jojoba oil.

The recent windy weather has had me tying my long hair back fairly often.  To combat wild and dry hair, my genius stylist, Carina, shared this trick a couple years ago using pure jojoba oil.  Most hair treatments will contain trace amounts of jojoba oil but they are also loaded with other chemicals. 

Overnight jojoba oil treatment

Coat dry hair with a quarter size amount of jojoba oil from roots to ends

Wrap hair in a loose bun or braid

Sleep with a towel over the pillow

Rinse and wash out as normal in the morning*

*My version is to attend a good yoga class that makes me sweat with the jojoba oil in my hair, rinsing and showering after class.  It is the sped up, shower-at-night version....

shea butter.

I've been dealing with dry skin for years now and think I finally found a permanent solution - 100% shea butter.  So many products have traces of it but I decided to go for the real thing.  Shea butter can be used everywhere - skin, lips and hair.  

I found this at L'Occitane....

But for $40 it seemed kinda pricey.  Whole Foods came to the rescue with this $10 version....

No more dry almost-winter skin!

bye bye figs.

I am so sad at the end of each fig season!  Yes, I am obsessed with figs - both the taste and the scent.  Because of my family's large (okay, huge) tree, they have been an emblem of late summer for as long as I can remember.  This season has come to an end so I am lucky to have a few things to remind me of the precious few months figs are around....

Last fig appetizer with a friend - figs drizzled with honey with herb goat cheese and rosemary crackers....

Perfect excuse to get out my "Auntie MariAnne glasses" - named for my very stylish late great aunt.  They are the fantastic robin's egg blue wine glasses seen in this picture....

Suggested Wine Pairing:  Petit Syrah 

Fig jam makes the figs last all year (plus it goes with everything)....

The scent of figs is vine-y, rich and slightly sweet.  Since I don't like overly sweet scents, this shower gel by Korres is 90% natural and addicting....

Pacifica makes a convincing (and sexy) Mediterranean Fig - all in a soy based (and lead free) candle.  Pacifica Candles can be found at Whole Foods or online here....

 

argan oil love.

I am addicted to argan oil.  I use it on my face, hands, cuticles and hair - it is all natural and supports the woman's cooperatives in rural Morocco.  Anyone who uses the super pricey Moroccanoil (not 100% pure as it contains other ingredients) should look into the real thing!  I was introduced to Josie Maran's organic line at Sephora and love it.  

The stick moisturizer is great - perfect for travel too as it has so many uses. I use it on my lips in place of lip balm, cuticles, eyes in place of eye balm and the pesky wrinkles that are starting to appear!

For a fraction of the price, I found this little bottle at Whole Foods.  It is slightly different than the Josie Maran as it is not deodorized and has a slight nutty smell, but it dissipates within minutes.  

High vs. Low:  

$15 for 1 oz for Simplers  

- vs. -  

$15 for 1/2 oz OR $48 for 1.7 oz for Josie Maran.  

Thank you, Whole Foods!