(Video) Favorites, January 2017: Classic Beauty, Fashion, Home, and Health Items

(ABOVE)  A refined Dot Cardigan and Chunky Knit Draped Cardigan are among my favorites for January 2017.

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(NOTE: Some links that I provide in this post are affiliate links, which means if you follow that link and make a purchase I may possibly earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More information here.)

February 4, 2017 / Video Post Notes

Old Standards And New Favorites

Some of the items you’ll find in this post are brand new, some I’ve had for six-plus months to quite a few years, and some are new designs of an established standard. The great news is, everything I show is available on line, which is why I decided to include many of my not-so-new purchases here.

I really didn’t have a theme to this post; it consists of things I’ve been wearing or using recently.

I was thrilled to discover that the no-wool, comfy and cozy chunky knit Cardigan I’m wearing in this post has been brought back into stock!

Thank you as always for stopping by for a visit.

Cheers!

~Janis Lyn Johnson

(ABOVE & BELOW) Satya Divine Empowerment Sun & Moon Earrings in white quartz.

I bought these darling earrings to wear both with jeans and tees and also with more refined skirts and dresses. The size makes them so versatile.

I first discovered Satya Jewelry in 2015 on the website of an upscale department store, and was so impressed with the necklace I ordered when it arrived. (I’m wearing it here.) All of Satya’s gold items are made of 20 mils of 18 kt gold over brass, and the workmanship is lovely. I also love the uplifting and empowering theme incorporated into each and every piece..

(ABOVE & BELOW) Pearl, Rose Quartz, and White Jade Stretch Bracelets

Although Satya does sell bracelet sets, I decided to make my own. I think rose quartz is so pretty with pearls and white jade.

Note: The rose quartz stones are more pink than my photograph, above, shows. (See better photograph below.) My white studio lighting tends to wash out most pastel colors, unfortunately.

(ABOVE) Satya Jewelry Romance Card.

I love that all Satya Jewelry items come with a fold-out Romance Card that explains the empowering, symbolic meaning behind both the semi-precious stones and the charms.

(ABOVE) This 9″ Table-Top, Two-Sided Vanity Mirror offers regular and 5x magnification, plus adjusts in height from 16.5″ to 21.5″ and swivels 360 degrees.

I bought this Vanity Mirror about six months ago because I wanted one I could place on a desk in front of a window for applying makeup. Because it adjusts up to 21.5″, I no longer have to bend over to see myself! Yay!

(ABOVE & BELOW) Street Level Reversible Faux-Leather Tote, Gold to Pink.

I have been looking for a good-quality, faux-leather gold tote for two years and finally found it. What’s more, it reverses to my favorite color–pink! I love that it can work with very casual jeans and shorts, and also with pretty summer sun dresses and skirts. It could even be taken to the beach or pool. Such a great find.

(ABOVE & BELOW) Talbots Novelty Buckle Reversible Belt (Three Combinations Available : Navy/Green, Camel/Walnut, Black/Grey).

I saw this belt on a blogger and instantly went on line to buy all three. The equestrian-theme buckle is such a classic, iconic emblem. Because they’re leather, reverse to another color on the other side, and one of the buckles is silver and the other two are gold, they’ll go with so many of my outfits. (The buckles are all removable and, therefore, interchangeable.)

I would have preferred size small but only medium and large are available. Luckily, they work just fine for me,

(ABOVE & BELOW) Volcom Wrap Cardigan (Also Isaac Mizrahi Live White Long-Sleeve, V-Neck Tunic Tee.)

This Wrap Cardigan and Tunic-length Tee are perfect for leggings, because they cover my bum. The tee is 100 percent cotton and the sweater has no wool in it, so both can be worn all year.

(ABOVE & BELOW) Isaac Mizrahi Live Long-Sleeve V-Neck Tunic Tee.

I bought this tee in both the grey and white to wear with leggings. The 100 percent cotton fabric is substantial in thickness, so I don’t have to worry about a bra showing through. 

(ABOVE & BELOW) Brooks Brothers Sleeveless Dress Shirt. (Also, above, J. Crew Dot Cardigan.)

I’ve had this Brooks Brothers Sleeveless Dress Shirt for about eight years and wear it a lot. I love it under cardigans and pullovers, because it keeps me from getting too warm. It’s such a classic look and the slimming, fitted shape is so flattering. They’ve brought it back every year, but I did buy a second one in white, just in case.

(ABOVE & BELOW) J. Crew Dot Cardigan and Bi-Stretch Cotton Pencil Skirt. (Also, above, Brooks Brothers Sleeveless Dress Shirt).

I’ve been eying this navy and white Dot Cardigan for several months, and as soon as it went on clearance I finally bought it. I love it with this skirt, which is the color Bright Patina. The one shown below is in Ivory. It also comes in Bright Citrus, Driftwood, and Black.

(ABOVE & BELOW) Emore Bendable, Adjustable Selfie Stick.

Years ago, I always took my good camera and tripod to family or friends’  special events, birthdays, and celebrations. But the equipment was bulky–and it was so time consuming to set up–it was a nuisance to everyone involved! I got this selfie stick so I could use my iPhone instead to capture videos and photographs.

The flexible arm is made of ultralight aluminum alloy with a soft PET sheath.

My husband and I tried it out over the Christmas holidays and had so much fun with it! (You can even curl the arm around your neck to make it hands free.) If you’re like me and don’t want to purchase a remote for your phone, you can get photographs by taking movies with your phone and then capturing screen shots.

Because it has the bendable arm/stick and a bench vice, it can be attached to furniture–or propped up on a table–and adjusted to any angle. It also is easily stored in a zip-top plastic bag.

(ABOVE) Sabre Advanced-Strength Pepper Spray with Key Ring and Elastic Wristband Key Ring.

(ABOVE) Sabre Red Lipstick-Size Pepper Spray. 

I discovered the Sabre brand of pepper sprays about six or so years ago and promptly bought one for every person in my family. My niece was entering her first year of college when I gave her one for Christmas, and she thought it was hilariously funny. I believe in better safe than sorry! (I also bought her a wedge to put under her apartment door that sounded an alarm when the door opened. Yes, I am a safety nut!)

Although I talked about the Sabre Pepper Spray with Key Chain in a Favorites post about a year and a half ago, I’m bringing it back again because now, in addition to containing pepper spray, it has both a UV marking dye and tear gas as well. Also, Sabre came out with this Lipstick Size Pepper Spray. You can bet my niece is getting it for her birthday this month!

(ABOVE) Sabre Advanced-Strength Pepper Spray with Key Ring and Sabre Red Lipstick-Size Pepper Spray.  (BELOW) Elastic Wristband Key Rings.

(ABOVE) Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotic, 80 Billion.

Eighty percent of our immune system is in the GI tract, so the health of our immune system is affected by the health of our gut.

Probiotics are the friendly bacteria in the gut. When they become unbalanced, it can lead to illness. Eating probiotic-rich foods like fermented cabbage–or taking a probiotic supplement like Ultimate Flora Probiotic–helps to repopulate the gut with good bacteria.

Every morning, 30 minutes before breakfast, I take one Ultimate Flora tablet with a glass of water. When I first began taking probiotic supplements back in June 2012, I started with the lowest dose I could find and gradually built up to the current 80 billion I take now. (I think it was 5 billion.) My body was so sick back then, I threw up within about 20 or 30 minutes of taking it, but I persevered. It was also at that time that I gave up grains, sugar, and pasteurized dairy (now I’m off of all dairy). For more on how I eat and why, see my post  “Healing Chronic Health Issues: What I Eat and Why”.

Several mornings a week I also eat organic, raw fermented cabbage with my breakfast, since it has even more good bacteria than a supplement can offer.

UPDATE: I should have mentioned a lower dose probiotic supplement for people just starting out. A good one would be the Renew Life 15 billion. These are GMO free and free of dairy, wheat. soy. etc. The Women’s is a Go Pack, which is good for traveling, since it doesn’t need refrigeration. The Everyday (formerly Adult) formula would be my first choice, though, because these come in a bottle. Getting probiotics in a bottle is less expensive, and I’ve always wondered if the unrefrigerated probiotics in any brand work as well, since they are not refrigerated. I have used these for traveling before, as I didn’t have any other option.

(ABOVE & BELOW) Gabriel Apricot Powder Blush, Zuzu Luxe Chocolate Cherry Lipstick.

Gabriel Cosmetics is the parent company of Zuzu Luxe, and both lines are all natural, vegan, and gluten free. They’re also free of harmful chemicals, dyes, and preservatives, which is why I love both brands.

This Zuzu Luxe lipstick is a reddish brown/cool creme color, and it’s gorgeous! I didn’t build it up to its full impact, because I wanted a more natural day look, but it’s such a great neutral to wear with any color of clothing.  I applied it over shea butter to make it look more like a gloss, and for added moisture.  

The Gabriel blush is a pretty apricot/peachy pink and is a super matte powder. I love it with brown, orange, and camel in the winter and with peachy pinks and blushes in the spring and summer. I’m a fan of the pink color in this blush, too; you’ve seen me wear that one a lot this year.

MY MOISTURIZERS/MAKEUP (Natural/Organic Ingredients

(ABOVE & BELOW) Zuzu Luxe Chocolate Cherry Lipstick and Gabriel Apricot Powder Blush. MOISTURIZER/LIPS-EYE AREA: Nourish Nourish Organic Shea Butter / FACE: 100% Pure Powder Foundation, Crème and White Peach  / EYELIDS: Gabriel Classic Matte Nude Eye Shadow Trio / EYELASHES: 100% Pure Black Tea Mascara. (Some links in this post are affiliates. More information here.)

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