the very fine befine

It's been four weeks since I stumbled upon the Befine line of skin care products so now I can safely say -  it's delightful. Period. I have the Evening Sampler, a trio of three small volume versions of Befine products consisting of an exfoliating face wash made from almonds, a ginger pore refining toner and a cocoa night cream (woo! natural caffeine) that is so soft and luscious I can't stop touching my face.

I've been trying to get myself into a skin care routine because, as the receptionist at my salon told me, "You're 28 so it's time to start thinking about aging skin." Oy vey. I resisted the urge to start buying wrinkle cream in bulk that day and take her too seriously. (I'm actually kind of against trying too hard to turn back the sands of time. I think laugh and smile lines paired with a few creases are somewhat attractive, they represent a life lived.) I did decide however, that I would take better care of myself and start investing a bit in those things that I thought for the longest time were shallow and vain - skin care, better quality makeup that won't clog my pores, and more frequent pedicures - you can never be too nice to your feet.

Now my only problem is actually buying the products. I purchased my Evening Sampler at Winners for $8.99. Within a week, I went back for two more to stock up because, at Winners, products come and products go. I'd really like to get my hands on the morning sampler and the cooling peel-off mask but Befine does not seem to be broadly available in Canadian retail stores. Online shopping on the befine.com website appears to be limited to the US. I've sent an email to the company to find out more however, it has yet to be answered. Rest assured, the next time I visit the States, I will be tracking this fine product down.

serious about sirius

I am spoiled. There, I said it. You'll learn that relates to more than just one part of my life but in this case - I have satellite radio in my car and I just can't live without it. When I take rental cars for work and they don't have Sirius or XM, it ends up being a torturous drive. It's almost always to New Brunswick and if you've ever driven to New Brunswick and forgot your iPod or CDs, you'll know what I'm talking about. You're constantly switching channels and if you're like me, normal radio stations just don't meet your belting-out-tunes-in-your-car-by-yourself needs. (I often arrive at my destination with little to no voice, something that is somewhat awkward to explain when you are meeting with important people). It's come to the point that I've actually done something that I swore I would never do - I regularly listen to talk radio (CBC Radio One) in the absence of satellite. I've come to enjoy and rely on it to an extent but that doesn't mean that I don't try to hide it from passengers that join me in my car. I also do it on my way to and from work but that's because I need information and I now feel somewhat obligated to the Information Morning and Mainstreet hosts.

My station is AltNation with presets also set to Lithium, 90s on 9 (very guilty pleasure which allowed Robyn's Show Me Love to get me through a touch and go trip across the Confederation Bridge and rewarded my safe arrival with the Gin Blossoms Follow You Down), Iceberg, The Blend, The Pulse, The Loft and CBC Radio One because Jian Ghomeshi's voice is comforting and Q is always on the satellite version. My iPod playlists are now solely based on my subscription finds, I often try to write them down while driving. (I need that Shazam app pronto.)

Through Sirius I have met The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Constellations, Florence and the Machine, Against Me! and The Airborne Toxic Event. We're now BFFs. Bet you can't say that about Kelly Clarkson on C100 (insert local Top 40 radio station here).

PS. Shout out to CBC Radio Two's Rich Terfry and his colleagues who are keepin' it real on regular radio and improving musical tastes nation-wide. You're exempt from my radio complaints discussed above.

PPS. I just watched the season finale of Glee for the third time and got goosebumps when I heard that heartwarming Journey tune. I will be discussing Glee in future posts. Please don't let my adoration for the show lead you to question my musical tastes. My songful enjoyment is based on emotion, nostalgia and subconscious reactions - such as singing the lyrics to an entire song without actually knowing what it is - not necessarily the quality of the performance or composition.

calvin klein for the girls

Allow me to introduce you to the Calvin Klein bra. I discovered this life changing item four years ago while shopping in the States. I emitted a shriek of excitement in the Kittery Outlets dressing room and crossed the border with two that day. I've never turned back. Great fit, extreme comfort, classic styles and a plethora of coverage levels. And they hold up. My virgin pair are still in my regular rotation. Since then I've purchased the CK bra at the outlet store in Dartmouth Crossing, the Bay, Winners and possibly the most exciting location, Costco! Yes, Costco where they sell the basic style (with a handy loop that allows for racer back conversion) in a two pack for less than $30! Some styles can be a bit pricey but with so many retail options, you should never have to pay full price. (But if you do, it's worth it.)