The Coveted List, November

It's November 9th and you are either elated by the election result or feeling a sense of revulsion.
Whether you are celebrating or commiserating, nothing brings a smile quite like a fabulous shopping excursion (for me that is almost always an online shopping excursion). So for you and for me, here in November's Coveted List.
Enjoy!

So many fabulous things on the November 2016 Coveted List!
Each item on the list makes for a fabulous end of year/holiday/Christmas gift for any fabulous females on your list, including yourself!

Starting top left Nasty Galaxy by Girl Boss author Sophia Amoruso is a lifestyle bible, approaching Sophia's philosophy, music and style, in the same way she approached business in Girl Boss. 

Nasty Galaxy by Sophia Amoruso

This book is super visual, and super cool. 

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in The Queen 

Charlotte Tilbury The Queen

I'm a huge fan of the Matte Revolution lipsticks. They give you a fabulous matte finish, but are also incredibly hydrating, so your lips don't dry out. This new shade, The Queen, is a bold cerise, the perfect shade for the season!
Available online at Charlotte Tilbury

The Foreo Luna is taking the beauty world by storm. Use it to exfoliate gently (with rubber instead of bristles) while you cleanse each day, and benefit from the anti-aging benefits of  its groundbreaking technology. 

Foreo Luna

The Luna looks cool too, making it a great gift.
Available online at Foreo.com

The Clementine Heel by Joie

Joie Clementine Heel

My favorite Instagram fashionistas all seem to shop at Revolve, which got me excited about the store. Being that I'm in Phoenix I shop online, and that's where I found this killer shoe. The Clementine heel by Joie is a great transitional shoe, taking you through the seasons. Great with dresses, genius with jeans and a white shirt. It is a classic and timeless piece to add to your wardrobe.
Available online at Revolve.com

Jo Malone's Basil and Neroli Candle is absolutely the new scent of the season. I can't get enough of it. 

Jo Malone Basil and Neroli Candle

Read about Jo Malone's Basil and Neroli Candle here

This one makes a fabulous gift for yourself as well as the ideal chic gift for anyone on the list of people you want to impress.

Available online at Nordstrom.

Tiffany's Square Bracelet Super sophisticated, graphic angles and clean lines this bracelet is so chic! I've been coveting it for a while...

Tiffany Square Bracelet

Marc Jacobs Beauty Spotlight 700 Glow Stick

Marc Jacobs highlighter

Love. Love. Love.

The pearly gold and silver pigments in this highlighter give your skin the most gorgeous, luminous glow. The effect is not sparkly or frosty, instead it makes the complexion look radiant. (Think Gigi Hadid's glowing skin) 
Available online at Marc Jacobs

The Chloe Marcie Bag

Chloe Marcie bag

This is the most perfect crossbody bag. Stylish, chic and timeless, this bag looks on point with every outfit and will last forever.
Available online at Nordstrom

How To Give Your Skin The Perfect Bronze Kiss For Fall And Winter

I just got back from teaching my Beauty 101 class at the Pinner's Conference in Utah.
I flew out there in my role of Beauty Director for Luca Magazine 
(a title I am very proud to hold!) 

One of the things I spoke about in Salt Lake City on Friday was the use and abuse of one of the greatest makeup products ever created, bronzer. I've had so many messages from ladies in the audience asking me about the product that I was telling them about that I decided to write a post about it.

Bronzer isn't designed to fix a bad foundation choice, or to contour your face. It is designed to make you look all glowy and warm, as though you were just out in the sun.

The makeup transition from summer to winter can be tricky. As you lose that summer glow a powder bronzer can look manic. The color sits up on top of the skin and can look anywhere from Trump-orange to bogus-tan, and if the particles are large it can create a mad flickering effect to your complexion.
So if you are feeling washed out, what's a girl to do? Don't worry, I have a plan for you.

This is my absolute favorite bronzer. 

 stila Aqua Glow Perfecting Bronzer, 1 fl. oz.is a bronzing gel from Stila Cosmetics.

I've been using it for ages on myself as well as in my pro makeup kit.

my makeup table at a recent Luca Magazine shoot

close up - Aqua Glow

As we transition through fall I am still using it every day. I like to apply a small amount to my cheekbones and blend it into my skin for a soft glow. On days like today I wear it alone, on days where I'm wearing foundation or BB Cream, I wear it underneath. It gives you a hint of controlled color that stops you from looking pasty or washed out but doesn't look like you're trying to fake out a long weekend in the Bahamas. You can also add a tiny bit to your foundation if you need to warm the color up.

I love it because it looks natural and has a fresh glowy finish that makes your skin look alive. 

I used Aqua Glow Perfecting Gel Bronzer on Ford model Amberly Ray on a shoot for Luca Magazine.
Her skin looks sunkissed yet autumn/winter appropriate

It's super concentrated so you only use a small amount, which makes it great value too! Stila's Aqua Glow Perfecting Bronzer 

I can never find it in stores, so I always order it online.

Free standard shipping for when you spend $50 or more at Stila Cosmetics

How To Spot Bedbugs In Your Hotel Room

I am traumatized by the thought of bedbugs when I travel.
I've had friends get them before, and their stories are like horror movies! The nightmare doesn't stop with a body covered in bites - bedbugs get into your luggage and come home with you. They apparently are really difficult to get rid of too.

I can't stop traveling so instead I have to be proactive (paranoid) about bedding in hotels. I just read this article on Smarter Travel about spotting bedbugs in your hotel room. Make sure you re-read it before you head out of town on your next set of travels.

One Surefire Way To Spot Bedbugs In Your Hotel Room

Written by Caroline Morse

Bedbugs are the ultimate travel nightmare, and you might not know you’ve brought them home with you until it’s too late. Spare yourself the mental and financial anguish of bedbugs by always doing this one thing as soon as you step into your hotel room.

It doesn’t matter if you’re staying in a low-budget hostel or the fanciest hotel in the world. Bedbugs are everywhere. As soon as you arrive in your room, drop your belongings in a safe place like the bathroom—where it’s hard for bedbugs to hide on tile surfaces. Avoid the luggage rack, where the bugs can stay after coming in on another traveler’s bag.

Next, inspect the bed. Start by pulling off all of the bedding until you get to the bare mattress. Use the flashlight app on your smartphone to get a better view as you check around the seams of all four corners. Be sure to check the box spring as well.

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Now here’s the surefire way to spot them: You’re not only looking for the bugs themselves, but for signs that they’ve been there. Small, dark blood from their excrement is a dead giveaway (and super gross, too). Check all the furniture in the room, as well as behind any framed art on the walls, because bugs can lurk there, too.

If you find evidence of bugs, gather your belongings from the bathroom and ask the hotel staff for a new room—one that does not share a wall with the infested room. (Bedbugs can travel between rooms fairly easily.)

Make sure you do not bring the bedbugs home with you by immediately washing all of your clothing in hot water. You’ll need to vacuum out your suitcase as well. And to be extra safe, you should store your suitcase inside a large plastic bag to prevent any hearty bugs from invading your home.

Find more articles like this at SmarterTravel.com

Impetuous Hedonism ~ Jo Malone's Basil and Neroli Candle

Jo Malone Basil and Neroli

The way my home smells is so crazy important to me. In order to function in the madness that is my work and life schedule I need clean, clear, beautifully lit spaces that smell just right.

It sounds a little righteous, and there was definitely a time in my life when I would have rolled my eyes at a statement like that and said something incredibly clever like "oh pu-leeeeze!!"

Smells bind with memories in our brains, and for a long time now spring and summer in my home have existed on an olfactory loop that mixes lemon with jasmine and honeysuckle, the heady fragrance of Capri and the Amalfi Coast.

I can walk into my home after the longest, most stressful day and in a single breath be transported back to the bluest ocean you've ever seen. It's like magic.

I don't like most of the mass market seasonal home fragrances. Over the years I've tried to give my son an autumn home that smells like pumpkin spice or vanilla and brown sugar and any of the traditional scents, but just between you and me, I can't stand them.

I've been searching for a new home fragrance for a while now, and I've become fixated on the new Jo Malone Basil and Neroli.

I love verbena smells, this one also has a cedar grounding it somewhere in its base along with a sexy yet fresh white musk followed by basil up top and warm sun kissed neroli at it's heart.

This fragrance still manages to transport me back to Italy with a single breath. 

the sun setting over beautiful San Gimignano

Evoking a hundred nights in Tuscany the basil note reminds me of evenings drenched in the golden sunsets of San Gimignano, sitting along the city wall, a glass of local vernaccia in hand,watching over the fields and vineyards and olive groves as the afternoon moves into evening.

late afternoon in San Gimignano smells like fresh basil

The neroli smells like the blood oranges we eat for breakfast on the terrace in Sicily, or while looking out the palace windows at the screaming blue of the Adriatic in Puglia. 

morning coffee on the Adriatic in Puglia

Blood oranges that ripened in the blinding heat of the summer sun in the Mezzogiorno. 

breakfast time by the sea in Puglia

On the island of Lipari we stay in a place named after orange blossoms that fill the garden looking out over the bay at the live volcano of Stromboli, and that line the street that leads down to Cannetto bay. 

Stromboli volcano smokes menacingly across the bay

The neroli in the Jo Malone fragrance is a heady mix of all these memories.

One of the things I love about this fragrance is that even with so many notes it stays fresh and light.  It's not weighty or cumbersome. It makes the perfect end of year gift, be it a business gift, personal gift or gift to yourself.

I read that it was designed to reflect the green leafy spaces in London, combined with London's impetuous hedonism.

I like that idea. Impetuous hedonism. 

The Jo Malone Basil and Neroli candle is available both online and I store at Nordstrom.

7 Lessons On Life And Style From Carine Roitfeld (Via The Coveteur)

I love Carine Roitfeld.
She is brilliant, inspiring and so endlessly chic.
I buy her Fashion Book, I love her coffee table book, I think she is fantastic.
So you can imagine how excited I was to open my inbox and find that The Coveteur had a story on her.
Do you follow The Coveteur? 

Check out their interview with Carine, and her 7 lessons on life and style.

Carine Roitfeld by Alec Kugler

7 LESSONS ON LIFE & STYLE FROM CARINE ROITFELD

The famous French editor gives us a lesson over her new collection for Uniqlo.

By: Emily Ramshaw

Photography: Alec Kugler

Carine Roitfeld is one of those very top of the fashion world pyramid people who, when you finally meet them—as we did yesterday at the St. Regis Hotel in New York where she showed us her new collection for Uniqlo—you don’t know where to begin because there’s just so much to ask. Roitfeld, though, is one of those who happens to drop little pearls of wisdom every other sentence—all you have to do is say hello and she’s off, spouting tips about matching leopard with pink and why she dresses on a Monday morning the way most people would dress to go out to a party. In fact, Roitfeld is so chatty and so full of tips we want to store away for when we need her particular mix of confidence and simplicity,  Uniqlo design director Naoki Takizawa barely got a word in edgewise, except to confirm that she is in fact very picky about her clothes (reason 7503830 that her collaboration with the brand—now in its third season—is so damn good), and that it took 20 faux leopard print samples for Roitfeld to agree on one that looked very un-faux. What’s the meme? I wanna be a Roitfeld? Well, now you (kind of) can.

 

1. MUST LOVE FUR (BUT IT CAN BE FAKE).

CR: “I love fur and it’s very difficult when you love fur to wear fake fur. But this fur is fantastic. I’m wearing the short black one later and you really think it’s real fur. I think, today, you feel prouder to wear fake fur, but it’s very difficult to feel elegant and chic. Naoki made miracles to make this one look real. The bomber is very easy to wear. And the leopard is chic. It’s very difficult to make fake fur look good, but we found it.”

NT: “I brought 20 different leopard samples to her apartment and she picked the best one.”

2. MIX THE UNEXPECTED—EVEN IF THE RULE SAYS NOT TO.

“This is a collection of all my bad taste mixed together. I like to mix things you aren’t supposed to put together—the flower dress with the leopard print coat, it is my fantasy, I love it. Also, pink trousers with leopard is very good together. I like to mix what supposedly doesn’t go well together.”

 

3. SWITCH UP YOUR SILHOUETTE ONLY WHEN IT FEELS RIGHT. IN THE END, IT’S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE.

“People are used to seeing me in a tight skirt or trousers, but these [wide-legged trousers] are more Monsieur Saint Laurent, a little more traditional French Parisian. I’m a skirt lady—I always wear skirts. But I want to wear skirts as trousers, so I put pockets in the skirts. It totally changes your way of thinking to put your hands in pockets.”

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4. STYLE DOESN’T COME OUT OF TRENDS. KEEP YOUR CLOTHES FOREVER.

“These products aren’t so trendy at the end of the day. Even the dress with the floral print. Everything came from my wardrobe that I’ve have for five, 10, 15, 20 years, and I have a dress that’s similar from 20 years ago that I like to wear all the time.”

5. “BASIC WITH A LITTLE JE NE SAIS QUOI.” (IN OTHER WORDS, WEAR PERFECTLY CUT, SIMPLE PIECES.)

“It’s very basic at the end of the day. I’m very basic. Basic with a little je ne sais quoi. It’s just a way of mixing. I’m not a designer. I like a very easy pieces, but it has to be perfect. I’m very picky—the length, the waist—I’m more about the details. Usually I go to a tailor with everything, but this is like couture for me. I know my body and a woman’s body perfectly, so I know I don’t like when the sleeves are too long, I don’t like when a sweater is too short, I like a special length at the knee.”

6. STICK TO YOUR PRINCIPLES. (AND LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FRIENDS.)

“I work on my magazine, I collaborate a lot with very luxurious brands and, of course, I work with Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Riccardo Tisci, and I cannot copy what they’re doing. It’s more inspired by what I’m wearing. You want them to respect what you’re doing, but you don’t want them to feel that you’re copying them. If they say it looks great, it’s great quality, that makes me happy. Nothing is a copy of anyone.”

7. KNOW YOURSELF—AND USE IT TO STAND OUT.

“Uniqlo’s first collaboration was with Jil Sander. It was very sober, easy to wear and go to work in—I like that. Uniqlo doesn’t copy anyone. With some mass brands, they copy and then it’s in stores quicker than the designers’. And then with Inès de la Fressange [another Uniqlo collaborator], she has her own style but she is not a designer. They didn’t call me because I’m a designer, they called me because of my style. We are both Parisian, but we are very different. Inès is more casual, and, for a lot of people, the way I’m dressed is for going to a party, but for me it’s morning. I’m a bit more sophisticated. Uniqlo is very respectful of us and never copies [other people]—this is why, when they asked, I said okay.”

Read more from The Coveteur here

Beginner's Guide To Skin Care

I have been traveling around the country speaking at Pinner's Conferences, teaching my Beauty 101 course. After each class I do a Q and A session, and I am finding that no matter where I am speaking there are loads of ladies and girls who find the whole skin care equation completely confusing, and are frequently using the wrong products or no products at all.

When they read my posts about Korean skin care and the way  Korean girls layer their skin care products it just confuses them more, so today lets look at the basics of skin care.

The first thing you need to do is figure out your skin type. Are you oily, normal, dry, or combination? 
Most of us get a shiny T-Zone, but that doesn't mean we are oily. It may just mean we are combination skin. Truly oily skin has an almost wet sheen to the cheeks as well as the T-Zone.
Normal skin looks basically perfect, dry skin can look anything from pulled under the surface to flaky.

Next look at what your objective is. Is your skin congested/acne prone, battling black heads? Is it aging too quickly, or dry or irritated or sensitive? You need to know what you are trying to achieve before you invest in products.

Once you have these two items figured out you can choose a simple system to meet your needs, using the basics of cleanse, tone and moisturize.

If you have oily skin look for a foaming or gel cleanser like Kiehls Ultra Facial Oil free Cleanser which will give you a good cleanse but also will also reduce excess sebum on the surface of your skin, without stripping it dry. 

Follow up with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil Free Toner to remove any residue, help combat excess oil, and prepare your skin to receive moisturizer. I can hear you freaking out that you don't want to use a moisturizer if you have oily skin, but it is essential. You just need something formulated for oily skins. Try Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil Free Lotion to help balance your skin's surface oil equation, giving you a dryer appearance while nourishing it and keeping it in good condition.
You can find Kiehl's products online at Nordstrom.com

If you have normal skin look for a cleanser that is gentle, removes makeup, cleanses but doesn't strip the skin. 

Try an all natural product such as REN Rosa Centifolia Purity Cleansing Balm. When you mix it with water it turns into a luxurious milk texture and leaves your skin super soft and silky.
REN's Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream was designed for the most sensitive of skins, but is also lovely for normal skin. It protects your skin against environmental pollutants and keeps it feeling soothed and smoothed throughout the day.
REN's V-Cense Revitalizing Night Cream revitalizes the skin, works on preventing fine lines and wrinkles and makes it beautifully radiant.
Find REN products online at Nordstrom

Dry complexions need extra TLC. I am a huge fan of cleansing oils for all skin types, but especially for dry skins (like my own).

Tatcha is world famous for it's amazing One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil. It dissolves makeup and gives you a beautiful cleanse, leaving your dry or sensitive skin feeling soothed and gorgeous. Tatcha's Dewy Skin Mist is a lightweight powerhouse moisture mist that you can use at any time of the day. It makes for a lovely step between cleansing and moisturizing, and also is a fabulous rescue product when skin feels tight or irritated.
Tatcha's Enriching Renewal Cream is dry skin's best friend. It deeply moisturizes and nourishes the skin, and also soothes it - dry skin tends to get quite sensitive, and this is the magic potion it craves.
Tatcha products are available online at Tatcha.com

When you buy skin care products try to get them all from one line. If you shop within a single brand you will be using products designed to work together synergistically.
You don't need to spend a fortune on skin care - shop within your budget, but start with cleanse, tone and mositurize.

Craco ~ An Abandoned City Near Matera

In September I went to one of the most fascinating cities anywhere in the world, Matera. Deep in the heart of the mezzogiorno in the south of Italy, Basilicata's Matera is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. 
It is sensational, awe inspiring and completely compelling.

There is so much to see and do in Matera it becomes impossible to try and fit everything in. One thing we weren't able to do on this trip was visit the ghost town of Craco, which is not far from Matera, in the Gulf of Taranto. I'm going to make sure I get there next time I'm in the deep south, and will be able to write my own story and post my own photos, but in the meantime I wanted to share this blogpost from AncientOrigins.net, written by Bryan Hill.
I've had it in my research folder for ages but it's too good to not share!
Enjoy...

Craco: The Abandoned Medieval Ghost Town of Italy

For nearly fifty years, the town of Craco in southern Italy has stood uninhabited. Here, dark windows look out at potential travelers like empty eye sockets and the streets and buildings of this medieval town seems to have literally been vacated overnight, left to crumble in decay.

Craco was once a monastic center, a feudal town and center of education with a university, castle, church, and plazas. Today, thanks to the dramatic landscape and unique atmosphere, Craco has been the set of many movies including Saving Grace, James Bond Quantum of Solace and the hanging of Judas scene in Mel Gibson’s the Passion of the Christ.

Craco: A Medieval Village with Ties to the Bronze Age

Craco is a former medieval village located in the earthquake-prone Basilicata region of Italy, about 40 km (27 miles) inland from the Gulf of Taranto at the instep of the “boot” of Italy.  The settlement occupies a rock formation above the surrounding hills with its architecture neatly built into the landscape. Perched strategically on top of a 400 meter (1,300 ft) high cliff, overlooking the arid countryside of southern Italy, this ghost town once provided panoramic views and warnings of potential attackers. The city was founded around 540 AD by Greeks who had moved inland from the coast of Basilicata. Back then Craco was called “Montedoro”. Tombs have been found here dating to the 8th century, which suggests that the original settlement dates back to the Iron age.

image via google

The first written account mentioning Craco dates back to 1060 AD, when the land was owned by Archbishop Arnaldo, Bishop of Tricarico. He called the area “GRACHIUM” which means "from the little plowed field." The oldest building of Craco, the Norman Tower, was built in 1040 and many of Craco’s buildings date back to medieval times.

From 1154 to 1168, the control of the village passed to “Eberto”, who established the first feudal control over the town. In 1179, Roberto di Pietrapertos became the ruler of Craco and in 1276 a university was established. It was during this period, that the landmark Castle Tower was built under the direction of Attendolo Sforza, and in 1293 under Federico II, it became a prison.

By the 15th century, four large plazas had developed in the town including the Palazzo Maronna, Palazzo Grossi, Palazzo Carbone and Palazzo Simonetti. 

The Rise and Fall of Craco

The population of Craco grew from 450 in 1277 to 2,590 in 1561, and averaged around 1,500 in succeeding centuries. The construction of the Monastery of St Peter in 1630 helped established a permanent monastic order. In an agricultural community built largely on the production of grain, oil, vegetables, wine and cotton, the monastery helped drive the economy through the introduction of science and religion.

However, in 1656 a plague struck Craco, killing hundreds and reducing the population significantly. Towards the end of the 19th century, the city reached its maximum expansion limits. A severe famine due to poor agricultural conditions caused a mass migration of Craco’s population, about 1,300 inhabitants, to North America between the years 1892 and 1922.

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Since Craco was built on a hill, composed of clay-rich soil of various types of red, green and dark grey clay, with different levels of drainage the terrain was highly unstable.  This caused Craco to be affected by many landslides of natural origin, in 1600, 1805, 1857, and 1933.

Surviving for over a thousand years, the town survived the plagues and its share of thieves and bandits, but finally succumbed to natural disaster when landslides occurred during the 1950s up through the early 1970s.

Despite the precarious living conditions, many of the “Crachesi" (inhabitants of Craco) were still very much attached to their beautiful medieval town and refused to leave. In the 1950’s, the soil conditions of the town deteriorated further, causing more landslides and making the town and the buildings dangerous to live in. Periodic earthquakes were a secondary cause of destruction.

In 1963, the last 1,800 residents were forced to leave Craco for their own safety and were relocated to Craco Peschiera, a new town in the valley below just a few kilometers away. For years, the displaced citizens were forced to live in tent cities and barracks as the government struggled to create housing options for the afflicted.

The Patron Saint of Craco: San Vincenzo

Craco’s medieval churches remain a focal point of the settlement and six religious festivals are held at the city each year between May and October.  There is a small church which houses the religious relics of the mummified body of St. Vincenzo, the martyred patron saint of the town.  San Vincenzo was a soldier in the Legion of Tebea, the army of General Massimiliano in 286 AD who was martyred because he refused to renounce Christianity and worship the Emperor Marco Aurelio. His relic was brought to the town on June 4th, 1792, and moved to the new church after the old town collapsed. Inside the casket is the waxen body of the martyr, dressed as a Roman soldier and lying in a reclining position.

Modern Craco: A Site for Tourism and Festivals

Today, Craco has been abandoned, plundered, overgrown and is no longer accessible to the public, except by guided tour.  While the town has fallen into ruin, several of the buildings, palaces and churches still remain intact with original features like shutters, railings, and frescoes serving as a reminder of the life that once existed within the walls.  Other than that, the village receives visits from travelers and the occasional film production.  Like other ghost towns covering the Italian countryside, Craco is now the focus of conservation efforts. In 2010, it was added to the Watch List by the World Monuments Fund.  As tourism has increased, the local municipality has also secured both EU and regional funding, which brings in concerts, festivals and cultural events as well as funds that help to maintain the site.

Featured Image: Craco, Italy (Wikimedia Commons)

By Bryan Hill