Beauty Buzz: My new nighttime moisturizer!

I am, I admit, a person with many neuroses. And one of those is that I can't use any face product that comes in a tub or a pot in which you have to stick your fingers. (I also think that the little spoon that comes with the pot is useless - it either gets lost, or dirty, or simply doesn't work.) It just bugs me that I'm "touching" and exposing to air all the product all at once. So, one of my requirements for a moisturizer is that it has to come in either a pump of a squeeze tube. This, I have learned, is hard to find when you are also looking for a thick, nighttime, extra hydrating moisturizer that is also anti-aging. Most of those come in the pots.

So, after scouring Barney's for a while, I finally found an anti-aging moisturizer that is in a pump - the Chantecaille Bio-Dynamic Lifting Fluid!



My thoughts? It goes on smooth, and it makes my skin feel soft. But it is not a thick lotion, which is good in the sense that it absorbs quickly and isn't greasy, but bad in the sense that it doesn't feel thick enough for nighttime use. I also feel like I need three or four pumps of the fluid to cover my whole face, which seems excessive and possibly quite expensive (given the price of the bottle).

I have been using it in conjunction with a Vitamin E oil that I got a the drugstore that I pour on a cotton pad and smear around my under eye area and laugh lines - to try and prevent wrinkles from forming. I have enjoyed this combination and my skin feel hydrated and happy in the morning. Plus, I haven't experienced any unwanted breakouts from this combination.

All in all, however, I will probably go back to my Kinerase Ultimate Night Moisturizer when this pump is done. The Kinerase is a thicker cream, so I felt like it was more effective at hydrating, (but not oily!) and it is a touch cheaper as well. (And, I don't have to combine it with the drugstore oil for me to feel like it is working.) If I was willing to invest more time into my "daytime" or "morning" face, I would use the Chantecaille fluid as a daytime moisturizer or makeup primer, making sure to put makeup and/or SPF over it. As it is however, I am lazy and just smear SPF moisturizer on my face as I run out the door. Maybe when I grow up this Chantecaille can be part of the morning makeup routine.

Suckers!

That would be us. Wave a bag filled with beauty samples in front of us and we're there! Like a moth to a flame.

So 2x a year, our dear friend Barneys gives away a little case filled with goodies with the purchase of beauty and cosmetic items. And this time, the case was so cute, so how could we resist!? In comparison to past exploits, we were REALLY good. We entered with every intention of combining our purchases to get one gift and share it. (I think we were at our worst when one year we left with 3 gifts total!) I will not tell you the total spend required this time around nor will I tell you how much we spent in an effort to protect the innocent from any persecution... But we got a travel case and all the fun that was inside of it! And hasn't our skin been radiant as of late?

oh! btw, Neiman's Beauty Event is this weekend! and they give away a tote bag of gifts!

Adventures with Brown Rice Pasta

YUM! I stumbled upon this phenomenon at Trader Joe's the other day and decided to spice up my meal routine with something a little more carby but just as healthy.

Aglio-olio-esque pasta with seared ahi steaks and roasted asparagus:

Recipe:
-Cook brown rice pasta on the al dente side and cool (note, the cooked pasta itself was naturally more firm than the normal version) and save some of the pasta water.
-On a baking sheet roast asparagus drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper (roasting veggies is a new thing for me from which I got from the queen of the roasters, jessica!)
-Sprinkle salt, pepper, & thyme on both side of ahi steaks and sear in garlic and olive oil in a large pot
-Once seared on both sides, add wihte wine. Simmer and remove
-Reduce the wine-oil juices that remain in the pot. Add some pasta-water, chopped onions, butter and garlic. After a few minutes add tomatoes and lots of fresh basil and simmer, but not for too long.
-Add cooked pasta and toss. While tossing, add fresh cilantro and parsley. And thyme and salt to taste.
Easy! And the brown rice pasta was good! molto al dente.


Back Story:
So I've been avoiding carbs like the plague these last few years and only allowing myself their joys when dining out, trying my best not to cook them (though I've definitely slipped up many times). It was tough at first since I was used to rice at nearly every meal, but replacing the rice with a veggie (preferably a leafy) one proved to be easier that expected.

Anyhow, after watching too many cooking and food shows on TV, I was drawn into this whole quinoa craze of late. (perhaps its not a craze and I'm just learning about it after the fact...) So quinoa (kin-wa, like the Chinese restaurant in Kaneohe that has the sizzling platters!) is a South American grain like food that is high in nutrition, high in protein, LOW in CARBS (whoo hoo!) and gluten free. (additionally, the gluten free aspect caught my attention since my parents have self diagnosed themselves as "semi-gluten-intolerant" recently since they, meaning my mom, thinks that due to their climbing age, pasta makes them gassy. I know, EW.) The granola gal in my office let me try some a while back and its good, it's like couscous in taste and texture.

I vowed to try and make a healthy quinoa pasta for a nice change since I've been in a food rut lately. And during my last trip to Trader Joe's I remembered my vow and decided to live the dream. I found the quinoa pearls, but not the pasta. It was a sad day. I had already bought all the ingredient for the pasta I had envisioned making. So my heart lit up when I discovered Brown Rice Pasta sitting on the shelves. Not quite quinoa, but still a healthy alternative to regular pasta, so I decided to give it a go.

And there you have it.

ps- I found quinoa pasta at a health food store! And while there, I got sage cooking advice from a South American woman... we'll call her Bolivia. Bolivia said that she's eaten it all her life and that when I make it "DON'T over cook it!". She said that part like 5 times. Will post about my adventures with quinoa soon.... and will do my best NOT to over cook it!

EDITED:
Note, my ahi steaks turned out a little over seared and hard... so after my first meal, I just crumbled the steaks and mixed it into the remaining pasta. Just as good!

Happy New Year!

I'm not Chinese or anything, but aren't like all Asians the same? No? hmmm, someone needs to explain that to my co-workers....

image via brisbanetimes.com

So, my Aunty sent a Valentines/Chinese New Year care package in the mail that was filled with snacks, chocolates and gao!Gao is a sweet Chinese rice cake that's eaten for the new year (like mochi or mochi balls; you know that stuff that you can put on your shaved ice or your Pinkberry?)

I know it's not the prettiest sight, but it tastes really good!

The 3-4 day mail time got the little sticky cake a bit hard, so I took the advice of a Chinese friend and cut the cake up and pan fried the slices... hun hao! So good! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. And since celebrating a holiday for my family means eating the foods that surround it, I totally celebrated. (that goes for Vday too and the empty box of Godiva chocolates in my office's break room)

Anyhow, Happy Year Of The Tiger! Grrrr...

Go Johnny Go!

We're routing for you! The Men's short program is tonight...!

UPDATED:
Yay for Johnny, who had a great performance, but landed in 6th. And I guess, yay for Evan Lysacheck (whatever) for landing in 2nd (even though we don't like you)... The Long program is Thursday night!

RIP, Lee Alexander

So sad. He will be missed...

image via nytimes.com

"On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family.

Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this."

-Per alexandermcqueen.com

more here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250249/Alexander-McQueen-commits-suicide.html
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article7024163.ece

slide show of work here:
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/02/alexander_mcqueen_slideshow.html

Mess in a dress

Well, not really in a dress... more like skinny jeans. But a mess, nonetheless.
Kell On Earth on Bravo is ah-mah-zing. You just knew that her mini roles on The Hills and The City could birth a show of its own, but you NEVER knew it could be this good. Yes, she looks like she needs a bath, a brush, another cigarette, and probably a breath mint, but that, along with her straight shooting potty mouth, is what makes it so awesome.



Monday nights!