My friend designer Diana Eng sent me a gift from NY fashion week last fall when she got to attend the Anna Sui fashion show. The gift she sent me was Anna Sui's Perfect Mascara. I actually saved it for a few months until I finished my old mascara. The packaging and tube are gorgeous. I loved the little illustrations on how this mascara could turn your lashes into "doll lashes". But I didn't realize how good this mascara really is until the first time I applied it.
One word is magic. The brush is unassuming. Not thick or curved, but rather a simple straight small brush. I apply it right after curling my lashes. Not only do my lashes will stay curled, it even extends my lashes longer. It also doesn't feel thick or clump which I have found Dior to do so. I've been using it for a month now and was starting to freak out because I wasn't sure where I could buy this outside of NY. Luckily I found it online. Phew! The mascara is a bit pricy but totally worth it if you are looking for the look of long lashes.
I never liked my alarm and quite frankly I really hate my husband's alarm. He usually wakes up 1-2 hours before I do and it's always a mix of loud beeping and static-filled radio. Annoying! When I found out about LARK, I knew I had to test out this new kind of alarm that wakes you up silently and works in conjunction with your iPhone or iPad. The main component is a little square device that charges in a dock. You download the LARK app to your iPhone or iPad and the two pieces work together to not only wake you up on time but also track your sleeping patterns.
The device is worn on the wrist with an included velcro band. I am not a person who likes to wear jewelry to bed so I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight the device felt on my wrist. I barely knew it was there. I chose to use the app on my iPad which would eliminate any potential message alerts I usually get. If you do use your iPhone, it can rest nicely on the LARK dock.
Let's talk alarm first. Instead of loud beeping, the alarm wakes you up with a small vibrating motion. You can then choose to "snooze" for another 10 minutes by going to your iPhone/iPad and pressing the snooze button or you can choose to wake up by turning off the alarm. Once you do, all the data that was collected when you were sleeping is displayed on a graph noting the length of time you slept. It notes the times you woke up in the middle of the night as well as your period of deep sleep time. As a backup in case you forgot to charge your LARK, an Peace of Mind, an audio back up alarm will sound.
To start using LARK to it's full potential, I did the recommended 7 day sleep assessment and my husband agreed to wake up with me each weekday morning at 6:50am. From my data, I realized this made the difference because my deepest time of sleep was usually in the 3am to 6am time. I know I probably shouldn't have done my Downton Abbey marathon night while I was doing my 7 day sleep test, but it definitely showed me data-wise that I couldn't make do in the day with just 4 hours of sleep. At the end of it all, I also realized my sleep sweet spot was sleeping 7-8 hours a night. The app includes tag buttons you can press in the morning to note things like "woken up by someone" or "had caffeine". There were nights I was woken up by my daughter and even my dog, which I would note in the tags for that night's sleep. Too bad there wasn't a Downton Abbey tag, haha.
I was able to try out LARK pro which I recommend completely. It takes all your sleep data and has a coach give you an assessment of your sleep type and recommendations on how to sleep better. With a toddler, anything can happen during the night so my label of "Rookie-Erratic" is correct. I do know that I can control the Rookie part so it's up to me to get myself to bed a lot earlier. TV shows, reading, blogging, surfing my iPad should wait until the next day.
LARK is new and currently works with iOS on the iPhone/iPad but Android isn't too far behind. (Read this support note.) I honestly recommend this alarm to everyone. I can't imagine anyone likes to hear their alarm but it's even more useful to couples and those who are new parents. LARK is perfect if you a partner who snores and you need to wear ear plugs. You can still wake up on time! This alarm is also perfect if you have a baby sleeping in your room and you need to wake up without waking up the baby. You also can't beat having your own personal sleep coach to help you get a better nights sleep.
Buy LARK for just $99 for the device or $159 for LARK pro which is your personal sleep coach for one year and helps improve your sleep. (You can also upgrade your LARK to LARK pro later for just $60.)
LARK Tips:
Make a quick read through the User Manual or FAQ if you have questions.
Make sure you don't set your alarm and unplug your LARK device, until you are actually going to fall asleep. (i.e. You can read in bed and set your alarm after you are done reading.)
Watch this You Tube video to find out more about LARK.
The colorblock trend is going to be everywhere this spring. I covered colorblock pink + reds recently and now I'll cover the cool blues. Let's talk first about Bloomingdale's Aqua line. I love this contemporary line for their affordable trends with quality. Two of my favorites are some easy pieces above. The Aqua Three Color Block Pleated Skirt ($68) and the Aqua V Neck Color Block Dress ($78) are no brainer easy peasy ways to slip on some color!
Here are more of my favorite blue-hued color block pieces from Bloomingdales:
It's no secret I love Jessica Alba's style which is what I'd like to call sophisticated casual. One of the ways she does it is through her layering (and scarves!). She always chooses a statement piece to center her outfit around. In this case, it's her Twelfth St by Cynthia Vincent Tongal Cardigan ($295) in one of my favorite spring shades, coral. Don't even get me started on the tribal print - gorgeous! It's just perfect for those breezy sunny days as we transition into spring. A reminder for us to set aside our winter blacks and grays. I love how she opted to wear it loose without the belt.
Somewhere between orange and red, the color coral is quickly heating up spring. I am loving the color in jewelry especially paired with gold, it can bring a wonderful warmth and color to any outfit. All of the picks above are available at endless.com.
Get your tech accessories in on the color-blocking fun! Aerial7 has so many cool looking headphones that come in new bright colors to boost up your spring style. These Aerial7 Sumo Graffiti in-ear headphone buds ($40) above are great for connecting to your iPhone or Blackberry as it also doubles as a microphone too. Or if you like that DJ-style, pick up the Aerial7 Phoenix Headphones ($60) for premium sound quality.
Here is this week's Web Snob with the latest in fashion, beauty, celeb, and lifestyle:
Some said it couldn’t be done. But the snob-worthy bag that costs next-to nothing is not a myth or piece of fashion fiction. Find out about the bags that are Under $100 and Fabulous with BagSnob's Top 5 Frugal Finds.
The Jet Set Girls found the perfect picnic basket for spring by Tracy Reese for Clos du Bois. What could be better than a great designed bag filled with wine?
Disclaimer: Posts on this blog include affiliate links. Review items that are provided for free by a brand or company will be noted on the individual blog post.
