Swell Style: L.A.M.B. & Harajuku Lovers Sample Sale

If you are going to be in or around the Los Angeles area August 13th or 14th, then I have some exciting news for you. There's going to be an in-house sale at Siren Studios, featuring handbags from Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers lines.

"Two lines by Gwen Stefani, L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers. L.A.M.B. is about individuality and sophistication with a touch of rock glamour and a Los Angeles-meets-Paris sensibility….Irreverent luxury. Harajuku Lovers is fun, colorful, East-meets-West nylon and canvas tote bags, carry-alls, backpacks and shoulder bags..."

Where: Siren Studios
            6063 West Sunset Boulevard
            (Between N. Gower St. and La Baig Ave.)
            Hollywood, CA

When: Friday, August 13th 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
           Saturday, August 14th 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

The bags are up to 75% off. If you are interested, get there early, for best selection.

Image credit: Savvy & Co.

Swell Hair: Scarlett Johansson's New Bob

Have you seen Scarlett Johansson's new hair cut? She was photographed with a new blond bob at Comic Con and I've seen the picture all over the internet. I've read comments describing it as "hip and sexy," but it looks like she went to bed with a wet head, then in the morning, skipped a comb and hit the conference. No real style to the style. I usually love what Johansson does with her hair, especially when she goes short, but this seems so not-Scarlett, sort of blah, I can't understand what all the fuss is about.




I like this style better. It's a loose-wave look, like the bob, but it's a dressed up version of bedhead. The same thing could be applied easily to the shorter bob hairstyle.



Image credit: PicApp.com

Swell Smells: DIY Bath Salts

I am training for a half marathon that I'll run in the beginning of October. I've never run a half marathon before. I've run quite a 10K and quite a few 5Ks. A 5K is a little less than what I do for a daily run - 3.1 miles. The half marathon is a distance of 13.1 miles.


To prepare for the half I've increased my mileage. An increase in mileage is good for my body, but at the same time, I sometimes run into trouble with my feet and my muscles. Ouch.

One of the easiest ways to ease sore muscles is with a relaxing soak in bath salts. I make it up myself - it's cheaper and I can control the fragrance better that way.

I use Lavender essential oil, but you can use whatever you prefer. Another good choice is a blend of citrus or Eucalyptus oils.

The food coloring is totally up to you. I usually make it without the color, but if you like you can color it to match your decor.

DIY Bath Salts

2 cups Sea Salt

2 cups Epsom Salt

15 drops essential oil of your choice

Food coloring, a few drops (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a container with a lid. Keep sealed when not in use.

To use: Add 1/4 cup salt to tub as it's filling. Grab a cold drink, a good book/magazine, and soak.

Image credit: Sxc.hu

Swell Smells: Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights

Jessica Simpson's third fragrance, the second flanker in her Fancy line, is Fancy Nights*. It's a Floriental with the Chypre note combo of Bergamot top note, floral middle, and Oakmoss base. The fragrance was developed with renowned perfumer Steve DeMarcado, who worked with Paris Hilton on her newest fragrance, Tease.

The intent behind Fancy Nights was to create a "mysterious, magical fragrant escape." I like Fancy Nights, it's sexy and spicy. I like that each version of Fancy gets a little more refined, a little more grownup, than the last. That said, Orientals are my thing and there's something sort of lacking in this one. Something in the middle, sort of too round, not sharp enough.(My two favorite fragrances are Calvin Klein Euphoria and KenzoAmour Le Parfum, so I tend to compare everything to those two.) It reminds me a great deal of Coty's Emeraude fragrance, which I wore a lot of back in the day.

The bottle is pretty and was designed after an Art Deco bottle from Jessica Simpson's own collection. The fragrance is reasonably priced at $59 for a 3.4 oz bottle of Eau de Parfum. Give it a sniff, I think you'll like it.

Fancy Nights fragrance notes: Bergamot, Papyrus, Indonesian Patchouli, Bulgarian Red Rose, Night Blooming Jasmine, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Peru Balsam, Exotic Amber, Oak Moss, Vanilla Absolute, Cedar Wood

*Sample furnished to writer for review

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Swell Hair: Z Mei by Dr. Janet Zand

We've been big with the hair stuff for the last week.

I gave Sarah a haircut - took about 6 inches off the bottom of her waist-length hair and gave her some layers. Bay is currently coloring her previously lightened hair back a medium brown, since she's realized that yes, dark hair does set her beautiful blue eyes off best.

I've been using a new to me line of hair care products from Z Mei. You can read my review over at Gadabout Media. This is the first shampoo that I've used in a long time that really, really, really made a difference in my hair. I have less frizz (yay!) and my hair is much fuller.

This week the girls and I are going to be trying Phillip Kingsley's Swimcap. It's a leave-in protective cream with a UV filter that resists water and protects against the effects of sun, chlorine, and salt water. It's supposed to extend the life of your color. Bay and her newly darkened locks will be the true test. I'll let you know what we find out.

Thanks for reading!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Swell Smells: Paris Hilton Tease

I have mixed feelings about celebrity fragrances. Some are lovely, but many of them fit into the sweet or candy-scented slot. That's fine for my 12-year-old, but I like a grownup fragrance. I have no interest in smelling like caramel or cotton candy. In the past, I felt that Paris Hilton's fragrances fit into that sweet group, but her latest, Tease*, is decidedly more adult.


Created with perfumer Steve DeMercado, Paris describes Tease as, "..all about being sexy like a true Hollywood Goddess." It opens with fresh fruity notes of Apple and Bergamot, the heart blossoms with a trio of white florals, and the base is grounded with the warmth of Amber and woods. It's the heart that stays with you - very feminine, fresh, elegant even. I really like it, it has great staying power, and the bottle is pretty, too. Definitely the best of the ten Paris Hilton fragrances.

Tease is available this month. Reasonably priced at $45 for a 1.7 ounce Eau de Parfum Spray and $28 for the Shimmering Body Lotion.

Paris Hilton Tease fragrance notes: Fresh Fuji Apple, Sunny Sea Mist Accord, White Peach Nectar, Sparkling Bergamot, Frangipani Petals, Night Blooming Jasmine, Creamy Tuberose, Golden Amber, Blonde Woods, Warm Sand Accord

*A sample of Paris Hilton Tease was furnished to me for review.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Swell Shopping: Free Gifts With Purchase

ULTA has the following gifts with purchase available right now...

*Free Benetint deluxe sample available with any $20 purchase

*Free Hydrolyze Under Eye Treatment sample with any Hydroxatone purchase

*Free Murad AHA-BHA cleanser deluxe sample with any Murad purchase

*Free Perfectly Natural Everyday Balancing Makeup deluxe sample with any $25 Purminerals skincare purchase


To see the entire list of free gifts with purchase, click here. Get free shipping on any order over $25 by using the coupon code 59031 at check out.



Image credit: ULTA.com

Swell Smells: On Holiday From France, Oo La La

I love fragrance, it's right there in my gotta-have-it beauty trifecta...

*Soft skin
*Smell good
*Clean hair

The rest - makeup, fashion, accessories - that's just decoration. If you smell good and you feel good to people when they are close to you, you are going to both be and feel beautiful. Simple.

The people of Votre Vu sent me one of the new products from their On Holiday line to sample for review. It's a spray on body oil and it takes care of both the soft skin and the smelling good. Score! Other items in the line include a scrub, a gelee wash, and a body lotion.

I tried the On Holiday Huiler Pour Le Corps, a moisturizing body spray made with a variety of skin-loving, anti-oxidant oils including apricot kernel, sweet almond, grape, jojoba, and Vitamin E. I wasn't able to get the exact fragrance notes, it's a proprietary blend, but it smells very much like a Tyler Beach Blonde candle to me, which is described as, "a crisp invigorating scent reminiscent of sand, warm suntan oil and sea mist." It's hard to describe exactly, but it smells very much like a day on the beach - like my mom used to when I was a little girl. This is a good thing, my mom has always been a great beauty.

I've been using the spray oil after showering. It goes on fairly evenly, so it's great for applying to areas you can't normally reach - back, shoulders, etc. With a little smoothing, the formula is absorbed quickly, and you can go about your day. Here's a tip for ladies with long hair - the oils used in this product are great for smoothing frizzy or dry hair. After smoothing the oil along your arms or legs, when you've got just a light touch of left on your hands, comb your fingers gently through the ends of your hair. Best smelling anti-frizz product ever. Jojoba, grape seed, and Vitamin E oils are used regularly in hair care products.

Be careful where you apply the spray oil, the location I mean, because your floor will get seriously slippery. I've taken to standing on a bath towel, the over-spray washes out easily. Another thing, my bottle leaked in transit (which made for a great smelling box). I wish they'd seal the bottle better, perhaps with some sort of tamper-proof cover, and the shipped alongside, rather than already attached.

You can find the Votre Vu On Holiday line at Votre Vu.com.

Image credit: Michelle Hamor Smith

Swell Guys: Isaiah Mustafa Thinks I'm Swell

Remember when I wrote about Isaiah Mustafa,  aka "The Guy On the Horse", star of the Old Spice commercials, the other day? Well, this morning I found a comment from him on the post and he made me a video! My daughter, Sarah, and I just watched it about 10 times.

Swell Beauty: Get Naked With Too Faced

I was looking at Too Faced's new makeup palette for Fall 2010. I love it. It's called Bare Naked and it has a sort of wild cat flare to it. I think it's the way they've given their model the cat's eye look with the liner. I'm a fan of a natural palette with a souped up flare. Bare, but polished.


I especially love the new Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Kit that I wrote up for Gadabout today. Another Too Faced favorite is the Natural Eyes kit which contains a range of neutral shadows that can be used for day or night looks. Use the darker browns for a switch-up on a classic smoky eye - works great with this richly pigmented colors.

Image credit: Too Faced

Swell Beauty: Free Lash Booster & A Contest

Talika Cosmetics is doing something exciting this month. Go to Talika Cosmetic's Facebook page and register to receive a free Lipocils Expert Lash Booster. Use the booster for 28 days, documenting your experience by video. Submit the video between July 18th and August 31st for your chance to win.......


·Grand Prize: A collection of Talika products worth $1000, with products for eye contour lashes and brows, along with anti aging skin care. Winner will be featured on Talika.com and the Talika Twitter account and Facebook Fan Page.

·2nd Prize: A collection of Talika products worth $500. Winner will be featured on Talika.com and the Talika Twitter account and Facebook Fan Page.

·3rd Prize: A 6-month supply of Lipocils Expert to keep lashes big, bold and beautiful.

Pretty cool, don't you think? Good luck and lovely lashes to you!

Image credit: Talika Cosmetics

Swell Talk: Losing Weight, Meeting Goals, and Free Stuff!

Just a quick update..... Summer with the kids is a little distracting. Sorry!


*Due to sticking to my weekly running goal, I am now down 27 lbs. I started running in earnest (again) after barely completing what should have been a simple/easy/breezy 5K with my sister, Robin. I couldn't make myself run for very long - it was alarming. I checked my blood pressure, at the request of my good friend Scarlett, and found that I was edging into dangerous territory.

I made some easy changes to my diet and started with my 20 mile a week goal. I walked it until both my weight and blood pressure started dropping. Then, I stepped it up to 20 miles of running, which  is my current weekly goal. The running will never be easy for me, although some runs are easier than others, but I've found that it's really the only type of exercise that works this well for me.

I still have  a way to go, although skinny-mini is in no way my goal. I'm adding in a Pilates workout a few times a week and I lift weights 3 times a week.

*Losing weight has allowed me to dress in a wider variety of outfits - my clothes fit again. WooHoo! I enjoy dressing to make myself feel happy, but it does feel wonderful to hear compliments again.

*Today is the last day to take advantage of Victoria's Secret Free panty offer. The free panty is your choice of one of Lacie Thongs or one of the Pink All Lace Thongs. To qualify for the free offer, you need to purchase one of their push-up bras. 

*Big Beautyful Mess is running a giveaway. Do you like jewelry? Do you like diamond jewelry? You do? Then, this is the giveaway for you. Click here for full giveaway details. And good luck!

I hope you are enjoying your Summer, too!

Image credit: Chase Your Bliss Photography

Swell Men: Isaiah Mustafa & Old Spice

Do you remember that Old Spice commercial from earlier this year, "Look at me... now look at your man..." with the handsome actor, Isaiah Mustafa? I read recently that he signed a talent deal with NBC. He's not tied to any specific project at this point - NBC wants to be sure that they get him before anyone else.




Old Spice is featuring Isaiah Mustafa in a new commercial that you can view here. It won't be available on national TV until the 7th of July, after it appears in theatres. So, that makes this an official *Sneak Peek*, I do believe.

Old Spice has certainly come a long way since my Grandpa started using it. Do you want to know a secret? I've been using their Cyprus deodorant/anti-perspirant ever since I reviewed. I love it.

Image credit: PicApp.com