Gift Guide: The Definitive Best Beauty Gifts to Give

December 14, 2025
Because these gifts are sure to impress just about anyone... (more…)
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Gift Guide: The Definitive Best Beauty Gifts to Give

My essentials for Gemma’s 15th birthday (and her cancer treatment)

July 29, 2025
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My essentials for Gemma’s 15th birthday (and her cancer treatment)

4 (super easy!) things you can do to help the planet

March 12, 2025
Because we all need to help save our planet, and these are four easy (and also fun) ways to do
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4 (super easy!) things you can do to help the planet

Two Lip Products That You Need in Your Life

March 1, 2025
You guys know I’m picky about lip gloss, but I recently tried two new (to me) products and had to
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Two Lip Products That You Need in Your Life

01.18.2012
Quarter Life Crisis Hero: Emmy Rossum

I recently became obsessed with the Showtime TV show Shameless.  Yeah, I know, like I need yet another TV show to be obsessed with, right? Well I watched Emmy Rossum when she was a guest on Chelsea Lately and the show sounded um…a-mazing so I had to check it out.  I’m only on season 1 right now but guys, if you haven’t watched this show yet, you NEED to.  It’s so entertaining and grossly funny.  Like, in that you have to watch a car crash kinda way.  Get me?

I was excited to see that Emmy is on the cover of SELF magazine this month cause honestly, she is awesome and so is her Shameless character, Fiona.  My favorite quote was from this Shape.com interview from awhile back where Shape asks her how she gets ready for her naked scenes; she says:

I‘m lucky that my character isn’t a Serena Van der Woodsen (of Gossip Girl).  I don’t have to look like an Upper East Side girl; I can look like a real girl.  [My character] Fiona is not a member of Equinox so I don’t have to worry about looking perfect all the time.

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.

 

01.16.2012
A Dedication to Angel

I don’t normally like to write super personal posts but ironically, they usually seem to be my most visited. You may have noticed a lack of posts in the last two weeks and honestly, this post is extremely difficult for me to even write so I’m just going to type it – on December 22nd, I had to put my 16.5 year old cat, Angel, to sleep. Anyone who knows me (or follows me on Twitter) knows how utterly obsessed and in love I was with Angel; I rescued her from a shelter in Carmel, New York when I was TWELVE years old.  Twelve, people.  This means that Angel saw me through my awkward pre-teen years, moved with me five times (including a cross country flight), and was basically my child for the past 16.5 years.  Discovering that she had a large tumor on her liver is probably some of the worst news that I’ve ever received, especially since she was perfectly healthy only six months ago, but I know putting her to sleep was the right thing to do since she was in so much pain.

I’ve been struggling a lot since she passed.  I come home and she’s not at the door meowing, happy to see me.  I’m finding her fur on my clothes.  Her food bowl is still full, waiting for her.  Her Christmas stocking is still hanging over my fireplace.  People keep telling me it will get easier, and I know it will.  This is part of life and Angel lived a VERY long life – she was nearly 100 in cat years, after all.  But I wanted to write a little dedication to her on my blog because Angel was amazing and a truly vital part of my life that I will never, ever forget.  RIP Angel, you’re forever in my heart.

And now, back to beauty, fashion and lifestyle posts!

Photo: Angel, sitting on my lap reading my blog

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.

01.01.2012
EXCLUSIVE! Fitness Tips from Venus Celebrity Trainer Tracy Anderson

Truth be told, my legs have never been my favorite body part but when I heard that Venus razors enlisted celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson (think Gwenyth, Madonna and Kate Hudson), naturally, I was intrigued.  For example, did you know that 30% of women are currently using a men’s razor because they think they are better?! (Fact, they are not).  Well, let’s get down to the nitty gritty – I asked Tracy for some tips on how to get my hot spots in shape, e.g. my stomach and thighs.

STOMACH FITNESS TIPS:

  • Stretch and contrast (open and close the rib cage) abs during sit ups to lengthen the muscles for a feminine looking stomach. A good example is a PIKE – lay flat on your back with arm stretched out over your head and legs straight out in front of you; allow your ribs to open and stretch through your stomach.  Then bring your hands down to your sides and legs straight up in the air at 90 degrees, the shoulders and head will lift up in an upper body crunch.  Release back to starting position – do 15-25, and work your way up to 100.
  • Sweat during your workouts! It reduces unnecessary bloating.

 

THIGH FITNESS TIPS:

  • Inner thighs bulk quickly; find a leg program that engages the inner thigh without bulking. Programs that have a dance base are a good example.
  • A simple exercise for the inner thigh is to lay on your side, supporting your body by leaning on your elbow, your wokring leg stretched out straight out in the same line as your body with the other leg bent at the knee so the sole of your foot is on the ground.  Lift the working leg straight up, keeping the thigh turned out, lower back to the floor, and then kick the other leg out to the side in the same line as the leg on the ground, making a small split. Do about 40 reps on each leg.
  • Stay away from spinning and the elliptical – they both tend to bulk up thighs!  Dance cardio is a great base.
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