The Beauty Spotlight Team Wants to Know Lola's Secret Guilty Pleasures

When The Beauty Spotlight Team decided that our next theme-based series would investigate each of our guilty pleasures, I really tried to think about the things that bring me so much joy that their enjoyment might even qualify as a guilty pleasure. The more that I thought about it, the more that I realized that I generally enjoy these things with abandon rather than guilt, but that their enjoyment had to be significant enough to warrant mentioning.  Since this series doesn't have to be about makeup or skincare, I thought that I would share a few other things that l love, or love to do. 

LOLA'S SECRET GUILTY PLEASURES 

Picture of Zuma Beach in Malibu taken from my car

FANTASIZING ABOUT LIVING AT THE BEACH

Looking at MLS listings to see if there is a house that we could afford in Malibu or Pacific Palisades is one of my greatest guilty pleasures. Not only would it shorten my commute to work, but it would get me closer to the beach, and nothing makes me happier than seeing and hearing the waves crash against the shore. I only live a few miles away as it is, but I wouldn't mind being a whole lot closer. Plus, anyone who lives in LA will tell you that it can take a great deal of time to drive across town during peak travel hours– which can occur at just about any time of the day. 

I have gone so far down this particular rabbit hole that I have actually pulled out my mortgage statement to check the principle balance to figure out how much equity we have in our house, and to determine what kind of down payment we could make, and what type of mortgage we would be looking at. Like I said, pretty far down this particular rabbit hole. My husband, who is a lifelong surfer, has indulged my fantasy since it appeals to his emotional desire to live close enough to the beach to surf every morning before going to work. Whether it will ever come to pass isn't yet clear, and in large part because we actually love our house and our neighborhood. 

The one specific house that I am in awe of is Cher's Mediterranean mansion overlooking the ocean. It takes my breath away every single time that I see it. Of course, even in an alternative universe this particular property would remain completely out of reach, but it is breathtaking nonetheless. Google it and you will see precisely what I mean. I have to say that I have driven by a few times on the rare occasions that the gates were open, and got a small glimpse of what's behind the fortified gates, and it's astoundingly beautiful.

Entry gate to Cher's house taken from my car window.

In addition to Mediterranean architecture, I am also obsessed with sleek modern architecture with floor to ceiling windows, gorgeous views, clean lines and minimalist design. I absolutely love the aesthetic of bright airy spaces filled with large paintings, clean surfaces and mid-century furniture. That said, I do like some warmth so that it doesn't feel like you are living in a stripped down gallery space, but truthfully I spend a great deal of time in museums and galleries, and I often comment that I could live in such environments.

A view of The Getty Center from the gardens

GOING TO MUSEUMS

I love going to museums, but my guilty pleasure is slipping off into the gardens to enjoy the outdoors. One of my very favorite places to do this is at The Getty Center. I actually had Getty Research Institute privileges when I was conducting my dissertation research, and let me just say that it was one of the most extraordinary experiences in my life! When my head would be spinning with information after digging through archival material and reading voluminous amounts of scholarship, I would seek refuge by sneaking off to their gardens to get centered again. It always felt like a naughty type of retreat since my work was waiting for me inside the Research Institute and the museum, but can you imagine a better reward than these views after sitting with your head in books for hours and hours on end?!

The Getty Center Gardens

Looking through one of the trellises in The Getty Center Gardens.

The Getty Gardens

Library UC Berkeley

BEING SURROUNDED BY BOOKS 

Being the daughter of a professor, and a poet means that I grew up in a house that quite literally had wall to wall bookcases, and they were filled to the brim. Add to this that I grew up in Berkeley, and that as a child my life was inextricably tied to that University– one can see that these experiences gave me ample opportunities to get into the "family business." As I have mentioned elsewhere in these virtual pages, when adults asked my age, I would calculate it based upon the number of semesters that I had been alive instead of actual calendar years. My life still functions on the academic calendar, but I no longer calculate my age according to the academic year– especially since I teach on the quarter system!

After my dad died, I merged our two libraries, and I remain surrounded by many of the books that made up the visual landscape of my childhood. While my field and my father's differ, nothing makes me happier than being able to reference one of his books for my own research, or for a lecture that I'm writing. I also sit at the very same desk where he wrote his Ph.D. dissertation and class lectures, and where I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation and continue to write my class lectures. For me, being surrounded by books is like receiving a big warm hug. I remember spending hours and hours in the stacks at UCB with my dad as a kid, and these warm memories undoubtedly informed my love of hours spent in university libraries. I actually love walking through the stacks between my classes even if I'm not looking for particular books. 

 LOVING MY JOB

They say do what you love for a living and you will never work a day in your life, and that describes the way that I feel about my career choice. I love teaching. There is something so immensely satisfying about witnessing that light bulb illuminate when my students really understand what they are learning.

It feels a bit like a guilty pleasure because it is so gratifying that sometimes I can't believe that they actually pay me to do it.

TV WATCHING GUILTY PLEASURES

I definitely have a few TV watching guilty pleasures. Two shows that inspired guiltyish binge-watching are Orphan Black and Game of Thrones. Seriously, must watch TV, people!

I also love watching iZombie (hilarious and campy CSI whatever or Bones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Major Crimes, Ray Donovan and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. I don't watch a lot of reality TV, but the real estate driven shows like Million Dollar Listing (NYC, LA and SF) and Flipping Out always capture my attention. The manufactured drama is pretty damn funny, though clearly contrived, and amidst the snark and disparaging remarks one sees some amazing architecture.

Source: BBC America

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Top Row: Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton Epi Leather French Purse. Middle Row: Smythson Zip Around Wallet and Saint Laurent Zip Around Wallet. Bottom Row: Valextra Zip Around Wallet and Marc Jacobs Wallet.

COLLECTING WALLETS IS A DEFINITE GUILTY PLEASURE

Seriously, I need an intervention because collecting small leather goods is an obsession and a guilty pleasure from which I see no return. These are my current favorites, but there are (gulp) more of them. There is something about fine Italian leather that just makes me swoon. This is no new fetish, but instead one in which I have been indulging for many years! The good thing is that I have something of a sixth sense about finding really great deals, and have almost never had to spend full retail on any of them.

 LUXURY OILS

While my penchant for luxury oils is well-documented– neither the extent of my madness for these gorgeous golden elixirs, nor the size of my collection has ever been fully revealed. The size of my collection eclipsed reason quite some time ago, but I think you will agree once you enter the fold of high quality beauty oils that there is no turning back.

I use oils from head to toe, and if I had to use only one skincare product in perpetuity it would be oils. They are such a fantastic way to nourish the skin and offer deeply penetrating moisture. I have so many oil loves, and discover new ones all of the time.

After photographing all of these, I discovered that there were a few more in the pile of products awaiting review.

What I did not include were the many hair oils that I have that are a blend of natural oils and silicones.

MY LOLA'S SECRET LIPSTICK OBSESSION

I used to be more of a lip gloss girl than a lipstick girl, but through time my proclivities gradually changed, and I now love them both with equal vigor. For all of the lipsticks that I have, there are very few that I love so completely that they actually warrant repurchase. There are some, however, that are so special that I cannot imagine not having a tube stowed in my makeup bag, and that is precisely how I feel about Lola's Secret Lipstick.

In fact, Susan Thompson Cosmetics Lola's Secret Lipstick (reviewed here) is my all-time favorite lipstick. That it is the perfect pink lipstick was evident to me from the first moment that I saw it. 

That it was actually created in honor of my blog makes it all the more meaningful. This is a tremendous privilege, for which I am profoundly grateful, and the idea that Suzi would have made this color for me brings tears to my eyes. 

It's not every day that a celebrity makeup artist, with her own makeup line, makes a lipstick for you and then uses it on her clients! It is part of her permanent collection– so you can have Lola's Secret Lipstick in your life too! Next time that you are at the movies, or watching TV, and you see a gorgeous pink lipstick that looks like Lola's Secret– there is a very good chance that it actually is!

ZEUS IS THE EMBODIMENT OF A GUILTY PLEASURE

I have had cats my entire life, but never have known a stranger cat than Zeus. He demands a different kind of attention than other cats because he's so eccentric– even when compared to really weird cats! 

I have watched Zeus go from napping to running across the room and jumping to the top of an open door without any warning. He has a wild and crazed athleticism, and he will run down the hall and bank off of the wall, and then change directions midair at warp speed.

What is so curious is his human-like level of self-awareness– he is actually cocky about his abilities, agility, grace and elegance. He knowingly looks at you after having completed some major feat of physical aptitude, and he expects adulation for his considerable efforts and talents. He is so animated, entertaining and engaging that it's impossible not to delight in his company!

FOODS  

While I prefer to eat healthier foods, I do have a few guilty pleasures in which I periodically indulge. I absolutely love a good breakfast burrito with a latte, and while I seldom eat them I definitely savor every single bite on the rare occasions that I do. Lattes, on the other hand, are frequent indulgences. 

If you love Peruvian food, then you really must try the Saltado de Camarones at Mario's in LA (on the corner of Melrose and Rossmore). Mario's is an LA institution that is so popular that lines begin to form when their doors open. The Saltado de Camarones is a scrumptious dish featuring sautéed shrimp with onions, tomatoes, french fries and lightly seasoned rice– and it is so good that it is one of my top picks when I am in the mood for something really indulgent! Their portions are so generous that a single serving is two full meals for me, and the leftovers are mouthwateringly good!

I really don't drink much other than water, tea, and of course coffee, but  I do have a nearly irrational love of 100% natural coconut water. It is so refreshing and hydrating, that I can go though a case in no time. One of my favorites is UFC Refresh Coconut Water because it is so delicious and affordable, and I can order it online when I forget to grab coconut water at the grocery store.

Are you surprised by any of my choices? What are your guilty pleasures?

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