Mani Pedi - Color Club Lava Lamp

i don't think i've had a pedi pic all summer!  i definitely haven't been hiding my toes but the right opportunity hadn't presented itself.  i am trying to get my last hurrah in before the summer comes to an end and it's time to cover the toes again.  what better way to celebrate the warmth than with a neon orange!  Color Club's Lava Lamp is just what the doctor ordered - especially since the weather in NY has been on the cooler side.  while i don't mind the break from humidity, i did miss beach-worthy weather this weekend.  there aren't that many beach weekends left so i hope that the sun gets some inspiration from my nails and brings back some heat! (i hope i don't regret saying that!!). xo sesheta

PFM Obsession: Becca's Beauty Fresh Five #1- Fragrance

Since hopping on the green beauty bandwagon, it's been an impulsive couple of weeks full of  sampling, researching, and purchasing a variety of different healthy beauty products. But when it comes to choosing your signature scent, it can be a very personal thing; many ladies (and gents) don't like to stray from what they know and love. 

I've come to realize love is a coconut. Drumroll please...the all-natural organic french perfume brand Honore des Pres has made it to our #1 spot on the Fresh Five Beauty Countdown with their concoction of coconut, vanilla, and coriander. Love Coconut is an intoxicating light coconut fragrance that's so fresh and so clean (clean!) This special mix of 100% natural and certified organic essences lasts like a long-overdue nap on a tropical beach, where you're sipping an icy cocktail and melting your cares away in the heat. It's vacation in a bottle...and I plan on extending mine by using this perfume all year round. 

I hope this countdown inspired you make some changes in the products you use...there is a healthier side to beauty! xoxo Becca

Spiritual PFM- Dragonfly: Unveiling Illusion

Pic courtesy of Animal Theory

life has been particularly stressful for me recently.  i have been feeling like i'm being pulled in a million directions while keeping a hundred balls in the air.  that being said, i've been known to exaggerate - blame it on my theater background lol.  regardless of the actual details - exaggerated or not, life has been throwing me for a loop.  most times i can attribute things and people being weird to a phase of the moon (look at that - there is new moon coming up).  ...but this all started last week.  i consider myself to be a spiritual person.  not the kind that goes to church every week, but the kind that feels a distinct connection to spirit - my inner spirit as well as to "god" (whatever you may call it).  i also believe that spirit talks to us and tries to guide us in small ways and, if we ignore the small ways, spirit will try again, bigger and in a way that we can't ignore.  though it's hard, i really try to be in tune so that i can be aware of the small, subtle messages; i'm not always successful, but this particular time, i have been looking for any kind of guidance i could get, to help me get through.  ...and after i asked for help, dragonfly appeared.  

i don't know if you believe in animal guides, but i do.   i believe that they are sent with the messages from spirit to help us.  i also believe that every person has their own particular animal totems but every animal or insect can show up depending on the message spirit wants you to get.  ...so dragonfly appeared to me.  as i was about to step outside my door, i saw a dragonfly was sitting on my step.  i didn't open my door because i didn't want to step on it and i also didn't want it to fly inside.  i watched it sitting there and waiting for it to move but it didn't.  i had to open my door and make a noise to startle it away but i couldn't ignore that i was being sent a message.  

the main symbolism of dragonfly is illusion.  they can symbolize that things are not always as they seem and that life itself is not always what it appears to be.  dragonflies are also associated with lots of movement as they flit about as well as the ability to hover while in flight- all due to constant movement.  i have been feeling like, while time is flying by, i have been stagnant in many different areas or at least that is how it has seemed.  i've also felt like i  have been handling a lot on my own with no one to help but i know that is also an illusion.  other  qualities associated with dragonfly are skill, relentlessness, refinement, and creativity.  in addition to reminding me that things aren't always as they seem, i feel that dragonfly was reminding me that i need to be relentless and find creative ways to force things to change.  just like i had to figure out how i was going to make the dragonfly get out of the way, i will have to find a way to force the obstacles to get out of the way in life.  i already feel like there has been movement in one area, specifically because i found another way to approach it.  i am thankful for dragonfly's message and for being open enough to receive it.

if you would like to learn more about animal guides, besides doing a google search, i suggest checking out the book, Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small by Ted Andrews.  

PFM Obsession: Becca's Beauty Fresh Five #2- Hair

image via Spirit Beauty Lounge

Hi beauties! Bringing you #2 on the Fresh Five countdown today...it's time to show some love for your gorgeous locks! I'm a firm believer that your hair is your cheapest accessory (thank you Beth Jones!) and you have plenty of opportunities to use it to your advantage. So we should take good care of it- right? 

Summertime means I'm either fighting frizz or creating beachy waves (usually both at the same time) and I wanted to find an all-natural hair product that can help. After making the conscious decision to green my beauty routine, I discovered the Yarok line of hair care products online at Spirit Beauty Lounge. Yarok means green in Hebrew, and their mission is to make the greatest positive impact on hair and scalp health with the least negative impact on the natural environment. Don't you just love that? The glowing reviews pushed me to try out Yarok Feed Your Roots Volume Enhancing Mousse on my naturally wavy hair. So glad I did! I'm a huge fan of letting my hair air-dry in the summer, and this product has been a lifesaver. I dispense about 2-3 pumps of this lightweight mousse and then use my fingers to squeeze, scrunch and define. My long hair becomes shiny, bouncy, and not at all crunchy. It gives me loose waves that are soft and full of body...no frizz! I've also used it to amp up the volume after my hair was already dry and styled. This is what I consider "hair care"-  a 100% natural plant-based product that actually nourishes my hair, makes it healthier, and *gasp* makes it look good? More please. xoxo Becca

image via

I leave you with this...feel free to share it someone special!

PFM Confessional: Most Memorable Fashion Moment

my "new" pair of docs

my most memorable fashion moment is when i got my first pair of Doc Martens.  i had a pair of the low steel-toes and i loved them.  getting my Docs was a defining moment for me.  they symbolized so much more than just a new pair of shoes; for me, they symbolized "cool" at one of the best times in my life. 

it was the early '90's and i was in high school in the lower east village.  being a queens girl, it was my first introduction to life in the city.  i was instantly drawn to the village-inspired fashion and the quickest way to be "down" was to get a pair of Docs.  it was the first time i practiced the tried and true method of adding one statement piece to change my whole fashion perspective. oh and it did!  just like that, i looked and felt like i belonged.  ...but i can't think about Docs without thinking about all the time that i spent in the the Village roaming around from 8th street down to W. 4th, walking all over and in between.  i spent hours in the store Unique that used to be on Broadway.  i had countless numbers of Haagen Daz cookies and cream ice cream shakes from 8th street (yes, back when i ate dairy lol).  my girls and i enjoyed people watching (especially watching boys :).  i was young, wild and free.  yes, those were the good ol' days.  looking back, i have to credit this fashion moment as my most memorable and most influential! xo sesheta

PFM Obsession: Becca's Beauty Fresh Five #3- Body

I've been reading many online articles on healthy beauty lately, in an effort to increase my awareness about the potential harm that can and will result from the use of common beauty products that contain lots of chemicals. If you have any doubts, read this and then let's discuss! It definitely had me thinking about the body's biggest organ- your skin. It's so important...and we should treat it that way! An all-natural exfoliating body scrub is the perfect way to refresh and renew your skin.

via MindBodyGreen

SkinnySkinny Organic Clementine and Clove Body Scrub has become my latest addiction. It has a light and slightly citrusy scent that's mixed with a subtle hint of cloves...a total indulgence that's got summer written all over it!  You will find me looking for any excuse to open the jar and just take a whiff. Made with organic ingredients, and vegan and cruelty-free, this stuff is seriously drool-worthy. Plus my skin has never been softer! Enjoy xoxo Becca

PFM Obsession: Copper Love

gotta love the peacock fanfare earrings by MF!

my fave bracelets by my fave designer, Tasha West

i would love to add this to my collection.  this is the ultimate wonder woman cuff!! 

tribal and copper - what more could you ask!

this would make the ultimate statement necklace! right in line with fashion trends!

with the popularity of rose gold metal this season, i have renewed my love of copper.  i really love to wear metallics but if i had to choose, i would choose to wear copper metal jewelry all the time.  the issue is that not a lot of current designers make jewelry in copper.  thank goodness for ebay and etsy!!  not only do i love the color, copper (like all metals) has healing properties for the body.  according to Love Is In The Earth by Melody (every gem/crystal/metal lover's bible), copper:

"can combat lethargy, passivity, restlessness, excitability and non-acceptance of oneself. It stimulates initiative, optimism, diplomacy and independence. It emits a philosophic energy, free of orthodoxy and bias. Copper provides a harmonic connection between the physical and astral bodies and aligns the subtle bodies. It has been used successfully to amplify and transmit thought. It is said to be a bestower of good, bringing benefit to its wearer. It opens an activates the base and sacral chakras, advancing and stabilizing the the energies of intuition, sexuality, desire and vitality. It allows one to recognize the barriers which are in the path of ones development. "  

...so maybe there is more to just loving copper - maybe i need to invoke the properties of copper and that's why i am drawn to it!  either way, i have entered a period where i feel the need to wear more copper.  and i'm having fun along the way! 

TGIF! Have a great weekend! xo sesheta