Swell Style: The Latest "It" Bag

While reading my latest Who What Wear Daily newsletter, I discovered this fact - small satchels are in. Hhmm. Cool. I love an excuse to buy a new bag.


The ladies describe a small satchel as being, "Characterized by a boxy shape, flap silhouette, and ultra-long strap, these petite purses offer the ideal amalgam of ladylike grace and modern edge."

I used to carry a similar bag when my kids were little, but I did it more for comfort and ease of use than for fashion. I liked having a small bag, slung across my body, leaving my hands free for the multitude of baby accessories it's necessary to tote to and fro on a daily basis. I did pick a pretty cute bag, though. My girls used it for playing dress up later.

Here are a couple of ideas that I found for right around $20 at Forever21.

If you are looking for a super-casual bag, this Mini Canvas Satchel is a good bet at only $15.80.

This Leathertte Shoulder Bag comes in ivory or red. Lots of zippers and pockets to stash your keys, phone, or iPod. It retails for $20.80.

Image credit: Forever21

Swell Style: Save Big On Summer Sales

Hello, I'm back! I have family in town and have been enjoying thier company. I love the Summer, because that's when I am able to spend time with all my favorite people. I hope you are enjoying your Summer, as well.

Another good thing about Summer - saving money. This is the time of year when you can really save on the Summer fashion deals. There's still a whole lot of warm weather left (it's only recently Summer-like where I live), so anything Summer-related that you buy now will still get a whole lot of wear before Fall arrives.

Old Navy is offering 30% off  the entire store. Everything. In. The. Store. This includes the online shop. To take advantage of this sale, use the code ONBIG30 at checkout. Apply this discount to items already on sale and save BIG.

Victoria's Secret is still in the midst of thier Semi-Annual Sale, plus if you are in the market for a swim suit, you can get free 2nd day shipping on a $40 swim purchase.

The Gap has added to their already good-sized sale section. Swimsuits start at $19.99 and dresses start at $24.99.

Image credit: Old Navy

Swell Guys: Eternity Aqua

Where do you stand on the subject of "flankers"? What is a flanker, you ask? Well, that is very easy to explain, dear reader, it's another fragrance in a series. Eternity Aqua Eau de Toilette is another fragrance in the Eternity for men series. Earlier in the year I looked at Eternity Summer for Gadabout Media. It was nice, but I think I prefer this newer version.


Eternity Aqua is an aquatic woody fragrance - the first of this type for Calvin Klein Fragrances. It's meant to invoke the following impressions or feelings: refined, cool, modern, easy-going confidence, sophisticated, and relaxed man.

I'm going to begin this review by saying that I am not a fan of cucumber notes (they make me feel a little nauseated, sort of like turned fruit) and right off the bat this fragrance throws cucumber at you. Fortunately, it's sharpened with the addition of notes like pepper and lavender. Then, it's grounded in a woody base - I'm a sucker for a woody men's fragrance. If I see the words cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, I know I'm going to like it.

After about 15 minutes, the cucumber note really started to stand out and I thought, hhm, maybe I don't like it after all. That's when the wood notes really started to do their thing. It has a freshness, this sort of breeze blowing over the woods (yes, I am aware of how corny that sounds, but it's my impression) that I really like. I would hand this one over to my man (although I'm currently man-less) and happily sniff his neck all day.

Top note: Chilled Cucumber, Citrus Cocktail, Water Lotus, Drenched Green Leaves
Middle note: Szechuan Pepper, Mirabelle, Lavender, White Cedarwood
Bottom note: Sandalwood, Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Musks

This fragrance will be available after July 15, 2010 and will run $32 for an ounce, $50 for 1.7 oz, and $65 for 3.4 oz. You will be able to find it at department stores or online at Calvin Klein Fragrances.com

Image credit: Chase Your Bliss Photography

Swell Hair: Miley Cyrus's New Hairdo

Have you seen Miley Cyrus's new hairdo? Take a look at this photo from last night's MuchMusic Awards held in Toronto, Canada.



What do you think? I love it. It looks so light and fresh and Summery. I bet she's not missing those extensions. I've been bored with my own hair lately. I covered my highlights about 2 months ago and now I feel sort of blah. Miley's new hairdo is a little shorter than my hair and a whole lot blonder. Hhmm, I have a package of bleach in the cupboard....



Image credit: Picapp.com

Swell Fitness: Running Mantras

I've mentioned before that I'm a runner. I'm sure that I've also mentioned that it's never easy for me. I have few truly "easy" runs, but at the end of the run, that feeling of accomplishment makes each and every one truly worth it.

To deal with the challenges of running, I've found a few things that work well for me. For example, I like to measure a run in short laps or short distances, hit repeatedly, in order to make my way through the miles. That way I can tell myself, I'm a 1/10 of the way there, 1/4 of the way there, etc. Another trick I use is I repeat mantras to myself.

Deepak Chopra explains the way a mantra helps here.......

You can use a mantra (sound) to increase the benefit of exercise. Research with instruments such as the electroencephalograph or EEC, which measures electrical activity in the brain, has shown that certain mental states are beneficial to both physical and mental health. Specifically, researchers have found a very beneficial condition of “restful attention,” which is typically observed during meditation.

Simply put - a mantra is a form of meditation.

I'm not sure how "restful" my mantras are, as one of them is AC/DC's "T.N.T., I'm Dynamite." Another is from Trapt's song, Headstrong that goes, "Back off I’ll take you on, Headstrong to take on anyone," (I run better when just a tiny bit pissed).  I also like to think of Steve from Blues Clues saying, "Just keep going." That may not be totally accurate, but that's what I think I remember him saying. Doesn't matter - it works even if it's wrong.

The last mantra that I use works well with my concept of short laps. I tell myself when I start out, "I can do anything for an hour." Then, it turns into, "I can do anything for 30 minutes," "I can do anything for 12 minutes," etc. And I'm 100% correct - I can do anything for an hour. I gave birth to three babies and I had long, long labors with each. Running for an hour is most definitely no big thing.

Do you use any sort of mantra when you exercise? Do you find that giving yourself a pep talk mid-workout helps to increase your energy?

Swell Beauty: Twilight Saga - Eclipse Beauty Secrets

Are you eagerly awaiting the release of  Eclipse at the end of this month? I know my girls (Team Jacob for Bay & Team Jasper for Sarah) and I have the date noted on our calendar.

I found this quick run-through at Glamour.com that talks about products and techniques used on the Eclipse ladies. The tips are straight from the Eclipse films head makeup artist and hairstylist.  One of the best - when straightening your hair with a flat iron, start an inch away from the scalp to allow your hair to have some lift.

You can find the Twilight beauty secrets here.



Image credit: Picapp.com

Swell Style: Catherine Malandrino Sample Sale in NYC

If you are going to be in the New York City area June 21st through June 23rd, I suggest you run by the Metropolitan Pavilion and check out the Catherine Malandrino Spring Sample Sale that is being hosted by Savvy & Co.

The Catherine Malandrino line is favorite among stylish celebrites like Madonna, Beyonce, Eva Mendes, Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, and Rihanna.

The dress shown here is the Tempest Print Chiffon Dress with a Draped Ruffle and Swarovski Crystal Detail. It normally retails for $695, but it will only be $145 at the sample sale.

Where: Metropolitan Pavilion
123 West 18th Street (btw 6th & 7th Aves)

When: Monday, June 21st 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday, June 22nd - Wednesday, June 23rd 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Image credit: Catherine Malandrino

Swell Books: Look Better Naked

I was looking around at Women's Health.com last night and I found this whole section devoted to, "Look Better Naked." It's "The 6-week eating and workout plan to your leanest, hottest body ever." The book, which is a Women's Health Magazine product, promises to double your fat loss, help to shift your metabolism into a better fat-burning mode, and build your confidence, if you follow their plan.

I didn't buy the book yet, but I did sign up for a few of their newsletters that feature food and exercise ideas, plus tips for feeling better when you are naked. You can find the Look Better Naked section here.

Naked is a tough one. I'm heavier than I'm happy with right now, but with all the running that I do, I feel more confident every day. I'm a mom, so I've got a mom-body. There's nothing wrong with a mom body. Not everyone has to look like a Victoria's Secret model. That's an issue that we women have given ourselves - not something that men worry much about. Confidence makes everyone look better whether they are naked or fully clothed.

Swell Style: Hats, Hats, Hats

My sister-in-law got a touch of sunburn when she was vacationing at the coast a couple of weekends ago. Since that time she's been very careful about protecting herself from the sun. She's wearing sunscreen and she picked up the cutest sun hat. I wrote about sun hats over at Gadabout Media today, but the hats I wrote up were a little more than my hat budget can afford this Summer. (Money is tight right now).


So, as I do whenever I'm in need of something cute, but inexpensive, I headed over to Forever21. Do they have affordable hats? Heck yeah, they do!

The hat above is a good example - a straw hat with a floppy brim, in both black and tan for only $6.80. Hard to beat that for sun protection. Stick a cute flower pin on the side or wrap the brim with a colorful scarf, if you want more color.

I think that this is the one I'll pick up - the All American Straw Fedora. It's not as floppy and I like the way they describe it as "guy-next-door" style. Sort of like you borrowed it from your beau.

If a cap is more your thing, Forever21 has a Newsboy Cap that comes in either gray or navy. I prefer the gray, it has a little Summer-y feel to it.



Image credit: Forever21

Swell Skin Care: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock

Recently, I received a boat load of sunscreens to sample for review. I took advantage of a visit from my family to try out quite a few (still more to come). The kids come in various ages and skin tones - Chance, Sarah, and Trinity all have a medium to tan complexion, while Casey, Bailey, and I are prone to freckles and red noses after a day in the sun. (Seriously, we go out for a swim and it's like an hour in the sun has super-charged the freckles).


One of my favorite of the new products is Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Liquid Sunblock SPF 55. It's thin and liquid, just as the name suggests. Super-easy to apply to a squirmy kid's face, but also great to apply before makeup. It basically disappears into the skin. No mask-feel, no glop, no sticky. Just good sun protection. No got a sunburn. No one broke out. Everybody who used it - grownups included - thought it was a great product.

The formula is waterproof, sweat-proof, non-comedogenic, oil-free, PABA free, and titanium dioxide free (so good for oily or skin prone to breakouts). It's made with Neutrogena's Helioplex technology and it's available in a SPF 55 and 70 formula.

I have more sunscreens to review, so stay tuned. So far the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid is my favorite of the new sunscreens I've tried. If you want to see what I think of the Aveeno sun care line, take a look here.

*All products furnished to me for review by Neutrogena.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

Swell Style: Havana Nights Polish

My daughter, Bailey, and I were screen-shopping at Sephora this evening when we found the Sephora by OPI collection called Havana Nights. Have you seen it? So cute! Bay really likes the bronzey Rumba Romance, but I'm torn between the light jade Read My Palm, and the Teal We Meet Again. Jade was the It Color for Fall/Winter and it shows no sign of slowing down. I think it would look so cute paired with sandals.

Another idea would be to match a couple of colors for a mani/pedi. For example, Caliente Coral on the fingers and Rumba Romance on the toes. Or Havana Dreams on the toes and Caribbean Cocktail on the fingers. They would coordinate without being matchy-matchy.  What do you think? 

PS - For some cute sandals to go with the polish, take a look here.



Image credit: Sephora.com

Swell Savings: Makeup Remover

Sorry that I've been away lately. I've got my niece and nephews for a week (sharing them with my mom) and we've been busy, busy, busy. Sarah has been showing her cousin her new makeup application skills - very impressive stuff. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to take makeup off of a 6 year-old.


We need a bit of Balms Away Eye Makeup Remover, which is currently on sale for $9.99 at Beauty Ticket.com, which is half off MSRP. It's made with plant-derived sterols and lipids, plus Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Plus it comes in a little tin, so it's perfect for taking with you when you go on vacation.

Stay tuned, the kids and I have been testing sunblocks this week. I'll have the low down for you very soon. So far I know this - SPF doesn't really seem to mean that you can stay in the sun 100 times longer than going without SPF. Hhmm, that's a disappointment.



Image credit: Beauty Ticket.com

Swell Shopping: Deals, Deals, Deals From ULTA

Planning a little shopping this weekend? ULTA has a few great deals going on. First, there's a simple one - Take $10 off any $60 purchase. Use the code M3SZ1A6AJJ at checkout to use this offer. It's valid until 6/26/10.


This is the perfect time to give bareMinerals mineral makeup line a try, if you haven't already. ULTA is carrying the 5-piece bareMinerals starter set for only $20. It comes with an Original SPF 15 Foundation, a Matte SPF 15 Foundation, an Original Mineral Veil, an All-Over Face Color in Warmth (my very favorite makeup product ever), and a Mini Full Flawless Face Brush. Great value.

The others are  free gifts with purchase offers. Like a Father's Day offer that I wrote about here - free cooler and mini grill when you make a $30 men's fragrance purchase. Or get a free over-sized beach tote when you purchase any 2 items from ULTA's Bath, Smoothies, and Suncare line. The totes are cute in bright, bold colors.

Image credit: ULTA

Swell Hair: Flower Up That Ponytail

When the weather gets warm, my hair goes up. Usually a variation on a ballerina bun, but I do wear a lot of ponytails. As comfortable and cool as this look can be, it gets B O R I N G after awhile. How to make it more interesting? Flowers!

I have a variety of cute pontytail bands or clips with silk flowers attached. The newest one came from Forever21 and I paid about a buck for it. That's also where I also found silver headbands for both of my girls for $1.50 a piece. They are both wearing them today, so the headbands are a hit!!

This cute purple flower accessory from the Wee Garden shop at Etsy would be perfect. You can transform it into a pin/brooch, hair comb, hair clip, barrette, or attach it to a skin headband. Wow, that's pretty versatile. Give me one in every color, please.

Image credit: Wee Garden shop at Etsy.com

Swell Style: Shorts & A First Date Top

I picked up some cute new things at Forever21 in the past week. I find shopping to at Forever21 to be a hit and miss proposition. The pieces are cute and inexpensive, so it's an easy way to add some trendy pieces to your wardrobe. Unfortunately, you might have to dry clean those inexpensive pieces, which makes them not so inexpensive in the long run. Or the items might not be very well made. Always check an item carefully before taking it up to the counter - check the seams, especially the underarms, and make sure that they are no snags or rips. If you find a problem later, then you are pretty much screwed because Forever21's return policy is not a good one.


One of the items that does hold up well and is well worth the money - the denim items. My girls like their skinny jeans and I like the denim shorts. I bought two pairs from the Faith 21 plus size line. Forever21 starts their plus size line at size 12.

I currently wear a size 14, so their XL fits me well. I purchased both the Denim Bermuda shorts and the Distressed Denim Shorts, both for $19.80. The Bermudas run XL to 3X and the Distressed shorts are 12-18. Both shorts are cute and comfy. The Distressed pair stretches out a bit, so go with a good fit, they will loosen within an hour. Another tip - don't dry the Distressed jeans in the dryer. Drying in the dryer will make the distressed area fray faster. Pull them out of the wash, lay them over the back of a chair, and let them air dry.

Another item that I picked up was the Feathered Capsleeve Top. It's so cute!! I wanted something new to wear on a first date and this top was perfect. It's light and flowy, with ruffles and a cute fit. The V-neck runs much lower than the model's top in the photo. She's totally covered, but I had a bit of cleavage showing. This is my new favorite top. It was only $17.80 and it's a hand wash item. It worked very well on my date - an evening picnic at the park - and I felt very pretty.

Image credit: Forever21

Swell Fitness: National Running Day

Did you know that today, June 2, 2010, is National Running Day?

National Running Day is a national initiative of the major organizations within the running industry to join forces in an unprecedented unified effort to nationally promote running as a healthy, easy, and accessible form of exercise. The second annual National Running Day will be Wednesday, June 2.

Events are being held throughout the US, so click here to find an event near you.

I'm a runner. Up until about 4 years ago, I never thought I would be. Running was something that they made us do every year for the President's Fitness Tests and I hated it.

Then, I had a meeting with a personal trainer and she mentioned that it really would be a good way for me to lose weight and increase my fitness. She mentioned trying to take it slow - run a minute, walk a minute, run a minute, walk a minute. It sounded crazy, but I gave it a try. It worked. It was hard, the minute running felt endless, but eventually I was running for 30 minutes or more. The fitness came pretty quickly - my brain might question every run, might say, "Hey, I don't really want to do this," but my body loves it.

I have found that I do better when I break my run into smaller increments, loops around an area that is smallish. Or I make it seem like play - run in the rain, run down a hill - anything that reminds me of being a kid and running while playing tag or hide & go seek.

Swell Skin: ROC Anti-aging Moisturizer with SPF 30

I tried the first of my new sunscreens today. ROC Multi Correxion 4-Zone Daily Moisturizer SPF 30*. The formula works to improve the texture and appearance of 4 facial zones - it's both an anti-aging treatment and a sun-protection moisturizer.

The 4 zones that it focuses on.......
*Forehead
*Eyes
*Cheeks
*Jawline

It works to smooth and tighten facial contours, fade dark spots, smooth and diminish fine lines, plus it contains light reflecting silk pearls to give the face a brighter, more luminous appearance. In addition, it contains a Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB Sunscreen with Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, and Octocrylene.


The non-comedogenic formula continues to improve skin over time, so I'll check back in with my progress later. My first impressions are that it smells okay, and it has a nice light texture, so it's easy to apply. At first I thought it felt hot and mask-like, but once I left the heat and humidity of my bathroom, it felt very comfortable. I applied Bare Mineral bareEscentuals over the sunscreen and my face stayed fresh and non-greasy all day. I like that, because I have an oily t-zone and I usually have to blot midday.

Also, here's an update on the St. Ives Cellulite smoothing system that I've been using for a little over 2 weeks now - St. Ives®Cellulite Shield Gel Crème and Advanced Body Moisturizer. It works really well. My older daughter said that my legs look smooth, so a 100% improvement, but I think it's more like a 50% improvement, which is still very, very good. When I was sick, I still applied it everyday, but I didn't do much to "work" it in, just a quick smooth, then back to bed and tv. This week I'm going to massage it in a bit and see if I can get even better results. I'll update you again next week. In the meantime I feel confident advising you to give this system a try.

One last thing, I haven't had a chance to close out my Lubriderm giveaway yet, so if you'd like one last chance to enter, please do so by leaving a comment on this post. I'll contact the winners by Thursday of this week. Thanks!!

*This product was given to me for review, I did not purchase it myself.*