Style Lush

Recent Drugstore Finds

Editor's note: For our last week at Style Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Lawyerish

Before we dig into the exciting discoveries I have made at my corner pharmacy recently, I want to say that I've had a great time writing for this site for the past 2.5 years, and I'll be sorry to see it go. As a last hurrah, I wanted to acknowledge my favorite post by another Lush writer (difficult though it is to narrow down from such a wide array of tips, recommendations, and advice): Elizabeth's Gift Guide for 2012. Girlfriend nails the gift guide every time, and this year was no exception. I'm going to be referring back to it all through 2013 and beyond. Of my own posts, I would say that Five Places to Find Quiet in New York City sums up so much of what I love about my city, and the pockets of peace within it. I hope you'll spend some time going back through the great posts all over this site in the coming weeks. I know I will.

* * * 

Sometimes cheaper is just better, am I right? A few months ago, I got tired of shelling out $15 every time I needed more razor blades, and I was also weary of the ever-increasing variety of shaving options. I also began to suspect that having four or five blades was really not giving me a better result than the crappy plastic single-blade disposables I used back before women's razors became such a hot niche market. I ended up tossing some under-$10 disposables into my shopping basket, and now I am never going back.

Despite its grandstanding name, the Schick Xtreme 3 Eco is all I wanted and more. I only use a little soap and this doesn't hack my legs to pieces or anything, and the moisture strip is helpful without being cloying or leaving me with goo all over the place. I feel mildly better about buying these because they're made from recycled materials, but in fact they also last a surprisingly long time. Venus, you are dead to me.

My next surprise success is that Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer has become the only lipstick or gloss I ever use. At $4.99 you truly cannot beat the price, and it comes in flattering, versatile shades (mine is Fig, but I am thinking of adding Raisin and Plum to my repertoire). It's also lip-balm-y enough to soothe chapped lips, and there's a subtle shine that makes it hold up even for nighttime outings. 

Thank you, drugstores, for letting my cheapskate nature prevail!

(Photo credits: drugstore.com)

Comfort and Warmth for the Winter

by Lawyerish

I am always cold. In the summer, I'm the one huddled in a cardigan, blowing on my hands to warm them up because of the overzealous people who always seem to be in control of the air conditioning. In winter, I'm basically miserable for six months straight, never quite feeling that I've escaped the chill from outdoors. 

To get me through the endless cold of this season, I got a new throw blanket and a great pair of slippers that are already keeping me toasty:

The blanket, which is now one of my favorite things ever, is the Luxury Plush Throw from Restoration Hardware, and it is truly both luxurious and plush. It has a deep, soft pile on one side and a velvety smooth expanse on the other. The colors are rich and versatile (I have Fog), and -- even better -- it is currently on sale for UNDER $25. OMG. Go get one NOW. 

The slippers are the Nakiska by Sorel, and they, too, are on sale at Zappo's ($55 from a regular $65). These suckers are COMFY and they are way cute. Cute enough, and sturdy enough, to wear as shoes if you need to rush out to get the mail in them. I wear them when I'm cooking and they give enough cushion and support that my back doesn't feel like it's going to give up on me after a long stint chopping vegetables. They're suede, lined with faux fur, and come in three lovely neutral shades (though only the deep brown, shown above, is on sale). 

What are you using to keep you warm this winter?

{Photo credits: restorationhardware.com, zappos.com}

My Favorite Children's Christmas Book

by Lawyerish

Last December, when I was looking for Advent gifts for my daughter, I came upon this book:

The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson

It is absolute perfection. Think of the Santa Claus that you have always imagined in your heart of hearts -- the one that, even now, as a fully grown person, you want to believe exists -- and this book captures him perfectly. It's simple and quiet and intimate, depicting Santa Claus in his little house in the North Pole, getting ready for his night journey on Christmas Eve. It portrays the love that Santa has for every child in the world, and the humanity that he represents (he trims his whiskers, mends his socks, and pads around his cozy home in bunny slippers). It's not silly and it doesn't talk down to the reader -- it's not the cartoonish Santa Claus that gets trotted out in so much of popular culture. Instead, it perfectly conjures the magic that I used to feel as Christmas approached, and that I will always try to create for my own child. 

The illustrations, by Jon Muth (a truly gifted artist), are done in watercolor, and they are nothing short of breathtaking. Again, they're understated and natural, just like the writing. 

Last year, I bought this for my daughter, my niece and nephew, and my mom. I bought it for my mom because she always made Christmas magical when I was growing up, and I knew this would speak to her, too. It's an ideal gift for anyone in your life who has given you unconditional love, and who has created wonder out of simplicity, which is so much of what childhood is about. 

Sometimes when I'm reading it to my daughter, I can't get through it without crying a little. But that's ok. The magic just gets to you sometimes.

{photo credit: bn.com}

Two Great Magazines for Preschoolers

by Lawyerish

My 2.5-year old has always been hugely into reading. Even between the nearby branch library and our neighborhood Barnes & Noble, we have trouble bringing in enough new, high quality reading material to keep her content. Enter two great magazine subscriptions geared toward preschoolers:

Ladybug is the younger version of the perennial kids' publication, Cricket. It features age-appropriate stories, games, artwork, and songs, and covers a wide range of topics. Some of the features are recurring, such as a comic strip about a family and their always-troublesome dog; while others are fresh each month. The magazine frequently includes stories about different countries or cultures -- for example, this month's issue had a lovely short, illustrated story about a Norwegian nisse, or elf, while last month had a story about a Native American basket weaver. I have found it to be very engaging; my daughter wants each issue read to her over and over again, even months later.

Only a couple of times have I found clinkers in an issue: once, they had a story about a girl who didn't want to go to school, and I ended up tearing it out so that we could keep the magazine but not have to read that (I didn't want my daughter to pick up on negative feelings about school, since she was just starting it herself). Other than that, I've been very impressed with the quality of the writing and art, and the diversity of the subjects.

For other ages of children, this same publisher puts out the following, according to its website: "BABYBUG®, for children ages 6 months to 3 years; LADYBUG®, for ages 3 to 6; SPIDER®, for ages 6 to 9, and CRICKET®, for ages 9-14. The company also publishes a line of nonfiction magazines devoted to the sciences, arts, and humanities: CLICK®, for ages 3 to 7, ASK®, for ages 7 to 10, and MUSE®, for ages 10 and up. CICADA®, a challenging and entertaining literary magazine for teens and young adults ages 14 and up was added in 1998."

The other magazine we've enjoyed a lot is High Five, which is the version of Highlights for the preschool set. High Five is a little less...literary, if I can use such a word for a children's publication, than Ladybug; but it's still very well done, and again my daughter is thrilled to receive it every month. It has more recurring characters, so there are familiar subjects in each issue, and it has activites such as craft suggestions, hidden pictures, and counting exercises to keep the kids learning. Sometimes the artwork is by familiar children's book illustrators, which is always fun to see as well. 

Either of these, or their sibling magazines, would make terrific gifts -- I recommend ordering them now, but also buying a current issue to put in a stocking or under a tree, since they tend to take about six weeks to send the first issue in the mail.

{Photo credits: highlights.com, ladybugmagkids.com}

Book Review: Happier at Home

by Lawyerish

Two years ago, I read Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project and loved it enough to buy it in both Kindle and paperback editions, both of which I annotated heavily with underlining and notes. What spoke to me the most about The Happiness Project is that it's not about completely altering your life to achieve some constant state of glee; she doesn't tell you to chase unrealistic dreams or suggest that living a simple life of work, home, family, friends, and quiet hobbies is somehow not enough -- quite the opposite. Rubin shows ways to find happiness through small, highly personalized steps and non-indulgent self-reflection. I am so worn out by the whole "Don't settle for less than TOTAL BLISS!" message from many sources that this pragmatic, attainable approach thrills me to no end.

I have already re-read The Happiness Project once (it's a good one to keep by the bedside and refer to every now and then), and I wrote a full review of it on my personal site here.

When I saw this summer that Gretchen Rubin was coming out with a second book, Happier at Home, I knew I had to buy it as soon as it became available. 

Happier at Home isn't a retread of The Happiness Project, but it draws on many of the same ideas and resources. As the title suggests, in this volume Rubin focuses on ways to make life at home easier, more pleasant, and just...happier, whatever that may mean for you. Perhaps necessarily given the subject matter, this book felt more personal than the first. This gave the book a cozy feel and also brought the author's voice and persona more to life. (Personally, I kept marveling at how Gretchen Rubin and I seem awfully alike and would probably have loads to talk about if we ever met.) On the other hand, some readers may find that the advice in Happier at Home seems a bit less universally applicable than in The Happiness Project. 

On the whole, I heartily recommend both of Gretchen Rubin's books on happiness. I would say that, if you had to pick one of the two, you should read The Happiness Project, because it's so wide-ranging. However, if you have the time and inclination to read both, you definitely should, and read them in the order they were released -- to me, it worked nicely to start with the larger topic and winnow down to the at-home specifics, especially because Happier at Home references concepts and methods from the first book quite a lot. 

Either or both of these books would make great gifts -- for the usual family and friend recipients, of course, but also for teachers and hostesses, or for a house-warming present. As a bonus, the cover art is colorful and cheery, so they make a pretty pair. 

(photo credit: happiness-project.com)

Cute Lamp for a Child's Room

by Lawyerish

The reading nook in my daughter's room has needed better lighting for ages now, so finally I bit the bullet and shopped around for a lamp to put on her low bookshelf. I didn't want something overly cutesy, since ideally it will stay in her room for years to come; but I also didn't want it to be a generic bedside table lamp. 

After much searching and consternation, I found the Lolli Living Spindle Base, which comes in an array of colors, and has a bunch of lovely shade options.

Check it:

I went with the white base and the blue zig-zag shade, and it looks way cute in her room (ignore the adorable goofball modeling her Halloween shirt):

(Photo credits: amazon.com and author's own)

Two Toilet Training Essentials

by Lawyerish

We recently went through (and are kind of still going through) the joyous process of potty training with our two-and-a-half year old daughter, and a couple of items have helped immensely.

The Prince Lionheart weePod toilet seat:

This adjustable toilet seat is smooth and soft and fits on both of our toilets (which are, for unknown reasons, different shapes).  It seems very comfortable for a child to sit on and feel secure; it doesn't move around at all, which is important since one doesn't need the added excitement of a shifty seat on top of everything else going on with a toddler in the bathroom. We went with this seat instead of training our child on a kid-potty and then having to transition to the adult-size toilet, and I think it's made the whole process go more smoothly -- the fewer variables involved, the better.  While this isn't a seat that I'd travel with, it does stash alongside our toilets easily, and my daughter has had no trouble making the leap to child seat-less public toilets after learning to feel safe on the big potty thanks to this seat.

iPlay Green Sprouts cotton training pants:

We have Pull-Ups on hand for naps and nighttime, but once my daughter seemed ready to venture out in public sans diaper, I wanted her (and me) to be able to tell if she had an accident, so that she would start to understand the sensation of being wet. Disposable diapers and Pull-Ups are so absorbent that it can be tough for a kid to know if she's wet or not. Nonetheless, I didn't want to have a deluge on our hands when accidents did occur.  I got these cotton training pants and they have been perfect.  They have a thin water-resistant lining sandwiched between two layers of thick organic cotton, so they're soft and gentle on delicate skin, and they hold back the flood, if you will -- but it's also clear to the child when they're wet.  A win all around.  

How about you -- did you rely on any great products to get you through potty training? 

{Photo credits:  diapers.com; iplaybabywear.com}

A Versatile, Three-Season, Comfortable Shoe

by Lawyerish

This summer, I was looking for a pair of neutral heels to wear with some of my more colorful ensembles. They needed to be work-appropriate, but cute enough to transition into evening (for the two or three nights per year when I do something fun after work). I am a person who thinks that life is too short to suffer in uncomfortable shoes, and I walk around a great deal, so comfort was a big factor as well.

I ended up ordering the Shelby2 by Gabriella Rocha, and they've worked perfectly on all levels.

I got these cream ones for summer and wore them a couple of times a week, including to some evening events where I had to stand for hours, and even then I didn't want to set them afire afterward. I get compliments on them all the time, and the heel is a flattering height without being too tall for comfort.

For fall, I ordered a gray pair, but I am also tempted by the burgundy and the glittery silver. I'm not sure I can justify glittery silver heels, but then again, why not?

{Photo credits: zappos.com}

Reusable Sticker Books: A Must-Have for Traveling/Dining with a Toddler

by Lawyerish

My daughter is almost two-and-a-half and does not always love to sit still. However, when we've flown and gone to restaurants with her this summer, we've gotten lots of compliments on her behavior. This is almost exclusively because I travel with a pile of reusable sticker books for her, and they keep her busy and quietly engaged for long periods of time.

Here are some I would recommend:

I think Fancy Nancy is adorable, and my daughter loves her. The series has also taught her words like "delightful" and "scrumptious" that are very cute coming out of a preschooler's mouth.  This book has nice illustrations and enough text that you can read it like a (short) book together. The stickers peel off reasonably well, though you have to be fairly gentle with them. We are getting a lot of mileage out of this one.

 

Ladybug Girl is another favorite around these parts, and this sticker book has a great selection of farm-themed stickers. This one is less reusable, as the stickers tend to rip when you pull them up, but as a redeeming quality it has a nice little story about the family's visit to the farm.

 

Since kids (or mine, anyway) can hardly get enough of farm animals, this is another one I picked up in our summer travels, and it has the best stickers I've seen. They're vinyl, so they feel more like Colorforms, and they're very easy to pull off the page and move around. There is also a lot of variety among the stickers, and the illustrations are high-quality. The book itself has a lot of text about what happens on a farm and what kinds of animals live there. It's a little dense for toddlers, maybe, but that does make for a multitasking toy -- more bang for your buck, and this would be great for up to age 5 or so.  This one will be coming on lots of trips with us.

 

This one isn't really a book; it's a cardboard fold-out that opens up into a zoo scene, where you can place the stickers that come with it. These are vinyl like the barnyard ones, although they don't stick quite as well, especially after they've been moved a couple of times. The scene is also a little too small to accommodate all the stickers, and there's no text to read when the thrill of filling up the pages wears off. Nonetheless, this (and a similar ballet class-themed one) kept my kid occupied on more than one dining-out excursion, so I am calling it a success. 

{Photo credits: bn.com}

Rugged, Not-Hideous Sandals

by Lawyerish    

I had a pair of Nike ACG sandals for roughly ten years that lasted through trips to Vietnam, Italy, Costa Rica, Belize, and Hawaii, before I realized this summer that half of the sole was about to fall off and, honestly, they had kind of a permanent stench embedded in them from all that adventure travel.

I couldn't find any Nike shoes that were similar to my old faithful pair, so I poked around on Zappos until I found something that looked like it would foot the bill. (Argh! Sorry.) I have high arches and generally fussy former-dancer feet, so they had to be ultra-supportive and extremely comfortable. Also not so ugly that I wanted to barf from looking at my feet (which can be a tough standard to meet when you're looking at athletic, water-friendly footwear).

Here's what I found:

The Teva Tirra sandal. Although I had planned to get something black or gray, the Algiers Blue leapt out at me and said, "Hello! I am CUTE!" so I threw caution to the wind, and I'm glad I did (they have some other fun options, too, like purple or red). They look reasonably nice on my feet, and more importantly they are WAY comfortable. I can walk for miles and miles in these things, and I don't get a backache or feel like my arches are caving in. They dry quickly -- perfect for park sprinklers, beach walking, and sudden downpours -- and the soles are nice and grippy for security when you're clambering over wet rocks. (I think I'm making my life sound a lot more exciting than it is...) 

With luck, these shoes will last me another ten years and see me through even more exciting trips around the globe.

{Photo credit: Zappos.com}