If I have one true love on this planet, it may very well be chocolate. In fact, I’m craving it right now (and trying to fight it off!). UGH. I may actually make a trip down to my apartment building’s vending machine since I just read some really cool info from Dr. Murad. According to the skin expert, “before there was medicine, there was food. And before there was food, there was chocolate!” It’s all about moderation, accoring to the Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA and founder of Murad Skincare. Chocolate invokes the feelings of comfort, romance and happiness. It’s given as gifts for major holidays and is an ancient delicacy that was exclusive to the upper class. Here are a few chocolate myths…sign me UP. There’s a Twix bar downstairs with my name on it…
Contrary to what you grew up thinking, chocolate does NOT cause breakouts
Chocolate contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and protect the body from aging caused by free radicals
Chocolate is a slight mood elevator, as it contains phenyl ethylamine
The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being
Cacao contains antibacterial properties that fight tooth decay
LUSH Chocolate Whipstick: I usually end up licking this off about two minutes after applying. If you could bottle up chocolate in a little pot, this would be IT.
Demeter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cologne Spray: Demeter has the most amazing scents so it’s not very surprising that they have a chocolate chip cookie fragrance. I mean…if you’re hungry, spray this.
The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Scrub: I love me a good body scrub and guys, this IS a good body scrub. It exfoliates but doesn’t leave your skin dry or rough. Plus, the smell is an obvious bonus.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Greek Yogurt: I’ve been on a big greek yogurt kick lately so when I came across this recipe that explains how to turn it into something that tastes like CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH, I mean…this is basically heaven in a bowl.
Love Heals Wrap Bracelets: Available at one of the coolest stores in LA, Planet Blue, not only are these bracelets super cute but I also love the fact that Love Heals, a California-based company (btw), plants 10 trees in Ethiopia for each design sold. To date, more than one million trees have been planted, which is pretty rad, as they say here in Cali.
WTF Do I Wear Today? Canvas Art Print: Since I ask myself this question pretty much EVERY morning (and yeah, sometimes afternoon), I really love the idea of hanging this canvas print up so I can laugh at myself.
Zoey Van Jones ZVJ EyebrowShaping Stencil Kit: Not to brag but my eyebrows are naturally pretty awesome. I really don’t have to do much work on them and believe it or not, I’ve never had them waxed or threaded! My sister, on the otherhand, recently royally effed up her brows. And I mean that she effed them up to the point that she was crying and Face-timed me so I could see how they look. It was bad, I can’t lie. I wish I had known about these stencils before she took the tweezers to her face and made a HUGE mess! She’ll be getting these in the mail ASAP to prevent any future brow mishaps.
Here’s the deal. Marie Claire is one of my favorite magazines so when they have an event in LA (and NYC!), I GO. On February 5 (NYC) and February 7 (LA), guests are invited to Guess stores to shop Marie Claire’s Valentine’s Day must-haves, enjoy DJ beats, sweet treats and NYX Cosmetics mini-makeovers.
If you’d like to attend, you can RSVP to GuessNYC@Hearst.com (for NY) and GuessLA@Hearst.com (for LA). Do it.
The Super Bowl. Yes…I bet you never thought that you’d read about such an event on THIS blog, right? Well there comes a time when you (and I) have to accept that the Super Bowl is an event that you can’t avoid, especially if you have a boyfriend, husband or even a ton of guy friends. Here’s my cheat sheet to surviving the most boring day of the year:
1. Learn which teams are playing. You don’t need to know details, just learn their names, colors and what city/state they’re from. This year, it’s the San Francisco (California!) 49ers versus the Baltimore (Maryland) Ravens. San Fran is red and gold and the Ravens are a purplish blue and black. Check.
2. Find a good cocktail that you can drink for the whole game.Belvedere Vodka created a delicious concoction called “The Big Easy,” obviously named after New Orleans (where the SB is taking place) and I’m way into it.
1.5 oz. Belvedere Citrus
3/4 oz. Canton ginger liqueur
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
Apple cider top
Shake and strain citrus, lemon juice and Canton into a highball filled with cubed ice
Garnish with a lemon slice
3. Accessorize with “your” team’s colors. Now, I don’t have a team, per se, but since I live in California, I feel the need to support the 49ers. And luckily for me, I have a TON of red and gold but if you don’t, try just throwing on some gold bracelets and earrings. Easy.
4. Find some (somewhat) healthy food to eat. Aside from Halloween, I can’t really think of another day where you might possibly eat more junk food. Not that I don’t LOVE fried wings and nachos, but ya know…we gotta keep it in CHECK. Here a few great, healthy recipes that I found on various sites:
Essie “Good As Gold” and Elizabeth and James Bird Claw Ring: This color has been my STAPLE nail color for the last few months, I’m obsessed. I love the way it’s really more of a subtle gold and looks great with any other metallics, including this amazing sterling silver claw ring, designed by MK and Ash themselves.
OPI “Plugged-In Plum” and Forever21 Turquoise Cutout Ring: This ring looks pricey, but it’s totally a Forever21 find! I like mixing the turquoise shade witha deep purple, which most people wouldn’t normally think to do, but I adore.
NARS “Dovima” and Forever21 Rhinestone Cheetah Ring: There’s nothing more classic than mixing a leopard print with red, right? It’s pretty much my favorite combo and this ring quenches my thirst for the insanely expensive Cartier version, that I can’t afford. Sigh.
RIP 30 Rock…I’m in LOVE with this list of top insults from Jenna Maroney – BuzzFeed
Louis Vuitton Spring 2013
