Julia DiNardo | Fashion Pulse Daily - Part 232

July 11, 2013

Osmia Organics Handmade Soap is THE Most Beautiful Gift For Your Body

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osmia soap

Osmia, which founder Dr. Sarah Villafranco defines to mean a “sense of smell,” involves an incredible craftmanship in the handmade process of soapmaking, and brings forth natural, organic ingredients to create a a moisturizing product that also bears beautiful designs. With organic oils, organic and natural plant butters, organic and wildcrafted herbs, organic milks, and organic or wildcrafted essential oils, you can’t go wrong with gifting a bar to yourself, or others!  Osmia, based in Colorado, also makes natural perfumes, deodorant, hand cream, lip care, skin care, and more, each taking into consideration how to make the least possible environmental impact with thoughtful ingredients, packaging, and testing.

osmia organic soaps

[From left to right: Oh So Soap, Milky Rose, and Lavender Shea Osmia Organics Bars]

Speaking of the latter,  I tested out the Oh So Soap (comprises mostly olive oil and mango butter), Milky Rose (organic buttermilk powder, bitter orange, and palmarosa essential oils, with organic rose petals as decor on the top), and Lavender Shea (made from Bulgarian lavender and organic, extra-virgin olive oil and shea butter) options. Priced at $12, these artisanal beauties arrived with a lovely soap saver tray to keep them in tact, important especially for the summer heat since the glycerin found in natural, handmade soaps can tend to get quite malleable. These bars, great for all skin types, emit delectable, relaxing, and rejuvenating aromas, with no additives for color or fragrance. I think our household is now going to be an Osmia household, putting out a fresh bar when we have over night guests visiting.

Check out the video here to learn more about the organic soap making process at Osmia Organics, which is quite cool to see how they cut the bars and here from the founder regarding what it truly means to be organic, handmade soap.

July 10, 2013

Ready for Hawaii? Let’s Go!!

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call it spring

I’ve got some fantastic news: as of Friday, I am now a married lady! We are taking this week to catch our breathe, regroup, start to work on those thank-yous, and get ready for Phase II – the honeymoon! Fashion Pulse Hubby and I will be heading to Hawaii, and it couldn’t come soon enough. I will soon post pics, particularly the fashion and beauty ones from the wedding, but in the meanwhile, I’ve got some fabulous gifts in tow that I’m throwing into my suitcase before I forget. I certainly can’t take a vacation. let alone a honeymoon, without my chic, new Robert Verdi Aviators, packed along side a new pair of Call It Spring flip flops and a matching towel – super cute, right?

avon bug repellent

We have exploring beaches, hiking, ATV tours, and more on our agenda, and everyone advises to come equipped with bug repellent. Luckily, I’ve already got the situation under control and carry-on friendly,  thanks to Avon’s SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Towelettes and the SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus Expedition SPF 30 Pump Spray. Fashion Pulse Mom hooked me up with a beautiful Missoni dress and Tiffany bracelet to wear, so it looks like all I need at this point is to remember to throw in my bathing suit! Stay tuned for more to come soon, regarding the Hawaii adventure…

July 8, 2013

The Tricks of the Trade to Dying Your Hair at Home

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clairol ion
A lot of women are petrified of the prospect of taking their hair color into their own hands, but it CAN be done successfully and beautifully! Plus, think of all of the money that you could save if you do it at home (I did the math, and I could be saving around $700 per year!). I spoke with Lindsay Perez, who works with Sally Beauty and is the Franchise Education Manager for Clairol Professional & Wella Color Charm about how to overcome the fright and instead be equipped with a bevy of knowledge to make the perfect brand, color, and tool selections in order to create an incredible (and afforable) hair color at home. See below for my q&a with Lindsay, and be prepared to learn all that you wanted to know about everything from what is a warm verus cool tone, to what to do about your eyebrows when you dye your hair.

Fashion Pulse Daily: How do you know what tones are in the color you had done professionally, or last used, and match it with a box dye? How do you define the different tones?

Lindsay Perez: First start by determining if the tones are warm or cool. Warm tones can be compared the sunsets; golden yellows, red oranges, and bright red violets. Think of cool tones as the colors reflected from moonlight; shades of blue, deep violets, and grays. Once you determine if it’s a warm or cool shade, look for descriptive words that correspond to the tone like golden blonde vs. ash blonde.

FPD: What’s the best way to maintain and upkeep salon-colored hair with a bought boxed dye?

LP: Sally Beauty Supply is the best place to start, because they sell high quality, professional color lines like Wella Color Charm and Clairol Professional and you don’t need a license to buy them. Wella Color Charm is perfect if you have stubborn, resistant grays and they have a variety of shade choices in gel or liquid forms. If you want a color that leaves your hair healthy and shiny looking, use Clairol Professional Liquicolor Permanente. Both lines allow you to mix and match more than one shade, which allows you to get the most natural looking results.

FPD: When should you use permanent hair color? Semi-permanent hair color? What are the best brands?

Continue reading…

June 28, 2013

Aerosoles Are Taking Over the Dressy Summer Sandal Scene

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Finally- your feet are free! Let them breathe a bit, no that summer is out, in some fabulous footwear. As always a strong fashion quotient needs to be infused into your footwear, but so does a certifiable level of comfort. That’s why I, and my bridesmaids, will have Aerosoles on next week at my wedding, but also can wear them for a myriad of occasions that may schew less formal than that!

See below for some of my top picks this summer that are perfect for summer weddings and parties, be it one of your friend’s, family member’s, or even your own!

 

 

aerosoles for summer 1

Here,  I am modeling the Aerosoles Scotland Sandal with a criss-cross stap; although there are two other fabric/color options available, this champagne satin option is perfect for summer weddings and parties.

Slide1

 

Another great style. the soft tan suede, espadrille heel, and delicate, looped design let this Houswarming sandal style  find it’s home amongst many pieces in your wardrobe for summer 2013! Pair with a mini skirt, or let it peek out under the grazing hem of a maxi-dress.

ginasium
Ready to do the hustle? Or perhaps a little swing dancing? You’ll be on your feet in no time with this retro-styled, contemporary-comfort in the Ginasium T-Strap style.

metallic snake

Metallic snake for the summer can just be so ssssssweet! This low Bronze_Age wedge makes handling any kind of terrain manageable, as my bridesmaids will do next week when they wear this style to my garden wedding! What Aerosoles might I be wearing, do you ask? Stay tuned for the reveal…

Full Disclosure: Fashion Pulse Daily us an Aerosoles blog ambassador, and occasionally received pairs of shoes courtesy of the brand.

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