A Few of My Favorite Things

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I’m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

and then I don’t feel so bad.

Julie Andrews

Well, I don’t know what to do if a dog bites or a bee stings, I but can share a few of my favorite things that help me when it comes to getting dressed.

I think it’s safe to say that we often want to look our best and put our best foot forward when we leave the house. We stand in our closet searching for the perfect outfit to wear for the day or to that special event. Time is spent in the bathroom applying the perfect makeup and spending time getting our hair just right. And I’m not about to say these things are bad or we shouldn’t do them. Or that I have that magical machine like the Jetsons to help you get ready faster.

But I can share a few things that I reach for more often than not to help me look my best. It’s not always about what you see and what’s right in front of you. Sometimes it’s about what’s underneath or behind the scenes.

A Few of My Favorite Things

#1 Stain Remover

There’s nothing worse than reaching for that item of clothing that you want to wear and realizing that it has a stain on it.

Or being extra careful when you eat. You use a napkin or use caution when you wear that crisp white shirt. You do what you can to not be clumsy and get a stain on your clothes. But life happens and sometimes you get a stain…

So now what?

I have the solution…

This stain solution by The Laundress has yet to encounter a stain that it can’t remove.

It has come to my rescue more than once. In all honesty, every item of clothing that I have used this on to remove a stain…it has removed the stain.

Now I can’t say that it’s taken out the stain in on fell swoop. Some stains required a little more elbow grease, a little wax on wax off action. But the point is…this stain remover REMOVED the stain. It has now tackled 3 stains on white blouses. I’ve also passed it along to several other people to fight their stains and it worked for them too.

So next time you drop something on your favorite top or spill a little wine. Or just come home and wonder what in the world did I get on my top…fight stains with this stain remover.

#2 Garnier Cleansing Water

If you read this post, then you know that I discovered this Chanel product and fell in love. But I can’t say I fell in love with the price tag, so I was determined to find a similar product at a more affordable price. I got lucky and the first one I tried was a success. Now, I’m sure there are other products out there like these but I love this Garnier Cleansing Water.

It’s cleansing water, Jessica, what’s the big deal about this? Can’t I just use makeup remover or make-up wipes?

Yes, you can. But I personally am not the biggest fan of eye makeup remover. Yes, most of the time it does remove your makeup but is it cleansing my face? And I can’t say I always love the smell. Sometimes I feel like I’m using rubbing alcohol on my face and it’s just drying out my skin. Or I’m removing layers of my eyelids trying to get my eyeliner off with a make-up wipe. And again…I ask…is it really cleansing my face?

Garnier Cleansing Water vs the Chanel L’Huile. The Chanel L’Huile is more of a cleansing oil so the consistency is a little thicker. This Garnier product feels like water. There’s no strong smell but it magically removes your makeup.

It smells clean and refreshing and honestly, you don’t even realize that you are using anything on your face. It just feels like some fancy water. And technically this removes your makeup and cleanses your face. But I personally double cleanse in the evening when I’m removing my makeup. And yes, I could use eye makeup remover or wipes and then cleanse with a 2^nd product of my choice but if I’m going to wash my face twice I want to make sure I’m using the best product for me and my skin type. Some eye makeup removers can cause breakouts or dry out the skin.

Benefits of double cleansing…

The first cleanser will break down any makeup, remove dirt and excess oils from the day and clean your skin. The second cleanser is good for addressing your particular skin type and finding a product that focuses on hydrating, smoothing, exfoliating or treating acne. Double cleansing helps remove stubborn, pore-clogging and acne-causing impurities that can remain on the skin even after the first wash.

But whether you decide to double cleanse or not. This Garnier Cleansing Water is a great way to remove ALL of your makeup. It washes away that pesky eye makeup.

#3 Spanx Bra

Statics say that 70-80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. I didn’t really believe this till I went to Nordstrom and got fitted for a bra. This changed my life! You can laugh but having a well-fitting bra can change getting dressed in the morning and how your clothes lay on you.

I have been a huge lover of the Natori bras for years, but I recently tried the Spanx Bra-Llelujah. HALLELUJAH, is right! This bra connects in the front which I wasn’t sure I’d like but it gives such a smooth look on the back that it’s totally worth making the adjustment and connecting your bra in the front. They have different styles. I have a regular and racerback bra and I love them both equally.

This bra gives me the support that I want and the straps don’t fall off. But the feature that I like the most is how it looks on the back. It doesn’t dig into your skin. It helps hide back fat or those imperfections around the bra strap area.

Try it! You won’t regret it! Believe me.

#4 High Waisted underwear

I’m the first one to admit that there was a time in my life that I would have described these as granny panties. But those might also have been the days that we still thought low rise jeans were a good idea. (If you are a fan of low rise jeans, I am sorry. I mean no disrespect. I just don’t agree with the philosophy of the low rise jean. I also believe you just haven’t found the right high rise jean for your body. Email me…I can help you out.)

Back to my granny panties…

If you’ve been here before or follow me on Instagram then you know I am a HUGE fan of high waisted anything! Maybe I’m the only one with this problem….maybe I was just wearing the wrong underwear, but I found that my underwear would shift all about when I wore high waisted jeans. Or just do something that just didn’t feel right or flattering.

I thought Good American jeans changed my life. Uh, no…Good American jeans combined with these high waisted panties may as well be a superhero or something. I’m all about smooth clean lines when it comes to dressing. Never been a fan of a panty line, I don’t like showing my bra straps and I believe in slips. I want to look my best and that often means having the right undergarments. Undergarments are just as important as the clothing that you are wearing. I’m a firm believer in this! And these panties are the RIGHT undergarments.

Not only do they offer a smooth clean line but they also hold everything in nicely. They aren’t like wearing Spanx where you feel like everything is being smushed around in an unflattering way and you just feel uncomfortable. They hold everything-in in a subtle small way.

I mean if Carrie Bradshaw can sport such underwear on SATC then why can’t I? Let’s face it they are basically the same as high waisted bathing suit bottoms. So maybe I’m wearing granny panties. Or maybe I’m just smart. Maybe I’m late to the party and everyone else is already wearing these. But whatever the case is…I love them!

Try them for yourself and let me know. I don’t want to wear any other panties. Oh and these are awesome with midi skirts. Who needs the friction of different materials working together to not only create static but then either some awful line or make my underwear shift all about.

No thank you!

A few other things that I reach for occasionally…

• Fashion Tape
• Static Guard
• Insole cushions for shoes
• Petti-pants (I like to wear these under skirts and dresses. Does the same as a slip would but your thighs don’t rub together. This style comes in 3 colors & I like this style because you can actually cute and adjust the length.)

So, friends, those are just a few of my favorite things that I keep on hand to help me look my best. Like I said, sometimes it’s about what’s underneath and the behind the scenes stuff.

What are some of your favorites things? I’d love to hear what you have in your fashion arsenal.

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