Coachella Beauty....

It's Coachella time here in the States, and I love everything about it – perfect weather, beautiful setting, dry, soft grass underfoot and a fun, relaxed area for a weekend away. The music isn't bad either. Sadly, I'm not going this year, so by rights I should be sulking and vindictive, especially with Pulp and Arctic Monkeys on the same day. Be still my Britpop-beating heart... Instead, I'm going to try to be helpful, and share my list of beauty essentials, the music festival edition of what's in my handbag?

It's a long day (or days) under hot sun - so keep makeup simple, with a hint of cool, easy edge, and bring along pint-sized products for minimum fuss and maximum glam. Here's my top ten - all of which will fit very nicely into a tiny, across the body purse or wristlet, so as not to hinder your ace dance moves - just make sure it zips or fastens up – you don’t want things spilling everywhere when you pass out in the front row. Not that I’d know anything about that…

1) Super by Perricone Sun Kissed SPF 25 - start with this light sun protection with a hint of tint, for natural, glowing skin.

2) Caudalie Beauty Elixir - to refresh and invigorate tired skin with rosemary and mint. Heaven on a hot, dusty day.

3) Josie Maran Bear Naked Facial Wipes - gentle and mild for quick touch ups. Also, there's polar bears on the packaging, which will always get points from me.

4) Laura Mercer Kohl in Antique Jade - because black is very rock, but oh so dull - this creamy stick lines eyes with a rich, warm shade that has a hint of green depth and will look so much prettier in the outdoor light.

5) Laura Mercier Caviar Shadow Stick in Khaki -smudge your liner with this fabulous cream shadow/liner - for undone but glam eyes that will look magic in the desert sunset. Follow rock rules when it smudges/fades - just add more over top.

6) Eyeko Skinny Mascara – for long, fluttery lashes that last and last, with none of the dry, prickly feeling of a waterproof mascara. You should probably bring along the included guitar pick - someone's sure to need it, and you just might save the day.

7) Burt's Bees Grapefruit Lip Balm - don't mess with fancy new glosses or balms on a day in the desert - play it safe with what you know works. Refreshing citrus smell and super hydrating formula leaves lips plump and natural, and you can tuck it in your bra when you dance. That's what I do anyway.

8) Klorane Gentle Oat Milk Dry Shampoo - freshen up roots and add some cool texture to your locks in between sets.

9) Tocca Stella Scented SPF 30 Wipes - touch up shoulders, arms and chest throughout the day with these heavenly, blood-orange scented SPF towelettes. Don't forget your feet - gladiator sandal tan is never attractive.

10) NARS Paradise Brush/Bronzer/Highlighter Trio - the perfect festival compact - in a genius padded, zip package, with universally flattering hues for defined, sunkissed cheeks and temples.

Who’s your favorite in the Coachella line-up this year? Do you have a must-have item for long days in the sun? Share your tips below!

Gift Guide - Little Luxuries Under $25

1. Adara Jasmine Coconut Oil, $14.50

2. Alphabet Wash Bag, $25

3. Tocca Mini Florence Perfume, $15

4. Papier d'Armenie Burning Papers, $7

5. Lulu Organics Jasmine Hair Powder, $9.50

6. Anthropologie Monogrammed Mug, $6

7. Balsamo Italia Honeysuckle Lip Balm, $13.50

8. Josie Maran Pure Argan Oil, $14

9. Les Parfums de Rosine Roseberry Mini Candle, $17

Luscious Locks

Between the cold, dry air and the fuzzy knitwear, winter is hell for hair. It's either static and parched or flat and limp, and it's hard to find products that add shine without ending up oily. Here's my top three serums that smooth flyaways and boost shine without weighing hair down.


Aveda Brilliant Emollient Gloss is the hair product I've used the longest. It's a little thicker than most serums, and makes hair feel actually nourished instead of just slick. It uses rice bran oil and vitamin E to condition, smells beautiful and comes in a lovely cobalt bottle that lasts forever.
Josie Maran Hair Serum has lovely high quality ingredients like Argan, Jojoba and Camellia oils and a tart bergamot scent. A little goes a very long way - one tiny pump is perfect for my long, thick hair, so it should last for ages, and actually helps to nourish hair as well as smooth it. This one's great for keeping in your purse for quick touch-up - it has the most natural ingredients, and is my new favorite. Nick Chavez Angel Drops was included in my recent BeautyFix package. I chose it because the thirteen year old inside me liked the name "Angel Drops". I had no idea who Nick Chavez was - it I'd had to venture a guess I would have said a Backstreet Boy. It turns out, rather disappointingly, he's a Hollywood hairstylist. This serum contains the most fillers and least natural ingredients, but it makes my hair shine like nothing else - my six month old highlights look incredible when I use this, and it smooths the hair without losing texture. It's a quick fix for instant results, and it comes in a large bottle that will last me for years. The special part about this? The smell. For days I was trying to figure out what the floral scent reminded me of - it was driving me crazy. Suddenly yesterday I got it - Pat the Bunny. It smells EXACTLY like the flowers in the Pat the Bunny book. I, like Judy, love that smell, but if you don't want to smell like a children's board book, this may not be for you. I'll continue to quite happily relive my toddler years everytime I use it.

Josie Maran and Nick Chavez products were PR samples. Photo via pinterest

Bottled Beauty

Argan oil is being added as a token ingredient to EVERYTHING these days. It's this year's Goji berry it seems - the trendy catchword du jour. So even though we're all probably a bit sick of hearing about it, there is actually more to the oil than just a flash-in-the-pan trend.

For the last couple of weeks I've been using Josie Maran's Pure Argan Oil as a multitasking extraordinaire - it's a tiny little glass bottle with dropper, very pretty and completely environmentally friendly in its production. I wasn't sure what to really use it as to start, but now I'm never going without it in my makeup bag - it's a quick smooth for split ends, intensive conditioning treatment for hair, softens cuticles, fades scars, and is fine enough to use as a serum under moisturizer. I used it for a week around my eyes to try and soothe a bad reaction to an eye cream I tested, and it was immediately healing and calming. I rub a bit on my lips to immediately smooth any dryness and heal cracks. I even like to dab a bit on my cheekbones to finish makeup, it leaves a light, dewy shine that's more natural than any highlighter. I also love that it's completely unscented, completely 100% Argan oil, when so many products use fillers.

Argan oil has been used in Morocco for hundreds of years as a diet and beauty staple - it's incredibly high in Vitamin E, fatty acids, and all sorts of lovely, nourishing things, so it packs a real punch when used for skincare. It's also a very smooth, refined oil, so lends itself well to facial uses - it soaks right in and feels light and hydrating.

The Argan tree only grows in one area of Morocco, and as such is extremely susceptible to overgrazing and environmental damage - it's considered an endangered species, and is now protected in it's own biosphere by UNESCO. The program allows the Argan nut to be sustainably harvested by a women's cooperative, providing the local Berber community an independent income, and the trees protection and care. The local goats famously scramble about the trees to reach the best fruit in the harsh environs, looking precarious in the small, scrubby trees.

Now being that all Argan oil is coming from basically the same place, you can probably find it quite a bit cheaper if you look around - but the small bottle from Josie Maran is $14, and will probably last me about 6 mos or more, and I really like the company - I think it's a smart line, with pretty packaging, good offerings, a great ethos, and excellent customer care - so frankly, I can't be bothered sourcing it somewhere else. I'm happy with this one, and now it's a staunchly entrenched item in my beauty arsenal. I can't say the same for any Goji berry products I may have tried.

Check out the rest of the lovely Josie Maran Cosmetics line on her website. I have my eye on the Daily Sun Protection and the Bear Naked cleansing wipes - though the makeup in the line is really tempting me as well...

(My bottle was a PR sample from the company.)