Beauty Beauty Everywhere

A little bit here and a little bit there... 

These gorgeous agate earrings have Czech (Bohemian) glass faces, are tied with 
fair-trade recycled sari ribbon, and were hand-made in New Orleans by one of my fantastic followers, Heidi Post and sold in her Etsy Shop, Ex Post Facto. If you're 
looking for something original and inexpensive (most jewelry is under $75), her 
shop is worth checking out! Heidi sent these to me in an Altoids tin, and the very 
first time I ever had Altoids was shortly after I moved to New Orleans to start my 
life of Bohemian adventures... before NYC Paris London Las Vegas Seattle and LA. 
I love synchronicity, there are no coincidences. Merci Heidi!!!

The lovely people at Pacifica sent me this reed diffuser in Indian Coconut Nectar and now my bedroom smells like an exotic vanilla dream. Scent is an important layer to having a beautiful living space, and I prefer diffusers to candles, as they're long-lasting and don't have to be watched constantly for safety. Pacifica's diffusers are stylish and subtle and most importantly, aren't toxic like most commercial room fragrances. Remember, just because it says NATURAL on the label, does not make it so. Read and research every ingredient. It's not possible to eliminate every toxic chemical, but every little bit adds up. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel when you start basing your life in nature, not to mention how smart you'll be when you stay informed. 

Scentual Sidenote - I asked Pacifica if they had any fragrances that would be 
considered "masculine", for you eco-conscious men out there who care about your 
health and how you smell (thank you for that, from all the ladies). They suggested Spanish Amber and Sandalwood, which they sent me. Woodsy, warm, and light, with 
a hint of citrus... I think it works for men and women. Merci Pacifica!!!

 Bohemian Beauty Finds - These make my life better:

Under $5, Crystal Essence deodorant changed my life, seriously. Nothing on Earth will stop stink from happening like this stuff and it leaves no pesky residue on clothes. I love that it's a spray and like the rest of these products, works for both men and women. 

Crafting herbal-based remedies since the mid-1800's, Thayers makes a gentle rose-petal witch hazel that I use as a toner after washing my face with my LilyB facial wash. It's wonderful for sensitive skin and also makes a great body splash in the summer; just put 

it in the fridge and use it to cool off! There are many varieties, but the rose-petal is intoxicating without any heaviness.  At under $10, it's another great value.

I've been a fan of vitamin C serums forever, and about two years ago I discovered NuFountain on Amazon. I buy the C+ Lightening serum, which has significantly reduced what little sun damage I suffered from and took a few years off. What's really groovy is that what you buy doesn't get made until you order it, making it fresh AND if you order two bottles at the same time, you get one free (I store them in the fridge). Another cool feature, on the NuFountain website is descriptions of the ingredients they use, something every cosmetic/skincare company should do with every product. 

Argan oil is a miracle. I replaced all my moisturizers and body lotions with this pure, 

raw organic elixir from Morocco, that is also empowering the women who harvest and minimally process it. My skin has never been healthier or happier, partly due to the high amounts of vitamin E present. Make sure you get the RAW oil and not anything that has been "deodorized". Some people don't like the smell of the raw, but I think it smells a little like olive tapanade and it's not anything that sticks around or interferes with anything sweeter you want to smell like. I bought a deodorized product once and I could detect the smell of the chemicals used to take the smell away. It was weird. There are many products out there, but for price and quality I like Slice of Nature.

Everything your bring into your life and home should be beautiful and have purpose, settle for nothing less and you'll have no regrets. Remember, beauty is everywhere.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Bohemian TwoPointOhLA Picnic Adventure

Attended the TwoPointOhLA  picnic in Griffith Park last weekend.
Beautifully put together by our tireless blog-mistress Kelsi, of 
Dedicated Follower of Fashion, my fellow bloggers and I enjoyed
 a lovely afternoon of all things fashion!

I was treated to a necklace from Crossroads Trader, the SOFTEST tank 
from Michael Stars (which doesn't fit right, but will be perfect for a re-work),
 and in perfect synchronicity with my needs... A pair of Chloe sunglasses from the 
people at Ditto, a sunglass ecommerce site with a fun and practical difference. 
In addition to free shipping and returns, you can upload video of yourself to virtually 
try on and see what looks best, get opinions from friends, AND if you still aren't 
sure, you can talk to one of their stylists for a recommendation. I was lucky to talk 
to Victoria who picked the pair above for me to try-on, which are the perfect color
 and shape for my face, so I can attest to how helpful they are! Since I've been 
searching high and low for a new pair of sunnies for months, this made my day
 on many levels.


The ring pictured is from Crossroads Trader, it looks so Kelly Wearstler,
but was only $15. Since I was on such a roll, I went shopping after the 
picnic and am glad I did! Funny how it all goes together.

I was thrilled to see the Braid Bar, courtesy of Hairroin Salon in Hollywood.
In less than 5 minutes, I had a groovy braided bun! Merci Janine!

 

For some crazy reason (Mercury retrograde!!!) my Hipstamatic setting changed 
itself on its own, so my picnic pics turned out a little surreal... But that suits me.

I'm wearing a re-worked peasant top I bought on Ebay years ago, removed the 

sleeves and replaced the neckline with a silk cord that matches the detailing,

and earrings made by one of my followers! (post on that coming soon.)

Merci Kelsi (and your helpful minions) for another fabulous time!

Merci to Michael Yates of The Snark for including me in his blogpost of this event!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

My Favorite Pikake

Perfume is another layer to how you express yourself to the world, and there's nothing sensual about artificial or chemical-based, no matter WHO is selling it. For years I indulged in expensive "designer" perfumes, $100's spent on spritzing something that now gives me a headache just to whiff! Fortunately there are many good, nature-based cosmetic/perfume companies out there, and one of my favorites is Pacifica. I've been buying their scents for years, after falling in love with their Tahitian Gardenia. 

For only $22 I get a delicious aurora of aroma that gets me compliments every time I wear it (every time), and no allergies or headaches or harm to the environment.

What's not to love?

My current summer favorite is Waikiki Pikake. According to their website: In Hawaiian, pikake means both peacock and jasmine. The pikake flower was named by Hawaii's beloved Princess Kaiulani, who adorned herself in necklaces of the sweetly scented white flowers and compared its exotic beauty to the peacocks that roamed her garden. 
Two of my absolute favorite things are peacocks (my totem animal) and jasmine and here they are, one and the same in an amazing clean floral perfume. 
It's like it was made just for me.  


Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Brunch at Playa

Playa on Beverly is one of my favorite brunch habits.
I go at least once a month, but it's been more lately.
The food is bold and comforting, the service friendly and helpful,
and the prices are very reasonable. It's a great neighborhood spot.

Organic blue cornmeal muffins w/ almond flavored butter.

Piquillos Rellenos w gruyere, chorizo & golden raisins.

Flan de Elote - corn flan w black quinoa, cotija cheese & pepper garnish.

This is my absolute favorite, and every time I get it, I still make that OMG face.

It's the bees knees mes amis.

Side note - For some reason today, the kitchen was running extremely slow, so we were brought out some free muffins and they comped the flans. That's what a good neighborhood restaurant does, keeps its customers happy and coming back. GRACIAS!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Little Dress Lost and Found

Imagine if you will... 

A beautiful little girl's party dress, worn in 1786 by Princess Marie Therese, daughter to Marie Antoinette. The feisty little princess, after some boring royal affaire, runs outside to the gardens and throwing off her fancy dress, goes for a swim in a pond, leaving the garment royale under a tree... Where a time/space wormhole opens just long enough to swallow up the dress, sending it through time to another tree, in front of my apartment, early one morning last week, when I found it. 

That's the only explanation I can think of. 

Oui, I'm keeping it.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe