02.01.2012
Clicquot in the Snow Beauty Survival Kit

For the past two summers, my friends and I have attended the Veuve Clicquot polo match in LA (and loved it) so when I found out that Veuve partnered with Fresh skincare, I immediately thought “that’s pure genius.” This survival kit has all your winter skincare needs – the Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, the famous Soy Face Cleanser (!), Brown Sugar Hand Cream and a few other goodies that are best-sellers in the Fresh line. The only downside is that it doesn’t come with a mini bottle of champagne! Check it out starting today (February 1st) at Fresh.com.

01.18.2012
Black Beauty

Ever since I tested out Boscia’s black face mask, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of black beauty products. I mean, how fun is it to use something that’s not white or clear, right? I went on a quest for the next big things in black beauty and found two more amazing black beauty products, no pun intended.

Crabtree & Evelyn Black Sea Mud Seaweed Triple Milled Soap: This gentle, vegetable-based soap contains sea silt and conditioning red and brown algae, shea butter and some amazing primrose oils. I mean, it’s black soap, guys. Need I say more?

Elizabeth Grant Black Algae Anti-Aging Mask: Two things- black algae and black pearl extract. Seriously. If you didn’t already know, algae is rich in alginic acid, which heps to fight free radicals responsible for cellular aging. And the pearl? Well it helps to nourish the skin, supporting moisturization and protecting against environmental damage. Plus, it’s really fun to put on a black face mask.

01.17.2012
DARPHIN Cleansing Milky Emulsion with Verbena

With all of the stress that I’ve been dealing with lately, my skin has been an utter wreck. But you know when you have dry, sensitive skin like I do, you have to start with a good, clean base and yes, the cleanser you use is important. I recently tried DARPHIN Cleansing Milky Emulsion with Verbena and it’s a-mazing. The ultra-gentle cleanser is specifically designed for sensitive skin that’s prone to redness (hello, rosacea) and the fact that it’s creamy, not foamy, keeps skin soft and hydrated. This is a winner, for sure.

01.04.2012
Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m skeptical on primers. I know, I know, it goes against pretty much everything a makeup artist will tell you. Given that my skin has been in a tragic place for the last two weeks, I decided to try a new foundation primer and I’m actually pretty obsessed with it – Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer, to be exact. The primer leaves an immediate cooling sensation on the skin (which feels all kind of amazing on my rosacea at the moment). And, this particular formula contains Hydraplex12 extract derived from desert plants, which allows the primer to immediately hydrate while also sealing in the moisture with a protective barrier that fills in fine lines and pores. I’ve definitely seen a difference and my mineral powder foundation goes on a LOT smoother, even with breakouts. Approved.

01.03.2012
Ciel Spa at the SLS Hotel, Thanks to Rue La La

A few months ago, the reps for Rue La La reached out to me with an a-pause-mazing deal. Basically, they had a deal with Ciel Spa at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills for a 60 minute facial for only $90! Seriously. Now, I definitely don’t get facials as often as I should (shame, I know) but I loooove the SLS Hotel and so yeah, I jumped at the chance…well sort of. Putting it all out there, I totally forgot about the Rue deal and then found the email right before it was about to expire. Yeah, I’m honest. But let me tell you…finding this facial deal was FATE. The Ciel Spa did not dissapoint; it actually has one of the nicest waiting rooms/lounges that I’ve ever seen at a spa and my facial was to die for. I’ve been through a lot of stress lately (more on that later) and it’s been showing on my skin, for sure. My facialist evaluated my skin and told me the usual “your skin is so dry!” “your skin is so red!” Yeah, yeah, hunny…I know. I have dry, sensitive skin that’s acne-prone and I have Rosacea. WELCOME TO MY TWENTIES. After I listened to the lecture, she did her thing cleaning out my pores, exfoliating and moisturizing. One tip that I took with me – use more hyaluronic acid. I’ve always know H.A. was good stuff but never really made it a point to actually use a product focused on the ingredient. The facialist seemed to think that using more H.A. would help with my dryness and would still allow me to (every once in awhile) use Retinol, even though my skin is so sensitive.

I immediately dug through my beauty closet and found Arcona’s Magic White Ice, a daily hydrating gel serum that hydrates with hyalruronic acid and cranberry complex and neutralizes free radicals with vitamins B-5, C and E. I am LOVING this stuff so far. I put it on after I cleanse my face and then apply a heavy moisturizer (like my Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica). LOVE.

11.17.2011
Secret Beauty Ingredient: Caviar

Caviar used to totally gross me out. I really wanted to like it cause, you know, it’s all super fancy and stuff but up until around college, you couldn’t have paid me to try it. Enter my cousin, Nikki. Nicole “Nikki” (aka “the manipulator” – seriously, it was her screen name during the AIM days) has a way of spinning straw into gold (I always told her that she should work in PR!). Nikki and I were sushi-ing at an amazing Japanese restaurant in Long Island when she ordered a roll that I had never tried or heard of. “What’s that orange stuff?” I asked. “Oh, that’s just Tobiko, don’t worry…it doesn’t taste like anything,” Nikki quipped back.

Well, I guess you can’t really call my cousin a liar, right? Ugh, I’m still annoyed by this story…but I digress. Caviar, as weird as it may look, is really amazing for your skin – the protein-rich extracts nourish and energize skin and hair, resulting in refined texture and silky smoothness. Even though I’m still hesitant to eat it, I do try it once in awhile, in addition to using my favorite caviar-enhanced products. And, for the record, Nikki paid for the trick sushi.

Pevonia Timeless Eye Contour: I’m always skeptical of eye creams but I actually really love the way this contour cream feels. Specifically formulated to smooth wrinkles, ease puffiness and dark circles, you can totally feel the moisturizing agents (and caviar) as it soaks into your skin.

ALTERNA Caviar Anti-Aging Blonde Shampoo: I blogged about this shampoo a few weeks ago and I’m still totally in love with it. It’s pretty much the perfect shampoo for my hair since it neutralizes brassiness for blondes and also incorporates ALTERNA’s Age-Control complex, which includes caviar extract and vitamin C to help promote stronger, healthier hair.

Thierry Mugler Womanity perfume: For one, the bottle is totally rad (yes, I say rad now) and second, I love the note combo of sweet, milky fig and the savory, salty notes of caviar.

La Prairie Skin Caviar: Let’s just start with the fact that it actually LOOKS like caviar in a jar. Sure, it’s definitely pricey at $175 but so is the real deal caviar, right? The “caviar pearls” release a highly concentrated burst of caviar-derived sea energy the moment it hits your skin. The ingredients are formulated to help restore a youthful radiance and also help to smooth and firm facial contours.

08.08.2011
Kate Somerville Neck Tissue Repair Cream

You know how there’s one common family trait that you notice every single time you see your family? Mine would be turkey neck. My Dad now has it, his sisters have it, my grandmother had it…and I used to think it was inevitable for me. But you know what? I know for a fact that none of them tried to be preventative about it…which is where Kate Somerville Neck Tissue Repair Cream with Peptide K8 comes in.

The new anti-aging cream includes peptides that help soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while proprietary ingredients work together to increase elasticity and improve skin tone. I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in firmness which, for me, will be the biggest tell of turkey neck!

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