House Beautiful

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The 8 Best Beauty Products. Ever.

Best Beauty Products | Covet Living

Happy Monday Kiddos!  Hope you guys had a great weekend!  I wanted to rap today about my favorite go-to beauty products… maybe it’s cuz it’s the holly-days and I see a sea of 900 zillion expensive products being plugged out there, but secretly know you can do a lotta the same tricks with a buncha stuff for under $10 at the drugstore.  Or mabes it’s because I’ve had some epiphanies of my own lately. Diff’rent Strokes for diff’rent folks but regardless, I wanted to share ’em with you guys!

1 – Herbivore’s Coconut Milk Bath Soak, Urban Outfitters, $16.  Camps… I was Christmas shopping for a few friends & fam the other night and accidentally bought this for myself.  The pretty packaging / glass jar I can reuse to corral makeup brushes on my vanity combined with the effing HEAVENLY SCENT of this tipped the scales.  I literally took 3 baths this weekend with it, and it made my skin insanely soft.

HERBIVORE Coconut Milk Bath Soak

2 – Skin Care by ARCONA, price varies.  Your skin is like the one outfit you wear every day, so I figure you gotsta take impeccable care of it.  My skin has been super temperamental since I moved to California almost 2 years ago… I’m sure it’s partly due to the climate change, partly because I’m getting older and my skin is just changing (meh), and partly because I now know that my skin hates SPF (which means I have to wear a Golden Girls-sized hat whenever I’m outside).  I used to be able to throw tar on my face and I wouldn’t get a sniff of a blemish… but since last summer – yeeps.  It’s been REAL happy to throw back at me anything it doesn’t like.  So over the past 18 months, I have literally tried every skin care line under the sun (including but not limited to) Rodan + Fields, Arbonne, Nerium, Murad, Shiseido, Oil of Olay, everything from the drugstore etc. – and have finally cracked the code.  The product line is called Arcona.  It’s all-natural and largely plant based, it’s not inexpensive, but it is AMAZING.  I was first introduced to it when I was desperado to get my skin in check and Karrie suggested I get a facial at the Arcona Spa one weekend when I was in Santa Monica (ps, Brandi Brown is a miracle worker).  My skin was literally a hot mess when I went in and it cleared up in 4 days.  I moved away from it about 9 months ago and I don’t remember why, but I just started using it again a few weeks ago and my skin is now glowing, clear and looks like I just got botox.  Except I didn’t.  This pic was an oopsie snap from this weekend when me and my buddy the-best-DJ-ever were trying to figure out how to use a selfie stick.  But I’m not wearing any foundation or concealer and this pic isn’t filtered.

Steph's Skin on Arcona | Covet Living

3 – Baby Oil Gel, drugstores, $4.  I slather this on my legs after I get out of the shower.  It does need a few hours to soak in so it’s best to put it on at night before you hit the sack (and it’s also messy so you’ll wanna wear sweatpants you don’t care about, or just not touch anything you don’t want an oil mark on), but once it soaks in your skin feels like BUTTAH.  The girl sitting next to me at the community table at dinner last night accidentally touched my leg and was like, “Sorry – wait – OMG your skin…”  I’m not even kidding.  It’s also great for dry cracking heels if you are susceptible to them.  No amount of pumice-ing will permanently remedy that, but if you slather this on your heels at night for a few days, you’ll have cracked feets no more.  Honest.

Baby Oil Gel

4 – WATER.  Maybe the most important thing on this entire list.  I’ve been hearing celebs yap for years about how drinking tons of water is their beauty secret, but until I started doing it, I didn’t really believe ‘um.  I try to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, and when I do I can literally see it in my face but the end of the day, cuz it gets all glowy and supple.

Glaceau smartwater 600ml pack.jpg

Glaceau smartwater 600ml pack.jpg

5 – Domino Sugar, any drugstore/grocery, about $3.  Every other day, I exfoliate/scrub my ENTIRE body with sugar.  It can get messy and takes a little time, but it makes the texture of my skin insanely smooth and all kindsa dewy.  You need to carve out an extra 10 min in the shower, and for each appendage, you need to massage it into your skin for about the amount of time it would take you to sing your ABC’s.  Sugar can be harsh so you can’t scrub too hard – slow & steady wins the race. Tip: if you add a little baby oil to the heaping handful of sugar before you start massaging it into your skin, it’ll go a long way.

Domino

6 – Essie Adore-A-Ball Polish, Amazon, $8.50.  Hands-down the best neutral polish, ever.  Bubble Bath Schmubble Bath.  I linked to Amazon because it’s not always on the Essie stand at the drugstore and can be tough to find.  I carry a bottle in my purse so if I ever go get a mani, I have them just use mine… and every single time, the nail techs (who you know have seen every neutral color under the sun) go, “OHHHHHH MYYYY this is such a great color.”

Essie Adore-A-Ball

7 – Burt’s Bee’s Lip Shine in Wink, Amazon, $6.  Best lip gloss in the most amazing color I’ve ever found… trumps any $30+ “lip plump” or whatever highfalutin brand from whatever highfalutin cosmetics store.  They also NEVER have this in the shade in the drugstore so I have to order on Amazon.

Burt's Bees Wink

8 – Coconut Oil, Trader Joe’s, about $8.  Listen yo.  I have a legit FRO… untamed it is coarse and totally unruly – like pipe cleaners.  Show me an expensive and revolutionary hair serum and I promise I have tried it.  And imma telling ya – nothing makes my weave softer or smoother than regular-ol coconut oil, and 1 jar will last at least 6 months.  All I do is take a TINY amount (I’m talking maybe 1/4 tsp), warm it between my hands so it’s melted, and run it through my hair to evenly coat it.  I get the best results if I can leave it wet in a loose bun for an hour or so (if I have time), but then just style it regularly and it’s super soft and manageable.  A tiny bit goes a long way so you have to be careful you don’t overdo it, because it WILL look greasy and you’ll have to shampoo again.  I look like a member of Whitesnake if I do nothing to it after I get out of the shower.  But this is my hair on Coconut Oil:

Coconut Oil | Covet Living

Hope this helps!  Have a great week!!

xoxo,

Steph's Scanned Signature

 

iPhone Dump: Favorite Things

Before I spitball in a post next week about the come-to-Jesus Karrie & I had the other night & how we’ve made a pact to shut down our iPhones & computers after 8:30pm every night, I thought I might dump some of the inspiration & goodness I screen shot while perusing the digital universe.  Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook – they’re all a blessing and a curse.  I’m still trying to figure out how to find some balance with them, but in the meantime – check out all this gloriousness:

THE BADDEST ASS PATINA’D COPPER VENTS TURNED LIGHT FIXTURES, via 1st Dibs.  This pic was from awhile ago though and they have sold.  But ode to how I want to hang something like this in my kitchen, instead of a pair that errrrrbody has seen 999 times in the Pinterest feed in a homogenized white kitchen.

Copper Vent Hanging Fixtures, via 1st Dibs | Covet Living

TABARKA TILE & every piece of anything they’ve ever made.  I keep meaning to do a full-on post on them – remind me later 🙂

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THIS CALLIGRAPHY.

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THIS PICTURE OF SOMEONE’S HUSBAND/BABY DADDY BEING AWESOME, which – if we’re being honest – is what my dream looks like.  It’s like porn for chicks.

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PREGGO JUMPING ON THE BED, which imho is a way more fun/original maternity shoot idea than the real pensive ones where pregnant ladies are half-naked & stuff.

Preggo Jumping on Bed

GOLD LASHES.

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FISH TACOS (MY FAVE).  I keep meaning to go try this place.  ALL the fish tacos in San Diego are pretty decent, but I haven’t found any I can’t live without… yet.

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NAPKINS / TEXTILES FROM SHOP MILLE, via last year’s b-day list.

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THE WAY THE SUNLIGHT HITS THAT FRONT DOOR.

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DALLAS’ NECKLACE.

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THESE PEOPLE HOLDING HANDS ACROSS THE AISLE AS MY FLIGHT HOME FROM CHRISTMAS BREAK TOOK OFF.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up.

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THE TOFU BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE from some place in Santa Monica that I keep trying to recreate.  It was divine.

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JULIA’S TRAVEL GET-UP.

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LEA’S DRESS + EARRINGS.  The funniest thing Joan Rivers ever said about her was that “…she always just looks so damn pleased with herself!”  Haaaaa – and that’s true.  But she/her stylist (also one of my fave designers) Estee Stanley do her outfits proud on the red carpet.

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KATRINA’S SUNNIES.

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THESE KITCHEN SHADES.

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THESE RUGS, which Kristin & I saw at Las Vegas Market in January in the Momeni Showroom.

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THIS WET DREAM OF A CHAIR (I know, so gross but I said it) from another showroom at #lvmkt which I have since forgotten.  Whoops.

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THESE ACCENT TABLES from Madegoods we saw.  AKA the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

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COPPER + GLASS PENDANT from Four Hands.

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CHICK ON LEFT’S WAVES.

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THESE JORTS, which I plan on living in all summer.

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HAAAAAA – TOWANDA!  Which is what I think about every time I open up a can on someone, which is not often but when it does happen, it’s well deserved.  It’s basically code for “don’t put up with sh*t from anyone.”

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THE PINEAPPLE LAMPS FROM RO-SHAM-BEAUX, which we’ve all seen 1 trillion times but they just never get old.  These were at Bon Bon in Solana Beach.

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THESE FRENCH VINTAGE CRYSTAL LAMPS, also from Bon Bon, which I nearly fainted over.  I feel like I would’ve seen them in my Great-Grandmother’s house… (And then lifted them.)  j/k GG.

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VINTAGE THONET BENTWOOD CHAIRS, from Rare Bird Consignment a few months ago.  The only reason I didn’t snap them up is b/c the caning was so brittle.

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THIS SOFA.  I generally don’t like slipcovers b/c they always look messy and never seem to stay on right, but this I could get on board with.

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DALLAS’ PINK HEADBOARD.  She’s my little muse this days.  Do you guys follow her?  She’s a fashion illustrator / creative type and a great Instagrammer.  With great hair.  And always has great nail colors.

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THAT. MARBLE.  Bailey Quin is also hilarious and uber creative.  She’s the chick behind Biscuit Home.

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IRENE KUANWOOD JEWELRY.

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THE IRON CALLIGRAPHY, THE LANTERN, THE GARLAND.  All of it.  If I ever open any brick & mortar establishment, I hope it looks like this.

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OMG, MY UTERUS JUST EXPLODED.

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THIS TEAR-JERKING SCENE that I stumbled on while I was walking Gus on the beach in Malibu the day after my big birthday shenanigan.

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K.  Now imma go turn off my phone and computer and run with my red pony dog 🙂

xoxo!

Steph's Scanned Signature