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FASHION

DIY Jewelry or Coffee Table Trays From a Ralph Lauren Box

IMG_1541When it comes to DIY projects, some have the knack and others do not. I’m definitely not one of those people who is naturally crafty, but occasionally I do have a flash of brilliance. While cleaning out my closet, I noticed a leftover Ralph Lauren box with plenty of reusable potential. Instead of letting it collect dust in my closet, I decided to turn it into two trays for my necklace collection.

It couldn’t have been easier. In another moment of brilliance, I realized that I had an old calendar from Papersource filled with vintage Italian postcards that were about the same height and width as the Ralph Lauren box (example here). A little cutting and taping later (too scared to glue haha!), I ended up with these beautiful trays that would be great on a coffee table in a living room, or a jewelry tray adorned with all of my favorite necklaces. Look below for the step by step process.

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BEAUTY

Beauty: Sephora by OPI Nonfat Soy Half Caff Nail Colour

IMG_1032Though I adore treating myself to a proper manicure, there’s not always time. Luckily, I continue to amass a fabulous collection of nail polish. I love the nude nail polish trend, but wasn’t sure the best shade to select to pair with my, erm, super pale complexion. Thankfully, a friend took the guess work out of the equation by gifting me Sephora’s Nonfat Soy Half Caff nail color (you know how I love my coffee!). A few shades darker than my skin tone, the color comes off as a stylish nude shade that’s perfectly professional. I prefer it on my finger nails to toenails. In terms of wear, I sometimes find that it chips before the end of the week with three coats on, but the shade color makes it easy to hide!

The shade is available in store or on Sephora.com.

 

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BOSTON, FASHION

Fashion: LOFT Beaded Pave Metal Stretch Bracelet

LOFT Bracelet

Statement cuff bracelets are a fantastic way to perk up your wardrobe. Whether it’s a pop of color, or a dash of sparkle, I always find myself turning to accessories to dress up a more classic outfit. As a result, I couldn’t resist this sparkly Moroccan-inspired Beaded Pave Metal Stretch Bracelet from LOFT. A great mix of gems and beads, it appeals to my inner magpie while offering an exotic element to my jewelry collection. As someone with a very small wrist, the stretch bracelet also fits perfectly, which is fantastic because so many non-stretch bangle bracelets and cuffs do not.

Spotted in an email from LOFT, I purchased this bracelet during a recent 40% off sale (score!) at their recently remodeled location inside Boston’s Prudential Center, but it is also available online at the full price of $34.50.

BEAUTY

Beauty: A Pop of Color with Clarins Lipstick

IMG_2167While at a wedding recently, a friend remarked, “I’m impressed that we are well into cocktail hour and your lipstick is still holding strong.” It’s not often that someone comments and compliments my lip color, but I suppose that’s to be expected when embracing the bright color hues of the season. Though admittedly a little late to the pop of color trend, I’ve been making up for lost time.

The lipstick discussed during the conversation was gifted to me by the team at Clarins Paris. On that evening I was sipping champagne and smiling with 04 tropical pink, but I was also given 09 juicy clementine and 11 passion red to try. It’s been fun to perk up a more neutral or simple outfit with a pop of color.

Part of the Rouge Eclat series, the lipstick is described as, “satin finish age-defying lipstick.” Made with a special Nutri-Youth Complex, the lipstick is designed to nourish and protect your lips and keep them more youthful looking. I’ll smile to that!

The Rouge Eclat lipsticks are $26 each and can be found on the Clarins website.

Yours truly wearing 11 passion red

Yours truly wearing 11 passion red

The SavvyBostonian was gifted the lipsticks discussed and additional beauty items from Clarins Paris. Any products featured on The SavvyBoston are ones she would later purchase herself.

FOOD

Food: Trying BluePrint Raw Green Juice

IMG_2477As an equal opportunity foodist, I’ve been hearing and reading about the health benefits of green juice for ages. While in Whole Foods, I stumbled upon BluePrint’s Raw Green Juice featuring a healthy-sounding mix of kale, apple, ginger, romaine, spinach, cucumber, parsley and lemon and couldn’t help but wonder….but how does it taste?

The answer – not terrible, but definitely not great. It tastes, well, like you might expect a healthy green juice to taste. It’s mild enough and the mix is well done so that none of the ingredients are overpowering, but I’m not sure it was for me. I actually found that adding a small splash of agave helped. But, at the $10 (yikes) price tag at Whole Foods, I probably won’t be hopping on the green juice revolution. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing which is supplementing my frozen berry and banana smoothies with spinach, kale, Vega One and/or other green goodies. Not as nutritionally sound, but pretty darn tasty.

However, BluePrint also has other juice varieties that feature beets, etc., so I may have to try something a little less intimidating next time…