As Seen On Instagram {Quatre}

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week!  Growing up, I was never a huge fan of the holiday.  As I have gotten older, I've had the opportunity to take on bird duty and really work on the sides I love.  Needless to say, I am now on team Turkey Day!

This Fall has been so busy and gone by extremely fast.  But, the best kind of busy.  

Today's 'As Seen On Instagram' is long, but, life has been filled with plenty of wonderful things lately!

And, I am pretty darn thankful for all of it.

What are your Thanksgiving plans?  Anything exciting going on?  What are you grateful for this year?

  Trader Joe's Lemon Ravioli + Delicata Squash + Pomegranate Seeds

 Morton: My New Favorite!

 Bucatini Pomodoro 

 Fall Pizza: Brussel Sprouts + Bacon + Delicata + Gorgonzola+ Pomegranate Seeds

Oyster Season at The Parish

 Finally tried Butter Coffee at The Cultured Caveman

Fried Chicken at The Imperial!  Out of this world!  You may have spotted a version on Top Chef.

 A Palace Cake at sweet Jane's baby shower!

 Finally made it to OX.  Life changing clam chowder.  

 SupperClubPDX at Double Dragon

 Dinner at Ataula with Mary Ellen!

 Latte Hack: Coffee Marshmallows atop Coffee

 Salted Honey Pie at Sweedeedee.

 My dear friend, Rachel, hosted an amazing wine tasting party for her birthday!  So much fun!

 Hosting an amazing Urbaca + Okamura Givewaway!!

Winter Ginger Spritzer over at Tique Box

Beauty Products {Okumura Farmacopia + A Giveaway}

As I previously mentioned, I have had the great pleasure of stopping by Urbaca Salon and experiencing several really amazing treatments.  Through all of this, I was able to experience many Okamura Farmacopia products.  This includes my favorite moisturizer, Supreme Creme.  

Okamura Farmacopia is Sherry's beauty brain child.  The line is committed to using gentle products that not only make you feel good, but, are good for you. 

The Scents

The first 'difference' I noticed when using the product was the scent.  I am very, very particular about scents.  I like them, but, they can't be too strong or overwhelming.  Nothing extremely floral, or, musky.  Whatever musky actually is.  I am not a fan of vanilla or rose scented items.  

Let's be honest, I wear Old Spice deodorant!

While I have used a variety of the products with a variety of scents there are several consistent elements.

Not too strong. 

Masculine-but not like a night club.  

Herbal. Bright. Comforting.

The Feel

Admittedly, I was really surprised by how luxurious the products felt.  They aren't overly thick, and, not at all greasy.  The face washes don't make my skin feel stripped or dry.  As for the sprays, I have been using them for just about everything!  

As a perfume? Yes!

On my sheets? Of course!

On laundry fresh from the dryer?  You bet!

The sprays can be used for just about everything!  I am so excited to bring it along when traveling during the holidays!

The Results

I have been using the cremes, sprays and washes for more than a month and love all of them.  While I have been blessed with very nice skin I still have a handful of issues.  Specifically, extremely dry and dull skin.  With a nose of blackheads, of course.

My blackheads on my nose have reduced dramatically.  

My skin is so, so soft.  

And, I feel the need to wear less makeup.  

The Giveaway

After telling you all about the wonderful services and products at Urbaca Salon and from Okamura Farmacopia it would be extremely cruel not to share!

Urbaca + Okamura  Martha Chartreuse Giveaway

Urbaca Salon Hydrate or Deep Pore Facial

Supreme Creme

Spray Tonic

Beard Oil

To  get started, leave a comment sharing your definition of beauty.
The giveaway closes on November 25th at 12am.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway {Urbaca + Okamura}

In case you haven't heard, I am hosting a really fabulous giveaway over on Instagram through Friday morning!!

The giveaway includes: 

A gift certificate for a cut + color with Caitlyn, 1- Passion Beard Oil, 1-Meditate Spray, & , 1-SUPREME CREME!! 

How it Works:

For one point, leave a comment on my Instagram {@merecdavison} account sharing your favorite beauty secret.

For an extra point, tag two friends in your comments. 

The giveaway closes Friday, November 14th at 9am PST.  A winner will be randomly selected.

Beauty {Urbaca}

As I mentioned earlier this week, I had the great pleasure of experiencing a blow-out and and makeup application with Caitlyn at Urbaca.  While she had be dolled up and ready to hit the town, I also had the opportunity to experience one of the most tranquil and rejuvenating spa treatments I have ever had.  

Several weeks ago, I was able to  experience the hydrating facial.  Sherry, the Spa Director and asthetician, has such a lovely energy.  A key factor for any successful beauty treatment, in my opinion.  She radiates happiness, while calmness beams out of her. Again, I felt instantly felt comfortable in her hands.

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Sherry took her time assessing my skin through each step.  My face was steamed, extracted, exfoliated, toned and moisturized.  She used both SkinCeuticals and Okamura Farmacopia Products- all of which had the most pleasant and subtle scents.  And even better, none of them irritated my skin or caused post-facial breakouts later that week.

As an extra-special element, the treatment included a shoulder and arm massage.  These happen to be the areas of my body that carry a lot of my stress and kinks.  It was the perfect way to wind down and become even more relaxed.  

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Finally, the facial concluded with Chakra Balancing.  I've never had my Chakra's balanced, let alone, had it incorporated into a spa treatment.  While I have no idea how to explain what happened, I can tell you that I really enjoyed it!  After the treatment ended, Sherry walked me through the energy reading and what that meant in regards to my relationships with friends, family and the opposite sex.  It was all so incredibly insightful!  I truly felt as though I had meditated.  

That night, I had such a restful sleep.  I actually use the app Sleep Cycle to track my sleep and was almost at 90%.  Something I rarely, if ever, accomplish!

Whether your skin needs a little extra TLC, its time for some pampering, or, you are looking for the perfect gift for a friend who has everything, I highly recommend the skin services at Urbaca Salon!

Urbaca Salon

120 NW 9th Ave #101

Portland, OR 97209

503.241.5030

While these services were complimentary, I was not required to write about the experience.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Hair + Makeup {Urbaca}

Hello, lovelies!!  Some of you may know this, but, I am a huge fan of all things beauty oriented.  

Hair? Yup!  Makeup?  Of course!!  Beauty treatments???  Pedi-what!!  

So, when Sherry at Urbaca Salon invited me in for a blow-out and make-up application I jumped at the chance!!  

In fact, I was able to visit twice and experience Caitlyn's magical skills times two!  Talk about double the fun!

Caitlyn is such a beauty, inside and out.  We chatted about fashion, boys, recipes and travel.  The conversation was genuine,fun and left me feeling energized.  Echoing Kelsey, it was very different from the typical spa conversation.  I don't know how many times I have been in a salon and overheard stylists and patrons gossiping, critiquing other people and just not being very nice.  I could tell Caitlyn was sincerely interested in my stories and cared.  

{Expert Tip: use 1-ply of tissue paper as a barrier to dust setting powder on your lipstick.  It will stay put all night long!}

The treatment started off with such an amazing and relaxing wash and scalp massage.  Seriously, Caitlyn should teach scalp massage classes!!  She then introduced me to a few new products {one of which I immediately purchased} and gave me such a great blow-out!  For those of you that know me, I have A LOT of hair, and the first visit was before I cut off several inches.  She then curled my hair into flowing, Victoria's Secret Model waves.

{Look at that volume!!}

We then moved on to makeup.  Within minutes, I asked Caitlyn if she has a creative family.  It was no surprise that her entire clan is extremely artistic.  Watching her brushes dance across the buffet of beautiful enticing shadows and powders was a uniquely relaxing experience.  I felt completely safe in her hands.  For our first session, she went with a smoky look that played up my eyes and was very much on-trend.  The second look played up my cheek bones and gave me some serious bedroom eyes!

Caitlyn kindly walked me through everything she was doing.  She shared tips and tricks--many of which I have incorporated into my routine!  It was not only a relaxing experience, but, an educational one!  Hello, love languages!!

{Blogging made me selfie!}

For both looks, I received so many compliments about my hair and makeup.  After my first appointment, everyone raved about how luscious my locks looked and the sultry eye I was rocking.  When I say everyone, I mean strangers at an event were coming up to me asking where my lipstick came from!  For the second, more natural look, I was actually having a party.  Friends, new and old, kept commenting on how great I looked!  They wanted to know what I was doing differently.  The answer?!  Urbaca, of course!!

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Whether you need your hair + makeup done for your office holiday party, are in need of a little "me" time, or, are planning your Portland wedding and need a makeup artist for the big day, look no further than Caitlyn at Urbaca!

Urbaca Salon

120 NW 9th Ave #101

Portland, OR 97209

503.241.5030

While these services were complimentary, I was not required to write about the experience.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

  

Lemon + Rosemary Infused Fall Vegetable Soup

The beautiful thing about soup is that it is incredibly forgiving.  You can veer off course, change the path, and, improvise.  It can be a simple and light dish with a few ingredients, or, a colorful medley of produce and textures.  Flavors can be layered for hours to make a Sunday Supper or pulled together in 15-minutes for a bright lunch.  Soups can feed your family, be brought to a sick friend, or, stock your single-lady fridge.

While every pot of soup comes together a little differently, there are a few tips and tricks I would love to share with you!  All of which I used in this filling and nurturing pot of lemon +rosemary infused Fall vegetable soup!

Chop THEN Cook

When making soup, I have found that chopping everything at the beginning makes the entire experience better.  It allows for easier cleanup, proper timing and the ability to enjoy a glass of wine.  To keep it organized, I set out several plates before I start chopping and clump the items together by step.

Infuse The Base

In order to keep things healthy, I try to be mindful of the amount of salt I use.  Because of this, I have taken up infusing flavors into the base of the soup.  For this soup, I infused the butter and olive oil with rosemary.  Then, I added lemons to freshen up this Fall soup.

Salt & Pepper Twice

 While this may seem like a contradiction to my previous statement about sodium, but, I have actually found that this helps bring out flavors and results in less salt overall.  I salt right after the base {onion, carrots, celery etc.} has been sauteed and at the very end.

Monday's with Mere {October Tique Box}

Hello All!  Today I am over at Tique Box reviewing the AMAZING October Box!  It is filled with all kinds of treats- salty and sweet!

I would love to hear what items caught your eye!