Literally, Genevieve Clare

A Few of My Favorite Things

I’ve recently discovered a few items that have changed my life, and I feel it’s my civic duty to inform you of them.

Hair Vitamins from Phyto

I think you’re all aware by now that after I made the Worst Decision in the History of Decisions, about a third of my hair fell out in the process of going back to blonde.  A friend recommended that I try Phyto vitamins, so I bought them but had some compliance issues.  In that I opened the bottle, decided it smelled like fish and threw it in the back of the cabinet for almost a year.  About a month ago I decided to try again (this time consistently) and my hair feels stronger, healthier and is definitely on its way back to its original thickness.  They aren’t cheap - $50 for a two month supply, but I have found them to be worth every penny.  Even if you don’t have hair trauma in your past, I would recommend these – my lashes grew longer, my nails got stronger and I lost 45 pounds in a week.

Keurig Coffee Maker

I’ve bought my coffee every single day since the day I moved to New York. I know it’s the first thing financial analysts tell you to give up when you’re trying to save money, but to those people I say, “I dare you to say that to me at 8 am on a Tuesday before I’ve visited my best friend Kahn at Dunkin Donuts.”  When I moved downtown, I realized that the coffee from the hole-in-the wall shops was even better, and Pete realized that I was slowly trying to bankrupt him.  It was time to make the switch to making it at home.  Pete doesn’t drink coffee and acts like a sip will send him into anaphylactic shock, so I was flying solo on this mission.  Keurig is a little more of an investment on the front end, but I swear to Oprah, this coffee machine is absolutely perfect for one person (or a couple if your boyfriend isn’t a little girl who’s afraid of caffeine).  You turn it on, the water heats up for about 30 seconds, you pop in a K-cup, and get a single cup of coffee – without any cleanup.  I was worried the coffee would be disgusting, but there are tons of different varieties (Caribou!) and I love almost all of them.

Lash Tinting

This isn’t a recent discovery – I’ve been doing it since I was 15, but I feel like it’s time to go public. I have light coloring and hair, so my lashes have always been super blonde.  Borderline albino if we’re being honest.  BUT for just $30 they get dyed jet-black every two months and I look like I’m wearing mascara all the time. This truly is one of the best kept beauty secrets I’ve ever come across, and people are always shocked when I tell them.  Most spas have it on their “menu” – and it’s a simple process: they put some Vaseline around your eyes to prevent the dye from leaking, you close your eyes, and they paint on the dye and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (you have to keep your eyes closed).  They wipe it off with cotton balls or Q-tips (it sometimes stings just a little when the leftover gets in your eyes) and you’re done!  It’s so great for the summer, when I spend a lot of time at the lake and in the pool.  And for year-round when I don’t want to look like the monk from the Da Vinci Code.

Urban Outfitters BDG Jeggings

My sister let me in on this one and pulled the blinders off over a Christmas break trip to Urban Outfitters.  This discovery was a little bit depressing because I felt like I had wasted 25 years of my life wearing real jeans. You mean I don’t have to have rug burn on my stomach from sitting at my desk all day?  These things have a button, zipper, front and back pockets and no one will know that I’m wearing pajamas?  They eliminate any muffin top-related issues with minimal risk of camel?  You’re telling me these cost a quarter of what I paid for countless pairs of Sevens, Citizens and J Brand?  I felt like someone had been tricking me for the majority of my adult life.  Urban offers every wash, every length and every waist height of BDG and other brands.  The sooner you discover jeggings, THE SOONER YOU WILL BE FREE.