Must Have Monday

I'm a firm believer that every woman MUST have a fabulous Little Black Dress! The LBD is a staple in my wardrobe and can be used from everything from a funeral to a wedding and everything in between.

I probably own 5 LBD's that each serve their purpose so I obviously feel that you're perfectly entitled to own more than one LBD ;).

It's amazing to me how universal the need for a LBD is - so much so that most online retailers even now have sections of their website dedicated to the LBD's of the world. Here are some great ones I just found while doing a little dot com window shopping!

From White House Black Market - $168.00...


From Lane Bryant - $59.95...


From Ann Taylor - $215.00


From Igigi - $168.00


From Suzi Chin - $118.00


From Calvin Klein - $138.00

Must Have Monday

My pick of the day for this week isn't a beauty product and, surprisingly, it isn't iPhone related ;)

As you can probably tell by my posts, I love to cook and bake. Nothing gets my heart going pitter patter like a deliciously cooked meal by yours truly. I own many different kitchen gadgets, pots, pans, and just about everything under the sun you'd find at William Sonoma or Crate & Barrel but there is one item I always come running back to...

My Le Creuset Dutch Oven.



This bad boy holds 7 quarts of loveliness and is perfect for soups, baking in the oven, stove top cooking & searing, and everything in between. Tonight it holds my Onion and Garlic Smothered Cube Steaks (check back tomorrow for the recipe!) while last week it held my Chipotle Corn Chowder.

Besides being an all around great piece of kitchen equipment, clean up is a breeze and storing it on my stove top not only looks pretty, I use the pot more because it's so freaking heavy that I'd never want to lug it in and out of a cabinet.

Le Creuset is on the pricier side of things but I have family members who have had their Le Creuset pieces for well over 20 years and they are still holding strong. Deal alert: Le Creuset has a section of outlet stores as well so if you come across one of them, pop in and snag yourself a dutch oven. You'll thank me later.

Must Have Monday

My Must Have Monday item is something you may either
a) have in your arsenal of beauty products
OR
b) look at and say "what do I do with THAT?!"

Let me introduce you to the Kabuki brush. I was first shown the wonderful ways of it way back when I used Bare Minerals. It was part of the BM regiment and although BM didn't work for me, the brush certainly did.

Since my BM days, I've continued to use a Kabuki brush for powder and bronzer application. I like that it's full and round, easy to use, and covers a lot of face space without feeling like I'm piling it on.

I love my Kabuki brush so much that I just took advantage of the Ulta.com's Friends and Family Sale of 20% off (Good through Saturday - Code: 15555) and ordered another one. Thanks to Sara over at Living Our Dream for posting about the sale! The $14 brush comes down to $11.20 with the sale - a good deal for a brush that will last you quite a long time!

And of course I didn't pick up JUST the Kabuki brush... I indulged in a little nail polish retail therapy because I'm obsessed!




Top to bottom... can you tell I love pinky polishes?!:
Essie To Dry For top coat (the absolute best top coat anywhere - hands down! I even bring it with me when I'm going to have a manicure at a salon - it's THAT good!)
Splash of Grenadine
Demure Vixen
Big Spender

Must Have Monday

In my daily blog travels, I came across Yummy Mummy's Beauty Blog and her weekly Must Try Monday post. I think this is a fabulous idea and since I'm such a beauty product whore, it's perfect for me (I'd be embarrassed to show you my overly organized bathroom area, full of enough beauty products to open up my own storefront!).

My Must Try item for this week is from one of my most favorite bath and body stores. I can literally spend hours perusing the bath bombs, lotions, potions, perfumes, and soaps at my local Lush store.

Let me introduce you to one of my beauty BFF's from Lush... Ocean Salt Cleanser. This scrub can be used from face to feet and for everything in-between. This scrub looks, feels, and smalls amazing - lime, coconut oil, vodka, and sea salt are a few of the yummy ingredients in this pot of love. I was told at the Lush store when I first purchased the scrub that the antibacterial properties of the lime and vodka help prevent acne while mineral-laden sea salts help to clear out blocked pores. I’ve got to say I agree – my skin has never looked, or felt, better.

I exfoliate my face 2-3 times a week in the winter and my face always feels like a million bucks afterward. It smells heavenly, it isn't overly salty/ gritty, and although it's slightly pricey ($35 for just over 8 ounces), it lasts quite awhile. I get a good 6 months out of a jar because it takes so little to do so much.

You must go out and try this product. I even turned my low-maintenance mom onto it - it's that good!

And now my friends I challenge YOU... what is your Must Try Monday product? Leave me a comment and let me know - I'm always up for experimenting with new products!