apply and has reasonable staying power. It is $7.50 at drugstores.

Great Lash is a mascara I tried back in High School. It was at the top of makeup artist's lists then, and there it remains. I stopped using it at some point because we all move on to new things, but I'm using it again. In addition to it being the bargain of the century - I got a 2-pack for $3.99 - it really works and stays put. It's a little hard to apply without making mistakes because of the formulation, but once it dries, lovely. I even found it to be shinier than Stiletto. Hmm.

I've used Loreal Voluminous for years. They have a carbon black formulation now. Carbon Black is the new black in case you were wondering. Voluminous makes my lashes voluminous, so there's that. For around $7.50 at the drugstore, it does everything I need it to do.

Finally, Lancome Hypnose, another mascara in my bag. This mascara is practically identical to Voluminous in the way it works for me and it took this comparison for me to figure this out. It smells a little fancier and the tube is definitely sexier, but Hypnose is Voluminous for 3 times the price - $24.

Why pay more for Hypnose? I guess it's similar to the way I feel about lipstick packaging. Do I pay a little more for a beautifully designed lipstick case that people see me using? Sure. It makes the whole art of applying lipstick more of a treat. Perhaps it is time to give up on Hypnose after all these years since no one ever sees me applying mascara, generally, except for today at 4 PM on the local news. It's the financially responsible thing to do.

So which mascara is the winner? For my money, Voluminous or Great Lash. But, maybe something new will be out soon... What's in your bag? I have some CVS bucks burning a hole in my pocket.

Photo credit: Star Dust

Cars Need Purses Too

I spend a lot of time in my car and things can get pretty messy with two kids and all my stuff. I decided all my car needed was a purse, so I got this great market tote at a local shop in St. Petersburg.

Mine is hot pink, but it also comes in turquoise, lime green, chocolate brown, and black and can be embroidered with your name. I am too impatient for that and had to start using it right away. It's nice to have everything in one place instead of all over the passenger seat, and I can just pick it up and bring it inside or transfer it to another car.

If you live in the Tampa area, you must check out Embellish Boutique near downtown St. Pete. They embroider or personalize nearly everything in the shop, and you can bring your own things there, too. Here is a link to their online shop if you aren't nearby.

Embellish has a great selection of items for everyone and I always find something irresistible every time I go. And the owner, Michelle? Such a sweetheart!

The Best Thing That Ever Happened to My Hair

This is a post I originally wrote for the Blissful Style Channel of Blissfully Domestic - my other gig. I am re-posting it here because I am very excited that I am going to be on the "Try It Before You Buy It" segment of our local news show 10 Connects at 4 PM today. I will link the video here once it goes live. Link. Let me know what you think, and people, BUY THE BEST DRYER EVER!

I recently made peace with my long, wavy hair, and by made peace I mean surrendered long after I had been soundly beaten. Despite the unrelenting nature of my hair's innately thick and wavy texture, I have been blowing it out and straightening it since junior high, and before that I made my mother do it.

My earliest beauty memory is clutching a bottle of new shampoo as a child and hoping against hope that it was this particular bottle that would finally transform my wild mop into the shiny and sleek tresses of a golden girl. I wanted straight hair, and always have. That shampoo bottle did not contain the magic potion, and I have spent the last three decades being easily seduced by every new appliance and product being peddled by the hair care industry in search of it.

When the flat iron came around, I thought I had finally been given the key to achieving the hair of my dreams. With no small investment of time and amount of hair product du jour I was able to get my hair as straight as a supermodel's. For about five minutes. I live in Florida, the land of humidity and hurricanes, so good hair days for me are few and far between.

One day about six months ago I just couldn't fight nature any longer and started letting my hair dry naturally, about a three hour process. My friends and family let me know right away they liked my wavy hair and, oh yeah, I looked ten years younger. Gaaaaaahh!  Still, I wasn't content and I felt my hair always looked a little homespun.

A week ago my life changed forever. I read about a strange new hair dryer by Remington called the Remington Emi Airwave Style System. Allegedly, this hair dryer would spin and smooth your hair into perfectly styled waves in a fraction of the time without so much as a brush needed. Yeah, right. I raced to Target to get it. See above problem with hair products.

After reading the directions, I got started on what I figured would be another shameful chapter in my hair saga. See the attachment tube? I separated a section of hair at a time, turned on the dryer, and dropped the ends of the hair sections into the tube. A vortex of air sucks the hair in and spins it round and round, drying it from the roots to the ends into a perfect curl.

When all of the sections of my hair were dry a mere eight minutes later, it looked like I had smooth dreadlocks, a look I hadn't really considered at this stage of my life. After letting my curls set for a minute or two, I finger-combed each section apart and checked myself out in the mirror. Holy hairnet! My hair looked amazing. The curls were perfect and I looked like I had just come from the salon. Shower to done in about 10 minutes, with an actual hairstyle. Life changing!

I am in awe of how well this hair dryer works. It's got the necessary 1875 watts, speed and heat settings, and uses ionic and ceramic technology. Of course, this level of fabulous comes with a steep price. You're going to need $24.99. Update: Get one on Amazon! I'm sure there's going to be a run on these things once the word gets out.

It is impossible to overstate how amazing this dryer is. Unless I were to tell you this is my "after" picture.

Photo Source: Amanky, Target, Remington, Zimbio

A Few Cool Things

Fugu Lunch Tote

Hi Kelly, sometimes I make my kids' lunches. Lately, they have been complaining that a juice box isn't enough of a beverage for them. Especially Jake, who is a heavy drinker. I've been cramming Sobe water bottles into their lunch boxes, but they take up most of the room and I have to imagine their sandwiches are pressed flat by lunchtime.

I saw this wonderful lunch tote by Built NY on Pop Deluxe and think it would be a perfect solution for this problem. Added bonus: It folds flat when not in use. Added style bonus: No more garish kid character colors!

 

 

Built Mini Laptop Sleeve

I've been whining about not having a cool carrier for my new mini baby. It fits perfectly in my purse so I've been thinking I should get a sleeve so baby doesn't get all scratched. This one from Built NY comes in many sizes and patterns and keeps your laptop secure with its hourglass shape. Laptop swaddling!

I think Built should send me one right away so I can show it off in two weeks at Blissdom 09, where some people might have laptops. Don't you think so?

Arnold's Sandwich Thins

It's a bun! It's a slice! It's sandwich thins! These are great. I prefer a cozy, round sandwich but that's a lot of bread. The kids get frustrated and eat the sandwich in parts. Ummm, so not the point of a sandwich. They contain no high fructose corn syrup and have healthy things like flaxseed and millet. More importantly, they're tasty.

V8 Fusion Acai Mixed Berry Juice

I'm kind of obsessed with Acai juice products. I thought I'd give this a try because of the whole "full serving of fruit and vegetables" thing. I love the taste of this stuff and so do the kids.