Film: Top 3 Foreign Favorites

So many films, not enough time. One of my favorite things to do is watch movies when there's nothing else to do! I've fallen in love with French cinema and I absolutely love French actors Lea Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, and Guillame Canet. I think foreign films in particular are distinctly unique because the techniques and styles of their cinematography as well as their culture plays a huge part in making the films diverse. It's so interesting to identify the differences between American movies and movies from different countries.

Some films that I absolutely adore and who hail from ecentric parts of the world include:

• "Dolls" directed by Takeshi Kitano

Dolls is a Japanese Romantic Drama which follows the tales of three different stories of undying love. It may be a little confusing at first, but the film just might become your favorite of love and loss. This movie is pure art!

The first story of love involves two lovers connected by a red rope (pictured above). The second is a tale of an elder Yakuza who visits the park where he used to meet his girlfriend as a teenager, and third story is of a pop star's injury and her biggest fan.

The costumes worn by the actors were made by Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, who is one of my favorites. His work is so extremely genius, and adds to the film's beauty and eccentricity. The film is in Japanese, so if you're not fluent you'll need the subtitles, but trust me it's definitely worth the watch. Or 50.

• "Jeux D'enfants" (Love Me If You Dare) directed by Yann Samuell

 

Jeux D'enfants is a French comedy/drama/romance about Sophie and Julien. They began their game of dares with a little tin box when they were children, and it lasted them up until their adult life. The love that Sophie has for Julien and that Julien has for Sophie isn't really confronted until the end, when their love stands the ultimate test of time!

(I cry EVERYTIME.)

• La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person) directed by Christophe Honoré 

The French have a thing for stunningly heartbreaking love stories. La Belle Personne is a French Comedic Drama/Romance. (Do you see a pattern here?) I have a thing for tragic love stories with hints of comedy...heh heh. But this features two of my favorites, Lea Seydoux and Louis Garrel!! Lea plays sixteen year old Junie whose mother recently died, forcing her to move in with her cousin in another city. To sum it up, she and her school professor named Nemours (played by Louis Garrel) fall in love, but Junie's character is hesitant, and the consequences aren't pretty. You won't be able to take your eyes off of Lea in this film and her stunning character!

Okay! So now you ladies and gents know my top 3 foreign films (as of right now) Don't be afraid to recommend me your favs and if you watch any of these let me know what ya think!

x

-C

Lovely Letters - A Snail Mail Exchange

Perhaps it's that I needed to remind myself to slow down, or that I love receiving actual letters in the mail that I can touch and read, or perhaps it's that I love surprises and meeting new people. Well in fact, it's all of that. I love meeting new people, especially when they are in another country, I love corresponding via snail mail, I love purchasing stamps, and I love the idea of these lovely letters.

I joined the Lovely Letters snail mail exchange after suggestion by my amazing friend Esther, who one- is an amazing photographer and foodie, and two- inspired my daughter and I to start our mother/daughter blog. But more importantly, she and I have been exchanging snail mail since she moved from LA to Vegas a few months ago. It's such a refreshing gesture that shows you're being thought of when friends reach out and say howdy, even when they have a gazillion other things happening in their own lives.

Esther definitely does that, she's great at making you feel special and remembered. I thought I'd pay it forward and chime in on this pen pal thing and I'm loving it so far! I've only has the chance to correspond via email with my pal, who lives in the UK and her name is Adrienne. However, it's so awesome to get to know someone new, someone with a completely different life, in a completely different environment, in a completely different country! And I really can't wait until she receives my first snail mail from us. Corrine and I made a lil something for her inspired by this month's theme: Spring :D

She's a few years older than my daughter, in college, and I think it's funny that we all live in this great big world with our very own lives to worry about, but that we're all under the same blue sky. Think about it. Crazy right! So interesting to me that I now get to know someone I would under any other circumstances, not have gotten the chance to know.

So if you love meeting new people, reading new blogs, writing, and snail mail, join us in the Lovely Letters snail mail exchange for next month here . It's open until June 27th, so sign up, grab a button here,  and meet your new pen pal! It's like a 'Paris Hilton's new bff', except less drama, more bff's, and no air time ;)....well except for the snail mail part.



You can read more about Lovely Letters here from Esther and here from Lauren. I'm co hosting this month's link up with these two lovely ladies. So grateful for friends like Esther, and new friends like Adrienne and Lauren!

Happy reading and writing to you all, hope to read about all of your exchanges and pen pal lovin' next time!

Hugs,

Jess

3 Formal/Casual Looks For Summer

It's May and the heat is already starting to get to us! I threw together a few outfits that I feel can be worn throughout summer and all of it's various occasions. From formal to casual,the pieces can be mixed and matched to create tons of different looks.





Look #1: I put this together with those of you who like simple, but also classic pieces in mind. It's a refreshing pallete of black and white that are perfect for summer nights. This look could be worn anywhere from dinner to a night out.

Top: here

Jeans: here

Shoes: here

Necklace: here

Bag: here



Look #2: Casual yet trendy, the gold statement necklace matched with red lips will stand out against the black jeans and sandals. Sport this look to school or work. The strappy sandals can be paired with virtually anything, and are a better alternative to ballet flats if you want to change it up! Gold jewelry is always a great accent to any outfit.

Top: here

Pants: here

Shoes: here

Necklace: here

Lipstick: here

Bag: here



Look #3: You remember jelly's, I know you doooo. You wore them as a kid and ran around in them on hot nights with your friends. Incorporate them this summer with your favorite pair of shorts for a nostalgic presence in your look. 

Top: here

Shorts: here

Jelly's: here (the pair shown above are child sized, find adult sizes here and here)

Shades: here

Makeup Palette: here

Clear Clutch: here



- C

Noise: 15 Must See Artists at FYF 2014 (links included)

Lately there has been quite a bit of fuss on social networking sites about a music festival called FYF Fest, (short for Fuck Yeah Festival) which takes place in Los Angeles for just two days out of every year! With VIP Passes starting at $229 and Weekend Passes at $129, not all of the music lovers and festival go-ers of Los Angeles can attend on such small budgets (hello, I'm talking about myself!)

I put together a little playlist of some of my most favorite and beloved artists who will be gracing the stages of FYF.

Altogether you'll hear one song each by 15 different artists all performing at FYF this summer. Scroll down for the playlist and click on the links to give the songs a listen.



 

Be warned, not all songs are of the same genre. A lot of them are extremely different from eachother.

Genesis by Grimes

Take It Easy by Surfer Blood

40 Days by Slowdive

Galaxy In Janaki by Flying Lotus

Can We Go Inside Now by Blood Orange

Paper Trails by Darkside

Balance by Future Islands

Get Got by Death Grips

It's Real by Real Estate

Chamber of Reflection by Mac Demarco

Inside Your Heart by Ty Segall

Hi-Five by Angel Olsen

Breeze by XXYYXX

Constant Headache by Joyce Manor

I'm The Man, That Will Find You by Connan Mockasin

Hope you enjoy it, let me know who your favorites were!

au revoir, - C

My Beach Bag Essentials

Summer is upon us here in Los Angeles, and it's usually warm and sunny but it's been especially warm so we've been going to the beach or seeking out pools to dip into a lot lately. There are a few things I take with me each time, my beach bag essentials! You can pack this bag for the beach, to go pool side, or even for any time you hike or spend an extended period of time outside. These are just some of my must have items for my skin and lips to keep my protected, hydrated, and refreshed.

[caption id="attachment_421" align="aligncenter" width="751"] My beach bag essentials[/caption]

1. A beach umbrella: Any time I know i'm going to be in the sun for an extended period of time, I bring my umbrella. It's cute, it shades me, and it keeps me cool. I love the Asian pattern on this one, and I feel so kimono when I have it. haha

2. Harmless Harvest Coconut Water: If you know me than you know I love love love coconut water. Most coconut waters taste like butt though, not gonna lie, but this coconut water is LITERALLY like putting a straw in a coconut. If I don't like something you'll know, and this I LOVE. If you don't usually like coconut water, give this a try, I promise it'll change your mind about coconut water tasting like butt ;)

3. Caudalie Beauty Elixir: The beach air, the sun, the water, it can all be uber drying to your skin and this spray is amazing. It's refreshing with it's citrus derivatives, it's calming and moisturizing, and smells AMAZE! A definite must try even if you don't have dry skin and just want to try something refreshing for a mid day pick me up.

4. The Body Shop Body Butter in Coconut: This body butter is perfect for summer time parched skin. It smells divine (yes coconut everything), it's travel size so it's great for your to go bag, your tote, and your beach bag. It's nice and thick but absorbs quickly, a little goes a long way, and it's rich without being oily.

5. Shiseido Urban Environment: This is my all time favorite SPF for your face. It's thin and light, quickly absorbed with no greasy feeling after you've applied it, great under makeup, and the SPF is high enough that it makes my heart happy :)

6. Rosebud Lip Balm Minted Rose: My most favorite lip balm, smells great, super hydrating, glossy, with no need to pack a lip liner or lipstick....WIN!

7. Harajuku Lovers G perfume: I've talked about this perfume a bunch of times, but this is my go to perfume, I keep a travel size in my clutch at all times. It's a light tropical coconut sweet but not too sweet of a scent. Weird description I know. But I love smelling good, and this one definitely does it for me. Sexy and lady like.

8. Canon Vixia Mini: This is my vlogging camera, compact, wide lens, easy to tote, and the perfect hand held camera. I love this vlog camera and literally don't leave home without it. All of my daily vlogs are shot on it.

9. Sunnies: The classic black sunnies, good for any and ALL occasions and protects your eyes. No squinting, no wrinkles ;)

10. Barbara's Snackimals: I love these lil suckers! Like a healthy animal cracker. I use the word healthy loosely btw. I like to incorporate the word into my vocabulary as much as possible, makes me feel like I'm ACTUALLY being healthier.

11. Scooby Doo Mystery Machine Lunch Pale: I initially purchased this for my daughter a year ago and she didn't use it so I'm making the most of it! I pack all of our picnic stuff, beach snacks, and pool side yummies in this sack and it's awesome. Nostalgic AND keeps my things nice and cool, love this!

 

So what do you pack when you go to the beach or pool side? I think my next post will be on our hiking essentials since we've done a few big hikes these past few months. But with this warm weather I wanted to give you what I have with me right now. Literally....I'm posting this pool side in Palm Springs. My skin is burning off in this 110 degree weather but I can't complain. We needed a mini vacay from LA, and I pool time is always a good time!

 

A very happy and safe Memorial day to all of you, remembering our fallen soldiers today and grateful for our men and women in the armed forces currently. Proud Army brat!

 

- J

Cat: Daily Skincare Routine/ Everyday Makeup

It's been a long week for those of us with deadlines to meet and finals to finish. After this week, I can finally  relax without the need to cram until 3 in the morning. So since it's Thursday and  I have some spare time, I'd like to present to you my everyday skincare routine. I like to be natural and light on my skin, and still glowy and healthy looking.

Below are  the products that I use, listed chronologically.



1. Clinique 7 Day Scrub

I use this to exfoliate my skin  and get my face clean and fresh. It makes my skin feel amazingly smooth and it's just wonderful.

2. Rosewater

Secondly, I use rosewater. OK, it may seem a bit odd at first. When I first saw my mom use it, I was appalled. You kind of just spray it on your face. Actually, not kind of, you spray it directly onto your face! You get used to it after awhile and it feels rejuvenating. Once you get the hang of it you'll feel like a goddess from an ancient time. Stressed? Whip out the rosewater. Need to wake up? Rosewater. Its lovely. Rosewater is a natural lotion, and not only does it moisturize your skin but it protects it too.

3. Virgin Olive Oil

What kind of weird stuff am I putting on my face, you might be wondering. This stuff works wonders. I use it as a lotion because I have extremely dry skin. It may not work for you if you have oily skin and the rosewater may be all you need as far as moisture goes. All you need is a tiny drop, rub it between your fingertips and spread it evenly on your face. Its so moisturizing and not too heavy. But !WARNING! don't use too much or you'll look like an oiled skillet!!! Which is cool too, if you're into that.

4. Sunscreen

My last and MOST DIRE, IMPORTANT STEP is SUNSCREEN. My #1 Golden Rule, apply sunscreen to your face everyday. It doesn't matter where you are or where you're going. The sun's rays are strong and REAL. SO PROTECT YOURSELF. I don't care where you are! I don't care if its the cloudiest, rainiest day! Keep your skin happy!!!

Seriously though, the sun can do some intense damage. I always try to invest in sunscreen that has an SPF of atleast 50. But any will work.

I finish up my routine by applying this blush called "The Secret's Out" by BareMinerals. I love all blushes, every single blush in the entire world. Give them all to me. Blush and lipstick are my favorite, and I'm pretty sure it's all I'm able to pull off. (Eye makeup looks horrible on me!) So i like to keep it simple. I love peachy and pink blush shades. Blush is like adding health to your skin, it really adds a healthy glow.

I like to apply it to the apples of my cheeks (smile when you apply it, it really helps!) and a little bit to my chin and tip of my nose!

I finish the look by moisturizing my lips and adding any lipstick that I have on hand. But usually I like to go by mood. If I'm feeling weird and daring I'll wear blue lipstick. If I feel lazy or just simple I'll apply any of the shades of red I own or a certain dark one if I'm feeling particularly "dark" that day. You might think all reds are the same but TRUST ME FRIEND, it matters.

I recently bought a new lipstick shown below called "Black Cherry" by Revlon. It's a rich shade of burgundy for a very pretty price.

Voila! I hope you enjoyed this and get to try it out.

You're now ready to be simple and fresh but still fierce!!!

- C

Best fragrances for the summer - my favorites!

[caption id="attachment_392" align="aligncenter" width="462"] Best scents for summer[/caption]

If you know me than you know I'm ALL about fragrances! I have about 20 perfumes at home, it's a problem I know. Anything that makes my skin or hair smell divine, I'm all about. I always have at least 2 different perfumes with me at any given time. I also ALWAYS have a roller ball of some sort ON me ALL the time, just in case! haha. I've changed my sense of smell over the past few months, switched out my current faves, and today I'll share with you my favorite summer fragrances and why I love them so much!

1. Harajuku Lovers G here: I've loved this particular perfume for a few years now, it's very light and smells like a sexy coconut. My descriptions will be weird. I'm just saying it's such a refreshing light scent ;D

2. Escada Moon Sparkle here: If ever you've hugged me and ask what scent I'm wearing because you liked it, this is IT! I've been wearing Moon Sparkle for years, it will always forever be one of my most favorite scents to wear. Wear this scent on a date, or for a dinner night, or girls night out, it's sexy, and musky without being old lady musky ewww. It fruity and literally the best.

3. Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche here: I don't normally go for the heavier smells, the older more mature scents, but this one I'll make an exception for. It's Chanel's 'fresh' one, it's lighter than the original, still sexy and sophisticated, but not fruity at all which I normally grab for. This is classy and I feel like such a lady when I wear it.

4. Escada Taj Sunset here: I have been wearing Escada since I was able to afford my own perfume, and each year they come out with a new scent, I rarely go for new scents because they usually smell almost identical to the one before it, but THIS, this is INCREDIBLE. My new ALL TIME MOST FAVORITE SCENT! It's fruity and sexy and young and flirty and girly and smells like papaya and summer breezes hahaha. Wow that was a tangent! But this perfume is hands down my new favorite of the 101 faves I have lol. If I've ever turned you on to Moon Sparkle, take Taj Sunset for a spin, you'll love it I promise!

5. Viva La Juicy here: Juicy Couture is another one of those fragrance lines that I just pass up, but their Viva La Juicy and their Viva La Juicy Noir here are so so so delicious. They are both more sophisticated and musky, but again, I don't go for old lady mature smelling musks. No offense to those who do, it's just not me. These two are the ONLY scents I'll wear from Juicy. This double ended roller ball is a must have always have in my purse or clutch. It's such a sultry sexy scent.

Give these a go, or if you're out next time and want to try out a perfume, try one of these! I've linked them directly, or you can click on the 'perfume' link in here and check out the site I get most of my perfumes from, they're always having a sale of some kind and are discounted from most places, so use these codes to get your discounts:

10% off on orders of $49 or more using code ST101

Free Shipping on any order $49 or more using code STFREE

I'm obsessed with smelling good, with all things coconut, and with having soft skin and hair, sooooo my posts surround these things. Hope you're loving them. I have my favorite scents for men also, any fellas out there or ladies want to know what they are? Leave it in the comments!

Happy scent hunting!

xoxo-
J