it's all about how we feel inside + you are lovely, really.

We are back into the land of the internet, and waiting about five hours for our flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas (which will eventually lead to us going home to a freezing cold house, but I'm trying not to think about that part too much). I'll be posting some of our trip highlights over the next few days. Now just a quick update to mention some random things I'm excited about. 

Excited to be back! I've been reading your beautiful comments and notes and emails. And need to say thank you so much! 

{thank you by dommie}

And happy to have gotten away! Our beach vacation wasn't warm, and we needed to wrap up in our puffy jackets a handful of time, but it was lovely to be away, exploring new parts, floating in a different (+ prettier) accent, perusing outstanding bookstores (hardly possible in Chile) and enjoying a little break and each other. 

{le bateau volant etoile by anna ziliz}

My next obsession: maternity clothes! We stumbled into a winter wonderland (or winter's end) sale for maternity wear. I bought the belly band a while back (essentially a band that is supposed to hide unbuttoned pants, and works OK but certainly not "seamlessly"). I didn't wear it much, because I could still button my jeans under the growing belly, but that admittedly was growing increasingly uncomfortable. And wearing my larger shirts and sweaters over kinda sloppy looking pants just wasn't very hot. While elastic jeans that rise halfway up the ole ribcage may not sound hot, oh, believe you me, it is... kinda. 

 

{photo : unkown : please let me know if it's yours}

Trying on the clothes was fun. The woman kept bringing me shirts I never would have tried by looking at them on the hanger. Then she kept making me add a fake full-term belly to each new item to see what it would look like further on down the line. Meanwhile, Serkan would say yay or nay, make sure I choose the right size (I tend to choose things that are too big for me) or tell the woman that such and such outfit wasn't my style while I was trying on something else (+ the dearheart was right every time!) My new wardrobe flatters the new belly in a way that my normal clothes couldn't. Plus did I mention the super end of winter sale (and Patagonian summers are often like other people's winters) = 2 for 1 on almost everything?  

Meanwhile, I've been trying to bring back the youth. The hunt: facial skincare. I started taking care of my skin a little too late as it is. Being in Patagonia just aggravated my poor skin matters. Inhospitable in so many ways, our non-existent ozone, extreme winds, hard water and lack of accessibility to skin care products has only added to the weathered look. Getting such things in Chile also costs a pretty peso, since it's all imported. After being horrified at how much everything cost at a Kiehl's store at Santiago's most fancy mall, I found a display of Lumene products in one of the pharmacies. I'd never heard of the brand before, but they had me at "arctic cloudberry." Plus as soon as I saw the jars, I knew the products were Finnish (I'm Finnish and Irish, so I was lured in by that too). I know these aren't good reasons to purchase day cream, night cream and eye gel... but who here doesn't (for instance) choose their wines by the pretty labels they keep?

{arctic cloudberry also prefers inhospitable climes}

Verdict? I don't know if my skin looks any younger after using Lumene Vitamin C + Arctic Cloudberry for a week, but I can say that it is the best feeling cream I've ever tried. Doesn't feel greasy at all, and my skin feels well hydrated all day after applying it. End advertisement.

So, what skin care secrets do you keep in your medicine cabinet?