Beauty Product Challenge :day 3- Olay Regenerist Eye Derma Pod

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Day 3--a rave for Olay Regenerist Eye Derma- Pod system.

I will admit, at first glance the Olay Eye Derma Pod looks a little different--and well...it is.

It comes in a box with 24 individual applications. The "pod" where the eye cream is located has a small sponge on the end. You squeeze the pod until the eye cream shows up on the sponge, then you are supposed to lightly dab the cream laden sponge around your eye area. Sounds easy enough, right? Honestly, because I am very manual, I usually just squeeze the eye cream onto the sponge, but apply the cream with my fingers. I feel I have better control of the application that way.

I have to say, I really love this eye cream. I was skeptical, but I am very pleased by how it makes my eyes feel.

According to Olay, the Eye Derma-Pod is an anti-aging triple response system. They say it resurfaces, decongests puffiness, and fills in lines and wrinkles. I cannot attest to it doing all those things, but what I can say is that it is gentle and emollient, and makes the skin around my eyes feel better.

The package says to use it 3 times per week, alternating with your regular eye cream. I have only used this product at night because it does not contain sunscreen.

In my opinion, it is an excellent eye cream, and comparable to some brands that are considered to be higher end. Honestly, I am pretty impressed with a lot of the new Olay products. The Olay Eye Derma-Pod system can be easily found at many drugstores or at www.drugstore.com . I got mine at Target, and it runs between $25.00 and $28.00 for a box that contains 8 weeks of treatment.

My verdict is that it is a great product and well worth the money.

*Oh, I read that there have been some choking issues because of the size and shininess of the little pods. I guess the shininess attracts pets and kids. Please be aware not to leave the pods around your pets or small children.

(photo from drugstore.com )

(oh and I am aware that the package in the photo says Derma Pod Eye, but the one I have says Eye Derma Pod...so I am not sure which is correct.)

Here is hoping everyone has a wonderful All Hallow's Eve full of delightful tricks and yummy treats!

Beauty Product Challenge :day 2 Chanel No5 Eau Premiere

Today I am going to rave about one of my favorite new fragrances this Fall--Chanel No5 Eau Premiere. It is really not a new fragrance--it is more of a new spin on a classic fragrance.

I have always appreciated the beauty and history of Chanel No5. I understand how groundbreaking it was when it first debuted in Paris in 1921. It was so popular that Coco Chanel launched the "La Société des Parfums Chanel" to sell only her fragrances and beauty products. As you all well know--the rest--as they say, is history. Oh what a history it is.

The photo abovie is the Chanel Headquarters in Paris in the Place Vendome. The city of Paris pays homage to Coco Chanel and the elite beauty she brought to their city. Everyone (even little children) know who she is and know of her products. You can tour one of her apartments in Paris -although this can be terribly touristy, it is still very neat.

Back to the Eau Premiere....as I said earlier I have always appreciated Chanel No5, but I have never truly loved it in the way that you long to smell a fragrance and wish to wear a fragrance. I just could not get over the aldehydes. Aldehydes do not agree with me, no matter how hard I try. Aldehydes give me a headache. I appreciate the glory of a fragrance from a bygone era, but pass the Excedrin Migraine-please.

The new Eau Premiere has all the glory and none of the aldehydes. It is fresh and crisp without smelling nuovo generic, or "young". I hate using the terms "young" or "old" to describe fragrance, but I cannot help but catergorize certain scents as "youngish". I know no better adjetive to describe all the new sickening sweet candy type scents. Some of them are nice, but all of them smell "youthful". Do not get me wrong, Chanel No5 Eau Premiere does not smell old, but rather very sophisticated, fresh and lovely. The drydown is soft and powdery with just the right amount of warm lemon. A touch of sweetness (just a touch) rounds it out to be one of my favorite fragrances this fall. I love it.

Chanle No5 Eau Premiere can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have a classic day!

(photos from Chanel and Wickipedia)

Beauty Product Challenge! Armani Crema Nera

Happy Monday!
Today starts a challenge to blog about a beauty product you love every day for 7 days. My very cultured and beauty loving friend Pat at her blog: DOODAD KIND OF TOWN is joining in the fun and so is the hilarious and foxy man loving - Karen here :KAREN'S BEING BOSSY.
I have been witness to Pat's love of beauty....if you get a chance, ask her about her Joan Crawford makeover at the MAC counter one day. Those brows still haunt me! Love ya Pat!

Today I am going to rave about the new and uber posh Giorgio Armani Crema Nera. I got a sample of this product while in Europe as they had it before we did in the United States. . ACK--Samples are sometimes the death of me. If I would just never accept samples, then I would not fall in love with half the stuff I fall in love with every week hence my money and my husband would be much happier.

I had read all the reviews on the Crema Nera from Italian and French magazine beauty editors. They all assured me that it was divine beyond belief. Better than it's other high end counterparts, nay competition. I will not name brands---I am sure you can *cough-La Mer-cough* figure it out *cough- Cle de Peau-cough* on your own.

Since it was so raved about in Europe, as soon as I got home I purchased it from Saks in Chicago. I am very happy that I did.

It lives up to the hype--and more--in my humble opinion.

I have been known to poo poo fashion designers attempts at makeup and skin care. Please do not get me started on the Diane Von Furstenberg line of makeup and skincare. I love Diane, but her makeup line was a short lived little endeavor that I shan't (or is it sha'nt?) get into right now. Stick to the no fail dress, Diane.

But back to Armani--his line of makeup and skincare has been nothing less than wonderful. I love all his makeup, even the nail polishes--which says a lot. Armani always have the best new makeup colors for every season.

The Crema Nera is indulgent, creamy, emollient and melts into the skin like a dream. Not too greasy or heavy (which the La Mer can be in my humble opinion). Because of my fair skin, I only wear it in the evening or as a night cream, as it contains no sunscreen. I am excited to use it this winter in my very cold climate. All in all, I would rate it a 9. Not a 10 because they do not have an option with sunscreen...but hey, it is a brand new product. They may come out with a sunscreen version soon.

By the way--Stephanie at the Armani counter at Saks in Chicago is fabulous! Thanks for all the restaurant suggestions while I was in Italy Stephanie!

Have a beautiful day!

(photo from Armani website)

Random Autumn at Chez MonkeyPosh -part 2

So here is the second part of my Autumn post--I have tried to post it all week, but was having computer issues-ACK. I am thrilled with the colors around my neighborhood this Fall. A few weeks ago, my friend Michelle who lives in Florida asked me to share some Fall pictures with her since she does not really get a Fall....so here is to you Michelle My Belle.
I love the tree in this shot, but how the sky turned out takes my breath away. So gorgeous. There is nothing like the sky at dusk.....the perfect yet fleeting time of day. I am not exaclty sure what kind of flowers these are. The flower guy planted them this Spring and they were void of any flowers. I thought they were just green bushes. I was surprised when the weather turned cooler and these beautiful bright purple flowers bloomed.
This is Finley and his friend Sparky. Everyone in our neighborhood with dogs must have an invisible fence....so Finley and Sparky sit on their opposing sides of the invisible fence and pine for each other. So cute.During Fall, I usually get nesty-- meaning I get all wound up to decorate my house because I know when Winter sets in I will be stuck inside the house way more than usual. I have been trying to find some cafe curtains for my informal dining area for about 5 years and I never found anything I liked. I had finally decided to just get some custom made--then I found out how much that costs. So I decided to find some great fabric and try to make some myself ....and that is exactly what I did.
I have always experimented with sewing and making things for my house, but I have to admit--I am pretty proud of these window treatments. They were fun to do, and a fraction of what hireing someone to make them for me would have cost. They are not elaborate, but I dig them--and that is all that counts. Maybe I will start a business sewing things--but only things with straight seams, and things that require no patterns -HA.

Another photo of the gorgeous Autumn sky at my house.

The End(s).

Have a beautiful day!

(all photos courtesy of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Random Autumn at Chez MonkeyPosh -part 1

I decided to take a break from my posts about Italy to do a post about Autumn. I love Autumn. It is usually way too short here in the Midwest, but the fleeting Autumn we have is lovely. I love to see the leaves change colors and the weather cool off. Here are some photos of things around my place this Autumn. I will have to do this post in 2 parts, becasue as usual, blogger does not like posts with a lot of photos.

Beautiful plant in my yard that turns bright red every Fall.

Autumn Berries

Caterpillar clinging to a leaf in the flower garden.
Finley glaring at me because he is tired of taking pictures.

Crazy phallic mushroom- I know, right? There has been so much fungus in my yard this Fall, but this one is good for hours of Beavis and Butthead type fodder. Just kidding. Not hours....maybe half hours. Gorgeous Solange Stoned--perfect for crisp Fall weather.This is a photo of our bar that we use in the Fall to drink and watch football...or in the Spring to drink and watch baseball....or in the Winter to drink and watch Matlock. You get the idea. This is one of my few Halloween decorations in our yard. I had some happy little scarecrows up, but Finley is FREAKED OUT by the scarecrows--seriously he goes into spastic barking hysterics. Skeletons and life sized ghost decorations do not scare him at all, but a moderately sized, smiling scarecrow sends him over the edge.
Here is one happy little scarecrow that I had as decoration, but I had to bring it the house so Finley would not freak out every time he went out. I was busy, so I just put it in the chair thinking Fin could not reach it and he would move onto better things.....oh no.....

He knocked it down and proceeded to shake it by it's neck-violently as to kill it. I have no idea what caused this obsession...he is not yet a year old, so this is his first Halloween, so I cannot blame it on past Halloween/scarecrow trauma. He literally freaks out with anger. I will be very careful not to ever let Finley in a room where Hee Haw is on the T.V.

Watch your back bitch....that is all I am saying.

This is Finley trying to dig my plants up by the roots just to torture me. I am sure he was mad because he had just been in trouble earlier for stealing gum out of my purse and writing on the walls of the basement with a sharpie. This is Forrest practicing his Devil Dog look for Halloween. This is how he usually looks at Finley for stealing his video games or hiding his skateboard. Little brothers....gah.

So, after a long day of cleaning up scarecrow shards up and down the neighborhood, and wiping the dripping blood from Forrest's eyes, I like to relax with a glass of Ruffino Chianti. Ruffino is my new love. We fell in love with it last month in Italy, and luckily it is easily found here in the U.S. I can really taste the grapes in it....which I do not find with other reds...specifically Merlots. Merlot tastes like eggs to me. Gross. I always thought I was a white wine girl, but Chianti has opened my eyes.

More posts of my Autumn doings and undoings to come.

I have been challenged to do a "Beauty Product a Day" for one week, starting next week. If you want to be involved, let me know so I can post your link and I can let my readers know. It will be interesting to see what beauty products everyone is using this Fall.

Beautiful day to all.

(all photos property of MonkeyPosh LLC)

Delicious Tuscany!

You are looking at the best Pasta Carbonara I have ever consumed.
In Tuscany it is ALL ABOUT THE FOOD AND WINE! One night on a whim we ate at Carrozze, which translates to Carriages. Interesting. Carrozze is in the heart of Florence, Italy. Lovely rustic Italian atmosphere and delicious food. Carbonara is very hard to get right...it is such a delicate mix of egg, cheese and pasta water to make the sauce just the right texture and flavor. Nowhere else in Italy did the Carbonara taste so wonderful.This was what my husband ordered......fish with potatos, tomatos, and fresh olives....oh and obviously with it's own head. My husband grew up in the country and he likes to fish, so that did not bother him at all....however it did bother me. My husband is NOT a picky eater. He could easily travel the world with Andrew Zimmern (the strange food guy on the travel channel) and be perfectly content with all sorts of heads and intestines and brains and yick yick yick. I am not down with fish heads.
We shared a bottle of Castello Nipozzano Chianti with our meal that night. The Castello Nipozzano winery is located in Chianti in the Sieve Valley which is at the Northern Portal of the most famous wine region in the world. If I recall, the Nippozano was good, but not one of our favorites that we drank while in Tuscany. Sorry for the glare in the pic. I can get a little flash-happy.

This is just a typical touristy outdoor cafe. These are casual and friendly and they are EVERYWHERE.

This is another outdoor eatery that was more of a hidden gem. It was not in a tourist area. Sometimes the non touristy spots are well worth seeking out. The place usually has more of a "family feel" and most of the time the food is beyond compare.

This is Harry's Bar in Florence right by the Arno River. Harry's Bar became famous in Venice in the 60's I believe. Since then there are other Harry's Bars in Italy. The ones I know of are in Venice of course in the Piazza San Marco, in Florence along the Arno and in Rome on the Via Venetto. I had the BEST macaroni and cheese and the best salad at Harry's while in Florence. The salad had a wonderful creamy dressing and I wish I would have tried harder to figure out what the dressing was made of. It was seriously delicious.

The 2 photos above are typical eateries all over Tuscany.

Last but not least is the uber famous Vivoli Gelato. Every guidebook lists it as the BEST in Florence. I will say this--it is good. Very good....BUT......


the walk to get there is grueling and it is a little hard to find. Honestly, there are gelato stands ALL OVER FLORENCE and believe me, we tried a lot of them, and I have to say that the other places are almost just as good, and less expensive and much easier to find. This was my husband's gelato from Vivoli--strawberry and dark chocolate. As I said, it is good, but I am not sure if it is the best....and be prepared to pay and walk.

Have a delicious day!

(All photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Boboli Garden and Pitti Palace

One of my favorite days in Florence was spent at the Boboli Garden outside the Pitti Palace. The Palace and the gardens date back to the 16th century. The gardens are very "hilly" for lack of better word. Some of the hills are steep and difficult to climb, but the views are so worth it.

I have to be honest, when I first visited Versailles in France, I was quite disappointed. It was so touristy and so stuffy and the gardens left me less than impressed. The Boboli Gardens were everything I wanted Versailles to be -and more. They are some of the most beautiful and well laid out gardens in all of Europe. There are sweeping views of Florence and of the Tuscan countryside from various points in the gardens.

Funky statue in the gardens. We both need more sunscreen.
Beautiful walkway to the Pond of Isolotto which is full of statues and little orange trees. Gorgeous.There is a very cool Roberto Barni display at Boboli Gardens this summer. Actually, a few of Barni's works are scattered throughout the city, but there are a lot in the gardens. His works are very cool and modern and such a contrast to the traditional Roman type statues that adorn the gardens. This was my favorite statue by Barni. You could not tell the smaller men were coming out of his chest from the front. It was brilliantly disguised. Very cool. This is a statue of the self proclaimed "Bacchus" and his turtle by the exit of the gardens. Not my favorite statue. EEEEKS!
Beautiful statue rising out of the water. Do not ask me why they let the water go green. Chlorine is cheap, and would make it look a lot nicer.

Me being silly with one of the statues. I was missing my dogs.

Another beautiful sweeping view from Boboli Hill, for which the gardens are named.

I have more photos of the gardens to post, but blogger is not cooperating. More photos to come.

Until then....

Avere un bel giorno!

(All photos property of MonkeyPosh L.L.C.)