April Favorites!!

Could I be anymore cliché by saying that the month of April just flew by?  You always hear that this is how time will magically work as you get older, and I’m fast approaching the big 3-0, but seriously.  What happened April?  You felt like a blur, there was a lot going on between the mess of our kitchen renovation, Matt’s birthday, Easter, work stress beyond belief, an 80’s themed party with friends, and trying to keep my emotions in check.  (We were in a car accident last May, and are still dealing with the aftermath and frustrations of injuries – pain management specialists, chiropractors, therapies of all kinds.  It was hard to stay grounded and not get lost in the feelings of isolation, anger, bitterness of the whole situation.)  But before this gets too mopey, let’s change gears!  We’ve got three beauty favorites and a couple lifestyle faves…here’s the lineup...

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette $58, Sephora – I’m a big fan of the Ambient Lighting powders and blushes, if you remember from one of my previous favorites.  So, I was crushed when I thought I missed out on this gem last year, but it is back and I bought it without even hesitating or even thinking.  Please Sephora, just take my money.  Let’s ignore the fact that I already own a full size of Dim Light which is also included in this palette, an obvious impulse buy.  Two other shades, Incandescent Light (limited to the palette) and Radiant Light, round out the lineup of shades in this palette.  I think these powders deliver on the claim to “capture, diffuse, and soften the way light reflects on skin”…my skin always looks softened and luminescent.  I’ve actually been swirling the three shades of the palette together – I end up looking glowy with imperfections blurred with a touch of warmth.  Can’t say enough good things about it, it’s the perfect collection of finishing powders! 

Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara $28.50, Sephora – Because I need more mascara like I need a hole in the head, I bought this during the Sephora 15% off sale in April which helped me justify the hefty price tag.  This mascara boasts fancypants polymer technology which holds the curl and boosts volume as well as a lipid complex with strengthens lashes over time.  I was impressed by the reviews and the long term benefits of this mascara, so why not give it a whirl?!  Though I was secretly expecting to end up like the group of reviewers who didn’t notice a difference.  I have to say, I love the curled brush which grabs and separates each lash – minimal clumping here.  You can actually feel your lashes tightening – that sounds creepy.  It’s not creepy though, maybe it’s the magic polymers pulling back on the lashes to create the advertised curl??  Let’s go with that.  I’ve never used an eyelash curler with this mascara and I’m very impressed by the curl, overall look and staying power throughout the day.  No flaking either, it only comes off when I wash my face at the end of the day.  I’m a believer and would definitely purchase again.  

MAC Lipstick – Crème Cup and Honey Love $16, MAC Stores & Counters – When I was cleaning out my old room in my condo to move into Matt’s house, I found a bag full MAC empties I completely forgot I was keeping.  I added a couple of long forgotten Lipglasses that were well beyond their prime and I had 12 empties ready for trading.  Off to MAC I went to participate in the Back to MAC program.  With Back to MAC, you can trade in 6 plastic or glass containers for a lipstick, eyeshadow or Lipglass.  I had my eye on two lipsticks so with my 12 well-loved empties, I was able to get both!  Crème Cup is lovely light pink with blue undertones with the Cremesheen finish.  Honeylove is a Matte finish light rose toned nude color.  Both are equally wearable and perfect shades for a your-lips-but-better lipstick wearer like myself.   I’m still trying to break out of my comfort zone, but for now, these two are perfect. 

Dutch Tulips – During the Amsterdam portion of our honeymoon, we stumbled upon the Flower Market.  Each stall was overflowing with gorgeous flowers, one prettier than the next!  I’m a tulip fan and was hoping to bring home some bulbs to plant in our yard as a souvenir of our honeymoon!  The merchant in one stall pointed out some packages that were approved for travel and entry into the US, so we selected orange bulbs and a beautiful royal blue – I’ve never seen a tulip like it here, so I was really excited about those!  In early November it was time to plant them, I didn’t find a good spot in the yard.  There were lots of roots and other plant debris, so I researched planting them in a container.  I got some potting soil, bone meal, planted them and then crossed my fingers that they would actually grow!  We stuck the pot in the shed over our harsh winter and when we took them out, the tulips had started to sprout!  They are now in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous…I guess I’ll never see a royal blue tulip here since the blue ones ended up being purple (and yes, I definitely bought blue because I kept the packaging).  Purple and orange were our wedding colors, so perhaps it was meant to be.  But now I’m obsessed and since I’m a master tulip grower, I’m looking forward to getting some more pots and bulbs to grow more! 

Books about France – I did a lot of reading in April!  Unfortunately, I was sidelined by my back injury and spent lots of time in bed and on the couch!  So, time to work on the Goodreads Challenge I set for myself this year (30 books) and get reading!  Old news – I’m a Francophile.  New news – I’m trying to read every book about France that I can get my hands on.  Luckily, I figured out how to work the eBooks program at my local library, so I’ve been borrowing tons of books which my bank account (and husband) appreciates.  I didn’t love all of these books and wouldn’t say they are all must-reads, but I love the subject matter so that’s why I’ve included them.

A Year in Provence – Peter Mayle: Think Under the Tuscan Sun but in Provence.   This book just made me wickedly jealous.

French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew – Peter Mayle:  A tour of food festivals and food oddities in France.  This book just made me hungry.

Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France – Nicholas Shakespeare: Surprisingly interesting, the apparent true story of the author’s aunt’s life including time in an internment camp in Occupied France.

Chasing Mona Lisa – Tricia Goyer: Fluff read about art works (think Monuments Men) and Nazi hijinks in Occupied France.

Last Train to Paris – Michele Zackheim: An American journalist abroad in Paris and Berlin as tensions in Europe are on the brink of exploding with the start of World War II.

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious and Perplexing City – David Lebovitz: David Lebovitz’s trials and tribulations getting to know and understand Paris as a resident and not just a visitor.  Recipes are interspersed throughout.  Probably my favorite of the bunch.  

Another theme emerging here is World War II.  Can’t get enough Monuments Men-esque type books and that led me to find some of these.  Also, I’m really getting fascinating by life in Occupied France, specifically in Paris and the stories of what people did to survive. 

Lastly, I can’t do an April favorites post without mentioning my new favorite website – www.leguidesante.com!  Read my latest post to learn why this website deserved a post of it’s own!

What did you love in April??