riot grrrl

Just another Friday morning, hailing a cab on the way to French class...

an ounce of prevention

Make no mistake, at 8,700 feet in the dead of summer, a girl's best friend is neither diamonds nor her mother. It is sunscreen. The same goes for the beach. Since we have done both in the past month, I thought it was a good time to talk sun prevention.

I have long been on the hunt for the perfect daily sunscreen. I have never liked what the sun does to my skin--brown spots, pink that immediately turns pasty white again--and as I am now getting, ahem, older, I would prefer to stave off wrinkles and sun damage insofar as it is in my power to do so. This caution has become downright panic since our sojourn in Southern California, when my Jane Iredale Mineral Powder SPF 20 (which I love) was not enough to stop a beautiful bronze stripe from emerging on my forehead and chin after a few months of incidental sun exposure. Melasma, my derm told me, left over from pregnancy but unseen because it had never been brought out by the sun.

So, in packing for this summer, the last errand on my to do list before our flight was a stop at Barney's for the new Sunday Riley sunscreen. This errand, as is always the case for the last errand, was not accomplished. Luckily, the magic bullet was already in my suitcase, unopened  (along with three other options, just in case).  Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($30, skinceuticals.com) is a titanium dioxide-based sunscreen that protects well, yes, but also imparts a dewy glow the moment I put it on. It diffuses redness and, unlike almost every other sunscreen I have tried, it seems to clear up my blemishes, rather than causing more of them. It is a pleasure to use. It has a runny yet creamy consistency that allows it to spread easily over the skin, and while the bottle may seem a bit small, I have been using it for two months on face, neck, and decollete, and I have yet to finish it off. I still keep my Jane Iredale compact handy for touch ups if I am going to be in the sun several hours after I have applied my morning sunscreen, but I find that it is rarely necessary now.

A quick note for those with olive skin or skin of color:  Though the Skinceuticals lotion is tinted, you may find it a bit chalky for your skin tone, so test it in the shop before buying. As an alternative, the next best thing I have found is La Mer The SPF 30 UV Protecting Lotion ($70, available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and lamer.com).  It uses chemical blockers rather than physical ones, so there is no white cast, and it is cosmetically elegant and works well under makeup.

Mind you, we still came home decidedly sun-kissed, mostly on our shoulders and backs (I'm looking at you, Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids SPF 70 Spray, and I did reapply!), so the hunt is on for the perfect spray-on sunscreen.  If you have one you love, please email me by clicking the button at the bottom of this blog. In the meantime, enjoy all that August sunshine!

road trip: san diego

The great thing about vacationing in a place where one has lived before is that if you have four days you know exactly how you want to spend them. When it comes to San Diego, everybody knows about the Zoo, Sea World and the beach, but when we go back, we like our insider spots. Thought I would share a few of our favorites:

Where We Play

Pepper Grove Playground, Balboa Park
Balboa Park Carousel & Miniature Train
The New Children's Museum
Law Street Beach, Pacific Beach
La Jolla Recreation Center
Del Mar Racetrack (previous post here)


Where We Eat


The Farmers Markets - There is one nearly every day of the week, our favorites are Little Italy and Del Mar (Saturday mornings), and Ocean Beach (Wednesday evenings)
Food Farm - Local and organic food truck, lunch and Friday nights (foodfarmsd.com)
Cafe Chloe - Cozy French, great for brunch or lunch
Ghirardelli Square - Touristy, but who can resist their classic sundae?
Bencotto - Divine modern Italian food (previous post here)
Cucina Urbana - Gourmet pizza and artisinal contemporary Italian
Michele Coulon, La Jolla - Go for lunch, stay for cake
Monsoon - Authentic Indian, get the dizzy noo shak, a weird and wonderful banana curry
Burger Lounge - The best fast food turkey burgers, veggie burgers and shakes in San Diego


Where We Shop


Pannikin Tea & Coffee - I stock up on their herbal chai and vanilla rooibus teas, but it's also a fun place for browsing. You have got to check out the twin British ladies who run the place. Just don't cross them.
Marston House Gift Shop - You can get a guided tour of the house if you are into Craftsman-era architecture, but really the shop is the best part. I love nearly every single thing they put on the shelves and that the proceeds go to historic preservation. This time around I scooped up several beautifully illustrated children's and botanical books, pouches for makeup and art supplies, and an irresistible birdseed pail (which I will have to find some use for). Violet's choice was a paper-and-wood parasol, which she has been carrying with her ever since. (previous post here)
Vocabulary - Hip, unique clothing and accessories, many from local San Diego designers. Also does great home accents and baby gifts. (previous post here)


Where We Stay


Hilton Bay Front
Hotel del Coronado (okay, not yet, but someday!)


Where We Watch the Sunset


The stretch of beach between Del Mar & La Jolla
The beach at Hotel del Coronado
Torrey Pines Reserve
The Cliff Walk in La Jolla