Fashion Friday: What's That Smell?

I'm no perfumier, but I was reminded that things can always get worse in the odor department as I was sweating buckets in 70+ degree sun while harvesting lava rock. (As a side note, I saw some yesterday morning on a walk, and the lava rock PTSD kicked in. It's gonna take a lot of time and work to heal.) So today I wanted to share two products that keep me smelling reasonably feminine and fit to work with others.

The first is the best hippie deodorant I have yet to find. It's the embodiment of Glam Granola; it smells delicious, is 100% natural, and doesn't leave marks on my clothes. Made by LaVanilla, it comes in four, all-natural scents: Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Lavender (below), and Vanilla Grapefruit.

I get it from Sephora; at $18 bucks a pop, it's not cheap, but I think the piece of mind is worth the extra cost. I am worried about the link between the aluminum in conventional antiperspirants and deodorants and Alzheimer's disease. While the earth momma in me thinks that blocking sweat glands just can't be good for you, my vain other half doesn't want to smell like a wildebeest and repulse others. Until I found this stuff, that's exactly what I ended up smelling like after a couple hours of using all the other crunchy deodorants out there: Tom's of Maine, Kiss My Face, those worthless crystal rocks, etc.

Now, LaVanilla won't hold up to heavy sweating like manual labor or marathon training. (Trust me on this one.) But it does keep me pretty well covered during the day-to-day, even during teaching, which for some reason causes me to sweat quite a bit. (TMI, I know, but does this happen to any other teachers out there?)

Where LaVanilla might fail me, my favorite perfume has me covered. I have been using Jo Malone's Orange Blossom for a couple of years now. It is light and refreshing without being overpowering, and its citrusy scent pairs well with LaVanilla's Vanilla Grapefruit deodorant.

Its combination of orange blossom and water lily had me at first whiff - it seriously smells just like the orange blossoms in bloom on our tree. And I love the simple and clean packaging. It's not too much more costly than the stuff in department store, and it lasts forever. I have had mine for a year and a half now, and I am hoping to make to till my next birthday in September. (Hint, hint...)

I will definitely be slathering these products on before the heavy lifting begins tomorrow! And since I'm oversharing, what do you use to make yourself fit to be around others?

Fashion Friday: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

I am not one to be doling out beauty advice; it takes me literally 5 minutes to do my hair and makeup in the morning, mostly because I have no clue what I am doing and I do not have the patience to try to learn. But there are a few beauty products that make my world go round, and I thought I would introduce you to one today: Sugar Lip Treatment, made by a company called Fresh. They make them in three shades: Sugar (a clear balm), Sugar Rose (a sheer red), and Sugar Plum (a sheer plum).

I have them in the two shades above, but am itching to get my hands on the clear balm since they all contain SPF 15 and I have been known to slather on some of the tinted balm before a run or hike, which just looks silly.

Here's my disclaimer: I hate lipstick (tastes gross, dries out your lips, and the application is a pain - lip liner, brushes, blotting, and worrying that it is on your teeth), and gloss (my hair and small bugs just get stuck in the goop). But I am a lip balm junkie, and this product imparts the moisture that is so needed this time of year. But more than that, they each impart a soft color that leaves a sheer stain when it rubs off. When you add more balm, the color layers really beautifully. And the best part is that I don't need a mirror. Oh, and did I mention that the packaging is really sleek?

I usually get mine from Sephora, but I have been known to order from Fresh directly, and I just saw that you can get them from Amazon now. I would love to buy them locally, but I don't know who sells them. Does anyone know where to get them in the Monterey area?

What products make your world go round?