On Books

24 May

When the world is grey and blue, cuddle up with a good book and allow your imagination a little playtime! Life has been so busy lately but I have made it a goal to force a little reading time every day…at least half an hour a day. It’s like falling in love over and over again <3.

Sensuous / Estée Lauder

15 Nov

Sensuous smells exactly like its namesake; this is one of those linear fragrances that don’t evolve very much but it smells so amazing that it doesn’t matter. This was close to becoming my signature scent, but I found it rather difficult to wear on a daily basis. It’s something that I reach for at night, after a hot shower…before bed, or for a quiet evening out with my husband.

Sensuous starts with a blast of sandalwood and cedar, these are the primary notes that can be picked out amongst the mellowing warmth of honey and amber. I sense a little pepper in between but it complements the woodiness of this fragrance so well that you can hardly separate the two. There is a bit of orange on the cool down which invokes a clean powdery feeling to the structure of this perfume. With the exception of ylang-ylang, I did not detect any florals.

I consider Sensuous to be one of my top five powdery fragrances, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before and I feel this is due to the unique nature of its ingredients. The honey and amber radiates with warmth and sensuality, it reminds me of silk sheets and vanilla body cream, very luxurious and decadent. At its heart this is a boozy powder with balsamic undertones and hints of warm incense.  It’s very feminine but not immature; this is unequivocally a woman’s fragrance.
Overall I am consistently enamored with Sensuous; as the seasons shift into December I find myself embracing it like a warm blanket before a roaring fire. I can imagine this to be a perfect companion for autumn and winter. Sillage and longevity are moderate, this is a skin scent meant to entice and seduce with ease; apparently it works…I am constantly under its spell!


Top Notes

Middle Notes

Base Notes

London for Men / Burberry

31 Oct

I have come to the conclusion that men’s fragrances can be much more complex and pleasing to the palate than the average woman’s winter lineup. My latest excursion with Burberry London has proven that perfumes are multifarious in nature, genderless and will appeal to practically anyone who can wear it with love and confidence. This is the perfect fall companion, much like a trench coat on a brisk Autumn day.

London opens up with strong cinnamon and tobacco notes; there is leather at the base and mild citrus to keep this feeling fresh. The bed of oak moss is what gives this perfume a very damp earthy scent that rounds out all the other notes. It smells like wet soil mixed with fresh lavender after a heavy rain. The cinnamon stays true through dry down along with a very surprising scent of roses, the tobacco is still there but it’s become softer and more sentimental. To me this is Thanksgiving in a bottle: warm, spicy, and reminds me of my grandfather’s library.

London is not a tough guy’s fragrance, in fact I feel this is more for the aristocratic gentleman; the kind who is a little old-school, has his head on straight, and doesn’t pussyfoot around the bedroom ;). He is strong willed and non-conventional, a straight shooter who is as likely to break your heart as he is to brighten your day with a soft kiss. On women this is strong, confident, and a slightly bitchy. I totally feel like I am channeling Lauren Bacall with a little whiskey and a cherry cigar. London fantastically transcends gender barriers and I love it.  ♥


Top Notes

Middle Notes


 

Base Notes

 

 

Rosabotanica / Balenciaga

31 Oct

I’m surprised mint was not listed as an ingredient on this; there certainly seems to be some kind of bitterness accompanying the rose and fig opening of this fragrance. Rosabotanica is a very green scent, I feel like I am standing in the middle of an English garden after a heavy spring shower, basking in the aroma of fresh flowers and wet grass. The dry down consists of cardamom, woods, and a very sheer rose. There is pepper throughout its life but I also sense a little saffron as well; grapefruit balances everything out to make this a very clean and energetic fragrance.

Rosabotanica isn’t particularly innovative; it’s a streamlined fragrance with a little twist. There’s something here that reminds me of Agent Provocateur, the rose is an Indian rose…not your conventional evening flower. I am absolutely in love with the dry down after about an hour, pink pepper balances so well with the florals that it’s a shame how soft the sillage is. It’s certainly a skin scent, with almost no projection and poor longevity.

Overall not exactly a game changer, but still very memorable and the bottle design is pretty enough to make it almost worthwhile.


Top Notes

Middle Notes

Base Notes

Annie Sloan’s colors matched to Behr colors (Updated for 2015)

22 Jun

I love Annie Sloan paint, however I am not always a fan of her prices. Chalk paint is currently the “in” thing these days, but after using her paint and creating my own DIY mixtures, I really do not see a difference. Honestly, whip up a batch of Plaster of Paris with any of the Behr colors that match ASCP’s and put them side by side…the difference is nil to nothing.

I know there is already a list out there that matches Behr colors to Annie Sloan’s but I realized after doing some research that the list is A) outdated B) the colors are not precise and do not match.

I wanted to do a very thorough and close match to ASCP’s colors. The colors I’ve researched are not just “similar”, they also match undertones and overtones. Thus, the colors are as close to authentic as possible.

Pardon my finger haha

 

Antibes Green matched with Behr’s Parakeet
ASCP’s Coco matched with Behr’s Ethiopia (camera lens makes it look a little green, it’s actually brownish cream).

In some cases when a Behr color is not possible, I matched it with Glidden or Ralph Lauren paints. All three brands are carried by the Home Depot and are affiliated with each other. Home Depot can transform it into a Behr “color” by using their color match system.

**So for example the closest match to ASCP’s Barcelona Orange is Ralph Lauren’s Varsity Orange, you can turn it into a Behr Premium Plus Ultra brand by letting the associate know the name and number of the RL color. Simple!**

 

 

 

  • ASCP Antibes Green
    • Behr Parakeet MQ4-47d

 

  • ASCP Antoinette
    • Behr Rosewater S170-2u

 

  • ASCP Aries
    • Glidden Wood Thrush Gold 10YY 45/419

 

  • ASCP Aubusson Blue
    • Behr Tornado Season S450-6d

 

  • ASCP Barcelona Orange
    • Ralph Lauren Varsity Orange RL4087
    • Behr Tiki Torch M180-6d

 

  • ASCP Burgundy
    • Behr Deep Claret BIC-50

 

  • ASCP Chateau Grey
    • Behr Grassy Savannah N340-5m

 

  • ASCP CoCo
    • Behr Ethiopia PPU5-6d

 

  • ASCP Country Grey
    • Behr Rye Bread PPU8-10m

 

  • ASCP Cream
    • Behr Hummus PPu6-11u

 

  • ASCP Duck Egg Blue
    • Behr Misty Moss N420-3m

 

  • ASCP Emile
    • Behr Gothic Purple N110-4d

 

  • ASCP Emperor’s Silk
    • Behr Red Red Red BIC-49

 

  • ASCP English Yellow
    • Behr Sulphur Yellow P320-7d

 

  • ASCP Florence
    • Glidden Niagara Reef Jade 70GG 25/242

 

  • ASCP French Linen
    • Behr Gray Squirrel N320-5m

 

  • ASCP Graphite
    • Behr Astronomical N450-7d

 

  • ASCP Greek Blue
    • Behr Empire Blue MQ5-56m

 

  • ASCP Henrietta
    • Behr Highland Thistle S110-4u

 

  • ASCP Louis Blue
    • Behr Opal Waters MQ5-50u

 

  • ASCP Napoleonic Blue
    • Glidden Federal Blue 50BB 10/147
    • Behr Velvet Rope MQ5-58

 

  • ASCP Old Ochre
    • Behr Dainty Lace MQ3-11u

 

  • ASCP Old Violet
    • Glidden Mountain Slate Blue 10bb 18/106
    • Behr Hypnotic MQ5-19

 

  • ASCP Old White
    • Behr Writing Paper S310-1u

 

  • ASCP Olive
    • Behr Kilimanjaro N340-7d

 

  • ASCP Paloma
    • Behr Metropolis N140-3m

 

  • ASCP Paris Grey
    • Behr Classic Silver PPU18-11u

 

  • ASCP Primer Red
    • Ralph Lauren Townhouse RL4062

 

  • ASCP Provence
    • Glidden Blue Green Sea 90GG35/153

 

  • ASCP Pure White
    • Behr Ultra Pure White PPU18-6

 

  • ASCP Scandinavian Pink
    • Behr Red Coral PPU1-5Ad

 

  • ASCP Versailles
    • Behr Mojito PPU8-11

 

 

Pretty Little Things

13 Jun

Quick update, my mom found these dirty frames when cleaning out her garage. I LOVE gold anything and these things had little ornate details that I knew could transform into something cute.

So dirty and gross!

First, these were covered in cobwebs and dirt, so a much needed scrubbing was my priority. I filled up my bucket and with some water & soap…I managed to get some of that yuckiness out. =P

What a difference! =P

So to prep, I decided to prime the frames with some 1-2-3 Primer I bought from your local Home Depot.
I then started to paint with Glidden’s “Winter Mauve” on one frame and Behr’s “Indiscreet” on another.

I allowed the frames to dry over night. The next morning I started the staining process; I’m still new to this staining thing but after my last project I have started to gain a little more confidence.

With an artist’s brush I applied the stain in little nooks and crannies, making sure to apply heavily in the moldings and corners.

After applying, I allowed the stain to “sit” for over a minute. Then with a lint free rag, I wiped off the excess using circular motions and light pressure. =D

I applied more stain on the outer edges to create a dimensional look to the frames. Once everything was dry I used a small painter’s brush, whipped out some metallic gold paint from Ralph Lauren (I used Parlor Gold). And painted the gold on to the moldings.

Parlor Gold by Ralph Lauren

For these frames I had in mind to use them as chalk boards, so I ordered some 8 x 10 glass panes from a nearby store. I applied primer to the panes and applied one layer of chalkboard paint. The finishing product? Fantastic!

 

Birthday Vacation

7 Jun

Another year, another moment of reflection. Time seemed to have sped up on me, and every day I am finding that life can be so fragile. I want to wake up every day appreciating all that I have, because I feel that everything might not have existed if I had made one wrong decision. Enjoy life now, every day, it may never be this sweet again.

I had the best birthday week ever, my husband is so absolutely amazing, I love him truly. He showered me with so much this month I feel so guilty! Today was especially nice because he surprised me with a visit to Peinture!

The store was pretty swanky!
Duck egg blue with an old white base and white washed!

Peinture is an Annie Sloan distributor in LA, I had so much fun on my trip and even got away with a can of dark wax!


The store was beautiful on the inside,lots of pretty furniture, and everything ASCP! I especially loved all the pieces that were done with color washes and paint layering. There were also pamphlets with color samples and paint chips.

The price for these pieces were a little outrageous, ranging from about $400 to $900 for a drawer! To be honest, I don’t see any difference between ASCP paint on furniture and just regular Behr paint mixed with POP at home.

I totally love all the ASCP samples on chairs!

The lady at the counter told me painting classes were booked until the end of July! Nooooooooo! =P

 

 

 

Super chippy

Such a beautiful piece!

My hubby surprised me with a delicious birthday cake on the way home! He is such the perfect guy!

By the way, I can’t wait to use my ASCP dark wax on my new projects!

All in all, a perfect birthday. Goodnight world.

Disposing leftover paint.

1 Jun

I hate wastefulness, I also hate knowing that I have not always been the best caretaker of our planet. I don’t always recycle, and I tend to drive short distances when I could have just walked. All those temptations towards instant gratification has definitely spoiled me ;). Considering the fact that I live in California where we are going through a record drought, I need to change my attitude towards certain habits.


One of the things that’s really important to know is how to dispose of toxic chemicals. Paint, especially oil-based, are considered toxic and hazardous to the environment. One should always be careful not to pour paint into the ground or directly into the drain (it could actually damage your piping system!). Oil based paint is considered flammable so you should never try to burn it as the fumes are not only extremely toxic but can also release contaminants into the air.

I use a lot of latex paint, which are water based and are considered non-toxic. However, some latex paints do contain a small amount of mercury which is hazardous to the environment. One should exercise caution not to pour liquid latex down the drain or into the ground.

 

So how does one get rid of leftover paint?

  1. Reuse. When the paint I am using is not a DIY chalk paint, I store it in a dark cool place sealed with plastic and stored upside down. Sometimes I buy colors that I absolutely despise so I would think of ways to reuse them without forfeiting cosmetic appearance.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I like to save my unsavory paint colors to paint the insides of drawers and cabinets.
    Use left over paint for layering to distress.

    …Or just little details and trimmings.
  2. Throw away solid latex paint. When I am using DIY chalk paint, I usually mix it in a small container double covered with plastic bags and tightened at the top with rubber bands. This is so I don’t have to constantly buy new containers, and it also makes disposal an easier and simpler process. You shouldn’t throw away liquid latex but it can safely be disposed of in its solid form. Leave the paint outside for a few days to harden then once it has solidified you can safely throw it in the trash! =]
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I leave my paint outside for 2 days to dry.
  3. Recycle your paint! I keep a small container in my cabinet filled with misc paint colors that I couldn’t dispose of or solidify. Whenever I am done with a project I would pour the leftover paint into this small plastic container, when the container is full I would drop it off at my local paint shop for them to dispose!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    My disposable container to be recycled!

    My paint store is Sherwin Williams, they are excellent at getting rid of your leftover paint. Just drop it off and rest assured that none of that toxic waste will be making its way into our food chain!

    Recycle your paint at a local paint store!
  4. Other Alternatives (that I haven’t tried). I heard you can also brush or roll the paint onto layers of newspaper or cardboard. When the paint dries, put the paper in the trash bin. Alternatively, you can pour the paint into a cardboard box and mix it with shredded newspaper, cat litter, or a commercial paint hardener to speed solidification. The box can go in the trash when the paint dries and the cans can be recycled.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are so many ways to get rid of that paint, I hope you have found a method that is easiest for you! Happy painting!