Darphynia's Diary

Mother's Day is coming up.  Instead of the usual bouquet of flowers, why not surprise her with a a gift that will keep on giving?  Here are some of my favorite Mother's Day sets. For the Tea-Lovers: Teavana For the tea-lover, Teavana has created a wide array of gifts to suit several tastes.  Pictured below are the Radiant Flower Collection ($49.95) and In Bloom Collection ($69.95) gifts, on the left and right, respectively.  The Radiant Flower Collection contains:  One 14oz infuser mug, two tea tins, and 2oz each of Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls & Strawberry Blush Rose Oolong teas.  The In Bloom Collection contains:  A 32oz teapot, two tea tins, and 3oz each of Flowering Pineapple & Lemon Marigold Blossom teas.       Image courtesy of teavana.com Image courtesy of teavana.com You can also create your own gift .  Grab a tea maker or teapot, some rock sugar or honey ; a teacup, teapot/infus...

As they say, "When it rains, it pours."  Just as I was finishing up all the work I needed to catch up on, an unexpected bout of sickness attacked.  I also have some work to finish up before I send my dissertation plan to my committee, but I plan to have all of the make-up posts completed by Thursday.  There are never enough hours in the day.  Since Wednesday, I can count on one hand how many hours of sleep I have gotten.  Needless to say, my body is exhausted, but I promise to have things up on a regular basis from now on, provided nothing else happens. Stay beautiful!

Image courtesy of kohgendo.com Image courtesy of kohgendo.com Image courtesy of kohgendo.com It is so important to remove your makeup before you sleep.  It's common knowledge, but how many people actually remember to every time?  KohGenDo makes it easy to to remove makeup without much effort.  I have tried all types of makeup removers, prestige brands and off-brands:  Creams, oils, wipes, you name it, and nothing has worked as well as KohGenDo' s Cleansing Spa Water .  For about 10 years, it has been my go-to for removing even the most stubborn makeup.  Waterproof and long-wear makeup are no match for Spa Water, which is free from: artificial colors, synthetic fragrance, and mineral oil derived from petroleum.  It is also alcohol- and oil-free, and if it happens to get in your eyes, they won't burn.  Every night I apply Spa Water before the rest of my routine .  I also make sure to have a bottle on sets and photo shoots,...

Fluidline in Silverstroke. Image courtesy of maccosmetics.com I have loved MAC 's Fluidline since it was launched.  My first purchase was Blacktrack, which is (of course) flat black.  At first, I only used Fluidline as a a liner.  It has amazingly long staying power, and doesn't transfer to my eyelids.  A little goes a really long way.  Normally, I apply it with the 231 brush or Billy B's brush eleven because it is more dense and rigid.  It really all depends on the look I am going for.  Just run the tip of the brush through the Fluidline (it has a gel liner consistency)--you don't need to use too much-- then apply it as you would any other eyeliner.  Image courtesy of maccosmetics.com Image courtesy of billybbeauty.com I got to thinking about it.  I am always looking for makeup that has multiple uses.  For instance, some shadows make great highlighters, and some blush hues work great on lips.  Of course, y...

Image courtesy of birchbox.com I don't know about you, but every time I smell a fragrance, something comes to mind.  For instance, Kai reminds me of spending the weekend at my grandparent's house.  When I smell Hello (Harvey Prince), I picture a girl riding her bicycle with a basket on the front.  It's spring/summer, and she is wearing a sundress, riding her bike down a fence-lined dirt road to meet her friends for a picnic.  One of my new favorite scents is also from Harvey Prince, properly titled Ageless .  They were kind enough to send me a roller to try out, and I LOVE it!  Ageless is a fresh, uplifting scent that is great for any occasion and any season.  It smells like fresh grapefruit with a hint of mango and very light floral undertones.  HarveyPrince.com (2015) states: "Ageless is inspired by recent studies conducted by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, which find pink grapefruit and mango t...

This time, the giveaway makes everyone a winner!  I have teamed up with Harvey Prince , and all of you will get the opportunity to have your own, FREE, mini roller of their eau de parfum, Ageless ($21.00).  It is fast becoming one of my favorite scents.  The perfume is like a walk through a grapefruit orchard, with the slightest hint of pomegranate and mango, floral undertones.  It is fresh, uplifting, and will leave you feeling ageless.  All you are responsible for is the shipping/handling.  Here are the steps: 1.  Head to the Harvey Prince website. 2.  Add the Ageless mini roller EDP to your basket. 3.  Enter the code "agelessbeauty". 4.  Continue the checkout process. I hope you all enjoy the fragrance as much as I do. Stay beautiful! **Limit 1 Ageless Mini Roller per customer. Offer valid while supplies last.**

I know I've been away for a couple of weeks.  I'm still recovering from whatever this bug is that's going around.  I also lost someone very close to me, and it still hasn't really sunk in.  Every day I keep thinking that this person is going to call, and that it will have been a horrid April Fool's joke...but I know it's not.  This person was my aunt.  Not by blood (we're cousins), but I consider her my aunt.  She had done so much and had been such a huge supporter of everything I ever did.  We had planned to take a trip together over summer like we did--oh it'd have to be about 10 years ago now.  If there is something I have learned from her passing, it is to really step up and take care of myself.  While I do not have (and hope to never have) diabetes, it does run in our family.  So does heart disease and cancer (thanks genetics), and she passed from diabetic complications.  For those of you out there who are diabetic and do not...