Currently Obsessed with…. Butter London and Shabby Apple

From left: Bossy Boots, Disco Biscuit, Knackered, Slapper, and Trout Pout.

On this Friday afternoon, I give you…. Thoughts of spring and summer — they will come, one way or another.

On my mind: Butter London’s Spring 2012 nail colors. I could do with a happy shot of one of those (I’m thinking Disco Biscuit, that fab hot pink.)

And this adorable swimsuit — a bikini, no less! — from Shabby Apple. It’s only $26.

Cockatoo Island Bikini

$26!

You’re welcome.

Last: a quote I’ve found enormously helpful lately. And I’m not really a quote-y type. I came across it while working on a freelance editorial project recently for Parenting.com:

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill

As my friend Amy says, RIGHT ON.

Happy weekend, mamas.

 

November 19 – 20: Weekend Links for Brooklyn Mamas

Nan Goldin's Scopophilia at Matthew Marks

Nan Goldin's Scopophilia at Matthew Marks

Yesterday, I went to see the new Nan Goldin exhibition at the Matthew Marks Gallery in West Chelsea. Goldin, who lives in Paris now, was invited to photograph works of art at will in the Louvre, with total museum access on Tuesdays, when the institution is closed to the public, over a period of eight months. With the help of a French friend and a ladder for height, she took thousands of photographs — and then paired them with images from the span of her career.

Can you imagine? Free access to the Louvre?!

The result is sensual, absorbing, stirring — some photographs are even (for Goldin) oddly sweet. And, as is often the case with her exhibited work, there’s a satisfying slideshow as well. When you have a day in the city without the kids, head on over to see the wonderfulness before it closes, on December 23rd.

Here’s what The New York Times had to say about Scopophilia (translation: the “love of looking.”)

And for the kids this weekend? Oh, right — the damn kids. Two ideas, both via Mommy Poppins, so click through for the deets:

* The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens — it opens this weekend; beat the crowds and get your brood in there early.

* Junior Detective Day (Saturday) at the New York City Police Museum. Sounds way cool.

And now, more for mom — because, really, can there be enough to keep a mama happy?

My Friday pick-me-ups:

OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark, voted one of the best dark nail polishes of 2011 by In Style, on my nails. Get outta muh way, people.

Dark purple-y fun for your nails.

A chocolate cherry cupcake from Billy’s Bakery. Gulp, all gone. Sssweet.

Gwyneth Paltrow is on Facebook and Twitter now. And I feel better knowing that. I hope you do, too. (She’s in Beijing, right now, in case you were wondering.) That, and I am totally grooving on Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto (say what you will — in a rare turn, I side with the masses on this one.) See a video for one of the tracks, Paradise, on their site or on YouTube.

Last: This fall picture I took in the city yesterday.

Color me blue. And purple. Lots of purple.

Hope there are many, many little treats, pick-me-ups, and pockets of happiness in your weekend.

See you back here next week!

French Women Always Wear Lipstick (and Other Things I’ve Learned)

Repeat after me: there's no place like Paris

You know I’m a Francophile, oui? Like Fancy Nancy, I think things just sound better in French. And over the years, on our trips to Paris and the South of France, I’ve tried to soak in the details that will make my own life a little more glamorous, a little worldlier, and a little more wonderful. Here are some of the things I’ve gleaned from my studies of la vie Française:

Hello, Sunshine! How to Look Refreshed On No Sleep

One more cup of coffee

As parents, we spend a fair amount of nighttime hours awake, comforting kids who are afraid, sick, or had to go to the bathroom; not to mention those of us awake with their feeding and fussing newborns. Even when we get to go to bed, we often lie awake, either too keyed up from the evening’s events or simply worrying.

And that means looking at yourself in the mirror the next morning and seeing reflected, well, a zombie.

Here are some tools to fool the public into thinking you are well-rested, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (don’t ask me what a bushy tail has to do with this- it’s just an expression).

First stop for me, a stop I’ve been making since I was 19, is the Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel from The Body Shop.

Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel

I love this product; the cool combination of witch hazel and elderflower makes my tired eyes feel bright (and you can get even more of a punch from it if you keep it in the fridge). It’s only $10 at The Body Shop (buy 2 get one free!- 3 will last you the year if you use it every day), and also available on Amazon.

The only thing is that I DO use it everyday. And on those really tired days, it makes me feel better to have reinforcements. So, I also use Lotus Eye Gel from Fresh.

Lotus Eye Gel by Fresh, courtesy of Sephora

This stuff has a wonderful smell, and promises to alleviate under eye circles. I think it works pretty well, and usually put it on first, chasing it with the Elderflower Eye Gel. Probably overkill, but makes me happy–and I think it works.

Next, undereye concealer. Whatever you regularly use. Then, and this is important, pick up your tinted concealer and put it on. Nothing like a little glow to take the gray out of your skin. I’m a fan of Clinique tinted moisturizer, but whatever works for you. Brush on a nice light powder and a warm blush.

Time for a moment of confession: I was a charter subscriber to Allure.  I take their annual Best of Beauty list seriously, scouring it for new and better product recommendations. And one product that makes the list so regularly that like Great Lash mascara it was retired into a Hall of Fame, is the Shu Uemura eyelash curler.

Shu Uemura eyelash curler, courtesy of Shu Uemura

I resisted this device for years (really, all through high school and up until my mid-thirties), but after a long night awake, I can promise it will give you that my-eyes-are-wide-open surprised look without the surgery.

It helps. Alot.

Mascara, now. And some warm gloss tone on the lips.

If you are STILL not looking all glowy and well-rested, there are options. I’d recommend Benefit’s Ooh La Lift to further tame any lingering dark circles and add some brightness around your eyes.

One more tip: when getting dressed, it’s crucial you follow the ASCOB (any solid color other than black- thank you Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show) rule. Actually, it doesn’t have to be a solid color, just anything but black. Brighten up!

Then step out with your cup of coffee and GO GET ‘EM, gorgeous!