Viva Costa Rica!

Hello, grasshoppers! I'm baaaack! Costa Rica was beautiful, the locals were ultra-friendly, and the ocean was nice and warm. I had a great vacation!

Now, here are the fashion and beauty-related things that I did during my trip:

♥ Got a tan. Yes, darlings, my pasty white winter skin is gone! I am elated! Tanning is a funny thing though, when you think about it. It used to be a sign of the lower class, who were tanned from working in the fields all day. The upper class prized pale white complexions, taking care to shade their faces from the sun with bonnets, parasols, whatever. Then came Coco Chanel, who bravely made a healthy glow desirable for all. And now I'm sitting here feeling thrilled because my winter paleness, which would probably have been considered very attractive in the past, has been traded in for a bit of bronze. Go figure.

♥ Got a facial. I made a trip to the resort spa for my first-ever professional facial. It made my little at-home facial kits seem pitiful, to say the least. I lay in a room filled with soothing music as a woman spent half an hour massaging sweet-smelling ointments onto my face and gently washing them off. It was heaven. And when it was over, my skin was unbelievable soft and glowy. Mmm.

♥ Went shopping in Liberia, Costa Rica. I had the opportunity to see Costa Rican fashion firsthand as I made my way through little clothing boutiques. It was not at all what I expected; bejewelled tops, embellished or metallic jeans, and some beautiful leather purses filled the shelves. Most of the girls on the streets were dressed a lot more casually, in bermuda shorts and plain tank tops, but then again, it was really too hot to wear anything else.

♥ Observed airport fashion. Most people in airports are dressed simply and for comfort, but you'd be surprised how many interesting outfits also show up! My favorite find was this older woman who managed to make velour pants and black toe nail polish look classy. She was wearing black velour capris and black wedge sandals through which you could see her black-painted toe nails. A billowy white Mexican peasant shirt was tucked into her capris, and she had an elegant knot of grey hair screwed on top of her head. Tres chic! I wish I had a picture. I'm thinking of doing a post on airplane fashion, actually, but we'll see...

And...that's it! I spent most of my days sunbathing, drinking pina coladas, and popping in for the occasional swim. Not so fashion-y, but just what the doctor ordered.