Maxine Writes

Travel Diaries: Seoul, Day Two

2019-10-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

... picking up from where I left off, I woke up bright and early on my first weekday in Seoul to check out the views of Seoul atop Eungbong Mountain Park. I stopped in a Myeongdong 7-11 to pick up a custard bun and I was on my way.

I don't know if you've figured me out yet, but there are three main things that interest me when I visit a new place: the art, the food and the parks.

Eungbong Mountain Park is a bit of a trek outside of downtown Seoul, and I guess a lot of romantic scenes have been filmed there for Korean dramas. After somehow successfully navigating the transfer between Seoul's metro to a type of commuter line (successful in that I walked back and forth between the staircase to the eastward train and the westward train for about nine minutes, unable to figure out which one was which), I alighted at Eungbong Station and walked -- again, uphill through a residential neighborhood -- for about 15 minutes before I found myself at the base of Eungbong Mountain Park.

This is the sight I found before me:

It took me another three minutes to figure out where the start of the hike upwards was: a staircase hidden behind the restroom building off to the left of this rock climbing behemoth.

The hike was not easy but it wasn't particularly treacherous either. It was definitely sweaty. I encountered a number of older women along the way who seemed to live in the neighborhood, for whom the uphill climb seemed to be part of their daily exercise. They passed as I stopped for photos at each landing, though they would've passed me anyway, for they were in better shape than I.

Naturally, the views got progressively better as I climbed.

When I reached the top, I found a park bench beneath some trees and enjoyed my custard bun. The hike was well worth the serenity atop the park.

I'd wanted to see both Olympic Park and Songpa Naru Park next, but it was already about 10am and I was scheduled to meet my friend around 2pm back at my hostel. I had to make a choice, and Olympic Park -- about an hour away -- was the chosen park.

I originally thought the flame was from the Olympic torch dating back to the 1988 Seoul Games, but I couldn't find anything online to corroborate that belief. However, it appears to be something even cooler: an eternal flame that wishes peace, harmony and happiness for all the world's people. You can see the Seoul Peace Declaration inscription in my photo.

Olympic Park is massive. Among the structures that it contains (not a comprehensive list): Olympic Gymnastics Arena (also known as KSPO Dome, where none other than one Shawn Mendes was scheduled to perform just two days later), Olympic Velodrome, Korea National Sports University, a hotel, another music venue called Olympic Hall (which I'm pretty sure was labeled "K-Pop Museum" when I visited), Olympic Museum, an art music, a sculpture park, a rose park and a field of flowers.

From the rose garden, I left the park and headed towards Insa-dong for some of those quick street food bites the tourist sites mentioned, but again, after zig-zagging back and forth between four corners of an intersection, all I found was a couple of carts selling fish cakes, so I walked down Insadong-gil.

I spotted several "dragon's beard" confection sellers, and I ended up stopping at one that advertised pink, green and white candies. Alas, it was just a ploy because all of the dragon's beard candies he sold were white. Dragon's beard candy is sort of like cotton candy stuffed with various ingredients. After purchasing a box of nut-stuffed dragon's beard candies from the man, he showed me how he makes the candies. He first took a block of a frozen sugary substance which I believe he said was made partially of honey, and he molded it with some cornstarch until it became soft to the touch. At that point, he pulled and folded the sugar mass a number of times until strands began to appear. Surprisingly, the entire process took less than five minutes and I captured it on video, which will eventually go into a vlog.

From Insa-dong, I walked to the Cheonggyecheon Stream, where people were having picnic-style lunches along the "banks" of the stream.

I walked swiftly back to my hostel to wash up and prepare to meet my friend, but not before sampling Tiger Sugar's brown sugar milk tea which, incidentally, is Taiwanese and has three locations in New York City.

After some delays, my friend arrived and we met with her parents for a late lunch/early dinner at the "must eat" Myeongdong Kyoja, which is famous for its hand-cut noodles. They certainly did not disappoint. (Sadly no photos again, but there is video footage!)

My friend had her own itinerary she wanted to stick to, so we headed to the Samsung building in Gangnam, where the Samsung d'light ... showcase? exhibit? lived. We closed down the store and headed next to the famous COEX Mall to marvel at the famous and too oft Instagrammed library.

We tried to figure out how the lending process actually works, as we didn't see any checkout machines or kiosks. Does anyone know?

After roaming around the mall for a bit and deciding that we wanted to save our coins, we hopped on a bus towards the Banpo Bridge, which was on my itinerary.

On this 25 minute bus ride along one street, we spotted about 15 Olive Youngs and no fewer than 5 We Works. Business is booming.

I had no idea why Banpo Bridge had made it onto my list of must-sees, to be honest. When we stumbled off the bus, we just followed the small crowd and found ourselves in what may have been considered a seedy area in New York City, but was teeming with young people and lots of couples. A few minutes later, a water show began.

Nearby, the Floating Island with nighttime paddle boaters sailing by.

Then another bus ride back to Myeongdong, where we walked through the "night market" and stopped to sample an egg bread (not that great) before hitting the sack.

A full day awaited us in Suwon ... to be continued.

Traveling Solo: Seoul

2019-10-07T09:30:00.000-04:00

I returned last week from my first trip to South Korea. Visiting Seoul has been on my bucket list, so when a close friend said she'd be passing through on her way home from Japan and could meet me there for a few days, I grabbed the opportunity.

I'd been a bit anxious about getting around on my own, but mostly about not knowing any Korean. Despite having several Korean friends growing up, my knowledge of the language was limited to names of foods I liked and "anyong haseyo," "ani," "yobo sayo."

The first two-and-a-half days were spent alone, and boy, was it glorious.

I left JFK Airport late Thursday night (okay, okay, early Friday morning - 1:25am to be exact), landed early in Taipei at 4:45am Taipei time (4:45pm the day before in NYC), had a three hour layover, and landed in Seoul at 11am Seoul time (10pm the day before in NYC). I didn't stay well-hydrated during the nearly 15 hour flight between New York and Taipei, and by the time I landed in Seoul, I was suffering.

I did what I had to: picked up my KT pocket wifi, got a T-Money card, and took the lengthy subway ride to Myeong-dong, where I'd booked a bunk bed hostel room. (And let me tell you, the Incheon International Airport was probably one of the most confusing "touristy" spots I came across during my trip. The signs, in my opinion, were not clear and it took me about 30 minutes to figure out where the subway was.)

I wasn't allowed to check in for another 40 minutes, so I dropped off my luggage and trudged to the Myeongdong Tourist Center, then immediately over to the 7-11 across the street for the largest bottle of water I could carry. I sat and people-watched for 20 minutes before heading back to check in at 3pm.

... and then I slept on and off until the next morning.

My first official (conscious) day in South Korea was a Sunday, and I set out early to make up for lost time. I wanted to hit up all the spots my friend wouldn't have any interest in seeing before she arrived the next afternoon.

Gyeongbukgong Palace was up first.

I'd read in one of the guide books I'd gotten from the Tourist Center about the Samcheongdong area, where modern architecture was interspersed with the old, and I was intrigued, despite it seeming like a hike from the palace.

When I arrived to the area, it was one literal street, the same one that had been featured in the guide book. However, the walk from the palace to Samcheongdong was one of my favorites during my trip -- it was early on Sunday morning and the streets were quiet, and there were dozens of interesting (closed) boutiques, galleries and cafés that lined the streets. I wished that New York City were more like Samcheongdong.

After a long, sweaty and hilly hike, I walked back down to the Bukchon Hanok Village area, where even dental clinics resided in architecture harking back to olden times (or perhaps they really were that old?).

And then I came upon (or sought out) the Jogyesa Temple. The first photo was taken of a park across the street from the actual temple, which was a little set back from the road. Because somehow I was led to the back entrance.

... then it was onto the Hannam-dong neighborhood for some art at the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art.

From there, I wandered around Hannam-dong for a bit and visited Space Shinseon, which I had seen on a blog about artsy spaces in Seoul. I was surprised by how small and low-key it was. I had planned on eating at Space Shinseon's café, but I learned quickly that many cafés in Seoul don't actually serve food.

After Space Shinseon, I got a little lost in Hannam-dong and wound up walking along a highway for a good half-hour before making a loop back and finding myself in Itaewon. I thought about exploring the neighborhood a bit, but I was exhausted and decided to head back to the hostel.

After a short rest, I headed out in the late afternoon to attack Olive Young for Korean skincare favorites, and then explored the Myeongdong market. I was delighted to find that there was street food to be had.

I couldn't pass up a street version of my fave, jajangmyeon. At 4,000 won it wasn't exactly a steal and it didn't taste like the real deal either, but I regret nothing.

Hotteok, a hot, filled, possibly (probably) fried "pancake." I got the "sugar" flavor, which is brown sugar, honey, nuts and cinnamon.

And then I popped into a convenience store and bought a bowl of instant ramen (believe it or not, before arriving, I'd set out to try as many instant ramen flavors as I could) and returned to my hostel, knowing my feet would not hold out for another dinner excursion later that night.

That was just my first full day in Seoul. More to come!

... is this thing on?

2019-07-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello! It truly has been a very long time since I last checked in here. Does anyone still read this thing? Around 2016, I turned my focus from this blog to my YouTube channel, which is now mostly dormant. And I have Timothée Chalamet to blame for that.

In one of the (many) Timothée Chalamet interviews I watched or listened to, he spoke in what I would consider an abstract way of his fear of being "boring." I still don't feel I 100% grasp what he means by "boring," but what he said got me thinking: are my videos helpful? Do they add value? Are they entertaining, if nothing else?

And even before I fell down the TC rabbit hole, I'd long thought my videos were becoming less and less interesting, helpful, valuable. Simply said, I was running out of original, fresh ideas. There are (and were, before I even started) so many people doing the same thing I'm doing on the internet, and I don't feel that I need to be adding onto that.

Timothée, in another interview, stated that he uses social media as "another expression of self" rather than self-promotion. John Mayer shared a similar, if not less positive, view of social media back in 2011 when he quit Twitter. (Never fear: not only is he back on Twitter and other forms of social media now, but he hosts a mostly weekly Instagram show called "Current Mood.") John made what I thought were very valid points about social media taking over one's mental energy and draining them of their creativity.

Overall, it seems there is a growing sentiment towards going back to a simpler time. Natural beauty. Whole, organic foods. And, maybe more for environmental reasons than anything else, a greater focus on reducing and reusing rather than recycling.

In a paragraph, in the three years since I last really wrote in here, I've: moved back to New York City, started a new job, seen Harry Styles in concert!, gone back to London!, seen John Mayer in concert!, visited the Canadian Rockies! (2017 was an exciting year), gotten my own place, visited Washington, D.C., seen Gary Clark, Jr. in concert, seen James Bay in concert. Most of which has been documented on my Instagram.

But in my everyday life, I've pared down my beauty "routine" to a place I'm mostly happy with, in terms of number of products and "cleanliness." Since 2013, I've worked on switching over to more natural beauty products, and while I'm not 100% there yet, I would say 80% of the products I use are free of chemicals that I find questionable. This year, I've also made more of an effort to consume things in a more sustainable way, whether that's in the foods I buy and eat, or the materials of the products I buy. It's early days yet, but I've been earnestly seeking ways to cut down on the plastic that comes into my life, and I've begun collecting my food waste and dropping it off with GrowNYC every week to create compost.

And in my everyday life, to go back to Timothée Chalamet and John Mayer, I've missed creating. Writing, mostly. If you haven't already noticed, my blog is called "Maxine Writes." There are some things about me that will probably never change: I will always love consuming pop culture, I will always love food, I will always love music, I will always love traveling, and I will always love writing.

So here we are.

I don't know how many people are reading or have ever really read this blog, but I'm writing in here because I love writing, and that's really all that matters, right?

I hope to make this a regular thing, but I want it to be mindful writing rather than content that's pushed out for the sake of this blog being active. And I don't really know what form this blog is going to take. Will it be about clean beauty, sustainability, music, Timothée Chalamet, life in general ... all of the above? I guess only time will tell.

But thank you for reading, if you're still with me at the end of this long soliloquy, or after years of being away. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

A fragment from the beach life

2016-03-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

"Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away."
- Sarah Kay

"Made in the A.M.," One Direction #Review

2015-11-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

I could start my review of One Direction's newest offering, "Made in the A.M.," with a slew of cliched maxims, and they would probably all be true: "What a difference a year makes." "... And then there were four." Yada, yada. Last year, I predicted that One Direction's career would eventually take the trajectory that the Backstreet Boys' career did and would go Adult Contemporary ... but not in the next three years -- not without breaking up first. Well, we lost one member, are in sight of a well-deserved hiatus that could very well lead to disbandment, and "Made in the A.M." is a HUGE step in the Adult Contemporary direction. "Made in the A.M." offers a little something for all ages and seems a little, well, directionless.

After original member Zayn Malik left the group in March, One Direction felt slightly lackluster without him to give it its R&B edge, vocally, and diversity, aesthetically. It felt like an end of an era, and One Direction felt suddenly and sadly bereft of whatever glory that had carried them through their glory days. But the four guys really stepped up their vocal game on "Made in the A.M." to fill the, indeed, vast void that Zayn left behind -- Harry Styles is pulling more high notes (though what's up with the lilting of his voice on the more folksy tracks?). Louis Tomlinson's getting meatier solos, though he was once thought of as 1D's weakest singer. Niall Horan's voice, however, is the most surprising on this album -- gentler, more tender rather than boyishly playful but with that same distinctive watery (yet airy?) quality it's always had.

"Made in the A.M." is the most British the British-Irish boy band has sounded since their debut Europop-ish album, "Up All Night," was released in 2010. But that's as much as the two albums have in common. "Made in the A.M." is eclectic at best, all over the place at worst. The group's third album, "Midnight Memories" was similarly eclectic, smoothly transitioning the boy band from shouty dance songs to rock and folk-driven pop, but "Made in the A.M." feels rushed in comparison and, frankly, a little derivative -- sometimes of even their own songs.

The album starts off with an unexpected sound -- "Hey Angel"'s mid-'90s-like Europop intro that could've been equal parts Kylie (yes, I know she's Australian) or Robbie, complete with a mid-tempo talk-rap. "Olivia" very obviously pays homage to "Pure Imagination" from the film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," but it also sounds like The Beatles. "Walkin' in the Wind" is one of my favorites -- it's so unexpectedly folksy for a boy band, but again, is that a sped up version of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" in a higher key I hear?

"End of the Day" is an amalgamation of everything One Direction's ever been in one song, and is accordingly schizophrenic -- it starts out in one genre and launches into almost another at the chorus, without explanation (though, being pop music, it is still relentlessly catchy). "I Want To Write You A Song" is the only truly lukewarm song on the album, though "Perfect" and "Infinity" aren't much more than your run-of-the-mill pop songs.

"Love You Goodbye" has, by far, the tightest lyrics of the entire album, but this album shows off some of the best lyrics the guys have sung so far. That said, it has fewer songwriting credits from the guys than the previous two albums (9 of 13 of the regular album tracks -- "Four" had 10 of its 12 regular album tracks co-written by at least one member; 12 of 14 "Midnight Memories" regular album tracks were co-written by at least one member).

"Made in the A.M." is a weird note for the four-piece to leave on. It feels rushed and incomplete, like a small taste of the many directions they'd like to go in, but delivered without real conviction. I don't know what would've felt more comforting as a long-time listener. Maybe I wish they would've harmonized more over the past five years, but that's probably just the Backstreet Boys fan in me talking.

One Direction's fifth album "Made in the A.M." releases to stores tomorrow, November 13.

Photo: One Direction's Facebook page

"Four," One Direction #MusicMonday

2014-11-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know when pop artists started dictating how the U.S. music industry operates, but I've noticed in the past year or two that pop stars will just drop their albums willy nilly on Mondays instead of the usual Tuesdays (here in the U.S.). Taylor Swift dropped "1989" on a Monday last month, and today, One Direction released their fourth album, "Four." (My guess is it's because these are international superstars who just want to release their album on the same day worldwide. And they can, thanks to social media. There is no need for a huge international media blitz when everyone can just watch the promo on YouTube later.)

Also: how ridiculous is it that One Direction's already releasing their fourth studio album? They are working these young guys to the bone. The group only formed four years ago and they already have four albums under their belt. Artists also seem to only promote two to three singles per record instead of the four or five of yesteryear. I guess singles don't bring in any money and the more new records, the more excuses for a new tour. Things have changed.

I remember when I was a teen and the Backstreet Boys would come back with a new album and talk about how their new album was a reflection of their maturation in the two years since they'd last released an album. What's One Direction got to say about that? How much maturation can really be had when you're recording a new album every 9 months, while still on tour? There is not much life lived, poor kids. Just raking in of the money and fossilization of the heart. Or something like that.

Whether or not One Direction is really maturing as fast as its music claims, the music is actually palatable now. If you don't already know, I followed them through their time on The X Factor UK, where they were formed, but I was NOT a fan of their early material. I listened to their first album maybe three times. The second album, maybe 10. Their previous album "Midnight Memories" was actually a huge step in the "right" direction, and successfully absorbed some elements of folk and rock music. It helped the group gain a tiny bit of acceptance among the older crowd.

The subject matter of the songs on "Four" is not so much that of an overly energetic, shouty, and downright annoying little brother like that of the first two albums. Neither is it particularly anthemy and lad-dy like "Midnight Memories." This album is apologetic and oddly submissive. A large majority of the songs bow down to the powers of the female (though the song "Girl Almighty" itself is one of two shouty and raucous songs). The guys have gone soft. And slightly risqué.

I still think that "Midnight Memories" overall is a better album than "Four," but "Four" is more cohesive and more mature. The songs that I like from "Four" I love, and they've been on repeat for days. The others are good, too, and not nearly skip-worthy. Even the leading single isn't irritating, like most first singles can be (I'm looking particularly at you, Taylor Swift). Yes, One Direction is heading in the direction that most boy bands seem to end up -- mid-tempos which, further down the line, turn into Adult Contemporary-approved ballads. With an accelerated career, I can't say I'm surprised. But do I think One Direction is gonna turn into the Backstreet Boys in the next three years? Absolutely not. I think they'd sooner break up.

Photo: One Direction's Facebook page

Jubala from the MySpace era #MusicMonday

2014-10-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

Among all this recent talk of Stephen Collins' indiscretions, I saw a little article pop up from the family of a minor Seventh Heaven character. It was about how networks might drop reruns of the show because of Collins' behavior, and how they would lose out on royalties or whatever it's called in the television industry. That family was the Saletta family -- daughter Niki played Simon Camden's first (?) girlfriend on the show, and son Sam most memorably played one of the bullies in the 1994 version of The Little Rascals (apparently he was, at one point, on Seventh Heaven as well).

But I remember the Salettas from MySpace. 2005-2006 was a weird time on the internets, if you ask me. Social networking was just beginning to take off, and no one knew the rules. For a short while, it seemed like no one cared about the rules. I wasn't in the United States during that period. I was five hours ahead of the East Coast, in the United Kingdom, and keeping a watchful eye on American pop culture. I don't remember the sequence of events, but I must've become MySpace friends with someone who knew someone, because this new world of L.A. movers and shakers opened up to me. I was friends with Shia LaBeouf for close to a year until he shut his page down and I stopped checking my MySpace. That was when MySpace started losing ground to Facebook.

So back in 2005ish, I stumbled upon Niki Saletta's MySpace and that led me to her brother Sam's alternative/progressive rock band, Jubala. I loved their sound and I loved that they were unsigned. I guess MySpace served its purpose back then of bringing exposure to creative types. We were all around the same age, and if there was such a thing as an internet groupie, I think I was that for Jubala. I wished I could be in Los Angeles to go to their shows, and I listened the crap outta their little playlist (all of which is gone now, RIP Original MySpace).

My favorite song was "This High," and I revisited it again when I saw the Salettas in the news. I see some of that 2005-2006 MySpace crowd in paparazzi photos with some of the Young Hollywood A through C-listers (Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Vanessa Hudgens, etc.) and it's always kind of weird, especially since we're quite a bit older than the current Young Hollywood pack. Jubala disbanded in 2009, but their music lives on ... and "This High" is still that good. What a killer intro.

A newer version of the band's MySpace page still exists.

Photo: Jubala's Facebook page

"Don't Rush," Kelly Clarkson ft. Vince Gill #MusicMonday

2014-09-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

All these years, I've been decidedly undecided on the topic of Kelly Clarkson. It's clear as day the girl can sing. I liked her well enough fresh off of "American Idol" with her somewhat generic, Adult Contemporary singles "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love," but since she gained an iota of control over her material, I've found her music to be ... one-noted. (New York magazine made note of this back in 2011.) Like P!nk (or does she just go by "Pink" now?), her songs are distinctive, but it's that distinctiveness that's made her music so dull and invariable.

I don't know how I stumbled upon "Don't Rush," but it's not a distinctively Kelly song in that it's not remotely screamy, it's not rock-driven pop, and it doesn't have that ever-present angsty beat. "Don't Rush," in fact, is a classic lazy weekend afternoon song, which means it's closer to acoustic folk than rock and utilizes lolling vocals that had my ears doing a double-take. Is that Colbie or Kelly?

[Side note: how do musicians capture the essence of a lazy weekend afternoon so very well? Rachael Yamagata's done it, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, Renee Olstead and hundreds of others before them. I'm not entirely convinced that there isn't some magic stardust out there that can stop time or, better yet, fast forward to the best part of the weekend.]

It's nice, once in a while, to be reminded of Kelly Clarkson's versatility as a singer and to see the shades of her emotional (and vocal) range. Plus, we get one extra day this weekend to enjoy. Happy Labor Day!

Photo: Kelly Clarkson's Facebook page

Natural Beauty Ingredients: Essential Oil Uses and Benefits

2014-08-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

I've been doing research and trying to integrate "natural beauty" into my regimen for the past 20 months or so, and over those months, I have read a lot about essential oils. Essential oils are concentrated oils drawn from plants, so they are probably one of the purest forms of fragrance you can find. Some essential oils, because they are so rare or costly, are often diluted into carrier oils such as jojoba oil. Essential oils are commonly used for aromatherapy, but they can also be added to oils and homemade skincare ingredients for health benefits.

Below is a brief description of some of the more common essential oils and ailments they are generally known to help with. Important to note: do not take essential oils internally, and do a skin test before adding any essential oil to your skincare products by adding a drop to a carrier oil (jojoba, coconut, sweet almond) and applying to a patch of skin.

*Essential oils marked wit an asterisk are ones which I think would be a good multipurpose or useful oil, if you're just starting out with essential oils.

Basil (sweet)
There are several types of basil essential oil, but sweet basil is one of the most commonly used. It is used to uplift and refresh in aromatherapy. It has antibacterial and stimulating properties, along with other more specific health benefits. Avoid using during pregnancy.

Bergamot
Bergamot is a citrus, and citruses are generally used in aromatherapy to uplift and create a more positive mood. As such, it has anti-depressant qualities, along with antibacterial, astringent, stimulating and others.

*Chamomile
There are several different types of chamomile essential oil, some more expensive than others. Generally speaking, though, chamomile is known to help calm and relax, and is good for sensitive and dry or mature skin.

Cinnamon Leaf
As you may have guessed, cinnamon leaf essential oil is used to invigorate and refresh. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and alleged insecticide properties. Avoid applying this directly on the skin, as it may be too harsh and burn the skin. Avoid using while pregnant.

Citronella
Citronella is known to ward off insects, but it's also said to help purify and revitalize. It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic properties and should be avoided while pregnant.

Clary Sage
Clary sage is used in a lot of skincare for aging or dry skin, but for aromatherapy, it is used to center. Clary sage has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, along with sedative qualities. Avoid when pregnant.

Clove
Clove has antibacterial, anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Like cinnamon, clove can be quite abrasive when applied directly to the skin, so dilute if using in this manner. Otherwise, it is used to warm and comfort. Avoid while pregnant and if you suffer from liver or kidney conditions.

*Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is widely used for a number of ailments, especially for headaches and colds. Add a few drops to an oil warmer or to a bowl of warm water to allow to infuse your room with its scent. When not ill, eucalyptus serves to purify and invigorate. It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, decongesting and stimulating properties. Avoid when pregnant.

Frankincense
Frankincense is very much a love it or hate it scent. Its aromatherapy benefits include calming, and it has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent and sedative properties.

Geranium
Geranium is often used in perfumery for its rose-like fragrance, and in aromatherapy, it is used to help lift moods and soothe. Due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative qualities, it has been used in healing. It also balances oil, so is suited especially to oily skin. It also has anti-depressant and sedative properties. Avoid when pregnant.

Ginger
As you can imagine, in aromatherapy, ginger oil is used to warm and anchor. Its properties include being antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, an astringent and a stimulant.

Grapefruit
Grapefruit uplifts and boosts, like all citruses. Citrus essential oils can be used in skincare to help brighten and lighten the complexion, though care should be taken to apply SPF following application, as some essential oils have not been stripped of bergapten, which may cause photosensitivity. It also has antibacterial, anti-depressant, astringent and stimulating properties. Pink grapefruit essential oil is also said to help with cellulite.

*Lavender
Lavender is fairly well-known as a calming, soothing essential oil. It is also used in skincare to heal and repair skin, and is particularly good for sensitive skin and mature skin, and it is said to even help heal acne. Other properties include: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.

Lemon
Again, like the other citrus essential oils, lemon can help boost the mood and energize. Take care in applying it on the skin, however, because it can cause photosensitivity to the sun and UV rays. Its properties include: antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and an astringent.

Lemongrass
Lemongrass is oftentimes used as an insect repellent, but also in home fragrance. Its scent helps revitalize and purify. It is anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, an antioxidant and an astringent.

Lime
Lime essential oil has a slightly more bitter edge to it than other citruses, but it has the same mood-boosting and happy-making benefits. Again, beware of photosensitivity when applying this on the skin. It is antibacterial, an astringent and restorative.

Sweet Marjoram
Sweet marjoram, in cooking, often replaces rosemary. In aromatherapy, sweet marjoram helps to warm and balance. It is an antioxidant and anti-viral. Avoid when pregnant.

Myrrh
Myrrh is commonly used in incense and has a warm, spicy aroma. Its fragrance is used to help center. Its properties include being anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, an astringent and a sedative. Avoid use when pregnant.

Neroli
Neroli oil is the oil of orange blossoms. It is primarily used in fragrance to calm and soothe, but its properties include being antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. It is said to be good for all skin types.

*Orange (sweet)
Orange is an extremely bright and cheery essential oil which works to uplift. Be careful of applying this directly to the skin, as it may cause photosensitivity. Always follow up with an SPF. Orange essential oil is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal and stimulating.

Oregano
Oregano in the essential oil form is medicinal and herbaceous, and is used in aromatherapy to invigorate and purify. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. Avoid use when pregnant.

*Palmarosa
Palmarosa, like geranium, is used in perfumery to imitate or enhance the rose scent. In skincare, it is especially good for mature skin as it helps skin regenerate. However, it also helps the skin regulate oil, so it may also be useful for oily or acne-prone skin. It is antibacterial and anti-fungal, and is sometimes used as an insect repellant.

Patchouli
Patchouli, like frankincense, is a fairly controversial scent. It is thought to be romantic and soothing, though not to insects! It is sometimes used as an insect repellent and is otherwise thought to be antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and decongesting.

*Peppermint
Peppermint is an essential oil I highly recommend having in your collection if you like mint scents at all. It is excellent for headaches and nasal congestions -- apply a few drops to your oil warmer or a bowl of warm water. It is also great for neutralizing odors and in aromatherapy, it is used to invigorate and refresh. It is rarely used in skincare because it can cause skin sensitivity, but used in moderation, it adds a tingly feeling to foot masks and body scrubs. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, an astringent and a stimulant. Avoid if you suffer from epilepsy or are pregnant.

*Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the do-all essential oils. It is often used in skincare as an astringent and is particularly good for oily and acne-prone skin. It is also often used in hair loss and scalp treatments as it has anti-bacterial qualities to it and helps with dandruff. In aromatherapy, it is used to help invigorate and clarify. It is antibacterial, an antioxidant, an astringent, anti-fungal and stimulating. Avoid if you suffer from epilepsy, hypertension or are pregnant.

Sandalwood
Sandalwood is used in aromatherapy to relax and center, and it is an astringent, an emollient, a sedative and anti-fungal. Some claim that it can serve as an insecticide as well.

Spearmint
Spearmint is a slightly sweeter and more mellow mint than peppermint essential oil, and is also used to help revitalize and clarify. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, an astringent, a decongestant and a stimulant.

*Tea Tree
Tea tree is quite a well-known antibacterial and anti-fungal. In beauty, it can be added to carrier oils and shampoos or conditioners to combat dandruff, and any other dermatological conditions. It is thought to be antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, a decongestant and an insecticide.

Thyme
Thyme is rarely used in skincare products because it can irritate the skin, but is commonly found in household cleaning products due to its antibacterial properties. In aromatherapy, it offers an energizing and purifying fragrance. Other properties include being anti-fungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, a stimulant and an insecticide. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ylang Ylang
Ylang ylang is said to be sensual in scent, but is also known for its sedative properties. It is also antibacterial, an anti-depressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and a disinfectant. Avoid when pregnant.

Gunnar Scott #MusicMonday

2014-08-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

I recently had the chance to sit down and finally catch up on the last handful of episodes from this past season of "Nashville." I enjoy the show because it's a) about music, b) about the music industry, c) set in Nashville, and d) peppered with phenomenal music.

I'm sure everyone who watches "Nashville" has a favorite character and, moreover, has a favorite singer. I don't think the two necessarily have to be the same. One of the most beautiful (and marketable) things about "Nashville" is that there is a facet of country for everyone. There's the Adult Contemporary country Faith Hill-like Rayna James. There's the pop-country artist Juliette Barnes. There's a Tim McGraw, a Luke Bryan, a Miranda Lambert/Carrie Underwood. I can't say that I have a definitive favorite character -- both Rayna and Juliette warm my heart in (wildly) different ways, and who doesn't like Deacon? Each of them have had their standout moment or moments. But at the end of the day, the character whose music I want to listen outside the scope of the television show is Gunnar.

I don't think there's a been a song of his that I haven't loved. Gunnar's style of country music is on the edge of folk (or often jazz when performing with Scarlett), and appeals to the type of viewer who may not be into country music at all. There are fibers of John Mayer in Sam Palladio (who plays Gunnar)'s voice and Gunnar's music. And each song is a carefully crafted backstory, blending seamlessly in with whatever struggle Gunnar is facing.

Photo: ABC.com

Recipe: Creamy Homemade Dole Whip / Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream

2014-08-21T13:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, full disclosure: I've never had the real Dole Whip. But I caught wind of this icy treat online and it sounded absolutely scrumptious. So I decided to try making it at home using all natural ingredients (unlike the actual Dole Whip, which is not really made from fruit at all).

If you've never heard of Dole Whip, it's akin to pineapple-flavored soft serve that can be found exclusively at Disneyland, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Magic Kingdom, and at Dole's processing plant in Hawaii. According to the Disney Wikia:

Though a Dole Whip has the taste and consistency of soft-serve ice cream, the dessert actually gets its texture from ordinary food thickeners. Only a small amount of the milk derivative sodium caseinate accounts for dairy content.

So I did a little bit of poking around online, looking at how people were making their homemade Dole Whips, and I came up with my own little recipe using their experiences. A lot of people use the powdered mix of Dole Whip you can order online, some mix pineapple juice with whipped cream, and yet others use those machines that turn fruit into frozen desserts. My Dole Whip recipe is slightly more work intensive but good if you don't like whipped cream, don't own one of those machines (but own an ice cream maker), or just have a lot of pineapple lying around!

First of all, my recipe is closer to an ice cream than a sorbet. This recipe uses real pineapple (you can use canned), so there were pineapple fibers throughout the finished product. I also read that cooking or roasting fruit brings its flavor out even more (it can also intensify the color), so I started this recipe by cooking the pineapple. This is a step you can also skip. If you don't own an ice cream maker, you can definitely still use a version of this recipe -- instead of pureeing the pineapple and making the ice cream base, freeze it after cooking and toss the frozen chunks into your blender with the cream and milk and blend until it becomes creamy.

Homemade Dole Whip

Yields: Approximately one quart
Total Time: At least 6 hours

Ingredients

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch or 1-inch chunks (3-4 cups of cubed pineapple)

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

2 cups of cream

1 cup of milk [You can also substitute the cream and milk combination with 3 cups of half-and-half]

The juice of half a lemon

A pinch of salt

Cook the pineapple, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes, or when the pineapple begins to become translucent and the sugar reduces and becomes slightly brown and syrupy. Allow to cool and transfer to a blender and puree. Pour into a plastic bag and freeze for several hours or overnight.

The next step is creating the ice cream base for the pineapple. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and slowly add the pineapple puree and cream (or half-and-half). Whisk in the milk, if using. Add a pinch of salt, lightly mix, and chill for at least 2 hours.

Add the chilled mixture to your ice cream maker and follow your machine's instructions. For best results, place the result back in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

This makes a sweet, creamy not overwhelmingly pineapple-y ice cream. If you'd like a stronger pineapple flavor, I'd imagine you could either add more pineapple chunks or incorporate pineapple juice into the recipe (though it wouldn't be as creamy). Delightfully refreshing, and a slightly different offering than the typical piña colada ice creams available.

Product Review: Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo, Conditioner and 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish

2014-08-20T13:30:00.000-04:00

I recently received a sample of the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo, Conditioner and 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish from PINCHme free-of-charge for review. The Hydra Recharge line promises "weightless, silky hair for up to 2 days" and is geared towards normal to dry hair. For the record, I have thick, dry and frizzy hair, so I was really interested in this line.

Let's start with the shampoo. The shampoo's claims:

Hydra Recharge is the first shampoo with encapsulated beds of superfruit goji berry, plus passion fruit and kiwi. Hair is ultra-hydrated, weightlessly silkier and softer.

I wasn't a fan of the beads. I found them unnecessary and kind of bothersome, and I'm not sure whether they do much for the hair that the translucent shampoo base doesn't already do. However, of the three products I sampled, I liked the shampoo best, just as I did with the Dove Oxygen Moisture line. It isn't often that I like a shampoo because they are typically too drying or heavy for my oily scalp, but this one was the perfect balance of cleansing and hydrating. It had a really delicious fruity smell, closer to Skittles or fruit candy than previous Garnier Fructis hair products I've used (which have had a light apple or banana scent).

The conditioner's claims:

The hydrating conditioner with superfuits of goji berry, passion fruit and kiwi, actively replenishes moisture without heaviness.

The conditioner was a light blue opaque color, and surprisingly thin for a hydrating conditioner. Going on, I felt my hair immediately take on a smoother texture, but after my hair dried, it fluffed up as much or more than usual. The scent wasn't as fruity or candy-like as the shampoo, and had a slightly more synthetic smell to it.

The 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish was next. I was a little confused by this product, which says:

Experience a powerful new blast of hydration. Hydra Recharge 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish Treatment's powerful yet lightweight crème-gel formula, with superfruits of goji berry, passion fruit and kiwi, delivers a surge of high-performance hydration in just 1 minute. Hair is ultra-hydrated, weightlessly silkier and softer.

I did not use this independently from the shampoo and conditioner combination, but I have tried the shampoo and conditioner without the 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish (which you are supposed to leave in your hair for a minute after conditioning your hair). I did not notice a significant difference between using the 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish and not using it. Like the conditioner, the Moisture-Plenish had a slightly synthetic smell to it and it wasn't noticeably different in texture or color from the conditioner either. As of now, I am not seeing much of a point to the Moisture-Plenish and on principle, it seems redundant to need to apply a treatment on top of your conditioner.

Overall, I really enjoyed the shampoo and would repurchase it. I'd probably give the conditioner another go, though I think there are better conditioners out there that give thick, dry hair better hydration. As with most (if not all) so-called "hydrating" shampoos, conditioners and hair treatments, these all contain some form of silicone in them, which can ultimately be more drying than hydrating to your hair.

More information on the products (including ingredients) below the cut ...

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo retails for $3.99 for 13 ounces/384 mL ...
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco-Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-30 Glyceryl Cocoate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Fragrance, PEG-14 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Pyrus Malus Extract (Apple Fruit Extract), Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-39, Actinidia Chinensis Water (Kiwi Fruit Water), Niacinamide, Pyridoxine HCl, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citric Acid, Saccharum Officinarum Extract (Sugar Cane Extract), Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Juice, CI 77007 (Ultramarines), Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Bisabolol, Methylisothiazolinone, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract (Lemon Peel Extract), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Conditioner retails for $3.99 for 13 ounces/384 mL ...
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Pyrus Malus Extract (Apple Fruit Extract), PEG/PPG 18/18, Lauryl PEG, 18 Methicone, Actinidia Chinensis Water (Kiwi Fruit Water), Citric Acid, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine HCl, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Dodecene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Poloxamer 407, Saccharin Officinarum Extract (Sugar Cane Extract), Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Juice, Bisabolol, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract (Lemon Peel Extract), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, CI 42090 (Blue 1), CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 42053 (Green 3)

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish retails for $5.99 for 8.5 ounces/250 mL ...
Ingredients: Water, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Quaternium 87, Stearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Behentrimonium, Chloride, Cetyl Esters, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Candelilla Wax, Isopropyl Alcohol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract (Apple), Trideceth 6, Triethanolamine, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Water (Kiwi), Niacinamide, Pyridoxine HCI, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Citric Acid, Hexylcinnamal, Cetrimonium Chloride, Saccharum Officinarum Extract (Sugar Cane), Benzyl Alcohol, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, 2 Oleamido 1,3 Ctadecanediol, Linalool, Amylcinnamal, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Juice, Bisabolol, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract (Lemon Peel), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Green 3 (CI 42053), FIL D159107/2

Photos: GarnierUSA.com

A little road trip #MusicMonday

2014-08-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

I'm just about ready to head off to another state for graduate school now, and I'm driving there so I thought it'd be a nice opportunity to put together a small little playlist! This is a mix of (mostly) old and new, of songs that bring me comfort or pump me up for the long road ahead. I've probably talked about many of these songs before on this blog, or had them in other playlists, but these are tried and true songs for me and I just love 'em.

1. "Everything's Right," Matt Wertz
Matt Wertz, along with John Mayer, is my go-to man for laidback summer road trippin' songs. Also good are "Summer Sun" and "Carolina."
2. "There's More To Me Than You," Jessica Andrews
3. "Boyfriend," Alphabeat
4. "Free Fallin'," John Mayer
I happened to choose this cover by John Mayer because it's all-American, all the way, but any song off of just about any of John's albums would do for a road trip. But especially his latest, "Paradise Valley."
5. "Into The Blue," Kylie Minogue
6. "Your Love," The Outfield
7. "Running Away," Toby Lightman/"Sleep All Day," Jason Mraz
Toby's song can't be found on YouTube and Jason's song in full can't be found on Spotify. Both are soothing singer-songwriter songs I was obsessed with back in 2004.
8. "If I Could Change Your Mind," Haim
9. "Don't Forget Where You Belong," One Direction
10. "Standing Still," Jewel
11. "Anticipating," Britney Spears
This song got me through the roughest all-nighters of my junior year of high school. If you're anything like me, this song will not allow you to fall asleep.
12. "Fly Away," Lenny Kravitz
13. "Better Than This," Hunter Hayes
14. "Long Way," Antje Duvekot
My definitive road trip song. I discovered it back in 2007 and it's basically been on every mixtape I've made for others since. Yes, it's long and might actually put you to sleep, but it's so poetic and simple.

Moko #MusicMonday

2014-08-04T13:30:00.000-04:00

With the resurgence of '90s house and '90s beats in today's popular music, I've found it really interesting that many of the artists are actually products of the '90s. Ariana Grande, whose song "Problem" has serious '90s elements, was born in 1993. And I've recently discovered British "soul singer" Moko, whose music contains early '90s and mid-'90s influences that are closer to the music I grew up with than anything I've listened to recently. (Because apparently I grew up in da club in the mid-'90s.)

Moko, who was born in 1991, met her production team while attending Goldsmiths, University of London and was signed to MTA Records under Virgin EMI last year. Her sound is rich and harmonious while still retaining a versatility that makes for good club music, lounge music or even sleep music.

"Your Love" is her debut single off of her upcoming EP "Gold," despite having released the EP "Black" in late 2013.

(Is it weird if the melody of "Ceremony" reminds me of Jessica Simpson's song "Sweet Kisses" from her 1999 debut album?)

Photo: Moko's Facebook page

Three years old, tomorrow.

2014-07-31T13:30:00.000-04:00

I started this blog on the first day of 2011, but it was christened "Maxine Writes" three years ago tomorrow. This blog has been many things over the past three years -- it started out as a bit of a travel blog, journaling my travels through Taiwan and some of its neighbors in the Australasia region. There was a bit of New York City love thrown in, and then as I changed, it grew into more of a natural beauty product blog. Throughout all of these changes, two things have remained constant: my love for music and my love for food.

As you may know, I am heading to graduate school this fall. It's been a "few" years since I've last been in school, taken classes, done homework. I don't really know what my schedule will be like. Earlier this year, I started up a "Tunes Tuesday," but then soon realized that I wouldn't have the time (especially once I start school) to always be on the lookout for new music, so we're back to just Music Mondays (or, as far as this blog's concerned, "what I'm listening to/#nowplaying").

I will try my very best to keep my Music Mondays going once I get to school, and recipes or food-related entries when I can (I can't imagine graduate school plus internships will leave me much time to experiment with too many new recipes). Maybe I'll have time to do a little traveling during school breaks -- I am heading to the Midwest for school, which is basically uncharted territory for me. I've been to Chicago before and ... that's about it. I might suffer culture shock, but probably the good kind.

So updates to this blog will probably slow down to about two entries a week until I find my footing, which may take a month or two or maybe the entire length of my graduate program (I plan on finishing in late 2015).

But anyway, new adventures of a completely different kind -- school! The Midwest! Football! (Maybe?)

I hope you'll stick around to find out with me.

Tiny Ruins #MusicMonday

2014-07-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

Although I write a lot about bubblegum pop music and my extreme nostalgia for it, on an average day my musical cravings lean more towards the folk-acoustic, singer-songwriter sort. Tiny Ruins is my newest aural discovery, and the best kind, if you ask me. I have a strong penchant for sounds of the '60s, and Tiny Ruins (singer-songwriter Hollie Fullbrook, bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer of New Zealand) exemplifies all my favorite parts of '60s folk music and its earthy ties to nature. It started out as Hollie Fullbrook's solo project and has retained a bare, singular kind of sound that recalls simpler times.

Tiny Ruins' latest album "Brightly Painted One" is out now, and will begin touring the U.S. at the end of this month.

Photo: Tiny Ruins' Facebook page

Easy Recipe: Girl's Life Mustard Potato Salad

2014-07-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

When I was a preteen, "Girl's Life" magazine was my publication of choice. I'd sneak peeks at "YM," "Seventeen" and "Sassy" at the local library, but "Girl's Life" was the magazine I asked my father to pay for at Barnes & Noble. It also happened to be my first real foray into cooking.

One of my last issues of "Girl's Life" featured a summer picnic cooking theme, and for some reason, the potato salad screamed out to me. I approached my mother and asked her to help me gather the ingredients necessary to make the salad, and it was every bit as delicious as I'd hoped it'd be. And then I lost my magazine.

It wasn't until I moved last year that I discovered the recipe again. I had ripped it out and placed it with out sentimental magazine rip-outs. Recently I decided to make this potato salad again, after about 15 years, and it was still just as great as I remembered it. I did, however, alter the recipe as I'm sure I did the first time around. The original recipe calls for shredded carrot and parsley, but I find that the flavor of the two a bit too overwhelming to be paired with the rest of the salad's flavors.

It's so simple, but to this day, this is still my absolute favorite potato salad recipe.

Girl's Life Mustard Potato Salad

Yields: About 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound (6 or 7) of medium white or red potatoes

2 green onions

1/4 cup of non-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of dijon mustard (I found I needed MUCH more than this, more like 6 teaspoons, but I like it spicy, so test it out as you go)

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of sweet relish (or one pickle, finely chopped)

cayenne pepper

ground pepper

paprika

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Place lid on pot and simmer on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender (when a fork can be easily inserted into them). Remove the potatoes from the pan and refrigerate until they are cooled.

In a large bowl, whisk together the "dressing" ingredients: yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, relish, a dash of cayenne pepper and ground pepper to taste. Trim off the ends of the green onions, chop, and add to the bowl.

Cut the potatoes into one-inch pieces and add to the dressing. Stir carefully with a wooden spoon, chill, and sprinkle with paprika just before serving, if you'd like.

So. Delicious. So easy.

Natural Beauty Recipe: Homemade Lush Volcano Foot Mask

2014-07-23T13:30:00.000-04:00

Back in late 2012, I decided I needed the Lush Volcano Foot Mask in my life. I've previously been let down by Lush ... actually, more often than not, I'm let down by Lush. But the Volcano Foot Mask is not one of them. If it weren't for the hefty price tag ($22.95 for 11.4 ounces/325 grams), I'd buy it over and over again. While the Volcano Foot Mask doesn't exactly work wonders on my feet, it gives my feet a warm, tingly sensation and makes them feel fresh and new.

Me being me, I thought, "Let me look at the ingredients. I bet I can make this at home for a quarter of the price." Bingo. While my recipe isn't exact, it's a dupe that serves the purpose of making my feet feel tingly and fresh.

The Lush ingredients: Kaolin, Pumice, Limeflower and Cleaver Decoction, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Papaya, Potatoes, Glycerine, Bentonite Gel, Lemon Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

One of my biggest problems with Lush is that in spite of its "natural" reputation, it uses parabens in a lot of its products, and other unsavory ingredients.

My ingredients: Bentonite clay (any powdered clay would work), fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, peppermint essential oil, aloe vera juice

Homemade Lush Volcano Foot Mask Dupe

Yields: About 2 applications

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of powdered clay (I used bentonite)

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

the juice of half a lemon

4 tablespoons of aloe vera juice (tap or distilled water would work as well)

1 medium tomato, chopped
5 drops of peppermint essential oil

Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients together, and refrigerate for up to a week. You'll notice that the mask will become quite dry when refrigerated -- add some more aloe vera juice (or water) to it and mix before applying. To use, apply a thick coat to your feet, wrap your feet up in saran wrap or plastic bags and allow to rest for 30 minutes or more. Lush suggest elevating your feet for maximum effectiveness. Rinse off in the shower.

The original Lush recipe calls for cinnamon essential oil, which I didn't have on hand, so I used peppermint oil instead, which gave it a similar tingly feeling. Cinnamon in general is said to help deodorize feet, though peppermint has a similar effect. If you would like to use cinnamon essential oil, please use a few drops at first and do a skin test before adding more. My recipe uses proportions appropriate for peppermint essential oil.

If you happen to have papaya and potatoes lying around, feel free to add small portions of that in as well. I didn't have any potatoes, and papayas are somewhat expensive (and rare in my household!). The enzymes from the papaya and tomato help break down dead skin. So will the citric acid in lemon juice.

You can buy powdered clay really inexpensively at your local health food store, or on sites like Drugstore.com or Vitacost.com. If you try this recipe out, let me know how you like it!

FAYE (Hamlin) #MusicMonday

2014-07-21T20:25:00.001-04:00

Following last week's walk down memory lane when I filled my iPod back up with music, this week's Music Monday stems from a look back on music from my youth. Back in 2001, a Swedish girl group called Play hit the teen pop market here in the U.S. and at one point opened for Destiny's Child on tour. They were probably the truest form of bubblegum pop I've ever voluntarily listened to and enjoyed. In 2003, they decided to adopt a slightly mature look and sound (despite being only about 15 years old) and they managed to land one song on MTV's "Total Request Live" ("I Must Not Chase The Boys").

After the release of the group's second album, lead singer Faye Hamlin dropped out and was replaced. With the new member, Play went on to release one last album before disbanding. In 2009, the group was momentarily revived in Sweden with original members Faye Hamlin and Anaïs Lameche (younger sister of singer Amanda, who herself was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. back in 2001) and a new addition, but ultimately broke up for good after one line-up change.

The oldest former members of Play are 27 this year, and those who have chosen to continue to pursue music have been surprisingly successful ... doing music that is definitely not bubblegum pop. My two favorites back then were Faye Hamlin and Rosanna "Rosie" Munter, and both are still in the biz. Rosie, who was never given much to do in the girl group other than to be blonde and look pretty, is no longer blonde and is one half of the "sonic pop" duo K.I.D.S., who played SXSW in 2013.

Like Rosie, Faye has moved away from the bubblegum pop which brought her fame as a teenager, and has done so quite seamlessly. Having quit Play twice due to exhaustion and creative differences, she has achieved some amount of success as a solo dance-electropop artist. And like Rosie, played shows at SXSW in 2013. Earlier this year, she was signed to Capitol Records, and part of me wonders what took her so long. It was clear at 13 that she was going to make it in the music industry, but I guess she wanted it to be on her own terms.

Photo: Hybris

iPods and "... Baby One More Time" #MusicMonday

2014-07-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

My iPod Classic 160GB that I bought in mid-2011 pooped out on me earlier this year, without warning. One day, after a long stretch, I plugged it in to add new music and my computer told me the iPod had been corrupted and that I would need to do a factory reset. This broke my little music-loving heart, because unlike most people I know, I have more music than I can reasonably store on my hard drive, so I use my iPod as an external hard drive. Meaning: I'd lost most of my music.

What was worse, I was soon to find out, was that once I had prepared myself to erase all of my music, I realized that iTunes had a multitude of excuses for not being able to actually erase and restore my iPod. I was given the runaround with errors 1392, 1430, 1434, 1436. I tried every remedy I knew from the advice of Apple sages, including checking the stats of my iPod's hard drive, which were generally inconclusive. I've given up.

I found my iPod Video 30GB from 2007, which is still in perfect working condition (what gives, Apple?) and decided to reload it with my music. With my 160GB iPod, I just dumped whatever I had recently acquired onto it to listen to sometime in the near future, but now that I'm down to just 30GB, I've got to be a lot more choosy. I've found that since the advent of cloud technologies and apps like Spotify, I've unfortunately grown to want to be able to listen to what I want when I want. (Has that happened to you too?) And I'm finding now that I'm older that the music I want to be at arm's length is music from my adolescence.

So I dipped into my physical CD collection this weekend to rip my music back onto my computer ... what a trip down memory lane. I'm a little ... OCD about my physical CD collection. When I was about 13, I began organizing them based on the order I bought them in, which makes putting them back in order a bit difficult now that I can't remember exactly which month I bought one of the 15 CDs I bought in, say, 2000. (Especially in those cases where I didn't buy records in their release month.)

Do you ever think about how your music collection represents you? For some reason, I often think of these representations in colors. Since my CD collection is skewed towards the late '90s and early '00s, at which point I promptly slowed down my CD buying, I would say my collection might be a lavender color. Not quite pink, but still pretty girly.

Anyway, this brings me to "... Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears. It's been a while since I've liked anything Britney's put out -- the last album I even listened to was "Britney" in 2001, and I didn't love it. But something led me back to the "... Baby One More Time" music video and I have to say that I love it every bit as much as I loved it then. The hair and the makeup might be dated now, but to me, there's something incredibly classic (and even iconic, dare I say) about the video. The dancing is fun, fresh and on point. Everything about Britney in that video has the "it" factor written all over it, and even though the video is not conceptually interesting in the least, it's still visually captivating. It makes me wonder why they don't play "... Baby One More Time" more often on the radio. (But then I remember that I don't actually listen to the radio anymore, so I can't definitively say that they don't.)

I've uploaded a lot of albums that I had written off over the years because they weren't "cool." But what the hell -- Christina Aguilera's debut album is a pop music masterpiece. Craig David, it's been too long. No Authority's debut may be the biggest forgotten gem of all.

And then there are the duds which I'm removing to make room for others. Michelle Branch -- what was I thinking!? What were we all thinking? I even saw her in concert once and made certain I was standing front row. (Never mind the fact that my tickets were free.) Her music was bland and generally uninspiring, a less sparkly and less verbally nimble Taylor Swift. I think listeners were in want of something a little more organic after years of Britney and 'N Sync. Gone, too, are the Ingrid Michaelsons of the late 2000s. My one-time crush on Jason Mraz has waned.

The music I've carried with me through the years are evergreen, good for all seasons: John Mayer, Norah Jones, A Fine Frenzy, The Weepies, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Toby Lightman. And now late '90s Christina Aguilera, No Authority, Jordan Knight and "... Baby One More Time." Those opening bars bring me right back to autumn 1998.

Product Review: Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hr Concealer

2014-07-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've worked my way through one of my Project Pan products, and I'm happy to say that I'm finally done with the Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hr Concealer. Fortunately, this is one of the Project Pan products I can say grew on me (a little) as time wore on.

The Maybelline 24 Hr Concealer is a liquid concealer that comes in five shades and utilizes your typical doe-foot applicator. Its suggested retail price is $7.99 for 0.18 fl ounces (5.5 ml). Its claims:

Doesn't settle into creases or lines
Conceals imperfections, flaws, undereye darkness and circles
24-hour wear / No Transfer
Non Comedogenic
Hypoallergenic
Oil-Free
Dermatologist Tested
Ophthalmologist Tested
Fragrance Free

After reading a bunch of reviews, I bought the Maybelline 24 Hr Concealer because I was looking for a creamy concealer I could use to cover up my blemishes. This is not the concealer for that, unless you have somewhat oily skin. My biggest complaint about this concealer that it seriously accentuates any dryness you may have on your skin. Seriously. About 80% of a blemish's lifespan on my face is spent being dry from all of the salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide I've applied on it. This meant that if and when I used the Maybelline 24 Hr Concealer on those spots, an unattractive dry ring would appear around my pimple before long.

So I gave up on using it to conceal blemishes and began using it as an under-eye concealer, as it was closer to my summer color. Here, it performed much better. It has decent coverage as a dark circle concealer, but you have to work rather quickly because the formula dries fast. But after using it multiple times a week under my eyes, I noticed some little bumps in my under-eye area, leading me to believe that it may not be as non-comedogenic as it claims to be.

Ultimately, I would definitely not repurchase the Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hr Concealer. I don't know if it lives up to its claims of not transferring, but it definitely does not stay put ... and definitely not for 24 hours. Aside from the flaking around pimples, I noticed that it did not continue to conceal my dark circles as well throughout the day as when I had initially applied it.

I think I made a misstep when purchasing this concealer and perhaps the Maybelline Fit Me concealer would have been a better choice. Have you used the Fit Me concealer before, and do you recommend it for concealing blemishes? If not, what drugstore concealers would you recommend for that purpose?

In sum:

accentuates dryness
dries very quickly (you have to work quickly)
potentially not non-comedogenic
does not stay put all day

More information about the Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hr Concealer, 0.18 fl ounces/5.5 ml ...

Ingredients: Water, Isododecane, Propylene Glycol, Diisocetyl Dodecanedioate, Polyglyceryl 4 Isostearate, Nylon 12, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cetyl/PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Talc, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Carbonate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Methylparaben, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Butylparaben, May Contain: (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77492 (Iron Oxide Yellow), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides)

Made in the U.S.A.

Summer 2014 Playlist #MusicMonday

2014-07-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

I hope all you Americans and Americans-at-heart had a great 4th of July holiday and weekend! Now that summer is officially underway, you can bet I'm back with another playlist ... the YouTube playlist is missing one crucial song that the Spotify version contains: "Pardon Me" by Naughty Boy, Tanika and Ava Stokes.

The playlist is as follows:

1. "Stranger," X Ambassadors
2. "Little Games," The Colourist
3. "Wessex Boy," Frank Turner
4. "Easter Island," The Eclectic Moniker
5. "Of The Night," Bastille
6. "Hurricane," Mindy Smith
7. "Your Drums, Your Love," AlunaGeorge
8. "Somebody Loves You," Betty Who
9. "Bring Your Love," Joakim ft. Luke Jenner
10. "Pardon Me," Naughty Boy, Tanika, Ava Stokes
11. "Where Do We Go From Here," The Temper Trap
12. "Rather Be," Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
13. "Summer in the City," Freedom Fry

Here's to a great summer!

Strawberry Season: Easy Homemade Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

2014-07-03T13:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day! If now isn't a time for strawberries and ice cream, I don't know what is. (Or watermelon sorbet, come to think of it.) But this is a story about leftovers. I had some leftover heavy cream from a previous ice cream making endeavor, and a lot of strawberries leftover from my strawberry haul at the start of strawberry season (installments one and two: strawberry pecan bread and strawberry pie).

If you know me, though, you'd know that I like putting a twist on "basic" flavors. And knowing that balsamic vinegar and strawberries often go together, I sought out a balsamic strawberry ice cream recipe. I found quite a few and settled on this one, offered by Closet Cooking, but as usual, I altered it a touch.

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream

Yields: Approximately 1 pint of ice cream

Ingredients

2 cups of strawberries (cleaned and hulled)
2 tbsps of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps of sugar
1 cup of heavy cream*
1 cup of full milk*
1/2 cup of sugar (white or brown)
3 egg yolks
Salt
*Alternatively, you could use 2 cups of half-and-half

Instructions
To roast the strawberries, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the strawberries in the balsamic vinegar and sugar and let sit for 20 minutes. Pour the mixture on a baking pan covered in foil folded up on the sides to capture the juices. Roast the strawberries until they start to caramelize, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and place the strawberries and the juices into a container and chill in the fridge.

Heat the cream, milk and sugar in a sauce pan until it almost boils, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add one tablespoon of the cream mixture to the eggs to temper them. Add the egg mixture to the sauce pan. Cook at low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. You may want to strain the mixture at this point to remove any bits that may have formed while cooking. Add a pinch of salt to help the ice cream freeze, and stir. Chill the mixture in the fridge.

Mix the cream and strawberry mixtures and freeze according to the instructions for your ice cream machine. After removing the ice cream from the ice cream maker, you may need to freeze it for a couple of extra hours so it hardens to a firmer consistency (rather than soft serve).

This was really good. As you may have guessed, I don't typically pick up strawberry ice cream at the store, but this was much better than expected (and better than most strawberry ice creams I've had). According to Kevin, the author of Closet Cooking, roasting the strawberries just intensifies the flavor. I could definitely taste a bit of the balsamic vinegar, but only in that it gave the strawberries a bit of dimension. It wasn't sour, and if I hadn't been looking for it, I probably would've never known it was there. If you're looking for a good homemade strawberry ice cream recipe, this is one I highly recommend. Plus, it's easy!

Product Review: Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

2014-07-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

I recently signed up for yet another free-to-sample program, PINCHme. With PINCHme, you sign up for samples according to what you're interested in sampling, and you have to write a review in exchange for the freebie. The first sample I signed up for was the new Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner set for fine, flat hair.

Now full disclosure (if you didn't already know) -- I don't have fine, flat hair. Well, flat is subjective and yes, somedays my roots are quite flat because I have that triangle hair thing going on. But I haven't had fine hair since before I hit puberty. No, I have dry, thick and usually frizzy hair.

But in my dabbling with shampoos, I have found that whatever claims a shampoo may have, my hair will react as it pleases. Which means my hair often likes shampoos suited to fine or flat hair and not ones suited to thick, dry hair (which can leave even my hair greasy, waxy and altogether lackluster). And I just so happen to be on the lookout for a new shampoo to try.

The Dove Oxygen Moisture line promises "Moisture with 95% more volume (Shampoo and Conditioner vs. flat limp hair)":

Oxygen Moisture Shampoo is made with Oxyfusion Technology, a new generation of moisture. With lightweight, oxygen-fused conditioning ingredients, the formula rapidly disperses on your hair. It gently cleanses & moisturizes, breathing life into fine, flat hair.

Oxygen Moisture Conditioner is made with Oxyfusion Technology, a new generation of moisture. With lightweight, oxygen-fused conditioning ingredients, the formula rapidly disperses on your hair. It delicately smoothes hair without weighing it down.

I've used the sample (one ounce of each) a couple times now, and I can report that I really enjoy the shampoo. It is indeed gentler than a lot of the other shampoos I've used, and doesn't leave my scalp too dry. The downside is that I can often go two days without shampooing with my other shampoos, but I can feel a slight oil buildup within 24 hours of shampooing my hair with the Oxygen shampoo.

The smell of the shampoo and conditioner is phenomenal -- a really fresh, floral scent that makes me feel really clean. However, it may overwhelm some, as it is quite strong. The conditioner is certainly for finer hair types -- I found it runnier than I'm used to, though a decent enough conditioner. It fared better than some conditioners made for dry hair, but not as great as others. It surpassed my expectations for a conditioner made for fine, flat hair, though.

So from my perspective, the Dove Oxygen Moisture shampoo and conditioners do as they claim -- they offer moisture without leaving any residue or weighted feeling. I can't say whether it prevents flat hair, but my hair did look smoother overall without looking, again, weighed down. I would recommend this set to just about anyone with fine to thick hair who is looking for a shampoo and conditioner that will cleanse gently and moisturize sufficiently.

From an ingredients standpoint, the shampoo contains an odd ingredient for shampoo -- mineral oil. Lactic acid is present in the conditioner. And as expected, the conditioner (like most) contains a couple forms of dimethicone. Both the shampoo and conditioner contain glycerin.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo for fine, flat hair ...
Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Fragrance, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Mineral Oil, Citric Acid, Tetradoium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, PEG-45M, Gelatin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Propylene Glycol, PPG-9, Xanthan Gum, Methylchlorosothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1, Red 33.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Oxygen Moisture Conditioner for fine, flat hair ...
Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Amodimethicone, DMDM Hydantoin, PEG-150 Distearate, PEG-180M, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Cetrimonium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Josh Record #MusicMonday

2014-06-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

26-year-old Josh Record is a Brixton singer-songwriter who recently came off tour with Sam Smith. 2013 was a huge year for Record, beginning with the release of his self-produced EP, "The War." Late last year, under Virgin Records, he released the EP titled "Bones". Now, he is gearing up to release his debut full-length album "Pillars" on July 14.

Record's songs have a quintessential English singer-songwriter quality to them, sparse and haunting. And yearning, almost painfully so. If Chris Martin weren't still part of the contemporary music scene, I'd label Josh Record a modern-day Chris Martin, melding elements of British alt-rock, Mumford folk and trace Ed Sheeran-styled R&B into one. Something that, as recycled as it sounds, fills a previously undiscovered void.

Photo: Josh Record's Facebook page