Review: Djaouida Skincare

Let me just begin with how soft my skin is! It's incredible! Feels like velvet, but not in a fuzzy way. 

I suppose I should explain things a little better. Today I had the pleasure of meeting Djaouida, a tall, charming esthetician with huge brown eyes and, you guessed it, perfect skin. I also had the pleasure of getting my very first facial. I wasn't totally sure my skin could handle all that cleansing and scrubbing and masking, but Djaouida knows what she's doing! I'm hooked! My skin looks and feels amazing and it was one of the most relaxing 75 minutes I've had in a long time. The facial also included an arm and hand massage, which was the clincher for me. Honestly, include some sort of massage and I'll do just about anything. (Dental fillings with a free neck massage? I'm there!) 

Lately, I've been having some minor problems with my skin. It just seems more reactive and I see rashes more frequently. I was a little worried about this, so I scheduled a European facial, which was listed on the site as suitable for sensitive skin. Turns out I made the right choice, as the European is perfect for customizing. All the other facials come with predetermined lotions, masks, etc., but the European can be tweaked for any skin type. The fact that Djaouida uses all natural products also helped dispel any worries about reacting to perfumes or harsh chemicals.

How gorgeous does my skin look now??

Along with the European Facial, Djaouida also offers more decadent facials. I had to keep reminding myself when I was choosing a facial that "Catie, you don't get to eat these. They're just facials."

Click for more info!

Moroccan: Featuring pomegranate, yogurt & honey

Pumpkin: Detoxify & renew with pumpkin & clay

Hawaiian: Featuring coconut & tropical fruits

Goddess: All I have to say is CHOCOLATE

Definitely worth the drive out to West Seattle!

♠

COVET.

Glitter skirt by Danielle Scutt. COVET.

I saw this skirt in the most recent issue of Elle (Feb. '12, pg. 208) and knew immediately that this would be the next item featured on COVET. It's gorgeous, completely impractical and extravagant, and certainly nothing I will own anytime soon. Actually, I can't even figure out where to buy it. I think you would have to be famous or know Miss Scutt personally. Maybe it's just not available yet, but at $1,415 I will probably never be in the same city as that skirt.

Visit ELLE.com to see more of Danielle Scutt S/S 2012 ready-to-wear

Reviews

I've been slowly compiling reviews of all the different daily outfit communities that I use. Today seems like a good day to share them with you. It's another cool, gray day. We have had a total of 78 minutes worth of 80 degree weather. I must say, the mildest winter I've ever seen!

On to the reviews!

Chictopia
This site is what got me started. They're a wonderful community. I've met so many great people there! It can be hard to get your photos into the Style Gallery, which is for photos that the staff at Chictopia choose based on some complicated qualifications, but everyone's photos are always visible in the New Photos section. At Chictopia, the rule is kinda of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." You can vote for photos, but you don't rate them, nor can you take away votes. It all makes for a happy, positive, inspiring experience.

Hypeed
I use this website occasionally, but it is definitely not my go-to. First off, photos load really slowly. They require photos be at least 2000x1500, which is HUMONGOUS. Most other websites only require 600x400. This can be a problem when you've set all of your photos to 600x400. They also have very specific feature themes and your photos must go through approval before they are included in a thematic category. You can just upload photos to your profile, but if you actually want people to look at them, you need to get them into a feature category. Another thing I don't like is that they have a rating system. You are in competition to get featured, so you rate other people's photos and they can rate yours. It's on a scale of 1 to 5. One means "No" and 5 means "Perfect". What I've noticed is that girls vote others' photos down in the hopes of making their own ratings look higher. This kind of system tends to bring out the mean in people, and it's the reason Chictopia got rid of it years ago.

Lookbook.nu
This place is for those of you who are too cool for school. Everyone seems like they are part of the It Crowd and nicely enough, they make you feel like you are part of it, too. Sometimes it seems everyone dresses the same (peer pressure is plentiful), but for the most part, it's a great site. It's easy to see others' photos and in turn other people see your photos. This site is definitely user friendly. It's easy to hype photos and easy to post looks. There are 3 categories of photo galleries: Hot, New, and Top. From what I gather, Hot is similar to being featured and Top is for photos with the highest votes. New is self-explanatory. I highly recommend joining this site, if you haven't already for two main reasons: to get your style noticed and to get inspired!

Weardrobe
This site is a little weird. It's still up and running and there's someone who chooses photos for the Featured section, but other than that, this site seems pretty dead. There are no contests and they haven't chosen a Spotlight Member in almost a year. There are still a lot of users, but it's definitely not as active a community as the other sites I mentioned above. Still, it's another site to post your outfits on, so you may want to think about joining.

In this outfit:

American Apparel dress & petticoat

H&M flower pin

Payless peep-toes

Belt is borrowed from an H&M dress

If you ask me...

Time for some good ol' fashioned product reviews! All based on personal experience; all from companies and stores I patronize regularly.

First off, Pajama Jeans! The hottest new thing in fashion!

JOKING. But really, when I'm watching The Today Show and that commercial comes on, my morning is a little bit sunnier.



I'm going to post this in two parts. We'll start with clothing and fashion, since I have more reviews in that category. Later, I will review Services and Beauty Products.

Apparel:

-H&M-
Pro: Great value (as I'm sure you've figured out)! The sizing makes sense and is pretty consistent from garment to garment. Most things are really well made, considering how much they cost.

Con: I have had the hem come out of 3 different items. I love their tank tops, but 2 out of 3 have come undone at the hem :(

-J. Crew-
Pro: They have gorgeous designers and great stylists. Somehow they know exactly what I'm into the week they send me a catalog. They usually have colors you can't find anywhere else. Their clothes last forever!

Con: The "vanity sizing" is BEYOND ridiculous. Example: I'm an 8 or so at H&M, but I am a SIZE 2 (!) at J.Crew. I have trouble finding things that fit, in the sales especially. I would not recommend buying pants there. They stretch out really badly. I've bought three different types; skinny denim and Minnie City Fit in a lighter twill and one pair in a heavier cotton fabric. The denim and the lighter twill stretched out to the point where I looked like I've lost 15 pounds. In my crotch. Seriously. The heavier ones have held up much better, but I still have to wash them often so they will shrink back into shape.

-Forever21-
Pro: Surprising value and amazing selection (this is also sort of a con). Stuff is actually made pretty well. I've had some things for years now. Even a button-up blouse that I've never had to replace buttons on!

Con: The return policy is dumb. You only have 21 days to exchange something, and you can only get store credit. They have soooo much stuff, it can be kind of overwhelming. I used to have panic attacks in Forever21. My friend had a seizure there once (but that may have been her fault). The sizing runs pretty small, so when I was a stylish heavy-set high schooler I couldn't shop there.




-GAP-
Pro: Good for basics. Sometimes they have some really good designs. The sales are great! Their jeans age perfectly. They don't stretch out like some jeans I know.

Con: Another place where the vanity sizing is getting out of control. I am not an XS. If I were, then there would be 5 million other woman who would not be able to find any clothes to wear, except for in the Toddler's section.

-Sam Edelman-
Pro: Sometimes the designs are pretty cute.

Con: I have only bought one pair of Sam Edelman shoes, but I have had 3 different pairs of the same style. The first pair was the wrong size (not Sam's fault), the second pair dyed my feet green, and the third pair came unglued after a month. Based on this experience, I've decided that I will never pay full price for a pair of Edelman's ever again. (Thank goodness I bought them at Nordstrom; they have an excellent return/repair policy, which I will get to later.)


-Urban Outfitters-
Pro: Fun stuff! They usually have a lot of trendy pieces. Great selection of store brands and name brands. I really like their selection of shoes and haven't had many problems when it comes to quality. I have two pairs of Cooperative wedges that I live in.

Con: I like to call this place "The Fifty-Eight Dollar and Up Store". Things are kiiinda overpriced.


-American Apparel-
Pro: Amazing choice and variety. You want something basic and sensible? They have it! You want something crazy and different? They have that, too, and everything in between! Great selection of colors, sizes, and styles. Have never had any hems or seams come out and the colors stay vibrant for a long time. Everything keeps its shape, despite the fact that most is cotton!

Con: Another dumb return policy! Store credit only :( Sometimes I have a hard time paying $18 for a t-shirt.


Coming Soon!
Make-Up:
L'Oreal
MAC
Ulta

Services/Returns:
Nordstrom
J.Crew