With this in mind, Katie Lewis from Los Angeles-based Rocket XL reached out with a solution for me when it comes to the scary time of day when I actually remove my makeup. When she offered to send me a complimentary pack of Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes, I figured I’d give them a whirl but stick to my Vaseline makeup removal routine. I mean seriously, I learned that habit from my mom (not from crazypants Tyra), and it’s hard to break old habits.

But let me tell you this. Of this 30-pack of Original towelettes, there are maybe 4 left, and I’ve only had these for a few weeks. They are amazing. I had never considered a product like this, since I’m old and set in my ways, but the Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes have basically changed my life when it comes to de-glamming at night. They remove makeup very easily, and my eyes and skin always feel refreshed and clean, never sticky, slimy, or dried out.  And apparently, Pond’s towelettes remove 40% more makeup than other similar products.  If you saw one of these things after it did it’s job on my face, you’d believe it.

I’m totally, absolutely, 100% converted. I’ll be buying another pack of Pond’s Towelettes this week, and retiring my Vaseline to a forgotten nook in the bathroom cabinet. For women (or Rock Gods) who wear makeup, I highly recommend giving these a try if you haven’t already.

Thanks again to Katie at Rocket XL for her spot-on outreach!

Is it worth it?  Should I get a box of my Amanda Bars?  The Taste Tester said they’d be mouthwatering…

Yeah, you and everyone else on the planet.

Via HubSpot.

The always elegant Shelley Greenberg, perhaps better known as @thespottedduck, recently did a giveaway on her blog that got me pretty excited.  To a commenter chosen at random, she was giving away a bar of soap from DeShawn Marie, a Boston-based artist/magician/creator of all-natural, gorgeously unique handmade soaps.  Needless to say, I asked Shelley if it would be OK if I entered 1,000 times, since I love cool soaps (and fancy soaps, too, RL), but to be fair I could only get one shot.  Well, toss me in the shower and pat me dry, I am one lucky girl – I won the soap!

I chose Grapefruit Orange.  I love citrusy scents in the spring and summer; consequently, my favorite lotion of all time, space and energy is Jo Malone Grapefruit, so I figured DeShawn Marie’s Grapefruit Orange would be a perfect complement.  My lucky bar arrived today, so naturally I had to take some pictures.  Check ‘em out:

The scent is heaven – I can’t wait to lather up!  Thanks to Shelley and Deshawn Marie for putting together a wonderful giveaway.  And everyone should definitely check out DeShawn Marie’s other products as well.  I know I’ll definitely be trying some different types – she makes all sorts of handrolled soaps that are really pretty - so take a look yourself.  And geez, stinkbomb, take a shower.

1. If you could only wear one color for a whole year, what would it be?

2. What’s your drink of choice?

3. What’s your favorite dinner?

4. Would you rather watch Titanic or The Notebook? (Pretend that neither is not an option.)

5. What celebrity do you look like?

Why not red or green or fuschia?  Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explains:

“The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance.  Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”

Hear that?  2009 is all about focusing on optimism, imagination and innovation.  Sounds about right to me.  Good choice, Pantone.
[via Luxaholics]

Choreography: Dana Metz
Music: Werewolf by Cocorosie

According to an omnibus survey conducted by StrategyOne on behalf of Pepsi, four out of five Millennials are hopeful about the future as the New Year approaches, and nearly all surveyed (95%) agree that it is important for them to maintain a positive outlook on life.

Millennials are most optimistic about their overall well-being (84%) and their relationships with family and friends (81%), and are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to be optimistic about their careers (77%, vs. 66% of Gen Xers, 59% of Baby Boomers and 22% of Post-War Americans).

Other findings include:

• 74% of Millennials find that supporting causes make them feel more optimistic
• 77% of Millennials report having a strong sense of optimism about their careers
• 95% of Millennials make positive associations when they think of the word “change,” associating it with “progress” (78%), “hope” (77%) and “excitement” (72%)
• 67% of Millennials say that the election of Barack Obama is making them feel optimistic about the future of the country

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 2009 will be exciting. And it’s good to know I’m not alone in thinking that this year holds promise. Happy New Year!

[via Mediapost Research Briefs]

There’s the HTML earrings that put your head in between code:

The HTML Jewelry-Tag necklace:

And the Waveform series, that turns sound waves into shiny accessories.  This one is a giggle:

Hat tip the lovely Jessica Sutton for pointing out this talented artist.