Rosé Wines for Spring

I think rosé wines are absolutely perfect for spring-- especially when you now live in a town where April resembles February where you're from. Rosé is the perfect in-between: the longer, (slightly) warmer, (sometimes) sunnier days are dragged down by too dark and heavy a red, yet are not quite sweaty and grill-smokey and bright enough for summer whites.

I used to say I hated rosé wines. That's because the only rosé wines restaurants ever serve are White Zinfandels, which, to me, taste like Arbor Mist. They're the cheapest wines on the menu because they should be.

But a few months ago when my mom was in town, we went to a nice, brightly lit restaurant inside the Art Institute of Chicago, and she ordered a rosé called "Whispering Angel." It was a revelation. It was dry, light, and crisp-- not sweet and syrupy. We both loved it. So I ordered us each a bottle when we got home. Ever since then, I've been investigating dry rosés, and here are my top 3:

1. Whispering Angel, 2010 Cotes de Provence, by Chateau d'Esclans, $15.99- jjbuckley.com

Wine Spectator says, "Robust, with dried red fruit flavors accented by herbal, minerally overtones. The firm, juicy finish is powered by hints of licorice. Drink now."

I know Wine Spectator knows more about wine than I do, but I disagree with the "robust," and especially with the "licorice." I think the wine is quite light, not robust, and I despise licorice, so if I sensed it (and I would have!), I would not like this wine. But minerally, dried red fruit flavors is pretty spot-on.

I ordered mine online here.

2. Gris de Gris, 2010 Vin des Sables, by Domaine de Figueirasse, $7.99- Whole Foods Market

Not as impressive as the Angels Whispering and all, this Gris de Gris is still quite crisp and nice. Here's what the people over at Artisan Wine Depot have to say about it: "Made for summer and fresh seafood. A pale pink sunrise in the glass, this rosé reminds of framboise, ripe blood peaches, fresh buttery pie crust and cherry juice in its aromas. Very expressive! The mouth is a wave of fresh flowers and pink fruits, with suggestions of rose water and white pepper. Figueirasse makes its home near the Camargue delta along the southern French coast, and its terroir is almost exclusively sand. These unique soils give the wine both a bit of texture in the mouth as well as a sea-kissed, mineral freshness. Orange zest and more white pepper offer a lively kick to the finish. A very unique blend of 30% Cincault, 20% Grenache Gris, 40% Grenache Noir and 10% Grenache Blanc."

Considering that my ideal preferred "terroir" is "almost exclusively sand," this wine is AWESOME, especially for the price. I got mine at Whole Foods for $7.99! Call your nearest location, or, if you don't have one near you, it's available online, too.

3. 2010 Cotes de Provence, by Quinson Fils, $5.99- Trader Joe's 

Another Côtes de Provence, this lovely rosé is a Trader Joe's exclusive. I found it on the bottom shelf of an obscure (read: NOT Charles Shaw) aisle of ol' TJs. It's quite nice, and a bit like its Côtes de Provence rosé cousin, "Whispering Angel," though not quite as elegant. For $5.99 though, it's pretty darn good!

Over at cellartracker.com, on 11/17/2011, Jason Rzutkiewicz tasted this wine and rated it 83 points: (12.5%) Nice pale salmon pink color (not dyed). Medium bodied, pleasant Grenache like strawberry and watermelon fruit. Spiced minerality. Dry, crisp and pleasing. Perhaps a bit faint or simple on the back of the palate but no flaws here. Still delivers for the price point despite the strange bottle. If you are looking for a rosé this is as good as it is going to get for $5.

Exactly, Jason. But, hey, buddy, I like the strange bottle. 

Hopefully soon I will be able to deliver reviews such as this one, or even USE the word "minerality" (at all, somewhere), but for now, all I can tell you is they taste good. And they are not White Zinfandels. Which is good, unless you like White Zinfandel. In which case, enjoy ordering the cheapest wines on the menu, gosh darnit.

Probiotics!

Garden of Life Probiotics

This is a subject very dear to my heart. When I was a teenager, I was given 8 straight months of a strong dosage of tetracycline for teenage acne. What I, and (I was to find out later) many doctors, did not realize was that while antibiotics kill bad bacteria in the body, they can also wipe out the literal host of good organisms that keep our immune systems strong, help our digestive systems function, fight off infectious microbes, and even manufacture vitamins and enzymes for us.

Needless to say, I became very ill for years. I lost a ton of weight, and doctors didn't know what to do. They told me it was psychological, food allergies, everything. It wasn't until my family doctor came back with a sample showing an inordinate amount of yeast in my body that I started finding out about the balance of microbes in the system, and started to seek out doctors who knew about these "probiotics" I seemed to need.

Fortunately, I found an osteopath who prescribed me probiotics from Garden of Life. I have been taking them ever since (though sometimes less frequently than others). I also have frequent bouts of bladder infections, which I recently found out could be related to all of this, so I've been taking probiotics to target this as well.

Jarrow Formulas Fem-Dophilus

All this might sound like crazy hippie talk to most people. But the other night I was listening to NPR, and I heard a scientist who is on the "cutting edge" (funny because some doctors have been talking about this for 20+ years!) of friendly-microbe research.

Listen to the article here:


It's amazing. I want to read some of his books now. It's always so affirming to hear mainstream science broach this subject, since most of the time it's relegated to health food stores and "alternative" health. Actually, it's not alternative at all. It makes perfect sense!

I try to eat a healthy diet with as little refined sugar as possible, I try to eat fermented foods with natural probiotics in them (like Greek yogurt and kefir), and I try to remember to take my probiotics every day. The next one I want to try is a new one by Nature's Way:

After listening to Carl Zimmer's interview, I'm interested in the fact that this product is from human digestive strains only. I'll let you know! Good flora to you!

Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence

Being the English major that I am, I always find it hard to write a cute little blurb on a book, as I'm used to writing 10-15 page papers exploring the hegemonic and Marxist readings of New York society in the 1870s blah blah blah. But I will do my best here.

I love this book. I know I'm going to be inflammatory and divisive, but this is what Jane Austen would be if she were as great as everyone thinks she is. This, too, is a novel of manners, but in a more interesting way.

First, it's refreshing to see such a novel in an American setting. I had never before read anything like this that was not set in England. There is much debate about whether or not Wharton is criticizing New York upper class society or vindicating it. An article on "The Millions" recently advocated Wharton's stance on morals.

I respectfully disagree. Writing from a Realist perspective, Wharton exposes us to this society, with both its criticisms and its vindications. More importantly, she lets the characters struggle with this duality, without much narrative interruption. 

Wharton's characters, especially her female characters, contain a level of complexity that is often lacking in novels such as this. For example, Madame Olenska, the Europeanized cousin of the society ladies, is not really a rebel. She wants to fit in, to please her family, but she just can't quite figure it out. She also can't quite squash her needs, her inspirations, her self in order to please everyone. But she is a vibrant, strong character with both a conscience and a heart.

Much of the novel deals with a society that is a relic from the past. But the book also asks us to explore the ever-relevant question of how humans navigate our societal and familial obligations, which often grate against our innermost needs and emotions.

If the book were written today, it would have ended differently. But that would have been an endorsement of a certain morality and mentality, which I think Wharton wanted us to figure out for ourselves. I love writers who know their readers are intelligent.

I highly recommend this book. It's FREE on Project Gutenberg, which you can also get FREE through iBooks on the iPad. Or there's always the more traditional routes. It's a fast read, and it makes you think, while also exemplifying a beautifully composed novel with dazzling detail. 

Happy reading!

Madame Olenska Changed Me

Almost every Saturday I come on here and whine about turning 29. That's because I'm totally freaked out about it. I show my poor boyfriend pictures of my favorite engagement rings on Etsy, and he puts his fingers in his ears and runs away, screaming "I HAVE TO FINISH MY NOVEL FIRST!" I know I need to calm down about this a little.

I look around on Pinterest, on Facebook, and it seems like everyone is married and even having children at this point. Sometimes I feel so behind, and I wonder what went "wrong." My mother and father tell me I'm doing the right thing, I'm being smart, I'm going to school and establishing a life and a career first (if you can call it that!).

And the truth is that I know this was my own choice. Sure, I could have stayed in Cincinnati and found some nice hometown boy just like everyone else. But I wanted to go places, to see things. I wanted to read poetry and novels and be an English major-- whatever that means-- and hang out with writers and artists. I fell in love with one of the most anxious, particular ones of that breed.

 I look for answers about just exactly what freaks me out so much about this. Is it my own goals and desires to be a mother? Is it the proverbial biological clock ticking? Is it the not-so-good reproductive history on my mother's side? Is it society? I think it has to be a little of all of those things. But the truth is that the problem comes in judging myself more harshly than any of those entities possibly could.

Recently, for class, I read Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence (more on that for Monday's post). I was enamored with the character of Madame Olenska, the "Bohemian" cousin of the perfect society ladies. Not necessarily a rebel, Olenska wants to "play by the rules," but finds sometimes that she simply cannot. She is not willing to sacrifice her love of the arts, of thinking people's company, of her own freedom, and of her own idea of her own life. Olenska is not an artist herself, but simply a woman who finds meaning in living in that world.

Unlike so many of "these types of female characters," Olenska has a brain, a heart, and a conscience. She does the right thing when it needs to be done, whether that thing goes with or against society. She has her own style-- as much as she tries to fit in, she cannot smother the self inside of her.

Madame Olenska drew me in more than any other character in the novel. Just as the protagonist worshipped her, so did I. She was far and away the most interesting, vibrant, sensual character in the story.

And I began to think, wouldn't I rather be the Madame Olenska?

Best "Ice Cream" Ever!

We are ADDICTED. Recently, Vu saw a scary report on 60 Minutes that chronicled the way that refined sugars react in your brain like COCAINE. And he divulged this to me just as I was reaching for the Ben and Jerry's at the grocery store. Needless to say, I did not go home with Cherry Garcia that day.

We're pretty good about our diets and sugar anyway, but ice cream is certainly our weak spot when either one of us has a sweet tooth. So, working off of a raw foods recipe, I came up with this little gem:

Banana-Blueberry Dark Chocolate "Ice Cream"

1 banana, cut into slices

1/4 - 1/3 c blueberries

1/4 of a bar of Ghirardelli 70% Dark Baking Chocolate, chopped

1/2 tsp agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey

- You can either throw all of these ingredients fresh in the food processor and then freeze afterwards, or you can put the frozen ingredients in and eat it right away. We tend to do the latter, since I prefer the Whole Foods 365 Brand Frozen Organic Wild Blueberries. We freeze the bananas first and let them defrost just a bit so they go through the processor more easily. The product is a bit more smoothie-like and creamy than frozen, but Vu prefers it this way :)

We've been making this almost every night since I figured it out. It TOTALLY fulfills my ice cream cravings, but it's SO much healthier and hopefully is not turning our brains to mush.

2012 Box!

Here it is, as promised:

The 2012 Box.


It may not look spectacular. And, true, I didn't do much DIY-ing; I bought a scrapbook box on sale at Michael's for $1.88. But I did affix a 2012 label in my own handwriting inside the label insert area of the box. DIY accomplished!

Really, this DIY is more about the IDEA than anything else. You can use an old shoebox and wrapping paper, a vintage jewelry box-- even a paper bag would work, really-- the idea is to have a place to store fun memories from the year. So far I've stored: movie tickets, my parking receipt for my first 2012 trip to the beach, cards friends and family have given me, pictures, journaling cards, and more. I even have a piece of driftwood from my second trip to the beach.

So for all you fellow lazy/busy DIY-ers, here's an easy one! And it's actually really fun to keep up with and go through every once in a while too :)

Spring Reds

This spring has been an absolute gift from the Chicago gods to a couple of Las Vegas transplants. We have decidedly loved the sunshine and the warmer weather-- I've even been to the beach three times!

All of this has me much more in the mood for spring-- vibrant colors, flowers, sunglasses, dinners at outdoor cafes-- than I was during last year's snowy holocaust of happiness.

I have found a shade of red that I am particularly in love with for this spring. It's a kind of candy/cherry/coral red that's brighter and more orange than the winter shades, and wearing it just makes me feel alive.

Although too much of this kind of color can be a bit overwhelming (witness this atrocious pic from Christmas a few years ago!):

(See: I don't even look happy. And the curly hair? My friend was wearing the same color. Yep. Thought I'd spare her the humiliation.)

But a few accents in just the right places will go perfectly with the flowy, pastel, sheer shades that are so popular this season. I currently cannot live without these two products:

Essie Lollipop nail polish, with a topcoat of Seche Vite,

and Cover Girl's new shade from their Outlast Lip Stain line: Red Affair:

As you can see in the very first picture above, I've paired this lively shade with some neutrals: a sheer, flowey ivory blouse, some skinny jeans, and some nude flats or sandals will do. But it's a color that will compliment most skin and hair shades, and it's playful and vivid, just like spring!

Poetry (The Movie)

A quiet Korean film centering on a grandmother navigating the confusing and new (for her) worlds of teenage crimes and apathy, Alzheimer's disease, and poetry, Poetry both sticks to its promises and also leads you to places you didn't imagine the seemingly simple film would lead you.

All seen through the eyes of an older woman who is experiencing and dealing with the many changes in her calm life, this movie explores humanity and poetry in such an honest, raw, and yet unobtrusive way that it seems more like a gentle push towards consideration of its topics than a manifesto.

Korean culture is very much present, yet portrayed in such a universally comprehensible way that even the more culturally naive among us can grasp the concepts and realities.

A beautiful meditation on how poetry relates to life, this movie does more for the literary form than most MFA programs would ever hope. Weaving poetry in and out of everyday life and much larger struggles, this Poetry succeeds in its titular promises and then some.

If you're looking for something quiet and meditative, moving and meandering (and you're tired of all the French movies I shove down your throat), please see this movie. It's simply beautiful.

Photo Credits:

http://livingchandler.com/2011/08/30/dvd-movie-review-poetry/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/movie-review-poetry-51036.html

http://www.salon.com/2011/02/12/poetry_11/

Crossroads

That's me at night on a pier on Manhattan Beach a couple of years ago, back when I lived in Vegas. At the time, I was terrified because my boyfriend was looking for jobs, and I wasn't sure I'd be going with him. Not only that, but if I did, I might be leaving the West Coast and my beloved adopted hometown, Las Vegas. I didn't want any of that to happen. We took this trip and had the time of our lives.

But there were no jobs in California. And then the "worst" thing happened: he landed an amazing gig as a lecturer at the University of Chicago. He couldn't turn it down. I was miserable. And anxious. I don't even want to go over all the hell we went through in between, but eventually, I ended up with him in Chicago. The Midwest. Driving behind the Penske truck across the country, I literally felt like someone had to yank me, tow me, away from my mountains, my ocean, my wide open blue skies and sunshine.

There are still days that Las Vegas and California pull at me. And it hurts. The best thing, though, is that my boyfriend feels the same pull, one he never thought he would feel. So we both want to make it back out West, which is a wonderful common goal. But for now, it's hard.

I've decided to apply to PhD programs exclusively in Southern California this fall, but they're extremely difficult to get into, so of course I'm nervous. I'm excited about finishing my MA, though, and Chicago's kind of grown on me in the meantime-- at least when it isn't winter (which isn't often).

On top of this, I feel like I'm now at a new crossroads. After so much time on leave from my retail job, I'm thinking about leaving, voluntarily and permanently. I feel like it's time for me to steer myself in the direction I want my life to go in. On leave, I've been able to work on my writing, my blog, my creative self, and I even got the chance to have some editing experience. This all feels so right, while going back to retail feels like the completely wrong direction.

But it's scary. I feel like I'm jumping off a cliff. And I guess in a way, I would be. For now, I suppose I have to see how it feels when I go back on Monday, and just know that I can always make that difficult choice when and if I have to. All the while looking West, toward the ocean.

Journaling Cards

When I saw journaling cards, I thought, "now what?!" It seemed like a scrapbooker's project, and I am not very good at scrapbooking, seeing as how you have to be a rather organized, follow-through type of person to conquer scrapbooking. This I am not.

But I have been trying to journal more, and sometimes sitting down to a blank page seems like such a daunting task. I don't have the energy to pour my heart out, go back over emotionally difficult situations, or even punctuate.

So I became more and more curious about the journaling cards. I kept finding them on blogs and Pinterest. Finally, when I came up with the idea for a 2012 Box (which is coming up on DIY Wednesday!), I thought I could maybe jot a few sentences down about an event or special day on a journaling card, and put it in the box.

It's really quite a nice way for me to keep up with my journaling when I'm not in the mood or don't have time to completely devote to "the book." Plus, it helps me keep on top of my 2012 Box, which I was afraid I would abandon.

Here are the links for the two journaling cards I've featured here:

http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/2012/03/victorian-beauty-free-vintage-image.html
http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/2012/01/printable-library-style-journaling.html#axzz1htshPBlz

And be on the lookout for DIY Wednesday's 2012 Box!

Crackle Painted Nighstand

Oh, how I wish I could have taken a picture of this nightstand before I rehabbed it. It was a lovely shade of 1950s pink-- a light rose-- a worn "blush," really-- but, I digress. The boyfriend hated it. But I am in the middle of FINALLY convincing him that we should get rid of the posters from his college days that have been forever cluttering our walls, and so, for the good of everyone I sacrificed my table in the noble name of redecoration.

I found inspiration on Pinterest (of course), with the instructions linked to a blog here.

My process didn't exactly go like her process-- as usual. I first primed the nightstand with a dark brown color so that would show through the "crackle" (as opposed to my beloved pink). When this was all the way dry, I followed the blogger's instructions, applied the glue (only on the table top), and waited until it was "tacky." Then I painted quick, long brush strokes over the top of the glue. Aaannnd it looked like paint on top of glue. Plus, it wouldn't dry for hours.

So. Resigned not only to a DIY failure, but to complete and utter ruination of my nightstand, I went to bed, defeated. When I woke up in the morning, the table was finally dry. I figured I would just paint enough white over the top so at least you couldn't see the glue. As the paint began to dry, a miracle occurred: CRACKLE!

Not that I don't miss the original, but the new crackled Shabby-Chic-like white does go with the bedroom decor much better. Not only that, but I believe my nightstand sacrifice is responsible for my bathroom decor victory as well...

Vintage Lace Nightgown

Ok, so it's more like a slip. Ok, it is a slip. But I fell in love with it when I went into a thrift shop in Pilsen to find some tea cups (for which they wanted four dollars apiece just for the saucers!), especially since it was only $10, but mostly because of the perfect cut and beautiful lace work.

It's by Rogers, a common vintage tag in the area of lingerie and nightgowns.

I love the details, and it just makes me feel beautiful to wear it.

So, ladies, keep those eyes peeled in the thrift stores!

Nina Simone

Today's post is a short post dedicated to one of my favorite singers, the incomparable and DIVINE Ms. Nina Simone. My boyfriend gave me her entire collection last year, and I've been addicted ever since. She  unique voice full of strength and struggle, like all good blues and jazz ladies do. But there's something unapologetic about her that I can't seem to shake.

The first song is the classic "Feeling Good," and I have to get on my soapbox about this song. First, it is NOT the theme song for Weight Watchers (even though it kinda is). Second, it is NOT, and I mean NOT Michael Buble's song. Even though he sings it. And once you hear Nina, you'll know why.




The second Nina I've selected is her controversial "Four Women," describing four very different black women. It was banned by many radio stations when it came out: it alludes to slavery, prostitution, and other controversial subjects, but this hardly seems like a reason to ban a song (though it certainly was a different era). I think that perhaps Ms. Simon's strength and truth-telling were a bit too much for the radio executives. But that's just this girl's opinion... Anyway, it's my very favorite song of hers!




Hope you enjoy these pieces!

Being Broken

On January 15, like a big fat klutz, I slipped in my own bedroom, fell, and fractured my humerus bone right by my shoulder socket. It was too bad a break to splint, so I had to have pretty major surgery to put everything back together (a plate that looks like a wrench in my arm, and ten screws that go all the way through my bone, up and down). And a big. Old. Scar.

Initially, just getting through the pain, the surgery, and then even more pain kept anything peripheral from concerning me. My boyfriend worked really hard with the insurance people, the disability people, and the medical people. My mom came and babied me for FIVE WEEKS. 

But when I began to move around a bit, when the use of my arm began to re-emerge, I began to notice a new ME emerging. I listened to others' terrible medical tales (one, a friend my age who had open-heart surgery only two years ago, which I never knew about before; another, a dear friend a bit older than me who had a surgery cause her to go septic). My arm was beginning to return to normal, and I was beginning to regain some perspective.

I've been so lucky to have a HUGE support system: my boyfriend, my mom, good work benefits, amazing doctors and nurses and great physical therapists who help push me and help me believe in myself.

As the healing continues (I just recently started driving again, I was cleared to work again in about a week, and I've even gotten a few yoga poses approved), I am faced with returning to "normal." But I am left wondering now what "normal" is. Maybe it was all the time I finally got to spend with myself. Maybe it was the time away from a dramatic work environment (one that, frankly, I'm not looking forward to returning to). Maybe it was the opportunity I had to devote time to things I care about: my blog, being creative, school. 

But I feel that something has shifted so dramatically that, like my scarred skin, I somehow cannot return to "normal." I kind of don't want to. I want to take all this change and knowledge and energy and do something with it. I guess the next step is figuring out what that is, and how to do it. Oh, and being able to take off a long-sleeved shirt by myself.

Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese. Most of us think of our moms' greasy, floppy American cheese-and-butter-filled fried white bread accompanied by canned tomato soup (sorry Mom!). But I have found a way to eat an old favorite while still getting plenty of nutrition and flavor.

Ingredients:
2 pieces of multi-grain, whole grain bread
1 Tbsp mayo (or substitute with my FAVORITE thing ever: Vegenaise)
2 slices of cheese (I used one slice of pepper jack and some shredded cheddar)
1 roma tomato
1/2 avocado
(The pictures you see here are of a half-sandwich I made, but the instructions are for a full sandwich.)

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Slice the avocado and tomato.

3. Spread mayo on both sides of the bread and add the cheese slices, one to each side of the bread.

4. Pile the tomato and avocado slices on either piece of bread. 

5. The easiest way to put the two slices together is to put the avocado side on top of the tomato side.

6. Put the sandwich on a baking sheet, and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Traveling with Pomegranates

This post must seem like it belongs among the movies, music, and books I write about on Mondays. After all, it's by the same author, Sue Monk Kidd, who wrote the fictional fave The Secret Life of Bees and the life-changing Dance of the Dissident Daughter, a non-fiction book.

This book, however, is different-- not only because it is half-written by Kidd's daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor. What sets this books apart is that it is written as a series of journal entries over a somewhat considerable period of time, during which Ann is struggling to find herself after a bump-in-the-road in her post-grad plans, and Sue is dealing with the many changes surrounding menopause and empty-nest syndrome.

The women seek answers, in Greece and France, in new homes, new jobs, new relationships. But mostly, they seek themselves through their journaling. They even journal about their journaling while they're in France, looking at ancient and magnificent works of art!?! It completely inspired me, and I go back to this book whenever I'm feeling doubtful, insecure, or lazy about my own journaling.

So, if you're tired of the how-to's, or you just need some good inspiration (and a good read too!), check this book out at your local library, your local independent (OR corporate) bookstore, or online here.

Easy Eye Makeup Remover

This natural, gentle, effective makeup remover is also a DIY project-- or, as I refer to it, a two-for-one! I've spent countless amounts of money perfecting my beauty routine, and as last week's Beauty Tuesday post revealed, I'm not only about the St. Ives scrub and Benzoyl Peroxide cream at Target (though I might die without them). I know how and when to spend money. And this is when not to.

Here are your ingredients/supplies:

Empty bottle (I got mine for $1.50 at Target in their travel stuff section)

1/3 cup distilled water

1 1/4 tsp no-tears baby shampoo (I used Burt's Bees- $6.99 for 8oz)

1 tsp grapeseed oil

Mix all the ingredients together, and, using a funnel, put them in the bottle. Or, if you don't have a funnel, put all the ingredients in the bottle and shake! You have to shake anyway, each time you use it.

I got the reusable pads here from Etsy.

The original recipe I made this concoction from includes instructions on making your own reusable pads. But I don't have that much time. Or a sewing machine.

Anyway, it's super cheap, and it works really, really well. The oil and soap combo dissolves even my water-proof mascara, and it's so easy to just swipe each eye every night. I will warn you, though, that the pads get dirty and stained VERY quickly, so don't spend too much time or money on them.

Also, I don't recommend using essential oils or fragrances, even though they make it all nice-smelling and everything, because they burn the eyes. And this is the FIRST eye-makeup remover I've ever used that doesn't burn at all. Also, the trip to the store for the grapeseed oil is worth it because it has antioxidant (read: anti-aging) properties, and it's thin and gentle enough for the delicate eye area.

Happy DIY--uh, I mean, Beauty Tuesday, everyone!