flaneuse

The Secret to Eternal Summer

I know sun tanning is definitely bad for your skin and health, so here is what I use to keep me from looking like a Twilight extra. And especially, when I am in Italy, being pale (along with having super white teeth lol) marks you as Not From Here, and it's always nice to blend in. So, here are some of my favorite products that will give you a little tan without the sun damage. 

 

Fake Bake self tanning mousse is my favorite by far. I do find that it is a little more time consuming to apply (you will want to use gloves) but boy does it work well. It's very easy to blend. I use this on my face as well and it has never broken me out. Unless you completely miss a spot you will not streak. And it looks extremely natural, even on someone very fair skinned like myself.

My second favorite is Tan Towel Towelettes . These are super easy and streak free, and you don't need to wear gloves to apply it. It dries very quickly.  Get the medium to dark skin tone one--I do and I am very fair skinned. I think the fair-medium would have been to pale.

And last, to keep your faux tan and your skin looking gorgeous:

 

Tan Towel On the Glow daily moisturizer. This is fantastic. It has a very light citrus scent that fades quickly. I use this to help maintain my tan and it really works.  I tried using this on my face but it did cause some irritation so I stopped. Instead, I now use Boots No7 Sheer and Soft tinted moisturizer and a little T. LeClerc bronzing powder. 

Things I love: running gear edition

Two things that have made running easier and more fun for me are the Joovy 360 Zoom stroller and the Garmin Forerunner 305. 

 

 

I wish I had found the Joovy stroller years ago! It's incredibly lightweight, easy to collapse and set up, and the hood/sun visor is HUGE! Plus it came with a rain cover, a tire pump, and a handle bar organizer. My son is now 4 and a half and is tall, and he fits comfortably in the stroller with room to spare! The lower basket is large--I keep the rain cover in there and there is a special place where the tire pump is secured too. The front wheel can swivel as well as lock in place, and it's super easy to switch between the two settings. For running I prefer to keep the front wheel locked in place. All three wheels are quick release. 

The handle bar organizer is made of neoprene but holds up very well. It has 2 deep cup holders and a zippered pouch for keys, phone, whatever! The stroller itself has 2 mesh side pockets on the insides of the seat area and a back mesh pocket, plus a mesh pocket where the hood and the handle bar meet. There is definitely a place for EVERYTHING. 

The seat can be reclined completely flat and at any angle by adjusting the straps on the back. The 5 point harness is excellent and has a huge range of adjustments available. 

I love this stroller, because unlike the BOBs and other joggers, you can easily take this into a shopping area/store. The swivel wheel steers like a dream and the stroller is not as long and cumbersome as most of the fixed wheel joggers. 

My son LOVES the hood. It is the only hood I have ever seen or used that can actually keep out ALL of the sun. And believe me, we have been through about 5 other strollers. 

The only stroller that I think I love as much as this one is the Burley Solo Bike Trailer with the jogging wheel attachment. Unfortunately we had to leave it (and the bikes!) in storage in Italy. 

 

 

And now that the weather has improved, I have finally been able to use my Garmin Forerunner 305. Mine has the heart rate monitor, which is great so I don't have to wear my Polar FT80 and the Garmin. Another huge plus with Garmin is that they have software that is Mac compatible--unlike Polar which has yet to release any software for their Mac users. 

The 305 is awesome. It's not nearly as heavy as it looks. It's a little overwhelming in size and technology at first but the menus are very intuitive and the manual is easy to read and understand. I love using it to track my distance, pace, and heart rate. Best of all, with the software you can compare workouts and see how you are progressing. And it's always fun to see your route in Google Earth. There are many training features and ways to upload or create routes to the watch but I have not yet had the time to try them. 

The heart rate strap is surprisingly comfortable too and again unlike Polar, you don't need to wet the sensors in order for it to work. Just strap it on and go. As with every chest monitor I've used, I had to set the Garmin one on its shortest length AND tie a knot it the strap, but it is still comfortable and works fine. 

My only concern with the Garmin 305 is that the heart rate display is really small. It's that read out in the right corner, with the little heart. Like TINY. But it does chart all 5 zones, which is more than I can say of the Polar FT80.

Syncing it with my Mac is easy. It finds the satellites quickly. The battery lasts a really long time. If you use a Mac, skip getting a Polar and go for the Garmin. 

Some new favorite things: J. Crew

J. Crew is so hit and miss for me lately in terms of fit and style. It's disappointing how the fit is very inconsistent--a 25" jean fits like a 28", a 2 fits like a 0, and a small can fit like a large (hello Sullivan skirt!) However I found a couple of items I really like and am looking forward to wearing this spring and summer.

Ripstop cargo pants in beechwood and pale surplus (both colors not pictured here)

 

  

the fit on this pant is good because it has a drawstring waist. Otherwise it would border on being too large. The cut through the leg is really nice, I like the material, and I love the pockets! Now I just need to find the perfect sandal to wear them with...

Billykirk wide leather belt:

 

 

This is the PERFECT black belt, and it actually fits me!! The craftsmanship on this belt is so nice. The buckle is solid brass, slightly distressed. The leather is very thick and heavy. And I love that it is handcrafted in the USA.

St. James Nautical striped tee:

 

  

What's not to love about this perfect French nautical tee?

And lastly, this bathing suit: I've been wanting a white two piece since last summer.

 

  

 

I love the cut and fit  of most J. Crew two piece suits. My favorites are this string style and the bandeau style. I have the dancing dots two piece in the navy color way. It's very flattering and provides a little more coverage.

Dancing dots: I picked this up in January. The halter strap is removable!

 

  

 

running.

Faced with my 30th birthday approaching and trying to find a positive outlet for the overwhelming stress in my life I started running on October 29th, 2009. I picked up a pair of new balance shoes and the C25K program for my iPhone and started at Week 1 that day. My husband couldn't believe it--I had proclaimed that I didn't like running and working out in general. In fact I had not really run since perhaps elementary school and certainly had not stepped into a gym since college. But something in me had changed and I felt that if I did not RUN that day I would die. And run I did. It was slow, painful, but exhilarating. I couldn't wait to run the next day. And the next. And the next. And then before my husband and I had to go our separate ways we decided that when we reunited we'd run a marathon together. 

Some days I am doubtful that I will be able to reach that goal by the end of the year. Right now my longest run has only been 6 miles. It seems hard to fathom running for 20 miles more. But like many things in my life right now, I try not to dwell on it too much and just put one foot in front of the other. 

Chanel Inattendu

This is a great neutral. Kind of a warm, peach toned shade.

 

Fresh Soda Shampoo

Fresh Soda shampoo is my go-to for a once a week clarifying treatment for my hair. Certainly it is gentle enough to use more than once a week, but I find that my hair needs a lot of moisture during the winter and so I use Bumble and Bumble's Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner as my daily shampoo/conditioner. 

The Fresh Soda shampoo is SLS free and uses Baking Soda to gently clarify and remove product buildup from hair. I find that it leaves my hair very shiny, soft, and definitely clean. The fragrance is nice and light, slightly sweet and has a hint of coconut. I use B&B Creme de Coconut conditioner or B&B Deeep conditioner treatment as a follow-up to this shampoo.

 

Things I Love:

Chanel Rodeo Drive nail color

I love:

My DS lite and Scribblenauts game. This game is so addictive that yes, I had to hide it from myself. After being trapped in the house for 4 days (thanks blizzards of 2010) I decided I could break my hiatus. The best part of this game is that it uses your creativity to solve the puzzles. Need to get to the top of a mountian? Write the word "jet pack" or "Sherpa" and see what happens. You can time travel, create dinos, zombies, glue things together--you name it, you can probably do it. Scribblenauts is a great, silly change of pace from Brain Age and sudoku.

The perfect breakfast

...to me is a vanilla cappuccino and a trader joe's maple vanilla cookie. Must get out to TJ's today before the snow!

Eve Lom update

I have to say, I am hooked on the Eve Lom cleanser. It really has made a positive difference in my skin. The biggest difference I've noticed is that all the fine lines around my right eye are gone. That's enough improvement to sell me. I think overall my skin looks more even in tone, more glowy, and smoother. I've streamlined my night routine too--the past couple weeks I've only been using Ponds cold cream+a swissper square to remove my makeup and then the Eve Lom cleanser to remove everything else. I haven't used my clarisonic in a few weeks--this routine seems to exfoliate enough. I've been using La Mer cream as a night moisturizer but I do find I can skip this step occasionally. My morning skin routine is still the same--cleanse with shu umera cleansing oil, exfoliate with either clinic 7 day scrub or aveeno scrub, and moisturize with either the original oil of olay or my travel size Eve Lom day moisturizer. I'm not too impressed with the Eve Lom day moisturizer, the TLC moisturizer or the emergency masque.