In Honor of My 24th ... 24 of My Favorite Things

Aside from family and friends, there are certain things I can't live without. What better time to share them than today, right?

24.

My Douglas umbrella: It's not just an umbrella. Its an accessory. And it lasts forever.

23.

Sweaters: You (and by 'you', I mean 'I') can never have enough sweaters, especially black ones. They go with absolutely everything - wrap sweaters with pencil skirts, boyfriend sweaters with skinny jeans, studded sweaters with party dresses, cardigans in place of blazers, etc, etc. Here's one that I love. I may have to add it to my collection ...

22.

Pashmina scarves: Everyone knows I can't live without my scarves. Regardless of the weather, I always keep one nearby. Not just because I'm always cold, but because it adds a little something extra to any outfit.

21.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub: After years of trying fancy products, I finally found one that works perfectly. It has the biggest exfoliating beads of any product I've ever tried (but it doesn't hurt, don't worry), so I can actually feel it working its magic. It keeps my skin smooth, gets rid of any blemishes within a day, and keeps the oil away for most of the day. Plus, it smells great and it costs nearly nothing.

20.

Pearls: Every girl needs her pearls. They're a must-have, if you ask me.

19.

Zara International Store: If anyone is curious to know where most of my paycheck is, it's here. Whenever I need an item or an outfit for any occasion, I come to Zara. They have everything that a girl could ever want and the looks come straight off of the runway.

18.

Anything purple: It's my new favorite color. It's also the new color for fall. So, expect to see me wearing something purple every day for the rest of the year. If not clothing or jewelry, it'll be one of these two nail colors that I love: OPI's Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not and We'll Always Have Paris (from the France collection).


17.

Wedges: I've been wearing them all summer, and I'll be wearing them all fall. Why am I so in love with wedges, you ask? Because they have the sexiness of heels, without the pain. Sounds good to me.


16.

Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom: I love it because it's smells much better than your typical scented lotion. So, it could easily replace your everyday fragrance, and no one will ever be able to tell that its not an expensive designer perfume. Right now, I'm all about the anti-bacterial mosturizer. Maybe I'll try the body scrub next.


Music: I know, it's not beauty-related. (But it's my birthday, so I can do what I want.) These are the albums that I will ALWAYS have on repeat:

15. Raphael Saadiq - Instant Vintage
14. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
13. Adele - 19
12. Bilal - 1st Born Second
11. Lauryn Hill - MTV Unplugged
10. Nas - The Lost Tapes
9. Emily King - East Side Story

8.

Funky rings: I'm not really a jewelry person. I really just need a few things - one of which is a cute ring, preferably a really big one. Just saw these on Forever21.com:













7.

Gold bangles: As annoying and distracting as the sound of 10 metal bangles moving up and down your arm is, I am never deterred. So, more likely than not, you'll see me with a stack of gold bangles, no matter where I am.

6.

Its A Ten: If I could pick one miracle hair product, this would be it. Its a Ten is a leave-in conditioner that will straighten ANY hair type, better than ANY other product, no matter how "straight-resistant" your hair might be. Trust me on this. Ever since I discovered it a few years ago, I've been taking it with me to any stylist I go to, just to make sure they use it on me.









5.

Big (really big) bags: I carry my life with me everywhere I go. So, I'm always on the hunt for the perfect, perfectly-oversized bag. You may have seen me around town with the Puma Runway Shoulder Bag, pictured here.










4.


My Solia flat iron: It takes a miracle to get my hair straight. But this flat iron does the trick, and you don't need to run it over your hair 5 times. Once will do. And I've had the same one for years, so it lasts forever.


3.

Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Toilette: It's my 'signature scent', so I always keep a bottle close by.





2.

My Cavalli cuff: This Roberto Cavalli Logo Bangle is the only bracelet that I've ever wanted to wear everyday, with every outfit. Its simple yet sophisticated, a great color, and it sparkles. Love it!


Drum roll please .....


My #1 Favorite Thing (right now) is



Chanel Velvet Body Cream: Every since I 'permanently borrowed' this from my sister a few months ago (thanks sis!), I've never not been wearing it. The texture is perfect and the smell lasts for hours. This is not your average lotion. Its heaven in a jar. And I just got a brand new jar for my birthday. Yay me!