When I’m not drinking wine, I’m obsessed with makeup, lotions and potions and of course, perfume. I’ve been a product junkie ever since I can remember, and my bathroom cabinets are overflowing with skin and hair care and all sorts of beauty products. This year I’ve tried and tested many a cream, and dabbed and spritzed all sorts of fragrances. I’ve come up with a list of my top 12 beauty products that really work — and make great holiday gifts to boot. 1. Beauty DNA. I’ve tried just about every beauty subscription out there. I usually end up with a pile of unwanted stuff. So I was skeptical about Beauty DNA’s claim to make a perfect match for you every month. I signed up for the $25 per month subscription. My first delivery was the SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF — a full size which sells for about $150. Then I…
A Fragrant Journey with Mandy Aftel
Artisan perfumer Mandy Aftel is a fragrance tour guide, guiding you on a scent journey through history, filled with cultural touchstones and alchemy. The backdrop to the aromatic adventure is what Mandy calls the five “landmark scents” from around the world: cinnamon, mint, frankincense, ambergris and jasmine. Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent is Mandy’s exploration into a world of mystery, power, medicinal practices and the pure pleasure of perfume. The author, who is also the creative force behind Aftelier Perfumes writes, “Lands have been discovered and conquered for the sake of perfumed materials.” According to Mandy, mankind has a common desire for the exotic, the familiar, transcendence, the curious and beauty. As she writes, “Scent is a portal to these basic human appetites.” I spent time with Mandy one recent afternoon at her Arts & Crafts home in Berkeley, California that serves as her perfume atelier. She embodies the eclectic,…
5 Best Wine Diva Holiday Gifts
When thinking about what to get the wine lover in your life, while a special bottle of wine is nice, quite frankly it’s a cop out. It doesn’t take a lot of thought or creativity. Especially if your recipient is a wine diva. She’ll appreciate your going the extra mile to find something that appeals to her love of sparkle, glamour and, of course, wine. These five gifts are sure to bring holiday cheer to any wine diva. Big Girl Sippy Cups by Bling it On. I can’t help but smile when I see these colorful and sparkly glammed up sippy cups, and that’s the reaction co-creators Terri Campa and Anna DePedrini are going for. Besties since their sons were in school and baseball and soccer, they never set out to create what’s become all the buzz in their hometown of Manteca, CA and beyond. Anna DePedrini and Terri Campa…