Perfume

Bellissima by Blumarine

A pretty girl fragrance! This one is bright, bubbly and perfect for fun night outs but it also wears well during the day. It's fresh and exotic and not at all overpowering. I really love this one. Cool bottle too.

Chance (Eau Fraiche) by Chanel

Here's the thing. I don't really like girly perfumes. I'd rather wear just a tiny bit of a men's cologne than anything from Victoria's Secret. That's why I love the original Chanel Chance which is almost boyish. I've been wearing that since high school and was looking forward to trying the Chance Eau Fraiche. It's ok for a spin-off but smells much more masculine than I like. And when it dries it has a funny undernote that weirds me out.

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel

Love this one. Sassy, young, and just a little bit ironic, it's the best working girl fragrance and less obnoxious than its saccharine Dior counterpart, Miss Dior Cherie.

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture

I don't like anything Juicy. I pretty much blame Juicy for every woman under 45's dark roots and terry cloth/velour-covered bottom. With that said, this perfume isn't as bad as I imagined. This one reminds me of a natural, pretty girl fragrance. Musky without being too heavy & fresh enough for daytime, this is the one I'd pack on trips to wear anywhere anytime.

Couture Couture by Juicy Couture

In a word, NO. Smells like Flintstone vitamins and is every bit as tacky as their store's interiors. (Do you really need charm bracelets and chandeliers everywhere?)

L'eau Ambree by Prada:

I love this perfume. Soft & romantic, this is poetry on your pulse points. You really have to give it a chance though. Upon first smell its not a major wow, but it really develops on your skin and turns into something complex and mysterious. It also blends really well, so if you are like me and wear fruity shampoos & vanilla body creams, this Prada kinda floats and coats everything else with a cool, sophisticated smell.

Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf

LOVE the bottle-it's a modern take on an old Hollywood spritzer and I love the creative name-but it smells like cucumbers! It's a fresher, lighter fragrance than their debut Flowerbomb which was almost too stuffy with the rich, deep notes of all the flowers. I'm not a fan of the scent, just smells like anything you can pick up from Bath & Body Works. The bottle is beautiful as a decoration for your dresser though.

Parisienne by Yves St. Laurent

An instant classic! I love the way YSL's Paris smells but its too old for me. This spin-off is chic and young and yummy. I had strangers complimenting me. Highly recommend.

Scalp Savers

I've noticed a hair issue that is unique to me wearing hijab. As the weather has cooled off and gotten downright frigid, my scalp gets SO itchy. I've never had this problem before. Everything feels fine until I put on a scarf and go outdoors for a bit. I've tried everything: hair masks, different shampoos and conditioner and oils and NOTHING has helped. I'm usually very good about protecting my hair- it's long, healthy, and shiny alhamdulilah so this is a definite scalp issue. Nothing flakes off, it just itches and I don't know what to do! Any advice, girls?

I've just started trying two products and I'll let you know what I think. First is the VO5 hairdressing cream. It's really rich so I just goop it up & rub right into the itchy spots on my scalp (usually the spots where the scarf rubs up against my head the most- behind my ears & right above my forehead). The VO5 cream kinda works, but I have to put it on in the am & pm to really not scratch. I'm actually not a fan of the way it smells though and it really makes my roots oily.

I also just got this spray-on leave-in conditioner in a goodie bag at a recent event I went to. It's called Maven Nourish Mist Leave-In Conditioner and its infused with pomegranate, flax seed, and Abyssinian oils. It smells great, it's not too greasy, and I love that I can just spritz it on the itchiest spots. You can find more about Maven products here.

Have any of you ladies dealt with this itchy scalp problem before? What works & what doesn't?

Getting Rid Of #1: Red Nail Polish

For the past few years I've had a longing to pare down my life, even as I was out shopping for more items to shove into the crevices of my closet. Today though, I've decided that I will get rid of (either discard or donate) one item per day. Doing so means I will be 75 items lighter come New Year's :)

The product du jour is red Rimmel nail polish (what, I'm starting small!) in "Passion." I love a bright red manicure or pedicure; it's cheerful, classic, and appropriate-whether in the dead of winter or in the middle of summer- I even had red nails on my wedding day! This particular bottle of polish has seen me through a great many 49er games last season, and as a result of its age and the quick-drying formula, it started getting clumpy and I finally tossed it after one last coat today. Goodbye Passion, may you paint the town red in the landfill!

Take Notes

I always study & examine my fashion magazines, taking notes, gathering inspiration, & archiving memorable articles & pictures in a scrapbook.

Thought I'd share my Oct. 09 Elle notes:

Find a classic suit w/ a gleam/sheen to it e.g. Gucci's

Thin red leather belt

Need new khakis

Try navy hijab?

New winter coat: Navy military peacoat with big brassy buttons

Teal heels

Smell Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf next time you are shopping (totally took name pun idea from Issey Miyake- l'eau d'Issey, odyssey)

Completely coat a hijab with sparkle & rhinestone embellishments

Find (or make) the perfect bib necklace

Vanessa Bruno bag- the PERFECT BAG. Save up!

Leopard body suit- why not?

Embellish an old black t-shirt with flat, silver discs from Michael's (a la Dolce & Gabbana)

"Clothes are a constant act of self-definition."

Lazy

I don't know what's gotten into me lately! I used to always be an active girl, always out doing something, busybusybusy, but lately I've been an absolute sloth! Soon as I get home, I lie around the house, all mopey. I wait for my husband to take me out and then when he leaves for work, I either flop on the bed or the couch. For hours. I think I've started to gain weight too! I don't know what's happening to me. This started to happen right after Ramadan ended. I hate the way this feels! In my opinion, we are given 8 hours to work, 8 to sleep, and 8 to advance ourselves in life. If I keep spending those 8 hours lying around I'm going to turn into a couch cushion! Any help girls? I think maybe I need to make a strict schedule and stick to it. DO you guys know any duaas or Islamic practices to help motivate me & give me energy?

Thanks!

Back

It's not that I don't have anything to say (though I do, it's just not worth writing/reading lol) it's just that I feel shy putting my words out on a page to be read anonymously. I guess I just got to get over that huh, that's something we all battle I'm sure.

Ever since I graduated from college, I've been just so uncertain about where I am going in life. Well, even when I was in college, I wasn't sure I had a plan until I got my internship. And then my internship turned into a job (that I love) but it's not the job I want to have forever. I want to stay in the same field, but I'm having trouble heading into the next step because I just don't know where to go! My career field has been hit so hard by the economy and the effects are compounded by the influence of the internet & social networks. Who watches the news anymore anyway? Judging by the calls we get, crazy, drunk people and old people. It frustrates me and scares me. I don't know if I CAN do another career. This is the only thing I am good at and since the field isn't expanding and the older people aren't moving on and retiring, there's no room for up & coming youngsters anymore. It used to be, to become a reporter you go to a small market & move your way up. Well, a lot of these small town big time anchors are just staying & staying & staying. They love their job, who can blame them? But the problem is, that there isn't as much money in this industry as there used to be. Everyone's cutting, everyone's furloughing, and this isn't just about the recession, this is about the uncertainty of the future of the news media. So what's my backup plan?

Still Searching

So, me being the grubby city girl I am, found a decent apt in "North Berkeley" (READ: Alcatraz in Oakland bordering on Richmond). It only had a few major bloodstains on the carpet and the 2ft hole in the bathroom wall could be easily patched up right? Sure, the apartment is located in an old house's older GARAGE and has an exposed pipe running along one side of the studio, but hey $725 a month is a bargain right?I even had my cop friend do a street check and he said they've had no REPORTED murders in the last 90 days and only a few (dozen) aggravated assaults & burglaries. PERFECT, right? However, Mr. Blackhawk here DROVE by the apt. and couldn't even get out of the car! He saw a bunch of hoodlums getting hyphy on their cell phones (was that a gun in their pocket or were they just happy to see me?), and thought that the house next door looked like it was about to cave in on our lil studio apt. and drove off (past the bullet-riddled Chinese Mart on the corner).