1/1/09
By Kim Myers
This is not about cosmetics or anything even close. This is a true Christmas miracle that happened to me and my family over the holidays. I thought it would be inspirational for the New Year and maybe provide faith for those who may not believe.
On December 5th my husband, my mom, our three sons, and I went to N.Y.C. for the weekend. This date is the second anniversary of my father’s death which was ironic. That evening my husband was at the hotel sick and my mom and I had the kids walking around and looking at all the window decorations. My mom was taking pictures of the store windows when she realized she had lost her purse. We immediately went back into the department store we had been in. It was 9:00 p.m. so the store had closed but, they let us in to look for her purse. My oldest son Blair (11) and I sat by the front door of the store while mom, my middle son Brecklin (9) and youngest Brennan (4) followed her onto the escalator. No one was in the store except a few employees and security personnel. After approximately 30-35 minutes my mom came back down and we were already heading out the door and across the street when I looked back and asked her "where is Brennan?" He is the 4 year old. Mom said she thought he was with me and I told her he followed her and Brecklin onto the escalator. Immediately, we turned around heading to the store where, right in front stood a traffic policeman and my mom grabbed him by the shoulders and exclaimed "we’ve lost a child!" The officer said "we’ve got him". He looked straight at me and said "you’re the mother aren’t you?" and I said yes. I just fell onto him and we just held each other. Amazingly, I was quite calm other than all the whistles going off inside my head of what could have happened. I was a police officer for 7 years so I knew all the consequences, but the entire time which wasn’t much, I had faith that he would be found. The officer said a German tourist couple found my son outside crossing the busiest intersection in N.Y.C. during this time of year. People were literally walking side by side. We found Brennan in the back of a police van eating a huge pretzel and drinking Gatorade. He wasn’t upset in the least. The officer, whose nickname was "Obie," said Brennan just kept giving him the "thumbs up" every time he asked him a question.
If that wasn’t enough of a miracle, when we arrived back at the hotel my husband said a call came in and someone had found my mom’s purse on the street at that same intersection. All money, credit cards, and contents were still intact. The people who found it wouldn’t even accept a reward. They said "we are just that kind of people". I believe they were Polish.
I saw "Obie", Nate O’Bleamis, working a different intersection a couple days later and once again we hugged and talked and had our picture taken with him. These were just a couple of things that happened to us while there but we prayed constantly and God answered our prayers. We encountered a couple other "un-cool" situations and prayed and just as soon as we asked, we received. It is just amazing what can happen when you have faith.
My mom actually wrote something up about this to send to the news channel but, she couldn’t ever get it to go through. The next week while going through my emails I saw where she saved what she wrote so I brushed it up a bit and sent it to our local NBC news affiliate. The reporter contacted me the very next day and they came out to do a story on us. They called it "The Christmas Miracle". The very first thing you see in the interview is my son Brennan and I praying like we do at night and thanking God for his safe return. I told the reporter what I really wanted people to get if nothing else is "if you have faith then you have everything". I can even vouch for blind faith on many occasions. She had a couple of tears come to her eyes. I didn’t tell anyone about the news story but, the people who did see it responded and told me that was exactly what they got from the story which made me very happy because I knew it made them happy. Hopefully, many people will be inspired and Believe, Believe, Believe! Jesus is with us. He is in everything around us and we can certainly feel His presence. Invite Him into your New Year! Kim Myers
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
More Exotic Parfum Sets for Christmas
Once again another luxury exclusive gift is here. This one is a bit on the pricey side ($240) but, considering you get all essential oils, it may not be a poor purchase as oils last longer than the actual perfume itself. "Balm Balm Seven Eau de Parfum Gift Set" consists of seven different parfum oils with combination cards for mixing or you may get creative and come up with your own little brew. The seven oils are ylang ylang, spearmint, rose geranium, petitgrain, mandarin, lavender, and bergamot. These are all single note essential oils. These can be worn by both men and women. With any purchase of Balm Balm products a free "Rose Geranium" lip balm is received. Each fragrance oil can be purchased separately also.
Here are just a few "types" of scents you can create when mixing certain oils:
Simplicity – one single note
Outrageous – all notes worn together
Artsy – ylang ylang, petitgrain, and rose geranium
Studious – spearmint, lavender, and bergamot
Masculine – petitgrain, bergamot, and spearmint
Feminine – rose geranium and lavender
Fun – bergamot and mandarin
Bold – ylang ylang, petitgrain, and bergamot
Sexy – ylang ylang and rose geranium
Innocent – lavender, mandarin, and bergamot
Romantic – rose geranium, and mandarin
Refreshing – bergamot and spearmint
Simplicity – one single note
Outrageous – all notes worn together
Artsy – ylang ylang, petitgrain, and rose geranium
Studious – spearmint, lavender, and bergamot
Masculine – petitgrain, bergamot, and spearmint
Feminine – rose geranium and lavender
Fun – bergamot and mandarin
Bold – ylang ylang, petitgrain, and bergamot
Sexy – ylang ylang and rose geranium
Innocent – lavender, mandarin, and bergamot
Romantic – rose geranium, and mandarin
Refreshing – bergamot and spearmint
Another neat little gift is "Tsi-La Organics Eau de Parfum Mini Collection" ($95). This set comes with four perfumes, "Kesu"(amber, incense, jasmine, lime), "Fleur Sauvage(tuberose, jasmine, neroli, bergamot)", "Ilang Ilang(sugared citrus fruits, vanilla orchids), and "Kizes(Sicilian bergamot, citron, elderflower, tuberose, jasmine, orange flower, candied citrus, creamy flowers)". Each of these scents can also be purchased separately too.
Both of the above sets can be purchased at beautyhabit.com or call (800) 377-8771.
Kim Myers @ wahuhi@comcast.net
Monday, December 22, 2008
Top 3 Wonderful Winter Fragrances
Winter is my favorite time of year for fragrance. Scents seem to last longer on the skin and it seems more appropriate to wear the stronger ones. Here are my top 3 picks for winter. These are the ones I love wearing now and the good thing about all of them is they are very long-lasting.
1. My favorite still year after year next to Angelique Encens by Creed is “Neiges Lise Watier” or “Snow Water” (1993). This is Canada’s #1 perfume and it’s easy to understand why. The notes don’t seem like “winter” notes but in their own way they are so soft and relaxing. “Neiges” is a clean white soft floral. It is powdery and very feminine. Notes consist of white flowers, hyacinth, lily of the valley, jasmine, magnolia, orange blossom, and musk. Wearing this makes me think of the color white and snow, wanting snow, and wanting to be snowed in. It’s a good scent for winter and the warmer months too.
2. “L’Instant” de Guerlain” (2003) runs a close second. I absolutely love wearing this. People around me seem to like it and always ask about it. Top notes are rosewood, lilac, bergamot, and mandarin. Mid-notes consists of magnolia, iris, citrus, honey, lemon and orange blossoms and base notes are benzoin, vanilla, and clean white amber. I think the mix of honey and amber really set this one off. This fragrance, while wearing, might make you ask someone “come sit beside me”, “come close”, “I’ll comfort you”, or “I’ll take care of you”. There is definitely something about L’Instant that just seems to make your worries go away. Of course, it’s hard to go wrong at the House of Guerlain.
3. “Frapin 1270” is the most unusual of all 3 scents because it is a bit stronger yet smooth in a good way. 1270 is the year the Frapin family established itself in the Cognac region of France and where they still remain today. Frapin can only be described as an equivalent to a dry, rich, velvety, smooth cognac, although it contains no cognac. Its notes are reminiscent of the vineyard grasses, the wine warehouses, the smell of damp earth in the cellars, the wood of new casks, and the humus where cognacs are stored. It can also be compared to an aged sugary fruit cake with notes of exotic woods, spice, raisin, vine flowers, pepper, candied orange, nut, hazelnut, prune, cocoa, coffee, white honey, vanilla, and amber. Luckily, this one is unisex so you guys and gals can share a bottle. I can guarantee this will soon become a classic indeed. This is one that if on a piece of clothing such as a coat and another person put that coat on they’d never want to take it off. Better yet, have the person you want to wear it and just don’t let go.
Kim Myers
1. My favorite still year after year next to Angelique Encens by Creed is “Neiges Lise Watier” or “Snow Water” (1993). This is Canada’s #1 perfume and it’s easy to understand why. The notes don’t seem like “winter” notes but in their own way they are so soft and relaxing. “Neiges” is a clean white soft floral. It is powdery and very feminine. Notes consist of white flowers, hyacinth, lily of the valley, jasmine, magnolia, orange blossom, and musk. Wearing this makes me think of the color white and snow, wanting snow, and wanting to be snowed in. It’s a good scent for winter and the warmer months too.
2. “L’Instant” de Guerlain” (2003) runs a close second. I absolutely love wearing this. People around me seem to like it and always ask about it. Top notes are rosewood, lilac, bergamot, and mandarin. Mid-notes consists of magnolia, iris, citrus, honey, lemon and orange blossoms and base notes are benzoin, vanilla, and clean white amber. I think the mix of honey and amber really set this one off. This fragrance, while wearing, might make you ask someone “come sit beside me”, “come close”, “I’ll comfort you”, or “I’ll take care of you”. There is definitely something about L’Instant that just seems to make your worries go away. Of course, it’s hard to go wrong at the House of Guerlain.
3. “Frapin 1270” is the most unusual of all 3 scents because it is a bit stronger yet smooth in a good way. 1270 is the year the Frapin family established itself in the Cognac region of France and where they still remain today. Frapin can only be described as an equivalent to a dry, rich, velvety, smooth cognac, although it contains no cognac. Its notes are reminiscent of the vineyard grasses, the wine warehouses, the smell of damp earth in the cellars, the wood of new casks, and the humus where cognacs are stored. It can also be compared to an aged sugary fruit cake with notes of exotic woods, spice, raisin, vine flowers, pepper, candied orange, nut, hazelnut, prune, cocoa, coffee, white honey, vanilla, and amber. Luckily, this one is unisex so you guys and gals can share a bottle. I can guarantee this will soon become a classic indeed. This is one that if on a piece of clothing such as a coat and another person put that coat on they’d never want to take it off. Better yet, have the person you want to wear it and just don’t let go.
Kim Myers
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Presenting HARAJUKU LOVERS Fragrance in Collector Bottles- Dec. 11, 2008
By Kim Myers
Harajuku (Japanese) meaning: 1. A style and attitude of Japanese girls from Harajuku, Tokyo. 2. Anything goes: outrageous, layered, and eye-catching.
These are the new little gals out inspired by the albums of Gwen Stefani, lyrics and all. If you are an avid collector of exotic perfume bottles then you can’t miss out on these. They are delightful and cute. "G", aka "Gwen" is The Leader of the Pack with her white corseted top and little blue miniskirt. She is so cool with fragrance notes of fresh coconut, jasmine and cotton woods. "Love" is Sweet Stuff with her striped mini-dress and street-chic red kicks. Her scent is unforgettable with notes of pink pomelo, rose, and creamy vanilla orchid. It is the most distinct fragrance of the set. "Lil" Angel is Sassy, Sexy, and Cool and she’s got your back when you’re in a pinch. She’s ready to kick butt. She’s the little guardian with her schoolgirl outfit and notes of sweet citrus floral, pineapple, candied violet, and lollipop accord. How could you not like her? Next is "Music" the Tough Cookie who is charismatic and tells it like it is. She wears her smocked sailor outfit and black lace-up boxing boots. Her scent range is sparkling and yummy with pear, sweet pea, and sleek wood. Lastly, is "Baby" who is Girlie and Sweet. Her style is "bring on the boys", I can handle them in the palm of my hand. She has everyone stuttering over notes of powdery florals with white rose, orange flower, and white musk. She is pure baby in a bottle.
These little doll- like figures range in price from $25 to $45 and also come in a perfume solid set for $60. They are beautiful to have on display and will have everyone asking about them. Try to collect all five. "Love" is my favorite, followed by "Baby". They can be purchased at sephora.com, Nordstrom, and other fine department stores. Hurry, they are selling like hot cakes.
Harajuku (Japanese) meaning: 1. A style and attitude of Japanese girls from Harajuku, Tokyo. 2. Anything goes: outrageous, layered, and eye-catching.
These are the new little gals out inspired by the albums of Gwen Stefani, lyrics and all. If you are an avid collector of exotic perfume bottles then you can’t miss out on these. They are delightful and cute. "G", aka "Gwen" is The Leader of the Pack with her white corseted top and little blue miniskirt. She is so cool with fragrance notes of fresh coconut, jasmine and cotton woods. "Love" is Sweet Stuff with her striped mini-dress and street-chic red kicks. Her scent is unforgettable with notes of pink pomelo, rose, and creamy vanilla orchid. It is the most distinct fragrance of the set. "Lil" Angel is Sassy, Sexy, and Cool and she’s got your back when you’re in a pinch. She’s ready to kick butt. She’s the little guardian with her schoolgirl outfit and notes of sweet citrus floral, pineapple, candied violet, and lollipop accord. How could you not like her? Next is "Music" the Tough Cookie who is charismatic and tells it like it is. She wears her smocked sailor outfit and black lace-up boxing boots. Her scent range is sparkling and yummy with pear, sweet pea, and sleek wood. Lastly, is "Baby" who is Girlie and Sweet. Her style is "bring on the boys", I can handle them in the palm of my hand. She has everyone stuttering over notes of powdery florals with white rose, orange flower, and white musk. She is pure baby in a bottle.
These little doll- like figures range in price from $25 to $45 and also come in a perfume solid set for $60. They are beautiful to have on display and will have everyone asking about them. Try to collect all five. "Love" is my favorite, followed by "Baby". They can be purchased at sephora.com, Nordstrom, and other fine department stores. Hurry, they are selling like hot cakes.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Luxury Gift Sets for Christmas
By Kim Myers
This column is for the "big spender" who doesn’t mind playing Santa Claus. These sets are $100 or over. There were many sets to choose from, but these were narrowed down accordingly. So here they are. The nice thing about sets is not only does "one" person receive pleasure from it because it’s so lavish, but also each item in the set can be used as separate gifts or stocking stuffers for many others. Therefore, you get your spending out of the way in one shot and sometimes for males/females at the same time.
1. One of the coolest lipstick sets I’ve found especially if you are a "red" girl and can pull it off is the "Noir" collection by Julie Hewett ($100). Hewett was the makeup artist on the set of the movie Pearl Harbor. She wanted lipsticks that were similar to the colors of the period and also waterproof for the climate and underwater scenes. The set contains 6 shades of noir reds from "Nude", which is a neutral light golden shimmer red, "Femme", "Belle", "Coco", which is kind of a reddish brown tone for anyone afraid to wear red, "Rouge", which is an orange/red, and "Sin", which is a darker aubergine color that can be used as a stain or deepened for full effect. All lipsticks are heavily pigmented and long-wearing. The colors are remarkable, but if there is a color you don’t like, it can be exchanged for another color on her website. Just write the color you want to exchange for the color you’d rather have in the "comments" box (juliehewett.net or 818-559-7488).
2. If you’ve never experienced "Lush" products, you don’t know what you’re missing. These are all natural, some vegan, and smell heavenly. They use many essential oils and the company has a variety of unusual bath and body products. For Christmas, I like the "Merry Christmas Holiday Gift Set" (139.95). This is a huge set containing the following bath and body products: Christmas Party bath bomb; Jingle Spells bath bomb; Lush Pud bath bomb; Mr. Butterball vanilla tonic bath bomb; Twinkle Star bath bomb; Witches Ball bubble bar; Candy Cane solid bubble bath; Christmas Kisses bubble bar; Marzibain bubble bar (an almond favorite); Frothy the Snowman (he’s coated in real coconut) bubble bar; Snow Fairy Shower Gel; Angel’s Delight Moon; Snowcake Soap (clean and wintery fresh); Christmas Cake Soap; A Gold Star bubble bar; Chocolate Santa bath bomb; Christmas Morning bubble bar; Let Them Eat Cake lip balm; Strawberry Santa shower jelly; and "Snowdrops" bath bomb. I can’t even begin to give the scent ingredients in each product, but they are all different and surprising. They look like you could eat them, but don’t because it would be the equivalent of eating soap. The bubble bars, bath bombs, and shower jellies are used in the bath. You can even wash your hair with the shower jellies(lush.com or 888-733-5874)
3. Now that we’ve covered cosmetics and bath and body, you guessed it, perfume time. "Bond No.9" N.Y.C. has an exclusive boxed set of their most popular fragrances called "The Bon Bon Box". The box contains 18 different 6ml purse sprays for ($260). The purse sprays alone are ($45) each. This is one of those gifts that can be split for both guys and gals because all but approximately three of them are unisex. The different scents are grouped in areas of N.Y.C. like Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown if you’ve been there and can picture that description. The actual fragrances themselves depict a certain location in the former three areas. The original bottled fragrances are a creative work of art. They are imaginative and are great for collectors. Here are the following 18 eccentric fragrances in the Bon Bon box: Bryant Park, Chelsea Flowers, The Scent of Peace, Chinatown, Riverside Drive, Eau De New York, Bleecker Street, West Side, Nuits De Noho, Wall Street (great for men), Eau De Noho, Little Italy (think Coney Island and caramel), Park Avenue, Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory (also great for men and very distinctive), Madison Soiree, So New York, Hamptons, and West Broadway. I wish it contained New Haarlem (spiked w/a little bit of coffee) and Saks 5th Avenue for Her. This is not a bad value considering you’d be paying nearly $810 if each were bought separately. Considering the full sized bottle is quite pricey, this will allow you to pick your favorite Bond #9 signature scent. You may also wish to create your very own scent box to accommodate your personality. Go to the Bond website to obtain the fragrance notes (bondno9.com, Saks 5th Ave., and fragrancesandmore.biz.
Next week there will be one more luxury item for the holidays. It would even be good for New Years too so take notes.
This column is for the "big spender" who doesn’t mind playing Santa Claus. These sets are $100 or over. There were many sets to choose from, but these were narrowed down accordingly. So here they are. The nice thing about sets is not only does "one" person receive pleasure from it because it’s so lavish, but also each item in the set can be used as separate gifts or stocking stuffers for many others. Therefore, you get your spending out of the way in one shot and sometimes for males/females at the same time.
1. One of the coolest lipstick sets I’ve found especially if you are a "red" girl and can pull it off is the "Noir" collection by Julie Hewett ($100). Hewett was the makeup artist on the set of the movie Pearl Harbor. She wanted lipsticks that were similar to the colors of the period and also waterproof for the climate and underwater scenes. The set contains 6 shades of noir reds from "Nude", which is a neutral light golden shimmer red, "Femme", "Belle", "Coco", which is kind of a reddish brown tone for anyone afraid to wear red, "Rouge", which is an orange/red, and "Sin", which is a darker aubergine color that can be used as a stain or deepened for full effect. All lipsticks are heavily pigmented and long-wearing. The colors are remarkable, but if there is a color you don’t like, it can be exchanged for another color on her website. Just write the color you want to exchange for the color you’d rather have in the "comments" box (juliehewett.net or 818-559-7488).
2. If you’ve never experienced "Lush" products, you don’t know what you’re missing. These are all natural, some vegan, and smell heavenly. They use many essential oils and the company has a variety of unusual bath and body products. For Christmas, I like the "Merry Christmas Holiday Gift Set" (139.95). This is a huge set containing the following bath and body products: Christmas Party bath bomb; Jingle Spells bath bomb; Lush Pud bath bomb; Mr. Butterball vanilla tonic bath bomb; Twinkle Star bath bomb; Witches Ball bubble bar; Candy Cane solid bubble bath; Christmas Kisses bubble bar; Marzibain bubble bar (an almond favorite); Frothy the Snowman (he’s coated in real coconut) bubble bar; Snow Fairy Shower Gel; Angel’s Delight Moon; Snowcake Soap (clean and wintery fresh); Christmas Cake Soap; A Gold Star bubble bar; Chocolate Santa bath bomb; Christmas Morning bubble bar; Let Them Eat Cake lip balm; Strawberry Santa shower jelly; and "Snowdrops" bath bomb. I can’t even begin to give the scent ingredients in each product, but they are all different and surprising. They look like you could eat them, but don’t because it would be the equivalent of eating soap. The bubble bars, bath bombs, and shower jellies are used in the bath. You can even wash your hair with the shower jellies(lush.com or 888-733-5874)
3. Now that we’ve covered cosmetics and bath and body, you guessed it, perfume time. "Bond No.9" N.Y.C. has an exclusive boxed set of their most popular fragrances called "The Bon Bon Box". The box contains 18 different 6ml purse sprays for ($260). The purse sprays alone are ($45) each. This is one of those gifts that can be split for both guys and gals because all but approximately three of them are unisex. The different scents are grouped in areas of N.Y.C. like Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown if you’ve been there and can picture that description. The actual fragrances themselves depict a certain location in the former three areas. The original bottled fragrances are a creative work of art. They are imaginative and are great for collectors. Here are the following 18 eccentric fragrances in the Bon Bon box: Bryant Park, Chelsea Flowers, The Scent of Peace, Chinatown, Riverside Drive, Eau De New York, Bleecker Street, West Side, Nuits De Noho, Wall Street (great for men), Eau De Noho, Little Italy (think Coney Island and caramel), Park Avenue, Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory (also great for men and very distinctive), Madison Soiree, So New York, Hamptons, and West Broadway. I wish it contained New Haarlem (spiked w/a little bit of coffee) and Saks 5th Avenue for Her. This is not a bad value considering you’d be paying nearly $810 if each were bought separately. Considering the full sized bottle is quite pricey, this will allow you to pick your favorite Bond #9 signature scent. You may also wish to create your very own scent box to accommodate your personality. Go to the Bond website to obtain the fragrance notes (bondno9.com, Saks 5th Ave., and fragrancesandmore.biz.
Next week there will be one more luxury item for the holidays. It would even be good for New Years too so take notes.
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