My Always List: Tea Tree Oil

I have normal to oily skin.  Yes, it's true.  The cheeks?  Dry as a bone.  The T-zone?  Let's just say it could fund a ce-ment pond if needed.

Despite my best efforts, I do get the occasional blemish.  And my favorite treatment is The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil.

It's a teensy bottle, but it lasts a long time.  Back when I started using this (probably high school), it was $6 a bottle.  Inflation, being the biz-nitch that it is (sorry, Mrs. J), the price has gone up to $9.  Still worth it.

I know it sounds counterintuitive to use oil on...well...oil, but it works.  Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, and it usually clears up what ails my dermis.  Plus, I really like the earthy smell. 

My Always List: (Cheap) Timex Watch

Here's where my philosophies sort of clash.  I do believe that you get what you pay for, but I also feel that spending tons of money on a 'nice' watch would be a waste (for me).  I would be a bit paranoid to take it out of the case.

Now, you probably know that I'm about as outdoorsy as George Stephanopoulos, but there's just something about this type of watch.

Maybe it's the MacGyver quality.  It's probably the only thing I own with Velcro, too. 

I like how it will last for years.  And if it does get scratched up (hey...cubicles are dangerous), I don't feel that bad.  Timex seems to fit the bill because it does last, and it doesn't cost a fortune.  I also feel naked without it.

My Always List: Loafers

I feel like most of my 'always' posts should begin with You can't really go wrong with...  Hehe.  This time is the same deal. 

A loafer.  More specifically, a driving moc, or moccasin.  What could be easier?  You slip it on with khakis or jeans, and you're set.  Some people try to get fancy with lacing or tassels or penny slots (what is this? Vegas?).  I say keep it simple. 

I like to show off my colorful socks in the cooler months and when the dress code at work is a little more buttoned-up.  Some of you may remember that, though.

For summer, I sometimes go "sockless" if the mood strikes.

My Always List: Dark Jeans

In case you couldn't tell by now, I'm rather simple in my style.  So goes the fragrance.  So goes the style.

I don't pay much attention to trends usually, unless I need a good laugh.  (See also at various times: "jeggings", ponchos, and hyper-colored throwback tennis shoes.) 

I won't willingly wear pleated pants again in my life (eighth grade was hard enough) unless they are: a) court-ordered b) part of a tacky costume or c) placed on me by a kindly nurse in the home, much further down the road.  Oh, and I'll be senile.

Another style I probably won't revisit is the light and/or faded jean.  These days, it's all dark for me.  I'm not a denim snob.  Selvedge.  Japanese.  Organic.  I don't really care.  They just need to be dark.

Right now I'm into this style from Gap.  They're Authentic fit in resin rinse.  I wouldn't turn up my cuff, though.  That's too showy.

My Always List: Burt's Bees

Ahh...lips.  I'm hooked on lip balm, and there's no telling how many I've tried over the years.  Some were cheap; others were not.  Some were too shiny; others didn't last long enough.  One even made my lips more chapped.  WTH? 

But Burt's Bees is my everyday go-to.  It's reasonably priced, goes on matte (what a concept!), and has that peppermint tingle going on.  Plus, I'm digging the brand's eco-factor.  I realize that this stuff is extremely popular, so I'm definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel.  This is just another of my staples for living.

Are you hooked on lip balm?  If so, what's your favorite?

My Always List: Fresh Linen

Ok.  You know how much I love a good scent.  And don't shoot, but one of the best ones I know of is Fresh Linen over and Bath & Body Works.  Admittedly, walking into that store is sometimes overwhelming, but this is a little diamond in the rough.  It's been one of my favorites for about ten years, I guess.

The candle is great, and I usually burn one on Sunday nights, for some reason.  I think I'm trying to banish those end-of-weekend blues.  Plus, I tend to change my sheets on Sunday afternoon, so it all conspires to make for a, well, fresh start to the week. 

Alright.  I also bought the spray and the portable scent ring thingy, too, for my car.  It's just really clean without being too flowery or powdery.  Definitely worth a sniff or two.  (And I just realized that my little candle made an appearance on this blog a while back.)

My Always List: Flip Flops

Usually they're J.Crew.  And there's a good chance I got them on sale.  There's an even better chance I can't remember when I bought them because they last for several summers in a row. 

These are one of the bright spots of my summer because they are easy-on and -off, and they provide mondo ventilation.  Plus, they strike just the right note of 'relaxed'.

My Always List: T-shirts

Other than my standard white Hanes crewnecks, which I wear almost every single day, I heavily rely on solid (usually black) T-shirts.  In the winter, it's long-sleeve and usually from the Gap.  They last forever, and when those things go on sale, I just can't help myself.  (Still, I can't bring myself to purge many of those.)

This one's from J.Crew, which also churns out some great Ts, as you may have guessed.  Their garment-dyed ones (green, please) are ace, as my pal Will from Bright.Bazaar might say. 

The summer will usually find me in black, green, or something striped.  I tend to stick with the G. BI part of ROY G. BIV.  No Tuscany for me, please.

My Always List: Classic

I can't really say enough about this next item on my list.  Banana Republic's Classic is something I've worn for many years now, and it's probably my favorite go-to, everyday fragrance.  I say 'fragrance' instead of 'cologne' because this is unisex and not very heavy at all. 

It's sort of a clean citrus smell, and if I were to have designed a bottle, this would probably have been it.  Plus, I like that it lasts all day and is not expensive.  It's simple and, well, classic.  Of course.

My Always List: Shampure

After my face is clean and scrubbed, it's time to wash the hair.  And one of my favorite shampoos is Aveda's Shampure, which was introduced to me by my pal Ashley many moons ago.

If you've never smelled the scent, then it's really hard to imagine.  It's earthy.  Like dirt-earthy.  But in the best way.  I've even gotten the gals at Aveda to mix up the fragrance into a spray bottle so I can wear it as a cologne when I feel so inclined. 

My Always List: Scrub

After obtaining clean skin, sometimes it's necessary to scrub.  I've tried several over the years, but last year I ran across this Kiehl's scrub, and it's my favorite. 

I talked a bit about Kiehl's last year in a post about one of their ads, but I've only grown fonder of the brand since then. This scrub is a bit pricey, but my first tube literally lasted a year. A dab'll do ya, so I like to divide the price by 12 months and then by how many times a month (4-6) I use it.  Then it's not so bad at all. 

It has pineapple and papaya and smells good enough to eat, if you like fruit.

My Always List: Purity

Ok.  Title of the post.  You may be thinking "He's a Jo Bro?!" 

But no.  I had this idea after looking around J.Crew.  Their creative director (Jenna Lyons, for those keeping score) comes up with an "always list" for each season.  I like that idea, so I'm blatantly copying it.

I thought I would start with the basics.  And there's nothing more basic than clean skin.  My choice to accomplish this goal is a face wash called Purity Made Simple by the brand Philosophy. 

I would classify my skin as sensitive and normal to oily.  This is just what the doctor ordered--if I went to a dermatologist, that is.  It "melts" away the oil without drying my face out.  Yikes.  Plus, it smells really good. 

Secret: I buy mine from QVC, just like an old lady, because it's way cheaper to get the jumbo size there.  And it lasts (literally) a year or longer.