Free Horses for Mother's Day? Almost!

I made some new friends last weekend! Apparently, they just moved in down the road. (Well, down the road and then down another road...and then up part of the mountain. But hey, you get the gist!)

I was just sitting there drinking a nice medium hot hazelnut with cream (my Dunkin Donuts order for when it's a little chilly) when all of a sudden the three amigos came trotting past my house and decided to hang out in my backyard.

Backyard

As someone who grew up begging her parents for a horse, this was the best thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life (maybe an exaggeration?). Naturally it was fate that they found their way to me; I'm the horse whisperer of this mountain!

Side eye, Mom and Dad.

Still mad about it.

I put my boots on, and ran out to take pictures and also to help capture them, because let's face it: someone was missing THREE HORSES. They played in the yard for a while (read: drank from a puddle, rolled in dirt, and galloped from one side of the property.) It was so fun. 

I almost grabbed mane and hopped on! I mean, I had my boots on after all. But, they were naughty and they ran away again.

Don't worry! We captured them! (We got them on leads so they'd be safe.) 

If I find unclaimed horses, I will capture them and chill will them until some poor idiot realizes they are missing all of their horses.

*I'd never lose my horse if I had one.*

Daaaaad.

I cut up carrots for them and a bunch of neighbors called a bunch of other neighbors to try and figure out who on earth was missing all of their horses. 

We let them graze in the open field across from our house; it was such a beautiful day.

Then the stallion was a bad boy and tried to show off in front of his mare, broke the lead and ran off. We let him have his space because he wasn't going to leave his lady. 

While he took a rest, I hopped in my truck (okay...it's not a real truck it's actually an SUV) with my mom to try to solve this Mother's Day Mystery on the Mountain. Thankfully, the first truck we stopped was exactly who we were looking for.

"Hey, are you missing some horses?"

"YES!"

"Follow me. I've got them."

What I really wanted to say was:

"You snooze, you lose. They are mine now." 

Suckers.

But I didn't. I gave the lady and her husband back their horses. I think it would have been a very nice gesture for her to give me say, one of them, since I hung out with them for two hours. Right?!

Either way, it was a fun way to spend a couple hours. I might not have been as keen to spend part of an afternoon with alligators, but since it involved my favorite animal, it was a fun little adventure. 

The Great Gatsby Trailer From 1926 (That F. Scott Fitzgerald Watched!)

 The Great Gatsby, 1926 Trailer

Paramount Pictures

Zelda (F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife) wrote in a letter to their daughter, Scottie:

"We saw 'The Great Gatsby' in the movies. It's ROTTEN and awful and terrible and we left."

Are you planning on seeing Baz Luhrmann's version this Friday?

Quick Note: Address Change

Mademoiselle Magazine, 1930s

Hi friends! I should have mentioned this earlier, but I've dropped the "blogspot" off of my address. I'm now just www.mademoisellemichael.com . I'm going to be updating my bloglovin account, so it should automatically transfer you if you follow me there!

Also, if I'm in your blogroll (as mademoisellemichael.blogspot.com), feel free to update the address (to www.mademoisellemichael.com). Actually, I'd so appreciate it if you did!

Hope you're all having a great day. It's 70 degrees here and I feel like I'm living in a tropical paradise. Especially since I'm burning a coconut candle. ;) It reminds me of the Bahamas! Dare I say, spring is finally here?!

Clear Pores, Full Hearts, Can't Lose. The Benefits of Facial Toners, Plus Toners for Men and Women

Don't mind the bags under my eyes—stayed up until 3AM. Woof.

Back in the day when I thought overalls were okay to wear, my mom put me on a very serious skincare regimen. Since 11 or 12-years-old, and I've stuck with this skincare routine and I'm SO thankful to my dear Mumzy. (Thanks, Mom!)

Part of my skincare routine includes toner. I feel like it's the product we tend to skip most and make excuses for. We feel like we have to justify spending the extra $10, $20, $30 for a product which lasts for months—but yet—we will spend that on one meal easily. Poor toner, you're so underrated! Toner is not extraneous, it's actually part of BASIC skincare, and, you need it! There are so many options, and some cost less than a cup of Starbucks per month!

(From L to R) Simple Skincare 5.99 | Alba 8.99 | The Body Shop 14.00 | TimeBalm 14.50 | Kiehl's 16.00 | Elizabeth Arden 20.00 | Aveda Green Science 39.00 | Aveda Enbrightenment 42.00 | Aesop 57.00 | La Mer 65.00 | Amorepacific 180.00 (If your husband/partner asks, it's cheaper than botox.)

Facial cleanser opens pores. Toner removes impurities, and then closes the pores. Think about what's happening when we only use cleanser...we're just opening our pores time and letting junk in. Eek.

When you are making out with that hot lawyer, you will be like, "I'm so glad I listened to Mademoiselle, and started using toner. That bish was looking out for me." Your skin will be so kissable.

I look out for my gals. And my guys—you didn't think I forgot about you?! Here are some manly man toners:  h.i.m-istry Black Tea Toner 12.99 | Anthony Logistics Alcohol-Free Toner 18.00 | Kiehl's Men's Herbal Toner 19.50

Man up and slather up.

So, we know toner is important, but what does it actually do?

Here are the benefits of toner:

• Removes excess oil, dirt, makeup, and other impurities 
• Balances the pH of the skin. Our body naturally helps us to balance this out, but toner speeds up the process and does the job so our bodies don't have to work as hard.
• Helps to control the production of oil
• Helps to detoxify the skin
• Reduces inflammation
• Many have antioxidants to help protect against free radical damage
• Many have vitamins, proteins, plant extracts & various botanicals that nourish the skin
• Closes/tightens pores, restores suppleness (Supple = Sexzy)

What to look for in a toner:

• Avoid toners with too much added fragrance, especially if you have sensitive skin
• Avoid toners with diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, parabens, phtalates, petroleum, sulfates. (Typing that was exhausting.) 
• Seek organic ingredients when possible (many of the toners listed above are organic!)

Mademoiselle Tips: 

• Be SUPER careful with DIY-ing a toner. Just because something is a "natural" ingredient, doesn't mean it is beneficial for your face. Sometimes it's best to just let the professionals guide us!
• When applying toner, use a cotton ball/pad and bring the product upward (going against gravity). This will help prevent premature sagging. And, don't forget to tone your décolleté. Your 50-year-old self will one day thank you!

So, ladies (and gents) do you use toner? Are there any brands that you'd recommend?

Brag About Yourself And Share Your Dreams (Please? Right Now? On My Blog?)

Irving Penn for Vogue, 1964

I think we tend to sell ourselves short (women especially) when talking about our strengths, successes, or even our dreams. We think it's rude to say, "Oh, I'm actually really good at _____!" I firmly believe we should be encouraging one another to live out loud and share about our strengths, and, our dreams too.

Just don't say something like you're good at stealing husbands or something. I have a feeling that would likely get you blacklisted by Junior Leagues across America.

Since there are a few new followers around here who I'd love to get to know (!!!), I was hoping we could share one or a few things we're good at. I KNOW there's no way we talk about our strengths nearly as much as we talk about our weaknesses.

Here's what I'm good at:
Listening to Stevie Nicks on repeat
Pinning pictures of Princess Diana on this Pinterest board (Jackie O is there too!)
Staying optimistic, even in trying times
Finding the good people 
Golfing
Business Etiquette & Small Business Operations

So, the first two were silly, but, I think you get the hang of this. What are you good at? What brings you alive? Got any dreams you feel like sharing? I'd genuinely be interested in knowing them so that I could encourage you.

Let's start this Monday off on the right foot...