Shameless Materialism: Turn Your Bedroom Into A Sanctuary with Diptyque

Hello and welcome back to Shameless Materialism! This column is all about products I've finished up and re-purchased. It is an ode to the all-time best ever products that the beauty industry has produced and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. 

Okay I know candles aren't technically a beauty product. But they lend fragrance to a room, which makes them a beauty product for your house. Also this is my blog and I will stretch the definition of any word I want. So let's talk candles! In high school I loved lady magazines, especially Vogue and Elle, and I was particularly addicted to profiles of rich fabulous women who shared their most-loved products. Back then I was naive and didn't realize that most of those women were actually spokesmodels for certain brands and therefore completely lying through their veneers. But anyway, every single glamorous woman was always on about her love of Diptyque candles. In high school I was something of a Baby Hippie (or I tried to be, anyway) and so mainly purchased candles from this woman named Starfeather who I'm convinced was/is a witch. All my candles were patchouli and ylang ylang and my parents complained but I think they should just be grateful I wasn't burning anything mind-altering if you know what I mean.

Alas, time marches on, boho becomes passe, and Baby Hippies become Wannabe It Girls. I'm fairly certain Starfeather closed her shop and I've never found a patchouli/ylang ylang candle that I loved in the intervening years. Nowadays I splurge far too frequently on Diptyque candles and spread them around my apartment like the fabulous magazine ladies. At $50 they aren't cheap but the fragrance payoff is intense and they last much longer than lower quality candles. In general when I take a Diptyque candle out of the box I'm hit by the fragrance immediately and I can actually just leave it to sit, unlit, for about two days and let it freshen my home that way.

Smells like cinnamon, luxury, and money

My scent of choice varies with the season and my moods. I love Canelle (cinnamon) lately for its almost spicy, masculine feelings. It doesn't smell at all like baked goods, surprisingly. It's a very sexy fragrance to me and I love mixing it with Oranger or Myrrhe in the winter to make my house smell like church at Christmastime.

In December the brand offers a range of Christmas scents. My favourite is Pin (pine, unsurprisingly, but I pronounce it Pie-ahn because it pisses off the snooty salesmen). It smells like my youth when I used to lie on the floor beneath the Christmas tree, counting the presents and inhaling the sharp woody smell. This is vital because nowadays my parents are the absolute worst at Christmas and always try to negotiate for a plastic tree. Apparently this is my fault because I never get home until about December 22nd, when all the good trees are gone, and no one was bothered enough to buy a tree until I started nagging them. Thank God for Diptyque candles and hefty glasses of red wine, I swear.

Now that the summer is here I'm all about the Gardenia and Tubereuse candles. Growing up I spent a lot of time in Hawaii and these candles remind me of the delicate Plumeria scents that I associate with island life. If Diptyque made candles that also smelled like coconut, hot sand, and saltwater I'm sure I could make my cheery little Irish apartment into a tropical paradise. But that might be a little too literal for me, so floral candles it is! I wish I could say that every time I visit the Diptyque concession at my local Brown Thomas I bring home a new scent...but that would be a complete lie. I return again and again to Gardenia, Tubereuse, and Canelle. I'm always eyeing Verveine and the other "Herbal" scents but what can I say? The heart wants what it wants.

Diptyque candles can be purchased at most department stores or online and do keep an eye out for seasonal offerings! At $50 for something you literally light on fire until it disappears it's definitely an indulgence, but I hope you agree that the soothing atmosphere and the Fancy Bitch Feeling (hereafter known as FBF) you get makes them well worth it. I haven't found my perfect bathtime candle yet, so watch this space.

How do you bring the spa atmosphere home? Should I revisit my youthful enthusiasm for patchouli? If they made candles marketed to men what would they smell like? Can we talk more about Starfeather and my Baby Hippie days? Share your thoughts!

xo Caitlin

Le Geek, C'est Chic

It's that time of year again. Students will know exactly what I mean - finals season! I've been spending a lot of quality time in the library with my nose in a book and my eyes watering from staring at my laptop screen for hours on end. Fortunately I have my beautiful classmates keeping my company and I'm psyched to share their beauty tips with you. Obviously these tips aren't just for library geeks, anyone working long hours or night shifts can probably pick up a new idea or two.

Your Face

As an out and proud Eye Rubber/Face Toucher/Lip Biter I've pretty much nailed my library beauty routine. I need something that takes five minutes in the morning, requires minimal touchups, and makes me look pulled-together enough that if I run into my ex on my way home I don't have to turn and run (again).

I start with BB cream to even things out a bit. I don't like a full foundation look for the library, in part because I want my skin to breathe and in part because I think library beauty should be effortless. No one wants to be that chick who spent longer getting ready than actually studying. So BB cream it is. I also leave my dark circles alone, they are badges of honour! I earned them and they make me look tough! But if you aren't as twisted as I am you might want to cover them up. I like YSL Touche Eclat because it cancels out the blue shades without looking cakey or orange.

I keep my eye makeup minimal. I know I'll be rubbing my eyes when I get tired so I like products with serious lasting power. I use Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner with Benefit They're Real mascara. I also swipe a little bit of Benefit Eye Bright in my inner corners and waterlines to look more awake. I love the eyeliner and mascara here because they stay all day and don't flake into my eyes.

For cheeks and lips I like to go with a bright and colorful stain product. You can really use anything you like here, I alternate between Benefit's Benetint, Revlon Balm Stains, and NARS lip pencils depending on my mood. I find that having a colour on my lips keeps me from biting them when I'm concentrating. Also it makes me look a little more awake and healthy! That's super crucial for library vampires. The only product I toss into my purse is the lip product so I can reapply after lunch or coffee - see above re: potential scary run-ins.

In this photo I actually skipped the blush altogether because I felt like the lip colour was pretty bright on its own! I put a tiny bit of navy eyeliner at the corner of my eyes and lashings of mascara. The whole look takes no time at all but makes me look pulled-together and lasts all day. It's not exactly revolutionary to wear red lipstick, but around my friends a bright lip is definitely A Statement and I'm all about making statements without having to actually put in effort.

NARS Matte Velvet Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl, Benefit's They're Real Mascara. 

Your Hair

It's tempting to throw my hands up in defeat and put my hair into yet another ponytail. But a gym-ready ponytail with bright lipstick is defeatist. And that's not for us! Put on Eye of the Tiger and get your comb out, girl.

The goal here is something that will keep my hair off my face, look cute enough for humans to see, and will not give me a headache after 10 hours or so. Enter: magnificent braiding. It takes me less than five minutes to work a braid into my hair in some way and yet people give me credit for it like I'm some kind of genius. It's perfectly simple! I actually take my inspiration from vintage Lauren Conrad on The Hills - remember her pretty little side braids? In this photo I did two French braids right at the hairline, ending in tiny elastics at the nape of the neck. This basically creates the same effect as a headband would but is comfortable for hours on end and looks somewhat bohemian and deliberate. To give hair a little more grip I like to spray it with surf spray or hairspray before and after the braiding magic happens so it'll hold better. As the day goes on the braids will naturally loosen but I think this adds to the subtle IDGAF vibe and I like it.

I don't know how I look more tan in this photo than the other one. iPhone cameras are weird. 

Your Clothes

Again, the temptation is to put on sweatpants, a sports bra, and a T-shirt from your high school drama club. Resist! Unless that's your thing, in which case, why are you even here? (JOKES. Please stay) I am all about comfort and refuse to buy into the idea that comfort and cuteness are mutually exclusive. Now your outfit will vary depending on the weather and the ambient temperature of your actual study or workspace. Our school kindly keeps the library at approximately the same temperature as the surface of the sun while it is typically mid-40s F outside. That means layers layers layers. I like a pair of boyfriend jeans, comfy plimsolls, a loose top, and an optional cardigan. The whole look is effortless and just as comfortable as sweats but also transitions to dinner or the pub easily. Click through to see product info.

Library Time by callmecate. Alternative outfit: scrubs.

How do you stay cute when your instinct is to hibernate? Weigh in below. Also as I edited this post I realized that I rapidly switch between first person and second person in the narrative. If any English teachers are reading this (or, God forbid, my former English teachers) I apologize, sincerely. I haz all the dumbs from studying too much. In medicine 99% of my writing is abbreviated anyway.

xo Caitlin

Just to say...

Yesterday I went HAM at my insurance company. Stupid man on the phone doesn't want to process my claim and is being super condescending.

Deep breaths... deep breaths... My car can't stay damaged forever, right? 

xo Caitlin

Retinoids: A Case Study

I love talking dermatology more than almost any other subject. It combines my passion for Evidence Based Medicine with my...er...passion for beauty? There is no way to phrase that sentence without sounding like a geeky ditz. Anyway in my ongoing quest to learn about the products I put on my skin and in my body I've been turning a lot to resources like UpToDate and PubMed to get a feel for the safest and most effective options to make my skin look prettier without unwanted side effects (unnecessary expenditures count as a side effect, too). Up to now I've mostly played it safe with my skincare routine, sticking to gentle cleansers and moisturizers that don't irritate my skin but also don't make any promises. Now that I'm in my mid-twenties (*gasp*) I've seen the light! It's 2014, I should be using products that actually have active, hardworking ingredients. I love buying foundations and BB creams and playing with makeup, but I want my skin to be so amazing that I never ever hear the dreaded phrase "you look tired" ever again. I want to glow, like a cute little baby or something.

Gratuitous photo of a famous baby with great skin. I want skin like his but maybe more hair and teeth. 

Now, to abruptly change the topic. Last summer in Atlanta I worked with a large group of extremely attractive female doctors all in their late 20s to early 30s. Every single one of them was brilliant, compassionate, and excellent at their jobs obviously but at the end of my rotation my burning question was, "how do you all have such amazing skin?" The Georgia humidity was wreaking havoc on my face, I was in a constant battle of new blemishes and random dry patches that wouldn't resolve no matter what. The very sweet attending who was clearly wearing no makeup at all apart from mascara and lipgloss, informed that her dermatology colleagues prescribe everyone Retin-A long before any wrinkles appear.

The Science Bit

"Retinoids" is a generic term for any product derived from Vitamin A. It encompasses Retin-A (available by prescription only, also called tretinoin), retinol, retinoic acid, and retinyl palmitate. Those of you who suffered from severe acne as teenagers may remember taking Accutane (isotretinoin), an oral formulation also derived from Vitamin A. All Vitamin A-derived products work in a similar way to exfoliate skin (keratolysis) and stimulate collagen production (collagenesis). This means the skin will feel softer, hyperpigmentation will be reduced, and wrinkles will disappear. Retinoids have been used for decades in dermatology for conditions like severe acne, psoriasis, and keratosis pilaris. In fact, their use as antiaging products was only investigated in last 20 or so years when dermatologists noticed that their acne patients had very youthful skin.

When choosing a retinoid product everything boils down to potency. Tretinoin is available by prescription from your doctor and is about 10 times more potent than retinol, the over the counter equivalent that is present in many anti-aging serums. Tretinoin's potency means that its effects will be evident more quickly but this is associated with an increased risk of side effects. Some patients note that their skin becomes sensitive, dry, and flaky when they start using tretinoin. Depending on your tolerance for pain and the "severity" of your skin's "condition" (sarcastic quotes because normal aging isn't a pathological process in my mind) it may be worthwhile to discuss a prescription with your doctor.

Retinol is a lower potency because after application it has to be converted to retinoic acid by the body, so it's a less efficient delivery system of active ingredients. It's present in a lot of over the counter formulations up to a maximum concentration of 2%.

It is also important to note that high dose Vitamin A is a known teratogen. Please discuss it with your doctor first if you are planning to get pregnant. Also retinoids are delicate little molecules so are packaged in foil containers and if exposed to sunlight will be deactivated. Apply them at night time before your moisturizer. It's a common misconception that retinoids cause an increased risk of sunburn but they definitely don't. Every single woman (and man, but I guarantee there are no men reading here) should wear SPF on the daily. There's no point fighting the first signs of aging all night with your hard working retinoid and then causing more photo damage during the day.

Fun fact: high dose Vitamin A is also used as a treatment for certain lymphomas and is being investigated as a potential treatment for malignant melanoma as well. Is there anything this humble vitamin can't do?

Picking A Retinoid

I'm going to focus on the over the counter retinoids at this stage, since Retin A/tretinoin is only available by prescription. I personally opted to start with an over the counter retinoid since I'm young and my "problem areas" don't bother me too much. I'm saving the tretinoin/big guns for when I'm a bit older and need something more aggressive.

The number of anti-aging products on the market are truly mind-boggling and it can be difficult to sift through the marketing mumbo-jumbo to arrive at something resembling the truth. Lots of products use vaguely science-y words ("Nanotechnology! Proteoglycans!") accompanied by photographs of attractive people in lab coats. I'm sure in a few years one of these companies will emerge the triumphant winner but in the meantime I'm sticking with retinols because the data is there to back it. Plus I feel a little better knowing that the FDA has approved tretinoin as a pharmaceutical, rather than a cosmetic. My feelings about cosmetic labeling is a completely different rant though so I will spare you the details.
When hunting for an anti-aging product in my opinion simple is better. As products start offering more and more benefits such as moisturizing, antioxidants, and sunscreen the whole thing becomes a little more dicey. Complex serums that claim to multitask are more likely to contain irritating fragrances or frustratingly low concentrations of their active ingredients. Right now the maximum that any non-prescription retinoid can contain is 2% retinol, so I set out to find a product that was exactly that and nothing more.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, retinoids are expensive! I presume this is a conspiracy to keep us all either youthful and poor or haggard and wealthy. My feeling is that if your skin looks flawless you save money on foundations and concealers, so justification of the price is easily had.

The Contestants

My first Glossybox arrived, containing a sample of Vichy's newest anti-aging product called "LiftActiv Advanced Filler." The website doesn't list the concentration of retinol and mentions some proprietary product called "LR2412" which is also present in Lancome's Visionnaire serum but must be an industry secret because I can't find any information about what it is. At 37 EU for 30 mL, this Vichy serum is a little more expensive than I'd like. Also I don't like the idea of investing in a product that I don't know enough about, so when my sample runs out I might hold off on repurchasing. I've used it for a few nights now and I'm happy to report no side effects at all. I also had a few nasty little stress-induced blemishes on my chin and this cleared them right up within a few days.

Pros: available at your local Boots, contains retinol, non-irritating, cleared up blemishes
Cons: $$ what am I, an heiress?

In two weeks my darling little brother is coming to visit all the way from New Orleans! Obviously this means I'll be using him as a mule and demanding that he bring me some Sephora products because this trip isn't about family, it's about skincare. I'm having him bring me Dr Brandt Overnight Resurfacing Serum and Philosophy Help Me. Both contain 2% retinol and very little else. I'm also glad to see they are formulated without parabens and phthalates, though I haven't done enough research about those ingredients to really make my mind up about them. Still, safe rather than sorry, etc etc. I chose these 2 from Sephora because I was happy with the cost:benefit ratio and I've used products from each brand before with no problems.

Two Retinols enter...

...this metaphor doesn't work

Since retinoids can take several weeks, if not months, to have a visible effect I won't likely be able to do any kind of review of their efficacy for awhile. The scientist in me is tempted to do one side of my face with the Dr Brandt product and the other side with the Philosophy product, sort of a cosmoceutical Hunger Games where the arena is my face. I probably won't, though. As much as I love a controlled trial I'm kind of worried that the difference will be dramatic and the phrase "this is my good side" is going to take on a scary and literal new meaning.

The Before

So what's my starting point? I'm tempted to upload a photo wearing zero makeup in the name of science but that is quite frankly kind of scary and you never know what handsome millionaire might stumble across it and decide not to marry me. I took a "before" photo for posterity with my cell phone though, so stay tuned in a few months and we can track progress together. By then I'll have convinced the millionaire to marry me and I can expose my scary face to the Internet. At the moment I'm dealing with some hyperpigmentation around my mouth, some post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (fancy talk for acne-related dark spots) on my chin, and a bit of redness on my nostrils and cheeks. I don't have any wrinkles and my skin is in pretty good condition. I've been breaking out quite a bit, likely because of stress, and I'm glad the retinols will take care of that too. Ain't nobody got time for the ravages of time and the problems of puberty, right?

Stay tuned for updates on my retinol experience! Share your grown-up skincare secrets too, I'm all ears.

xo Caitlin

New Feature: Shameless Materialism

Hello and welcome to my new feature: Shameless Materialism! This column is all about products I've finished up and re-purchased. It is an ode to the all-time best ever products that the beauty industry has produced and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. 

Kerastase Bain Satin 1 (for normal to dry hair)

Liquid gold

At about $20 USD for a small bottle this stuff doesn't come cheap but the difference it has made to my hair has been incredible. My hair is pretty thick and dead straight so it gets weighed down by product easily and can start looking lank and tired the day after I wash it. I also have a thrice-weekly spin class habit that leaves my hair disgusting at the roots but somehow tangled and dried out at the ends. This shampoo has been a total game-changer and I wish I had bought it sooner! For years I've used basic drugstore shampoos for colour-treated hair and they were completely fine but nothing really blew me away. Then back in February my friends and I started talking shampoo at brunch and it emerged that I was the only one at our table of five women who used drugstore shampoo. Everyone else either used Kerastase or Bumble & Bumble products. I only recently recovered from the burning humiliation.

Initially I scoffed, pitying them for buying into the hairdressers' pitch about drugstore products causing buildup and everyone should be using this really expensive shampoo that their salon happens to sell. But soon I ran out of my 1 L bottle of generic shampoo and found Kerastase on sale at a nearby salon. I decided to try it out, assuming that if I hated it I could always abandon it or return it or give it to a friend. Instead I'm on my second bottle and planning to marry it. I love it more than any boyfriend I've ever had, and will be true to it always.

Bain Satin is formulated for "normal to slightly dry hair" which I like because I'm all about achieving Middleton-level glossiness so I go for moisturizing formulas. The scent is a lovely, unisex perfume that smells sort of sexy and clean at the same time. After I wash my hair I find myself running my hands through it all day and enjoying the swishy feel that I assume comes from how squeaky clean my roots are. The lather is much richer than any other shampoo I've used before too, the whole experience just feels more expensive and luxurious than your ordinary hair cleaning ritual. It's never drying and I follow it up with the Lait Vital conditioner from the same line. My bathroom is a graveyard of half-empty bottles of hair products that I've given up on so the fact that I not only finished a bottle of shampoo but then repurchased it is pretty amazing.

As far as ingredients go I can't decipher anything in the label that makes it any more remarkable than your garden-variety shampoos. I assume the secret ingredient is unicorn tears. What more can I say at this point? Buy it. Your hair always looks better after a salon visit and I'm now convinced it isn't their superior blow dryer technique, it's the shampoo.

What is your favourite hair splurge? Do you buy salon-quality hair products too? Was I the only person keeping drugstore brands in business?

Stay tuned for more moments of Shameless Materialism!

xo Caitlin

Kusadasi Dreaming

In less than a month I'll be lying on a beach in Kusadasi, Turkey partying my cares away. Unfortunately in the meantime I have some pesky schoolwork and even peskier exams to get through. To make the time go faster I've been pinning my favourite summer looks and planning what stories I'll be inventing when my credit card bill arrives. The itinerary for the trip largely revolves around beach time with some bar hopping and sightseeing mixed in, so I need outfits that transition from the beach to the bar easily but leave enough room in my luggage for a few pashminas and harem pants. We're flying on some budget airline that I've never heard of, so I want to fit all my makeup and clothing into a small carryon as well. Shall we explore my packing/wish list?

Beach Lounging
Retro bathing suit styles are really "in" lately but I can't wear them at all. On me they look costume-y and weird, so I tend to stick to a more bohemian aesthetic. Since this trip is to Turkey I'm feeling inspired by images of Istanbul and the Bosphorus to guide me. That means kaftans and big hats with enormous sunglasses. I want to look like a 70s Elizabeth Taylor but with possibly more jewelry.

Here are a few of my favourites:

This Issa kaftan is appropriately called the "Ocean Print Goddess Kaftan." Unfortunately it is slightly out of my price range (694.99EU) but, hey, a girl can dream.

Anyway I'm using this kaftan as a jumping-off point. I love the vibrant colours and the relaxed vibe. I'd prefer a shorter kaftan anyway, I worked hard doing squats and spin class all winter and I want to show off my legs! 

Tunics and bikini by J Crew

Sunglasses: Ted Baker "Biotime" 

Headband: Deepa Gurnani (available at ASOS)

Bracelet: ASOS

Sandals: Stuart Weitzman at Zappos

The tunics will be perfect as beach coverups and then with a pair of denim cutoffs and those divine sandals. I'm in the market for a new salt spray, my current favorite one from Charlotte Ronson has been discontinued and I'm down to my last stockpiled bottle. Hopefully I'll find one in time for Turkey because the babely boho beach girl look is all about artfully tousled waves. I'm tempted by this Kevin Murphy Hair Resort Texturizer because it's a gel rather than a spray so I expect I'd get more even distribution through my hair. Feel free to weigh in on other favorite sea salt sprays!

Also features shimmer. Mermaid Hair?

Today was a particularly rainy gross day and only my upcoming vacations are keeping me going lately. Before Turkey I'll be headed to Tuscany on a five day cycling trip through wine country. Stay tuned for packing updates and wine recommendations. My good friend is a very experienced oenophile (okay, I've been looking for a reason to use that word, sue me) and has been emailing me nonstop with wine recommendations that I can't wait to share. 

Salt spray recommendations? Preferred beach activities? Recommendations for can't-miss Turkey experiences? Weigh in below. 

xo Caitlin